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MEKONG DISCOVERY

Explore southern Vietnam's historic cities and floating villages
Duration: 6 Days
Location: Vietnam - Saigon and the Mekong Delta

Explore southern Vietnam’s historic cities and floating villages.

Six days showcasing Saigon and the Mekong Delta with stark wartime reminders, welcoming riverside villages and photogenic floating markets.

At a glance

  • OVERVIEW OF THIS TOUR
  • DETAILED ITINERARY
  • DAY SUMMARY OF ACTIVITY LOCATION
    1 Arrival – city tour including Old Town, Notre Dame and the Opera House Saigon
    2 Full day tour including the Reunification Palace, War Remnants Museum and the wartime tunnels of Cu Chi Saigon
    3 Drive to Mekong Delta town of Cai Be, private boat cruise and leisure time Cai Be
    4 Exploring the Mekong Delta, including An Binh island and Vinh Long market. Can Tho
    5 Visit Cai Rang floating market, then drive through Long Xuyen to enjoy Chau Doc’s riverside, fishing village and mountain views Chau Doc
    6 Speedboat along the Hau river to the Vietnam-Cambodia border, and on to Phnom Penh
  • DAY 1
    ARRIVAL IN HCMC (SAIGON)

    Meet you at Saigon Tan Son Nhat Airport and private transfer to your hotel.
    Your guide will be with you for this transfer.

    This afternoon, we’ll take a short orientation tour (walking / driving) of Old Saigon Streets and Iconic Buildings. Appreciate the splendidly restored exteriors of the Opera House and the former Hotel de Ville which are still two of the finest building in Saigon.

    Wander up to the Notre Dame Cathedral, a red brick edifice with twin spires based on the original construction from Paris. Then head across the square to the Central Post office, designed by the French architect, Gustav Eiffel before he had risen to fame for the Eiffel Tower.

    Included: tour guide, transport, bottled drinking water and fresh-up tissues

    DAY 2
    WARTIME SAIGON

    We begin this story with a visit to The Reunification Palace (former Presidential Palace), the headquarters of the Saigon Government during the American war and reveals the history of Saigon during its turbulent recent past. This is the location where the two North Vietnamese army tanks crushed the gates of the palace on 30th April 1975 and signaled the end of the conflict, by taking the surrender from Duong Van Minh, who had been president of South Vietnam for only three days.

    We’ll continue to visit the site of the wartime offices of the US Information Service (USIS). This is now The War Remnants Museum (formerly known as the Museum of American War Crimes). This museum is a disturbing experience. It graphically recounts the Vietnam War from the perspective of the victors. The Requiem gallery, depicting the images taken by many international War Photographers during the conflict, is especially graphic and moving.

    Onwards to the wartime tunnels.
    Cu Chi is about 40 km northwest and around one and a half hours drive. The Cu Chi Tunnels are an elaborate underground community made up of about 250 km of tunnels and chambers below the city. The tunnels were dug with simple tools and bare hands during the French occupation in the 1940s, and further expanded during the Vietnam War in the 1960s to provide refuge and a defensive advantage over the American soldiers.

    Despite all the bombings in their town, the Cu Chi people were able to continue day-to-day living beneath the soil, where they slept, ate, planned attacks, healed their sick, and taught their young. Some even wed and gave birth underground, but over 10,000 lost their lives here.

    Included: tour guide, entrance fees, bottled drinking water and fresh-up tissues

    DAY 3
    DOWN TO THE DELTA

    After breakfast and check-our from your hotel, we’ll drive around 2.5 hours south to the Mekong Delta town of Cai Be. Here we will board our private boat for the first glimpse of the Mekong and take a short cruise to our hotel, which is ideally situated on the banks of the Mekong River.

    The remainder of today is free and easy for you to relax and enjoy the resort facilities and river views.

    Included: tour guide, entrance fees, bottled drinking water and fresh-up tissues, private boat, bedroom and breakfast

    DAY 4
    MEANDERING ON THE MEKONG

    This morning we leave our resort by boat for a day exploration of the Mekong Delta.

    Visit local gardens and houses to see orchards, rice production, fruit farms and small cottage industries. Cruise along the river and canals of An Binh island to see the peaceful and tranquil life of local villagers, admiring the marvelous natural setting of the Mekong Delta region. Enjoy a traditional home-cooked lunch at a family house on An Binh Island.

    Continue cruising through the delightful scenery and around 3 pm, the boat will arrive at Vinh Long, where you have a chance to explore the land market, before the 1 hour drive to Can Tho.

    After check-in at your hotel, you may wish to explore this lively area along the Mekong riverside yourself. There are a number of restaurants, street food vendors and an authentic local night market.

