Self-Launched: Cycle the Mekong Delta — Saigon to Phnom Penh in 5 Days
5 days · Vietnam & Cambodia (Mekong Delta)
Vietnam By Bike charges £700
No-markup version: ~£395 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Vietnam By Bike's 5-day Mekong Delta crossing: pedal backroads from Ho Chi Minh City through Ben Tre's coconut country, Can Tho, Sa Dec, Cao Lanh and Chau Doc, then cross the Vinh Xuong border by speedboat to Phnom Penh. You'll hire a decent mountain bike in Saigon (or buy a cheap one), use local buses and ferries between cycling stages, and stay in guesthouses and budget hotels instead of riverside resorts. The original is a fully supported ride with a guide and luggage van — going it alone means carrying a little more weight and navigating with maps, but you get total flexibility and spend a fraction of the price. Costs are rough estimates; Vietnam is cheap, Cambodia slightly pricier for the boat.
Day-by-day
Saigon to Ben Tre — coconut country
Ho Chi Minh City → Ben Tre
Collect your bike first thing: rent from a reputable shop in District 1 (e.g. around Pham Ngu Lao, roughly £6-9/day) or buy a simple secondhand mountain bike for ~£70-100 if you're continuing into Cambodia. Ride or catch a local bus out of Saigon to Tan An (My Tho area, bus ~£2, 1.5 hrs) to escape the worst traffic. From there, follow the small lanes across the Ham Luong river by local ferry and cycle through dragon-fruit and herb plots toward Ben Tre. Skip the resort and stay in a riverside guesthouse or homestay. Afterwards, take a short boat trip through coconut plantations and try fresh fruit at a family orchard boat stop (a few pounds direct). Dinner at a street-side noodle or banh xeo spot (~£3-4).
🚌Local bus Saigon–My Tho/Tan An (~£2), local ferries across Mekong channels (~£0.50 each), bike rental (~£7)
🛏Riverside guesthouse or homestay, Ben Tre (~£12/night)
- →Bike fitting and check in District 1
- →Local ferry crossings through farmland
- →Cycling through herb and dragon fruit plots
- →Coconut plantation boat tour in Ben Tre
Ben Tre to Can Tho — concrete lanes and Khmer temples
Ben Tre → Can Tho
Get up early and ride the narrow concrete paths between rice paddies and creeks south toward Mo Cay and Giong Trom. Stop at a village Khmer or local temple for a look, and grab lunch from a roadside stall (~£2). Where creeks cut the route, cross on the little passenger ferries (~£0.50 each). When you've had enough peddling, load the bike onto a southbound bus or shared minibus towards Can Tho (roughly £4, 2-3 hrs) and finish the ride into town in the late afternoon. Sleep near the riverfront in Can Tho's backpacker strip rather than a 4* riverside hotel.
🚌Bike + local ferry crossings (~£2), bus Ben Tre–Can Tho (~£4)
🛏Budget hotel or hostel in Can Tho (~£15/night)
- →Cycling rice paddy backroads
- →Village and creekside crossings by local ferry
- →Khmer and Theravada temple visits
- →Mekong sunset stroll on the Can Tho waterfront
Can Tho to Cao Lanh — floating market and Sa Dec
Can Tho → Sa Dec → Cao Lanh
Book a small shared motorboat to Cai Rang floating market at dawn directly at the Quai dock (around £8-10 for a shared boat, or £15 private — cheaper via a guesthouse). Have breakfast of pho or bun on the water. Then ride west toward Sa Dec via flower and ornamental-plant nurseries and the sweet-potato fields, stopping for photos in the creek-lined greenery. Don't miss the Huynh Thuy Le house (the 'Lover' house) in Sa Dec — small entry fee, ~£1. Grab lunch at a local Sa Dec stall rather than the restaurant package. Continue or bus the short jump to Cao Lanh (bus ~£2) and stay in a simple 3* or guesthouse. Dinner at a local com tam or hotpot spot (~£4).
🚌Shared motorboat at Cai Rang (~£9), bike + local bus to Cao Lanh (~£2)
🛏Simple hotel or guesthouse in Cao Lanh (~£14/night)
- →Cai Rang floating market by shared motorboat
- →Flower farm and nursery cycling
- →Huynh Thuy Le house visit in Sa Dec
- →Creek and sweet potato region ride
Cao Lanh to Chau Doc — rural villages and river crossings
Cao Lanh → Cho Moi → Chau Doc
Today is the rural highlight: cross the Mekong several times on small ferries and ride through villages of steel and thatched houses toward Cho Moi. Stop for a local lunch of river fish and rice in Cho Moi (~£3), then continue toward the Champa Muslim village and fish-farm floating houses near Chau Doc. Many of the fish farms can be visited informally for a small tip or by joining a short boat. Finish in Chau Doc, a border/waterway town — stay in a basic hotel and pick up supplies for tomorrow. Dinner at a riverside café (~£4). Confirm your speedboat ticket to Phnom Penh the night before (buy directly at the boat office or via a guesthouse, ~£18-22).
🚌Multiple local Mekong ferries (~£2), bike, optional short boat to fish farms (~£4)
🛏Basic hotel in Chau Doc (~£14/night)
- →Multiple river ferry crossings
- →Cho Moi village visit and lunch
- →Champa Muslim village stop
- →Fish farm village exploration
Chau Doc to Phnom Penh — speedboat across the border
Chau Doc → Phnom Penh
Take the morning speedboat from Chau Doc to Phnom Penh across the Vinh Xuong border — this is the classic route and you can book it yourself through the boat company or a Chau Doc guesthouse (around £18-22). Bring your boxed breakfast/brunch, and have your Cambodia e-visa ($30, ~£25) or visa on arrival money ready at the border. Arrival in Phnom Penh is late afternoon/early evening — near the riverside, so you can walk to a bar or catch a tuk-tuk. Factoring in the day: wrap up by settling into a Phnom Penh hostel and celebrating. Note: bring a bike back from Chau Doc (bus or slow boat) or sell it there if you're not heading further by bicycle.
🚌Speedboat Chau Doc–Phnom Penh (~£20), tuk-tuk into town (~£2)
🛏Hostel in Phnom Penh riverside area (~£10/night)
- →Vinh Xuong International Border crossing
- →Speedboat down the Mekong into Cambodia
- →Phnom Penh riverside evening
Self-launched vs. Vietnam By Bike
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Vietnam By Bike | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£395 | £700 |
| Duration | 5 days | 5 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £305 per person (44%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Vietnam By Bike-style trips? Check them out here.~£395
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.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched: Cycle the Mekong Delta — Saigon to Phnom Penh in 5 Days cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £395 per person for 5 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 Vietnam By Bike?+
Yes — Vietnam By Bike charges around £700 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £395 — a saving of roughly £305 (44%) per person.
How long is the Vietnam & Cambodia (Mekong Delta) trip?+
This itinerary runs 5 days, covering 5 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 adventure, culture, foodie 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?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.