The best things to do in Ben Tre are unhurried ones: a rowing-sampan ride through water-coconut canals, the Coconut Monk’s island at Con Phung, a coconut-candy workshop, a morning in the Cai Mon fruit orchards and a sunset over the Ham Luong River. From Ben Tre Riverside Resort the Con Phung boat landing is about 15 km by road, Cai Mon about 25 km and the city centre 4 km, so two nights cover most of it without rushing.
Ben Tre has no grand monuments. Its appeal is the islands, canals and orchards, which a day trip from Ho Chi Minh City only glimpses.
A two-day plan from the riverside
Ben Tre is a province of river islands between branches of the Mekong, and the sights sit in different directions from the city. This plan groups them so you are not crossing back and forth. Times assume a car or Grab; the hotel can arrange its own tours, listed further down.
| When | What | From the hotel |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1, morning | Con Phung and Thoi Son by boat: sampan canal, coconut candy, honey tea | 15 km to the landing, then 5–10 min by boat |
| Day 1, afternoon | Pool and garden at the hotel | On site |
| Day 1, sunset | Jetty or Riverside Bistro rooftop | On site |
| Day 1, evening | Night market on Hung Vuong street | About 4 km, 10 min by car |
| Day 2, morning | Cai Mon orchards (May–August) or the hotel’s Ham Luong boat tour | 25 km, 40–50 min |
| Day 2, afternoon | Ben Tre Museum and the candy shops on Nguyen Van Tu | 3–4 km |
| Day 2, evening | Sunflower sunset cruise or a firefly trip | From the hotel |
With a third night, add the Vam Ho bird sanctuary and the Nguyen Dinh Chieu memorial in Ba Tri, both about 35 km east, best combined in one late afternoon. Our distance table gives the drive times from the hotel gate.
Sampans, islands and the river
The classic Ben Tre experience is a small wooden sampan rowed by a local woman through canals so narrow that the nipa palm fronds meet overhead. Most island tours include a stretch of it, along with a larger motorboat across the open river.
Con Phung and its neighbours
Con Phung, an island in the Tien River on the Ben Tre side, holds the relic site of the Coconut Monk, a 20th-century religious leader whose followers lived on coconuts; its terrace of carved dragon pillars and a nine-storey tower are the island’s best-known sight. A June 2026 guide put a walk-in ticket with the return boat at VND 80,000–110,000 a person, with boats running roughly 7:30 am to 5:30 pm. Smaller Con Quy has fruit gardens, and Thoi Son, across the water on the My Tho side, is known for honey farms and folk music.
The Ham Luong from the hotel
The hotel itself stands on the Ham Luong, the wide silt-brown branch of the Mekong south of the city. Its own morning trip, Memories of Ham Luong, runs 8:30 am to 1:30 pm, and the evening Sunflower cruise leaves the garden at 5 pm. Both are booked at reception rather than on the booking page.
Coconut candy and craft workshops
Ben Tre is Vietnam’s coconut province, and coconut candy is its signature souvenir. In a workshop you see the whole chain: grated coconut pressed for milk, the milk boiled with sugar and malt in wide pans, the soft slab cut into bars and wrapped in thin rice paper. Most Con Phung tours stop at one, with warm candy to taste.
You do not need to go far to buy it. Two makers, Ba Hai To and Ngoc Mai, have shops on Nguyen Van Tu, the hotel’s own street, and in May 2026 a 200 g pack sold for about VND 30,000–60,000 depending on brand and flavour. Durian, pandan and peanut versions sit alongside the plain milk candy.
Mats, baskets and coconut crafts
The hotel runs a trip to the Nhon Thanh craft village, known for woven mats (VND 320,000 a person in its 2026 list). Coconut wood and shell are also carved into bowls, spoons and lamps sold at market stalls in town.
Orchards, gardens and the bird sanctuary
Cai Mon and Cho Lach
West of the city, Cai Mon and Cho Lach are the orchard and plant-nursery district. From May to August the gardens fill with rambutan, durian, mangosteen and longan, and some open to visitors for a small entry fee, with fruit to eat under the trees. Cho Lach’s nurseries grow ornamental plants and bonsai for the whole south. Cai Mon is about 25 km from the hotel, over the Ham Luong bridge.
Vam Ho bird sanctuary
Vam Ho, in Ba Tri district about 35 km east of the city, covers some 67 hectares of mangrove and is home to more than 120 bird species. The sight is the late afternoon, when thousands of storks and egrets fly back to roost, and October to April is the main nesting season. A 2023 listing gave entry with a guide at VND 150,000.
History in town and in Ba Tri
In the city, the Ben Tre Museum at 146 Hung Vuong occupies a colonial-era residence beside the river, with war-time exhibits indoors and aircraft and artillery in the garden. A 2023 listing gave hours of 7 am to 5 pm daily and an adult ticket of VND 50,000. The Hung Vuong riverside promenade outside is pleasant at dusk.
Ben Tre is also where the 1960 Dong Khoi (simultaneous uprising) movement began, and Ba Tri holds the memorial and tomb of Nguyen Dinh Chieu (1822–1888), the blind poet and teacher honoured across the south. His memorial site has a stele house, a temple built in 2000–2002 with a bronze statue, and gardens.
Things to do without leaving the hotel
Ben Tre Riverside Resort makes a good base on slow afternoons. There are two outdoor pools, a lit jetty over the river, Riverside Garden with a pet corner of rabbits, goats and peacocks (8 am to 5 pm), free bicycles and a kids’ room. The facilities guide lists opening hours.
The hotel also sells a firefly trip that leaves at 5 pm on dry, moonless nights, and set dinners by the river. Prices and times can change, so confirm them at reception the day before.
Questions about things to do in Ben Tre
How many days do you need in Ben Tre?
Two nights is the sweet spot. One full day covers Con Phung, a sampan ride and a candy workshop; a second morning adds the Cai Mon orchards or a boat trip on the Ham Luong, with sunsets on both evenings. A single night works if you arrive by lunchtime, but a day trip from Ho Chi Minh City leaves only a few hours on the water.
Is Ben Tre or My Tho better for a Mekong trip?
They face each other across the Tien River and share the same islands. My Tho is where many Ho Chi Minh City day tours start, so it is busier. Ben Tre has more coconut groves, candy workshops and quieter canals, and riverside hotels where you can stay the night. Con Phung and Con Quy are reached from either side by boat.
Can you visit Con Phung without a tour?
Yes. Drive or take a Grab to the boat landing on the Ben Tre side, about 15 km from the hotel, and buy a ticket that includes the return boat; a June 2026 guide quoted VND 80,000–110,000 a person. The sampan ride and the candy workshop are usually included or sold on the island.
What is there to do in Ben Tre in the evening?
Watch the sunset from the jetty or the Riverside Bistro rooftop, then head 4 km into town for the night market on Hung Vuong street, which runs along the river with street-food stalls. On dry, moonless nights the hotel’s firefly trip is a quieter alternative, and the Sunflower cruise combines sunset and dinner on the water.
Distances, tickets and hotel tours checked October 2026; older prices are dated in the text.