Visiting Cai Rang Floating Market, you are strongly impressed by the crowded & lively river, which is full of hundreds of boats loaded with plenty of local products & food. This market, definitely more than a traditional trading place, is a local intangible cultural heritage.
I - Where is Cai Rang Floating Market Vietnam?
This floating market is located on the Can Tho River (a tributary of the Hau River) - the section flowing through Le Binh Ward, Cai Rang District, Can Tho City - about 6km from the city center & nearly 7km from Ninh Kieu wharf.
Despite the fact that all trading and exchange activities take place on the river, this special market is just as busy as any other market on the mainland.
Source: Internet
Cai Rang Floating Market opening hours: 5am - 9am
To get to the market, you can rent a boat from the following wharfs:
1 - Ninh Kieu Wharf
Location: Hai Ba Trung street, Tan An ward, Ninh Kieu district, Can Tho city
You can book boat service from:
Mekong Smile Company
- Frequency: 2 hours / trip
- Boat capacity: 40pax
- Boat rental price: 350,000 - 750,000 VND / boat ($15 - 32.5)
- Website: https://nucuoimekong.com
- Contact: 093 972 96 09
Mekong Delta Explorer company
- Frequency: 2 hours/trip
- Boat rental price: 420,000 - 620,000 VND / boat ($18 - 27)
- Boat capacity: 25pax
- Website: https://thamhiemmekong.com
- Contact: 0292 6265 888
2 - Cai Rang Floating Market
Location: on 923 Street, Le Binh Ward, Cai Rang District
Boat rental price: 300,000 VND / boat for a group of 4-7 persons ($13).
3 - An Binh Market wharf
Location: on the 923 Street, An Binh Ward, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City (right at the foot of Cai Rang bridge)
You can rent a private boat or share the boat with others with prices from 150,000 to 400,000 VND / boat ($6.5 - 17).
II - Cai Rang Floating Market highlights
Please note that:
- Opening hours: from early morning & closed around 9am.
- The busiest time: 6am - 7am
- The best time to visit: 5:30m -7am
- You should spend at least 1.5 or 2 hours at this market for the most experiences
Breakfast on the rive - Source: Internet
Admiring the hustle & bustle trading scenery
Taking a boat trip in the early morning, admiring the beautiful sunrise and enjoying the fresh air on the poetic river before mingling in the bustling scene of the market are first experiences in your Cai Rang Floating Market 1-day tour.
From a far distance, you can see a colorful & lively picture created by hundreds of small boats in & out of the waterway. There are thousands of sellers & buyers wearing conical hats, sitting on or standing on the head of the boat surrounded by tons of local products: agricultural products, clothes, flowers, fruits, and food. Products are placed on boats and some of them are hung on a tall pole to catch the looking eyes of buyers & tourists. However, there are some exceptions that should be known when you explore Cai Rang Floating Market by yourself:
- The 1st exception: The "hang without selling" item - clothes: The locals live on the boat, and they hang clothes to dry.
- The 2nd exception: The "selling without hanging" item - food and things that can not be hung.
- The 3rd exception: The "hang one, sell another” thing. If the boat owner hangs coconut leaves on the pole, it means that they are attempting to sell their boat.
Enjoying the local dishes
This floating market is a food paradise with a wide variety of specialties. In Cai Rang Market, tons of delicious dishes such as rice noodle soup, Vietnamese thick noodle soup, grilled meat, Vietnamese mixed rice vermicelli, Crab paste vermicelli soup, bread... are easily found at mobile eateries on the river.
All ingredients and cooking tools are carried on, making the boat like a nice mobile kitchen offering guests hot dishes with the best taste and an awesome eating experience. After getting the order from guests, the skilled “chef” is gonna show you the excellent cooking skills and cook for you the best food.
If you visit the market with a guide, you can experience a lot of interesting things about the life of people or have better deals and take home nice things.
III - Suggested Cai Rang Floating Market tour
For more experience and convenience, it is highly recommended to book a package tour with a passionate guide and a great itinerary. Some tour operators & companies:
Discovery tour - Source: Internet
Mekong Smile Tour
- Tour type: 1 day tour
- Tour price: 190,000 - 550,000 VND / person ($8.2 - 23.7) (tour from 2-10 persons)
- Tour duration: 5 hours - from 4:30am to 9:30am
- Points of interest: Cai Rang Floating Market, rice noodle making village, Ninh Kieu wharf, and durian garden.
- Hotline: +84 983 704 949 - Email: hello@mekongsmiletour.com.
- Website: https://nucuoimekong.com
Mekong Delta Explorer
- Price: 100,000 VND / person ($4.31)
- Contact: +84 0710 3 819 219
- Email: contact@mekongdeltaexplorer.vn
- Website: https://thamhiemmekong.com
Dat Chin Rong Travel
- Tour duration: 5 hours, from 6am to 11am
- Price: 250,000 VND / person ($10.77)
- Contact: 02923 96 96 98
- Email: info@datchinrongtravel.com
- Website: http://datchintrongtravel.com
Cai Rang Floating Market Can Tho, one of the most iconic features of the culture of the Mekong Delta as well as one of the most famous floating markets in Vietnam, is a great place to visit and experience. You can visit this market all year round, from May to November (rainy season in the southern part) - the ripe fruit season, is the most ideal time for savoring more kinds of tropical fruits.
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— Giang Pham
