A Unique Journey from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap: Cruise the River, Explore the Countryside

Hightlight

  • Convenient Hotel Pick-up & Drop-off
  • Cruise along the Mekong or Tonle Sap Rivers
  • Guided Tour with Local Insight
  • Scenic cruise
  • stops to visit the villages along the rivers
  • Buffet lunch or set menu on the cruise
  • Perfect Photo Opportunities
  • Visit silversmiths factory.
  • Part cruise and part land tour

Itinerary

Phnom Penh to Siem Reap Cruise & Land Tour – Full Itinerary (One Way)

The Best Way to Travel Between Phnom Penh & Siem Reap
Daily Departures • 8–9 Hours • Hotel → Hotel • Guided • Meals & Drinks Included

Traveling between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap has never been easy—ever-changing lake water levels, low bridges, storms, fishing nets, and long, empty lake crossings have always made it a challenge… until now.

With our specially designed double-hulled cruisers and luxury vehicles, you enjoy the best of both worlds:
✔ Beautiful river cruising on the Tonle Sap or Mekong River
✔ Comfortable land travel around the lake to Siem Reap
✔ No lake storms, no unsafe crossings, no wasted hours

This is not just a transfer. It’s a full guided tour with stops, lunch, drinks, and local experiences.


🛳️ FULL ITINERARY

7:30 AM – Hotel Pickup in Phnom Penh

Your English-speaking guide greets you in the lobby of your hotel or guesthouse.
Transfer by private vehicle to our river pier on the Tonle Sap or Mekong River.

8:00 AM – Board Your River Cruiser & Welcome Drink

Step aboard one of our specially designed vessels:
Mekong Tara Prince, Mekong ExplorerTonle Sap Explorer or Navy Mekong — all safe, clean, and captained by licensed, highly experienced operators.

Enjoy a refreshing welcome drink as you settle into your seat and take in the riverside scenery.


🌿 SCENIC RIVER CRUISE – Approx. 4.5 Hours

Cruise north along the beautiful Tonle Sap River or Mekong River (weather-dependent route).

Highlights you may see along the way:
• Children waving from riverbanks
• Water buffalo cooling in the shallows
• Floating homes & remote villages
• Rare large water-birds
• Traditional fishing boats
• Peaceful river life few travelers ever see

Our double-hulled design lets us travel closer to the riverbanks and explore narrow waterways other boats cannot access.

Stop 1: Riverside Village Visit

Experience authentic rural Cambodian river life with a short walk through a traditional village.

Stop 2: Koh Chen Island – Famous Silversmith Village

Visit the renowned Koh Chen silversmith community, where Khmer artisans craft:
• Royal-style silverware
• Handmade jewelry
• Exquisite ceremonial pieces

If you’re looking for high-quality jewelry at true wholesale prices, this is the best place in Cambodia.


🍽️ Onboard Lunch

Enjoy a freshly prepared meal including:
• BBQ (Vegetarian also available) on request.
• Fresh tropical fruits
• Cold drinks Beers, soft drinks water. tea/coffee

Relax on deck as the landscapes change from river communities to rural countryside.


🚗 LAND TRANSFER TO SIEM REAP – Approx. 4.5 Hours

At Koh Chen or Roka Kaong (depending on river conditions), transfer to your private air-conditioned Lexus, minivan, or SUV.

Travel through rural Cambodia, passing farmland, villages, temples, and lakeside scenery. This part of the journey gives you a unique look at everyday life in the Cambodian countryside.

Many stops along the way at interesting sites.


4:30 PM – Arrival in Siem Reap & Hotel Drop-off

Your guide and driver deliver you directly to your hotel or guesthouse in Siem Reap.
Total time: 8–9 hours (hotel to hotel)
Times may vary depending on river currents and road conditions.


✔ What’s Included

  • Hotel pickup (Phnom Penh)

  • Hotel drop-off (Siem Reap)

  • Scenic river cruise (4.5 hrs)

  • Land transfer (4.5 hrs)

  • English-speaking river guide

  • All meals & drinks on the cruise

  • Guided village visits

  • Licensed & insured vessels

  • Comfortable vehicles with AC

  • Luggage welcome

  • Safe western-style toilets on all vessels

We are proud to be the only licensed and fully insured operator providing this route, with over 20 years of experience.


🌱 Travel With Purpose

All profits support our free children’s school and environmental initiatives on the Tonle Sap Lake.
Your journey directly contributes to education and conservation efforts.


