Free Call our River Cruise Specialists on
Emerald Harmony
Mekong
EMERALDEWHH070525-1
Free Call our River Cruise Specialists on
Request a quote - Let us call you back
(Prices correct as of today’s date, are updated daily, are subject to change and represent genuine availability at time of update).
Please click here to check the essential travel requirement before booking this cruise.
Cruise only holidays are financially protected by ABTA. Fly cruise holidays are financially protected by
Emerald Cruises under ATOL number 9294
Fly from the UK to Hanoi. Xin Chao and welcome to Hanoi! On arrival, you will be met by your Emerald Cruises representative and transferred to your hotel, situated in downtown Hanoi, for a one-night stay. Relax at the hotel, explore the city, or wander Hanoi’s romantic West Lake. This evening, meet your tour director for your welcome briefing.
This morning after breakfast, leave Hanoi and travel to Halong Bay where you will board your traditional-style junk boat. Cruise through the bays and islets enjoying the stunning scenery of this magnificent region. Enjoy the tours offered on board, learn more about the main livelihood of the locals in the area or simply choose to relax. Towards the end of the day, the boat anchors for the night in the Trinh Nu area among the karst formations where dinner will be served on board.
Included Exc... Read More
A visit to the north is not complete without a trip to Halong Bay, where placid waters give way to more than 3,000 limestone karsts and wind-sculpted limestone formations that jut from foggy lagoons. Dotting the bay are tiny islands bordered by white sandy coves and hidden caves, adding to the majestic landscape of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Adding to this naturalist’s dream is the biodiversity of islets, grottos, and Cat Ba Island National Park. The bay, however, shows tourism’s impact: the clearing of mangr... Read More
Today, continue sailing further into the region’s more untouched areas towards Lan Ha Bay. From a smaller boat, enjoy swimming on quiet beaches and kayaking in Ho Ba Ham Lake. Then visit Cua Van fishing village by rowing boat. Return to your traditional junk boat after a full day of exploration. Tonight, try squid fishing after dinner.
Enjoy the sunrise and breakfast before beginning your cruise back through the magnificent rock formations, visiting Sung Sot Cave before arriving back at port. Bid farewell as you transfer to Hanoi. As part of EmeraldPLUS back in Hanoi, you will enjoy lunch at KOTO (Know One Teach One), a unique restaurant set up to train and educate disadvantaged children.
After lunch, you’ll visit Hanoi’s Old Quarter also known as the ‘36 streets’. This bustling area of... Read More
Vietnam's capital, Hanoi, is an enchanting blend of ancient history and modern vibrancy, steeped in a rich tapestry of culture. The city's storied past is showcased through an array of temples, pagodas and historic sites such as The Old Quarter, where narrow streets and colonial architecture provide a window into Hanoi's traditional charm. Elsewhere in Hanoi, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum serves as a solemn tribute to the countries revered leader. The dynamic street life of the city features bustling markets offerin... Read More
Begin your morning tour of Hanoi and learn about ‘Uncle Ho’, considered the father of modern Vietnam, by seeing his mausoleum from outside. Continue to Ho Chi Minh Quarter to see his humble stilt house and the small but iconic One Pillar Pagoda before moving to the nearby Temple of Literature. The Temple of Literature was Vietnam’s first university and it was established to educate Vietnam's royalty, mandarins and members of the elite. The university functioned for an incredible 700 year... Read More
Today, start with our EmeraldPLUS visit to the Reaching Out Project. Reaching Out is an NGO (non-governmental organisation) established in 2000, which provides opportunities for people with disabilities to learn skills and gain meaningful employment. Visit the workshop and get a glimpse of how this NGO helps them to integrate fully with their communities and lead independent and fulfilling lives. After enjoying a local Hoi An street food themed lunch, enjoy a walking tour of Hoi An and see th... Read More
Enjoy a day of leisure to explore Hoi An and its surroundings. Perhaps take the time to explore the Old Town and visit one of the many tailors Hoi An is known for, or take a cyclo (bicycle style rickshaw) to An Bang Beach. Alternatively venture out on one of our DiscoverMORE excursions. The choice is yours.
DiscoverMORE
Red Bridge Vietnamese cooking class (extra expense)
DiscoverMORE
A visit to My Son Ruins (extra expense) Read More
Leave Hoi An for Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam. You will drive through Danang before crossing the Hai Vân Pass, known as the Ocean Clouds Pass before dropping down to the wonderfully photogenic fishing village of Lang Co. In Hue, you will visit the Imperial Citadel where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945. Enjoy a relaxing cyclo (bicycle-style rickshaw) ride from Dai Noi ‘Old City’ to Tinh Tam Lake where the emperors used to go to relax. Then later, join a boat... Read More
Today, transfer to Hue airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon. After checking into your hotel, you will be free to explore the city.
