Located 135 kilometres southwest of Ho Chi Minh City, Vĩnh Long takes under three hours by express bus. It is known for its bustling Cổ Chiên River trade, An Bình island fruit groves, and traditional red-clay kilns in Mang Thít. Vĩnh Long is worth visiting if you want to eat freshwater elephant-ear fish rolled in herbs and explore working Delta orchards by bicycle. Look elsewhere if you want slick heritage tours, resort amenities, or late-night entertainment.
Last updated 22 Sept 2026
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Vĩnh Long hugs the south bank of the Cổ Chiên River, serving as a functional trade hub rather than a polished showcase. Daily life centers around the river pier, Chợ Vĩnh Long morning market, and the lush, quiet lanes of An Bình island just a five-minute ferry ride across the channel. It suits independent travellers who value unhurried cycling, fresh garden fruit, and honest Mekong delta hospitality over scheduled tours.
Start early at Chợ Vĩnh Long for a bowl of bún nước lèo, then take the passenger ferry to An Bình island. Rent a bicycle to cruise canal paths, stopping for a lunch of crisp elephant-ear fish at an orchard homestay. Return to town by late afternoon for iced coffee on the riverfront quay as barges drift past. Select 1 Day above to see it.
Hire a local boat on day two to cruise south into the Mang Thít district, known for hundreds of domed red-clay brick kilns lining the canal banks. Back in town, visit the historic Đình Long Thanh temple before a dinner of clay-pot braised river catfish and greens along Đường 30 Tháng 4. Choose 2 Days to expand the plan.
A third day allows an easy 45-kilometre excursion south to Trà Vinh, home to a large Khmer community and striking temples like Chùa Âng. Alternatively, take a dawn wooden boat deep into the minor waterways around Tam Bình to witness working orange and coconut harvests without another visitor in sight.
Board a wooden sampan at Vĩnh Long pier to navigate narrow Cổ Chiên tributaries past cargo barges, floating water hyacinths, and riverside timber homes.
Explore Mang Thít canal district, where family-run brickworks fire earthenware inside enormous, moss-covered red brick kilns that resemble domed towers.
Wander An Bình island orchards to pluck ripe rambutan, longan, king orange, and sweet Nam Roi pomelo directly from shade-grown trees alongside farmers.
Order cá tai tượng chiên xù, the local elephant-ear fish fried upright until crisp, wrapped at the table in thin rice paper with fresh herbs and mam nem.
Walk through Chợ Vĩnh Long at sunrise on Đường 3 Tháng 2, where vendors sell live river shrimp, freshly butchered pork, and mountains of water spinach.
Rent a sturdy single-speed bicycle on An Bình island to ride flat, paved footpaths past betel nut palms, canal bridges, and family fruit gardens.
Visit Chùa Tiên Châu, a nineteenth-century Buddhist temple on An Bình with weathered wood pillars, and the ornate Đình Long Thanh communal hall.
Pull up a plastic stool on Đường Lê Thái Tổ for hot bowls of bún nước lèo, a savory fish noodle soup loaded with roasted pork and shredded banana blossom.
Sit along the riverfront embankment at dusk with a glass of cà phê sữa đá, watching heavy sand barges chug against the wide Cổ Chiên current.
Stay at rustic island homestays set in garden compounds on An Bình, eating home-cooked dinners of caramelized braised catfish in clay pots.
Take a 40-minute drive south to Trà Vinh to see ancient Khmer Theravada pagodas like Chùa Hang and Chùa Âng surrounded by centuries-old trees.
Browse the Vĩnh Long Museum on Đường Phan Bội Châu for archaeological finds from the Funan kingdom and displays on twentieth-century Delta conflicts.