Saigon to Angkor Bike Tour

The morning is free for you to explore the city. We recommend exploring on your own some of the most popular sites - Ben Thanh Market, Saigon Opera House, Continental Hotel, The Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral and Post Office, The War Remnants Museum, China Town (Cho Lon in Dist 5), Thien Hau Pagoda, Landmark 81 building and Jade Emperor Pagoda. It gives you an excellent introduction to the city’s history with plenty of opportunities to soak up the unique mix of chaos and tranquility that is modern-day Saigon.

Our guide meets you at your hotel at 17:00hrs for a bike fitting followed by dinner to celebrate the start of our journey on a bike.

If you intend to arrive in Ho Chi Minh City a day in advance, we recommend seizing the chance to explore the Cu Chi Tunnels—an elaborate network of underground passages that were extensively used during the Vietnam War.

Our guide meets you at your hotel in Saigon at 8 am.

We begin the day with a shuttle transfer of about 1 hour 20 minutes to arrive at Cai Lay, on the outskirts of Saigon. We ride for around 25 kms (15 mi) along a small creek to the Mekong estuary past gorgeous paddy fields and orchards of durian and dragon fruit. Seasonally, on the way to the Mekong Delta, we can enjoy the peaceful scenes of farmers seeding, ploughing, and harvesting the rice crop.

We arrive at Cai Be and take a boat trip along the mighty Mekong River and its tributaries to experience the daily lives of people who work and play on the waterways of the Mekong Delta. We also visit the floating market at Cai Be, and a family-run business producing rice paper – a key ingredient in Vietnamese cuisine. We also get to see the locals make coconut candy and puffed rice.

We break for lunch on an island at a local house, set amongst fruit orchards and bonsai trees. There are both veg and non-veg options available at this delicious home-cooked lunch, including home-made noodles, rice pancake, sea food, and pork.

After lunch, we have another shuttle transfer of about 30 minutes. We then continue riding along the river, passing through several quiet villages, under a lush green canopy of trees. The surface is about 80% smooth and 20% gravel.

We end the day's biking after riding another 20 kms (12.5 mi) and hop on to a boat which takes us to our hotel in Cai Be. The boat ride to the hotel takes around 1 hour, but is well worth the wait, for a large swimming pool awaits us here.

Today, we begin cycling from our hotel itself at 8 in the morning and ride into the heartland of the Mekong Delta. We bike along waterways and rice paddies, past pristine hamlets nestled in the orchards and coconut plantations for the initial cycling leg.

We then hop on to a ferry and through this leisurely boat ride of 30 minutes, we witness the diligent work of farmers tending to their jackfruit and mango trees in the nurseries along the route.

Along the way, we make a stop at Coco Home, a family-owned market located near Cai Be town on the Mekong River. This market specializes in crafting a variety of products from rice, which serves as the lifeblood of the region and a fundamental component of Vietnamese cuisine.

At Coco Home, you can observe the production of rice paper, rice wine, puffed rice, and coconut candy. Rice paper finds its purpose as a wrap, noodle, or dumpling ingredient, among other uses. The area takes pride in rice wine, a beloved local beverage. Interestingly, the market proudly showcases bottles containing fruits, scorpions, and snakes immersed in rice wine.

We then continue biking through rice paddies and quiet villages before stopping for lunch at the home of a local family. We again have a choice of both veg and non-veg delicacies including morning glory with garlic, steamed rice, vegetable soup, red tilapia fish, and pork. Post lunch, we can relax for 20 minutes on a comfortable hammock to allow the flavors of the delicious lunch to soak in.

We again hit the road and bike for 15 kms (9 mi) before stopping to visit a Cambodian-style Khmer Buddhist pagoda. We then hop on to our shuttle and drive to our hotel, which is 30 minutes away.

Tonight, you are free to explore your own dinner options. The city center is only a 10 minutes walk from our resort, and there's a vibrant street food market in the town.

Set on the southern bank of the Hau River, Can Tho is known for its network of canals and nearby floating markets.

We start this day at 7:30am and hop on to a boat to experience the early morning Cai Rang floating market. Each boat in this market showcases its distinct specialty, which can be identified by the items hanging on tall poles. While many boats anchor in place, a few gracefully float around, particularly those dedicated to snacks or coffee, catering to the shop owners' needs. The majority of the boats appear weathered, constructed from aged wood and exude a rustic charm.

This bustling market primarily focuses on the sale of fresh produce and food items, ranging from sweet potatoes and watermelons to lychee. Unlike clothing or household goods, the market solely revolves around agricultural products. Exploring this lively marketplace provides a fascinating glimpse into the authentic daily life of the locals. After the boat ride, we disembark onto a pathway made of old railroad ties and proceed to walk along a busy road lined with numerous meat markets, eventually making our way back to the van.

After a shuttle transfer of about 10 minutes, we get on our bikes and ride through country roads flanked by coconut and palm trees, and through rice paddies, and banana plantations. After about 30 kms (19 mi), we load our bikes on the van and drive around an hour to our lunch stop.