Why Travelers Love This Tour

✔ Avoids dangerous lake crossings
✔ No long, boring hours on open water
✔ A full guided tour—not just a transfer
✔ Beautiful scenery by both river and road
✔ The most relaxing way to travel between Phnom Penh & Siem Reap
✔ “River cruise beats a bus or plane any day.” – TripAdvisor


Book Now

Daily departures. Limited seats.
Secure your place on this unique Phnom Penh → Siem Reap Cruise & Land Tour.

 

Includes & Excludes

    Lunch and drinks on board our boat cruiser
    Hotel pick-up and drop-off (within city center)
    English-speaking tour guide
    Life jackets and safety equipment
    Scenic photo opportunities
    Personal expenses
    Tips and gratuities (optional)

Important Info

Package Relates

$ 38 per person

Lets celebrate a magical Christmas together in a unique Riverboat Cruise on the Great Tonle Sap Lake in Siem Reap.

$119 per person

You will be picked up at your Hotel in Siem Reap or Battambang by our Tara lake guide just prior to 7:30 AM and be taken to our boat, we pick up in either tuk tuks or cars or mini vans depending on number of guests, the boats we use for this tour have western toilets on board, fully covered and comfortable seating for your comfort, luggage is not a problem, the cruise itself is awesome, lots to see along the way of this beautiful Sangkor River, as the only way to these villages are by boat, its basically untouched over time, You will enter a time forgotten, numerous sights and sounds, wildlife a plenty, water buffalo, jumping fish, the odd Siamese Crocodile, large endangered water birds, so many sights to see, once in a life time cruise, adventure and a real eye opener, numerous floating villages, Pergolas, fishing in the traditional ways and much more, your journey will be a life memory that few get to enjoy, be guided throughout your tour by a qualified local Tara Riverboat guides, who will explain all the sights and how the communities work, yes most of our guides are from the lake and floating villages, so can give a great in-sight into daily life, cruising the famous Sangkor River passing rice paddies, traditional villages and local areas. As no road exist here everything has to travel via boats, children going to floating schools, market shopping, community centers, all by boats, Along the way, discover traditional lifestyles, enjoy magnificent landscapes and experience rural Cambodia.

$240 Per Person

2 days & 1 Night Lake Discovery and exploration cruise is the most exciting, interesting and amazing way to discover the Great Tonle Sap Lake, Flooded Forest, Floating villages and the most famous Bird sanctuary at Prek Toal. this is the area rare and endangered large water birds seasonally migrate for their nesting.

$28 Per Person

Escape the city, tour the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers and watch the sunset over Phnom Penh whilst relaxing on the Mekong Tara Prince. We cruise by the Royal Palace before turning into the Mekong River towards Silk Island, passing the floating villages all from the comfort of the top decks enjoying the included BBQ and drinks. Once owned by the Prince of Cambodia, this beautiful boat has been refurbished to offer comfort and style ensuring a perfect journey, and its unique double hull enables us to navigate areas other river boats cannot. Come and join us as we escape the hustle and bustle of the city of Phnom Penh and cruise up the Tonle sap river and join the mighty Mekong River to watch the sunset over Phnom Penh. whilst relaxing on the special Mekong Tara Prince. (Once owned by the Royal Family) Please note, we have 2 boats currently in Phnom Penh, they take in turns to operate daily.

$139 Per Person

This is an exciting and different way to travel, we Cruise/land tour, we go both ways Phnom Penh to Siem Reap and Siem Reap to Phnom Penh Daily. Travel from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap has always been difficult due to the ever-changing water levels on the Tonle Sap Lake, even in the wet season when the water levels are high enough you have other issues, low lying bridges,making the riverboats unable to pass, storms on the lake that can make the crossing treacherous. fishing nets and water hyacinth are also issues, the sheer boredom of crossing the lake as there is nothing to see apart from vast swathes of water, not anymore.

$139 Per Person

his is an exciting and different way to travel, we Cruise/land tour, we go both ways Phnom Penh to Siem Reap and Siem Reap to Phnom Penh Daily. Travel from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap has always been difficult due to the ever-changing water levels on the Tonle Sap Lake, even in the wet season when the water levels are high enough you have other issues, low lying bridges,making the riverboats unable to pass, storms on the lake that can make the crossing treacherous. fishing nets and water hyacinth are also issues, the sheer boredom of crossing the lake as there is nothing to see apart from vast swathes of water, not anymore.

$165 Per Person

The bird sanctuary at Prek Toal is one of the wonders of Southeast Asia, with the abundance of fish it attracts thousands upon thousands of rare and endangered water birds, on the freshwater lake and flooded forests and mangroves, (see bird list below), The most common bird species we see are the Spot billed Pelicans, Open billed storks, Chinese Pond Herons, Terns, Egrets.

