Getting around the Mekong Delta
Ways to travel · Water
Boats and ferries: the river to Cambodia and the sea to the islands
Two boat routes matter most to independent travellers: the daily speedboat from Chau Doc to Phnom Penh, and the fast boats and car ferries from Rach Gia and Ha Tien to Phu Quoc and the smaller islands. Both depend on paperwork, weather or water levels in ways a bus does not.
Contents
Chau Doc to Phnom Penh by speedboat
Hang Chau Tourist runs a daily speedboat between Chau Doc and Phnom Penh along the Bassac and Mekong. Its own website, read on 12 October 2026, gives these times and fares:
| Direction | Departs | Arrives | Fare per passenger |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chau Doc → Phnom Penh | 07:00 daily | about 13:30 | VND 1,640,000 |
| Phnom Penh → Chau Doc | 12:30 daily | about 18:30 | VND 1,580,000 |
The operator labels these fares as valid from June 2026 to June 2027, after an adjustment it attributed to fuel costs. An independent guide from 2024 gave a 07:30 departure and a much lower fare, so older blog posts are likely to be wrong on both.
That same guide describes the boats as small fast ferries with four rows of coach-style seats, carrying up to 60 people, with air flow through the windows rather than fans or air conditioning and a toilet at the back; motorbikes are not carried, and a reply on the page says luggage is allowed. In Chau Doc the pier was on the grounds of the Victoria hotel, near the centre. Booking a day or two ahead was advised, and most seats were taken by package tours.
Sources: Hang Chau Tourist — official site; Vietnam Coracle — Vietnam to Cambodia by boat, updated 29 Sep 2024 · checked .
The river border and visas
The boat crosses at the Vinh Xuong (Vietnam) – Kaam Samnor (Cambodia) river border. On board, staff collect passports, visa fees and forms at the start and handle both border posts while passengers wait at a riverside stop.
- Leaving Vietnam. Vietnam's 2023 list of ports where foreigners may enter and leave on an e-visa (Resolution 127/NQ-CP) includes the Vinh Xuong road and river border gate.
- Entering Cambodia. Cambodian embassy pages say visas on arrival are available at Kaam Samnor; they do not list it among the crossings that accept Cambodia's e-visa.
- Names on forms. Travellers report confusion over whether the gate appears as "Vinh Xuong" or "Song Tien" on e-visa forms. Confirm the port name with the boat company before you apply.
If you are going by land instead, An Giang has other international gates: Tinh Bien, Ha Tien and, since 3 October 2026, Khanh Binh – Chrey Thom. Khanh Binh was not on the 2023 e-visa list, so check with the Vietnam Immigration Department before planning to use it.
Sources: Royal Embassy of Cambodia, Washington DC — FAQ; Royal Embassy of Cambodia, London — FAQ; Nghe An public-service portal — Resolution 127/NQ-CP e-visa ports, 14 Aug 2023; Vietnam Coracle — Vietnam to Cambodia by boat, updated 29 Sep 2024; Bao Van Hoa — Khanh Binh–Chrey Thom border gate opens, 3 Oct 2026; Vietnam Immigration Department · checked .
Fast boats and ferries to Phu Quoc
Boats to Phu Quoc leave from two mainland towns, both now in An Giang province, and arrive at Bai Vong port on the island's east coast. In Ha Tien the pier is on Kim Du road, To Chau ward; in Rach Gia the boats leave from the port on Nguyen Cong Tru road.
| From | Fast boat | Car ferry | Operators named, 2024–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ha Tien | about 1 h 10 – 1 h 30 | about 3 h (2024) | Superdong, Phu Quoc Express; Thanh Thoi car ferry |
| Rach Gia | about 2 h 10 – 2 h 30 | about 3 h (2024) | Superdong, Phu Quoc Express, Ngoc Thanh, Hoa Binh; Thanh Thoi car ferry |
As a fare reference only: in July 2025 VinWonders reported Phu Quoc Express fares of VND 250,000 (economy) and VND 350,000 (VIP) from Ha Tien, and VND 340,000 and VND 540,000 from Rach Gia. The car-ferry time is from a March 2024 report; we found no newer figure. Check the operators' sites for the current timetable: Superdong (its site links to online booking) and Phu Quoc Express.
Passengers need an identity document — a passport for foreign visitors — to board, and if you are buying at the port, arrive about 30 minutes early.
Sources: VinWonders — ferries to Phu Quoc, 19 Jul 2025; Doanh nghiep Hoi nhap — sea routes to Phu Quoc, 22 Mar 2024; Superdong — official site; Phu Quoc Express — official site · checked .
