Self-Launched Mekong River Adventure – Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh

Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and make your own way to the bus station. Take a public bus or shared minivan from Mien Tay Bus Station to Mỹ Tho (~£2, 1.5 hrs). Check into a budget guesthouse in Mỹ Tho and spend the evening exploring the riverside town, grabbing a bowl of Hủ Tiếu (local noodle soup) at a street stall for just a couple of pounds.

🚌Shared minivan from Mien Tay Bus Station, HCMC to Mỹ Tho (~£2, ~1.5 hrs)

🛏Budget guesthouse in Mỹ Tho, e.g. Song Tiền Guesthouse or similar (~£10–14/night)

• →Travel from Ho Chi Minh City to Mỹ Tho by shared minivan or public bus from Mien Tay Bus Station (~£2)
• →Check into a budget guesthouse or hostel in Mỹ Tho (~£10–14/night)
• →Explore Mỹ Tho riverside and try local street food including Hủ Tiếu noodle soup

Start the day with a visit to Vinh Trang Pagoda, free to enter and just a short xe om (motorbike taxi) ride from town (~£1). Head to the river and hire a local sampan boat to Thoi Son Island (~£5–8 shared), where you can visit a coconut candy factory, taste fruit and honey, and meet local musicians. Continue by local boat to Cai Be floating market — book a morning boat tour through your guesthouse or directly at the pier (~£8–12). In the afternoon, catch a bus or shared taxi to Vinh Long (~£2) for the night.

🚌Local sampan boats for island/market visits; public bus Mỹ Tho→Vinh Long (~£2)

🛏Budget guesthouse in Vinh Long, e.g. Thanh Binh Guesthouse or similar (~£10–14/night)

• →Visit Vinh Trang Pagoda (free entry, xe om ~£1)
• →Hire a local sampan to Thoi Son Island — coconut factory, fruit tasting, traditional music (~£5–8 shared)
• →Morning boat tour of Cai Be Floating Market, bookable via GetYourGuide or direct at pier (~£8–12)
• →Wander rice-popping cottage industry stalls on the island
• →Bus or shared taxi to Vinh Long (~£2)

Take a morning bus from Vinh Long to Sa Dec (~£1.50). Visit the beautiful Kien An Cung Pagoda (free entry) and stroll through the riverside market and past colonial-era houses. Grab a riverside lunch for a few pounds at a local com binh dan (everyday rice restaurant). Take a bus or shared taxi onwards to Chau Doc (~£2). In the late afternoon, jump on a xe om or tuk tuk to Sam Mountain (~£2 round trip) and hike or ride to the summit for panoramic views over the rice paddies at sunset. Visit the Lady Xu Temple and other pagodas dotted around the mountain base.

🚌Public buses: Vinh Long→Sa Dec (~£1.50), Sa Dec→Chau Doc (~£2); local xe om to Sam Mountain (~£2)

🛏Budget guesthouse in Chau Doc, e.g. Nhat Nguyen Guesthouse or similar (~£10–14/night)

• →Bus from Vinh Long to Sa Dec (~£1.50, ~1 hr)
• →Visit Kien An Cung Pagoda, Sa Dec (free)
• →Stroll Sa Dec riverside market and admire colonial architecture
• →Bus or shared taxi Sa Dec to Chau Doc (~£2)
• →Xe om or tuk tuk to Sam Mountain for sunset views (~£2 round trip)
• →Visit Lady Xu Temple and hilltop pagodas at Sam Mountain (free)

Take the popular Mekong Express or Capitol Tours boat/bus combo from Chau Doc to Phnom Penh (~£10–14), which crosses the Vietnam–Cambodia border at Vinh Xuong/Kaam Samnor. This scenic route follows the Mekong River and includes border formalities — ensure you have your Cambodian e-visa sorted in advance (~£30). Arrive in Phnom Penh by mid-afternoon. Check into a hostel or budget guesthouse near the riverfront. In the evening, arrange a cyclo tour of the city through your hostel or a local cyclo driver near Wat Phnom (~£5–8) — pass the Royal Palace, National Museum, and colonial post office. End the evening with drinks at the legendary Foreign Correspondents Club (FCC) overlooking the Tonlé Sap river.

🚌Mekong Express/Capitol Tours boat-bus combo Chau Doc→Phnom Penh (~£10–14); local cyclo (~£5–8)

🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Phnom Penh riverfront area, e.g. Mad Monkey Phnom Penh or similar (~£10–18/night)

• →Mekong Express or Capitol Tours boat/bus from Chau Doc to Phnom Penh (~£10–14, includes border crossing)
• →Cambodia e-visa (arrange in advance at evisa.gov.kh, ~£30)
• →Check into riverfront hostel or guesthouse in Phnom Penh
• →Self-arranged cyclo tour departing near Wat Phnom — Royal Palace, National Museum, colonial post office (~£5–8 per cyclo)
• →Evening drinks at the Foreign Correspondents Club (FCC) with river views

Spend your final day exploring Phnom Penh's deeply important Khmer Rouge memorials. Start with Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21 Prison) — entry is ~£4 and audio guides are available for ~£3, offering a deeply moving self-guided experience through the former prison. In the afternoon, take a tuk tuk to Choeung Ek Killing Fields (~£3–4 each way), where a comprehensive audio guide is included with the ~£5 entry fee. Allow 2–3 hours for the grounds. Return to Phnom Penh for a final lunch or dinner at a local Khmer restaurant before departing.

🚌Local tuk tuk to Choeung Ek and back (~£6–8 total)

🛏Same Phnom Penh hostel as Day 4 (~£10–18/night)

• →Visit Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum / S-21 Prison (entry ~£4, audio guide ~£3)
• →Tuk tuk to Choeung Ek Killing Fields (~£3–4 each way)
• →Choeung Ek Killing Fields with included audio guide (entry ~£5)
• →Final Khmer meal at a local riverside restaurant in Phnom Penh
• →Depart Phnom Penh by bus, flight, or continue onward