Itinerary
- Day 1
Ho Chi Minh City
You'll arrive in Ho Chi Minh City and connect with your Emerald Cruises representative for a transfer to your hotel in downtown District 1, where you'll spend the next two nights. After settling in, the afternoon and evening are yours to walk around and get a feel for the city. Later on, you'll meet your tour director for a welcome briefing followed by dinner at a local restaurant.
- Meals
- Dinner (Dinner at a local restaurant)
Included Activities
- Airport transfer
- Welcome briefing and dinner at local restaurant
- Day 2
Ho Chi Minh City
Head north from Ho Chi Minh City toward the Cu Chi Tunnels, traveling through rice paddies and traditional villages. You'll spend a couple of hours with a local guide exploring the tunnels themselves. Back in the city by lunchtime, you'll have traditional Pho noodle soup before the rest of your afternoon and evening open up. There's an optional evening street food tour if you want to join, or just wander around on your own.
- Meals
- Lunch (Traditional Pho (noodle soup))
Included Activities
- Cu Chi Tunnels guided tour
- Traditional Pho lunch
Optional Activities
- Evening Saigon Street Food walking tour (extra expense)
- One Night in Saigon (extra expense)
Landmarks Cu Chi Tunnels - Day 3
Ho Chi Minh City to Cho Gao
After checking out of your hotel, you'll take a guided orientation tour through Ho Chi Minh City hitting Notre Dame Cathedral, the Opera House, and Town Hall. Next comes the Reunification Palace before you transfer to the port to board Emerald Harmony. You'll meet the captain and crew, then sail down the Saigon River into Cho Gao canal for your first night aboard. Dinner happens on the ship, and afterward there's a port talk covering what's coming up.
- Meals
- Dinner (Dinner on board Emerald Harmony)
Included Activities
- Guided Ho Chi Minh City orientation tour
- Visit Notre Dame Cathedral
- Visit Opera House
- Visit Town Hall
- Visit Reunification Palace
- Port transfer and embarkation on Emerald Harmony
- Dinner on board
- Port talk briefing
Landmarks Notre Dame Cathedral, Ho Chi Minh City Saigon Opera House Reunification Palace - Day 4
Cho Gao to Sa Đéc
The day unfolds as you sail through the busy Cho Gao canal watching around 1,800 boats navigate this main waterway of the Mekong Delta. Once on the Mekong River itself, you'll visit Tan My Floating community and explore local plantations with mushroom, fruit, and honey farms where you can sample fresh produce and local sweets. Then you'll head to Thoi Binh hamlet to see farming and fishing communities mostly untouched by tourism. You'll return to the ship and continue sailing toward Sa Dé.
Included Activities
- Sail through Cho Gao canal
- Visit Tan My Floating community
- Ride through local plantations
- Visit mushroom farm
- Visit fruit farm with sampling
- Visit honey farm with local sweets
- Visit Thoi Binh hamlet and farming and fishing communities
Landmarks Cho Gao canal Mekong River Sa Đéc - Day 5
Sa Đéc to My An Hung
A short sampan ride takes you to Sa Dé town for a walking tour including the home of Mr. Huynh Thuy Le, who inspired Marguerite Duras' novel L'Amant, and the town's central market. From there, you'll return to Emerald Harmony by sampan and sail to My An Hung Island, known for red-hot chilli and pepper cultivation. You'll catch some local folk singing as part of your EmeraldPLUS experience and can walk across the famous Monkey Bridge.
Included Activities
- Sampan ride to Sa Đéc
- Walking tour of Sa Đéc
- Visit home of Mr. Huynh Thuy Le
- Visit central market
- Sampan return to ship
- Visit My An Hung village
- See Monkey Bridge at My An Hung
- Local folk singing performance
Landmarks My An Hung Island - Day 6
Cu Lao Gieng Island
Travel to Cu Lao Gieng, also called 'Mango Island,' a remote spot in the upper Mekong River with little tourism presence. Local motorcycle rickshaws take you through villages to see families working mango farms, boat building operations, and an incense stick factory that supplies temples. Back on Emerald Harmony, you have a relaxed afternoon or can join an optional trip to Tam Nong Ramsar Bird Sanctuary. Later, there's a traditional Lion Dance performance on board.
Included Activities
- Travel by motorcycle rickshaw through Cu Lao Gieng villages
- Visit families working in mango farming
- Visit boat building operations
- Visit incense stick factory
- Lion Dance performance on board
Optional Activities
- Visit Tam Nong Ramsar Bird Sanctuary in Tram Chim National Park (extra expense)
Landmarks Cu Lao Gieng Island Tam Nong Ramsar Bird Sanctuary - Day 7
Evergreen Island to Tan Chau
A sampan ride brings you to Evergreen Island where you'll walk through a local village to see how the farming community lives day to day. You'll return by sampan to Tan Chau and visit the local Cao Dai Temple, a unique syncretic religion founded in 1926. After learning about this spiritual tradition, you'll ride in a Xe Loi cyclo back to your sampan and return to the ship. Emerald Harmony then sails toward the Vietnam-Cambodia border.
