Mekong Cruise to Chiang Mai Escape

Timeless Asia:

Mekong Cruise to Chiang Mai Escape

Sep - Mar

From £5,850pp

Cruise & Land

16 Nights

From the waterways of Vietnam and Cambodia to the temples of Siem Reap, the streets of Bangkok, and the mountains of Chiang Mai, a journey through the soul of Southeast Asia

This journey takes in four of Southeast Asia‘s most rewarding destinations in a careful, unhurried succession. It begins in Ho Chi Minh City, where the energy and history of Vietnam announce themselves immediately, before the pace shifts entirely as you board the Mekong Navigator for a seven-night upstream cruise through the river delta of southern Vietnam and into Cambodia. Small villages, floating markets, gilded temples, and the streets of Phnom Penh pass at the speed of the river, with expert guides providing context at every stop. Siem Reap and the extraordinary temples of Angkor follow before the journey continues to Bangkok, where two full days allow you to move between world-class cuisine, ornate royal architecture, and neighbourhood life with equal ease. A final flight north to Chiang Mai closes the trip in the cooler air of the Thai highlands, where night markets, elephant sanctuaries, and the old walled city offer a gentler, more contemplative conclusion. Accommodation throughout is chosen for character and quality, from a riverside suite aboard the Navigator to one of Bangkok’s finest boutique addresses.

Itinerary highlights

Board the Mekong Navigator at My Tho and cruise seven nights upstream through the delta landscapes of Vietnam and Cambodia, with expert guides at every stop.

Step ashore at Cai Be's famous floating market, drifting by sampan through channels fringed with orchards and the workshops of rural Vietnamese life.

Cross the border into Cambodia by river and spend two days in Phnom Penh, exploring the Royal Palace, Khmer art collections, and the city's extraordinary resilience.

Disembark at Kampong Cham and continue to Siem Reap, gateway to the ancient temples of Angkor, one of the greatest archaeological sites on earth.

Settle into the exceptional 137 Pillars Suites in Bangkok and spend two days moving between gilded temples, vibrant street markets, and the city's renowned restaurant scene.

Fly north to Chiang Mai and explore the walled old city, visit an ethical elephant sanctuary, and browse the celebrated night markets beneath the forested hills of northern Thailand.

From the waterways of Vietnam and Cambodia to the temples of Siem Reap, the streets of Bangkok, and the mountains of Chiang Mai, a journey through the soul of Southeast Asia

Itinerary highlights

Board the Mekong Navigator at My Tho and cruise seven nights upstream through the delta landscapes of Vietnam and Cambodia, with expert guides at every stop.

Step ashore at Cai Be's famous floating market, drifting by sampan through channels fringed with orchards and the workshops of rural Vietnamese life.

Cross the border into Cambodia by river and spend two days in Phnom Penh, exploring the Royal Palace, Khmer art collections, and the city's extraordinary resilience.

Disembark at Kampong Cham and continue to Siem Reap, gateway to the ancient temples of Angkor, one of the greatest archaeological sites on earth.

Settle into the exceptional 137 Pillars Suites in Bangkok and spend two days moving between gilded temples, vibrant street markets, and the city's renowned restaurant scene.

Fly north to Chiang Mai and explore the walled old city, visit an ethical elephant sanctuary, and browse the celebrated night markets beneath the forested hills of northern Thailand.

Day 1

Your journey begins

Your journey to Southeast Asia begins this evening as you board your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. The hours between your home country and the Mekong carry a particular anticipation, the sense of crossing from one world into another entirely.

Day 2

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

You arrive in Ho Chi Minh City, one of Asia's most energetic and historically layered cities, and transfer to the Sofitel Saigon Plaza in the heart of the centre. After settling in and recovering from the overnight flight, the afternoon is yours to begin absorbing the city at your own pace. The wide boulevards and colonial architecture of the French quarter, the incense-filled alleys leading to pagodas, the motorbike-filled streets and rooftop bars that hum well into the evening: Ho Chi Minh City operates at its own frequency and rewards every hour you give it.

Day 3

Ho Chi Minh City to My Tho

This morning a transfer takes you south to My Tho on the upper reaches of the Mekong Delta, where the Mekong Navigator awaits. Embarkation marks a shift in the entire tempo of the journey as the city falls away and the river takes over. The Navigator is a beautifully appointed small ship carrying a maximum of 36 guests, and its unhurried pace is precisely the point. As the engines turn and the delta opens around you, with its palm-lined banks, floating gardens, and the occasional pagoda spire rising through the trees, the Mekong begins to feel like a world entirely of its own. Dinner is served on board as the river carries you south towards the first of many extraordinary days.

Day 4

Cai Be, Vietnam

The Navigator docks at Cai Be, a riverside town in the Mekong Delta where the famous floating market has been operating since the French colonial era and where life continues to be lived as much on the water as on land. A guided excursion by small sampan takes you through the narrower channels between the islands, past orchards of rambutan and longan, into the workshops where rice paper, coconut candy, and puffed rice are produced by hand using methods unchanged for generations. Back on board, lunch is served as the river broadens and the landscape settles into the low, green immensity of the delta.

Day 5

My An Hung, Vietnam

The ship arrives at My An Hung, a quiet riverside community that offers one of the most authentic encounters with rural Vietnamese life on the entire itinerary. A walk through the village reveals the rhythms of a community sustained by the river and its surrounding orchards, where children cycle to school along narrow paths between the fruit trees and local families welcome visitors with a warmth that feels entirely unperformed. The afternoon is spent back on board as the Navigator makes its way slowly towards the Cambodian border, the Vietnamese delta gradually giving way to wider, less cultivated stretches of water as the horizon shifts and the light changes.

