7-day itinerary Mekong cruise from Vietnam to Cambodia

For centuries, the Mekong River was the lifeblood of Southeast Asian empires, used by Khmer kings and Vietnamese traders to transport rice, timber, and silk. In the mid-19th century, French explorers, most notably the 1866–1868 Mekong Exploration Commission led by Ernest Doudart de Lagrée and Francis Garnier, set off from Saigon hoping the river would provide a navigable water highway straight into southern China. While waterfalls and dangerous rapids in northern Cambodia and Laos proved that large boats could not sail into China, their expeditions put the Lower Mekong on the global map.

Modern passenger cruising on the Mekong began much later. Following decades of regional conflict, Cambodia reopened to international travel in the late 1990s. In the early 2000s, pioneering riverboat operators began restoring classic colonial-style timber vessels to take small groups of travelers across the border between Saigon and Siem Reap. What was once a rugged, overland expedition through muddy backroads transformed into one of the world’s most comfortable and immersive cultural river journeys.

The 7-night Mekong cruise itinerary runs in two directions:

• Upstream: Saigon to Siem Reap
• Downstream: Siem Reap to Saigon

Both directions visit the same towns, markets, and temples. However, most travelers prefer the Upstream route for its travel flow.

On the upstream trip, you start in the fast, noisy streets of Saigon. Once you board the ship, the pace slows down through the quiet fruit orchards of the Mekong Delta, moves into the history of Phnom Penh, and ends peacefully in the ancient temple world of Angkor.

The downstream route is also fine, especially if your international flight lands in Cambodia first. However, ending your relaxing holiday in the heavy traffic of Saigon can sometimes feel abrupt.

Day 1: Saigon – My Tho – Tan Phong Island (Cai Be)

Morning: Meet your cruise group at the official city lounge in central Saigon (usually around 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM). You board an air-conditioned coach for a 1.5 to 2-hour drive south to the river port of My Tho.

Afternoon: Embark your ship. The crew welcomes you on board, helps with your luggage, and shows you to your cabin. After a brief safety drill and lunch in the dining room, the ship starts sailing into the Mekong Delta.

Late afternoon & Evening: Spend the afternoon relaxing on the sun deck as the ship enters the Tien River (the northern branch of the Mekong in Vietnam). Enjoy sunset drinks before the Captain’s Welcome Dinner. The ship drops anchor for the night near Tan Phong Island.

Daily details:

• Meals: Lunch, Dinner
• Physical level: Easy. Boarding via a flat gangway.

Day 2: Tan Phong Island – Sa Dec – Gieng Island

Morning: After breakfast, board small local wooden boats (sampans) to visit Tan Phong Island. You will walk through fruit orchards, watch locals make rice paper and coconut candy, and see how water hyacinths are woven into baskets and mats.

Afternoon: The ship sails to Sa Dec, a quiet town in Dong Thap province. Here, you visit the Huynh Thuy Le Ancient House. This house belonged to the wealthy merchant who had a famous love affair with French writer Marguerite Duras, which inspired her novel L’Amant (The Lover). Next, walk through the lively Sa Dec market, where stalls sell fresh river fish, herbs, and tropical fruits.

Late afternoon: Active travelers can take a guided bicycle ride (around 8–10 km) along flat village paths beside the canals. Others can relax on board while the ship moves toward Gieng Island.

Daily details:

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Physical level: Moderate. Getting in and out of small wooden sampans requires balance, but crew members are always there to hold your arm.

Day 3: Gieng Island – Border Crossing – Cruising to Phnom Penh

Morning: Explore Gieng Island (Cu Lao Gieng). This island is known for its high concentration of Catholic churches and monasteries built during French colonial rule. Visit a local family boat-building workshop where wooden river boats are still crafted by hand. You also stop at a workshop making traditional incense sticks.

Afternoon (The border crossing): Return to the ship for lunch. The ship sets sail toward the international border between Vietnam (Song Tien) and Cambodia (Kaam Samnor).

You do not have to stand in line at an immigration office. The ship drops anchor in the river. The ship’s purser collects your passport and visa paperwork and handles the stamps directly with border officials. During this 2-to-3-hour stop, you can join a Vietnamese cooking class, book a massage, or listen to a talk about Cambodian history.

Evening: The ship receives clearance and enters Cambodia, sailing through the night toward Phnom Penh.

Daily details:

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Physical level: Easy walking on flat island trails.

Day 4: Phnom Penh (Full-Day City Tour)

Morning: You wake up docked right at the riverfront promenade of Phnom Penh. After breakfast, board traditional three-wheeled cyclos for a tour through the city streets. Visit the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda, famous for its floor covered with over 5,000 silver tiles and a life-sized solid gold Buddha statue. Next, visit the National Museum, which houses the world’s best collection of Angkor-era stone carvings.

Afternoon: Confront Cambodia’s painful 20th-century history. Take a private bus to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21), a former high school that the Khmer Rouge turned into a torture prison between 1975 and 1979. A local guide explains the history with great care and respect.

Evening: Back on board, enjoy a special cultural evening. Most ships invite a local historian or a survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime to share personal stories and answer questions. This is followed by an open-air barbecue dinner and a performance of traditional Khmer Apsara dance by local youth artists.

Daily details:

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Dress code: Shoulders and knees must be covered at the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. Hats and shoes must be removed before entering temple buildings.
• Physical level: Moderate walking on paved grounds and museum stairs.

