Cultural journeys through the Mekong Delta
Tours · Booking
How to book, step by step
Booking runs by form and email. You send dates and the shape of the trip; we reply with a route and a priced quote naming every hotel; you change what you like; and once you accept, we confirm the hotels and boats in writing.
Booking
The steps
- 01
Send the form
A month or dates, how many are travelling, which journey or which communities interest you. Five fields are enough to start.
- 02
Read our first reply
By email: questions if something is unclear, or a draft route with the heritage table and the hotels we propose.
- 03
Change it
Move nights, add Chau Doc, end in Phnom Penh. Each version is priced again in full.
- 04
Accept the quote
We check availability with the hotels and boat operators and hold what they allow.
- 05
Pay the deposit
As stated on your written quotation. We confirm everything in writing.
- 06
Before you travel
A final itinerary with pick-up times, the guide’s name and the updated heritage table.
What to tell us in the first message
- When. A month is enough. If you want a festival, say which; we work out the lunar dates for your year.
- Who. Number of adults and children, children’s ages, anyone who needs a separate room.
- How long. Five, six, seven or eight days, or the dates you have in the delta within a longer trip.
- Where it ends. Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho airport, Phnom Penh or Phu Quoc — this decides the route shape.
- Hotel level. Simple, comfortable, or the Victoria hotels where they exist. “Advise me” is fine.
- Anything that would spoil it. Mobility limits, a dislike of small boats, dietary needs, early starts.
If you have none of this yet, send what you have. We will ask the rest.
Timing: how far ahead to book
Outside the festival weeks, a few weeks’ notice is usually workable, and earlier always gives more hotel choice. Two periods need much more notice:
- The Bà Chúa Xứ festival (22nd–27th day of the fourth lunar month) fills Chau Doc and Sam Mountain hotels. Enquire as early as you can.
- Ok Om Bok (full moon of the tenth lunar month) fills Soc Trang’s small stock of hotels. The organisers announce the programme each year; in 2025 the Can Tho city edition ran 3 to 5 November.
If you are ending in Phnom Penh, also allow time for your Cambodian visa decision, and if you need a Vietnam e-visa, apply through the official portal only.
Sources: UNESCO — Festival of Bà Chúa Xứ Goddess at Sam Mountain; Doanh nghiệp Hội nhập, 3 Nov 2025 — Ok Om Bok 2025; Vietnam National Authority of Tourism — visa requirements · checked .
What you receive
- A written route, day by day, with drive times and the reason for each night’s base
- The heritage table for your route — site, community, date and source, hours, dress
- A priced quote with hotels, room types, boats and inclusions on separate lines
- After confirmation: hotel and boat confirmations, and the final itinerary with pick-up times
If you want to compare quotes, the pricing page explains how ours is built. For the routes themselves, start from the journeys overview; for the places, from the destinations.
Changes and cancellations
Before you travel, changes are re-quoted in full. Cancellation terms are stated on your quotation and depend on what hotels and boat operators have already charged; we show these costs line by line.
During the journey, the guide adapts the order of the day to weather, river conditions and ceremonies. If a boat is cancelled or a festival programme changes, we tell you the alternative and any cost before it is made.
Who should not book with us
- Travellers who want to book instantly online with a card — we confirm by quote and email
- Anyone who needs a fixed-departure group with a guaranteed price a year ahead
- Travellers who want a day trip or a two-day trip; our shortest journey is five days
Common questions
Questions travellers ask most
How long do I have to accept a quote?
Your quote states how long it is valid. After that we check the hotels and fares again before confirming.
Can I book only part of a route?
Yes, as long as it is five days or more. Tell us the part you want and where you will start and end.
Do you arrange visas?
No. Vietnam e-visas are applied for by the traveller on the official portal. We explain what you need for Cambodia if the route ends in Phnom Penh.
Can you book our flights?
We include boat tickets that are part of the route. International and domestic flights are better booked by you directly with the airline.
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How to reach us through the form, and what to put in a first message.
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How Mekong Odyssey plans its journeys, what it does not do well, and why.
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Example journey
The Four Cultures
Seven days: Khmer, Hoa, Kinh and Cham heritage, Oc Eo, and a boat to Phnom Penh.
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Example journey
Festival Journey
Six days timed to the Bà Chúa Xứ festival at Chau Doc, or to Ok Om Bok in Soc Trang.
View this journeyStart planning
Tell us about the journey you have in mind
A month, how many are travelling and the communities or festival that interest you are enough to start. We reply by email with questions or a first route and its heritage table.