Explore Vietnam’s bustling capital, Hanoi with your private guide and driver. The next day, a short flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia, brings you to the gateway of the largest ancient city in the world. Explore Angkor Archeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site laden with magnificent temples that once heralded the grandeur of the Khmer empire. Nearby, Tonle Sap Lake provides the launching point for your graceful Mekong River adventure. Cruise from Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City (My Tho Port), with calls at Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Tralach, Oudong, Chong Koh, Phnom Penh, Tan Chau, Sa Dec, Xeo Quyt and Cai Be. Experience life on the river from small rural villages to booming capitals, visiting temples floating markets and much more along the way during your unforgettable Mekong River odyssey. Explore Ho Chi Minh City with your private expert guide.

Cruise Departure Dates 2012: Jan 9, 16, 23, 30, Feb 6, 13, 20, 27, Mar 5,12,19, Apr 2,9,16, Jun 25, Jul 2,9,16, 23,30, Aug 6,13,20, 27, Sep 3,10,17, 24, Oct 1,8,15, 22, 29, Nov 5, 12,19, 26, Dec 3,10,17, 24, 31
Cruise Departure Dates 2013:Jan 7, 14, 21, 28, Feb 4, 11, 18, 25, Mar 4, 11, 18, 25, Apr 1,8, 15, 22 , Jul 1,15,29, Aug 12,26, Sep 9,23, Oct 7,14,21,28, Nov 4,11,18,25, Dec 2,16,30
Cruise Departure Dates 2014:Jan 13,27, Feb 3,10,24, Mar 3,10,17,24, Apr 7,21
*Reverse itinerary offered Dec 9 (2013), Jan 20 & Feb 17 (2014).

Hanoi is nestled on the banks of the Red River, it is a beautiful city that retains an air of French colonial elegance with pretty yellow stucco buildings lining leafy streets. Hanoi is also a city of lakes, which adds to its air of sleepy grace. In the middle of the city lies the peaceful Hoan Kiem Lake with the 18th-century Ngoc Son Temple sitting on an island in its center. To the north of Hoan Kiem Lake is the Old Quarter, a fascinating maze of small antiquated streets lined with markets and pavement restaurants and cafes. Also worth a visit, the former Ville Française was the old French administrative center and is characterized by enormous colonial-era châteaux and wide spacious boulevards. It also houses Hanoi’s most popular attraction, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.

You will be met and transferred between the airport to your hotel in a private vehicle with an English speaking driver.

The Silk Path benefits from an advantageous location in the heart of the charming old quarter of Hanoi: countless tourist attractions, government and diplomatic institutions as well as proximity to the business district of the city. The hotel, with its 106 well-appointed exclusively designed rooms and suites, is the preferred choice of the demanding traveler. The hotel has a 2 level restaurant with private dining rooms, a unique bar, and a fitness center and sauna. Silk Path Hotel guarantees a comfortable stay with all luxury amenities within reach. 

Overnight at Silk Path (4*).

Visit the Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh and his former residence, One pillar Pagoda, and the Temple of Literature. After lunch, continue your city tour to one of Hanoi's many museums: Fine Art, History, Revolutionary, War, Ethnology (of your choosing), then head to Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple. Experience a one hour cyclo ride. Finish your day off at the Thang Long Opera Theatre for a traditional Vietnamese water puppet show.

Overnight at Silk Path (4*).

Siem Reap is famous for the magnificent temples at Angkor. This ancient and astounding temple complex is what remains of the capital of the once mighty Khmer civilization. Angkor Wat itself, built AD 879-1191 to honor the Hindu god Vishnu, is often hailed as one of the most extraordinary architectural creations ever built, with its intricate bas reliefs, strange acoustics and magnificent soaring towers.

You will be met and transferred between the airport to your hotel in a private vehicle with an English speaking driver.

Fly from Hanoi, Vietnam to Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Airport transfer with private vehicle, driver, and English speaking guide. Note: departure tax leaving Siem Reap is not included in the tour price (USD$25 per person).

