13 Days World Wonders of Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar

ITINERARY

Day 1: Hanoi | Welcome to Vietnam!

International Flight: Excluded

Welcome to Vietnam! Arrive in Hanoi to start your adventure through Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar. Upon arrival, our guide will greet you at the airport and escort you to the hotel for check-in.

Day 2: Hanoi – Halong Bay | Emerald Isles of Halong Bay

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Pick up at 8h00 am by shuttle transfer at the lobby of your hotel, you leave Hanoi arriving at the jetty around 12:30 pm. Welcome on board of Bai Tho Junk and set sail through the bay while lunch is served. Passage into the magical bay, where thousands of sculpted limestone islands rise from the waves like dragons’ teeth. After lunch, we cruise to the inside of magical landscape of Dinh Huong island, Ga Choi Island, Dog Island, Binh Phong mountain, Sung Sot Cave, Round over Titov Beach. Enjoy the sunset on the top of the Titov mountain or you can take a bamboo row boat to discover water tunnels with many coral reefs in a scenic lagoon. Back on board Junk, enjoy dinner on the boat.

Halong Bay – 13 Days World Wonders Vietnam Cambodia Myanmar

Day 3: Hanoi | Halong Sunrise | Water Puppet Show and Dinner

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Rise to the sound of the ocean coming to life for another lovely day. Before breakfast, you may have an opportunity to view the sunrise over the bay. After breakfast, we cruise to the Bai Tho Mountain in the other beautiful Bai Tu Long Bay and we cruise back to the Halong dock. Lunch on the boat before checkout at 11:45. Boat arrive at harbor by 12:00. Free time for shopping. In the afternoon, you’ll transfer by shuttle bus back to Hanoi.

The evening will start with a Water Puppet Show performed by the world renowned Thang Long Opera House. This performance features a talent unique to Vietnam. You’ll watch as water puppets perform the folklore legends of Vietnam while live ethnic music sets the mood. Then enjoy traditional Vietnamese cuisine at Home Restaurant – a historic French colonial residence restored in between the Old Quarter and the serene West Lake. Once you finish your dinner, you’ll be escorted to your hotel.

Day 4: Hanoi – Siem Reap | Millennium-Old Capital Highlights | Flight to Siem Reap

Flight: Excluded
Meals: Breakfast
In the morning, you’ll be escorted to see the Tran Quoc Pagoda. This 1,400-year-old temple features ten tiers surrounded by gardens and which also hosts a bodhi tree grown from a cutting of the original Buddhist tree under which Buddha sat. Next, you’ll take a stroll around the Hoan Kiem Lake where you can see the Tortoise Tower sitting on the water. Then you’ll enjoy a half hour cyclo tour through the Old Quarter in Hanoi. The cyclo is a historic mode of transportation in the cities of Vietnam where a cyclist escorts you while you sit in a seat affixed to the front with a canopy over top.
Next, you’ll visit the One Pillar Pagoda – a pagoda situated on a pillar made of a single stone, in the middle of a lotus pond. This pagoda was built by a 9th-century emperor who saw it in a dream and regarded this as a divine inspiration to recreate the structure in the vision.
You’ll pass by the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum before visiting the highlight of this tour – The Temple of Literature. This ancient university was erected almost a millennium ago and has hosted many of the most prominent scholars through Vietnamese history. The site features many gardens, pools, buildings, and ancient trees where the best and brightest of Vietnam studied under the guidance of Confucius teachings.
Late afternoon, transfer by flight to Siem Reap. Upon arrival, be greeted by the guide at the airport and continue to the hotel for check-in.

Day 5: Siem Reap | Angkor Civilization of a Bygone Age

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, you’ll begin your explorations of the remains of an ancient civilization that once ruled much of Southeast Asia. Today, you’ll be visiting the ancient capital city of Angkor Thom. On your way to Angkor Thom, you’ll catch a glimpse of the front of Angkor Wat as you pass by, which will leave you with a tingling feeling on the back of your neck as you take your first glance of the enormity and wonder of the largest religious complex to ever exist.