Hon Son, Nam Du and Con Dao
Fast boats also serve the smaller islands. A 2024 newspaper report counted about 30 fast boats in the former Kien Giang across the Rach Gia – Phu Quoc, Rach Gia – Hon Son – Nam Du and Ha Tien – Phu Quoc routes. On 12 October 2026 Phu Quoc Express listed a Hon Son route and a ticket office at Nam Du port, but no timetable we could quote, so check directly with the operators.
From the Can Tho side, Phu Quoc Express lists a Tran De – Con Dao route, from Tran De fishing port in what is now Can Tho city, with a ticket office in central Can Tho.
Sources: Bao Van Hoa — more fast boats for Kien Giang, 3 Aug 2024; Phu Quoc Express — official site · checked .
Weather, seasons and water levels
Sea crossings to the islands are the legs most likely to be cancelled. On 27 July 2023, for example, fast boats and ferries from Rach Gia and Ha Tien to Phu Quoc, and from Rach Gia to Nam Du, were halted for rough seas with waves of about 1.76 m, to resume once conditions improved. After a fatal speedboat accident off southern Phu Quoc in July 2026, the special zone ordered that boats must not leave in bad weather and must carry life jackets and rescue gear.
On the rivers the issue is water level rather than wind. One cruise operator warns that in high water, around October and November, low bridges can block larger boats from reaching Chau Doc. The Hang Chau speedboat is far smaller, but delays are possible in the same weeks; leave a buffer before any onward bus or flight.
Rough guide only. A climate study for the former Kien Giang puts the rainy season at May to November and the dry season at December to April; the suspension cited above fell in late July, in the rainy season. Check the operator's notices on the day.
Sources: Tuoi Tre News — Phu Quoc fast boats suspended for rough seas, 27 Jul 2023; Tuoi Tre — Phu Quoc tightens waterway safety, 14 Jul 2026; Pandaw — Saigon to Phnom Penh itinerary notes (PDF); Tap chi Khoa hoc Bien doi khi hau — Kien Giang climate study, 29 Sep 2021 · checked .
Local ferries and life jackets
Most main-road ferries have been replaced by bridges, but small ferries still link the mainland with islets and side roads all over the delta. On cross-river passenger ferries, a 2012 transport circular requires life jackets or buoyancy aids for everyone on board, handed out before departure and worn or held until the boat has docked; crews may refuse passengers who do not comply. On large enclosed passenger vessels, jackets must be carried but wearing them is not compulsory.
In practice: if the crew hands you a jacket, put it on, and if a small boat has none, wait for the next one.
Sources: vbpl.vn — Circular 15/2012/TT-BGTVT (original text); Sai Gon Giai Phong — life-jacket rules on passenger vessels, 22 Jul 2025; Vietnam National Authority of Tourism — Can Tho · checked .
When the boat is a bad idea
- You have a flight from Phnom Penh the same afternoon. The boat arrives around 13:30 if all goes well; border queues and river conditions can push that later.
- The forecast shows strong south-west winds and you must reach Phu Quoc that day. Fly instead, or keep a spare day.
- Your visa or e-visa names a different border gate from the one the boat uses.
- You get seasick easily and the crossing is the longer Rach Gia route; from Ha Tien the time on the water is roughly half.
Common questions
Questions readers send
What time does the Chau Doc to Phnom Penh boat leave?
According to the operator's website on 12 October 2026, daily at 07:00 from Chau Doc, arriving about 13:30. The return leaves Phnom Penh at 12:30 and arrives about 18:30.
Can I get a Cambodian visa on the boat route?
Cambodian embassy pages say visas on arrival are available at the Kaam Samnor river crossing. Boat staff collect passports and fees on board. The same pages do not list Kaam Samnor for Cambodia's e-visa.
Is Ha Tien or Rach Gia better for the boat to Phu Quoc?
Ha Tien has the shorter crossing, about 1 hour 10 to 1 hour 30 by fast boat. Rach Gia takes about 2 hours 10 to 2 hours 30 but is closer to Can Tho and has more road connections.
Do Phu Quoc boats run all year?
They run year-round but are suspended when seas are rough, as on 27 July 2023 in the rainy season. Keep a spare day if you have a flight to catch.
Related
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Hubs · An Giang coast
Rach Gia and Ha Tien
Fast boats to Phu Quoc, Hon Son and Nam Du; Rach Gia airport; roads to Chau Doc and Can Tho.
Ways to travel · Air
Airports and flights
Can Tho, Rach Gia, Ca Mau and Phu Quoc airports: routes, status and getting into town.
Plan · Legs and times
Route planner
Distances and usual journey times, leg by leg, with the basis for each figure.
Plan · Routes
Independent routes
Sample routes of three, five and eight days with transport and overnight stops.
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