This morning, board a sampan for a visit to a local workshop in Vinh Long to see how rice paper, rice wine, and traditional candies are produced.

This afternoon, take a sampan and a nearby motor cart to see scenes of everyday life on Cu Lao Gieng Island. Your tour begins at a local workshop where a professional family handcrafts sampan boats. Then, pay a visit to the home of a local family who crafts Vietnamese conical tops, called “Non la,” from materials such as palm leaves and bamboo. These classic hats are mainly used for sun and rain cover, but you can also see them used as a basket to hold home market purchases. Finally, visit one of Vietnam’s oldest Catholic churches.

Cruising in the afternoon/evening to Chau Doc.

Take a guided stroll around the local market in Chau Doc and soak in the environment as locals buy and sell fish, meat, and produce. Then take a river cruise down the Mekong’s backwaters. See traditional floating houses, speedboat merchants, religious places, a store selling dry goods, and more along the way.

After lunch, a sampan transports you to the village of Long Khanh A for a Cotton-Weaving Demonstration of a well-preserved artisan’s heritage.

Return to the ship and set out for the Cambodian border.

Take a private cyclo tour of Phnom Penh to see the Royal Palace and the magnificent Silver Pagoda, as well as the National Museum, which has an impressive collection of Khmer objects.

The rest of the day is free to explore the area at your leisure. Consider taking a Guided Optional Tour of a nearby brewery, complete with free-flowing local beer!

Just before dinner, children from a nearby orphanage will put on a performance of traditional song and dance.

This morning, a guided tour of the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and one of the Killing Fields provides insight into the Khmer Rouge regime’s massacres against the Cambodian people, or take a tuk-tuk to the bustling Central Market to see its distinctive Art Deco architecture.

After lunch, leave Phnom Penh and spend some time on the ship at leisure.

Cruising in the afternoon/evening to Wat Hanchey.

Visit Wat Hanchey, a hilltop temple from the 8th century. Climb or be guided to the summit for breathtaking views of the immediate area and to participate in a traditional water blessing performed by local monks.

After lunch, take a walking tour of Angkor Ban’s rural village. You can visit a traditional Khmer house and engage with students at a nearby campus.

Evening/nighttime cruise to Konpong Louang.

Begin your guided tour at Konpong Louang’s silversmith village. See how skilled artisans use age-old methods to transform pure silver into works of art. Board an ox cart in Kampong Tralach for a cruise through the scenic Cambodian countryside. Rest along the way to visit a local farmer and hear about his day-to-day life.

Enjoy scenic sailing on the Tonle River this afternoon.

Phnom Penh cruise in the evening.