Saigon first, the delta after
Before the Mekong, in Ho Chi Minh City
Your Mekong ship is almost certainly not in Ho Chi Minh City. Most lines tie up at My Tho, about two hours away by road, and treat the city as the hotel nights either side of the cruise.
- 7–8 kmTan Son Nhat (SGN) to District 1
- 3 daysViking's time in the city on Magnificent Mekong
- ~70 kmto the Cu Chi Tunnels, northwest of the city
- 40,000 VNDWar Remnants Museum entry
- BerthDelta, not city: My Tho, two hours
- AirportSGN, 7–8 km to District 1
- Nights beforeTwo, for the war history and markets
- Best forWar history, markets and colonial hotels
In short
Saigon before the delta
The ship is out in the delta. AmaWaterways, Viking and Scenic use My Tho, and Uniworld boards Mekong Jewel at Tien Loi in Ben Tre, close by.
So the city is the hotel part of the trip. Viking gives it three days, Uniworld two nights at the Park Hyatt Saigon before boarding, and AmaWaterways adds a city day after the cruise.
The airport sits on the city's edge. A late arrival costs you little.
One free day covers the War Remnants Museum and Independence Palace. Notre Dame Cathedral is under restoration — see it from the square, not inside.
The berths
My Tho, not Saigon: where the ships tie up
The river reaches the city, but most ships don't. This is where each line puts you.
My Tho Port, Tien Giang
The delta end for most lines. AmaWaterways disembarks AmaDara at My Tho Port and coaches guests into the city, and Viking goes by land from its city days to the ship. No line names the berth.
AmaWaterways, Scenic, Viking
Source 1 Source 2 Source 3Tien Loi, Ben Tre (Uniworld)
Uniworld's third day is the Cu Chi Tunnels and lunch. After that, guests are driven to Mekong Jewel at Tien Loi, in Ben Tre near My Tho.
Uniworld
SourceMarina My Tho Port (Aqua Mekong)
Aqua Expeditions collects guests at The Reverie Saigon between 12:30 and 1:30 pm for a shared transfer of about 2 hours, and boards at 3:30 pm. Coming back, the ship docks at 8:00 am and guests are at The Reverie by 11:00 am.
Aqua Expeditions (Aqua Mekong)
SourceHo Chi Minh City riverfront (Avalon)
Avalon is the clear exception: its southbound Avalon Saigon cruises from Vinh Long into Ho Chi Minh City, and the trip ends here. Emerald's 10-day cruise also lists the city as day 1. The berth isn't published.
Avalon Waterways
SourceOn the Mekong the transfer matters more than the berth. Only Aqua publishes a pickup hotel and times; on the other lines the coach is part of the package, and the hotel your line chooses is where boarding day starts.
Ho Chi Minh City on the Mekong. Open the Ho Chi Minh City card on the river map for the lines, the season and nearby calls.
Getting there
Tan Son Nhat to District 1
The airport is inside the city. Traffic, not distance, sets the time.
Fly into
Tan Son Nhat International Airport SGN
About 7–8 km to District 1 — 20–25 minutes off-peak, 45 minutes to an hour at rush hour or in heavy rain.
- Taxi
Metered Vinasun or Mai Linh
About 170,000–280,000 VND ($7–11) to District 1, plus a 10,000–15,000 VND airport gate fee. Fares rise 20–30% between 11 pm and 5 am.
Source - Taxi
GrabCar by app
About 150,000–250,000 VND ($6–10) in normal traffic. More in rain or late at night.
Source - Bus
Route 109 to the centre
15,000–20,000 VND, cash to the conductor, roughly every 20–30 minutes from about 5:30 am. Last-bus times vary, so ask at the counter — and it's no place for cruise luggage.
