9 Days South Vietnam Tour with Mekong Delta & Angkor Wat

Tour Overview

This 9-day South Vietnam Tour will take you from the modern & prosperous Ho Chi Minh City, via the bustling Mekong Floating Market, to the shocking ancient Khmer kingdom. During the period, you will be arranged to enjoy the beautiful forest scenery, get into the local orchard to taste various tropical fruits, and even be an ecological and scientific researcher for a perfect bird-watching trip…

Highlights of This Tour

• View some landmarks of Saigon including the Reunification Palace, War Remnants Museum, and Notre Dame Cathedral.
• Catch a glimpse of the busiest moments of the floating market in theMekong Delta.
• Take a rowing boat trip into the Tra Su Cajuput Forest, an ideal destination for nature and wildlife lovers.
• Marvel at architecture at destinations such as the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda.
• Make your mind wander into the Khmer Empire at Angkor Wat, the world’s largest temple complex.

Itinerary

Day 1: Saigon Arrival
Reunification Palace, War Remnants Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, Old Post Office, Ben Thanh Market

Welcome to Saigon, aka Ho Chi Minh City, the most developed city in Vietnam which was once praised as the “Paris of the East”. When you land at the airport, your driver and guide are already waiting for you at the exit. Then they will transfer you to the hotel for check-in.

After lunch at a restaurant of your choice in the city center, you will be guided around some landmarks including the Reunification Palace, War Remnants Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Old Post Office. Afterwards, explore Ben Thanh Market, one of the few remaining buildings from the Saigon period, where you could find delicate handmade textiles, souvenirs, and local distinctive dishes.

In the evening, you can freely enjoy the rich nightlife of Ho Chi Minh City.

Meal: N/A

Accommodation: Saigon

Day 2: Saigon Sightseeing
Cu Chi Tunnels, Cao Dai Temple

Today, we will drive out of the city to crawl through the Cu Chi Tunnels, an immense underground system that took 20 years to dig for Vietnamese resistance to French colonial rule. After that, you’ll be taken to Cao Dai Temple to explore the most mysterious religion in Vietnam. One of the major highlights in this temple is watching Caodaists pray – men sit on the right and women on the left, with all devotees lined up in a neat row.

Take a lunch break at a local restaurant, then we head back to Saigon.

Meal: Breakfast

Accommodation: Saigon

Day 3: Saigon – Mekong Delta – Can Tho
A Coconut Candy Factory, An Orchard Garden, Countryside Cycling

Start our Mekong Delta tour today with a southwest trip. On the way to Cai Be (a riverside town), make a stop at a coconut candy factory and an orchard garden, where you can enjoy traditional folk music while sampling tropical fruits.

After reaching Cai Be, have a leisurely lunch. You will then be arranged to visit several islets by motorboat and explore the countryside on a bicycle in one of them.

Your private driver will meet you at the Vinh Long Pier and escort you to Can Tho for the night.

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Accommodation: Can Tho

Day 4: Can Tho – Chau Doc
Cai Rang Floating Market, Tra Su Cajuput Forest

After breakfast, take a motorboat to explore Cai Rang Floating Market. You’ll be surprised how busy this market gets in the early morning. Continue the boat ride to some famous local orchards to taste fresh fruits.

Then drive to Chau Doc to visit Tra Su Cajuput Forest, one of the most peaceful spots in the area that is blessed with not only natural beauty but wonderful diverse wildlife. It is undoubtedly an ideal destination for nature and wildlife lovers. Here, you can walk on the longest bamboo bridge in the forest in Vietnam, have a perfect birdwatching experience, and take a rowing boat trip into the forest.

After that, head to Chau Doc for check-in.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Chau Doc

Day 5: Chau Doc – Phnom Penh by Speedboat

Take a speedboat along the Mekong River to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. The entire trip takes about 4.5 hours, including visa procedures. A local guide will pick you up at the pier in Phnom Penh and take you to your hotel. The remaining day is free for you to take a walk in this bustling city on your own.

Meal: Breakfast

Accommodation: Phnom Penh

Day 6: Phnom Penh City Tour
Tuol Sleng Prison Museum, Cheung Ek Killing Field, Royal Palace, National Museum, Silver Pagoda

You will be led to Tuol Sleng Prison Museum and Cheung Ek Killing Field to learn about the brutal rule of the Khmer Rouge. In the afternoon, we are going to visit the Royal Palace, a Khmer-style throne hall that is the residence of the King of Cambodia and his family. To the north of the palace are the National Museum and the Silver Pagoda, named after the ground inlaid with 5,329 solid silver bricks.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Phnom Penh

Day 7: Phnom Penh – Siem Reap
Angkor National Museum, Phnom Krom Temple

Take a short flight to Siem Reap. Upon arrival, your guide will meet you and guide you directly to the Angkor National Museum, where you can see numerous Angkor cultural relics and gain a basic understanding of the arts and culture of the Khmer civilization.

In the late afternoon, we drive to the Angkor Archeological Park to capture the breathtaking sunset at a 140-meter-high hill, which boasts a spectacular Angkorian temple named Phnom Krom.

Note: From September to December, you can also choose to take a speedboat from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap along the Mekong River.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Siem Reap

Day 8: Siem Reap
Bayon Temple, Elephant Terrace, Terrace of the Leper King, Preah Khan, Ta Phrom, Angkor Wat

After enjoying a bumper breakfast, you will be led to the south gate of Angkor Thom first, to admire the majestic religious complex, including Bayon Temple, Elephant Terrace, and Terrace of the Leper King. After all visits, exit from the North Gate and head to Preah Khan, an outstanding example of a large linear temple complex in a dense jungle.

Have lunch and move forward to your next destination, Ta Phrom Temple, aka Jungle Temple with the roots of the trees growing through its temple structures. Your tour will end with a visit to the largest temple monument in the world – Angkor Wat – which is a World Cultural Heritage.

Meal: Breakfast

Accommodation: Siem Reap

Day 9: Siem Reap Departure

Your 9-day trip to South Vietnam ends here. Before leaving Siem Reap, you can enjoy a short city tour or shopping freely. And then a local driver will transfer you to the airport.

Meal: Breakfast

Accommodation: N/A