Day 6

Border Crossing, Mekong River

Today the Navigator crosses the border from Vietnam into Cambodia, one of the more memorable moments of the entire cruise. The formalities are handled by the ship's team, and what lingers is the sense of the landscape and the river itself changing character as you move from one country into another. The Cambodian Mekong is wider, wilder in feeling, and fringed by a different vegetation, with stilted fishing villages and the occasional glittering temple marking the bank. A resident guide introduces Cambodia's history and the context for the days ahead, and by the time Phnom Penh appears on the horizon the following morning, you are already oriented.

Day 7-8

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

The Navigator docks in Phnom Penh and you spend two days in one of Asia's most layered and emotionally demanding capitals. The Royal Palace and its Silver Pagoda represent Cambodia's Buddhist and royal heritage at their most magnificent, while the National Museum houses one of the world's finest collections of Khmer art and sculpture. The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the Choeung Ek memorial are difficult visits but essential ones, providing the historical context without which much of modern Cambodia remains incomprehensible. Between the formal sites, Phnom Penh rewards wandering: the riverside promenade, the Central Market with its Art Deco dome, the lanes of the BKK1 neighbourhood, and the rooftop bars above the Tonle Sap confluence each offer a different register of a city that carries its history with remarkable resilience and a forward momentum that is impossible to ignore.

Day 9

Wat Roka Kaong, Cambodia

The Navigator leaves Phnom Penh and makes its way to Wat Roka Kaong, an ancient riverside pagoda surrounded by forest that sits some distance from the nearest town and has the quiet quality of a place that has been undisturbed for centuries. A guided visit through the temple grounds reveals intricate Khmer carvings and monastic life that continues much as it has for generations, and an afternoon aboard the ship as it continues upstream is a welcome chance to read, rest, and watch the Cambodian countryside pass at the river's pace.

Day 10

Kampong Cham to Siem Reap

The Mekong Navigator arrives at Kampong Cham, where you disembark and say farewell to the river. A transfer takes you to Siem Reap, where you check into the Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort for the night. The transition from river to road gives a final perspective on the Cambodian countryside, and by the time you arrive in Siem Reap the anticipation for your next destination has already begun to build.

Day 11

Siem Reap to Bangkok

After breakfast, a transfer takes you to Siem Reap Airport for your flight to Bangkok. You arrive in the Thai capital and transfer to 137 Pillars Suites & Residences, one of the finest boutique hotels in the city, where provides an exceptional base for two days of exploration in one of Asia's greatest cities. The evening is yours to spend as you choose, whether over dinner in a rooftop restaurant above the Chao Phraya, in one of the city's extraordinary street food markets, or simply taking in the scale and energy of a metropolis that never entirely sleeps.

Day 12-13

Bangkok, Thailand

Begin your exploration with a guided morning bicycle adventure into Bang Krachao, the city’s “Green Lung,” pedalling along shaded elevated pathways through coconut palms and lush greenery. Stop at the 700-year-old Wat Bang Krasop, a local school, a Muay Thai gym, bustling markets, Srinakonkhenkan park, and the Ganesh shrine, pausing for a traditional Thai lunch before returning by ferry to Bangkok. The next day, explore the city’s highlights by private minivan, including the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew, the golden reclining Buddha at Wat Pho, and the riverside Wat Arun. Conclude with a long-tail boat ride through Thonburi canals and a visit to Baan Silapin (Artists House), witnessing local life and traditional art before returning to your hotel.

Day 14

Chiang Mai, Thailand

A morning flight north carries you from Bangkok's heat into the cooler air of Chiang Mai, Thailand's cultural and creative capital, set among forested hills in the country's north. After settling into your hotel, embark on an afternoon Samlor tour from Tha Pae Gate, weaving through the Old City’s tranquil streets. Visit both renowned and hidden temples, including Wat Lam Chang, Wat Chiang Man, and the revered Wat Phra Singh. Admire Mon-style chedis at Wat Phuak Hong, handcrafted roof ornaments at Wat Phuak Taem, and sample local treats at the Chiang Mai Gate market. Conclude at the partially restored Wat Chedi Luang and the wooden Wat Phantao before returning to your hotel for a restful evening.

Day 15

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Set off on an adventurous day with a private transfer southwest to Mae Wang, where your Tuk Tuk awaits. Glide through the lush Mae Wang valley, winding past small farming villages and verdant rice terraces, until you reach the remote Wat Doi Sapanyoo, where massive Buddha statues overlook sweeping 360-degree views. Continue along off-the-beaten paths to Mae Sapok, a postcard-perfect valley with water buffalo, rice paddies, and glimpses of Thai elephants. Take a forest walk to a waterfall and visit a local hill tribe village before arriving at the elephant sanctuary for lunch. Feed and bathe rescued elephants, then drift lazily along the river on a bamboo raft, finishing with a scenic Tuk Tuk ride back to Chiang Mai, capturing the valley’s charm along the way.

Day 16

Leaving Chiang Mai

A final morning in Chiang Mai before your transfer to the airport for your overnight flight back to London. Sixteen nights that have moved from the delta of southern Vietnam through Cambodia's history and into the heart of Thailand make for a journey that takes some time to settle into memory, which is rather the point.

Day 17

Arrive home

You arrive back to your home country, the journey complete.

What's Included

International return flights
All regional and domestic flights throughout
Seamless ground transfers throughout
Handpicked accommodations and cruise throughout
Meals as indicated
Curated tours and experiences, including entrance fees
Expert English-speaking local guides throughout

What's Included

International return flights
All regional and domestic flights throughout
Seamless ground transfers throughout
Handpicked accommodations and cruise throughout
Meals as indicated
Curated tours and experiences, including entrance fees
Expert English-speaking local guides throughout

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Mekong Cruise to Chiang Mai Escape

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