Itinerary
- Day 1
Ho Chi Minh City
You'll meet at Hotel Liberty Riverside to grab lunch, then head into Chinatown where you can check out Giac Lam Pagoda, the oldest temple in Ho Chi Minh City dating back 300 years. After that, walk through the Flower Market and Binh Tay Market to see how locals actually shop for daily essentials. Then it's time to transfer to your cruise ship, get settled in your cabin, and meet the crew at a welcome cocktail before dinner onboard. If you're interested, there's an optional 'Saigon After Dark' excursion from 6pm to 10pm that takes you on a Vespa scooter food tour where you'll sample local cuisine and experience the city's nightlife.
- Meals
- Lunch (Lunch at Hotel Liberty Riverside), Dinner (Dinner onboard)
Included Activities
- Lunch at Hotel Liberty Riverside
- Explore Chinatown and local daily life
- Visit Giac Lam Pagoda (300+ years old)
- Walking tour of Flower Market and Binh Tay Market
- Welcome cocktail with crew introduction
- Dinner onboard
Optional Activities
- Saigon After Dark excursion (6pm-10pm): Vespa scooter nightlife and street food adventure with cocktails, seafood tastings, cold drinks, Vietnamese creperies, and live music venue (must be reserved at time of registration)
Landmarks Giac Lam Pagoda Flower Market Binh Tay Market - Day 2
Ho Chi Minh City to My Tho
Breakfast starts your day onboard before you head into downtown Ho Chi Minh City for a tour of colonial landmarks including Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, Municipal Post Office, City Square, and the Opera House. You'll also explore some green spaces and experience the local coffee culture, which Vietnam is well-known for. Back on the ship for lunch, then you'll visit the War Museum to learn about Vietnam's complex history. Dinner happens onboard as your ship departs for My Tho.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Breakfast onboard
- Walking tour of Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, Municipal Post Office, City Square, and Opera House
- Explore city's green spaces
- Experience local coffee scene
- Transfer back to ship
- Lunch onboard
- War Museum visit
- Dinner onboard
Landmarks Reunification Palace Notre Dame Cathedral Municipal Post Office City Square Opera House War Museum - Day 3
My Tho to Cai Be
After breakfast onboard, you'll cruise through the Chao Gao canal, a unique waterway that shows you ships and shore life in a way most tourists don't see. Arriving in My Tho, you'll take a local boat to Thoi Son Island to meet residents and try seasonal fruits fresh from the area. A sampan ride follows through scenic canals of the Mekong Delta, then you'll bike through the village to see fruit orchards and how people live. Lunch happens onboard while cruising toward Cai Be. Once there, you'll cruise the Mekong River and visit a craft village to watch local products being made. At the fruit orchards, you can see jack-fruit, durian, guava, and other tropical varieties while enjoying hot tea, fresh fruit, and live local music. If you want something more active, kayaking or mountain biking options let you explore the Mekong Delta countryside from different angles. Dinner is served during your evening cruise, with an overnight stay onboard.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Breakfast onboard
- Cruise Chao Gao canal
- Arrival in My Tho
- Local boat pick-up and boat cruise to Thoi Son Island
- Explore daily life of local people and taste seasonal fruits
- Sampan ride along scenic canals of Mekong Delta
- Biking through village and fruit orchards
- Return to ship
- Lunch onboard whilst cruising
- Arrival at Cai Be
- Local boat trip along Mekong River
- Visit craft village
- Visit fruit orchards with tea, fresh fruits, and live music performance
- Dinner during cruising
Optional Activities
- Kayaking adventure in Mekong Delta (suitable for first-time paddlers)
- Mountain biking through countryside
Landmarks Chao Gao Canal Thoi Son Island Mekong Delta - Day 4
Sa Dec to Chau Doc
You'll have breakfast onboard before taking a local boat for a short tour of Sa Dec, a town of about 30,000 people that maintains its authentic character well. Walking around the local riverside market, you'll visit colonial houses including the former home of Huynh Thuy Lê, the main character in Marguerite Duras's novel 'The Lover.' It's a good chance to connect with local culture and see how the town actually functions. Lunch and dinner both happen onboard during your cruise from Sa Dec to Chau Doc.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Breakfast onboard
- Local boat panoramic tour of Sa Dec
- Walking tour of local market along the river
- Visit former residence of Huynh Thuy Lê
- Lunch onboard during cruising
- Dinner onboard during cruising
Landmarks Sa Dec Local Market Huynh Thuy Lê Residence - Day 5
Chau Doc to Phnom Penh
Breakfast is served onboard in Chau Doc, a prosperous border town between Cambodia and Vietnam that developed around fishing and fish farming industries. You'll transfer to Tra Su Forest and explore it by small local boat to see the incredible variety of plants and animals. Back onboard for lunch, then you'll board a cable car that takes you up Sam Mountain with views across the region. At the summit, you can visit Ba Chua Xu Temple before heading back to the ship. Your vessel then continues to the Vinh Xuong border for customs clearance and entry into Cambodia, sailing to Phnom Penh and arriving in the evening. Dinner is served onboard with an overnight stay at anchor.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Breakfast onboard
- Transfer to Tra Su Forest
- Small local boat exploration of Tra Su Forest and flora/fauna viewing
- Return to boat for lunch
- Cable car ride up Sam Mountain
- Visit Ba Chua Xu Temple at summit
- Return to ship
- Customs clearance and entry formalities into Cambodia at Vinh Xuong border
- Dinner onboard
