Welcome to Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh - Travel to Phnom Penh, CAMBODIA

Meet an English-speaking guide for a private airport transfer with a vehicle and driver. Once considered one of the most beautiful cities in the Orient, Phnom Penh still retains its colonial charm despite its recent history.

Relax and enjoy the afternoon and evening at your leisure.

Exploring Phnom Penh’s History

Royal Palace - Today, meet your personal guide and driver to visit the Royal Palace, constructed in 1866 by King Norodom. Explore the various structures of this pagoda-style compound and stroll through its beautiful gardens. Visit the Silver Pagoda, named for its floor made of 5,000 silver tiles. A gold Buddha encrusted with 9,584 diamonds and a small 17th-century emerald and baccarat crystal Buddha are also housed here.

National Museum - Next, visit the National Museum. Built in 1917, it is an outstanding example of traditional architecture and is dedicated to preserving and displaying Khmer art and sculptures. Hundreds of pieces are housed here, including both pre-and post-Angkorian artifacts.

Wat Phnom - Continue to visit the city’s namesake, Wat Phnom. Founded in 1373, the pagoda was built to house Buddhist relics washed ashore by the river.

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum - Enjoy a Khmer lunch at a typical restaurant, included in the tour price.

After lunch, visit the infamous Tuol Sleng Museum. In 1975, Tuol Svay Prey High School was taken over by Pol Pot’s security forces and turned into a prison known as Security Prison 21 (S-21). It became the largest detention and torture center in the country. More than 17,000 people held at S-21 were taken to the extermination camp at Choeung Ek to be executed; detainees who died during torture were buried in mass graves on the prison grounds. The museum displays photographs of men, women, and children covering the walls from floor to ceiling; almost all the people pictured were later killed.

Choeung Ek Genocidal Center - Then, drive to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek (16 km south of Phnom Penh). Between 1975 and 1978, about 17,000 men, women, children, and infants (including nine Westerners) detained and tortured at S-21 prison were transported to the extermination camp of Choeung Ek. They were often bludgeoned to death to avoid wasting precious bullets. Fragments of human bone and bits of cloth are scattered around the disinterred pits. Over 8,000 skulls, arranged by sex and age, are visible behind the clear glass panels of the Memorial Stupa, erected in 1988.

Mekong River - Conclude your tour with a one-hour sunset cruise on the Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers. The boat will pass floating villages, offering great views of the city’s rapidly changing skyline.

Phnom Penh to Chau Doc via Speed Boat

Chau Doc - After a leisurely morning, transfer to the boat pier for a join-in speed boat to Chau Doc. Board the speedboat at 12:00 noon to Chau Doc, arriving at about 16:30 hrs.

Relax and enjoy the afternoon and evening at your leisure.

Chau Doc to Can Tho via Long Xuyen

Sam Mountain - This morning, take a boat trip to Phum Soai, a Cham village where you can also visit the nearby mosque. Continue walking through other small Cham villages with traditional houses and interact closely with the local people. You may stop by a local house to see Cham women weaving. Later, drive up to Sam Mountain, one of the holiest sites in Southern Vietnam. The view across the border into Cambodia is breathtaking.

Tra Su Bird Sanctuary - Afterwards, drive to Tra Su Cajuput Forest and enjoy a boat ride into an area with wonderful diverse wildlife.

Can Tho - Next, depart Chau Doc for Can Tho via Long Xuyen. Upon arrival in Can Tho, check-in.

Relax and enjoy the afternoon and evening at your leisure.

Can Tho – Cai Be – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Cai Rang Floating Market - Early morning, explore the Cai Rang market, one of the most bustling floating markets in the Mekong Delta with hundreds of small boats laden with fruits, bargaining and jostling for space as owners attempt to sell their goods. Boat through the palm-shaded creek to see local houses and green orchards, shipbuilding yards, and local markets in full swing.

Cai Be - Return to your hotel for breakfast, leave the city and drive to Cai Be in the Mekong Delta, a journey of approximately 2 hours. The Mekong Delta is Vietnam’s ‘rice bowl’ - a fertile region of flat farmland interlaced with thousands of waterways and tributaries of the Mekong. The delta’s waters are interspersed with rice fields, colorful floating markets, and isolated villages accessible only by boat. On arrival in Cai Be, embark on the Cai Be Princess junk boat, where clients are welcomed with fresh cotton towels. The tour will start with a visit to the colorful Cai Be floating market. We will proceed with visits to some local home factories such as rice paste making, rice popcorn, coco candies, and longans drying processing.

