Long Xuyên travel guide
Hau River life, Tiger Island and soup at Lan Ky
A local river town on the Hau River between Can Tho and Chau Doc, with Ton Duc Thang's birthplace on Tiger Island and hills rising from the plain to the west. December to April is dry. One night is enough, two if you ride out to Sap Mountain. Prices are low, and every nationality can get the e-Visa.
Long Xuyen is a working river town on the Hau River in the western Mekong Delta, about 90 minutes by bus from Can Tho and five hours from Ho Chi Minh City. Few foreigners stop, which is the point. The centre is compact and very local, and xe loi, the delta's bicycle-cart taxis, have long worked its streets.
Across the river on Tiger Island (Cu Lao Ong Ho) is the birthplace of Ton Duc Thang, Vietnam's second president, now a memorial site among orchards. West of town, Sap Mountain, Cam Mountain and Sam Mountain near Chau Doc rise abruptly out of the flat rice plain and make good half-day rides by motorbike.
Fish farms along this stretch of the Mekong raise much of Vietnam's pangasius catfish, and the floating cages and processing yards line the banks. Old Chinese-Vietnamese restaurants and a tall modern cathedral give the town more character than its size suggests.
Explore Long Xuyên by theme
Find your kind of trip: 24 travel themes, each with the packages in Long Xuyên.
Long Xuyên at a glance
The essentials first-time visitors ask about, in one place.
Explore more of Vietnam
Pick a place by travel style: beaches, nature, cities, heritage, hills, islands.
Nothing in that category yet.
Top things to do in Long Xuyên
River life, Tiger Island, the delta hills and good Chinese-Vietnamese food.
No things to do in Long Xuyên are listed yet. Browse all things to do
Best time to visit Long Xuyên
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Sunny and dry, easiest for river trips and motorbike rides; March and April are the hottest weeks.
Afternoon storms from May, then high water across the upper delta from about August, with fields around town turned to lakes.
In flood season, roughly August to November, the fields around town turn to water and boat trips show the delta at its most dramatic.
Packages in Demand
A Journey to Remember
Tours, activities and day trips in and around this destination, with the details you need before booking.
No packages in Long Xuyên are listed yet. Browse all packages
Create Your Custom-Made Trip to Long Xuyên
Traveling to Long Xuyên? Chat with a Local Travel Specialist in Long Xuyên Who Can Help Organize Your Trip.
START HEREOur Travel Experts are Recommended by
Plan your trip
Practical answers before you go. Pick a topic.
Getting there
Mien Tay coaches and the road up from Can Tho
Long Xuyên has no railway or airport, so you arrive by road. Coaches from Ho Chi Minh City leave Mien Tay bus station through the day and take about five hours, some carrying on to Chau Doc; from Can Tho airport (VCA), a taxi or bus takes roughly an hour and a half up the Hau River road. Door-to-door limousine vans are a comfortable alternative and drop you at your hotel. If you are coming down from Chau Doc or the Cambodian border, the road south takes a little over an hour. Long-distance coaches end at the city bus station on the edge of town, where xe om and taxis wait.
- From Can Tho Airport (VCA)
- About 1.5 hours by taxi or bus
- Coach from Mien Tay, Ho Chi Minh City
- About 5 hours
- From Chau Doc
- A little over an hour by road
- Limousine van
- Hotel-to-hotel from Ho Chi Minh City or Can Tho
- Ask for the 'ben xe Long Xuyen' stop if your coach is going on to Chau Doc, or you may be carried past town.
Where to stay
Co-op Mart corner, the cathedral quarter or a night on Tiger Island
Long Xuyên's hotels cluster in the walkable centre, around the Co-op Mart corner and the cathedral quarter, and the choice is limited, so book ahead around Tet. English is rare at reception desks. For a quieter night among orchards, Tiger Island across the river is the alternative.
- Near the Co-op Mart
- The largest hotels, such as Dong Xuyen and Long Xuyen, with restaurants and shops close by
- Around the cathedral
- Cheaper guesthouses and fan rooms; quieter at night but further from the river
- Hau riverfront
- Cafes and views of the boat traffic; some streets are noisy with trucks early in the morning
- Tiger Island (Cu Lao Ong Ho)
- Garden homestays among the orchards for a rural night; you depend on the ferry for town
Getting around
Xe loi, xe om and a rented bike out to Sap Mountain
Long Xuyên's centre is easy on foot, from the market and riverfront to the cathedral and the Co-op Mart. For short hops, the xe loi, a bicycle with a passenger cart, was long the Mekong's own taxi, though xe om motorbike taxis are now far more common; agree the destination before you climb on. Metered taxis and ride-hailing apps cover longer trips around town. Tiger Island is reached by the small ferry from the riverfront, a few minutes across the water. To get into the countryside, rent a bicycle or motorbike from a street repair shop or your hotel; the flat roads west to Sap Mountain and the Oc Eo area take under an hour by motorbike.
- On foot
- Market, riverfront, cathedral and Co-op Mart
- Xe om or xe loi
- Short trips around the centre
- Ferry
- Riverfront to Tiger Island in a few minutes
- Rented motorbike
- Sap Mountain, Oc Eo, Chau Doc
- Carry your hotel's address in Vietnamese; few drivers read Latin-alphabet maps.
Know before you go
What makes Long Xuyên worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- The ferry to Tiger Island, for Ton Duc Thang's birthplace.
- A river dinner boat booked through Hai Lua.
