Your itinerary
Day 1
DAY 1
Travel to Ho Chi Minh City
Day 2
Arrival in Saigon
Arrival in Saigon – After your arrival, you will be met and transferred to the four-star superior Pullman Saigon Centre to stay for two nights with breakfast.
Pending your arrival flight time, early check in will be arranged followed by an introductory tour of the city. Highlights include the Reunification Palace where famously in 1975, a tank burst through its gates in the final defining moment of the Vietnam War. We also see the War Remnants Museum and local market. The colonial-style central post office is a marvellous photo opportunity. The rest of the day is at leisure.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 3
Cu Chi Tunnels
Cu Chi Tunnels – This will be a day to remember. We visit the famous Cu Chi tunnels, a complex underground network stretching for 124 miles, which included hospitals, meeting rooms, sleeping quarters and kitchens. Begun during the last years of French rule and vastly expanded during the 1960s, the tunnels provided a base for the Vietcong from which to attack US forces within just 30 miles of Saigon.
Our visit here is a fascinating insight into these troubled times: we see the tunnels themselves and examples of the many mantraps and stake pits which protected them. Despite being carpet bombed, the tunnels were never really penetrated and should you wish, you may even try out real period weapons on a firing range. We continue through rural farming communities back to Saigon in the afternoon.
Day 4
Board the ship
Board the ship – Expectations rise during our drive to the Mekong Delta, its coconut groves swaying with the breeze, the countryside studded with pagodas and an amazing network of paddy fields, tended by farmers bent double and almost completely covered by their iconic conical hats; these are some of Vietnam’s most enduring images. Originally called Mae Khong, ‘Mother of all Rivers’, huge volumes of water drain from the hinterland plains and the snow-clad Chinese Himalayas, surging along an epic 3,000-mile journey.
Your cruise is the perfect way to discover and understand this fascinating and rapidly emerging corner of the world – a serene experience immersing you in its people and customs at a wonderfully gentle pace. After a stop at the picturesque Cholon market and a lacquer workshop, you board the superb four-star RV La Marguerite. Your highly professional crew, imbibed by the unique service ethic you find everywhere here, ensure you settle in to your spacious and beautifully appointed cabin.
After an excellent lunch, we depart late afternoon for a visit to the Van Thanh Mieu Temple, built in 1864 followed by a traditional Hat Boi show combining dance, song and storytelling.
As darkness gently falls, take your seat in the restaurant for your first dinner, offering a choice of superbly executed Vietnamese or Cambodian cuisine or international classics.
Meals: Lunch,Dinner
Day 5
Vinh Long & Ben Tre District
Vinh Long & Ben Tre District – This morning, after a hearty breakfast, depart your river cruise ship on smaller local boats to discover a canal lined with brick kilns and local factories in nearby Mang Thit district in Vinh Long province. The district is known as the Kingdom of Bricks with nearly 1,000 factories and 2,000 kilns making it the largest handicraft brick and pottery kiln area in the Mekong Delta region. After your visit, return to the ship for lunch.
Depart on small boats again this afternoon to see the coconut market in the Ben Tre District. Ben Tre is known for its coconut production and culture, and is home to thousands of coconut trees, groves and factories. Complete your tour with a visit to Vinh Buu pagoda before returning to the ship to relax on board, savour a delicious dinner on board, and perhaps sip a refreshing cocktail.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 6
Cái Bè & Sa Dec
Cái Bè & Sa Dec – This morning, we once again depart on small local boats and sail to the island of Tan Phong. Here you can take a walk to see local craft villages where locals are skilled in the art of weaving water hyacinths for baskets and other decorative objects. Continue by small vehicles to visit some local fruit fields and learn about the many exotic fruits this area is known for. You’ll also pass Cai Be Cathedral before returning on board. Then end your visit by meeting a family making rice paper and coconut candies.
Enjoy lunch on board before venturing out again this afternoon to the city of Sa Dec. Soak up the vibrant atmosphere on a city tour, including a visit to the house described in the novel ‘The Lover’ by French writer Marguerite Duras. The house, now a museum, dates back to 1895 and is a meld of French, Chinese and Vietnamese styles. Experience the colourful Cao Dai temple as well as the sights and smells of the local market.
Meals: Lunch
Day 7
Tan Chau
Tan Chau – One of the great pleasures of river cruising is waking up somewhere completely different, and as dawn breaks, we are berthed in remote Tan Chau near Cambodia. One of the delights of Vietnam is that so many cottage industries still thrive, offering a fascinating insight into the past.
