Private 2–5 day Mekong Delta routes
Tours · Vietnam to Cambodia
Delta to Phnom Penh, 5 days
Four nights along the delta and a fifth day on the river: Ben Tre and Vinh Long, Can Tho, two nights in Chau Doc, then the 07:00 speedboat across the border to Phnom Penh. You leave Vietnam the way the river does.
At a glance
- Length
- 5 days, 4 nights
- Party
- Private in Vietnam; public speedboat on day 5
- Starts
- Ho Chi Minh City, 07:30
- Ends
- Phnom Penh, about 13:30
- On the move
- About 6–8 h by road, 6.5 h by boat
- Price
- On request
Who this route is for
This route is for travellers who are going on to Cambodia anyway and would rather arrive by water than fly. The delta and the crossing work together: Chau Doc sits on the Hau River close to the Cambodian border, and a public speedboat runs from there to Phnom Penh every morning. Five days lets you travel the classic line at an even pace and still give Chau Doc the two nights it needs, one for its own sights and one because the boat leaves at 07:00.
Be clear about one thing before you book: day five is a transport day. The boat is a scheduled service shared with other passengers, it takes about six and a half hours including the border, and the river after the first two hours is wide and much the same. It is a good way to cross. It is not a cruise. If a river cruise is what you want, a multi-night ship is a different product, and we do not sell it.
The full mechanics of the border, the visa and the road alternative are on the Chau Doc to Phnom Penh page.
Day by day
Day 1
Ho Chi Minh City to Ben Tre and on to Vinh Long
The car meets you at 07:30. Over the Rach Mieu 2 bridge, opened in August 2025, you are in the coconut country of the former Ben Tre province in about two hours. A sampan takes you along the back canals under water-coconut fronds to a candy workshop and a garden lunch.
In the afternoon you drive on to Vinh Long, about an hour to an hour and a half, and visit Van Thanh Mieu, the 1860s Confucian temple on the Long Ho river, before checking in.
Day 2
An Binh islet, then Can Tho
The morning is on the water around An Binh islet: narrow canals, an orchard, and Tien Chau pagoda among the trees. The heat is lower before ten, which is why the islet comes first and the drive second.
About an hour to Can Tho in the early afternoon, then the Binh Thuy ancient house, built in 1870, and a free evening on the Ninh Kieu riverfront and its night market.
Day 3
Cai Rang at dawn, west to Chau Doc
Out at 05:30 for the market, 30 to 40 minutes downriver, in its trading hour. Breakfast is on the water. After checkout, two to three hours up the Hau River to Chau Doc.
The late afternoon is Sam Mountain: the temple to the Lady of the Realm at its foot, whose festival is on UNESCO's list, Tay An pagoda, and the view from the summit at sunset.
Day 4
A full day in Chau Doc
Tra Su at opening time, the Cham bank in the afternoon
Tra Su forest at 06:30, when it opens: a motor sampan, then a rowed boat under cassia trees, with storks overhead. Back in town by late morning for the market and a bowl of bun ca Chau Doc.
In the afternoon a small ferry crosses to the Cham villages of Chau Giang, with the Mubarak mosque and stilt houses, and you visit a floating fish farm on the way back. In the evening your guide goes through the crossing with you: passport, the US dollar cash for a Cambodian visa on arrival, a passport photo, and where to be at 06:30.
Day 5
Speedboat from Chau Doc to Phnom Penh
Arriving in Phnom Penh from the river
Your guide walks you to the jetty, which is in the grounds of the Victoria Chau Doc hotel, for the 07:00 departure. Boat staff collect passports and the visa paperwork when you board. The boat runs up the Hau River and along a canal past the Cham houses and mosques of Chau Phong, stops at the Vietnamese post at Vinh Xuong and the Cambodian post at Kaam Samnor, where you wait while the staff handle the paperwork, and continues up the Mekong.
The scheduled arrival in Phnom Penh is 13:30, on the riverside in the north of Daun Penh. If you choose it, a car we book meets you at the pier and takes you to your hotel. Your Phnom Penh hotel is not part of this route.