Romantically referred to by the French as the Pearl of the Orient, Ho Chi Minh City today is a super-charged city of sensory overload. Motorbikes zoom day and night along the wide boulevards, through the narrow back alleys and past vendors pushing handcarts hawking goods of all descriptions. Still called Saigon by most residents, this is Vietnam's largest city and the engine driving the country's current economic resurgence, but despite its frenetic pace, it's a friendlier place than Hanoi and locals will tell you... Read More
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 lunch with remainder of the afternoon and evening yours to enjoy at leisure or venture out on one of our DiscoverMORE excursions.
Included Excursion Read More
After checkout, enjoy a tour of the city, 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 after lunch 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 co... Read More
This morning travel through the bustling Cho Gao. The Cho Gao canal is one of the major arterial canals of Vietnam connecting Tien Giang Province in the Mekong Delta with Ho Chi Minh City. Today is a fascinating morning watching the heavy commercial traffic navigate this important waterway which can see upwards of 1,800 vessels transit each day. This afternoon once on the Mekong River, you’ll visit the Tan My Floating community followed by a ride through the local plantations to visit a mushroom farm, a... Read More
After a short ride on a sampan to Sa Dec enjoy a walking tour around town with stops at the home of Mr. Huynh Thuy Le, who inspired Marguerite Duras’ novel L’Amant, and enjoy a walk through the central market to peruse its varied produce.
Return to Emerald Harmony by sampan and sail to My An Hung Island. Recognised as a cultural and historical destination, this small village in rural Vietnam specialises in red-hot chilli and peppers. As part of our EmeraldPLUS program... Read More
Situated in Vietnam's countryside, My An Hung is a beautiful verdant village offering a tranquil escape from urban life. Framed by rolling hills and rice fields, My An Hung is celebrated for its long-standing agricultural traditions, where the cultivation of rice, vegetables and fruits thrives using time-honoured methods passed down through generations.
On Gieng Island you can travel through the island’s villages to visit families who work in a variety of local industries including boat building of different types and creating incense sticks for temples. Also visit Vietnam’s oldest church.
The afternoon is yours to enjoy your free time on board or, if you prefer, partake in a DiscoverMORE optional excursion to the Tam Nong Ramsar Bird Sanctuary in An Long.
Included Excursion
See the local industr...
Read More
Embark on a sampan to Evergreen Island for a walk through a local village to get a glimpse into the lives of the local farming community. Reboard your sampan to travel back to Tan Chau and as part of our EmeraldPLUS programme, visit the recently renovated Cao Dai temple. The religion of Cao Dai is a syncretic, monotheistic religion established in southern Vietnam in the city of Tây Ninh in 1926. Here, you will learn more about the mix of ideas that form the basis of this fascinati... Read More
Wake up in Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh. The city, known as the “Pearl of Asia”, was almost entirely evacuated by the Khmer Rouge in 1975. This morning, you will learn more about the Khmer Rouge and the darkest days of the country’s history. A short drive will take you to the Killing Fields at Choeung Ek. Here you will have the opportunity to walk through the fields, visit the memorial and learn about this sad historic chapter.
Afterwards visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Mu... Read More
Located north of Phnom Penh, Oudong was the former royal capital of Cambodia up until it moved to Phnom Penh in 1866. Important remnants on the temple site include the burial sites of Khmer kings as well as religious artefacts dating back more than a hundred years. In the main temple of the Oudong Monastery, receive a traditional Buddhist blessing from the temple’s resident monks as part of your EmeraldPLUS programme. In the afternoon, you will visit the majestic Royal Palace with its g... Read More
Oudong, once the royal capital of Cambodia, is a historical gem nestled about 40 kilometres north of Phnom Penh. This serene town is known for its impressive temples and stupa-covered hills, offering a glimpse into the country’s royal heritage. Visitors can explore the ancient capital’s stunning pagodas, including the prominent Wat Udong, which boasts beautiful architecture and panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. The area is rich in history, with many archaeological sites that reflect the... Read More
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.
Em... Read More
Siem Reap, in the northwest Cambodia, is a major tourist hub in the country. Once the seat of power for the Khmer Empire, the name of the city translates to Siamese defeated - a reference to the victory of the Khmer Empire over the army of the Thai kingdom in the 17th century. Siem Reap is the closest city to the world famous temples of Angkor, and its provincial capital sits on the shores of the Tonle Sap lake, making it the most popular tourist destination for those exploring Cambodia.
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 re... Read More
Rise early and witness the sunrise over Angkor Wat. Afterwards walk through this UNESCO World Heritage-listed site known for its elaborate decorations and intricate carvings throughout. This afternoon is free time to visit the town and markets or try a DiscoverMORE tour. Later this evening, enjoy your farewell dinner as part of your EmeraldPLUS programme, accompanied by an Apsara dance performance.
EmeraldPLUS
Apsara dance performance and...
Read More
After breakfast this morning, you will be transferred to the Siem Reap airport for your flight to the UK.
This itinerary is a guide only and may be amended for operational reasons such as high and low water. As such, the cruise may operate altered from that stated above.
Show All
Show Less