Ho Chi Minh City to Cambodia through Mekong River

Morning at 8:00 am, your guide will meet you at your hotel and driven to the city’s Central Post Office, which was designed by the renowned French architect Gustav Eiffel, and Notre Dame Cathedral, the iconic landmark built between 1863 and 1880. Admired for its neo-Romanesque architecture, the cathedral is a popular backdrop for local wedding photographers.

Next, stroll toward the Saigon River along Dong Khoi Street, which figured prominently in Graham Greene’s famous Vietnam novel, The Quiet American, to the Saigon Opera House, a commanding building completed in 1901. Shelled during World War II, it was used to shelter French citizens fleeing North Vietnam in 1954, the year Vietnam earned its independence from France.
The tour continues with a stop at the Reunification Palace, where a North Vietnamese tank crashed through the gates in 1975 to end a war that killed an estimated 58,000 Americans and three million Vietnamese. You will also visit the War Remnants Museum, where Vietnam’s government has assembled presentations – some of them graphic – of wartime hardships and atrocities.

In the afternoon, after leaving the busy streets of Saigon, the 1.5 hour drive to Cu Chi district will take you through the typical countryside of southern Vietnam.

On arrival the visit starts with a short video documentary before spending the next couple of hours exploring the Ben Dinh section of the tunnels where you will learn more about the history and the incredible tenacity and ingenuity of the Cu Chi inhabitants. The more adventurous you will have the opportunity to crawl through the tunnels and to fire off some rounds from AK47 or M16 assault riffles at the shooting range.

Today we leave Saigon and travel to the Mekong River Delta. Enjoy an early breakfast at the hotel before driving to the riverside town, Cai Be. Along the way, we stop at a candy factory and orchard garden, where you will have an opportunity to listen to traditional music of south Vietnam. Enjoy a relaxing lunch at a riverside restaurant, then cross the Mekong by motorboat to visit some fluvial islands and explore the countryside by bicycle. Our driver and guide will meet you at Vinh Long pier and take you to Can Tho city for the night.

Wake early and leave the hotel to visit the famous Cai Rang floating market by motorboat. After we continue on boat to visit the Mekong Delta’s famous orchards and sample the fresh, exotic fruits. Then venture deeper into the country side, passing traditional houses made of wood and palm leaves as you observe the activities of the local people. Return to Can Tho for lunch, after which we will drive back to the riverside town, Chau Doc, situated along the Cambodian border.

On arrival, check in hotel and the rest of the afternoon, we take a private boat to tour the Mekong River and learn about local culture, stopping to see the stilt houses of a Cham village as well as a local fish farm.

This morning we travel by speedboat up the Mekong River to Cambodia’s capital: Phnom Penh. The total trip takes about four and a half hours (including visa formalities). Visas are easily obtained at the border between Vietnam and Cambodia. Our guide will meet you at the dock in Phnom Penh and take you to the hotel. Despite its recent turbulent history, Phnom Penh’s wide tree-lined boulevards and faded colonial mansions hold an undeniable charm.

Afternoon, you visit the notorious Killing Fields “ChoeungEk” 15km southwest of Phnom Penh. This one is the site of brutal executions of more than 17,000 individuals, most of who first suffered through interrogations, torture and deprivation in ToulSleng Prison during Pol Pot regime (From 1975–1979). Continue your visit to TuolSleng Genocide Museum (S21 prison). This prison was a high school, and used as a prison by Pol Pot’s security forces and became the largest center for detention and torture during the rule of the Khmer Rouge.

After breakfast – Enjoy Cyclo “Rickshow” tour to visit Wat Phnom is the most significant of all the temples in Phnom Penh. The Royal Palace, built by King Norodom in 1866 on the site of the old town, and the Silver Pagoda, located within the grounds of the Royal Palace. The Royal Palace of Cambodia is a complex of buildings although it is generally understood to be the royal abode of the King of Cambodia. The National Museum, one of Phnom Penh’s true architectural gems, It house more than 14,000 items; the World’s largest collection of Khmer Art, including sculptures, ceramics, bronzes, and ethnographic objects dating from prehistoric times to periods before during and after the Khmer Empire.
12:00pm – Embark on Cambo Cruise with welcome drinks.
12:30pm – Enjoy lunch with fresh fruits.
You will cruising along the Phnom Penh riverfront enjoy the view from the upper deck or down on the main deck for a more cozy experience near the bar. Passing the Royal Palace, see the junction of the Tonle Sap, Mekong, and Bassac rivers. Up the Mekong River you will see floating villages and fishing families living on their boats. The trip to Silk Island takes about 1 hour.
Docking at Silk Island you are a short ride steps away from the silk farms. Along the way you can view plantations and see village life. A modern pagoda nearby is also an active monastery. This is not a tourist attraction, be respectful. At the silk farms you can watch the intricate process of silk being made from larvae to finished goods. Tour guides will be provided.
The boat will be open for food, drinks, relaxing or for using the facilities while in port.
Arrival at the dock, disembark and transfer to hotel.

Breakfast at hotel – take a fun by Rermork “tuktuk” ride to visit Central Market (PsarThmei), a large market constructed in 1937 in the shape of a dome with four arms branching out into vast hallways with countless stalls of goods. The four wings of this gigantic yellow dome are teeming with stalls that sell goods ranging from gold and silver, antique coins, money exchange, books, flowers, food, fabrics, shoes, souvenirs, seafood and countless other products.
And then transfer to the airport to take the flight to Siem Reap. Upon arrival, meet our driver and transfer to the hotel.

We start on our bike and cycle (45 minutes for cycling) to world heritage areas on the roads less traveled. Ride among the jungle passing local village and local shop. It’s a very special and acting day as you will explore some of Angkor’s most beautiful temples. You will visit the West Gate of Angkor Thom – undiscovered by mass tourist. The ancient capital of Angkor Thom (12th century) – See the South Gate, Bayon Temple – unique for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces of Avolokitesvara, Baphuon temple lying just to the north of Bayon a pyramidal representation of mythical Mont Meru, The Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, The Elephant Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King.

Afternoon we start visit to the famous temple: Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is a World Heritage Site since 1992, famous for its beauty and splendor. Angkor Wat features the longest continuous bas-relief in the world, which runs along the outer gallery walls and narrates stories from Hindu mythology, visit Bakheng Temple and enjoy a romantic sun set view from Bakheng hill.

Enjoy an entire day dedicated to discovering the mysterious Angkor temples. Wake before dawn and take a “tuk-tuk” ride to visit the jungle-entwined temple Ta Prohm. Sunrise is one of the most beautiful and haunting times to visit the temples, whose ancient sandstone blocks are painted orange by the early morning rays. We explore this masterpiece as well as some of the surrounding temples including Banteay Kdei, Sra Srong, Ta Keo, Thommanon and Chau Say Tevado.

Afternoon, transfer to the airport to take the flight to the next destination.