Photo by Michael Woodhead on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
China · Yunnan
The Lancang, from the gorges of Tibet to Jinghong. Hardly navigable, best seen by road.
km 0 – 2,320 · Shangri-La, Dali, Jinghong
Photo by Shutterstock
Traveling the Mekong, stop by stop
When to go based on the water level, how to link stops by slow boat or bus, which cruise to choose: an independent guide that follows the river, with no tour to sell you.
The Mekong, stretch by stretch
The Mekong loses almost all its altitude in China. Then it spreads out: that's where you travel.
- from source to sea
- 4,909 km
- from China to Vietnam
- 6 countries
- altitude of the source
- 5,224 m
- active mouths out of 9
- 7
Sources: length, Liu et al. 2009 (the MRC uses 4,350 km); source, Chinese Academy of Sciences; mouths, Ba Thắc silted up, Ba Lai closed by a lock.
Photo by Shutterstock
Golden Triangle
Where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet. The slow boat to Luang Prabang leaves from here.
km 2,320 – 2,630 · Chiang Saen, Huay Xai
Photo by Parker Hilton on Unsplash
Laos
Two days by slow boat, then the royal city and the capital, by the water.
km 2,630 – 3,340 · Pakbeng, Luang Prabang, Vientiane
Photo by Kylli Kittus on Unsplash
Isaan and southern Laos
The border river on the Thai side, then Champasak and the 4,000 Islands, down to the Khone Falls.
km 3,340 – 4,210 · Nong Khai, Pakse, Don Det
Photo by Shutterstock
Cambodia
The dolphins of Kratie, the Tonle Sap that reverses, Phnom Penh at the Four Arms.
km 4,210 – 4,700 · Kratie, Kampong Cham, Phnom Penh
Photo by Quang Nguyen Vinh on Pexels
Delta
Floating markets, canals and orchards, from the Cambodian border to the sea.
km 4,700 – 4,909 · Châu Đốc, Cần Thơ, Bến TreMekong River cruises
Our pick by stretch of river, with our reservations. Some links are affiliate links: how we make money.
Photo by Armand Mckenzie on Unsplash
AmaDara
Siem Reap → My Tho
Stops
- Siem Reap
- Angkor Ban
- Phnom Penh
- Oudong
- Tan Chau
- Sa Dec
- My Tho
Most departures board at Kampong Cham, after a 5 to 7-hour coach ride from Siem Reap.
- Length
- 8 days / 7 nights
- Boat
- 60 cabins, 120 passengers; cabins from 251 sq ft
- Season
- October to April
- Price
- from $536 per night per person
Wine, beer and soft drinks with meals and an excursion at every stop: few extras to pay. But boarding “in Siem Reap” usually means Kampong Cham, after 5 to 7 hours by coach. On CruiseDirect, only two year-end departures were on sale in October 2026.
Prices and departures on CruiseDirect Affiliate link
Photo by chatnarin pramnapan on Unsplash
Luang Say
Huay Xai → Luang Prabang
Stops
- Huay Xai
- Khmu or Hmong village
- Pakbeng
- Ban Baw
- Pak Ou
- Luang Prabang
- Length
- 2 days / 1 night
- Boat
- Teak boat, up to 40 passengers, can be chartered
- Season
- Year-round, best from October to April
- Price
- from $205 per night per person
Back in 2026 under the Mekong Cruises name, after stopping in 2022. Two long days on the water, from 10:30 a.m. to evening, then 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with no Wi-Fi on board and a paying bar. The website gives $205 per passenger with the lodge, its FAQ $182: ask for the exact price.
Photo by Quang Nguyen Vinh on Pexels
Bassac
Cai Be → Can Tho
Stops
- Cai Be
- Cho Lach canal
- Mang Thit River
- Cai Rang
- Can Tho
No transfer from Ho Chi Minh City, 2 hours by road from Cai Be.
- Length
- 2 days / 1 night
- Boat
- Bassac II and III: 10 or 12 cabins of about 97 sq ft
- Season
- Year-round, scheduled departures
- Price
- from $312 per night per person
A wooden boat built on the model of the old rice barges, with about ten cabins. On day two it leaves at 6 a.m.; you reach the Cai Rang market by small boat around 8 a.m., and the cruise ends there. From November 1, 2026 to October 31, 2027, the price is published in dong: 8,060,000 VND per person for a booking of one or two people, less from three, and 50% more to have a cabin to yourself.
Travel the Mekong your way
Photo by Dick Hoskins on Pexels
The slow boat
Two days between Huay Xai and Luang Prabang
Photo by Vũ Bụi on Pexels
The cruise
Which stretch, which boat, which season
Photo by Shutterstock
Bikes and the 4,000 Islands
Don Det, Don Khon, the Khone Falls
Photo by Jakub Hałun on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
River wildlife
Irrawaddy dolphins, birds of the Tonle Sap
Photo by K on Pexels
Water festivals
Pi Mai, Boun Ok Phansa, Bon Om Touk
Photo by Shutterstock
The delta with kids
Orchards, canals, floating markets
Itineraries along the Mekong
- The slow boat, Huay Xai – Luang Prabang 2 days · Laos
- The Mekong Delta in 3 days from Ho Chi Minh City · Mỹ Tho, Bến Tre, Cần Thơ
- Laos and Cambodia in 3 weeks 21 days · from Luang Prabang to Phnom Penh
- Southern Laos to the 4,000 Islands 5 days · Pakse, Champasak, Don Det
- Phnom Penh – Châu Đốc by river 1 to 2 days · Kaam Samnor – Vĩnh Xương border
- The Mekong
- By boat
- By road
On the water, on land: our favorite Mekong activities
Afternoon at Kuang Si Falls and sunset cruise
Kayaking between the islands and a zip line over Li Phi
Kampong Phluk floating village by boat
Floating market at dawn, canals and home cooking
GetYourGuide affiliate links · prices checked in October 2026
The Mekong: your questions
What's the best season to travel down the Mekong?
November to February for the weather; August to October for a high river and a navigable Tonle Sap. The month-by-month detail is in our “When to go” guide.
Do you need to book the slow boat in advance?
No: tickets for the public boat are sold at the pier or by guesthouses in Huay Xai and Luang Prabang, the day before or on the morning. Since December 2024 the boat has left Huay Xai at 9 am, so you need to sleep there the night before. Only private cruises, such as Nagi of Mekong, are booked ahead.
Does the giant catfish still live in the river?
Yes, but it is critically endangered. Fishing for it is banned in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, and no wild catch has been documented in Thailand for years, according to National Geographic in 2025.
Mekong stories
Photo by Quang Nguyen Vinh on Pexels
Photo by K on Pexels
Photo by Pierre André on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Updated October 2026 Sources: Mekong River Commission, Open-Meteo 20 stops covered Written by Pierre-Marie Coupry How we make money