Mekong Delta homestays, 2 to 4 days
Tours · Pricing
What a homestay trip costs, line by line
Our trips say On request because the price depends on the room, the size of your party and the nights. Here is what goes into a quote, what moves it, what is left out and why, and how the household's share is shown.
Why the price is On request
A homestay trip is mostly fixed costs shared by however many of you travel: the car, the driver, the guide who stays overnight. Divide those by two and the trip costs one thing; divide them by six and it costs something else. Then comes the household's own charge, which depends on the room you need. A single 'from' price would be right for almost nobody, so we quote per trip once we know who is coming.
Every quote comes back as a list, not a single figure. You can see what the household receives, what the transport costs and what the guide costs, and you can change any of it.
The lines of a quote
| Line | What it covers | How it is charged |
|---|---|---|
| Homestay | Room, dinner, breakfast, and any meals or activities the household provides | Per night and per person or per room, at the rate the household sets |
| Car and driver | Door to door from your hotel and back, all transfers on the trip | Per day, per vehicle |
| Guide | English-speaking, with you through the day and staying overnight near the house | Per day |
| Boats | Ferries, canal boats, the market boat at dawn, life jackets | Per crossing or per boat |
| Community activities | Con Son fish raft and folk cakes, garden entries, a canal to drain | As the household or cooperative charges |
| Our margin | Planning, checking houses, being reachable on the trip | Shown as its own line |
Small published costs give a sense of scale for the community part. On Con Son, guides published in 2024 and 2025 list the boat from the Co Bac landing at about 10,000–20,000 VND, the fish raft at 30,000 VND per person, the jumping-fish pond at 39,000 VND and draining a canal at 500,000–1,200,000 VND per canal, not per person. An Binh gardens listed entry at about 30,000–50,000 VND in 2023. These figures change and are confirmed on your quote.
Sources: Vinpearl guide, 24 Jan 2024 — Con Son; Mia.vn, 24 Apr 2025 — Con Son; Mia.vn, 10 Oct 2023 — An Binh in fruit season · checked .
What moves the price, most to least
- How many of you travel. The car and guide are shared; two travellers pay more each than six.
- The room. A garden room with air conditioning and a private bathroom costs more than a fan room with a shared one. On some islets the cheaper room is also the more family-centred one.
- Number of nights. Each extra night adds a homestay line and a guide day, but not much car time.
- Where you start. Starting in Can Tho rather than Ho Chi Minh City removes most of a day's driving on the Con Son and four-day trips.
- Dates. The weeks before Lunar New Year are busier and some households raise their rates or close. Outside Tet, season moves the price very little.
Where the money goes
We do not have an independent figure for how much of a Delta homestay trip reaches the families, and we are not going to invent one. What we can do is make our own trips readable. The household's charge appears on your quote as its own line, set by the household, and it is paid to the household for the room, the meals and the activities they provide. The car, the guide and our margin are separate lines.
The ASEAN Homestay Standard, published by the ASEAN Secretariat in 2016, asks that benefits flow to the community: local staff, local suppliers, local crafts. In practice that means buying the family's dinner rather than bringing a packed meal, using the neighbour's boat, and buying the candy or the seedlings from the people who made them if you want them. Our trips are built that way.
More on choosing hosts whose income comes from you rather than from a coach company: community tourism and responsible hosts.
Sources: ASEAN Homestay Standard, ASEAN Secretariat 2016; Nhan Dan, 3 Jul 2023 — An Binh homestay awards · checked .
What is not in the price, and why
- Travel insurance. Your own policy covers you in ways ours could not, including at home before you leave.
- Drinks. Water and tea are included. Beer, soft drinks and coffee are bought locally, often from the household, and paid on the spot.
- Tips. Optional. Guides, drivers and hosts all appreciate them; nobody should ask.
- Things you buy. Candy, plants, fruit, rice wine. Paid to the maker.
- Optional extras. Canal draining, a music session, an extra hotel night. Priced if you ask.
How a cheaper quote is usually made
If you are comparing quotes for what looks like the same trip, these are the common differences:
- The homestay night comes after a full sightseeing day: you arrive after dark and leave before breakfast
- The 'homestay' is a large garden restaurant with rooms that takes coach groups every night
- The guide goes home in the evening, so there is nobody to translate at dinner
- A shared bathroom is not mentioned until you arrive
- Shopping stops are built into the day and the operator takes a share of what you buy
- Activities are demonstrations rather than work you do with the family
Any of those can be the right choice for a traveller on a tight budget. They should be visible on the quote.
Common questions
Questions travellers ask most
Why is your quote higher than others for the same islet?
Usually because of the guide staying overnight, the private car, and the room. A quote that leaves out the evening guide or puts you in a group house can be much cheaper. Ask any operator what room you get and whether the guide stays; then compare.
Can we pay the family directly?
For drinks, things you buy and tips, yes. The room and meals are arranged in advance and paid by us to the household so the family is not left negotiating with guests.
Is a single traveller charged more?
Yes, per person, because the car and guide are not shared. A solo traveller is very welcome; the evenings are often better for it.
Do prices include the floating market?
Where the itinerary lists it, the boat is included. Food you buy from the market boats is not.
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Two homestays, 4 days
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About
About us
How Mekong Spirit chooses houses, why no reviews, and what we do not do well.
View this journeyStart planning
Tell us which family home you have in mind
A trip, a month and how many of you are travelling are enough to start. We reply by email with questions or a first suggestion that names the house, the room and the bathroom.