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A traditional wooden boat carrying passengers on the Mekong at Vinh Long, Vietnam, at sunset

Photo by Vũ Bụi on Pexels

Mekong River cruises, compared

9 cruises, from Laos to the delta, compared on what matters when choosing: the stretch, the time spent on board, what the price covers and the price per night. For each one, who it suits, and who it doesn't.

By Pierre-Marie Coupry · updated · sources

Which stretch of the Mekong to choose for a cruise

It depends on what you want to see and how much time you have. The Khone Falls cut the river: no boat goes from Laos to Cambodia, so you have to choose. Two days: Laos or the delta. A week: Cambodia and Vietnam. Ten days and a big budget: the upper Mekong all the way to Vientiane.

Laos, the wild river

Small boats, forested gorges, villages with no road.

Golden Triangle → Luang Prabang or Vientiane; Pakse from 2028

Length
2 to 11 days
Price per night
from $160
Passengers
20 to 40
Best season
October to April

What you'll see: the Golden Triangle, forested banks, the Pak Ou Caves and Luang Prabang at the end; Vientiane if you go all the way.

Right for you if

  • You want a river that still feels wild, away from the big boats
  • You have two days, or ten to reach Vientiane

Not for you if

  • You want to sleep on board without a big budget: on two-day trips the night is spent in Pakbeng
  • You want to see Angkor or the delta

What the brochures barely mention: on two-day cruises you sail from about 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and sleep ashore. Today only the Mekong Star keeps its passengers on board, over ten nights.

See the 4 cruises

Cambodia to Vietnam, Angkor and the delta

The big boats, from Phnom Penh or Siem Reap to the delta.

Siem Reap or Phnom Penh → delta

Length
3 to 15 days
Price per night
from $236
Passengers
28 to 120
Best season
August to April

What you'll see: Phnom Penh at the Four Arms, the Cham villages on the Bassac, the islands and orchards of the delta down to My Tho; Angkor at the start of some cruises.

Right for you if

  • You want Angkor, Phnom Penh and the delta in one trip
  • You like the comfort of a big boat, guided excursions included

Not for you if

  • You want a wild river: here it is wide and lived-in
  • You travel from January to April and insist on boarding in Siem Reap

What the brochures barely mention: from January to April, low water stops the boats at Kampong Cham: Siem Reap is 5 to 7 hours away by coach.

See the 4 cruises

The delta alone, a night on the water

A small hotel boat, two hours by road from Ho Chi Minh City.

Cai Be → Can Tho

Length
2 days
Price per night
from $312
Passengers
24
Best season
Year-round

What you'll see: canals lined with orchards and coconut palms, basket-weaving workshops, the Cai Rang floating market.

Right for you if

  • You have two days from Ho Chi Minh City
  • You want to sleep in a wooden boat with a handful of cabins

Not for you if

  • You want a big cabin: they are about 97 sq ft on the Bassac
  • You want to see Cambodia

What the brochures barely mention: you reach the floating market around 8 a.m., not at dawn, and Cai Be is reached by road.

See the cruise

All Mekong River cruises

Who sails where
  • AmaDaraSiem Reap → My Tho (matches your filters)
  • Avalon SaigonPhnom Penh → Ho Chi Minh City (matches your filters)
  • Mekong JewelHo Chi Minh City → Hanoi (matches your filters)
  • Luang SayHuay Xai → Luang Prabang (matches your filters)
  • Nagi of MekongHuay Xai → Luang Prabang (matches your filters)
  • Mekong StarGolden Triangle → Vientiane (matches your filters)
  • Mekong Eyes ClassicPhnom Penh → Can Tho (matches your filters)
  • BassacCai Be → Can Tho (matches your filters)
  • New Lernidee ship (2028)Pakse → 4000 Islands → Pakse (matches your filters)

Khone Falls : Not to scale. The vertical line marks the Khone Falls, which boats cannot pass. In ochre, the cruises that match your filters.

Not to scale. The vertical line marks the Khone Falls, which boats cannot pass. In ochre, the cruises that match your filters.

9 cruises, first those you can book through our partners, then those booked with the operator; then by stretch, from Laos to the delta, and by length; the boat announced for 2028 comes last. Price per night per person, double cabin.