- Riding out to Sap Mountain across the rice plain.
Good to know
- Hai Lua's boat dinners need booking ahead, with the menu chosen in advance.
- English is limited outside a few restaurants, so carry addresses written in Vietnamese.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Long Xuyên, month by month
Month-by-month climate figures for Long Xuyên are being researched.
Tiger Island, the Hau River market and Oc Eo
A day in Long Xuyên begins on the Hau River at dawn, at a small floating market where boats hang samples of fruit and vegetables from tall poles so buyers can see each cargo from a distance. Hire a boat from the riverfront for an hour, and ask to pass the fish-farm cages on the way back.
Mid-morning, take the ferry across to Tiger Island. The Ton Duc Thang memorial includes the wooden house where he was born and a museum on his life, set among orchards and quiet lanes that are pleasant to walk. Come back for lunch at Lan Ky, then rest through the hottest hours.
Late afternoon, rent a motorbike and ride west across the paddies to Sap Mountain, a low hill with pagodas on its slopes and wide views over the plain. Nearby, at the foot of Ba The mountain, the Oc Eo site preserves the remains of an ancient trading port of the Funan kingdom, with a small display explaining the finds.
Return for dinner on the river with Hai Lua, booked in advance. With a second day, carry on north to Chau Doc for Sam Mountain and the Ba Chua Xu temple, or out to Cam Mountain in the Seven Mountains range.
Com tam Long Xuyen and Lan Ky's soup pots
Com tam Long Xuyen is the dish locals are proudest of: broken rice with grilled pork, sweet Chinese sausage, shredded pork skin and a fried egg, plus a bowl of pickles. The sweeter sausage and generous pickles set it apart from the Saigon version, and stalls across the centre serve it at breakfast and lunch.
The town's Chinese families run some of its best kitchens. Lan Ky has been serving soup for generations and draws a crowd at lunch; Buu Loc does family-style dinners, with private rooms upstairs if you book. Phong Ky is rougher and slower but much loved for its cooking.
Fish is everywhere, given the pangasius farms on the river, along with lau mam, the fermented fish hotpot of the western delta. From the Seven Mountains area to the west come palm sugar and palm fruit from the thot not trees, sold at stalls along the roads out of town.
Travelers are asking
No questions yet about Long Xuyên. Ask the community or our travel team, and the answer will show here once it is published.
Our travel desk answers questions about Long Xuyên
How we research our Long Xuyên travel guide
For Long Xuyên we check Tiger Island ferries, Oc Eo access and coach times against the Long Xuyên Wikipedia entry and Vietnam Travel, and take entry rules only from the official e-Visa portal.
Last updated . Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Checked against trusted sources:
Vietnam official e-VisaVietnam Travel
See all 2 sources
Before You Go...
Discover Trips & Info
A Travel Network Connection Travelers and locals
Incredible Event & Festival, Don't Miss!
Most Popular Event & Festival of Long Xuyên
Festivals and events in this destination, with dates, venues and ticket details where available.
No upcoming festivals or events in Long Xuyên are listed right now. Browse all events
Memorable Experiences
Where to Go (& NOT Go) In Long Xuyên!
Roaming the World one Adventure at a Time: Travel Tales, Tips, and Inspiration for wanderlusters.
Subscriber
Popular car hire destinations
Explore more options to hire a car for cheap
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Long Xuyên.
Getting there
Roughly an hour and a half by taxi or bus, following the Hau River.
Take the small ferry from the Long Xuyen riverfront; the memorial and museum are a short walk or xe om ride from the landing.
Usually from about August to November, when the rice fields around town fill with water.
General
Many do. Tell the driver you want Long Xuyen bus station, about five hours from Ho Chi Minh City.
Chau Doc is closer to Sam Mountain and the Cambodian border; Long Xuyen is quieter and nearer Can Tho. Many travellers stop in both.
It comes with a sweet Chinese sausage and plenty of pickled vegetables alongside the grilled pork and broken rice.
A bicycle with a small passenger cart attached, a traditional Mekong Delta taxi for short rides.
Yes, a small one on the Hau River in the early morning, much less touristy than Cai Rang near Can Tho.
Remains of an ancient Funan trading port at the foot of Ba The mountain, about an hour west by motorbike.
Yes, Hai Lua arranges river dinners with a menu ordered in advance.
Long Xuyên's centre is easy on foot, from the market and riverfront to the cathedral and the Co-op Mart. For short hops, the xe loi, a bicycle with a passenger cart, was long the Mekong's own taxi, though xe om motorbike taxis are now far more common; agree the destination before you climb on. Metered taxis and ride-hailing apps cover longer trips around town.
Long Xuyên is best known for:
- The ferry to Tiger Island, for Ton Duc Thang's birthplace
- A river dinner boat booked through Hai Lua
- Riding out to Sap Mountain across the rice plain
Long Xuyên's hotels cluster in the walkable centre, around the Co-op Mart corner and the cathedral quarter, and the choice is limited, so book ahead around Tet. English is rare at reception desks. For a quieter night among orchards, Tiger Island across the river is the alternative.
Visa & documents
Citizens of a number of countries, including the UK and many EU states, can visit Vietnam visa-free for up to 45 days. All nationalities can apply for a single or multiple-entry e-Visa valid for up to 90 days on the official portal.
Health & safety
Vietnam is generally safe. Traffic is the main hazard, and bag snatching from motorbikes occurs in cities.