Source - Line transfer
Side by side
- TaxiMetered Vinasun or Mai LinhTime20–60 minCost170,000–280,000 VNDLate-night arrivals who want a meter
- TaxiGrabCar by appTime20–60 minCost150,000–250,000 VNDAnyone with the Grab app ready
- BusRoute 109 to the centreTime—Cost15,000–20,000 VNDTravellers with only a carry-on
- Line transferUniworld, or Viking with its airTime—Cost—Uniworld guests and Viking Air buyers
What the lines say about transfers
- UniworldAn arrival transfer from Tan Son Nhat to the Park Hyatt Saigon is part of the trip.
- Viking River CruisesGround transfers come only with air bought from Viking.
- ScenicThe drive from My Tho takes about 90 minutes and can finish at the Caravelle Hotel Saigon; book flights out after 3:00 pm.
- AmaWaterwaysGuests are coached from My Tho Port to the city at the end of the cruise.
The day before
Before the delta: one free day
The war history is the core of a first visit, and the line programmes repeat some of it. Check what's included before you book a guide.
The night-before planner
How many nights before you board?
Where are you flying from?
And for Ho Chi Minh City itself?
- 01
War Remnants Museum
28 Vo Van Tan, open daily 7:30 am–5:30 pm, with the ticket counter closing at 5:00 pm; children under 6 go free. Since 10 February 2026 you can book a timed slot online and skip the queue with a QR code. AmaWaterways includes it on its post-cruise day.
Source - 02
Independence Palace
Daily 7:00 am–6:00 pm. The full-site ticket is 80,000 VND for adults, or 40,000 VND for the palace alone. Buy at the 135 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia gate — the Nguyen Du gate stops selling at 4:00 pm. Uniworld's city tour stops here.
Source - 03
Ben Thanh Market, by day or after dark
The covered market runs 6:00 am–6:00 pm, and a night market takes over outside from about 6:00 to 11:00 pm. It's on Viking's and AmaWaterways' city days.
Source - 04
Cu Chi Tunnels, as a half day
Around 1.5 hours each way by car. Ben Dinh runs about 110,000 VND and Ben Duoc about 90,000 VND, both 8:00 am–5:00 pm. AmaWaterways, Uniworld and Avalon include a visit, so check before you book one.
Source - 05
Notre Dame Cathedral, from outside
The restoration won't meet its original end-2027 target. Services have continued inside, but plan on the facade and the scaffolding, not a visit.
Source - 06
A drink at the Continental
The Hotel Continental on Dong Khoi opened in 1880. Graham Greene stayed in Room 214 and wrote The Quiet American there — an easy first evening.
Source
Extra days, booked ahead
Things to do in Ho Chi Minh City
Much of what you'd book here is already in the line programmes. These three fill the gaps.
- Ben Duoc Cu Chi Tunnels half dayOnly if your line leaves Cu Chi out. Ben Duoc is the less-enlarged of the two sites.
- Saigon street-food eveningOn foot or by motorbike, for the arrival night.
- Saigon River dinner or sunset cruiseA look at the river before the ship, if your line boards out at My Tho.
Viator is an affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no cost to you. Your line’s included excursions stay with the line. Disclosure.
Where to stay
Six hotels for the city nights
Our Ho Chi Minh City hotel hub has six. The Park Hyatt Saigon leads — Uniworld's own hotel, with a MICHELIN Key — and The Reverie is the pick before an Aqua Mekong sailing, since the coach leaves from its door.
Dong Khoi and Nguyen Hue
The old District 1 centre. Aqua's pickup at The Reverie, Scenic's drop at the Caravelle, the Continental and Uniworld's Park Hyatt are all here.
Ben Thanh
The market and Independence Palace, a short walk from Dong Khoi.
An Khanh and Thao Dien
The leafy residential bank of the Saigon River, about 15 minutes from the centre. Mia Saigon runs its own boat from here to Ben Nghe Wharf in District 1.
All six Ho Chi Minh City pre-cruise hotels
Hotel links go to Booking.com; Seabound Journeys may earn a commission at no cost to you. Affiliate disclosure. Prefer us to book the nights with the cruise? Say so in your brief.
