Choosing a Mekong river cruise
Cruises · Vietnam to Cambodia
Saigon to Phnom Penh, 3 to 4 nights
The shortest cruise that crosses from Vietnam into Cambodia: board near My Tho, spend two days on the delta and the upper Mekong, clear the border on the river and step off in the centre of Phnom Penh. On the itineraries we read, low water mainly affects the stretch above Phnom Penh, which makes this the steadier choice across the year.
At a glance
- Length
- 4 days, 3 nights (4 nights on some)
- Ship size
- 14 to 35 cabins on the ships compared
- Boards
- My Tho, after a coach from Saigon
- Ends
- Phnom Penh riverfront
- Border
- Vinh Xuong – Kaam Samnor
- Price
- On request
Who this cruise is for
This route suits travellers moving between the two countries anyway, who would rather spend three nights on the river than take a short flight. It replaces the transfer rather than adding days, and it ends in a capital with flights onward to Siem Reap. Because the operators we read run the stretch from the delta to Phnom Penh in both seasons, it is also the safer cruise for anyone travelling between December and July who does not want a long road transfer at the end.
Ships on this route are small. The largest we compare has 35 cabins; Pandaw's ship carries 48 people at most. Days are short on the water, the second evening is spent near the border, and the third night is usually the first in Cambodia.
The ships that run this route
| Ship | Nights | Size | Cabins | Published fare | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jayavarman (Heritage Line) | 3, either direction | Count not stated | Superior 20 m² to Signature Suite 27 m², all with balcony | Not on ship page | Heritage Line |
| The Jahan (Heritage Line) | 3, either direction | Count not stated | Superior 30 m² to Noble Suite 51 m², all with balcony | Not on ship page | Heritage Line |
| RV Tonle Pandaw (Pandaw), new for 2026 | 3, upstream | 20 staterooms + 4 suites, 48 berths | About 170 sq ft; Tonle Suites 40 m² | Not in PDF | Pandaw product PDF |
| RV Mekong Pandaw (Pandaw) | 3 | 48 berths | Not stated | Not in guide | Pandaw guide, 4 May 2026 |
| Mekong Eyes Classic or Explorer | 4 days | 14 or 16 cabins | Not stated | USD 609 or USD 333 per person (page shows both) | Mekong Eyes |
| Aqua Mekong (Aqua Expeditions) | Lengths not published on overview page | 20 suites, 40 guests | Same size on both decks; some with balcony | Not on page | Aqua Expeditions |
| Victoria Mekong | 4-night ship segment from Can Tho, listed inside agent packages (ports to confirm) | 35 cabins, 70 guests | Deluxe 25 m²; 2 VIP suites | Sold in packages (AUD) | Wendy Wu Tours AU; VNAT |
Two notes on the table. Aqua Expeditions does not list cruise lengths on the page we read; guest reviews mention a three-night cruise, which we treat as unconfirmed. Victoria Mekong launched in 2019 with Can Tho to Phnom Penh cruises of three and four nights. Today its seven-night legs run from Can Tho to Kampong Cham, and Wendy Wu Tours Australia lists four-night ship segments inside its packages; the listing suggests these end at Phnom Penh, but the page does not say so plainly, so we confirm the ports before quoting.
Sources: Heritage Line — Jayavarman; Heritage Line — The Jahan; Pandaw — Saigon to Phnom Penh product PDF (new for 2026); Pandaw — The Classic Mekong guide, 4 May 2026; Mekong Eyes (operator site, modified 4 Aug 2026); Aqua Expeditions — Mekong river cruise; Wendy Wu Tours AU — Victoria Mekong; Vietnam National Authority of Tourism — Victoria Mekong · checked .
Day by day
The outline follows the upstream itinerary that Pandaw published for 2026. Heritage Line and the others keep a similar shape with their own stops; the quote shows the plan for the ship you choose.
Day 1
Saigon to My Tho, the Ben Tre canals
Meet in central Saigon in the morning; on Pandaw's plan, check-in is at 10:00 and the coach leaves at 10:30. My Tho is about 71 km away, an hour and a half to two hours by road.
Board at My Tho port and sail towards the former Ben Tre province. From 14:30 a sampan takes you through mangrove and orchard channels, with stops at a handicraft village and a coconut-candy workshop. Dinner on board.
