Mekong River Encompassed: Self-Launched Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap
10 days · Vietnam & Cambodia (Mekong Delta)
G Adventures charges £2,450
No-markup version: ~£745 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 10-day version of G Adventures' riverboat itinerary from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap — same delta towns, floating markets, Phnom Penh history and Angkor sunrise, but travelled by local bus, public boat and slow boat via the Chau Doc/Vinh Xuong land border. You'll stay in hostels and family guesthouses instead of a riverboat, join cheap day tours and tuk-tuks instead of a CEO-led group, and move at your own pace. Costs are approximate backpacker rates in GBP and assume shared dorm or budget private rooms, local food and public transport.
Day-by-day
Arrive Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Land at Tan Son Nhat and skip the paid transfer — Grab bike or car to District 1 costs about £3-4, or catch bus 109/152 for under £1. Check into a hostel in the Pham Ngu Lao / Bui Vien backpacker area. Spend the evening wandering the Ben Thanh night market and eating street food (banh mi ~£1, pho ~£1.50). Grab a local SIM (Viettel ~£3 for 30 days data) and pre-book tomorrow's Cu Chi tour on Klook or GetYourGuide.
🚌Grab bike/car or public bus 109 from the airport (~£1-4)
🛏Hostel dorm in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City (~£9)
- →Ben Thanh night market wander
- →Buy local SIM + data
- →Book Cu Chi tour online
Cu Chi Tunnels then overnight bus to My Tho
Ho Chi Minh City → My Tho
Join a half-day small-group Cu Chi Tunnels tour booked via Klook (~£13-16 including entry and transport) — morning departures are quieter. Return to the city by early afternoon, grab lunch, then take a local bus or shared minivan from Mien Tay bus station to My Tho (~£1.50, 1.5-2 hrs). Check into a riverside guesthouse, walk the promenade and have a cheap delta dinner. Optionally pre-book tomorrow's Thoi Son Island / Cai Be boat tour online.
🚌Cu Chi tour minibus; public bus HCMC → My Tho (~£1.50)
🛏Guesthouse in My Tho (~£10)
- →Cu Chi Tunnels half-day tour (Klook/GetYourGuide ~£14)
- →My Tho riverfront evening walk
Vinh Trang Pagoda, Thoi Son Island and Cai Be floating market
My Tho → Cai Be
Cycle or grab a xe om to Vinh Trang Pagoda early. Then walk to My Tho boat pier and negotiate a local sampan to Thoi Son Island (~£4-6 per person shared) for coconut candy workshops, honey tea and fruit orchards — exactly what the tour does, just without the fixed group. In the afternoon catch a local bus to Cai Be (~£1.50, 1 hr). Either pre-book a Cai Be floating market sunrise boat (~£8-10) for tomorrow, or hire a boat directly at the pier. Stay in a homestay on the riverbank.
🚌Local bus My Tho → Cai Be (~£1.50); sampan boats (~£5)
🛏Mekong homestay near Cai Be (~£12)
- →Vinh Trang Pagoda
- →Thoi Son Island boat trip + cottage industries
- →Cai Be riverside walk
Cai Be floating market → Sa Dec → Chau Doc
Cai Be → Sa Dec → Chau Doc
Get up at dawn for the Cai Be floating market by small boat (~£8-10 shared) — the produce boats arrive early and thin out by 8am. Then public bus to Sa Dec (~£1.50), where you can see Kien An Cung Pagoda and the faded colonial riverside houses (including the Huynh Thuy Le house) on foot. Continue by local bus to Chau Doc (~£3, 2 hrs). Late afternoon, hire a xe om or tuk-tuk up Sam Mountain (~£3 return) for sunset over the rice paddies and visit the pagoda complex. Cheap seafood dinner in town.
🚌Local buses Cai Be → Sa Dec → Chau Doc (~£5 total); xe om up Sam Mountain (~£3)
🛏Guesthouse in Chau Doc (~£10)
- →Cai Be floating market boat
- →Kien An Cung Pagoda & colonial houses, Sa Dec
- →Sam Mountain sunset + pagodas
Mekong slow boat across the border to Phnom Penh
Chau Doc → Phnom Penh, Cambodia
The classic independent crossing: take the morning speedboat or slow boat from Chau Doc to the Vinh Xuong (Son Tien) / Kaam Samnor border (~£18-25, 4-5 hrs including immigration). Get the Cambodia e-visa in advance (~£25) to smooth the crossing. Arrive Phnom Penh by early afternoon and check into a hostel near the riverside (Sisowath Quay). In the evening do what the tour does for a fraction — hire a cyclo for a 1-hour city spin (~£4-5, negotiate) taking in Wat Phnom and the colonial post office, then happy hour at the Foreign Correspondents Club overlooking the river.