Landmarks Tra Su Forest Sam Mountain Ba Chua Xu Temple - Day 6
Phnom Penh
Start with breakfast onboard, then tour the Royal Palace, which shows off impressive Cambodian architecture alongside the Silver Pagoda. Next, you'll visit the National Museum. After that, you can explore Phnom Penh by tuk-tuk to get an authentic feel for the city. The Art Deco Central Market, locally called 'Phsar Thmei,' is a bustling place where you'll find clothing, food, and souvenirs. Walking through smaller alleyways, you'll see locals enjoying coffee while playing Cambodian-style chess and get a real taste of daily life here. You can also visit Wat Phnom, founded back in 1373 to house Buddhist relics, then take a short walk to the French Quarter where colonial-era Belle Époque and Art Deco buildings from the French Protectorate era (1863-1953) line the streets. Back onboard, you'll enjoy an Apsara dance show and dinner, with the evening free to relax. You'll spend the night in Phnom Penh port.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch included with drinks (water + 1 soft drink or 1 beer + 1 tea or coffee per person)), Dinner
Included Activities
- Breakfast onboard
- Tour of Royal Palace
- Visit Silver Pagoda
- Visit National Museum
- Afternoon tuk-tuk tour of Phnom Penh
- Visit Art Deco Central Market (Phsar Thmei)
- Walking tour of off-the-beaten-path alleyways
- Visit Wat Phnom
- Walking tour of French Quarter
- Apsara dance show onboard
- Dinner onboard
Landmarks Royal Palace Silver Pagoda National Museum Central Market Wat Phnom French Quarter - Day 7
Kampong Tralach to Kampong Chhnang
After breakfast onboard, the ship heads for Kampong Tralach where you'll visit the beautiful Vihara of Wat Kampong Tralach Leu pagoda. Getting there means traveling a small road through the village surrounded by rice fields. The vihara itself comes from the early 20th century and features some nice wall paintings. On your way back, you can bike through the surrounding countryside and rice fields to reach the boat. Lunch happens onboard, then the ship departs toward Oudong, Cambodia's former royal capital for over 250 years. You'll visit the Vipassana Dhura Pagoda at the foot of a hill where many stupas from the last Khmer kings stand, and it's also used as a meditation space by Buddhist monks. Climbing Oudong Hill gives you nice views of the surrounding countryside, rice fields, and Tonlé Sap Lake before you explore this historic area. The boat then heads toward Kampong Chhnang for dinner and an overnight stay onboard.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Breakfast onboard
- Visit Wat Kampong Tralach Leu Vihara pagoda
- Return to boat by bike through countryside
- Lunch onboard
- Visit Vipassana Dhura Pagoda
- Climb Oudong Hill and explore historic site
- Dinner onboard
Optional Activities
- Biking through countryside and rice fields
Landmarks Wat Kampong Tralach Leu Oudong Vipassana Dhura Pagoda Oudong Hill - Day 8
Kampong Chhnang to Siem Reap
Breakfast is served onboard before you visit Kampong Chhnang, one of the largest fishing ports on Tonlé Sap Lake with many fish farms in the area. The region is known for traditional pottery that blends ancient and modern techniques, and 'Chhnang' actually means 'pot' in the local language. You'll have a chance to taste regional products before returning to the ship. Guests looking for more activity can take an optional bike ride alongside the riverside and through to the pottery village. Lunch happens onboard while cruising to Koh Chen. Tonight is a farewell dinner, and you'll stay onboard before traveling to Siem Reap tomorrow.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (Farewell dinner)
Included Activities
- Breakfast onboard
- Visit Kampong Chhnang fishing port
- Fish farm visit
- Tasting of regional products
- Return to ship
- Lunch onboard whilst cruising
- Farewell dinner
Optional Activities
- Cycling alongside riverside and pottery village
Landmarks Kampong Chhnang Tonlé Sap Lake - Day 9
Koh Chen to Siem Reap
You'll disembark and travel by bus to Siem Reap, passing through traditional villages along the way (the drive takes 5 to 6 hours). When you arrive, you'll visit Angkor Wat temple, the most famous monument in Angkor and a real example of Khmer architectural skill. After that, you can walk through the Angkor Night Market before heading to dinner and settling into your hotel for the night.
- Meals
- Dinner
Included Activities
- Discovery of traditional villages en route
- Visit Angkor Wat temple
- Walking tour of Angkor Night Market
- Dinner
Landmarks Angkor Wat Angkor Night Market - Day 10
Siem Reap
You'll take a boat trip on Tonlé Lake to see floating villages and experience how local people live and work on the water. After lunch, you can visit Senteurs d'Angkor, a local business that showcases silk, carvings, traditional beauty products, and spices, all made locally. The day ends with Phare, the Cambodian circus, before you return to the hotel for the night.
- Meals
- Lunch
Included Activities
- Boat trip on Tonlé Lake
- Visit floating villages
- Experience traditional life of inhabitants
- Lunch
- Visit Senteurs d'Angkor (silk, carvings, beauty products, spices)
- Phare, the Cambodian circus
Landmarks Tonlé Lake Senteurs d'Angkor Phare, the Cambodian Circus - Day 11
Siem Reap
Today you'll tour Ta Prohm, a Cambodian temple dedicated to the family of Jayavarman VII, then explore Angkor Thom by walking among the enigmatic faces of Bayon Temple. You'll also see the Terrace of the Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King while you're there. Lunch is served at the hotel, and you'll have a farewell at approximately 2:00 p.m.
- Meals
- Lunch
Included Activities
- Tour of Ta Prohm temple
- Explore Angkor Thom
- Visit Bayon Temple
- Visit Terrace of the Elephants
- Visit Terrace of the Leper King
- Lunch at hotel
Landmarks Ta Prohm Angkor Thom Bayon Temple Terrace of the Elephants Terrace of the Leper King