Included Activities
- Sampan ride to Evergreen Island
- Walk through local village
- Visit Cao Dai Temple in Tan Chau
- Xe Loi (cyclo) ride back to sampan
- Sampan return to ship
Landmarks Evergreen Island Cao Dai Temple, Tan Chau - Day 8
Phnom Penh
You'll arrive in Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital sometimes called the 'Pearl of Asia.' The day covers Cambodia's complex history and the Khmer Rouge period. You'll visit the Killing Fields at Choeung Ek to walk the fields, see the memorial, and understand this difficult chapter. Next is Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a former school that served as the Khmer Rouge's main prison. Your afternoon is free to check out the Central Market or relax on the ship. That evening, you'll take a remork (tuk-tuk) tour through Phnom Penh's lit-up streets.
Included Activities
- Visit Killing Fields at Choeung Ek
- Visit Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
- Phnom Penh by night remork (Tuk-Tuk) tour
Optional Activities
- Visit Central Market (self-guided)
- Silk farm tour at Koh Oknha Tei (extra expense)
- Craft Beer Adventure by remork (extra expense)
- Samai Distillery (extra expense)
Landmarks Killing Fields at Choeung Ek Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum Central Market, Phnom Penh 
- Day 9
Oudong to Prek K'Dam
You'll travel north to Oudong, the former royal capital until 1866, and visit Oudong Monastery and Temples to see burial sites of Khmer kings and religious artifacts dating back well over a century. A resident monk will give you a traditional Buddhist blessing. The afternoon brings a visit to the Royal Palace with its French-inspired gardens and the Silver Pagoda. Back on Emerald Harmony, the Cambodian Student and Children's Organisation puts on a cultural performance. Then the ship sails to Prek K'Dam while Phnom Penh glows in the distance.
Included Activities
- Visit Oudong Monastery and Temples
- Receive traditional Buddhist blessing from monks
- Visit Royal Palace
- Visit Silver Pagoda
- Cultural performance by Cambodian Student and Children's Organisation on board
Landmarks Oudong Monastery and Temples Royal Palace, Phnom Penh Silver Pagoda 
- Day 10
Prek K'Dam to Siem Reap
You'll disembark Emerald Harmony in the morning and drive to Siem Reap for a three-night stay at a deluxe boutique hotel built with environmental responsibility and traditional local design in mind. This evening you'll attend Phare, The Cambodian Circus, where acrobatics, music, and dance tell a distinctly Cambodian story. There's an optional dinner at the circus if you'd like to support Phare's mission further.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Disembark Emerald Harmony
- Road transfer to Siem Reap
- Check-in at deluxe boutique hotel
- Phare Cambodian Circus performance
Optional Activities
- Local Fare dinner at Phare Circus (extra expense)
Landmarks Phare, The Cambodian Circus - Day 11
Siem Reap
Start with Angkor Thom, a remarkable royal city and architectural wonder from the Angkor Period. As the last capital of the Khmer Empire, it was a fortified city housing priests, officials, and military. Then you'll head to Ta Prohm Temple where jungle roots have taken over this spiritual site, creating wild vegetation all around. The temple has been a backdrop for Hollywood productions. Your evening is free to hit Pub Street or look into optional excursions.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit Angkor Thom
- Visit Ta Prohm Temple
Optional Activities
- Evening Sunset Drinks Gondola Boat at Bayon (extra expense)
- Evening Cambodian Street Food Discovery Tour (extra expense)
Landmarks Angkor Thom Ta Prohm Temple Bayon Temple - Day 12
Siem Reap
Watch the sun come up over Angkor Wat, then walk through this UNESCO World Heritage site known for its detailed carvings. You'll spend your afternoon at leisure exploring town, or you can join an optional excursion. Tonight brings a farewell dinner and Apsara dance performance at Satcha Handicraft Centre as part of your EmeraldPLUS experience.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Apsara dance performance and farewell dinner at Satcha Handicraft Centre)
Included Activities
- Sunrise visit to Angkor Wat
- Apsara dance performance and farewell dinner at Satcha Handicraft Centre
Optional Activities
- Siem Reap Countryside by Vespa (extra expense)
- Banteay Srei Temple and APOPO (extra expense)
- Tonlé Sap (extra expense, July to February)
- Khmer Cooking Class (extra expense)
- Senteurs d'Angkor Workshop (extra expense)
Landmarks Angkor Wat Banteay Srei Temple Tonlé Sap 
- Day 13
Siem Reap
After breakfast this morning, you'll get transferred to Siem Reap airport for your onward or homebound flight.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Airport transfer
