Cast off on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure on the legendary voyage. The Mekong traces the authentic, profound, and mesmerizing history of Vietnam and Cambodia along its riverbanks. You’ll finish your extraordinary vacation in Indochina with a discovery of Hanoï, the Vietnamese capital, and on an unforgettable cruise on the legendary Halong Bay among the fantastically formed islands, crags, and cliffs.
Highlights
Discover 3 historical cities: Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap
Cross through the splendid Cho Gao canal
Visit 4 major temples in Angkor
Meet the locals and learn about their daily lives in Koh Chen, My Tho...
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Your program will begin according to your time of arrival. If your flight arrives between 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., your program will be: Lunch will be served at the hotel. The afternoon is free to do as you please. Then, visit the “Angkor Night Market”.
Day 2: Siem Reap - Angkor Temples
1 Breakfast
This morning, tour Ta Prohm and Angkor Thom. Stroll through the grounds of the former Royal Palace, and discover the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King. Have lunch in the city before visiting the Senteurs d'Angkor(closed on Sundays), a local business with a diverse collection of silk and carvings, as well as a superb range of traditional beauty products and spices, all made locally. End the day with Phare, the Cambodian circus, and spend the night at the hotel.
Day 3: Siem Reap - Angkor Temples - Tonle Sap Lake
Visit the Angkor Wat temple: the epitome of Khmer architectural art and the most famous and imposing of all the monuments in Angkor (visitors must cover their shoulders and wear long pants or a long skirt). Lunch will be served at the hotel. After, you’ll be transferred to your ship. Our crew will welcome you and help you get comfortably settled into your cabins. Have dinner and formally meet our crew. Our ship will remain anchored overnight.
Spend the morning crossing Tonle Sap Lake. Eenjoy lunch on board before visiting Kampong Chhnang, one of the largest fishing ports on the Tonle Sap. Fish farming is abundant here. The region is also known for its traditional pottery combining ancient knowledge with modern techniques—Chhnang itself means "pot." Enjoy a tasting of regional products before returning on board and beginning to cruise to Kampong Tralach. Our ship will remain anchored overnight.
Set out to visit the beautiful Vihara at the Wat Kampong Tralach Leu pagoda. To access the pagoda, you need to cross the village of Kampong Tralach in ox carts or in"tuk-tuk", moving along a small road that runs perpendicular to the river in the middle of magnificent rice fields. Enjoy lunch on board before exploring the small village of Koh Chen, where craftspeople specialize in silver and copper work. After our tour, Return on board and begin to cruise to Phnom Penh. Once you arrive, enjoy a brief tour of the area by "tuk-tuk," the easiest way to get around the city. Return to the ship and enjoy a performance of classical Khmer dancing and music. Our ship will remain overnight in Phnom Penh.
Enjoy a tour of the fabulous Royal Palace, one of the most impressive examples of Cambodian architecture, and its Silver Pagoda. Onward to visit the National Museum. After lunch in town, you can pay a visit to the Tuol Svay Prey School, former detention, torture, and execution center run by the Khmer Rouge during the civil war. Afterward, enjoy some free time at the market. Return on board for dinner in the evening and start sailing towards Vietnam.
Chau Doc sits among a giant patchwork of rice fields along the Mekong River. Pay a visit to the Ba Chua Xu Temple and the Tay An Pagoda. Enjoy lunch on board and begin to cruise to Sa Dec. Our ship will remain anchored overnight.
Visit the former house of Huynh Thuy Le, the man on who Marguerite Duras based her book The Lover. After our excursion, enjoy some free time in Sa Dec. Return on board for lunch and cruise to Vinh Long. Set out in smaller boats and travel through canals and orchards. Discover a brick and pottery factory, a fruit-tree nursery, puffed rice, rice-paper wrappers, and rice alcohol.* Return on board our ship and begin to cruise. Our ship will remain anchored overnight.
Visit a bee farm and enjoy some honey tea and exotic fruit. You'll then take a ride in small sampans along the canal lined with mangrove palms and have a glimpse of villagers going about their daily lives. Enjoy lunch on board and then set out to cross the very narrow canal, heading for Ho Chi Minh City and spending the night on the ship, which will remain moored in central Ho Chi Minh City.
Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the most populous city in Vietnam. Enjoy a tour of the city to see the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Saigon Central Post Office. After, join us for a visit to the Museum of Vietnamese History. Lunch will be served on board. Leave by coach for the Cu Chi tunnels, an immense network of underground tunnels that were the location of several military campaigns during the Vietnam War. After our excursion, Return to the ship. Tonight, have our farewell cocktail and dinner and spend the night at the port.
Enjoy breakfast on board this morning. After you disembark from the ship, head to Cholon, the Chinese-influenced section of the city. enjoy lunch in town, and you’ll be transferred to the airport and board a flight to Hanoi. Dinner in a restaurant. You’ll check into a 4-star hotel.
Spend the day on a guided tour of the capital, visiting the outside of the historic Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum on Ba Dinh Square, Ho Chi Minh's humble stilt house behind the mausoleum, and the unique One Pillar Pagoda Buddhist temple. Visit the Temple of Literature, built in 1070 and dedicated to Confucius. After lunch in town, take a pedi-cab ride. Tour the local "Embassy Row" with its French colonial-style architecture. This evening, watch a traditional water puppetry show and have dinner in the city before spending the night at the hotel.
Leave early in the morning for Halong Bay (approx. 3.5 hours travel time). You’ll be welcomed aboard, enjoy a cocktail, have lunch on board, and begin our cruise to discover the thousands of various limestone islands dotting the emerald-colored bay. Enjoy dinner on board this evening. Our ship will remain anchored overnight.
Day 14: Halong Bay | Hanoi
1 Breakfast
Rise early with us this morning and participate in a Tai Chi class on deck. Continue our cruise through the bay, discovering more of its extraordinary scenery and visiting one of the largest caves. Brunch will be served before you disembark at 11:00 a.m. and begin your trip back to Hanoi. Before arriving, stop off at the Dinh Bang communal hall. You’ll enjoy a light dinner, PHO soup tasting before being transferred to the airport. bid farewell at the airport at approximately 6:00 p.m. Please do not book your flight before 8:00 p.m.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
$4,7552-3 travelers
Rates are dynamic and fluctuate based on capacity. Contact us for a specific quote.
Please confirm embark/disembark locations before reserving flights, as this itinerary operates in reverse on alternating departures.
Select a Date
Main Deck
14 outside-facing cabins on the main deck equipped with two low beds that can be moved together; large storage space under the box spring; private bathroom with sink, toilet and shower; air-conditioning; safe; hair dryer; and dresser.
Select a Date
Upper Deck
10 outside-facing cabins on the upper deck equipped with two low beds that can be moved together; large storage space under the box spring; private bathroom with sink, toilet and shower; air-conditioning; safe; hair dryer; and dresser.
Initial deposit is 30%, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 100 days prior to departure by Bank transfer or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
We are so glad that we chose Adventure Life. The service is top-notch. Everything is well taken care of and we just have to print the documents and go. Franny even gave us timely updates on possible airport strike.
KC Chan
TrustScore 4.8 | 176 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 176 reviews on
1 day ago
Adventure Life is always an excellent choice when planning complicated, extreme, or exotic vacations or expeditions. They provide friendly professional services and advice and are enthusiastic and encouraging in helping us to prepare and thoroughly enjoy our trip. They handle all the details which greatly reduces the stress of planning a difficult trip. I'm very impressed with Adventure Life and definitely recommend them to friends and family.
Scott Trochim
3 days ago
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
5 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
6 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.