About the route from Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho
Can Tho is the largest city in the Mekong Delta, and Ho Chi Minh City is the natural starting point, around 160 kilometers to the northeast. The new expressway has transformed this trip: what used to be a slow four-hour slog is now a straight three-hour drive. There is no flight worth taking on such a short route, and no train reaches the delta, so this is a road journey, by bus, limousine van, or private car. Which you pick comes down to budget and comfort. Saigon, where the trip begins, is the busy hub of the south, covered in our Ho Chi Minh City travel guide if you are still planning your days there.
Can Tho is the hub of the Mekong Delta, a river city where life revolves around the water. The main reason to come is what lies just outside it: the Cai Rang floating market at dawn, boat trips through the narrow canals, and cycling past orchards and rice fields. The city itself is pleasant enough for a wander along the riverfront, but it is the surrounding delta that makes the trip worthwhile. One thing to know before you plan, though, is that the delta rewards an early start and an overnight stay, which shapes how best to visit. Our Can Tho travel guide covers what to see and how to plan it.
Option 1: By bus or limousine van from Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho
Why choose it
The bus is the most popular and cheapest way to reach Can Tho, and with the expressway it is now fast too. Comfortable limousine vans and buses run all day, so there is little need to plan ahead, and the fares are low. For most independent travelers, this is the sensible choice.
How it works
Buses and limousine vans cover the route in around three hours. Most are modern limousine vans with reclining seats and air conditioning, or larger buses, with fares from around 260,000 to 300,000 VND (roughly $10 to $12). Operators include Meko Limousine, Vietnam Travel Bus, and GoEz, bookable on 12Go, Vexere, or directly. They leave from various points in Saigon and drop across Can Tho, with some offering a shuttle to your hotel at the end. Our bus travel guide covers the different types.
Who it is for
The bus suits budget travelers and anyone who wants a simple, cheap trip into the delta. It is frequent, comfortable, and quick on the expressway. If you want more comfort or a door-to-door ride, a private car is the alternative.
Option 2: By private car from Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho
Why choose a private car
A private car is the most comfortable way to travel, taking you door to door from your Saigon hotel to your accommodation in Can Tho on your own schedule. It is the easiest choice for families, groups, or anyone with luggage, and it avoids the stops a shared bus makes. You can also ask to pause along the way, at a temple or a roadside stop.
How it works
The drive takes around three hours on the expressway. You hire the car with a driver, and prices generally run from around 1,700,000 to 2,500,000 VND (roughly $70 to $100) per car, depending on the vehicle. It is charged per car rather than per person, so it splits well across a group. Our Vietnam car rental page explains how hiring a driver works.
Who it is for
A private car works best for families, groups, and anyone who values comfort and a direct trip. Solo travelers and couples on a budget will find the bus much cheaper for the same road.
Option 3: As part of a Mekong Delta tour
Why choose a tour
For most travelers, the real question is not just how to reach Can Tho, but how to see the delta properly once there, and that is where a tour makes sense. The delta’s highlight, the Cai Rang floating market, is at its best just after dawn, which is impossible to catch on a rushed day trip from Saigon. A tour handles the transport, the timing, and an overnight stay, so you actually experience the market and the canals rather than arriving after the boats have packed up.
How it works
A tour combines the transfer from Ho Chi Minh City with a guided experience of the delta, usually over two days and one night. That gives you an evening in the delta, an early boat trip to the floating market the next morning, and time for the canals, orchards, and villages, before returning to the city. Everything is arranged, from transport and accommodation to the boat and guide, so there is nothing to piece together yourself.
Tip: See the Mekong Delta properly with Local Vietnam
Because the floating market rewards an early start, a guided trip is the way to do the delta justice. Our Can Tho and Mekong Delta tours include the transfer from Saigon, an overnight stay in the delta, an early boat trip to the Cai Rang floating market, and cycling through the countryside, with everything arranged for you.
Who it is for
A tour suits travelers who want to see the delta at its best without organizing the logistics themselves, and anyone who would rather not risk a long day trip that misses the market. If you simply need to get to Can Tho and will explore on your own, the bus or a private car is all you need.
Conclusion: what is the best option for Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho
The best way from Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho depends on whether you just need transport or want the delta experience too.
Take the bus or a limousine van for the cheapest and easiest trip, around three hours on the expressway with frequent departures.
Take a private car for comfort and a door-to-door ride, ideal for families and groups, at about the same three hours.
Book a Mekong Delta tour if you want to see the delta properly, since the floating market needs an early start and an overnight stay that a day trip cannot manage.
For getting there, the bus is the simple, cheap answer, with a private car for more comfort. But if the delta itself is the point of your trip, a tour is the way to experience it at its best.
