Choosing a Mekong river cruise
How to choose
Delta boat or Cambodia ship?
The first decision is not which ship but which kind of cruise: a night or two on a small boat inside Vietnam, or several nights on a larger ship across the border. This page sets the two side by side, says when the cheaper option is the right one, and shows how each fits around Saigon, Phnom Penh and Angkor.
Side by side
| Delta boat | Ship into Cambodia | |
|---|---|---|
| Nights | 1 or 2 (up to 3–4 on a few) | 3 or 4 to Phnom Penh; 7 to the Siem Reap side |
| Cabins on board | 1 to 16 | 14 to about 60 |
| Guests | 2 to 24 where stated | 28 to about 120 |
| Cabin size, as published | About 9–10 m² on the barges; 20 m² on Song Xanh sampans | 20–51 m² on Heritage Line; about 170 sq ft on Pandaw; up to 924 sq ft on Mekong Jewel's largest suites |
| On board | Cabins, a dining area, open deck | On several ships a pool, spa and gym (Heritage Line, Aqua, AmaWaterways, Viking, Uniworld) |
| Border | No | Yes: Vinh Xuong – Kaam Samnor, with a Cambodian visa |
| Season | Sails year-round on Vietnamese waters | Reaching Siem Reap by water only in high water |
| Private use | Song Xanh sampans and one- or two-cabin boats are sold privately | Whole-ship charter only by arrangement with the operator |
Sources: Secret Retreats — Bassac cruises; Audley Travel — Bassac; Mekong Eyes (operator site, modified 4 Aug 2026); Mekong-Delta-Tours.com — Song Xanh (reseller); Mekong-Delta-Tours.com — Le Cochinchine 2 days 1 night (reseller); Heritage Line — Jayavarman; Heritage Line — The Jahan; Pandaw — Saigon to Phnom Penh product PDF (new for 2026); Uniworld — Mekong Jewel; CroisiEurope — RV Toum Tiou II; AmaWaterways (AU) — AmaMaya; Cruise Critic — Travelmarvel RV Lotus; Aqua Expeditions — Mekong river cruise; Viking press release, 14 Nov 2023; Royal Embassy of Cambodia, Washington DC — FAQ · checked .
When the delta boat is the right choice
The delta boat is the smaller, shorter and cheaper option, and for many trips it is simply the correct one.
- Your trip is Vietnam only. A ship to Cambodia spends its first two days in the same delta a barge covers in one night.
- You have one or two nights to give the river. Below three nights there is no ship option that crosses the border.
- You want the narrow channels. The barges go through side canals such as Cho Lach, which larger ships do not use on the itineraries we read.
- You want privacy. A one-cabin Gecko Eyes or a private Song Xanh sampan is yours alone.
- You travel between December and July and do not want a road transfer at the end of an expensive week.
Sources: Mekong Eyes (operator site, modified 4 Aug 2026); Mekong-Delta-Tours.com — Song Xanh (reseller); BestPrice Travel — Bassac 2 days 1 night (reseller) · checked .
When the ship is the right choice
- You are going to Cambodia anyway. The ship replaces a flight with three nights on the river.
- You want space and facilities: balconies, a pool, a spa, cabins two or three times the size of a barge cabin.
- You can travel between August and November and want to arrive near Angkor by water.
- You prefer one unpacking for a week to a string of hotel nights.
Five steps to a decision
- Decide whether the trip includes Cambodia. If not, read the two delta cruise pages and stop here.
- Count the nights you can give the river: one or two points to a delta boat; three or four to Saigon–Phnom Penh; seven to Saigon–Siem Reap.
- Check your month on the water page. Between about December and July, a 'Saigon to Siem Reap' cruise ends by road or air.
- Decide how much the ship matters: cabin size, a balcony, a lift, a pool. The cabins page lists what each publishes.
- Send the form with what you have decided and what you have not. We fill the gaps with options.
Combining a cruise with Saigon, Phnom Penh and Angkor
Four shapes cover most of what people ask for. Each starts or ends in Saigon, because that is where most international flights to southern Vietnam land.
| Shape | How it runs | Nights on the river |
|---|---|---|
| Saigon and one delta night | Saigon, road to Cai Be, boat to Can Tho, road back | 1 |
| Delta into Cambodia, slowly | Two-night boat to Chau Doc, a night there, Hang Chau speedboat to Phnom Penh (07:00, about 13:30), fly or drive to Siem Reap | 2 |
| Ship to Phnom Penh, then Angkor | Coach to My Tho, three nights to Phnom Penh, then air or road to Siem Reap for three nights | 3 |
| The full river | Seven nights Saigon to the Siem Reap side, then three nights for Angkor | 7 |
Siem Reap's airport, opened in October 2023, is about 50 km from the town, and Phnom Penh's flights were due to move to the new Techo International Airport on 9 September 2025 (Vietnam Airlines guide). Both matter when you plan the day after a cruise.
Each shape has its own page: one delta night, two nights to Chau Doc, Saigon to Phnom Penh and Saigon to Siem Reap. The ports are covered under ports.
Sources: OSRM / OpenStreetMap road distances, queried 11 Oct 2026; Hang Chau Tourist (operator); Pandaw — Saigon to Phnom Penh product PDF (new for 2026); Siemreap.net — Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport, updated 10 Oct 2026; Vietnam Airlines travel guide — Phnom Penh airport · checked .
Common questions
Questions travellers ask most
Is a delta boat just a cheaper version of a ship?
No. It is a different trip: shorter, smaller, inside Vietnam, and through narrower water. For a Vietnam-only trip it is often the more fitting choice, not a compromise.
Can we do a delta boat and a ship on the same trip?
You can, but the ship's first two days cover much of the same delta. Most people choose one or the other.
Which option is easier with limited mobility?
Neither is simple. Several ships state there is no lift, and the small boats publish little about access. Tell us what you need and we ask each operator before suggesting a boat.
We only have ten days for Vietnam and Cambodia. Which?
Usually a delta night or the three-night ship to Phnom Penh. Seven nights on the river leaves little time for Saigon or Angkor in ten days.
Related
Read next
Cruises
Cruises
The four kinds of Mekong cruise and the boats that run each one.
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How to choose
High and low water
What high and low water change on Mekong cruises, by operator and by month.
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How to choose
Cabins and inclusions
Cabin sizes, balconies, lifts and inclusions on Mekong boats and ships, as published.
View this journey
Example journey
Cai Be to Can Tho, 1 night
One night on a delta boat between Cai Be and Can Tho: four operators compared.
View this journey
Example journey
Saigon to Phnom Penh
Three or four nights from the delta to the Phnom Penh riverfront: ships compared.
View this journey
Ports
Ports
The four places where Mekong cruises begin and end, and the river between them.
View this journeyStart planning
Tell us which cruise you are weighing up
A month, how many are travelling and whether you lean towards a delta boat or a ship into Cambodia are enough to start. We reply by email with the boats that sail your dates and the fares their operators show that day.