Day 2
Upriver to Chau Doc
The fish-farm houses on the river at Chau Doc
A morning under way on the upper river, reaching Chau Doc at about 10:30. A minivan takes you to Sam Mountain and its pagodas; for those who would rather avoid the steps, the local market is the alternative.
In the afternoon a sampan visits the floating fish farms on the river. In October and November Pandaw warns that low bridges in high water can block the way into Chau Doc, in which case Long Thuan village replaces this visit.
Day 3
The border on the river
The ship stops at Vinh Xuong on the Vietnamese side and Kaam Samnor on the Cambodian side for immigration. Cambodian embassies list visas on arrival at Kaam Samnor; they do not list the Cambodian e-visa there. The operator tells you its own procedure and what to have ready.
Once cleared, the ship continues upriver into Cambodia for the last evening and dinner on board.
Day 4
Phnom Penh
Breakfast on board while the ship approaches the capital. Pandaw docks on the riverfront in the city centre at Sisowath Quay and disembarks at about 10:30. Pandaw does not include transfers in Phnom Penh; other operators vary.
Sources: Pandaw — Saigon to Phnom Penh product PDF (new for 2026); OSRM / OpenStreetMap road distances, queried 11 Oct 2026; Royal Embassy of Cambodia, Washington DC — FAQ · checked .
Price
| Party | Cabin | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 2 travellers | Entry cabin or stateroom | On request |
| 2 travellers | Balcony cabin or suite | On request |
| 1 traveller | Cabin for one; single supplement shown separately | On request |
| 3–4 travellers | Two cabins | On request |
| Any | Downstream, Phnom Penh to Saigon | On request |
Ship, cabin and month move this price most, followed by what the fare includes: one operator includes wine and beer, another only water, coffee and tea. The pricing page explains how we lay that out, and how to book covers visas and payment.
What the price includes
- Three nights in the cabin category named on the quote
- Meals on board as published by the operator
- Shore excursions with local guides, where the operator includes them (Pandaw and Aqua do)
- Entrance fees on included excursions, where published (Pandaw)
- The operator's coach or shared transfer from its Saigon meeting point to the ship, where included
- A written comparison of the ships that sail your dates
What it does not include
- Visas: Cambodia (visa on arrival listed at Kaam Samnor, about USD 30, confirm) and Vietnam where your passport needs one
- International flights and the onward flight from Phnom Penh
- Drinks beyond what each fare names
- Port dues and fuel surcharges where the operator levies them (Pandaw lists both)
- Tips for local guides and drivers; crew tips on some ships
- Transfers in Phnom Penh after you leave the ship
Gallery
Who this cruise is NOT for
- Travellers who were counting on a Cambodian e-visa; embassies list visa on arrival, not the e-visa, at the Kaam Samnor river crossing
- Travellers who want to reach Angkor by boat; this cruise ends in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap is a flight or a road journey from there
- Those expecting a full shore day every day; the third day is mostly border formalities and river
- Anyone who needs a lift between decks; few of these ships publish one, so ask before booking
- Groups who want the whole ship and have not asked about charter terms
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
Upstream or downstream?
Upstream, Saigon to Phnom Penh, is the version Pandaw publishes for its new 2026 ship. Heritage Line runs its three-night cruise both ways. Choose by where your flights start and end.
Do we get a Cambodian visa on the boat?
Cambodian embassies list visas on arrival at the Kaam Samnor river checkpoint. The e-visa is not listed for that crossing. Each operator explains how it handles the formalities; ask before you travel.
Is there a four-night version?
Mekong Eyes sells a 4-day Saigon to Phnom Penh trip, and Victoria Mekong appears in agent packages with a 4-night ship segment from Can Tho, whose end port we confirm before quoting. Heritage Line and Pandaw publish three nights.
How do we get from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap afterwards?
By air or by road. Siem Reap's airport opened in 2023 about 50 km east of the town, roughly an hour and a quarter by car. We list the options with your quote.
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The steps from first form to confirmed cabin, with visas and payment safety.
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Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh as a cruise port: docking, nights, getting on to Siem Reap, and costs.
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Ports · Mekong Delta
Cai Be and My Tho
The delta towns where most boats and ships board, and what to expect on boarding day.
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Example journey
Saigon to Siem Reap, 7 nights
A week from the delta to the Siem Reap side, more than a dozen ships compared.
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How to choose
Delta boat or Cambodia ship
How to choose between a delta boat and a ship into Cambodia, and how to combine 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.