The lines
Who starts a cruise in Ho Chi Minh City
Trip starts in Ho Chi Minh City
Boards at My Tho
Boards nearby, after the road transfer
Lines with published itineraries that start or end here. Names that are linked open our review.
When
Viking's advice for the Mekong is to avoid summer: spring, fall and winter are milder and drier. Ben Thanh Market closes for several days around Tet, the Lunar New Year. If the market matters to you, check your dates — then confirm your line's transfer time before you book anything for boarding day.
Your checklist
Sorted before boarding day
0 of 5 done
Why trust this page
The Seabound standard
Sources, read at the source
Every fare, berth and timetable here was checked on October 22, 2026, at the line, port or hotel wherever they publish it. Where they don’t, we name the source we used, or say nothing is published.
Paid placements
No line or hotel pays to appear here or to rank higher. Affiliate links are labelled, and they never decide what we recommend.
Advisors, not a booking engine
A Seabound Journeys advisor reads your brief, compares the lines for your dates and answers you personally. CLIA-affiliated, Florida Seller of Travel ST15578.
Have us plan it
Start your Mekong cruise in Ho Chi Minh City
Tell us the month and who is sailing. We match the line, the cabin and the hotel night to how you travel, and price it against the alternatives.
- Usually the same fare as booking direct, and our advice costs you nothing.
- We compare the lines sailing from Ho Chi Minh City for your dates, side by side.
- Hotel nights, flights and transfers can go into the same plan.
Your river brief
Tell us the trip. We’ll find the sailing.
Your brief is in.
Seabound Journeys will come back within one business day with sailings and cabins that fit.
Want to talk sooner? Book a free 30-minute call.
Journey further.
Prefer to browse fares yourself? Compare river cruise fares Via CruiseDirect · Affiliate link
Quick answers
Ho Chi Minh City river cruise questions
Does my ship leave from Ho Chi Minh City?
Usually not. On most lines you'll board in the delta at My Tho or Tien Loi, after a road transfer. Avalon and Emerald are the exceptions: their ships sail into the city itself.
Can I go inside Notre Dame Cathedral?
Not as a visitor, for now. It's under a long restoration that was due to finish by the end of 2027 and is expected to run later. Services have continued, but expect an outside look.
Which part of the city should we stay in?
Dong Khoi and Nguyen Hue, in the old District 1 centre, for walking to dinner and the transfer hotels. Mia Saigon, on the river in An Khanh, if you'd rather a quieter first night.
Should we take a delta day trip before boarding?
No. The ship spends days in the delta, so a day trip from the city repeats the cruise. Use the evening for the Saigon River instead.
What time can I fly home?
It depends on your line's transfer. Scenic asks guests to book flights out after 3:00 pm; Aqua has guests back at The Reverie by 11:00 am. Ask your line before you book the flight.
How we checked this page 18 sources
Every fact above comes from a source listed here, checked on October 22, 2026: port and city authorities, the lines’ own pages, the hotels and the rating guides. Where nothing official is published, the page says so rather than filling the gap.
- Aqua Expeditions – Aqua Mekong embarkation & disembarkation (PDF)
- Travel Managers – AmaWaterways Riches of the Mekong package
- Adventure Life – Scenic Luxury Mekong
- AffordableTours – Avalon Fascinating Vietnam, Cambodia & the Mekong
- iCruise – Viking Magnificent Mekong 2026, Viking Tonle
- Viking – Magnificent Mekong 2027
- Viking – Mekong destination guide
- Uniworld – Timeless Wonders of Vietnam, Cambodia & the Mekong 2026
- Vietnam Tourism – Tan Son Nhat to District 1
- SGGP – War Remnants Museum online tickets (Feb 2026)
- Independence Palace – hours and tickets
- Thaiest – Cu Chi Tunnels guide
- Vietnam Tourism – Ben Thanh Market
- DTiNews – Notre Dame Cathedral restoration (Mar 2026)
- Famous Hotels – Continental Saigon
- Mr & Mrs Smith – Mia Saigon
- MICHELIN Guide – Key hotels in Vietnam
- Viator – Ho Chi Minh City