The Mekong Delta and Angkor, 7D/6N

Trip overview

This is the week-long version of a much longer journey: everything that makes a Mekong crossing worth doing, compressed into seven days without feeling rushed. You start where the delta begins in earnest, watching a floating market work before sunrise, then head to the Vietnamese-Cambodian border and cross it by boat rather than by plane. Two full days at Angkor close out the trip, which is really the point of this particular route: it treats the temples as the destination, not an afterthought squeezed in on the way home.

Along the way you’ll pass through delta country reshaped by Vietnam’s 2025 provincial merger: Can Tho now absorbs the former Soc Trang and Hau Giang provinces, and Chau Doc sits within an enlarged An Giang administered from Rach Gia. None of that changes what the boats and markets look like on the water, only what the map calls the land around them. On the Cambodian side, Phnom Penh gets a single afternoon and evening, deliberately brief, before the road or a short flight carries you north to Siem Reap and two unhurried days among the temples.

Trip highlights

Cai Rang floating market at dawn, one of the delta’s last working river markets
A fast boat crossing the river frontier from Chau Doc to Phnom Penh
Sam Mountain and the flooded forest at Tra Su, near the Cambodian border
Sisowath Quay and the river confluence at Phnom Penh, seen briefly on the way through
Two full days at Angkor, including Angkor Wat, Bayon and Ta Prohm
A floating village on Tonle Sap that isn’t the most crowded, most overpriced option near Siem Reap

Your day-by-day itinerary

Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho (about 2 hours by expressway)

The new expressway has cut what used to be a three-and-a-half to four-hour drive down to around two, so there’s a full afternoon left once you reach Can Tho. Settle in, walk Ninh Kieu wharf as the boats come in for the evening, and get to bed early: tomorrow starts before dawn.

Day 2: Cai Rang floating market, then on to Chau Doc (about 6 km / 30 minutes by boat, then road to Chau Doc)

You’ll be on the water by 5:30 or 6:00 am, when Cai Rang is at its busiest. It’s worth being honest about what you’ll find: this market once held around 600 trading boats and now runs closer to 100, as road transport has taken over most of the trade that used to move by river. What’s left is still a genuine working market rather than a staged one, and the early hour is what makes the difference. After breakfast on the boat, you’ll visit the century-old Binh Thuy house before the drive west to Chau Doc, arriving by mid to late afternoon.

Day 3: Chau Doc: Tra Su flooded forest and Sam Mountain

A full day around Chau Doc, split between water and pilgrimage. The morning covers the flooded melaleuca forest at Tra Su, about 30 km out, where a motorised boat gives way to a hand-rowed sampan for the quiet stretches under the canopy; September to November brings the highest water and the greenest duckweed. In the afternoon, Sam Mountain and the Ba Chua Xu Temple, the delta’s largest pilgrimage site and, since December 2024, a UNESCO-listed Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity for its annual festival.

Day 4: Chau Doc to Phnom Penh by river (about 5–6.5 hours including border formalities)

The boat leaves Chau Doc around 7:00 to 7:30 am and reaches Phnom Penh by roughly 1:00 to 1:30 pm, crossing the border at Vinh Xuong on the Vietnamese side and Kaam Samnor on the Cambodian side along the way. The afternoon is free to walk Sisowath Quay and take in the Chaktomuk confluence, where the Mekong, the Tonle Sap and the Bassac meet in front of the city.

This particular crossing has one visa quirk worth knowing before you go. A Vietnam e-visa works fine at Vinh Xuong. But Cambodia’s e-visa is not accepted at Kaam Samnor: you’ll need a visa arranged in advance at a Cambodian embassy, or a visa on arrival paid in cash US dollars at the border, officially 30 USD though travelers often report paying 35 to 40 USD, plus one 4x6 cm photo. Confirm the current rules close to your departure date, since river-border policy can shift.