    Included: tour guide, entrance fees, lunch, bottled drinking water and fresh-up tissues, private boat, bedroom and breakfast

    DAY 5
    CAI RENG FLOATING MARKET AND CHAU DOC

    A visit to Cai Rang floating market on a small boat from Can Tho is a definite Mekong Delta highlight. It’s one of the most photogenic spots in southern Vietnam. Floating markets have long thrived in the delta since they’re the most convenient way for traders who transport everything on the river, to trade their wares.

    Cai Rang market is best visited very early. Leave Can Tho at around 6am to arrive at the market around 7am when things will be in full swing with hundreds small boats converging to buy and sell.
    Stopping by Le Binh market on the way back to Can Tho is recommended. It’s a superbly chaotic local market with plenty of the delta’s fish bounty on display alongside fruits and vegetables.

    Return to Can Tho for hotel check-out and then we’ll drive past waterways and rice fields for around 3 hours to Chau Doc, by way of Long Xuyen. The riverside and markets are a major highlight of Chau Doc, along with the stunning mountain scenery and multitude of paddy fields surrounding the city. Depending on time, we will visit the local fishing village, meet the local Cham minority community and travelling almost 6km to the west,you will have a chance to view the 230m-high Sam Mountain with beautiful landscapes and many historic remains.

    Included: tour guide, entrance fees, lunch, bottled drinking water and fresh-up tissues, private boat, bedroom and breakfast

    DAY 6
    ACROSS THE RIVER BORDER TOWARDS CAMBODIA AND THE CAPITAL CITY OF PHNOM PENH

    Early morning departure by public speedboat from Chau Doc, cruising fast along the Hau River to Vinh Xuong international border for Vietnam/Cambodia immigration (there is an on-board courier to assist with formalities).

    Continue your fast cruise along the Mekong, to arrive Phnom Penh, Sisowath Quay around 1.00pm or so. (Usual running time is approximately 4.5 hours from Chau Doc to Phnom Penh) and around 1 hour for customs and immigration).

    Meet your Phnom Penh local guide on disembarkation and transfer you to your hotel in the city.

    Included: public speedboat, transport, tour guide, bottled drinking water and fresh-up tissues

Sights you’ll see

Ah Binh - Tien Chau Pagoda
Vinh Long - Making rice paper
Lunch on the Mekong Delta
Cai Reng floating market
Can Tho by night
Produce at the floating markets

Need to know

  • This tour is private for you and can start/finish on any day
  • The tour can operate in either direction to suit your travel plans
  • You can add or subtract days or locations to any of our tours
  • Combine this tour with other experiences in Cambodia, Vietnam or Laos
    or contact us to create a tailored plan for you

Locations for this tour

This itinerary example may be enjoyed ‘as-is’ or we can tailor it with fewer or additional days, to suit your travel plans and interests.
We also offer a fine selection of accommodations including charming boutique hotels.

 

Costs for this tour vary depending on season, duration, hotel preferences and how many people are in your party.

For your FREE detailed itinerary and quote, please contact us using the form below.

We’ll respond within 1 working day


PRIVACY: We only use these details to communicate with you regarding your tour. We never sell, share or otherwise use these details for any other purpose.

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#1 IN SIEM REAP – OVER 350 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS

WHAT PREVIOUS GUESTS SAY

Couldn't have asked for a better experience...

..a thorough, well-paced tour with extremely knowledgable guide. He was a local with great English, and was open about his own past if you asked. Highly competent and very friendly"...

Liked them so much we returned for more!...

..We learned so much about Cambodia's remote past and recent history through our tour guide in 2015, we had to come back for more. This year we did three tours"...

Worth every penny...

..the entire tour from beginning to end was excellent. I would not hesitate to use again and recommend"...

Read all testimonials here

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TASTE OF CAMBODIA

6 Days

SIEM REAP DISCOVERY

5 Days

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HOW DO I BOOK A TOUR OR PACKAGE?

Simply contact us with your requirements using the form at the end of this page.

Tell us which date(s), how many people and the level of accommodation you'd prefer.
We'll respond to you within 1 working day.

WHAT IF I NEED TO CANCEL?

We understand that sometimes plans change - or there may be a more serious reason to cancel a trip.

We have no wish to add to your disappointment and will do whatever is possible to help you.

The refunds we make are listed below and are based on our administration costs and the reasonable expectation of a booking replacement.

Cancel more than 30 Days days in advance - 85% refund.

Cancel between 30 and 8 days before departure - 50% refund.

Cancel between 7 days and 48 hours before departure - 25% refund.

Cancel less than 48 hours before departure - no refund.

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