Travelling from the Mekong Delta to Phnom Penh
Travelling from the Mekong Delta to Phnom Penh is an onward journey through southern Vietnam, with the international boat departing from Chau Doc. The two packages here begin in Ho Chi Minh City and combine Delta visits with a planned finish in Cambodia. Choose between two days with a hotel in Chau Doc and three days with two hotel nights and an explicitly included boat to Phnom Penh.
Start with the international ticket and overnight arrangements when comparing these journeys. A regional boat ride, a drive to the landing and a cross-border boat ticket are separate services. If your plan ends back in Ho Chi Minh City, the regional multi-day tours are the more relevant comparison.
Delta trips towards Phnom Penh
The three-day trip includes the boat to Phnom Penh and two hotel nights. The two-day programme also lists a speedboat, but confirm its ticket inclusion before booking.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of November 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Delta trip via Chau Doc to Phnom Penh
- Overnight stay in Chau Doc hotel (3-star)
- 1 breakfast, 1 lunch
- All necessary entry tickets for attractions
The programme includes an international speedboat; confirm whether its ticket is included before booking. Delta boat transport is included.
Check availability →
Delta trip with boat to Phnom Penh
- Boat to Phnom Penh
- 2 nights in 3-star hotels
- 2 lunches, 2 breakfasts
The trip includes an English-speaking guide and delta boat trip. Check pickup details when selecting availability.
Check availability →Delta journeys continuing towards Phnom Penh
Compare the three-day package with an included international boat and the two-day Chau Doc stay whose cross-border ticket needs confirmation.
Chau Doc and the international landing
Chau Doc stands beside the Hau, also known as the Bassac, in the border region. Its market, Cham communities across the river and the shrines around Sam Mountain give the town a different setting from Can Tho. These are local planning possibilities, rather than stops included in every onward package. The international service starts here, so allow for reaching Chau Doc as a separate part of an independent journey.
The published boat information identifies the Victoria landing at 1 Le Loi in Chau Doc and the Titanic landing at 103 Sisowath Quay in Phnom Penh. These names identify the piers. Keep the landing address with your travel documents and arrange your arrival around the actual departure instructions. Our Delta transport guide explains the wider access options; a local market boat in Can Tho serves a different purpose.
Two or three days with a boat towards Phnom Penh
Three days with the international boat included
The three-day journey from Ho Chi Minh City includes the boat to Phnom Penh, air-conditioned bus transport, attraction admissions, an English-speaking guide and mineral water. It also includes Delta boating, cycling, fruit, honey tea and candy. Two nights in three-star hotels come with air-conditioned double or twin rooms. Meals are two lunches and two breakfasts; other meals, personal expenses, the single-room supplement and Cambodia visa are separate.
This suits travellers who want the hotel nights and international boat within one package. The concrete transport and accommodation inclusions are more useful for choosing than a headline rating. Keep the final day available for the border journey and leave room for changes before arranging another departure from Phnom Penh.
Two days with a Chau Doc hotel
The shorter package includes air-conditioned car or van transport, bicycle and boat use for Delta exploration, an English-speaking guide, attraction entries, one breakfast, one lunch and an overnight stay in a three-star Chau Doc hotel. Drinking water is included. Its programme describes a speedboat continuation, while the included boat service is described as Delta exploration: confirm that the international ticket is part of your selected booking before paying.
A single room, Cambodia visa, meal drinks and personal expenses are extra. By comparison, the regional three-day Cai Be, Cai Rang and Tra Su itineraries offer a transfer to a bus or boat station, but exclude the Phnom Penh speedboat ticket. Use the accommodation guide if you prefer arranging your Delta stay separately.
Timetable, fare and breathing room
As checked in November 2026, the published outward timetable lists departure from Chau Doc at 07:00 and asks passengers to arrive 30 minutes beforehand. Treat that as a planning reference and reconfirm the departure and landing for your travel date. Leave the arrival day in Phnom Penh flexible rather than building a tight flight or bus connection around an advertised boat schedule.
The fare announcement dated 5 May 2026 set the Chau Doc to Phnom Penh individual one-way tariff at 1,640,000 VND from 1 June 2026. That is the standalone boat tariff, separate from package prices. Keep the original currency when comparing costs, and distinguish the ticket from hotel nights, room supplements and entry paperwork. An available ticket offer still requires date-specific departure arrangements.
Settle border formalities before booking
Prepare your passport and the entry documents appropriate to your nationality and this river crossing. Confirm the current visa route, accepted documents and border arrangements before committing to the journey. A boat package and a Cambodia visa are separate purchases. Establish the applicable official fee separately from any assistance or service charge, and check the arrangements for children individually.
On Delta boat sections, wear the life jacket throughout the ride and use licensed landings. Weather can affect departures, so give the river journey room in your wider itinerary. The season guide explains rain and water conditions without treating high water as a promised attraction.
Questions about the onward boat journey
Does the international boat start in Can Tho?
It starts in Chau Doc. Can Tho market and canal trips are local Delta outings, so plan the journey to the international landing separately when travelling independently.
Which package explicitly includes the Phnom Penh boat?
The three-day package includes it alongside two hotel nights, two breakfasts and two lunches. For the two-day package with a Chau Doc hotel, confirm the international ticket inclusion.
What is the published standalone outward fare?
The announcement of 5 May 2026 gives 1,640,000 VND per person one way from Chau Doc, applying from 1 June 2026. Package prices cover a different combination of services.
Can I book a tight onward connection in Phnom Penh?
Leave time after the border journey. Reconfirm the date-specific boat arrangements and keep the arrival day flexible for river and border formalities.