Day 5: Phnom Penh to Siem Reap (by air or by road, about 320 km)

A short morning in Phnom Penh, a glimpse of the Royal Palace grounds from outside if time allows, then onward to Siem Reap either by a short domestic flight or by road, depending on your preference and the day’s schedule. Arriving in the afternoon leaves time to settle in before dinner.

Day 6: Angkor: Angkor Wat, Bayon and Ta Prohm

A full day inside the Angkor Archaeological Park, starting at Angkor Wat itself and moving on to the faces of Bayon and the tree-tangled ruins of Ta Prohm. A one-day Angkor Pass costs 37 USD and a three-day pass 62 USD (2026 prices), sold at the Angkor Ticket Office between 5:00 am and 5:30 pm or in advance online; because your visit spans parts of two days here, we book the three-day pass rather than two single-day tickets.

Day 7: Kampong Phluk floating village, then departure (about 35 km from Siem Reap)

The closest floating village to Siem Reap, Chong Khneas at about 15 km out, has a reputation for boat drivers steering visitors toward overpriced restaurants and souvenir stalls. We go instead to Kampong Phluk, a little further at around 35 km, where stilt houses and a flooded forest give a more genuine sense of how people here live with the water. From there it’s on to Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport, about 50 km from town, for your onward flight.

What’s included

Hotels in the class you choose, twin or double occupancy, with breakfast each morning, or an equivalent property if the one named is full.
All meals written into the day-by-day programme below.
A private air-conditioned vehicle for every transfer and excursion in the programme.
An English-speaking local guide at each stop on the route.
Every boat trip, river crossing and cruise named in the itinerary.
Entrance fees for the sites listed in the programme.
Drinking water in the vehicle and on boat days.
Government tax and service charge.

Not included

International and domestic flights, and rail tickets.
Visas, and any fee collected at a border post.
Travel insurance.
Meals and drinks that are not written into the programme.
Personal spending such as laundry, phone calls, minibar, souvenirs and watersports.
Early check-in, late check-out and room upgrades.
Anything added on the day at your request outside the printed programme.
Gratuities for your guide and driver.
Costs arising from weather, flooding, road closures or other events beyond our control.
Bank transfer charges.

Booking this trip

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Days: 7 days / 6 nights

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Border rules, currency and what to expect on both sides of the river are covered on our [travel information for the Mekong countries](mekong/travel-information) page.

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Frequently asked questions

What visa do I need for the river crossing at Kaam Samnor?

A Vietnam e-visa is accepted at Vinh Xuong on the way out. For Cambodia, however, an e-visa is not accepted at Kaam Samnor: you’ll need either a visa already arranged at a Cambodian embassy or a visa on arrival paid in cash, officially 30 USD but often collected at 35 to 40 USD, plus one 4x6 cm photo.

Does the river boat still run when the water is low?

Yes. It’s a shallow-draft passenger speedboat, not an overnight cruise ship, so it keeps its schedule through the low-water months of the dry season. A handful of larger overnight vessels shift their boarding point during that period; this fast boat does not.

Do I need to change money for Cambodia?

US dollars are used alongside the Cambodian riel throughout the country, so cash dollars cover almost everything, including a visa on arrival if you need one. Bring small, unworn bills where you can.

How much luggage can I bring on the boat from Chau Doc?

One bag plus a day pack per person is the practical limit, since hold space on the boat is limited. Pack anything you won’t need for the river leg into a smaller bag, or leave the rest in storage if you’re returning to Vietnam by the same route.

Can this trip run in reverse, starting in Siem Reap?

Yes, the whole route works backward: Angkor first, then Phnom Penh, the river crossing to Chau Doc, and on to Can Tho and Ho Chi Minh City. Tell us your preferred direction and international flight arrangements when you enquire.

Is two days enough at Angkor, or should I add a third?

Two full days cover Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Prohm and several of the further temples comfortably, without the rushed feeling of a single day. If you want to go deeper, including Banteay Srei or Beng Mealea, ask us about extending to our 8-day route through the delta, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap instead.

The Mekong Delta and Angkor, 7 Days / 6 Nights