Choosing a Mekong river cruise
Cruises · Mekong Delta, Vietnam
Two nights in the delta
A second night changes what a delta cruise can reach: Cai Rang at dawn without a rushed start, the upper river towards Chau Doc near the Cambodian border, or a loop that brings you back to where you boarded. Three operators publish two-night routes; here is how they compare.
At a glance
- Length
- 3 days, 2 nights
- Boat size
- 6 to 16 cabins
- Boards
- Cai Be, Can Tho or Saigon
- Ends
- Cai Be, Chau Doc or Saigon
- Variants
- Loop or one way
- Price
- On request
Who this cruise is for
Two nights suits travellers who found one night too short in theory: those who want to be on the water for a whole day rather than an afternoon and a morning. It also suits people heading to Cambodia who do not want a large ship. A two-night run to Chau Doc ends about 235 km from Saigon, close to the border, and from Chau Doc the Hang Chau speedboat runs daily to Phnom Penh.
The loop version suits the opposite case: people who need to be back where they started, usually because a car is waiting or the next flight leaves from Saigon. Bassac publishes a two-night loop from and to Cai Be by way of Can Tho and Thot Not.
The boats that run two nights
| Operator | Route as published | Boat | Published from | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bassac (Trans Mekong) | 2-night loop from/to Cai Be via Can Tho and Thot Not | Converted rice barges, 6–12 cabins | No price on the page | Audley Travel |
| Bassac (Trans Mekong) | 2 nights Cai Be ↔ Chau Doc | As above | No price on the page | Audley Travel |
| Le Cochinchine | Mekong Delta Panorama, 3 days / 2 nights; route map Can Tho – Cho Lach – Sa Dec – Cai Be | Barge about 30 m | USD 332 per person | Le Cochinchine |
| Mekong Eyes | 3-day Saigon round trip via Cai Rang | Classic 14 cabins or Explorer 16 | Not shown for this length | Mekong Eyes |
| Mekong Eyes | 3-day Saigon to Phu Quoc, ferry on the last day | As above | USD 460 per person | Mekong Eyes |
Le Cochinchine also publishes a 4-day, 3-night Amazing Mekong Delta cruise from USD 427 per person. Mekong Eyes describes its cruises as running from two to five days. If three nights interest you, say so in the form; we treat it as a two-night cruise with one more stop.
Sources: Audley Travel — Bassac; Le Cochinchine (operator site); Mekong Eyes (operator site, modified 4 Aug 2026) · checked .
Day by day
The outline below combines the loop and the one-way version. Times are indicative and follow the published patterns for these boats; your quote shows the exact plan for the boat and date you choose.
Day 1
Saigon to Cai Be, the orchard canals
A morning road transfer of about 108 km to Cai Be, two to two and a half hours, unless your boat starts in Saigon as the Mekong Eyes round trips do. Lunch on board as the boat leaves.
The afternoon runs through the narrow canals of the former Ben Tre and Vinh Long orchard country, with a stop ashore. Dinner on board and a night moored on a side river.
Day 2
Cai Rang, then the upper river
A whole day under way on the Hau river
Cai Rang market near Can Tho in the first hours of light, roughly 06:00 to 07:30 when there is still trade. The market is a fraction of its former size; go for the river at dawn rather than for a spectacle.
The day continues on the wide Hau river, upstream towards Thot Not on the loop, or onward towards Chau Doc on the one-way run. Lunch and dinner on board, a second night moored.
Day 3
Back to Cai Be, or on to Chau Doc
On the loop, the boat returns to Cai Be by late morning and you drive about 108 km back to Saigon. On the one-way run you leave the boat at Chau Doc, about 235 km from Saigon by road, four and a half to five and a half hours.
From Chau Doc, the Hang Chau speedboat leaves for Phnom Penh at 07:00 and arrives at 13:30; that means a night in Chau Doc before crossing. Fares published for June 2026 to June 2027 are VND 1,640,000 per passenger.
Sources: Audley Travel — Bassac; Mekong Eyes (operator site, modified 4 Aug 2026); OSRM / OpenStreetMap road distances, queried 11 Oct 2026; vietnamtourism.com (private publisher), 27 May 2026 — Cai Rang guide; Hang Chau Tourist (operator) · checked .
Price
| Party | Version | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 2 travellers, one cabin | Loop from and to Cai Be | On request |
| 2 travellers, one cabin | One way Cai Be to Chau Doc | On request |
| 1 traveller | Either version, cabin for one | On request |
| 2–4 travellers | Private small boat, Saigon round trip | On request |
The one-way version usually costs more in transfers than in cruise fare, because you finish far from Saigon. The pricing page sets out how we show that, and how to book explains the steps.
What the price includes
- Two nights in a cabin with en-suite shower (as published for Bassac; check other boats)
- Meals on board as published
- The boat's own guided stops ashore
- Drinking water on board (check each boat)
- A written comparison of the boats that sail your dates, with the onward options from Chau Doc
What it does not include
- Road transfers to Cai Be and from Cai Be or Chau Doc, unless included
- The Chau Doc to Phnom Penh speedboat and a Cambodian visa, if you continue
- A hotel night in Chau Doc before the speedboat
- Drinks other than water, and tips
- Travel insurance and flights
Gallery
Who this cruise is NOT for
- Travellers with only one free day; the extra night is the point of this cruise
- Anyone who needs to finish in Saigon but has booked the one-way version; Chau Doc is four and a half hours or more by road
- People who expect a busy floating market; Cai Rang is much smaller than its past and the others have largely faded
- Those hoping to continue to Phnom Penh on the day the cruise ends; the Chau Doc speedboat leaves at 07:00, so plan a night in Chau Doc
Boats and ships on this site are named as public facts, each with the page we read and the date we read it. Mekong Cruiser is not a cruise line, does not operate any vessel and does not speak for any operator. Naming a ship does not mean we hold a contract or an allocation on it; availability and fares are whatever the operator confirms on the day you ask.
Common questions
Questions travellers ask most
Loop or one way?
Loop if your next stop is Saigon; one way to Chau Doc if your next stop is Phnom Penh. The one-way run saves you doubling back through the delta by road.
Can we add a third night?
Le Cochinchine publishes a 4-day, 3-night cruise from USD 427 per person (checked October 2026), and Mekong Eyes says its cruises run up to five days. Ask and we compare the options for your dates.
Do we need a Cambodian visa for the Chau Doc speedboat?
Most passports do. Cambodian embassies list visas on arrival at the Kaam Samnor river checkpoint. Check your own nationality before travel.
Is the high-water season a problem for delta boats?
Not usually. High water from about September to November floods the upper delta and changes the scenery. Pandaw notes that low bridges can block access into Chau Doc in October and November, so we check the route for your date.
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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.