This morning we transfer to small boats and explore Tan Chau, Vietnam’s leading silk centre producing extremely high quality and truly beautiful naturally dyed clothes.
Slipping our moorings, Vietnam slowly recedes as we cross into Cambodia and continue into the evening with a chance to enjoy pre-dinner drinks in the lounge, before another tasty dinner. Take a stroll outside, look above and be dazzled by the luminosity of an amazing night sky, unfettered by streetlights and advertising as we cruise to Phnom Penh.
Meals: Dinner
Day 8
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh – Called the ‘Paris of the East’ during colonial times, Phnom Penh has preserved much of its wonderful rustic charm, elegance and French allure. Sightseeing includes visiting the dazzling Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda, followed by a chance to see exhibits relating to Khmer history in the National Museum. In homage to Cambodia’s tragic recent history, we next visit the haunting Tuol Sleng Genocide museum. We also head to the hill Vat Phnom, ascending the hill to 27 metres you see the picturesque sanctuary dedicated to Mrs Penh who gave her name to the city.
This evening be enchanted by a traditional Khmer dance show after another delicious dinner on board.
Meals: Dinner
Day 9
Silk Island & Phnom Penh
Silk Island & Phnom Penh – This morning we navigate to Silk Island to discover a delightful silk weaving village by tuk-tuk.
We return on board for lunch as the ship resumes its navigation back to Phnom Penh. You will have a free afternoon in the capital, enabling easy exploration of the city where the bustling markets, teeming street restaurants and hawkers sell literally anything, enhancing the electric ambience so typical of the emerging Far East.
Meals: Lunch
Day 10
Upper Mekong
Upper Mekong – Angkor Ban – This morning we cruise into the Upper Mekong and the heart of Cambodia where this vast river astonishingly changes its direction of flow between wet and dry seasons. A remarkable ecosystem here is home to 20,000 plant species, 1,200 birds, 800 of reptiles and amphibians, plus 430 mammals – with 1,300 new species having been discovered since 1997.
After lunch, we arrive to Angkor Ban, one of the very few villages that survived and was not burned or destroyed during the Khmer Rouge period. We see traditional houses some more than a century old and absorb the peaceful atmosphere, where time stands still here as you witness a slice of Cambodian rural life. Back on board we continue our journey towards Siem Reap.
Meals: Lunch
Day 11
Siem Reap
Siem Reap – Early this morning our river cruiser glides to a final halt, berthed in Kampong Cham. We say our fond farewells to the splendid crew as you continue your exploration of Cambodia. We take our bus transfer to Siem Reap enjoying the scenery of everyday life. En route we take a stop at the Kampong Kdei Bridge dating from the Angkorian period, build during the reign of Jayavarman VII. We continue to the four-star superior Borei Angkor Hotel where you stay for three nights on the Privilege floor with breakfast.
An all-day breakfast is available upon check in today. The hotel is extremely comfortable with two restaurants, a pool and the Mudita Spa. The rest of the day is at leisure, you may relax, take a refreshing swim or enjoy the spa.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 12
Angkor
Angkor – Today we see the haunting soft morning light over the eerie temples of Angkor. Encircled by verdant steamy jungle, shrouded in mist and with a tropical dawn chorus reverberating in the air, this is something you will never forget.
We visit the huge, fortified 13th-century city of Angkor Thom with its five monumental gates and 91-metre-wide moat; its centre contains one of Angkor’s most astonishing sites, the temple of Bayon. Crowned by over 50 towers, each with four colossal carved heads looking out in every direction, this is an extraordinary masterpiece of Khmer art.
After some time for lunch, we explore one of the most intriguing sites, the smaller temple of Ta Prohm which has been left in its natural, unrestored state, with giant tropical trees bursting through the ruins, their roots entwined like vast tentacles across the moss-covered, weathered walls and roofs.
Late in the afternoon we see the immense temple of Angkor Wat, one of the largest religious structures in the world. The main entrance faces west to catch the rose-red glow of the setting sun, a truly magical time of day.
You will have time for dinner at leisure, before we finish our visit to Angkor at the Night market to snap up some souvenirs and enjoy drinks and snacks.
You also have the option today to see a Cambodian Circus performance – Phare – on our optional visit. Check extras & upgrades for more details.
