Getting around the Mekong Delta
Hubs · An Giang
Chau Doc: the river gate to Cambodia
Chau Doc is the last town on the Bassac before Cambodia. Travellers come for the daily speedboat to Phnom Penh, for Sam Mountain and the Tra Su forest, and as a stop on the road between Can Tho and Ha Tien.
Contents
Getting to Chau Doc
Chau Doc is a ward of An Giang province, which since July 2025 has also included the former Kien Giang. It has no airport; the nearest is Can Tho, about 120 km away. Coaches run from Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho, and ticket listings show the town's bus station on National Highway 91 in the Vinh My area, with one operator also stopping on Phan Van Vang street.
| From | Road km | Usual time | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ho Chi Minh City | ≈ 235–245 | 5–7.5 h | Reported / listed; sources differ |
| Can Tho | ≈ 119 | about 4 h by bus | Listed, 12 Oct 2026 |
| Long Xuyen | ≈ 55 | 1–1.25 h | Est. |
| Ha Tien | ≈ 93 | 1.5–2 h | Est. |
| Rach Gia | ≈ 129 | 2.25–2.75 h | Est. |
On 12 October 2026 a Ho Chi Minh City – Chau Doc sleeper was listed at VND 210,000 and a Can Tho – Chau Doc coach at VND 125,000 — reference figures only. For Ho Chi Minh City, the national tourism authority gives about five hours, while the same ticket listing shows six to seven and a half; plan for most of a day.
Sources: Dai bieu Nhan dan — Resolution 202/2025/QH15, 12 Jun 2025; redBus Vietnam — Saigon to Chau Doc listings; redBus Vietnam — Can Tho to Chau Doc listings; Vietnam National Authority of Tourism — Chau Doc; OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM demo server) · checked .
The speedboat to Phnom Penh
The daily Hang Chau speedboat leaves Chau Doc at 07:00 and reaches Phnom Penh at about 13:30; the return leaves Phnom Penh at 12:30 and arrives at about 18:30. Fares listed on the operator's site on 12 October 2026 were VND 1,640,000 to Phnom Penh and VND 1,580,000 back, valid June 2026 to June 2027. A 2024 guide placed the pier on the grounds of the Victoria hotel near the centre.
The boat crosses the Vinh Xuong – Kaam Samnor river border, and staff handle passports and forms on board. Because the boat leaves at 07:00, you need to sleep in Chau Doc the night before. Visa details and what the boat is like are on the boats and ferries page.
Sources: Hang Chau Tourist — official site; Vietnam Coracle — Vietnam to Cambodia by boat, updated 29 Sep 2024; Royal Embassy of Cambodia, Washington DC — FAQ · checked .
Sam Mountain and Tra Su
Sam Mountain, about 284 m high, rises at the edge of town in what is now Vinh Te ward. A cable car of about 900 m runs up it, and the summit can also be reached by road. At its foot is the temple of Ba Chua Xu, the Lady of the Realm, whose festival runs late in the fourth lunar month (sources give the start as the 22nd or 23rd, ending on the 27th) and was added to UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2024. In festival week, expect fuller buses and hotels.
The Tra Su cajuput forest is about 20 km — 30 to 40 minutes by road — from Chau Doc. It is open daily from 06:30 to 18:30, and is at its fullest when the floodwater is high, especially from September to November.
Sources: VinWonders — Sam Mountain guide, 20 Sep 2025; Sai Gon Giai Phong — Ba Chua Xu festival on UNESCO list, 4 Dec 2024; Viet Nam News — southern festival wins UNESCO recognition, 5 Dec 2024; Vietnam Coracle — Tra Su forest, updated Jul 2026; Vietnam National Authority of Tourism — Chau Doc · checked .
On to Ha Tien and the coast
From Chau Doc the road runs south-west near the border to Ha Tien, about 93 km, and from there boats cross to Phu Quoc in about 1 hour 10 to 1 hour 30. That makes Chau Doc – Ha Tien – Phu Quoc a natural way to end a delta trip on the island. Rach Gia, about 129 km away, is the alternative port with more boats. See Rach Gia and Ha Tien.
Land border crossings to Cambodia also lie close by: Tinh Bien, and since 3 October 2026 the new Khanh Binh – Chrey Thom international gate. Khanh Binh was not on Vietnam's 2023 e-visa port list, so check before relying on it.
Sources: OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM demo server); VinWonders — ferries to Phu Quoc, 19 Jul 2025; Bao Van Hoa — Khanh Binh–Chrey Thom border gate opens, 3 Oct 2026; Nghe An public-service portal — Resolution 127/NQ-CP e-visa ports, 14 Aug 2023 · checked .
Where to stay for the boat
For the 07:00 speedboat, stay within a short ride of the riverfront in the centre, near the pier. For an early start to Tra Su or Ha Tien, the centre is still the most practical: buses and taxis start from there, and the main market and riverside are walkable. Hotels on the slopes of Sam Mountain are quieter but a drive from the pier.
When Chau Doc does not fit
If you only have three or four days in the delta and are not crossing to Cambodia, Chau Doc is a long detour: at least four hours each way from Can Tho by bus. In the high-water weeks, river levels at Chau Doc peak in October — in 2025 the main flood peak was forecast for 8–13 October — and one cruise operator warns that low bridges can block larger boats then. Plan buffers around any boat in those weeks.
Sources: Ministry of Agriculture and Environment — 2025 Mekong flood outlook, 3 Oct 2025; Pandaw — Saigon to Phnom Penh itinerary notes (PDF); redBus Vietnam — Can Tho to Chau Doc listings · checked .
Chau Doc in pictures
Common questions
Questions readers send
Do I need to stay overnight in Chau Doc for the Phnom Penh boat?
In practice, yes. The boat leaves at 07:00 and the first buses from Can Tho or Ho Chi Minh City would not arrive in time.
How far is Chau Doc from Ha Tien?
About 93 km by road. It is a common way to continue from Chau Doc towards the coast and the boats to Phu Quoc.
When is the Tra Su forest best?
When the floodwater is high, especially from September to November. It is open every day from 06:30 to 18:30.
Related
Read next
Ways to travel · Water
Boats and ferries
Chau Doc–Phnom Penh speedboat, fast boats to the islands, local ferries and life jackets.
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.
Hubs · Can Tho city
Can Tho
Bus stations, the airport, the Ninh Kieu wharf and how long it takes to go on.
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.
Start planning
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