Emerald Cruises

Daily Itinerary

1. Day 1

   Hanoi

   Vietnam

   

   Founded on a dragon's auspice in 1010 AD, Hanoi is Southeast Asia's most historically layered capital — a city where French colonial boulevards wrap around ancient temple islands and where the morning ritual of phở bò at a pavement stall carries the weight of a thousand years of tradition. Venture to Halong Bay's limestone karst seascape or explore the lantern-lit lanes of Hội An via nearby Chan May. October through April brings dry, pleasant weather ideal for exploring Vietnam's storied north.

2. Day 2

   Hanoi

   Vietnam

   

   Founded on a dragon's auspice in 1010 AD, Hanoi is Southeast Asia's most historically layered capital — a city where French colonial boulevards wrap around ancient temple islands and where the morning ritual of phở bò at a pavement stall carries the weight of a thousand years of tradition. Venture to Halong Bay's limestone karst seascape or explore the lantern-lit lanes of Hội An via nearby Chan May. October through April brings dry, pleasant weather ideal for exploring Vietnam's storied north.

3. Day 3

   Ha Long Bay

   Vietnam

   

   Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage landscape of nearly two thousand limestone karst islands rising from emerald waters in Vietnam's Gulf of Tonkin. Must-dos include an overnight junk cruise through the karst formations, kayaking into hidden lagoons, and exploring the cathedral-scale Sung Sot Cave. October through April offers the best weather, with spring mist adding an ethereal quality to the already otherworldly scenery.

4. Day 4

   Ha Long Bay

   Vietnam

   

   Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage landscape of nearly two thousand limestone karst islands rising from emerald waters in Vietnam's Gulf of Tonkin. Must-dos include an overnight junk cruise through the karst formations, kayaking into hidden lagoons, and exploring the cathedral-scale Sung Sot Cave. October through April offers the best weather, with spring mist adding an ethereal quality to the already otherworldly scenery.

5. Day 5

   Hanoi

   Vietnam

   

   Founded on a dragon's auspice in 1010 AD, Hanoi is Southeast Asia's most historically layered capital — a city where French colonial boulevards wrap around ancient temple islands and where the morning ritual of phở bò at a pavement stall carries the weight of a thousand years of tradition. Venture to Halong Bay's limestone karst seascape or explore the lantern-lit lanes of Hội An via nearby Chan May. October through April brings dry, pleasant weather ideal for exploring Vietnam's storied north.

6. Day 6

   Hoi An

   Vietnam

   

   Hội An is a UNESCO-listed ancient trading port on Vietnam's central coast, where centuries of Japanese, Chinese, and European influence survive in timber shophouses, silk-lantern-lit canals, and one of Southeast Asia's most distinctive culinary traditions — the unmissable *cao lầu* noodles and legendary *bánh mì* Phượng alone justify the voyage. Pair the Ancient Town's twilight lantern spectacle with a day trip to the imperial citadel at Huế or the caves of Phong Nha for the region's full dramatic range. The ideal season is February through May, when dry skies and mild temperatures make exploring the old quarter on foot a pure pleasure.

7. Day 7

   Hoi An

   Vietnam

   

   Hội An is a UNESCO-listed ancient trading port on Vietnam's central coast, where centuries of Japanese, Chinese, and European influence survive in timber shophouses, silk-lantern-lit canals, and one of Southeast Asia's most distinctive culinary traditions — the unmissable *cao lầu* noodles and legendary *bánh mì* Phượng alone justify the voyage. Pair the Ancient Town's twilight lantern spectacle with a day trip to the imperial citadel at Huế or the caves of Phong Nha for the region's full dramatic range. The ideal season is February through May, when dry skies and mild temperatures make exploring the old quarter on foot a pure pleasure.

8. Day 8

   Hoi An

   Vietnam

   

   Hội An is a UNESCO-listed ancient trading port on Vietnam's central coast, where centuries of Japanese, Chinese, and European influence survive in timber shophouses, silk-lantern-lit canals, and one of Southeast Asia's most distinctive culinary traditions — the unmissable *cao lầu* noodles and legendary *bánh mì* Phượng alone justify the voyage. Pair the Ancient Town's twilight lantern spectacle with a day trip to the imperial citadel at Huế or the caves of Phong Nha for the region's full dramatic range. The ideal season is February through May, when dry skies and mild temperatures make exploring the old quarter on foot a pure pleasure.

