Wonders of the Mekong

Xin Chao and welcome to Ho Chi Minh City! On arrival, you will be met by your Emerald Cruises representative and transferred to your hotel, situated in downtown District 1, for a two-night stay. After checking in, you will be free to explore the city before meeting your tour director for your welcome briefing and dinner at a local restaurant.

Drive away from Ho Chi Minh City to Cu Chi Tunnels, watching the city skyline fade into the distance as the road winds through rice paddies, villages and scenes typical to southern Vietnam. Spend a couple of hours walking around Cu Chi’s rugged grounds with a local guide. Upon your return to Ho Chi Minh City, enjoy a Pho (noodle soup) lunch with the remainder of the afternoon and evening yours to enjoy at leisure or venture out on one of our DiscoverMORE excursions.
Included Excursion: Cu Chi Tunnels
DiscoverMORE: An evening Saigon Street Food walking tour (extra expense)
DiscoverMORE: Saigon After Dark by Vintage Jeep (extra expense)

After checkout, enjoy a guided city tour, visiting the Notre Dame Cathedral, Opera House and Town Hall. Then, visit the Reunification Palace before transferring to the port where you will board your Emerald Cruises Star-Ship, Emerald Harmony. You’ll be welcomed on board by your captain and crew before setting sail down the Saigon River to Cho Gao canal where you will anchor for the night. This evening, enjoy your first dinner on board with your fellow travellers. Your Cruise Director will conduct a port talk to review the activities and itinerary for the days ahead.
Included Excursion: An orientation tour of Ho Chi Minh City

This morning, you’ll cruise through the bustling Cho Gao canal, one of the major arterial canals of Vietnam connecting Tien Giang Province in the Mekong Delta with Ho Chi Minh City. You’ll be fascinated watching the heavy commercial traffic navigate this important waterway, where upwards of 1,800 vessels transit each day. Once on the Mekong River, this afternoon you’ll visit the Tan My Floating community followed by a ride through local plantations to visit a mushroom farm, a fruit farm with sampling and a honey farm with local sweets. Later, you’ll sail onwards to Sa Đéc, a Mekong Delta hidden gem.
Included Excursion: Visit the Thoi Binh hamlet and its farming and fishing communities, untouched by tourism

After a short sampan ride to Sa Đéc, enjoy a walking tour with a visit to the home of Mr. Huynh Thuy Le, who inspired Marguerite Duras’ celebrated novel, L’Amant, and the town’s bustling central market. Return to Emerald Harmony by sampan, then sail on to My An Hung Island. Recognised as a cultural and historical destination, this small rural village specialises in cultivating red-hot chilli and peppers. As part of your EmeraldPLUS experience, listen to local folk singing during your visit.
EmeraldPLUS: Listen to some local folk singing in My An Hung
Included Excursion: A visit to the home of Mr. Huynh Thuy Le and the bustling Sa Dec Markets
Included Excursion: A visit to My An Hung village

Known as ‘Mango Island,’ Cu Lao Gieng is a small, scenic island untouched by tourism, located along the upper Mekong River. Travel by local motorcycle rickshaw through the island’s villages to visit families who work in a variety of local industries including Mango farming, different types of boat building and a factory making incense sticks for temples. The afternoon is yours to enjoy at leisure on board. As part of our EmeraldPLUS experience, you’ll delight in a traditional Lion Dance performance on board.
EmeraldPLUS: A Lion Dance performance on board
Included Excursion: See the local industries in Gieng Island

Embark on a sampan ride to Evergreen Island for a walk through a local village, giving you a glimpse into the lives of the local farming community. Reboard your sampan and return to Tan Chau and as part of our EmeraldPLUS experience, visit the local Cao Dai Temple. Cao Dai is a syncretic, monotheistic religion established in Tây Ninh, southern Vietnam, in 1926. At the temple, learn more about this fascinating and complex religion. Afterwards, ride in a Xe Loi (local form of cyclo) back to your sampan before returning to Emerald Harmony. Back on board your Star-Ship, you’ll sail to the border between Vietnam and Cambodia.
EmeraldPLUS: A visit to a local Cao Dai Temple and Xe Loi ride, unique to the Mekong Delta
Included Excursion: A visit to Evergreen Island

