3-day Mekong Delta Cruise Tour between Saigon and Phnom Penh (cruise and overland transfer) or vice versa from Phnom Penh to Saigon

DAY 1: PANORA,A RIVER CRUISE 

In the morning we pick you up at your hotel in Saigon and take you to Can Tho or Cai Be. You board your wooden river cruise vessel around noon. After a refreshing welcome drink we show you our on-board facilities and your cosy cabin. As lunch is served, the boat starts cruising. Sit back and watch the fantastic scenery and the daily life of the Mekong people.

In the afternoon you can disembark for a guided leisurely stroll through a village and the surrounding fruit orchards or rice fields. Meet the friendly locals and taste the local produce and fruits.

Get back on board and enjoy a drink at the bar or relax on deck as the sun sets over the magnificent water landscape of the Mekong River. The boat will anchor for the night. The day ends with a delicious on-board dinner. You stay overnight on board your floating hotel in the Mekong Delta.

Meals: Lunch, Dinner

DAY 2: LIFE ON THE WATER AND FLOATING MARKETS 

Wake up well rested to the sound of the Mekong river and get ready for another exciting day of sightseeing in the Mekong Delta. At 6.30h the cruise vessel sets off for a sunrise cruise. Watch the locals go about their daily work drying exotic fruits and building ships on the wooden yards while enjoying an early breakfast.

After breakfast, we will board a sampan boat to Cai Be or Cai Rang floating market, the region’s busiest and most lively markets. Marvel at the sheer abundance of exotic fruits, vegetables and skilfully handcrafted regional products. We will pull up to the boats for talking and bargaining with the merchants. We will also visit some of the local candy and cake making factories or boat through the green water landscape to see local houses, verdant orchards and ship-building yards. 

The floating markets in the Mekong Delta are no tourist markets but wholesale markets where produce of the Mekong Delta like fruits and vegetables are traded. For this reason the number of boats on the market fluctuates depending on harvesting seasons and market demand. Furthermore, modern wholesale markets are becoming more popular in Vietnam. This can result in decreasing numbers of boats being present on the markets.

Disembark the boat at around 11.00 — 11.30h on the pier and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. Sit back in the shuttle (bus or car) and watch the water landscape from a land perspective until you reach Chau Doc where we bring you to your hotel. Depending on your budget you can choose the famous colonial-style Victoria hotel (superior room) or a family managed local 2-star hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY  3: ACROSS THE BORDER TOWARDS CAMBODIA 

We transfer you to the pier where you embark the speed boat for an exciting ride to Phnom Penh, your starting point for discovering Cambodia and the famous temples of Angkor Wat.

The trip ends here. Please contact us if we can help you organise your tour to Angkor or any further trips. Of course we will also be happy to arrange your transfer back to Saigon.

Meals:  Breakfast

TOUR INCLUDES:

• Road transfer from Saigon 
• Accommodation in cosy double or twin bedded cabins
• Guided walk and side trip on sampan as mentioned in the itinerary
• English speaking guide on the cruise boat and side trips
• Shuttle service from Can Tho / Cai Be to Chau Doc
• Hotel in Chau Doc (Victoria Hotel superior room or ** Hotel double room) 
• Public speed boat from Chau Doc to Phnom Penh          
• Transfer from the hotel in Chau Doc to the jetty for the public speed boat
• Meals as mentioned in the itinerary
• Mineral water placed in your cabin on your cruise boat and in hotel room

TOUR EXLUCDES:

• Visa fee for Cambodia (you can get a visa for Cambodia at the border crossing where the speed boat stops for immigration; for this you need to bring 45 USD and a passport photograph)
• private transfer from Saigon available
• Drinks (except for breakfast and the mineral water in your cabin/hotel room)
• Dinner in Chau Doc on the second evening
• Tips

Route and excursions may be subjects to changes without prior notice.

Departures

Tours with Mekong Eyes and Dragon Eyes start from Can Tho to Phnom Penh via Cai Be (on odd dates, e. g. Sept 1, 3, 5, 7 etc.) or from Cai Be to Phnom Penh via Can Tho (on even dates, e. g. Sept. 2, 4, 6, 8 etc.). Departures with Gecko Eyes are daily. If you are staying in Saigon, we will pick you up at your hotel (district 1 and parts of district 3) and take you to the pier. The drive to / from Cai Be takes about 2 hours, to / from Can Tho approx. 4 hours.