Mekong River Experience – Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap
8 days from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap
From $ 2399
Duration8 days

Think Southeast Asia is just beautiful, beautiful landscapes? There’s a lot more to it. (Though, the landscapes are indeed crazy-beautiful.) On this eight-day river cruise, you'll hop aboard bikes, tuk tuks, or local boats to get around and see rice paddies, monasteries, and local businesses. The magic of the Mekong aside, river cruising gives you a view unlike any other, with visits to the Cai Be floating market, the fishing port of Kampong Chhnang, and stilt villages like Chnok Tru, where you’ll learn about fish farming, pottery, and sugar palm production before wandering through the local markets.

This tour is operated by

  • Duration: 8 days
    Service level: Upgraded
  • Starts in: Ho Chi Minh City
    Physical Grading: Light
  • Ends in: Siem Reap
    Ages: 12+
Mekong River Experience – Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap - Tour Map

Itinerary

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Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City/Mỹ Tho
Arrive at the meeting point by 2:00pm for an included transfer to the pier. Embark, settle in, and get to know the crew as the journey begins. Sail towards My Tho.
Meals: D
Day 2: Mỹ Tho/Sadek
Visit Vinh Trang Pagoda with a short tour of My Tho town en route. Take local boats to Thoi Son Island to see a coconut product manufacturer, taste some local fruit and honey and meet traditional musicians. Continue on to Cai Be and enjoy a visit to the floating market. Opt to wander the small paths through local communities on the island and visit a rice popping cottage industry. Continue by local boat to Vinh Long to meet the vessel. Embark on the evening sail to Sa Dec.
Meals: B, L, D
Day 3: Sadek/Xã Vĩnh Xương
Visit the Kien An Cung Pagoda in Sa Dec and stroll through the market along the river. View the old colonial houses by the delta. Enjoy breakfast and lunch on board as you cruise the Mekong. Arrive at Chau Doc and visit Sam Mountain. Gaze out over the rice paddies or relax in a hammock. Visit some temples and pagodas along the way. Opt for dinner in town.
Meals: B, L
Day 4: Xã Vĩnh Xương/Phnom Penh
Cross the border into Cambodia and continue on to Phnom Penh. Enjoy an evening in the capital city starting with a cyclo tour to see the city from a new perspective. Opt to finish up at the Foreign Correspondents Club for Happy Hour overlooking the river or dinner in town. During the border crossing all passengers must stay on board and the formalities are done on the riverboat. The ship will usually stay at the border for a 2-3 hours whilst all the formalities are completed. Depending on the time spent at the border, the itinerary for the afternoon may vary, although this process is usually quite simple delays can happen.

End place: Phnom Penh

Meals: B, L
Day 5: Phnom Penh

Start place: Phnom Penh

Visit the sobering S21 Museum and the Killing Fields with a local guide. Enjoy an included lunch at Friends, a social enterprise. Opt to visit sights like the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, the National Museum, or the Russian Market with free time. Enjoy lunch at a training restaurant.

End place: Phnom Penh

Meals: B, L
Day 6: Phnom Penh/Kâmpóng Trâlach

Start place: Phnom Penh

Wander through the town of Koh Chen on an island in the river. Visit silver and copper workshops and meet a Khmer Rouge survivor eager to tell his story. Continue to Kampong Tralach and visit the local vihara (Buddhist monastery) and Wat Kampong Tralach Leu pagoda. Opt to cycle, or ride in a tuk tuk or buffalo cart, through the village and past rice paddies to reach the monastery.
Meals: B, L, D
Day 7: Kâmpóng Trâlach/Chnok Tru
Sail on to Kampong Chhnang, one of the largest fishing ports on the Tonle Sap River. Learn more about the fish farming, pottery and sugar palm production in the area. Wander through the local market then opt to cycle to visit the local industries. Enjoy lunch on the boat en route to Chnok Tru. Hop in a local boat to visit one of the largest floating villages on the river. Enjoy an evening cocktail and the Captain's farewell dinner. When water levels are too low (possible from mid December to mid August) it may not be possible to visit the floating village at Chnok Tru. Alternatively, the group will visit a floating village at Kampong Chhnang and anchor near Koh Chen. Enjoy the Captain's farewell dinner on board.

End place: Chhnok Tru

Meals: B, L, D
Day 8: Chnok Tru/Siem Reap

Start place: Chhnok Tru

Depart for Siem Reap early morning. Tour ends upon arrival. Please book onward travel after 4pm. Tour ends upon arrival at approximately 11am. Please book onward travel from 4pm.

If there is inclement weather, or when water levels are too low (possible from mid December to mid August) it may not be possible to sail to the port in Siem Reap. Alternatively, the group will transfer from Koh Chen to Siem Reap by bus.

End place: Siem Reap

Meals: B

Inclusions

Included

  • 7 nights aboard the Toum Tiou II Riverboat
  • Vinh Trang Pagoda visit
  • Thoi Son Island cottage industries tour
  • Kien An Cung Pagoda visit (Sa Dec)
  • Sam Mountain sunset visit
  • Cyclo tour (Phnom Penh)
  • Choeung Ek (Killing Fields) guided tour
  • Tuol Sleng Museum (S-21 Prison) guided tour
  • Koh Chen island visit include cottage industries
  • Vihara and pagoda visit (Kampong Tralach)
  • Kampong Chhnang visit
  • Chhnok Tru floating village visit
  • Farewell cocktail and Captain's Dinner
  • All transport to/from included activities and between destinations
  • Transport

    Toum Tiou II Riverboat, Private vehicles, Walking
  • Accommodation

    Aboard the Toum Tiou II Riverboat (7 nts)

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