Vietnam and Cambodia Experiences 14 days

Day 1: Arrive Hanoi (D)

You will arrive in Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital which celebrated its anniversary of 1,000 years in 2010. Historical emphasis on the arts and learning stipulates that buildings in Hanoi remain small, simple and in harmony with nature.

Based on your flight schedule, our driver will meet you at the airport and escort you to your hotel.

You will then have some free time until the time for gathering with the group for a welcome dinner at a local restaurant and a short briefing for the trip with the tour guide. You will stay overnight in Hanoi.

Day 2: Hanoi (B/L/D)

Visit the first stop of the day, the Ho Chi Minh Complex, including the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where the preserved body of “Uncle Ho” may be viewed, his House on Stilts,, the lotus-shaped One Pillar Pagoda. The next stops will be the Temple of Literature, Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son Temple, and an optional museum.

Following lunch with a Hanoi famous specialty, Cha Ca (grilled fish), you will enjoy a one-hour cyclo ride around Hanoi’s Old Quarter. In the evening, enjoy a traditional Vietnamese water puppet show. You will have time for relaxing with a 30 minute foot massage in the Old Quarter before transferring for dinner at a local restaurant before an overnight stay in Hanoi.

Day 3: Hanoi-Halong (B/L/D)

In the morning, you will leave Hanoi at 08:00 AM for Halong Bay, arriving at the jetty around 12:30 pm. You will be welcomed aboard and set sail through the bay while lunch is served. After lunch, take a short trek to a nearby summit for a panoramic view of the bay dotted with golden sails, go swimming on a quite beach or sunbathe on the sundeck. Later in the afternoon, visit an interesting fishing village with the opportunity to interact with fishermen who have been living in the bay for almost three generations. Back on board, enjoy cocktails while watching the sunset and later unwind at a restaurant for a lavish dinner. You will stay overnight on the deluxe junk.

Day 4: Halong - Hanoi (Brunch)

Greet the day with a morning Tai Chi exercise with an opportunity to view the sunrise over the bay. After breakfast, visit a beautiful limestone grotto then go back to the boat for a final glimpse of Halong Bay while cruising back to the dock. Checkout is at 11:45 am and then you drive back to Hanoi, where you will stay overnight

Day 5: Hanoi - Danang - Hoi An (B/L)

Following breakfast you will transfer to the airport for a flight to Danang. Upon arrival at Danang you will be greeted by our guide who will begin by escorting you on a tour of Danang City, including the Cham Museum where you can find out more about this ancient but advanced civilization. After leaving Danang we will make our way the short distance to the Marble Mountains, where there will be the opportunity to climb to the top and admire the temples that have a commanding view over the surrounding district. We will continue to the delightful town of Hoi An, approximately 30km away, check in and stay overnight.

Day 6: Hoi An (B/L)

From the 16th to 18th centuries, Hoi An was a thriving international commercial port for Chinese, Dutch, French, Japanese, Portuguese and Arab traders. These people came primarily to trade in the high grade silk, which is still produced in the area, as well as ceramics.

Today, Hoi An is a quaint riverside town, popular with tourists for its eclectic architecture, tailors shops, and numerous cafes. Some of the buildings in the narrow streets have remained unchanged for more than a century. We enjoy a half-day walking tour through the narrow winding streets of the ancient quarter visiting Chua Ong Pagoda, Chinese Assembly Halls, the 200-year-old Tam Ky ancestral house, and the Japanese Bridge. Hoi An is now one of five UNESCO-designated World Heritage sites in Vietnam. In the afternoon, you are free to meander in Hoi An, unwind at Cua Dai Beach or take an optional half day trip to My Son Cham Ruins. You will stay overnight in Hoi An

Day 7: Hoi An - Hue - Hoi An (B/L)

At 7:30 a.m, you will be greeted at the hotel by our driver and guide and transfer to the ancient Capital of Vietnam, Hue City. On arrival you will board the Dragon Boat for cruising on the romantic Perfume river heading out for the countryside. Being the ancient capital, Hue is surrounded with ancient tombs of emperors past, and a visit to the most beautiful tombs will be the itinerary for today.

The charming Lady Pagoda (Thien Mu Pagoda) will be the first stop of the day. You will enjoy a great view on the Perfume River and surrounding area. Thien Mu Pagoda is considered the symbol of Hue , and of Buddhism in Vietnam . Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before you continue to visit King Minh Mang’s tomb and King Tu Duc’s tomb. From here you will rejoin your car to visit Hue Citadel and Dong Ba market. You will have a late afternoon transfer back to Hoi An for an overnight stay.