However, we’ll be saving the best for last as you go on today to see some other equally impressive structures of Ta Prohm Temple, Bayon Temple, Banteay Kdei, Baphoun, Elephant Terrace, Leper King Terrace, and the Royal Palace. First on the agenda is Ta Prohm. Worn by time, rain, and overpowered by the jungle, this immaculate structure hidden under canopy will leave you feeling like you’ve stepped into the movie set of a treasure hunt adventure. Your private tour guide will give you the history and stories passed through oral tradition.

After you’ve had lunch, your exploits will continue as you visit Banteay Kdei (“Citadel of Chambers”). You’ll also visit Victory Gate, Terrace of the Leper King, the Royal Palace, Baphuon, and Bayon. Bayon sets itself apart with its almost 200 smiling faces, sure to make you feel welcomed on your second day to the Kingdom of Wonders. With its winding tunnels, chambers, and daring climbs, Bayon will give you many picturesque moments to keep your camera busy.

As the sun approaches the horizon, you’ll enjoy a sunset from the top of the pyramid-shaped temple of Pre Rup. After sunset, you’ll be taken back to your hotel for the evening.

Day 6: Siem Reap | Floating Village on Tonle Sap Lake

Meals: Breakfast
In the morning, start with an ox-cart ride through Cambodia’s green countryside where you’ll see many coconut trees, rice fields, and water buffalo. After that, continue the trip to the largest lake in Southeast Asia, the Tonle Sap. You’ll take a boat ride to Kampong Phlukk which means, Harbor of the Tusks due to its history in the elephant trade several centuries ago. You’ll also see the mangrove forests nearby. After the tour, you’ll return to your hotel to relax for rest of the day.

Day 7: Siem Reap | Angkor Wat: Crowning Gem of Asia | Banteay Srei: Citadel of Women

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Before the light of day, your guide will pick you up from your hotel and escort you to the front of Angkor Wat Temple. From here, you’ll watch one of the most revered sunrises in the world. Our guide will arrange a light picnic breakfast for you to enjoy in front of the world’s #1 Heritage Site. Then in the early hours, you’ll explore the vast temple with your guide bringing to life the stories of Angkor. In the morning, the rays of the light shine through the chambers as the morning haze settles giving the temple a mystical ambiance while there are few tourists who visit during this time of day.
After that, you’ll continue to a remote temple deep in the jungle called Banteay Srei: The Citadel of Women. Banteay Srei was carved from red sandstone, a medium that lends itself to elaborate decorative wall carvings, which are still well preserved to this day. The buildings themselves are miniature in scale to the other colossal temples around Siem Reap, unusually so when measured by the standards of Angkorian construction. These factors have made the temple extremely popular with tourists, and have led to its being widely praised as a precious gem or the jewel of Khmer art. Have lunch.

Then return to Siem Reap to visit the Angkor Panorama Museum. Here you’ll get to see more about the history of the temples and also visit the Panorama display of daily life in the times of Angkor. Then return to your hotel for the rest of the day at leisure.

Day 8: Siem Reap – Yangon | Siem Reap Highlights | Flight to Yangon(Myanmar)

Flight: Excluded
Meals: Breakfast
In the morning, your guide will greet you and you’ll transfer to the Old Market by tuk-tuk. Here many souvenir collections are on display. Next, you’ll go to visit Artisans d’Angkor, a school of art dedicated to the preservation of traditional Khmer skills in silk-weaving, stone carving, wood carving, lacquering and painting. It is also an organization dedicated to promoting the education of individuals from impoverished backgrounds. Return to your hotel by noon.
Fly in the evening to Yangon with a stopover in Bangkok. Upon arrival, our guide will greet you and escort you to your hotel for check-in.