How to read a card
Price per night
The lowest published fare, per person in a double cabin, divided by the number of nights. Prices published in euros are converted at the October 11, 2026 rate ($1 = €0.89).
Max. passengers
How many passengers the boat carries when full, according to the operator.
Nights aboard
The nights spent on the boat, out of the whole package sold. The others are spent in a hotel or lodge.
Included
Which of meals, drinks with meals, excursions and transfers the price covers. The "extra" line says what is left to pay.
Compare
Tick the box on 2 or 3 cards to see them side by side.
Angkor Wat's towers behind a row of sugar palms under a blue sky

Photo by Armand Mckenzie on Unsplash

Best for: Angkor and the delta in one trip

AmaDara, Siem Reap → My Tho

Cambodia → Vietnam · 8 days / 7 nights · Premium · AmaWaterways

Price per nightfrom $536
Max. passengers120
Nights aboard7 of 7
IncludedMeals, drinks with meals, excursions, transfersextra: Premium drinks, tips
  1. Siem Reap
  2. Angkor Ban
  3. Phnom Penh
  4. Oudong
  5. Tan Chau
  6. Sa Dec
  7. My Tho

Right for you if

  • You want Angkor and the delta in one trip
  • You want wine, beer and excursions included

Not for you if

  • You dread a long coach day at the start
  • You want a boat with fewer than 50 passengers

Our take: 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
The white mosque of a Cham village, its minaret and domes

Photo by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Best for: A week with a small group

Avalon Saigon, Phnom Penh → Ho Chi Minh City

Cambodia → Vietnam · 8 days / 7 nights · Premium · Avalon Waterways

Price per nightfrom $488
Max. passengers36
Nights aboard7 of 7
IncludedMeals, drinks with meals, excursionsextra: Transfers, tips
  1. Phnom Penh
  2. Wat Hanchey
  3. Angkor Ban
  4. Kampong Tralach
  5. Chau Doc
  6. Cu Lao Gieng
  7. Vinh Long
  8. Ho Chi Minh City

Right for you if

  • You want a boat with 36 passengers
  • You want wine and beer included with meals

Not for you if

  • You want to see Angkor: Siem Reap isn't on the route
  • You expect transfers: they cost extra

Our take: The smallest of the big boats on this list, with 36 passengers. The fare includes wine and beer with meals and guided excursions, but not transfers. On CruiseDirect, only suite prices were shown in October 2026: $3,419 to $4,959 depending on the departure.

Prices and departures on CruiseDirect Affiliate link
The wide brown Ben Tre river between two wooded banks

Photo by Magicknight94 on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Best for: All-inclusive, from the delta to Angkor

Mekong Jewel, Ho Chi Minh City → Hanoi

Cambodia → Vietnam · 15 days / 14 nights · Luxury · Uniworld

Price per nightfrom $396
Max. passengers68
Nights aboard7 of 14 7 hotel nights in Ho Chi Minh City, Siem Reap and Hanoi
IncludedMeals, drinks with meals, excursions, transfersextra: Spa, premium spirits
  1. Ho Chi Minh City
  2. My Tho
  3. Tien Loi
  4. Vinh Long
  5. Sa Dec
  6. Phnom Penh
  7. Angkor Ban
  8. Kampong Cham
  9. Siem Reap
  10. Hanoi

Right for you if

  • You want everything included, tips too
  • You want Angkor and Hanoi on the same trip

Not for you if

  • You only want the cruise: it's sold only as a 15-day tour
  • You prefer small boats

Our take: The most complete on this list: house wine, local beer and spirits, excursions and tips are all included. But the cruise is sold only with its hotels and flights, and it ends at Kampong Cham: Siem Reap is reached by coach. On CruiseDirect, prices ranged from $5,549 to $9,149 per person depending on the departure in October 2026.

Prices and departures on CruiseDirect Affiliate link
A boat on a wide river at sunset, under a pink and orange sky, with hills behind

Photo by chatnarin pramnapan on Unsplash

Best for: The slow boat route with a lodge night

Luang Say, Huay Xai → Luang Prabang

Laos · 2 days / 1 night · Comfort · Mekong Cruises

Price per nightfrom $205
Max. passengers40
Nights aboard0 of 1 night at the lodge in Pakbeng
IncludedMeals, excursions, transfersextra: Drinks, visa
  1. Huay Xai
  2. Khmu or Hmong village
  3. Pakbeng
  4. Ban Baw
  5. Pak Ou
  6. Luang Prabang

Right for you if

  • You want the slow boat route with a guide, without the crush at the pier
  • You want to sleep in a riverside lodge in Pakbeng

Not for you if

  • You want to sleep on board: the night is spent at the lodge
  • You are on a tight budget: the public boat costs about a tenth of the price

Our take: 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.