9. Day 9

   Hue

   Vietnam

   

   Hue is Vietnam's former imperial capital, where the UNESCO-listed Citadel and royal tombs line the banks of the poetically named Perfume River. Must-dos include exploring the Forbidden Purple City, tasting the legendary bun bo Hue noodle soup, and visiting the Thien Mu Pagoda and the Tomb of Tu Duc. February through July offers the driest weather, though the atmospheric autumn rains lend their own beauty to the ancient city.

10. Day 10

    Ho Chi Minh City

    Vietnam

    

    Still whispered as Saigon by its ten million residents, Ho Chi Minh City pulses with an energy that outlasted every empire and every war. The French colonial grandeur of Notre-Dame Cathedral and Gustave Eiffel's Central Post Office stands in vivid counterpoint to the city's kinetic street life — an endless river of motorbikes, fragrant with pho broth and charcoal-grilled meats. Do not miss the Reunification Palace, a time capsule of Cold War modernism, or a dawn bowl of bánh mì from a sidewalk vendor. The dry season, November through April, offers the most comfortable conditions for exploration.

11. Day 11

    Ho Chi Minh City

    Vietnam

    

    Still whispered as Saigon by its ten million residents, Ho Chi Minh City pulses with an energy that outlasted every empire and every war. The French colonial grandeur of Notre-Dame Cathedral and Gustave Eiffel's Central Post Office stands in vivid counterpoint to the city's kinetic street life — an endless river of motorbikes, fragrant with pho broth and charcoal-grilled meats. Do not miss the Reunification Palace, a time capsule of Cold War modernism, or a dawn bowl of bánh mì from a sidewalk vendor. The dry season, November through April, offers the most comfortable conditions for exploration.

12. Day 12

    Ben Tre

    Vietnam

    

    Ben Tre is Vietnam's coconut capital in the heart of the Mekong Delta, where endless palm groves line narrow canals navigable only by sampan, and coconut flavors everything from candy to cooking oil. Must-dos include watching coconut candy production, tasting elephant ear fish, and exploring the waterways by rowboat through nipa palm tunnels. November through April's dry season offers the best weather for Mekong Delta cruising.

13. Day 13

    Sa Dec

    Vietnam

    

    Sa Đéc, a sleepy town of French colonial villas and temple-filled alleyways on a branch of the Mekong Delta, is renowned as the birthplace of Marguerite Duras and the flowering capital of Vietnam. The town's nurseries supply orchids, bonsai, and chrysanthemums to florists across the country, perfuming the riverside air. The restored Huỳnh Thủy Lê House — where Duras's colonial-era love story unfolded — offers a haunting window into the delta's past. Vendors ply the waterways in flat-bottomed boats piled with tropical fruit. November through April brings the dry season's golden light and gentle breezes.

14. Day 14

    Gieng Island

    Vietnam

    

    Gieng Island is a lush river island in Vietnam's Mekong Delta, offering an immersive experience of traditional Vietnamese rural life amid coconut groves, fruit orchards, and honey farms. Must-dos include sampling crispy elephant ear fish wrapped in rice paper, exploring the canals by sampan, and visiting nearby floating markets. November through April's dry season provides the most pleasant weather for delta exploration.

15. Day 15

    Tan Chau

    Vietnam

    

    Tan Chau is a quietly enchanting border town on the upper Mekong Delta, where Vietnamese, Khmer, Cham, and Chinese cultural threads weave together in floating markets, silk-weaving workshops, and ornate riverside temples. River cruise guests typically arrive by sampan at dawn, when the town's covered market erupts with color and the legendary Tan Chau silk — hand-woven on traditional wooden looms — is spread out for trade. The cool dry season from November to February offers the most pleasant conditions for exploring this living crossroads of Southeast Asian civilization.

