Mekong River Experience – Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap

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 and the fishing port of Kampong Chhnang, where you’ll learn about fish farming, pottery, and sugar palm production before wandering through the local markets.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Day 5 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.

Day 6 Phnom Penh/Kâmpóng Trâlach
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.

Day 7 Kâmpóng Trâlach/Koh Chen
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 back on the ship en route to Koh Chen, an island in the river. Visit silver and copper workshops and meet a Khmer Rouge survivor eager to tell his story.

Enjoy an evening cocktail and the Captain's farewell dinner.

Day 8 Koh Chen/Siem Reap
This morning, say goodbye to the crew of the Toum Tiou II Riverboat. Hop into a private vehicle for an included transfer to Siem Reap. Tour ends upon arrival. Please book onward travel after 4pm.