Meals: Dinner
Day 13
Free day in Siem Reap
Free day in Siem Reap – You might want to spend your free time enjoying the swimming pool and facilities of your hotel, or getting out to explore the excellent markets and restaurants of Siem Reap.
Perhaps take a stroll along the tree-lined promenade along the river, visit the Old Market, trawl the boutiques and galleries that dot cool Kandal Village, or learn about the revival of traditional Khmer arts at Artisan Angkor’s workshops.
Day 14
Return home
Return home – Depending on your flight time, afternoon tea (including a glass of wine or cocktail) is available at the hotel this afternoon.
Why not take the option to pre-book late check out at the Borei Angkor Resort Hotel? Check extras & upgrades for more details.
Day 15
DAY 15
Arrive home
What’s included
What’s not included
Additional information
Cholon Market & Traditional Lacquer Workshop
Wander Cholon (Saigon’s Chinatown), tracing aromatic aisles stacked with herbs, tea, and temple offerings. Engage with traders in a labyrinthine wholesale market where incense curls above shrines and bustle echoes through covered lanes.
Visit a traditional lacquer workshop to see artisans apply shell, pigment, and polish across multiple stages. This meticulous craft, rooted in imperial aesthetics, reveals Vietnam’s blend of patience, artistry, and everyday utility.
Phare, the Cambodian Circus (Siem Reap)
Experience Phare, the Cambodian Circus, a high-energy blend of acrobatics, theater, and live music telling contemporary Cambodian stories. Alumni of a social arts school perform with infectious verve, transforming personal histories into hope-filled spectacle.
This is an optional evening at additional cost, bookable on tour with your Travel Manager. Expect inventive staging, humor, and heart as performers reimagine tradition for a new generation.
Cu Chi Tunnels Guided Visit
Discover the Cu Chi Tunnels with an expert guide, exploring concealed entrances and learning how this network stretching for 124 miles sustained life underground. See recreated kitchens and clinics, and examine ingenious defenses including mantraps and stake pits that protected the labyrinth.
Gain insight into guerrilla tactics used within 30 miles of Saigon, and understand how air vents, secret routes, and community resilience shaped the conflict. Where accessible, safely peer into widened sections to appreciate the claustrophobic reality of wartime survival.
Van Thanh Mieu Temple & Hat Boi Performance
Visit the Van Thanh Mieu Temple, a Confucian sanctuary built in 1864, where tiled roofs shelter courtyards scented with incense. Carved wood and calligraphy panels frame a tranquil space honoring learning and virtue.
Be immersed in a traditional Hat Boi show, a classical opera of dance, song and storytelling. Musicians and masked performers evoke dynastic courts through stylized movement, shimmering costumes, and drum-led rhythms.
Vinh Long Canal Cruise & Mang Thit Brick Kilns
Cruise a labyrinth of canals by local boat in Vinh Long, gliding past stilted homes and fruit orchards to Mang Thit. Here the riverside horizon bristles with the ‘Kingdom of Bricks’, where nearly a thousand workshops and thousand kilns bake clay with smoky, ochre-hued intensity.
See workers shaping tiles and pottery as heat shimmers above the furnaces. The scene captures a living craft economy whose rhythms still follow the river’s tide and trade.
Ben Tre Coconut Market & Vinh Buu Pagoda
Explore the heart of Mekong coconut country at the Ben Tre coconut market, where boats brim with green husks and the sweet coconut-scented air signals candy makers and oil presses at work. Learn how every part of the nut is used, from kitchen to craft.
At Vinh Buu Pagoda, step into a sanctuary of gilded Buddha images, lacquered pillars, and tinkling bells. The calm offers a contemplative counterpoint to the delta’s industrious waterways.
Tan Phong Island Craft Villages & Fruit Gardens
Disembark onto Tan Phong Island to meet artisans weaving water hyacinths into baskets and mats. Stroll shaded lanes to small workshops and family orchards, sampling the season’s bounty amid buzzing dragonflies and river breezes.
Watch a home demonstration of rice paper and coconut candies, hearing how time-honored techniques shape daily life. The island’s gentle pace and hand-made ingenuity define the Mekong’s enduring charm.
Sa Dec Heritage Walk: Huynh Thuy Le House & Cao Dai Temple
Walk Sa Dec’s riverfront quarter to the storied Huynh Thuy Le House, the Sino-French residence linked to Marguerite Duras’s ‘The Lover’. Carved screens, tiled floors, and family heirlooms speak to a merchant era shaped by trade and romance.