16. Day 16

    Phnom Penh

    Cambodia

    

    Phnom Penh rises from the confluence of the Mekong, Tonlé Sap, and Bassac rivers with a resilience that makes it one of Southeast Asia's most affecting capitals — a city that endured the Khmer Rouge's "Year Zero" and has re-emerged as a place of broad riverfront boulevards, excellent Khmer cuisine, and a cultural energy that feels earned rather than manufactured. The Royal Palace and its Silver Pagoda, housing a life-size gold Buddha studded with 9,584 diamonds, is the city's architectural centrepiece; the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a former high school converted to a prison by the Khmer Rouge, is sobering but essential history. November through February offers the most comfortable climate for extended exploration.

17. Day 17

    Phnom Penh

    Cambodia

    

    Phnom Penh rises from the confluence of the Mekong, Tonlé Sap, and Bassac rivers with a resilience that makes it one of Southeast Asia's most affecting capitals — a city that endured the Khmer Rouge's "Year Zero" and has re-emerged as a place of broad riverfront boulevards, excellent Khmer cuisine, and a cultural energy that feels earned rather than manufactured. The Royal Palace and its Silver Pagoda, housing a life-size gold Buddha studded with 9,584 diamonds, is the city's architectural centrepiece; the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a former high school converted to a prison by the Khmer Rouge, is sobering but essential history. November through February offers the most comfortable climate for extended exploration.

18. Day 18

    Rokar Koang

    Vietnam

    

    The Prek Kdam Bridge is a 981-meter bridge that crosses the Tonle Sap River in the Kandal Province at Ponhea Lueu.

19. Day 19

    Siem Reap

    Cambodia

    

    Siem Reap, the gateway city to the ancient Khmer empire's greatest achievement, is the essential staging post for exploring Angkor — the twelfth-century temple complex whose scale and ambition remain without parallel in human history. Angkor Wat at sunrise, its towers mirrored in the lily-covered moat, is one of the world's most transcendent spectacles; Angkor Thom's enigmatic Bayon, with its serene stone faces emerging from the jungle canopy, is another. The city's Old Market quarter offers silk workshops, street food vendors, and celebrated restaurants serving amok — fish steamed in coconut and lemongrass. November through April brings the driest, most comfortable conditions.

20. Day 20

    Siem Reap

    Cambodia

    

    Siem Reap, the gateway city to the ancient Khmer empire's greatest achievement, is the essential staging post for exploring Angkor — the twelfth-century temple complex whose scale and ambition remain without parallel in human history. Angkor Wat at sunrise, its towers mirrored in the lily-covered moat, is one of the world's most transcendent spectacles; Angkor Thom's enigmatic Bayon, with its serene stone faces emerging from the jungle canopy, is another. The city's Old Market quarter offers silk workshops, street food vendors, and celebrated restaurants serving amok — fish steamed in coconut and lemongrass. November through April brings the driest, most comfortable conditions.

21. Day 21

    Siem Reap

    Cambodia

    

    Siem Reap, the gateway city to the ancient Khmer empire's greatest achievement, is the essential staging post for exploring Angkor — the twelfth-century temple complex whose scale and ambition remain without parallel in human history. Angkor Wat at sunrise, its towers mirrored in the lily-covered moat, is one of the world's most transcendent spectacles; Angkor Thom's enigmatic Bayon, with its serene stone faces emerging from the jungle canopy, is another. The city's Old Market quarter offers silk workshops, street food vendors, and celebrated restaurants serving amok — fish steamed in coconut and lemongrass. November through April brings the driest, most comfortable conditions.

22. Day 22

    Luang Prabang

    Laos

    

    Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage city at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers in northern Laos, renowned for its gilded Buddhist temples, dawn alms-giving processions, and serene riverside setting. Must-dos include visiting Wat Xieng Thong, exploring the morning market for Lao sausages and laap, and swimming in the turquoise Kuang Si Falls. November through March offers the ideal dry-season weather with cool mornings and calm river conditions.

