Along the Mekong – Vietnam & Cambodia Guided Tour

Saigon - Hoi An - Hue - Hanoi - Halong Bay - Siem Reap - Mekong River - Phnom Penh

Duration

22 days

Tour Type

Private

Price From

£3,970 pp

Overview: Along the Mekong – Vietnam & Cambodia Tour

This 22-day journey follows Vietnam and Cambodia through a combination of guided touring and river travel, including an overnight cruise among Halong Bay’s limestone formations and a seven-day Mekong cruise. Along the way, the itinerary combines ancient temples and imperial heritage with encounters with floating communities, traditional crafts, local markets, and life along the river, creating a varied journey through two fascinating cultures.

Tour Highlights:

Cruise overnight through the spectacular limestone landscapes of Halong Bay
Explore Hoi An’s beautifully preserved ancient merchant quarter and historic architecture
Discover the extraordinary temples of Angkor, including Angkor Wat, Bayon, and Ta Prohm
Embark on a seven-day Mekong cruise through Vietnam and Cambodia
Visit floating villages, local markets, silk workshops, and traditional communities along the Mekong
Experience the former imperial capital of Hue and its remarkable citadel, pagodas, and royal heritage

This varied 22-day journey brings together Vietnam and Cambodia’s distinctive cultures, history, landscapes, and river life.

Day 1 - UK - Vietnam

Day 1 - UK Departure

We begin our private adventure today by departing London Heathrow for international economy flight to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

We can also arrange departures from your local airport at no extra cost.

Day 2 - Arrival in Saigon

On arrival at Ho Chi Minh International Airport, our tour guide will be there to greet us and transfer you by private car through the city to your hotel, located in the heart of this amazing city.

After check-in and tour briefing the rest of the day is free at leisure.

Day 3 - Saigon

After breakfast we embark on a leisurely tour to see the key sights in the very centre of Saigon. Our visit includes the former Presidential Palace, the War Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office, City Hall, the Opera House and Ben Thanh Market.

Conclude the day with a cup of the famed Highland coffee, watching the city pass-by in rush hour. This evening we’ll be honoured guests at a Welcome Dinner, an interesting introduction to Vietnam cuisine.

Breakfast

Dinner

Day 4 - Saigon - Hoi An

Day 4 - Saigon to Hoi An

Today we transfer to Saigon airport for a mid-morning flight to Middle Vietnam. Meet up with our new local guide at Danang airport and proceed along the scenic coast to Hoian. En route we’ll visit fascinating Cham Museum and the sacred Marble Mountains.

In the afternoon we’ll be on foot to explore the charming and wonderfully preserved ancient quarter of Hoian. This corner of Hoian still retains Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and European influences from its flourishing old days being an international merchant port. We will walk narrow colourful lanes, visit historic architectures, and browse the endless parade of shops for souvenirs.

Breakfast

Day 5 - Hoi An

Today is a free day to relax by the pool or beach. There is also an optional tour of Tra Que Village for the more adventurous as follows:

We take a bike ride through the rural scenery of Hoian to a small vegetable planting village located on the banks of Tra Que lagoon (5km – 15mins cycling from Hoian). Tra Que village has been known for its special aromatic herbs such as mint and basil. Join local people in their daily work of planting and watering vegetables. Learn to cook some local specialties, for example “Tam Huu” – a set of shrimps, pork and aromatic herbs, and then enjoy lunch. Cost £40 per person.

Breakfast

Day 6 - Hoi An - Hue

Day 6 - Hoi An to Hue

Today we depart Hoian and travel northwards to Hue, climbing over the breathtaking Ocean Clouds Pass and unwinding on the scenic Lang Co Beach.

In the afternoon, we traverse the ruins of the Imperial Citadel including the former royal residence, which is now a World Heritage Site. We also visit Thien Mu, one of the most beautiful and revered pagodas of Hue.

Conclude the day with a dragon boat cruise on the serene and poetic Perfume River and sample Hue cuisine for dinner.

Breakfast

Day 7 - Hue to Hanoi

After breakfast we visit the impressive tomb of former Emperor Tu Duc and two villages crafting conical hats and incense. We then call at a beautiful garden house which once belonged to the royalty and revel in its refined atmosphere and learn more about the last dynasty of Vietnam.

