Mekong River Cruise from Cambodia to Vietnam: The Aussie Visa Playbook for 2026
A Mekong cruise from Phnom Penh to Saigon is the slowest, prettiest, and least-stressful way to do the Cambodia-to-Vietnam crossing. Operators handle the paperwork onboard — but Australians still need to sort both visas before they board.
How do Australians handle visas for a Mekong river cruise from Phnom Penh to Saigon?
You arrange both visas yourself before you board, even though the cruise crew handles the actual border paperwork onboard. Apply for the Cambodia eVisa ($80 USD / ~$122 AUD all-in, approved in 3 business days, delivered as a printable PDF by email) at least two weeks before your flight to Phnom Penh. Apply for the Vietnam eVisa ($25 USD / ~$38 AUD single-entry) about three weeks before sailing. Both arrive as PDFs. The cruise purser collects every passport onboard the day before the Kaam Samnar–Vinh Xuong river crossing, processes Cambodian exit and Vietnamese entry while you sleep, and returns the lot at breakfast. You also still need the Cambodia e-Arrival Card for the flight into KTI Phnom Penh.
Conclusiones clave
- A 7 to 14-night Mekong cruise from Phnom Penh to Saigon costs roughly $2,500 to $6,000 AUD per person on operators like AmaWaterways, Avalon, Pandaw, and Heritage Line.
- You still need to apply for both visas yourself before you board: Cambodia eVisa at $80 USD (~$122 AUD) and Vietnam eVisa at $25 USD (~$38 AUD) single-entry.
- The river border crossing is handled onboard by the cruise pursers — your passports are collected the day before, stamped at the Kaam Samnar–Vinh Xuong river checkpoint, and returned at breakfast.
- Cambodia visa-on-arrival exists at Phnom Penh airport but is unreliable. The eVisa is the safer pre-trip option and is approved in 3 business days.
- You do still need a Cambodia e-Arrival Card for the flight into Phnom Penh, even though the cruise itself exits Cambodia by river.
- Aussie cruisers typically fly Sydney/Melbourne to Bangkok or Singapore, connect to Phnom Penh (KTI), do the cruise, then fly home from Saigon (SGN).
Why a Mekong cruise works so well for Aussies in 2026
Most Australians who want to see both Cambodia and Vietnam in one trip end up doing the Bavet bus or a Phnom Penh–Saigon flight. Both are fine. Neither is memorable. The third option, and the one a growing share of our Australian clients are picking in 2026, is a multi-day river cruise that starts at Phnom Penh, drifts south along the Tonle Sap and Mekong, slips across the Cambodia–Vietnam border at the Kaam Samnar river checkpoint, and ends in Saigon a week to a fortnight later.
The appeal is partly the scenery — stilt-house villages, floating markets, brick-kiln islands, Khmer monasteries on red-dirt banks — and partly the logistics. The cruise handles every transfer, every meal, and crucially, every step of the river border crossing. You hand your passport to the purser the evening before, you sleep, and you wake up in Vietnam with a fresh entry stamp. Compared with the Bavet–Moc Bai bus crossing, where you handle paperwork yourself in a hot border yard, the river version is almost embarrassingly comfortable.
What the cruise companies will not do for you, though, is apply for the visas. That part is on you. Every Australian passenger boards with both the Cambodia eVisa and the Vietnam eVisa already approved, printed, and in their daypack. The crew checks them at embarkation. If you turn up without either, you are not boarding. This guide walks you through the timing, the cost, the operator differences, and the small handful of things Aussies still trip over.
The four operators Aussies actually book
There are well over a dozen operators selling Mekong cruises out of Phnom Penh, but four names cover roughly 80% of Australian bookings into 2026. They sit at different price points and lean into different traveller profiles, but every one of them handles the river border crossing the same way: passports collected the night before, stamped onboard, returned at breakfast.
AmaWaterways and Avalon
AmaWaterways and Avalon are the two big premium river-cruise brands most Aussies will already recognise from European Danube and Rhine sailings. Their Mekong product is run on the same model — large-window suites, included shore excursions, Western-style food alongside Khmer and Vietnamese, English-speaking guides at every port. Pricing sits at the top of the range and bookings open up to 18 months in advance. Both have a strong Australian customer base, which means the onboard mix is often 30 to 50% Aussies, and the crew is well-practised at the eVisa-versus-VoA conversation.
Preguntas frecuentes
Does the Mekong cruise operator apply for my Cambodia and Vietnam visas?
No. Every operator — AmaWaterways, Avalon, Pandaw, Heritage Line — expects you to turn up at embarkation with both visas already approved and printed. They check, collect, present at the river checkpoints, and return your passport. The application itself sits with you. Apply for the Cambodia eVisa ($80 USD / ~$122 AUD all-in, 3 business days) and Vietnam eVisa ($25 USD / ~$38 AUD single-entry) about 3 to 6 weeks before sailing.
Do I need a multi-entry Vietnam visa for a Cambodia-to-Saigon cruise?
No, single-entry is fine if Saigon is your final overseas stop and you fly home from there. You enter Vietnam once at the Kaam Samnar–Vinh Xuong river checkpoint and exit once by air at Tan Son Nhat (SGN). If your wider trip plan involves leaving Vietnam and re-entering — say Saigon to Phnom Penh and back — you need the $50 USD (~$76 AUD) multi-entry version. Decide before you apply; you cannot upgrade single to multi after issue.
How long does the Mekong river border crossing take?
From the passenger's perspective, you sleep through it. The purser collects passports the evening before, Cambodian Immigration boards and stamps exit stamps usually between 11pm and 1am, the ship drifts the short distance to the Vietnamese checkpoint, Vietnamese Immigration boards and stamps entry stamps between 2am and 4am, and your passport is returned at breakfast. End to end the official processing is around two hours but you experience none of it.
Which Mekong cruise operator is best for Australian travellers?
AmaWaterways and Avalon Waterways carry the largest Aussie passenger share in 2026 and their onboard mix is often 30–50% Australians. Pandaw is the sentimental pick for travellers who want colonial-era teak boats and longer 10–14 night journeys. Heritage Line is the boutique design-led option for shorter 4–8 night itineraries that fit a standard two-week annual leave. All four handle the river border crossing identically. Pick on cruise length, ship style, and cabin tier, not on visa handling.
What does a 7-night Mekong cruise from Phnom Penh to Saigon cost in Australian dollars?
Expect $2,500 to $6,000 AUD per person twin-share, depending on operator and cabin tier. AmaWaterways and Avalon sit at the top of the range, $4,500 to $6,000 AUD for a 7-night Phnom Penh-to-Saigon sailing on a higher cabin tier. Pandaw and Heritage Line run $2,500 to $4,800 AUD for comparable lengths. Visas, e-Arrival, and travel insurance add roughly $215 AUD per person on top of the fare.
Fuentes
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