Continue to the kaleidoscopic Cao Dai Temple where dragon columns and celestial symbols reflect a uniquely Vietnamese faith. Nearby, vibrant market stalls pile up herbs, lotus stems, and river fish fresh from the delta.
Tan Chau Silk Village by Sampan
Board a sampan to reach quiet backwaters around Tan Chau, a town famed for Tan Chau silk. See looms clatter and shuttles fly as artisans transform threads into lustrous weaves for ao dai and scarves.
Learn about natural vegetable dyes and the meticulous washing and finishing that create signature textures. The river’s gentle tempo frames a portrait of cottage industry thriving along the Mekong’s edges.
Phnom Penh City Tour: Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda & Tuol Sleng
Experience Phnom Penh’s contrasts, beginning at the Royal Palace with its Khmer spires and manicured courtyards. Glisten before treasures of the Silver Pagoda, then trace pre-Angkor sculpture and fine bronzes at the National Museum.
Confront memory at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a sobering testament to the Khmer Rouge era. Close with a visit to Wat Phnom, the hilltop shrine linked to the city’s founding and enduring spirit.
Khmer Classical Dance Performance Onboard
Be enchanted by a traditional Khmer dance show performed onboard, where shimmering silk costumes and tinkling pinpeat music set the scene. Dancers’ apsara-inspired gestures trace celestial myths with elegant precision.
Artists trained in courtly repertoire revive stories once performed for kings, linking river travelers to Cambodia’s refined heritage. The intimate setting enhances the grace, symbolism, and cadence of this living art.
Koh Dach (Silk Island) by Tuk-Tuk
Ride a tuk-tuk through fields and palm-lined lanes on Koh Dach (Silk Island), meeting weavers at wooden looms beneath stilted houses. Hear the clack of heddles as warp and weft resolve into patterned cloth.
Discuss dyeing, spinning, and motifs used for ceremonial scarves. The island’s village rhythm, shaded by mango and tamarind, reveals how hand-loomed silks remain central to Cambodian identity and ceremony.
Angkor Ban Stilt-House Village Visit
Walk unhurried lanes in Angkor Ban, one of the few villages spared during the Khmer Rouge era. Traditional timber homes rise on stilts above packed earth, where woven baskets, palm-leaf roofs, and family shrines reflect enduring customs.
Chat with locals, observe rice winnowing, and note seasonal offerings arranged with quiet care. Time feels suspended, offering a rare view of rural Cambodia little changed in generations.
Kampong Kdei Angkorian Bridge Stop
Pause at the monumental Kampong Kdei Bridge (Spean Praptos), an Angkorian marvel of laterite and sandstone arches. Graceful naga balustrades flank the causeway, recalling royal processions that once crossed this route.
Built under Jayavarman VII in the 12th–13th centuries, the bridge showcases Khmer engineering that linked the empire’s heartlands. Photographs capture symmetry, texture, and the quiet dignity of an ancient road re-emerging from history.
Angkor Temples: Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm & Angkor Wat at Sunset
Enter the walled city of Angkor Thom to marvel at Bayon, where serene stone faces gaze to the four quarters. Vines and strangler figs reclaim Ta Prohm, roots flowing over lintels in a dialogue between jungle and stone.
Conclude at Angkor Wat at sunset, its galleries and towers glowing rose-gold across the moat. Bas-reliefs, lotus-bud spires, and the temple’s perfect geometry reveal the ambition and spirituality of the Khmer empire.
Cu Chi Firing Range Experience
For those seeking deeper context during the Cu Chi visit, you may try a supervised firing range using historic period weapons under strict safety protocols. Range marshals provide briefings, ear protection, and controlled conditions.
This add-on is optional at additional cost and can be arranged on tour, subject to local regulations and operational hours. Participation is entirely voluntary and not recommended for sensitive travelers.
Saigon City Tour: Reunification Palace, War Remnants Museum & Central Post Office
Explore Ho Chi Minh City on a guided city tour, stepping into the Reunification Palace where a tank famously ended the Vietnam War in 1975. Gain perspective at the War Remnants Museum, viewing powerful exhibits that document decades of conflict through Vietnamese eyes.
Admire the vaulted halls of the colonial-style Central Post Office and pause at a bustling central market to absorb the city’s street-life energy. Grand boulevards, French-era facades, and whirring scooters reveal the layered story of Saigon’s past and present.