$72 Per Person

Take a break from visiting temples and experience the amazing floating fishing villages and Stilted villages homes of Kompong Khleang on a day tour from Siem Reap. Enjoy the scenery on the boat ride (traditional long tail type) and meet the children and teachers at the local floating school. Our guide for this tour is actually from this same village, so can give you a great insight as to how the village operates. This village receives very few visitors as its 50km from Siem Reap, but certainly worth the extra effort, the trip out to the village is also interesting as we visit the local brick making kilns, a few stops on route also to explore the countryside, rice fields and taste of the sticky rice. Don’t miss this opportunity to visit the unique and remote floating fishing village of Kompong Khleang, as Kompong Phluk, Kompong Khleang is mainly made up of stilted homes raising some 10 meters high, however does also have a small floating village, but not a large one like the floating villages of Chong khneas, its located on the Northeast of the Tonle Sap Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia and the richest fishing lake in the World. The Tonle Sap is a unique ecological hotspot. Kompong Khleang is situated around 50km from Siem Reap. (Please note Kompong Khleang does not have a flooded forest as does Kompong Phluk, but it is a much larger village.

$88 per person

Does it get any better than this? Watching a magnificent sunset over the largest freshwater lake in SE Asia on board a 100-year-old ex-cargo boat. This unique cruise (Voted best in Siem Reap) is only available through Tara Riverboat tours and is the best way to experience 2 very different types of floating and stilted villages whilst also crossing the Great Tonle Sap Lake and enjoying a full buffet dinner (or fixed menu) and all-inclusive drinks (Includes Champagne, wines from Australia, beers, cocktails, spirits, soft drinks and water)on board our famous Queen Tara, (Queen Tara is the largest by far riverboat on the Tonle Sap Lake, the largest fresh water lake in S.E Asia). We depart your hotel just before 1.30pm, (our lake guide will meet you in your hotel or guesthouse foyer/reception area). and head to the docking station of Kompong Phluk where our traditional flat-bottomed boat will be waiting to cruise you through the floating villages and stilted villages and into the township of Kompong Phluk.

$88 per person

Exploring 2 very different floating villages and fishing villages is a great way to experience and get a better understanding of how the villages work on the greatest fresh water lake in S.E Asia, the Tonle Sap lake, the first village is a true floating village whereas the second village (Kompong Phluk or Kampong Phluk) is home mainly to stilted homes and the famous flooded forest, this tour also includes the crossing of the Tonle Sap lake so we are able to explore more than just the different villages.

$ 38 per person

Our exploring journey to Kompong Phluk or Kampong Phluk (same village, different spelling) floating villages and stilted homes is one of our most popular , and after 20 years of conducting this cruise tour, we know of all the great places to visit, in fact some of our guides for this tour was actually born here, makes it even more exciting for our guests, we leave Siem Reap just before 8:30 am, or 2.30pm two difference daily (our Tara riverboat lake guide will meet you in your hotel or guesthouse foyer area)and travel (via a/c car or tuk tuk ) south/east through small beautiful rural villages and rice fields towards the great lake. Depending on the time of year and the current water levels we go as far as we can by road where our boats will be waiting for you. We travel the rest of the way by boat down the Kompong Phluk river and into the main fishing village.

$38 Per Person

Unique cruise tours in and around the local floating fishing villages and lake with floating houses, markets, police stations (even a floating jail), floating churches, floating vegetable gardens, floating markets, floating basketball courts, floating police stations, floating health care centers, complete floating villages & schools

$36 Per Person

Best cruise tour of the floating fishing villages and lakes with floating homes, churches, floating markets, floating police stations, floating petrol stations, yes floating villages & schools (you name it, the village seems to have it) i guess that is why a lot of people refer to this village as the water village– then chill out on the Queen Tara Riverboat with lunch (Vegetarian options available) and 2 refreshing cold drinks, all free as part of the cruise tour. All our staff from cooks, to Captain, boat drivers and bar staff were born in this unique floating village, so can certainly answer any questions in regard to village life, described as (simply the best floating villages tour in Siem Reap) Trip advisor. ( best floating villages cruise is with the Tara boat guys) Lonely Planets.

$32 Per Person

This is the largest true floating villages in Cambodia, sometimes called the water villages its home to some 6000 people, its a true floating fishing village, in fact it’s actually 2 villages in one, as our very professional Tara lake guides will point out.
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