Getting into Cambodia: visa and border basics
Before booking anything, sort your entry into Cambodia, since most international travelers need a visa. Citizens of Vietnam and other ASEAN countries enter visa-free for 30 days, but almost everyone else needs one.
The visa options
There are two main ways to get a tourist visa, both giving a 30-day single-entry stay for $30:
- e-Visa: apply online in advance at the official site, evisa.gov.kh, for $30 plus a small processing fee. It takes around three business days, so apply about a week ahead. Only use the official site, as copycat sites overcharge.
- Visa on arrival: get it at the airport or land border with $30 in cash and a passport photo. It is simple, but bring exact US dollars, as land crossings are known for small overcharges and unofficial “helpers”.
On top of the visa, all travelers must complete Cambodia’s e-Arrival card, a free online form at arrival.gov.kh, within seven days before arriving. Your passport needs at least six months of validity.
Which visa works at which border
This is the part that trips people up, because the e-Visa is not accepted at every land crossing:
- Moc Bai to Bavet (the main Phnom Penh bus route): both e-Visa and visa on arrival work.
- Ha Tien to Prek Chak (the southern coastal route): visa on arrival is the safe choice, as the e-Visa is not reliably accepted here.
- Chau Doc river crossing (the Mekong boat to Phnom Penh): visa on arrival only, as the e-Visa is not accepted.
If you are heading anywhere except Phnom Penh by the main road, plan for a visa on arrival, or double-check e-Visa acceptance for your crossing first. For the full process, and the return trip, see our guide on getting from Cambodia to Vietnam.
By flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Cambodia
Flying is the quickest way into Cambodia, but only two cities have direct flights from Saigon. Everywhere else means connecting through one of them.
To Phnom Penh
Direct flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh take under an hour, with several a day on Air Cambodia, Vietnam Airlines, Cambodia Angkor Air, and Qatar Airways. Fares start from around $70 to $130 on Air Cambodia, higher on the others. Flights land at the new Techo International Airport, which opened in 2025 and sits well south of the city, so allow for the transfer in.
To Siem Reap
Direct flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap, the gateway to Angkor Wat, take around an hour, with a few a day on Vietnam Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air. Fares are higher than the Phnom Penh route, from around $180. The airport is the new Siem Reap Angkor International, which lies about 40 to 60 kilometers from town, so factor in a longer transfer than you might expect.
Everywhere else
There are no direct flights from Saigon to Sihanoukville or other Cambodian cities. To reach them by air, you connect through Phnom Penh, which usually makes an overland route or a flight to Phnom Penh and an onward bus the more sensible choice.
By bus to Phnom Penh
The bus to Phnom Penh is the classic overland route into Cambodia, and the gateway most travelers use, since Phnom Penh connects onward to the whole country. It takes around six to seven hours, costs from about $15 to $40, and crosses at the Moc Bai and Bavet border, where the staff handle the paperwork. Operators include Giant Ibis, Mekong Express, and Kumho Samco. From Phnom Penh, frequent buses and flights continue to Siem Reap, the coast, and beyond. Our dedicated guide on getting from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh covers this route, and its flight and boat options, in full.
By boat through the Mekong Delta
Why choose it
A slower, more scenic way into Cambodia is to travel up the Mekong River to Phnom Penh by boat. Instead of a fast road crossing, you follow the river through the Vietnamese delta and into Cambodia, watching daily life on the water go by. It takes far longer than the bus or a flight, so it only makes sense if you want the journey to be part of the trip, ideally combined with a couple of days in the Mekong Delta on the way.
How it works
There is no boat direct from Ho Chi Minh City, so the trip has two legs. First you travel to Chau Doc, a riverside town in the far west of the Mekong Delta, around five to six hours from Saigon by bus or private car. From Chau Doc, a speedboat runs up the Mekong to Phnom Penh, crossing the border on the water at Vinh Xuong on the Vietnamese side. The boat leaves Chau Doc in the morning, takes roughly four to five hours including the border stop, and reaches Phnom Penh in the early afternoon. Fares are around $20 to $35 one way, with Hang Chau the most common and best-value operator.
The visa catch
One thing to plan for: the e-Visa is not accepted at the Chau Doc river crossing, so you cannot rely on one here. You need a visa on arrival instead, which means bringing $30 in cash and a passport photo, ready to hand over at the border post on the river. Have small, clean US dollar bills, as change can be a problem.
Who it is for
The river route suits travelers who have time and want the Mekong Delta to be part of the experience, rather than just a way to reach Phnom Penh. For most people it works best as a two or three-day trip through the delta ending with the boat crossing, not as a quick transfer. If you simply want to get to Phnom Penh, the bus or a flight is far faster.
By bus via Ha Tien to the southern coast
For Cambodia’s southern coast, Kampot, Kep, and Sihanoukville, the more direct route is the coastal one via Ha Tien, in the far southwest of Vietnam. Buses run from Ho Chi Minh City down to the coast and across at the Ha Tien and Prek Chak border, taking around ten to fourteen hours depending on the destination, from about $33 to $46. Some services combine a bus with a ferry. Operators on this route include Ha Tien Xanh and Ekareach. Remember that a visa on arrival is the safe option at this crossing, as the e-Visa is not reliably accepted.
A word on Sihanoukville: it has changed a lot, with heavy casino and construction development that has left the city itself far less appealing than it once was. Many travelers now skip the town in favor of nearby Kampot and Kep, or the offshore islands like Koh Rong, which keep the laid-back coastal feel Sihanoukville has lost.
Which route for which destination
To pull it together, here is the simplest way to reach each main destination from Ho Chi Minh City:
- Phnom Penh: fly (under an hour) or take the direct bus (six to seven hours). The bus is cheap and easy; the flight saves time.
- Siem Reap (Angkor Wat): fly direct (around an hour), or bus via Phnom Penh (twelve hours or more). Flying is usually worth it here.
- Kampot and Kep: take the coastal bus via Ha Tien, the most direct road route to the south.
- Sihanoukville and the islands: take the bus, either via Phnom Penh or the coastal route, as there is no direct flight.
Conclusion: what is the best way from Ho Chi Minh City to Cambodia
The best way from Ho Chi Minh City to Cambodia depends on where you are going and how you like to travel.
Fly if you are heading to Phnom Penh or Siem Reap and want to save time, keeping in mind both Cambodian airports are a fair way out of town.
Take the bus for the cheapest and most flexible option, direct to Phnom Penh or down the coast to Kampot and Kep, crossing the border with the staff to help you.
Go by boat through the Mekong Delta if you want the journey to be a scenic trip in itself.
Whichever route you choose, arrange your Cambodian visa to match your border, complete the e-Arrival card, and carry US dollars for any fees. With that sorted, the crossing itself is straightforward.