Mekong Cruises website
Slow boats lined up on the Pakbeng bank, the town behind

Photo by Tango7174 on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Best for: The slow boat route on a budget, without the crowds

Nagi of Mekong, Huay Xai → Luang Prabang

Laos · 2 days / 1 night · Comfort · Nagi of Mekong

Price per nightfrom $160
Max. passengers40
Nights aboard0 of 1 night in a Pakbeng hotel
IncludedMeals, excursions, transfersextra: Dinner in Pakbeng, drinks
  1. Huay Xai
  2. Pakbeng
  3. Pak Ou
  4. Luang Prabang

Right for you if

  • You want a comfortable boat for under $200 per person
  • You want to choose your hotel in Pakbeng

Not for you if

  • You want to book online: it's by email or WhatsApp
  • You want to sleep on board or in the operator's own lodge

Our take: The public slow boat route, on a 40-seat boat that rarely leaves full, with lunches, a guide and transfers included. $160 per person with a standard hotel in Pakbeng, $195 with the Sanctuary or Le Grand Pakbeng, $140 for the boat only.

Nagi of Mekong website
Longboats on the Nam Ou, below forested cliffs

Photo by Olivier Darny on Pexels

Best for: The upper Mekong with ten nights aboard

Mekong Star, Golden Triangle → Vientiane

Laos · 11 days / 10 nights · Luxury · Mekong River Cruises (Lernidee)

Price per nightfrom $678
Max. passengers24
Nights aboard10 of 10
IncludedMeals, drinks with meals, excursions, transfersextra: Crew tips, visa
  1. Golden Triangle
  2. Huay Xai
  3. Pak Tha
  4. Pak Ou
  5. Luang Prabang
  6. Kuang Si
  7. Ban Don Saingam
  8. Salakham
  9. Vientiane

Right for you if

  • You want the upper Mekong without changing rooms for ten nights
  • You want Luang Prabang, Kuang Si and Vientiane on the same trip

Not for you if

  • You are on a tight budget: more than $670 per night per person
  • You want to see the delta or Angkor: the boat stays in Laos

Our take: Launched in fall 2025 by Lernidee's Lao company, which calls it its most upmarket ship: 12 cabins with balconies, a spa treatment and house wine with meals included. The package also covers excursions, entrance fees and transfers from Chiang Rai and Vientiane airports. Prices are published in euros: €6,050 to €7,680 per person depending on the departure.

Mekong River Cruises website
A man standing on a boat in front of the floating houses on the Bassac

Photo by Vyacheslav Argenberg on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0

Best for: From Cambodia to the delta in three days

Mekong Eyes Classic, Phnom Penh → Can Tho

Cambodia → Vietnam · 3 days / 2 nights · Comfort · Mekong Eyes

Price per nightfrom $236
Max. passengers28
Nights aboard1 of 2 first night in a Chau Doc hotel
IncludedMeals, excursions, transfersextra: Alcohol, tips
  1. Phnom Penh
  2. Chau Doc
  3. Cai Be or Can Tho
  4. Cai Rang

Right for you if

  • You have three days, not a week
  • You want the Cai Rang floating market without sleeping in Can Tho

Not for you if

  • You want to sleep on board every night: the first is in a hotel
  • You need a Vietnamese visa: it isn't issued on arrival at this crossing

Our take: It isn't a cruise from start to finish: speedboat to Chau Doc, a night in a hotel, then a single night on board before the Cai Rang market and the road to Saigon. It's the shortest way to cross the border by river with a night on the water.

Mekong Eyes website
Boats loaded with fruit and vegetables, vendors in conical hats and houseboats at the Cai Rang floating market

Photo by Quang Nguyen Vinh on Pexels

Best for: A night aboard in the delta

Bassac, Cai Be → Can Tho

Delta · 2 days / 1 night · Comfort · TransMekong

Price per nightfrom $312
Max. passengers24
Nights aboard1 of 1
IncludedMeals, excursionsextra: Drinks, road transfers
  1. Cai Be
  2. Cho Lach canal
  3. Mang Thit River
  4. Cai Rang
  5. Can Tho

Right for you if

  • You want to sleep on the water, in a wooden boat with a handful of cabins
  • You are leaving Ho Chi Minh City for two days

Not for you if

  • You want space: cabins are about 97 sq ft
  • You expect the floating market at dawn: you get there around 8 a.m.

Our take: 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.