Enjoy lunch in Hue and then transfer to the airport for a short flight to Hanoi, the ancient and elegant capital of Vietnam. Meet our local guide upon arrival and transfer to the city centre for overnight.

Breakfast

Lunch

Day 8 - Hanoi

After breakfast we embark on a full day tour to see the most outstanding attractions of Hanoi. Start with a visit to the complex of Memorials to Ho Chi Minh to understand his amazing life.

Continue to the Single Pillar Pagoda and the Temple of Literature and get acquainted with two of the driving forces in Vietnam culture.

In the afternoon we visit the Museum of Ethnology which exhibits a large collection of artefacts about the cultures of the 54 ethnic groups in the country, and the little but beautiful temple of Ngoc Son on Hoan Kiem Lake.

Enjoy a rickshaw ride through the lively Old Quarter, a series of 36 ancient streets where peddlers still trade the way they have done for centuries.

We finally conclude the day with the famed water puppet theatre where we will enjoy a performance of the traditional art form created by village farmers around the Red River Delta region – unique but widely known.

Breakfast

Day 9 - Lorem IpsumHanoi - Halong Bay

Day 9 - Hanoi to Halong Bay

After breakfast we depart Hanoi and journey east through the rich farmland of the Red River Delta to Halong Bay – the greatest natural wonder of Vietnam.

Upon arrival we will board our traditional junk (ancient Chinese boat) and explore this extraordinary piece of Vietnam from the comfort of a deluxe overnight cruise. Surreal seascape, interesting sites, ocean-fresh seafood, exciting activities, and so on, make this an unforgettable experience!

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Day 10 - Halong Bay - Siem Reap

Day 10 - Halong Bay to Siem Reap

Wake up to fresh coffee before visiting a cave, a sandy cove or a lagoon. Early risers can even take part in a Taichi class on the Sun Deck!

Enjoy brunch whilst cruising back to the shore. En route the junk weaves through more strange-shaped rock formations that invite comparisons from fighting cocks to dragons and even further!

We disembark between 11:00 and 12:00 AM and return to Hanoi for a flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Meeting and greeting at the airport on arrival by our local guide, then private transfer to the hotel in the centre of this unique and fascinating city.

Brunch

Day 11 - Siem Reap

Today we start exploring the wonders left by a highly complex civilisation that controlled the greater part of Southeast Asia for four centuries. Enter the Great City of Angkor Thom through the South Gate and traverse to admire the temples of Baphoun and Phimeanakas, the Terraces of Elephant and Leper King, and especially the mysterious smiling Bayon.

After a break we’ll visit the fascinating temples of Ta Prohm, Banteay Kdei, Takeo, Thommanon, Chau Say Thevoda, and the Royal Bath of Sras Srang.

Late in the day we hike up Phnom Bakheng to behold the magnificent sunset over the land of temples.

In the evening, we enjoy dinner with entertainment from Apsara dancers. Free time afterwards allows an exciting walk to see the lively Pub Street and the lucky Night Market.

Breakfast

Dinner

Day 12 - Siem Reap

This morning we return to the Archeology Park to visit the epic temples of Angkor Wat – a vast rambling complex of diverse temple structures dating from the 9th to the 13th centuries. Many are adorned with exquisite carvings and bas-reliefs; some are so entwined with trees and vines that they almost returned to the jungle. Angkor Wat is the apogee of classical Khmer architecture and has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on the national flag, and stands on par with such other monumental achievements as Machu Picchu and the Great Pyramid.

The rest of the day will be at own leisure.

Breakfast

Day 13 - Tonle Sap Lake - Mekong Cruise Embarkation

Day 13 - Tonle Sap Lake - Mekong Cruise embarkation

Enjoy breakfast and then we check out by 8:30. We’ll be transferred to the Apsara Hotel to join other passengers on the journey to the pier at Phnom Krom.

On arrival, the crew welcomes us on board the RV MEKONG PRESTIGE. Settle into the cabin and enjoy lunch.

Early afternoon, the Mekong Prestige starts cruising across the Tonle Lake. This evening enjoy a Welcome Dinner on board.

NOTE: In case of low waters, the transfer to the ship will be made by coach or speed boat.