🚌Mekong boat Chau Doc → Phnom Penh (~£20); cyclo tour (~£4)
🛏Hostel dorm near Riverside, Phnom Penh (~£8)
- →Vinh Xuong–Kaam Samnor border crossing
- →Cyclo tour of Phnom Penh
- →Sunset drinks at FCC Riverside
Killing Fields and S-21 with a local guide
Phnom Penh
Book a half-day S-21 (Tuol Sleng) and Choeung Ek Killing Fields tour via GetYourGuide or with a tuk-tuk driver (~£12-15 including entry to both sites). The audio guide at Choeung Ek is excellent and worth the small extra. Have lunch at Friends the Restaurant (a TREE social enterprise training street youth — the same ethos as the tour's included meal) for ~£5. Free afternoon: Royal Palace & Silver Pagoda (~£8), National Museum (~£8) or the Russian Market for cheap eats and souvenirs.
🚌Tuk-tuk for the day tours (~£8 shared)
🛏Hostel dorm near Riverside, Phnom Penh (~£8)
- →Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21)
- →Choeung Ek Killing Fields
- →Lunch at Friends the Restaurant
- →Royal Palace / Russian Market (optional)
Bus to Kampong Tralach and village life
Phnom Penh → Kampong Tralach
Take a public bus or shared minivan from Phnom Penh towards Kampong Chhnang and get off at Kampong Tralach (~£4-5, 2 hrs). Check into a village homestay or guesthouse. Hire a bicycle from your host (~£2) or take a tuk-tuk (~£5) through the rice paddies to Wat Kampong Tralach Leu, a working Buddhist vihara on the riverbank. Afternoon free to wander the village, chat with locals and eat with your host family.
🚌Public bus/minivan Phnom Penh → Kampong Tralach (~£5); bicycle hire (~£2)
🛏Village homestay, Kampong Tralach (~£10, usually incl. dinner)
- →Wat Kampong Tralach Leu vihara
- →Cycling through rice paddies
- →Village homestay evening
Kampong Chhnang fishing port, pottery and Koh Chen
Kampong Tralach → Kampong Chhnang → Koh Chen
Morning minivan to Kampong Chhnang (~£2), one of the Tonle Sap's biggest fishing ports. Wander the market, then hire a bicycle or tuk-tuk to visit the pottery village of Andoung Russey and palm-sugar producers (~£4). After lunch, take a local boat across to Koh Chen island (~£3-5), known for its silver and copper workshops — ask a workshop owner to tell you their family's story; many are Khmer Rouge survivors. Overnight on the island or back in Kampong Chhnang.
🚌Minivan (~£2), bicycle/tuk-tuk (~£4), local boat to Koh Chen (~£4)
🛏Guesthouse in Kampong Chhnang / Koh Chen (~£10)
- →Kampong Chhnang market and fishing port
- →Pottery and palm sugar village
- →Koh Chen silver workshops
Overland to Siem Reap and New Hope dinner
Kampong Chhnang → Siem Reap
Public bus from Kampong Chhnang to Siem Reap via Phnom Penh or route 5 (~£8-10, 6-7 hrs) — book through your guesthouse or at the bus station the day before. Check into a hostel near Pub Street / Wat Bo. In the evening eat at New Hope Cambodia, the vocational training restaurant G Adventures supports (mains ~£4-6) — just book directly rather than as an included group dinner. Buy your Angkor pass tonight online (1-day pass ~£29 / $37).
🚌Public bus (~£9)
🛏Hostel dorm in Siem Reap (~£8)
- →Overland journey to Siem Reap
- →Dinner at New Hope Cambodia vocational restaurant
- →Buy Angkor 1-day pass online
Angkor Wat sunrise and temple circuit
Siem Reap
Hire a tuk-tuk driver the night before for a sunrise circuit (~£15-18 for the day, shareable) — leave at 4:45am for Angkor Wat sunrise. Spend 2 hrs at the main temple, return to your hostel for breakfast and checkout (most hostels hold bags), then head back out to Bayon's smiling faces and the tree-entangled Ta Prohm. A licensed guide is optional (~£25 for a half day) or use a good audio guide/app instead. Back in town by midday to collect bags — book onward travel after 3pm.
🚌Tuk-tuk for the Angkor circuit (~£16 shared)
🛏—
- →Angkor Wat sunrise
- →Bayon temple
- →Ta Prohm
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£745 | £2,450 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,705 per person (70%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£745
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Mekong River Encompassed: Self-Launched Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £745 per person for 10 days in Vietnam & Cambodia (Mekong Delta). This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £2,450 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £745 — a saving of roughly £1,705 (70%) per person.
How long is the Vietnam & Cambodia (Mekong Delta) trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 day-by-day stops through Vietnam & Cambodia (Mekong Delta).
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, foodie, budget trip through Vietnam & Cambodia (Mekong Delta), self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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