TransMekong website
Khone Phapheng falls, the Mekong in rapids between rocks across its whole width

Photo by Basile Morin on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Best for: Southern Laos, from 2028

New Lernidee ship (2028), Pakse → 4000 Islands → Pakse

Laos · 6 days / 5 nights · Premium · Lernidee Trains & Cruises

Price per nightnot published
Max. passengers20
Nights aboard5 of 5
Includednot publishedextra: not published
  1. Pakse
  2. Wat Phou
  3. Bolaven Plateau
  4. 4000 Islands
  5. Khone Phapheng Falls

Right for you if

  • You want southern Laos without changing hotels
  • Wat Phou and the Khone Falls interest you as much as the river

Not for you if

  • You're traveling before 2028: nothing sails yet
  • You're traveling from May to August: no departures announced

Our take: Announced by Lernidee in March 2026; the company already runs three ships in northern Laos. Dates, fares and the ship's name have not been published yet.

Mekong River Cruises website

How we compare Mekong River cruises

Where our reviews come from

We don't test the cruises. Each review rests on what the operator publishes: day-by-day itinerary, times, cabin sizes, terms of sale. When CruiseDirect sells the cruise, we cross-check with its offer.

Why Viking or Pandaw aren't listed

Viking, Pandaw, Heritage Line and Aqua Expeditions also sail the Mekong. They will join the list once we have checked their itinerary, prices and inclusions, as we did for the cruises listed, in October 2026.

Who pays us

CruiseDirect, when you book through our links: a commission, at no extra cost to you. Operators, never: none pays to be listed here. Cruises bookable through our partners are shown first.

How we're funded →

Mekong River cruise FAQ

Public slow boat or cruise: which to choose?
The public slow boat costs 400,000 to 500,000 kip for both days, about $18 to $23, on wooden benches; you pick and pay for your own hotel in Pakbeng. Nagi of Mekong or Luang Say cover the same route in comfortable seats, with lunches, a guide and transfers, for about $160 to $205, with the night in Pakbeng. Neither lets you sleep on board.
Traveling solo: what does the cabin cost?
On most of these cruises, a supplement is added to the double-cabin fare. It is 50% on the Bassac and on the AmaDara (100% for the luxury suite), where AmaWaterways reduces it on some departures. On the two-day cruises in Laos, it only applies to the night in Pakbeng: $59 extra on the Luang Say, $20 to $45 on Nagi of Mekong depending on the hotel. Avalon and Uniworld charge a supplement without publishing the amount; Avalon waives it on one August 2027 departure.
Can you take children on a Mekong River cruise?
Yes, but not on every boat. The minimum age is 5 on the Mekong Jewel, 8 on the Avalon Saigon and the Mekong Star, and 12 on the AmaDara unless the line agrees otherwise. The Luang Say and the Bassac take younger children: on the Luang Say, free under 6 and half price from 7 to 12; on the Bassac, free under 2 and half price under 12. On the Mekong Star, a child aged 8 to 18 pays half price in an adult's cabin. Avalon gives no reduction.
How do you book these cruises?
AmaDara, Avalon Saigon and Mekong Jewel can be booked online on CruiseDirect, in US dollars. Luang Say, Bassac, Mekong Eyes and the Mekong Star are booked with their operator, on its website. Nagi of Mekong takes bookings by email or WhatsApp.
What should you budget on top of the price?
Visas, about $40 for Laos on arrival, $30 for the Cambodian e-Visa and $25 for the Vietnamese e-Visa; drinks outside meals; tips, except on the Mekong Jewel; and, on most cruises, flights and the trip to the boat. The “extra” line on each card spells it out.
How much should you tip the crew?
Only two operators give an amount: $8 to $12 per person per day for the Mekong Star crew, $2 to $5 a day for the Luang Say crew and guide. On the Mekong Jewel, tips are included, on board and ashore. AmaWaterways, Avalon, Mekong Eyes and TransMékong leave them to you without setting an amount.
Do you need a visa for a Cambodia – Vietnam cruise?
Yes, for both countries if you hold a US passport: a Cambodian e-Visa for $30 or a visa on arrival, and a Vietnamese e-Visa from $25. At the river crossing used by Mekong Eyes, Vietnam issues no visa on arrival: get the e-Visa before you go.

Sources: itineraries, prices and terms, websites of AmaWaterways, Avalon Waterways, Uniworld, Mekong River Cruises, Mekong Cruises, Nagi of Mekong, Mekong Eyes and TransMékong, and CruiseDirect (October 2026); slow boat, 2026 traveler reports (Explorer Tom, Travelfeed, Backpackers Wanderlust); visas, official e-Visa portals (October 2026); exchange rate, ExchangeRate-API (October 11, 2026). Updated October 12, 2026 by Pierre-Marie Coupry.