Can Tho – The Delta, Vietnam – Where to Stay, Visit, Transport – Page 1

Can Tho – Maps – Orientation

Map 1 – Distances from Can Tho

Map 2 – Airport + Bus Station + Floating Market

Map 3 – The Center of Can Tho

Map 4 – Interactive Map : Attractions + Transport + Town

  1. Points in Green : The River Promenade – City Center
  2. Points in Blue : Tourist Attractions
  3. Points in Red : Transport (Airport + Bus Central Station)

How is the city of Can Tho ?

Can Tho is considered the “capital” of the Mekong Delta region. The Mekong is a very long river (4,350 km) that flows through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. The river ends into the sea in south Vietnam and the region is called the Mekong Delta. Before it goes into the sea, the river splits into several branches and water canals. The Delta is an important agriculture region for Vietnam with fields of rice, soybean and sugar cane. For the tourists, the interesting part are the floating markets.

Can Tho is the most important city in the Delta and the fourth biggest city in Vietnam (after Saigon, Hanoi and Hai-Phong), it has a population of about 1,600,000 people.

The city itself is pleasant. The most attractive part is the promenade along the river :

and the most interesting activity is taking a boat trip to the floating market of Cai Rang.

Is it worth to visit Can Tho ?

The first thing that you should note, is that Can Tho is located below Saigon. It means that it is not on the path of Saigon-Hanoi and it means that you should have extra free time in order to visit it. It could make sense to visit Can Tho if you intend to continue to Phu Quoc island (by bus+speed boat). If you don’t have enough time and you still want to visit a floating market, maybe you should limit yourself to a one day trip to “My Tho” town, which is closer to Saigon.
But, if you have extra time, do visit Can Tho, because it is a real Vietnamese city and not just a touristic attraction.

How to arrive to Can Tho ?

Can Tho is located 130 Km from Saigon (line distance). See it on the Maps above.

By Flight

Yes, there is an airport in Can Tho, but the city is located quite close to Saigon, so there are no direct flights from Saigon (take the bus). There are flights to Can Tho from Phu Quoc island and other Vietnamese cities.

See the location of the airport at Can Tho, on the Interactive Map above.

  • You can book Flights, Trains and Buses inside Vietnam with the site Baolau or  12Go Asia.  Choose the Origin city and Destination city and it will show you All the available Transports to destination.

By Bus

The normal way to arrive to Can Tho from Saigon.

The trip takes about 3 hours. Some of the buses are with beds instead of seats, also during day time.

Note that most of the buses from Saigon are departing from the central station Mien Tay, and your bus ticket will probably include the transport in minibus from your hotel to the station and also from Can Tho station to your new hotel.

See the location of the central bus station in Can Tho, on the Interactive Map above.

  • You can book Flights, Trains and Buses inside Vietnam with the site Baolau or  12Go Asia.  Choose the Origin city and Destination city and it will show you All the available Transports to destination.

By Train

No trains to Can Tho

From Can Tho to Phu Quoc island

If you want to go from Can Tho to Phu Quoc island, you can take a bus till Rach Gia and then a boat. Another option is to take a flight.

Where to Stay in Can Tho ? – Hotels

Option 1 : Near the river promenade (marked 1 on the Map)

In the evening, the promenade is the most animated and interesting place to be in Can Tho. There is the night market and restaurants and a nice atmosphere. There is also another good reason to live near the river : The boats for the famous floating market “Cai Rang” are departing from here, and since it is popular to visit the floating market very early in the morning (5:00), living near the wharf is a big advantage.

See Hotels in Can Tho. After you click and fill the dates, you will see a Map icon. Click on the Map icon, it is a great way to search for the right hotel (you immediately see the price and the score received by visitors).

Option 2 : Near the lake (marked 2 on the Map)

The lake is one of the best places in Can Tho. Around the lake, there are cafés which are very popular, especially in the evenings. Among them “café 1985”.
It is also not too far from the river promenade, about 20 minutes walk.

See Hotels in Can Tho. After you click and fill the dates, you will see a Map icon. Click on the Map icon, it is a great way to search for the right hotel (you immediately see the price and the score received by visitors).

Option 3 : Above the river (marked 3 on the Map)

Nothing special here, except that there are many hotels and so they may be cheaper and more available compared to hotels in zone 1. You may need to use a Taxi in order to arrive to the promenade or walk about 30 minutes.

See Hotels in Can Tho. After you click and fill the dates, you will see a Map icon. Click on the Map icon, it is a great way to search for the right hotel (you immediately see the price and the score received by visitors).

How is the Climate in Can Tho ?

Like in all Vietnam, also in Can Tho there is a dry season and a rainy season which lasts from May to November.
Here are the average temperatures and rain in Can Tho :

Month
Max (C)
Min (C)
Rain (mm)
January 30 22 9
February 31 23 2
March 32 24 8
April 33 25 40
May 33 25 177
June 32 24 218
July 31 24 228
August 31 24 240
September 31 24 261
October 30 23 321
November 30 24 133
December 29 23 38

How to Move in Can Tho ?

By Foot

Can Tho is fine for walking. While in town, you will mostly find yourself beside the river promenade, unless your hotel is far away.

By Taxi or Grab Taxi (car or motorbike)

Grab is functioning well in Can Tho, including with the motorbikes. A moto ride is cheap.

Rent a Motorbike

You don’t really need one in Can Tho. You can simply walk or use Grab Moto in order to arrive to some museums or specific restaurants. For the floating market, you will arrive by boat.

What to Eat in Can Tho ?

There are no real western restaurants in Can Tho and no real pizzas (I have Italian standards). The best place I found for some western food is a restaurant beside the night market, a restaurant for tourists : Sao Hom.

My Pizza was just OK, the beer was better.

The restaurant has tables beside the river, so it is nice.

If you desperately need French cakes (it happens to a lot of tourists in Asia), the best place in Can Tho is Café 1985 ,located beside the lake.

They have a vintage decor inside :

And magically, they have good croissants and other pastries :

If you are Vegetarian (like me), there are several Vietnamese Veg restaurants near the lake.

Among them Bach Thao and Quan Com Chay Cuong

These restaurants are usually “buffet style” and very economic :

In the night market, there is a lot of street food for those who are not vegetarians :

Things like that :

Where to go out at Night in Can Tho ?

Option 1 :

In the evening the place to be is along the river promenade (Ninh Kieu wharf) :

At the bottom of the promenade, there is the night market.

From the promenade, you can even take an evening trip on a boat, with a dinner.

Option 2 :

Around the lake (see location of the lake). There are cafés-bars, some of them even with Karaoke.

Continue to Page 2 – What to Visit in Can Tho ?

More on Vietnam :

  On Thailand :

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If you find incorrect data on this page, like a restaurant that has closed or a big river that has moved or you want to tell me something, please write me to contact.

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