This morning, you’ll awake in Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh. Known as the ‘Pearl of Asia,’ the city was almost entirely evacuated by the Khmer Rouge in 1975. Today, you’ll learn about the Khmer Rouge and the darkest days of Cambodia’s history. A short drive will take you to the Killing Fields at Choeung Ek, where you’ll have the opportunity to stroll through the fields, visit the memorial and understand more about this country’s sombre chapter. Afterwards, visit Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (also known as ‘S-21’), a former school converted to the Khmer Rouge’s main prison and torture HQ. Spend the afternoon as you please, either exploring our DiscoverMORE excursions, visiting the Central Market located in the heart of Phnom Penh, or simply relaxing on board Emerald Harmony. This evening, as part of your EmeraldPLUS experience, enjoy a remork (local Tuk-Tuk) tour through Phnom Penh to admire the city lights.
EmeraldPLUS: Phnom Penh by night on a remork (Tuk-Tuk) tour
Included Excursion: Killing Fields at Choeung Ek and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
DiscoverMORE: A silk farm tour at Koh Oknha Tei (extra expense)
DiscoverMORE: Craft Beer Adventure by remork (extra expense)
DiscoverMORE: Samai Distillery (extra expense)

Located north of Phnom Penh, Oudong was the former royal capital of Cambodia until it relocated to Phnom Penh in 1866. Start your day with a visit to the Oudong Monastery and Temples. Important remnants here include the burial sites of Khmer kings as well as religious artefacts dating back more than a century. In Oudong Monastery’s main temple, receive a traditional Buddhist blessing from the resident monks, as part of your EmeraldPLUS experience. In the afternoon, you’ll visit the majestic Royal Palace, with its French-inspired gardens and Silver Pagoda. Back on board, as part of your EmeraldPLUS experience, enjoy a cultural performance by the Cambodian Student and Children’s Organisation. Afterwards set sail, gliding past the illuminated Phnom Penh at night, to Rokar Koang, a small town located further up along the Mekong River.
EmeraldPLUS: A traditional Buddhist Monk blessing
EmeraldPLUS: Cultural Performance by the Cambodian Student and Children’s Organisation
Included Excursion: A visit to the Royal Palace

Disembark Emerald Harmony in the morning and continue by road to Siem Reap for your included three-night stay. Stay at the beautiful Shinta Mani, a deluxe boutique property of world-class design that takes great care in honouring the environment and paying homage to the traditional and local aesthetics. This evening as part of your EmeraldPLUS programme, attend Phare, The Cambodian Circus, where a combination of acrobatics, music and dance tell a uniquely Cambodian story. Take advantage of our DiscoverMORE dinner at the circus to further support Phare’s work.
EmeraldPLUS: Phare Cambodian Circus performance
DiscoverMORE: Evening – Local Fare at Phare Circus (extra expense)

Today, start with a visit to Angkor Thom, not a single temple such as the historic sites it neighbours, but rather one of the most remarkable royal cities of the Angkor Period and an architectural wonder. As the last capital of the Khmer Empire, it was a fortified city, home to priests, officials of the palace, military and buildings for administering the kingdom. Afterwards, visit the sacred Temple of Ta Prohm. In an incredible standoff between human creation and nature, the jungle’s root systems have reclaimed this spiritual location now enshrouded in wild vegetation. This evening is free to visit ‘Pub Street’ or try a DiscoverMORE option.
Included Excursion: Visit to Angkor Thom
Included Excursion: Visit to Ta Prohm Temple
DiscoverMORE: Evening – Gondola Boat ride at Bayon with drinks (extra expense)
DiscoverMORE: Evening – Cambodian Street Food Discovery Tour (extra expense)

Witness a mesmerising sunrise over Angkor Wat. Afterwards, walk through this magnificent UNESCO World Heritage-listed site, renowned for its intricate carvings. This afternoon, enjoy time at leisure to explore the town, or join a DiscoverMORE excursion. Later, as part of your EmeraldPLUS experience, enjoy an immersive evening and farewell dinner, accompanied by an Apsara dance performance.
Included Excursion: Sunrise visit to Angkor Wat
EmeraldPLUS: Cultural night dinner show with Apsara dance performance
DiscoverMORE: Siem Reap Countryside by Vespa (extra expense)
DiscoverMORE: Banteay Srei Temple and APOPO (extra expense)
DiscoverMORE: Tonlé Sap and Lotus Workshop (extra expense, operating Aug-Feb only)
DiscoverMORE: Khmer Cooking Class (extra expense)
DiscoverMORE: Senteurs d’Angkor Workshop (extra expense)

After breakfast this morning, you will be transferred to the Siem Reap airport to catch your onward or homebound flight.