Meet at the hotel or airport and transfer for sightseeing. Visit the South Gate of Angkor Thom, the Bayon temple complex, as well as Takeo and Ta Prohm temples. Lunch at a local restaurant. Continue with a visit to the Angkor Wat temple complex and enjoy watching the sunset on Phnom Bakheng before returning to your hotel.

Popular among celebrities and industry professionals, the Victoria Angkor Resort & Spa offers comfort, elegance and superb refinement in the heart of Siem Reap. The building's graceful colonial architecture of the 1930's provides a sense of peaceful tranquility while its enchanting design creates a feeling of harmony with its natural surroundings. Gaze at the magnificent swimming pool, framed by lavish tropical gardens, from the seclusion of your private balcony. Indulge in the multitude of first-class dining options, from French gastronomy to traditional Khmer dishes or experience one of the resort’s renowned themed gala dinners. Rejuvenate your mind and body at Le Lotus Blanc Spa and experience why people the world over continue to flock to this mesmerizing resort.

Overnight at Victoria Angkor Resort & Spa (4*).

Private transport with English speaking guide between the boat and your hotel.

Welcome aboard your luxurious vessel, moored at Tonle Sap Lake. The great lake dominates Cambodia and is known for its profuse bird life and tranquil fishing villages. Meet your fellow travelers at the Welcome Dinner as you cruise to Kampong Chhnang. The ship moors overnight.

Port charges are included in your multi-day cruise itinerary.

Explore the Mekong River while you travel onboard MS La Marguerite  or MS AmaLotus ships.

The 92-passenger MS La Marguerite (2009) provides an exquisite setting for a Mekong river odyssey. Staterooms, Jr. Suites and Suites range in size from 226-452 sq. ft., with more than 82 percent featuring outside balconies. Inviting public areas include a restaurant serving Asian and Western specialties; saigon lounge; panoramic lounge and library with complimentary internet access; gift shop; fitness center and spa plus a sun deck with an outdoor swimming pool.

The 124-passenger Ms Amalotus (2011) features ultra-spacious 624-sq. ft. Suites; ten Jr. Suites at 290 sq. ft. and standard staterooms at 226 sq. ft., with 90 percent of her staterooms boasting outside balconies. Public areas include a main restaurant serving Asian and Western specialties; saigon lounge; gift shop; fitness center, spa, plus a swimming pool and bar on the sun deck.

Overnight at MS Marguerite/AmaLotus Ship.

After breakfast, a motor boat excursion takes you into the lakeside wetlands that form the mouth of the Tonle Sap river. Enjoy a stunning variety of birdlife, and see numerous great fish traps, some over a half-mile long. After your excursion, return to your vessel and cast off towards Kampong Tralach. An afternoon tour includes an oxcart ride from the river bank through the countryside to the beautiful Wat Kapong Tralach Pleu. Tour the pagodas, and then board a motor coach to Oudong, the former capital of Cambodia, where you will tour the Buddhist monastery. After the visit, you motor coach will take you to your vessel, which will cruise towards the village of Chong Koh.

Overnight at MS Marguerite/AmaLotus Ship.

This morning, visit the Chong Koh silk weaving village for a leisurely walk. Your vessel then departs for Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. An afternoon walking tour provides an orientation to this spectacular city. Return to the vessel for dinner, followed by a special Khmer folk performance on board. The vessel moors overnight in Phnom Penh.

Overnight at MS Marguerite/AmaLotus Ship.

A morning tour explores the highlights of Cambodia’s capital city, famous for its French colonial architecture, busy cafes, vibrant nightlife and renovated river “corniche.” Visit the Royal Palace and the spectacular Silver Pagoda. The National Museum is another highlight, with outstanding displays of Khmer crafts. After lunch onboard, another excursion leads to the infamous Killing Fields and the Khmer Rouge’s grim Tuol Sleng or S21 detention centre (Genocide Museum) situated in the suburbs of the city. An overnight on the waterfront provides an opportunity to dine in one of many nearby restaurants and experience Phnom Penh’s vibrant nightlife, should passengers so choose.

