The standard way from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh is the international bus through the Moc Bai-Bavet border: about 6 to 7 hours including formalities, for roughly 12 to 35 US dollars as of 2026, with crews who collect passports and walk the group through both immigration posts. Flights take about 55 minutes and now land at Phnom Penh's new Techo International Airport. The scenic option is the speedboat up the Mekong from Chau Doc, about 6 to 6.5 hours. Cambodia's 30-day tourist visa costs 30 dollars.
This is the main overland link between Vietnam and Cambodia, and the backbone of most combined trips. Our Vietnam and Cambodia itinerary shows how it fits into two or three weeks, and Vietnam vs Cambodia compares the two countries.
Comparison at a glance
| Option | Time | Price (2026) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus via Moc Bai-Bavet | ~6-7 hours | ~$12-35, plus the $30 visa | Most travellers |
| Flight to Techo (KTI) | ~55 minutes flying | varies with the season | Short on time, onward to Siem Reap |
| Speedboat from Chau Doc | ~6-6.5 hours from Chau Doc | Ending a Mekong Delta trip |
By bus: the standard route
Buses leave from District 1 and head north-west to the Moc Bai border, roughly two hours away. Giant Ibis, Mekong Express, Kumho Samco and Sapaco are the main operators, with fares of roughly 12 to 35 dollars as of mid-2026, depending on the class. The whole journey takes about 6 to 7 hours, including the crossing.
At the border, the crew collects passports, takes the group through the Vietnamese exit post at Moc Bai and the Cambodian entry post at Bavet, and hands passports back on the other side. You walk the short stretch between them with your bags, then reboard for the last part of the drive through the Cambodian countryside to central Phnom Penh. Our border crossings guide covers the rules at each checkpoint in more detail.
Book a day or two ahead, and more around holidays. Premium services typically add more legroom, a snack and on-board staff for a few dollars more.
Visas and the border
Cambodia. Most nationalities need a visa. The 30-day tourist visa costs 30 dollars on arrival at Bavet, and Cambodian e-visas are accepted there too, which saves time at the counter. Air arrivals must also file Cambodia's free online e-Arrival card within seven days of arriving; at Bavet you may still be handed a paper form. Pay the official fee and carry a passport photo in case it is requested.
Vietnam. Make sure your Vietnamese e-visa or visa-free stay covers the day you leave. The e-visa costs 25 dollars for single entry or 50 dollars for multiple entry; if you plan to come back into Vietnam, get the multiple-entry version. Our Vietnam visa guide has the current rules.
Money. Cambodia runs on US dollars alongside the riel. Carry clean, undamaged dollar notes for the visa and your first day.
By air: the fastest option
Flights between Tan Son Nhat and Phnom Penh take about 55 minutes, with around four to five nonstop departures a day on carriers including Vietnam Airlines and Air Cambodia, the former Cambodia Angkor Air. Since 9 September 2025, all of Phnom Penh's flights use the new Techo International Airport (KTI), about 20 km south of the city in Kandal province, which replaced the old Phnom Penh International Airport. Allow for the transfer into town when you compare times with the bus.
Flying makes most sense if you are short of time, travelling with young children or connecting on to Siem Reap for Angkor.
By boat: the Mekong route from Chau Doc
There is no boat from Ho Chi Minh City itself, but from Chau Doc, near the border in the Mekong Delta, speedboats run up the river through the Vinh Xuong border to Phnom Penh in about 6 to 6.5 hours including the border, for about 1,640,000 VND, roughly 60 dollars, as of mid-2026. It is priced as an experience rather than transport, and it is a memorable way to arrive.
Most travellers reach Chau Doc at the end of a two- or three-day trip through the delta. Our Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho guide covers the first leg, and Mekong Delta without a tour explains how to travel the delta independently.
Which should you pick?
- Most travellers: the morning bus with a premium operator, with a Cambodian e-visa bought in advance.
- Short on time or heading straight to Angkor: fly.
- Want the journey to be part of the trip: a Mekong Delta trip ending with the Chau Doc speedboat.
Gotchas
- Holidays. Tet and Cambodian New Year in mid-April bring long border queues and sold-out buses. Book ahead and allow extra time.
- Overstays. Leaving Vietnam after your permitted stay has ended means a fine at the border. Check your dates.
- Heat and rain. The south's rainy season runs from May to October; our Vietnam and Cambodia month-by-month guide shows when each country is driest.
Limitations
Fares, timings and visa fees are 2026 figures from operators, official sources and our own guides, and they change; visa rules in particular are revised often, so check the official Cambodian and Vietnamese government sites before you travel. Border times depend on queues, which vary by day and season. Flight schedules and fares change with the season.
Workaround: buy the Cambodian e-visa online in advance, plus the e-Arrival card if you fly, book the bus with a named operator a day or two ahead, and allow a buffer on travel day around holidays.