23. Day 23

    Luang Prabang

    Laos

    

    Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage city at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers in northern Laos, renowned for its gilded Buddhist temples, dawn alms-giving processions, and serene riverside setting. Must-dos include visiting Wat Xieng Thong, exploring the morning market for Lao sausages and laap, and swimming in the turquoise Kuang Si Falls. November through March offers the ideal dry-season weather with cool mornings and calm river conditions.

24. Day 24

    Luang Prabang

    Laos

    

    Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage city at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers in northern Laos, renowned for its gilded Buddhist temples, dawn alms-giving processions, and serene riverside setting. Must-dos include visiting Wat Xieng Thong, exploring the morning market for Lao sausages and laap, and swimming in the turquoise Kuang Si Falls. November through March offers the ideal dry-season weather with cool mornings and calm river conditions.

Cabin Categories

Emerald Stateroom

Outside

247 sq ftMax 2D

Providing excellent value for money, they are bigger than the average standard staterooms. Enjoy your time on-board in your home-away-from-home, with everything you could possibly need. Emerald Staterooms have porthole river views, perfect for seeing the picturesque landscape pass by.

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTVFree Wi-Fi+3

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Emerald Panorama Balcony Suite

Suite

269 sq ftMax 2A

A private balcony with drop-down window is perfect for enjoying the ever-changing views. Reaching 273ft² (25.4m²), relax and unwind in your opulent en-suite bathroom, complete with toiletries, and sleep soundly in your queen-size or twin hotel-style bed.

Queen or Twin ConfigurationLounge AreaShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTV+3

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Emerald Panorama Balcony Suite

Suite

269 sq ftMax 2B

A private balcony with drop-down window is perfect for enjoying the ever-changing views. Reaching 273ft² (25.4m²), relax and unwind in your opulent en-suite bathroom, complete with toiletries, and sleep soundly in your queen-size or twin hotel-style bed.

Queen or Twin ConfigurationLounge AreaShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTV+3

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Emerald Panorama Balcony Suite

Suite

269 sq ftMax 2AP

A private balcony with drop-down window is perfect for enjoying the ever-changing views. Reaching 273ft² (25.4m²), relax and unwind in your opulent en-suite bathroom, complete with toiletries, and sleep soundly in your queen-size or twin hotel-style bed.

Queen or Twin ConfigurationLounge AreaShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTV+3

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Grand Balcony Suite

Suite

398 sq ftMax 2S

Beautifully appointed with a private balcony, these luxurious suites reach 398ft² (37m²) and host a separate bedroom and lounge. Guests staying in these suites can enjoy the opulent surrounds of the en-suite bathroom, as well as breakfast, canapés and after-dinner treats.

Queen or Twin ConfigurationLounge AreaShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableSuite Benefits+6

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Owner's One-bedroom Suite

Suite

775 sq ftMax 2SA

At 452ft² (42m²), this truly spectacular suite boasts a separate bedroom and lounge area, a luxurious en-suite bathroom and a queen-size or twin-style bed plus enjoy a private terrace, with an additional space of 323ft2 (30m2 ) complete with a Jacuzzi. Not forgetting, you’ll be invited to dine at the Captain’s Table.

Queen or Twin ConfigurationLounge AreaVanity AreaShowerWhirlpool BathToiletries Provided+9

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Emerald Stateroom

Outside

247 sq ftMax 2STD

<p>Providing excellent value for money, staterooms boast ample space of 23m². Enjoy your time in your home–away–from–home, with everything you could possibly need in which to relax.</p><p><b>Your stateroom includes:</b></p><p></p><ul><li>Port–hole window</li><li>Bathroom with shower, indulgent toiletries, hairdryer, complimentary bathrobes and slippers to use while on board</li><li>Complimentary Wi–Fi</li><li>Queen–size or twin hotel–style beds</li><li>Bodia toiletries</li><li>Telephone</li><li>Alarm clock</li><li>Hairdryer</li><li>Safe for your valuables</li><li>Individual climate control</li><li>Flat–screen TV and infotainment system</li><li>Mini–bar</li></ul><p></p> <p></p>

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTVFree Wi-Fi+3

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