The boat, in numbers
The fare is the operator's published figure, checked in October 2026; confirm before booking, because the operator adjusted it for fuel costs and may do so again. It is included in the route price.
Sources: Hang Chau Tourist — daily schedule and fares June 2026 to June 2027; Vietnam Coracle — Vietnam to Cambodia by boat, modified 29 Sep 2024; Royal Embassy of Cambodia, Washington DC — FAQ · checked .
Price
| Party | Car in Vietnam | Rooms | Price per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo traveller | 4-seat car | 1 single room per night | On request |
| 2 travellers | 4-seat car | 1 shared room per night | On request |
| 3–4 travellers | 7-seat car | 2 rooms per night | On request |
| 5–8 travellers | 16-seat van | 3–4 rooms per night | On request |
Party size and date move this price most. The Phnom Penh arrival car is an option with its own line. The pricing page explains each part of the quote; how to book covers passports and tickets, which matter more on this route than on the others.
What the price includes
- Private car and driver for four days in Vietnam, from your hotel in Ho Chi Minh City
- Private English-speaking guide for four days, and to the jetty on day five
- Four nights with breakfast: Vinh Long, Can Tho, two in Chau Doc
- Delta boats: Ben Tre canal, An Binh islet, Cai Rang, Chau Giang ferry, Tra Su
- Speedboat ticket Chau Doc to Phnom Penh
- Entrance fees on the itinerary and lunch on days one to four
What it does not include
- Cambodian visa fee, paid in cash at the border
- Your Vietnam visa or e-visa
- Accommodation and transport in Cambodia, unless you add the arrival car
- Dinners, drinks, tips and travel insurance
- Food and drink bought at the border posts
Gallery
Who this route is NOT for
- Anyone without a passport valid for at least six months — we plan this crossing on passports only
- Travellers who want a river cruise; day five is a shared public speedboat with no cabins
- Those who dislike heat and early starts; the boat has been reported without air-conditioning
- Anyone who must return to Ho Chi Minh City; choose the four-day route instead
- Travellers who need to know the exact border wait; it varies on the day
Every route uses 3–4 star hotels in town centres. We do not name a hotel on this site because the one we book depends on your dates and what is free; your quote names each hotel and room type before you pay anything.
Common questions
Questions travellers ask most
Do we need a Cambodian visa in advance?
Cambodia's embassies list a visa on arrival at Kaam Samnor, the river post. The Paris embassy names a few nationalities that must get a visa before travelling, so check yours. The e-visa is not listed for this crossing, so do not rely on it. Vietnamese passport holders do not need a visa for stays up to 30 days.
Does our guide come to Phnom Penh?
No. Your guide sees you onto the boat in Chau Doc. On board, the boat staff handle the border paperwork.
Can we do the route in reverse?
Yes. The boat leaves Phnom Penh at 12:30 and reaches Chau Doc at 18:30, and the delta nights then run east to Ho Chi Minh City.
What happens if the boat is cancelled?
We have not built a promise we cannot keep into the route. If the boat does not run, we arrange the road crossing instead and show you any change in cost before it is made.
Related
Read next
Plan · Getting across
Chau Doc to Phnom Penh
The Chau Doc–Phnom Penh speedboat, the Vinh Xuong–Kaam Samnor border, visas and the road option.
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Tours · Pricing
Pricing
How a private delta quote is built, what moves it most and the local prices we can publish.
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Tours · Booking
How to book
The steps from first form to confirmed route, documents for the crossing, and payment safety.
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Destinations · Mekong Delta
Chau Doc
Chau Doc: Sam Mountain, Tra Su, the Cham villages, two nights, flood season and the boat to Cambodia.
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Example journey
Ben Tre to Chau Doc, 4 days
Four days east to west: Ben Tre, Vinh Long, Can Tho, Chau Doc. Short legs, ends in Chau Doc.
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Plan · Seasons
When to go
Mekong Delta seasons month by month: dry months, rain, the autumn flood and the route to choose.
View this journeyStart planning
Tell us about the route you have in mind
The day you leave Ho Chi Minh City, how many are travelling and where you go afterwards are enough to start. We reply by email with questions or a priced route that names every hotel.