Post lunch, we take another shuttle transfer of around 1 hour before resuming our biking. We bike for 20 kms (12.5 mi) through beautiful vegetable farms and on a smooth surface. We stop for a visit at a Vietnamese pagoda, before loading our bikes in the van and calling it a day. We drive for about 10 minutes before arriving at the culturally diverse Chau Doc where we get to see mosques, temples, and churches. If we make it on time, take a boat trip to the Cham communities across the river.

We take an early morning 07:30 am speed boat and arrive at the capital city of Cambodia Phnom Penh, via boat. The border checks between Vietnam and Cambodia take around 45 minutes to take. Make sure to carry your passport and $35 handy for speedy processing. As we journey toward Cambodia today, there will be a change in tour guide(s), bikes, and vehicles.

Once in Cambodia, we get to witness historical splendors spread in every corner, whether it’s the local palace or the horrific remnants of the Khmer atrocities.

Post-lunch get ready to be immersed in the Cambodian culture and history of the city as we kick off our walking tour from Wat Phnom. Enjoy walking along the Tonle Sap river, considered the lifeline of the region. Continue towards the National Museum, which houses several national treasures from three different eras: Pre-Angkorian, Angkorian, and Post-Angkorian, giving the flavor of diverse culture and architecture. The last leg of our walk takes us to the gilded Royal Palace, shimmering with silver tiles and sculptures of Buddha, which gives an insight into Cambodian Royal Life.

We recommend tasting some local Khmer cuisine at one of Phnom Penh’s finest dining place ‘Romdeng’. End day with a walk or tuk-tuk ride back to the hotel.

Border Crossing & Visa Information

On this day, we will be crossing the border into Cambodia. Please review the following visa requirements:

For Guests Holding a Vietnam Evisa:

• A printed copy of your Vietnam Evisa is required when exiting Vietnam.
• Guests who overstay or do not have a valid printed Evisa may be denied transportation by the boat team.

Cambodia Visa (On Arrival):

• A passport is required to obtain a Cambodia Visa on arrival.
• The visa fee is $36.00, including the service fee.
• Upon boarding, the ferry's onboard guide will collect passports and complete the necessary paperwork.
• No photo or online e-Arrival card is required in advance, as this border crossing (Kaam Somnor) does not mandate it.
• The port on the Vietnam side is Vinh Xuong border gate named Sông Tiền. Its counterpart across the border is Khaorm Sam Nor Kaoh Roka border gate, Kandal Province, Cambodia.

For Guests Holding a Cambodia Evisa:

• A Cambodia Evisa cannot be used for entry at this border.
• Guests must purchase a new visa at the border on the day of departure.
• The Cambodia Evisa applies only to specific entry points and does not cover the Kaam Somnor crossing.

After a hearty breakfast, we start our day with a short shuttle transfer to the outskirts of Phnom Penh. Here, set out on a bike ride on a dirt road through some of the most interior parts of Cambodia. It’s a flat ride past paddy fields, lotus farms, and typical rural hamlets. Expect young kids to stretch their arms and give a big wave or locals inviting you into their homes. We may have to share our road with water buffaloes and cows and reach Oudong. Oudong was the capital of Khmer for around 200 years. A gradual climb takes us to the top of the mountain surrounded by many stupas. Admire the spectacular views all around. An hour or so shuttle brings us to Kampong Thom.

In the morning, ride around Kampong Thom’s Sambor Prei Kuk temple complex, which predates Angkor Wat by at least 200 years.

Later, ride through the bucolic countryside with a spectacular view of paddy fields and lotus farms all around and get transferred (long transfer) to Siem Reap for the last leg.

The Angkor temple complex is synonymous with Cambodia, so a ride around the temple is essential. Our guide meets you at your hotel in the early hours and takes you back into the Angkor era on a bike ride. Start riding directly from the hotel and reach the moat of Angkor Wat. Catch the brilliant morning rays on the ancient temple complex and spend ample time photographing as you would have seen nothing like this before. We will loop back to Angkor Wat for a detailed tour at the end of our ride.

Continue riding towards Angkor Thom and enter the city from the South gate. Beat the crowd and climb the surrounding wall of the city and ride on top of it. Take a break here for a rich fascinating account of the city from our guide. A further ride through the East Gate takes us to Bayon, a richly decorated face temple within the Angkor complex is one of the highlights here. Exit from the second East gate of the city and ride towards jungle-clad TA Prohm. Our guide shares historical anecdotes and walks you through temples along the way.

The Angkor Wat requires more than a morning, so we loop back for a more detailed guided tour. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is considered one of the largest religious complexes in the world and it’s bound to enthrall you. Climb Phnom Bakheng for a classic view of Angkor during sunset.

We recommend making a final early morning visit to Angkor and witnessing the magnificent views in the backdrop of sunrise. If you prefer to do, please have a chat with your guide about the same. There may be further entry charges for Angkor that you can pay directly.