Day 8: Hoi An - Danang - Saigon (B/L)

After leaving Hoi An, we make the 60 minute drive from Hoi An to Danang airport. From Danang we take the one-hour flight to Ho Chi Minh City , where we transfer directly to our centrally located hotel. We embark on a city tour of Saigon including The Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Old Post Office, the Remnant War Museum and bustling Ben Thanh Market. You will stay overnight in HCMC.

Day 9: Cu Chi tunnels and Cao Dai Temples (B/L)

his morning you drive to the Cao Dai Temples in Tay Ninh to observe the midday service. Tay Ninh, near the Cambodian border, is home to the unique Cao Dai sect, whose patron saints include Joan of Arc, Victor Hugo and Winston Churchill to name a few. The religion is a hybrid of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and Christianity. The Cao Dai Temple at Tay Ninh has been described as the Walt Disney World of the East. Above the main entrance is the all-seeing holy eye, the symbol of the Cao Dai sect. The interior is just as engaging as statues of Jesus Christ, Buddha and the Hindu god, Brahma, stand side by side.

On the way back, we will go to the Cu Chi Tunnels. The Cu Chi Tunnels consist of more than 200km of underground tunnels. This main axis system has many branches connecting to underground hideouts, shelters, and entrances to other tunnels. The network included innumerable trap doors, specially constructed living areas, storage facilities, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers and kitchens. Today the remaining tunnels have become a major tourist attraction giving the visitor a unique experience and a feel of what underground life was like during the U.S.-Vietnam War. You will stay o vernight in HCMC.

Day 10: Ho Chi Minh City - Can Tho (B/L/D)

You will leave HCMC to lush My Tho where we cruise on a private boat through the green vegetation of the canals to an orchard, where we are treated to a delicious lunch in a bonsai garden in the heart of the Mekong, complete with tropical fruits. We also visit the snake farm Dong Tam that breeds snakes for, among other things, snake wine and enjoy a bonsai garden in Trung Luong, visit Vinh Trang pagoda (a combination of Asian and European style) before heading to Can Tho city, in the heart of the Mekong Delta. You will stay overnight in Can Tho.

Day 11: Can Tho - HCMC (B/L)

You will wake up to the sounds of the Mekong River welcoming a new day and take a boat trip to join in the Cai Rang floating market, one of the most bustling floating markets in the Mekong Delta with hundreds of small boats barging and jostling for space to sell their goods. After sampling local fruits, our guide will escort the guests back to the hotel through myriad canals. You will have lunch at a local restaurant before returning to Ho Chi Minh City for an overnight.

Day 12: Ho Chi Minh City - Siem Riep (B/L)

In the morning you will take a flight to Siem Riep in Northern Cambodia to visit the fabulous ancient sites of Angkor , one of the wonders of the world. The grandeur of this bygone civilization is truly astounding. Visit Angkor Thom (or “Great City”) which is in some ways even more spectacular than the colossal Angkor Wat, as it has nearly disappeared into the jungle.

At Siem Reap International airport, you will be met and transferred to your comfortable hotel for check in (subject to availability). The tour starts by visiting the famous temple: Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is a World Heritage Site and famous for its beauty and splendour. Angkor Wat features the longest continuous bas-relief in the world, which runs along the outer gallery walls and narrates stories from Hindu mythology. After that, visit Bakheng Temple and enjoy a romantic sun set view form Bakheng hill. You will stay overnight in Siem Reap.

Day 13: Angkor Wat (B/D)

You embark on an elephant ride from the South Gate of Angkor Thom into the jungle near the famous Bayon Temple, unique for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces of Avolokitesvara, Baphoun and Terrace of the Leper King. In the afternoon, we continue to visit the fabulous Ta Prohm (embraced by the roots of enormous fig trees and gigantic creepers) Pre Rup, East Mebon, Krovan, Srah Srang, Banteay Srei and Ta Keo. You will have dinner and enjoy watching a charming Apsara dance show at a local restaurant. You will stay overnight in Siem Reap.

Day 14: Departure (B)

You will board a boat on Tonle Sap Lake. Here, you’ll enjoy a brief cruise past floating villages complete with schools, restaurants, and hospitals and visit the school of the “Les Artisans d’Angkor”.

Based on your departure flight schedule we will transfer you to Siem Reap International airport.