Day 5: Phnom Penh – Kampong Tralach – Kampong Leaeng (Tonle River)

Morning: Early morning departure from Phnom Penh. The ship turns off the Mekong into the calm waters of the Tonle Sap River. Disembark at the small village of Kampong Tralach. Here, you take a 20-minute ride on a traditional ox-cart, riding past emerald-green rice fields and sugar palm trees to visit a local village school or pagoda.

Afternoon: Continue sailing toward Kampong Leaeng. This rural area is famous for clay pottery. Walk through the village to see how families use simple foot-powered wheels to shape water jars, cooking pots, and stoves that are sold all across the country. You can also see small pre-Angkorian brick towers hidden behind local houses.

Evening: The ship anchors in a quiet, natural bend of the river. Enjoy a quiet dinner on board far from any city lights.

Daily details:

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Physical level: Moderate. The ox-cart ride is bumpy. If you have back issues, you can take a shared minivan instead.

Day 6: Koh Chen – Prek Bangkong – Angkor Ban

Morning: Sail back down toward the Mekong River and stop at Koh Chen (Silver Island). This small island village has around 400 families specializing in silver, copper, and brass work. You can watch craftsmen hammer detailed Buddhist scenes into metal bowls, plates, and ornamental boxes.

Afternoon: Call at Prek Bangkong, a village well known for silk weaving. Underneath the high wooden stilt houses, local women work traditional wooden looms to produce fine silk scarves and fabrics.

Late afternoon & Evening: Sail northeast along the Mekong toward Kampong Cham province. Enjoy sunset views from the top deck.

Daily details:

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Physical level: Easy walking along unpaved village lanes.

Day 7: Angkor Ban – Kampong Cham

Morning: Step ashore at Angkor Ban, one of the very few traditional wooden villages in Cambodia that survived the Khmer Rouge period without being burned down. Many of the teak and hardwood stilt houses here are over 80 to 100 years old. Walk through the peaceful village, meet local families, and visit the village monastery, where Buddhist monks perform a short water blessing ceremony for health and safe travel.

Afternoon: Return to the ship for your final lunch on board. Spend the afternoon packing, enjoying the sun deck pool, or relaxing with a book as the ship covers its final river miles to Kampong Cham.

Evening: The Captain’s Farewell Dinner, featuring local specialties and a toast with the crew.

Daily details:

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Physical level: Easy walking. Slip-on shoes are helpful for visiting the monastery.

Day 8: Kampong Cham – Overland transfer to Siem Reap

Morning: Enjoy your final breakfast on board. Disembark the ship around 8:30 AM at the riverbank in Kampong Cham.

Overland drive: Board an air-conditioned bus or private car for the journey to Siem Reap. The drive covers roughly 240 km and takes about 4.5 to 5 hours.

En-route stop: Halfway through the drive, stop at Spean Praptos (Kampong Kdei), an ancient 12th-century bridge made of laterite blocks with twenty-one arches and multi-headed stone naga carvings.

Afternoon: Arrive in Siem Reap around 1:30 PM to 2:00 PM. The transfer drops you directly at your chosen hotel in town.

Daily details:

• Meals: Breakfast, light snack during road transfer.

Money, currencies, and onboard expenses

On board: Most ships run a cashless system during the cruise. Excursions, meals, and standard coffee/tea are included in your ticket. Extra drinks, spa treatments, and boutique purchases are charged to your cabin account and paid at check-out on Day 8 using a Visa or MasterCard.

On shore: You will want cash for small purchases at village markets (fruit, snacks, handmade silk scarves, souvenirs).

• In Vietnam, use Vietnamese Dong (VND). Small bills (10,000 to 100,000 VND) are best.
• In Cambodia, US Dollars (USD) are accepted everywhere alongside Cambodian Riel (KHR). Bring clean, crisp USD notes with no tears, folds, or ink marks. Old or torn US dollars will be rejected by local shops.

A 7-night cruise covers the southern waterways, but it only represents one piece of Indochina. To make the most of your journey, Travel Sense Asia recommends connecting your cruise with land extensions:

Pre-cruise: Northern Vietnam (5 to 7 Days)

Before boarding your ship in Saigon, fly into Hanoi to explore the cultural roots of Vietnam:

• Hanoi (2 days): Walk through the 36 Old Quarter streets, taste authentic Pho and egg coffee, and visit the Temple of Literature.
• Halong Bay or Lan Ha Bay (2 days/1 night): Cruise through towering limestone islands on an overnight luxury junk boat.
• Sapa or Ninh Binh (2/3 days): Add scenic mountain trekking through the terraced rice fields of Sapa, or take a rowboat through the river caves of Ninh Binh.

Fly from Hanoi to Saigon (a direct 2-hour flight on Vietnam Airlines) the day before your cruise begins.

Post-cruise: Siem Reap and beyond

When you arrive in Siem Reap on Day 8, plan to stay at least 3 full days to explore the Angkor Archaeological Park:

• Day 1: Watch the sunrise behind the five towers of Angkor Wat, then explore the giant stone faces of Bayon and the walled city of Angkor Thom.
• Day 2: Visit Ta Prohm, the famous temple swallowed by giant banyan tree roots, followed by the delicate pink sandstone carvings of Banteay Srei.
• Day 3: Take a private boat on the Tonle Sap Lake to visit the stilted village of Kompong Phluk, or take a cooking class at a local farm