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Day 14 - Kampong Chhnang-Kanpong Tralach-Oudong

This morning we arrive at Kampong Chhnang, located approximately 90 km from Phnom Penh. This is a busy rural port town with bustling markets. We move to a local boat to visit the authentic floating village. The life of the entire population is connected to the river with local people using the canal system which criss-crosses this little town. We go ashore to stroll through the scenic market.

Return for lunch on board while sailing towards Kampong Tralach.

We then continue by bus to discover the very charming Vihara of the Wat Kampong Leu Pagoda dating back from the last century, which has retained beautiful wall paintings.

Return by ox-drawn carriage and bus via Oudong, 40 kilometres from Phnom Penh. Between 1618 and 1866, Oudong was the capital city of Cambodia. Erected at a hilltop, this place houses numerous Stupas dating of the last Khmer Kings. We see the Vipassana Dhura Pagoda, a place of meditation for Buddhist Monks.

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Day 15 - Koh Chong-Phnom Penh

Arrival in Koh Chong in the morning, where we stop for a walk at leisure and a visit to a workshop in this silk weaving village. We also visit a Pagoda and a primary school where we can have a fun chat with pupils.

Return to the boat for lunch and sail on to Phnom Penh.

This afternoon we’ll visit Wat Phnom after which the city was named.

This evening enjoy dinner with Traditional Khmer Apsara Dancing Show on board!

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Day 16 - Phnom Penh

The capital city of Cambodia still retains its old French colonial architecture in riverside streets. Today we take a morning bus tour to see the Royal Palace & the Silver Pagoda, and the National Museum with outstanding displays of Khmer crafts.

After lunch aboard we’ll visit the former High School “S21“, which was converted to a detention centre under the Red Khmer’s rule between 1975 and 1979.

There’ll be time for independent exploration and shopping at the Russian Market before returning to the ship for dinner and overnight.

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Day 17 - Phnom Penh / Border Crossing

Day 17 - Phnom Penh / border crossing

Our Mekong Prestige departs Phnom Penh towards the border with Vietnam. We cruise past the Mekong’s timeless villages and river life with extensive fishing activities. Cross the border and complete the required formalities (normally lasts 4 hours).

We can then sit back and relax as we cruise along towards Tan Chau, watching everyday life along the Mekong.

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Day 18 - Tan Chau

This morning we arrive in Tan Chau, a remote small town on the main Mekong River Delta. After breakfast, we take a small boat to visit a fishing farm. We then go ashore to visit a local workshop making woven mats, and take a short walk in the village to a silk workshop.

A rickshaw ride around this fascinating town will take us back to the pier. Spend the remainder of the day relaxing on-board.

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Day 19 - Sa Dec-Cai Be

The French writer Marguerite Duras spent parts of her childhood in Sa Dec, a sprawling busy town on the Mekong Delta. Both the school where Duras’ mother taught and the small house behind it where the family lived still stand. We’ll see the house of Marguerite’s Chinese Lover, now a small museum of ‘The Lover’ in Sadec.

We also have a chance to visit a Caodai Temple and a stroll through the colourful local market.

After lunch, we cruise past Vinh Long in the middle of the Delta region, between the two tributaries of the Mekong. On arrival at Cai Be, we’ll visit the French Gothic Cathedral. Walk along the river bank and visit a manufacturer of rice paper and coconut sweets.

Tonight enjoy dinner and a traditional Music Show on board.

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Day 20 - Saigon

Today we say goodbye to our cruise, disembark in My Tho after breakfast and transfer by bus to the centre of Saigon, the largest city of Vietnam.

After we are dropped off at Sofitel Plaza, we’ll be met by our private local guide and transferred to our hotel in the city centre.

The remainder of the day is free to either relax or explore on your own.

Breakfast

Day 21 - Saigon/Cu Chi & Departure

Day 21 - Saigon/Cu Chi and departure

After breakfast we drive westwards to Cu Chi to explore the intricate system of tunnels created during the war of the 60’s last century and learn how Vietnamese people lived, struggled and won the war. Stretching all the way about 250 km back to Saigon River and known as the “Iron Triangle”, the story of Cu Chi is one of struggle, determination against all odds, and eventual victory. Now the tunnels are a major site of interest for tourists and historians, and those interested in Vietnam’s military history.

We return to Saigon mid-afternoon and have the rest of day free before our private transfer to the airport for departure and the end of a truly wonderful journey!

Breakfast

Day 22 - UK Arrival