Overnight at MS Marguerite/AmaLotus Ship.

Spend a day cruising the Mekong River and crossing the border into Vietnam. Your vessel moors at the small town of Tan Chau, Vietnam.

Overnight at MS Marguerite/AmaLotus Ship.

After breakfast, transfer to small boats, which will navigate through narrow channels to visit an evergreen island. You will also visit a catfish farm and a rattan mat and slipper-making workshop . Back ashore, a traditional “xe-loi” (trishaw) awaits to transport you around Tan Chau. In the afternoon, your vessel cruises downstream to Sa Dec, where it will moor overnight.

Overnight at MS Marguerite/AmaLotus Ship.

In the morning, board a local boat for Sa Dec passing floating markets as you boat maneuvers through the river’s channels. Once ashore, you will tour Sa Dec, noteworthy as the town where the French writer Marguerite Dumas spent many years in her youth. Visit a local market, Fujian Temple and the house of Mr. Huynh Thuy Le, Dura’s Chinese paramour, which is now a small museum. Afterwards board a motor coach for the 1-hour ride to Xeo Quyt, used as a base during the French and U.S. wars and now an important ecological site, with its jungle overgrowth. After lunch on board, a local boat will take you to Cai Be’s spectacular floating market; then you will go ashore to see candy and rice paper workshops. This evening, enjoy a gourmet Farewell Dinner on board.

Afterwards board a motor coach for the 1-hour ride to Xeo Quyt, used as a base during the French and U.S. wars and now an important ecological site, with its jungle overgrowth. After lunch on board, a local boat will take you to Cai Be’s spectacular floating market; then you will go ashore to see candy and rice paper workshops. This evening, enjoy a gourmet Farewell Dinner on board.

Overnight at MS Marguerite/AmaLotus Ship.

Your cruise comes to an end as the ship docks at My Tho Port.

Transfer by private car and English speaking guide between Ho Chi Minh City pier and your hotel.

You will be picked up by private car and English speaking Driver for a half day city tour. Visit Notre Dame Cathedral, a neo-Romanesque cathedral constructed between 1877 and 1883 using bricks from Marseilles and stained-glass windows from Chartres. Also visit the Old Saigon Post Office and Cholon, the Chinatown of Ho Chi Minh City. During our tour we will also visit the Emperor Jade Pagoda (Phuoc Hai), one of the most interesting pagodas in Vietnam. It is filled with smoky incense and fantastic carved figurines. It was built by the Cantonese community around the turn of the 20th century and is still buzzing with worshippers, many lounging in the front gardens.

The Renaissance Riverside is located in the heart of Saigon's business district, the Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon offers first-class hospitality, comfortable rooms and modern amenities. After a long day, relax at the poolside terrace or enjoy a leisurely dinner at Kabin, known as one of the finest Chinese restaurants in the city. Take a dip in the rooftop pool and visit the Health Club for an invigorating workout with the latest gym equipment. Otherwise, simply enjoy the incredible views of the Saigon River and stroll to museums, galleries and other area attractions. You’ll find that the hotel’s central location, panoramic views and impeccable service makes this the ideal place to stay while visiting Ho Chi Minh City.

Overnight at Renaissance Riverside (4*).

Tay Ninh is home to the unique Cao Dai sect. The religion is a hybrid of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and Christianity. The Cao Dai Temple at Tay Ninh has been described as a Walt Disney fantasia of the East. The interior is truly engaging as statues of Jesus, Buddha and the Hindu god, Brahma, stand side by side. Depart your hotel early morning by private vehicle and English speaking Driver and take the opportunity to watch the worshippers in their white long tunics during noon mass. After lunch, visit Cu Chi tunnels, an amazing complex of underground tunnels used during the Vietnam war. Lunch is included.

Overnight at Renaissance Riverside (4*).

Enjoy a private transfer with English Speaking Driver between Ho Chi Minh City airport and your hotel.

Depart from International Airport. End of itinerary.

Overnight at Depart (Int`l Airport).