Ho Chi Minh City - Disembark and continue by road to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a journey of approximately 2 hours.

Relax and enjoy the afternoon and evening at your leisure.

Discover Ho Chi Minh City & the Cu Chi Tunnels

Cu Chi Tunnels - Today, set off to the battlefield memorial site of Ben Duoc, northwest of the city, where you’ll explore an underground world of tunnels and chambers three stories deep at Cu Chi Tunnels with your local guides. The hundreds of miles of underground tunnels in this area confounded first the French and then the American troops during the Vietnam War. Sections are open to visitors where you can climb in and get a feel for the challenging conditions faced by the tenacious Vietnamese who lived and fought in these tunnels, defending their land against invaders who possessed vastly superior technology. This excursion provides amazing insight into how the Vietnamese won the “American War” (as it is known in Vietnam). Many traps and weapons were made merely of bamboo and netting, yet the American forces, equipped with modern supplies, proved no match for these primitive, yet effective, armaments over the long haul.

Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral - After lunch at a favorite local restaurant, continue to discover Saigon’s historic landmarks with a visit to the Notre Dame Cathedral, where the French colonial presence is immediately felt. The Neo-Romanesque Catholic Basilica was constructed from 1877 to 1883 entirely of imported French building materials.

Central Post Office - Next, head across the street to the Saigon Central Post Office, a stunning architectural marvel with rich Gothic, Renaissance, and French influences as well.

The Independence Palace - Next, visit the Reunification Palace, also known as the Independence Palace, which was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until the end of April 1975 during the Fall of Saigon. It was here that the Vietnam War ended when a North Vietnamese Army tank crashed through its gates and led to the formal reunification of the two sides.

War Remnants Museum - Continue to the War Remnants Museum, intended as a call for peace with the hopes that the horrors of that war will never be repeated. The museum features a comprehensive collection of the machinery, weapons, and photos of the Vietnamese side of the war, and includes a moving tribute to the journalists, civilians, and soldiers lost during the war.

Ben Thanh Market - Afterwards, stop for shopping at the French-built Ben Thanh Market, a great place to shop for souvenirs and experience bustling activity.

Ho Chi Minh Squares - You’ll then stroll the Ho Chi Minh Squares, this historic area is bordered by City Hall, the beautiful Rex Hotel, and numerous French and Vietnamese restaurants.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) / Home or Extend

Ho Chi Minh City - Tour ends: Saigon. A transfer from Caravelle Saigon Hotel to Ho Chi Minh International Airport is included. Please allow 3 hours for airport check-in formalities. Wishing you a safe and pleasant journey home.

Fly home or begin a wonderful customized private extension.

• 2 nights at Caravelle Saigon Hotel (Deluxe Room) or similar
• 2 nights at La Rose Suites (Junior Suite Room) or similar
• 1 night at Victoria Chau Doc Hotel (Superior Room) or similar
• 1 night at Victoria Can Tho Resort (Superior Room) or similar
• Meal plan with breakfast and lunch included
• Private modern air-conditioned transport with experienced driver
• Professional Licensed English-Speaking guide
• All entrance and activity fees as mentioned in itinerary
• Boat cruise as part of the tour
• 03 bottles of mineral water per person daily
• All taxes, VAT, and service charges included

• Meals other than specified as included
• Drinks other personal expenses or travel and health insurance
• Tips or gratuities to guide, driver and others are not included in price

This one-week journey along the Mekong encompasses the best of French-influenced Cambodia and Vietnam, with stops at captivating historical locations, intricate Buddhist monasteries, and immersive exploration of the powerful Mekong Delta waterways.

Originating as the primary vein of Southeast Asia, the Mekong courses through China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia before culminating in Vietnam.

Experience the vibrant city of Phnom Penh and delve into the narrative of the Khmer Rouge’s ascendance and downfall through impactful historical tours. Explore the National Museum, boasting the world’s leading collection of Khmer sculpture and art. The Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, the paramount Cambodian shrine and national landmark, get their name from the 5,000 silver tiles encompassing it.

An expedition to the Cai Rang floating market is an almost sensory overload as you encounter countless boat sellers. Cai Be Princess Mekong Delta cruise.

The site marking the culmination of the Vietnam War, the Reunification Palace, is followed by one of the most intriguing remnants of the war, the subterranean network of the Cu Chi Tunnels.

If you cancel at least 6 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel between 2 and 6 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a 50% refund.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.