Day 1 – Arrive Ho Chi Minh City

On arrival in Ho Chi Minh City, receive Fast track Service before being transferred to your luxurious hotel located in the heart of the city. Tonight, meet your Tour Director and travelling companions during a Signature Experience.

Signature Experience – VIP Fast Track Service

Start your holiday as soon as possible when you receive Fast Track Service for a seamless arrival in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Be whisked through immigration and customs, before meeting your APT representative, who will transfer you to your accommodation.

Signature Experience – Dinner at Vietnam House

Enjoy an indulgent dinner at the highly acclaimed restaurant Vietnam House, and savour a special cocktail designed exclusively for APT guests.

Day 2 – Ho Chi Minh City, My Tho, Embark Ship, Cai Be

Choose your sightseeing this morning, then be transferred to your river ship. Set sail from My Tho and soak up the scenery during your cruise towards Cai Be. Tonight, a Vietnamese welcome dinner awaits, showcasing the diverse flavours from the region.

Freedom of Choice – City Walking Tour

Discover the city’s iconic landmarks and French colonial architecture on an informative guided walk. Stroll by the Saigon Opera House, Central Post Office and Notre Dame Cathedral.

Freedom of Choice – Motorbike Ride

Jump on the back of a motorbike like a local for a thrilling sightseeing adventure. Weave through the streets past the Central Post Office and Independence Palace. Visit Chinatown and Thien Hau pagoda.

Freedom of Choice – Cooking Class

Meet your chef, visit the market and discover Vietnamese ingredients. Continue to a villa and relax in the outdoor garden before you create your dishes. Learn the intricacies of making bánh mì xíu mại.

Freedom of Choice – Ho Chi Minh City Shopping Adventure

Seek out the city’s boutiques and discover high-quality handmade goods on a visit to Mekong Quilts. Saigon Kitsch sells quirky souvenirs, while L’Usine is a trend-setting lifestyle store.

Freedom of Choice – History of Saigon

Delve deeper into Ho Chi Minh City’s turbulent history. Start at the Reunification Palace, visit the War Remnants Museum and see the Burning Monk Memorial.

Day 3 – Cai Be, Sa Dec, Tan Chau

Board your traditional sampan for your first excursion on the banks of the Mekong. Step ashore to visit French gothic Cai Be Church, built in the Roman architectural style, as well as the colourful port area filled with crumbling colonial buildings and flowering gardens. The church’s bell tower, with its set of four bells cast in France in 1931, is the tallest bell tower in the Tien Giang Province. Afterwards, you’ll visit rice paper and coconut candy manufacturers and learn how these Vietnamese staples are made.

Head back to the ship to refresh before sitting down to savour a delicious lunch whilst continuing to cruise to the quaint town of Sa Dec. Upon arrival, explore Sa Dec by foot and meet some of the sellers at the colourful market. Continue to where French writer Marguerite Duras met her Vietnamese-Chinese lover, Huynh Thuy Le. Tour his former home and learn the story behind Duras’ best-selling novel, ‘The Lover’. Sail towards Tan Chau as dinner is served.

Day 4 – Tan Chau, Evergreen Island, Border Crossing, Phnom Penh

Transfer to a small boat to cruise the tiny tributaries around the town of Tan Chau. Disembark for a rickshaw tour and visit a local rattan weaving workshop. Continue to a traditional Cao Dai temple and watch visitors and pilgrims come and go while appreciating the beauty of the colourful building. Then, explore Evergreen Island to see authentic rural Mekong life. This afternoon, appreciate some downtime and watch the scenery pass as the Mekong Serenity cruises towards the Cambodian border.

Day 5 – Phnom Penh

Today, wake to the sounds of Phnom Penh and enjoy breakfast on board before setting out on your chosen Freedom of Choice sightseeing experiences. This evening, enjoy a captivating cultural dance performance by local schoolchildren before gathering for another memorable dinner on board.

This morning, choose between:

Freedom of Choice – Killing Fields and Genocide Museum

On this sombre excursion, learn about a confronting part of Cambodian history during a sobering visit to the Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum.

Freedom of Choice – Visit the National Museum

Accompanied by your private museum guide, discover the most important pieces within the National Museum of Cambodia. The collection includes the world’s finest display of Khmer sculptures, art and relics.

This afternoon, choose between:

Freedom of Choice – Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda

Discover Cambodia’s Royal Palace, the official residence of the King. Completed in 1870, the palace is a fine example of Khmer architecture with elements of French influence. The palace also houses the Silver Pagoda.

Freedom of Choice – Cyclo Ride

Explore Phnom Penh by what was the most popular form of transportation throughout Southeast Asia in the 1960s, the cyclo. Weave past some of the city’s most iconic sites.

Enrich your Experience (additional cost) – High Tea at Raffles

Indulge in a High Tea experience at the historic Raffles Hotel Le Royal

Day 6 – Phnom Penh, Oudong, Koh Chen, Oknha Tey

Journey to Oudong, Cambodia’s former royal capital, where you will enjoy a Signature Experience. Following the visit, return via Koh Chen village and visit local copperware workshops. Back on board, cruise to Oknha Tey, known for its silk weaving traditions. Stroll among the stilt houses and gain an insight into the traditional silk weaving process. Watch as the village women create beautiful Khmer fabrics from their wooden looms.

Signature Experience – Buddhist Blessing Ceremony

Take part in a traditional Buddhist blessing ceremony for good luck, health and safe journey, with resident monks at a monastery in Oudong.

Day 7 – Oknha Tey, Angkor Ban, Wat Hanchey

Sail to Angkor Ban, where you’ll disembark and enjoy a captivating walking discovery of this historic village. Remarkably, Angkor Ban stands as one of the rare Cambodian villages that remained unscathed during the tumultuous Khmer Rouge regime of the 1970s. Here, people still live in traditional wooden homes and keep ancient cultural traditions alive. This afternoon, your ship continues sailing upstream to Wat Hanchey.

Day 8 – Wat Hanchey, Kampong Cham, Koh Pen

If you are feeling active this morning, walk to the hilltop pagoda of Wat Hanchey for expansive views over the Mekong. Here, you may find some novice monks along with many temples, pagodas, and stupas, some built this century while others date back to the eighth century. Savour lunch on board before enjoying a Signature Experience. Celebrate with a farewell dinner on board this evening.

Signature Experience – Tuk Tuk Tour of Koh Pen

Journey by local tuk tuk around a riverside village and gain an insight into village life. Travel along the shaded lanes past stilted houses and see a varying range of crops growing.

Day 9 – Depart Siem Reap

After breakfast, disembark the Mekong Serenity and join the group transfer to Siem Reap. From here, transfer to Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport for your onward flight.