NEW! 2026 Charms of the Mekong River Cruise

DAY 1 - APRIL 17
Depart Canada

Travellers may wish to make a stop in Vancouver or Los Angeles en route to Vietnam. Options will be communicated when flights become available in June 2025. 

DAY 2 - APRIL 18
Arrive Ho Chi Minh. 

Arrival and transfer from the airport to the hotel. Ho Chi Minh City, still affectionately referred to by locals as Saigon, is Vietnam’s former capital. Once known as the “Paris of the Orient,” it is now an industrial, cultural and educational hub. Afternoon at leisure.

• Overnight: Sofitel Saigon Plaza (or similar)
• Included Meals: None

DAY 3 - APRIL 19
Ho Chi Minh 

Always bustling, Ho Chi Minh City is a city of contrasts blending old and new, and east and west. In the morning, explore some of the city’s most famous landmarks, including the former Presidential Palace, the Central Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral and the War Remnants Museum. In the afternoon, visit Chu Chi, an immense underground network built during the Vietnam War.

• Overnight: Sofitel Saigon Plaza (or similar)
• Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 4 - APRIL 20
Ho Chi Minh City - My Tho Embarkation

In the morning, visit Ben Thanh Market—one of the oldest and most iconic structures in Ho Chi Minh City. Transfer via motorcoach from Ho Chi Minh City to AmaDara at My Tho Port for your river cruise and meet your fellow travelers at a Welcome Dinner as the ship cruises to Cai Be.

• Overnight: AmaDara
• Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 5 - APRIL 21
Caie Be - Sa Dec

Take a local boat to Cai Be. You will have an opportunity to visit candy and rice paper making workshops, or you may also choose to add an active walking tour to the historic Kiet House followed by a visit to candy and rice paper workshops. Later in the day, journey to Sa Dec, a sprawling town on the Mekong Delta, where French writer Marguerite Duras spent part of her youth. You will visit the colorful market, Cao Dai Temple, home to the unique religion of Caodaism in Southern Vietnam. It is a fusion of Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Confucianism.

• Overnight: AmaDara
• Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 6 - APRIL 22
Tan Chau - Border Crossing

Enjoy a visit to Tan Chau, a small Mekong River town unspoiled by tourism. Be treated to an authentic experience on a traditional “xe-loi” (trishaw) ride around the town, with stops at silk-making and rattan mat workshops. You may also choose the trishaw ride with visits to craftsmen’s workshops, followed by an active walking tour to “Evergreen Island.” As a third alternative, explore the stunning Mekong Delta on an intimate tour through Vietnam's Tra Su Forest and Sanctuary. Board a traditional sampan boat and glide through this diverse ecosystem that includes more than 70 species of birds, including the painted stork and oriental darter, and lush greenery encompassing majestic cajuput trees, lotuses, water lilies and a carpet of bright green moss in the rainy season that appears to glow as you gently drift through it. Later in the day, cruise from Vietnam to the Cambodian border en route to Phnom Penh.

Please Note: Tra Su Forest visit is capacity controlled. 

• Overnight: AmaDara
• Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 7 - APRIL 23
Phnom Penh, Cambodia

This morning, you will visit the Royal Palace, the spectacular Silver Pagoda and National Museum, which has an outstanding collection of Khmer crafts. Alternatively, you may wish to shop for unique treasures at the bustling, yellow colored Central Market after you visit the Royal Palace. After lunch on board, the excursion takes you to Cambodia’s infamous Killing Fields and the Khmer Rouge’s grim Tuol Sleng S21 detention center (Genocide Museum). After returning to the ship, enjoy Khmer folk dancing performed by local children in the Saigon Lounge.

• Overnight: AmaDara
• Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 8 - APRIL 24
Oudong - Phnom Penh

Visit Oudong, Cambodia’s former royal capital from the early 17th century until 1866. Today, Oudong is a place of pilgrimage for Cambodians. While here, be treated to a memorable Buddhist Blessing Ceremony at a monastery. You may walk around Oudong’s monastery or take an active walking tour to see panoramic views of the Oudong plain. Later in the day, experience Phnom Penh via a tuk tuk ride and be enchanted by the city's French Colonial architecture and tree-lined boulevards set amidst monumental Angkorian architecture.

• Overnight: AmaDara
• Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 9 - APRIL 25

In the morning, set sail for Oknhatey Village. Oknhatey is the “Silk Island,” located on the lush banks of the Mekong River and known for its rich tradition of silk weaving. While here, you will visit a local elementary school and observe the traditional silk weaving, an art that has been preserved for centuries. Your cruise continues to sail to Angkor Ban.

• Overnight: AmaDara
• Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 10 - APRIL 26
Angkor Ban - Kampong Cham

Go on a walking tour of Angkor Ban, one of the few villages in Cambodia that was not destroyed under the Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s. Here people still live in their traditional wooden abodes and keep their old cultural traditions alive. Hundreds of wooden houses stand intact on stilts, shaded with banana trees, among the hustle and bustle of the daily agricultural on-going of the local villagers. After visiting here, the ship sets sail for Kampong Cham, where you will go on an afternoon excursion to Wat Nokor, perhaps the most treasured monument within the ancient complex of Banteay Prey Nokor. Fusing the Old-World with the “new,” this centuries-old temple now boasts a contemporary pagoda within its walls, delighting guests with colorful depictions of the Buddha’s life. Alternatively, visit the Twin Mountains, known as Phnom Pros and Phnom Srei (the male and female mountains). Cap the day off with a festive Farewell Dinner on board.

• Overnight: AmaDara
• Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 11 - APRIL 27
Disembarkation - Kampong Cham - Siem Reap

Disembark in Kampong Cham and transfer by motorcoach to Siem Reap (5.5 hours), gateway to the Angkor Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the former capital of the Khmer empire. You’ll visit nearby Ta Prohm, known as the “Kingdom of the Trees,” for the way in which the temple stones have become intertwined with thick forest vegetation.

• Overnight: Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort (or similar)
• Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 12 - APRIL 28

Begin your morning exploration of the temple complex at Angkor Wat, the most iconic of all Angkorian temples, built by King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century to honor the Hindu god, Vishnu. You will have the option to take an “early riser” tour to visit Angkor Wat by seeing the color changes of the temple with the natural sunlight or a “late riser” tour if you wish to relax longer in the morning at your beautiful hotel. An afternoon excursion takes you to see the fascinating jewel in the crown of Angkorian art, Banteay Srei, which means “Citadel of Women,” as it has been said that the carving is too fine to have been done by the hand of man. During the evening, be treated to a special “Apsara Dancing Show” at your hotel, featuring local Cambodian/Khmer folk dancers. 

• Overnight: Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort (or similar)
• Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 13 - APRIL 29
Siem Reap

After breakfast, you will have a guided sightseeing tour of Angkor Thom meaning “the great city” and the last capital of the Khmer Empire. This is home to Bayon Temple, best known for its gigantic smiling stone faces, as well as the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King. 

• Overnight: Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort (or similar)
• Included Meals: Breakfast

DAY 14 - APRIL 30
Siem Reap

Bid farewell to Siem Reap as you prepare for your return flight home.

• Overnight: Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort (or similar)
• Included Meals: Breakfast