Day 9: Yangon | Best of Yangon

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast, visit the downtown area to see the Old City Hall and Maharbandoola Park. Then take a stroll along the old street ending at the old Strand Hotel. Next, drive to Botahtaung Pagoda which features golden decorations inside the pagoda. Continue to Bogyoke Market which sells many Burmese traditional handicrafts including stone carving, wood carving, bronze carving, painting, etc.In the afternoon, visit Kandawgyi Park for a stroll near Chaukhtetgyi Reclining Buddha Image – one of the largest in Yangon. Continue to the highlight of Yangon: the golden Shwedagon Pagoda, which has been described as one of the wonders of the world. Shwedagon plays a very important role in the Old Burmese History and also is an important Buddhist icon. Enjoy the sunset over the pagoda.

Day 10: Yangon – Bagan | Bagan Valley of a Thousand Temples

Flight: Excluded
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Morning flight to Bagan. Upon arrival, our guide will greet you and escort you to the hotel for check in.

Today you’ll explore Bagan, where you will see its thousands of Buddhist pagodas spread in the valley of the Ancient City of Bagan. These pagodas used to own by individual families during prosperous times. You will visit the Nyaung Oo Market where locals buy and sell produce. Then you’ll visit the Shwezigon Pagoda which is the largest pagoda in Bagan painted with real gold.

Have a rest in hotel during the hot afternoon. Then you’ll enjoy a Horse Cart Ride first to the small village of Taung Phi where rests a worn teak monastery awaiting the rare tourists who are lost. You’ll continue by horse cart around temples and winding roads as the sun makes it’s way to the sky’s edge casting curious shadows from the temples across the plain. Continue to Shesandaw Pagoda. From your vantage point, you’ll watch one of the best sunsets in Southeast Asia. Then you’ll take a horse cart ride back to your hotel.

Bagan’s Valley of a Thousand Temple – 13 Days World Wonders Vietnam Cambodia Myanmar

Day 11: Bagan – Mandalay | Magnificent Mandalay

Flight: Excluded
Meals: Breakfast
Morning flight to Mandalay. Upon arrival, our guide will greet you and escort you to the hotel for check-in.

In the afternoon, you’ll go to see the Highlights of Mandalay, you’ll start off your day with an opportunity to learn about the distinct Buddhist culture unique to Burma. You’ll visit the Mahamuni Image where you’ll have an opportunity to watch locals pray and place a gold paper on the statue of Buddha for a blessing. You can participate as well if you like for a small donation to the temple(only men are allowed to place the gold on the statue).

You’ll also visit a gold paper factory to see how golden leafs are made, a staple in Burmese religious practices. Then you’ll visit the 19th-century Shwenandaw Monastery (Golden Palace Monastery) famous for its teak carvings of Buddhist mythology.

Next, you’ll see the Kuthodaw Pagoda which is a Buddhist stupa that contains the world’s largest book of Buddhism.

At the end of your day, you’ll enjoy a gorgeous sunset from the top of Mandalay Hill.

Day 12: Mandalay | Amarapura

Meals: Breakfast , Lunch

Morning: Transfer by private vehicle to Sagiang, the capital of Sagiang Division located on the Irrawaddy River. You’ll cross the Inwa Bridge, which was built by the British in 1934. Then you’ll visit the Maha Ganayon Kyaung Monastery to see hundreds of monks line up for daily meals. Then visit the U-Bein Bridge which is 1.2 kilometers long and is the longest teakwood bridge in the world.

Next, you’ll see Kaung Mu Taw Pagoda: a dome-shaped pagoda which rises up 46 meters. At the base of the pagoda, there are 812 stone pillars, each one with a hollow and image of a Nat inside. Continue with a visit to Sagaing Hill. The hill has a number of small pagodas with many meditation centers along with Soon U Ponya Shin Pagoda – pagoda painted with gold. You can stop at monasteries and nunneries to speak with monks while enjoying hot green tea.

Lunch at a restaurant.

Then continue with a visit of Amarapura,”City of Immortality”, the old capital of Myanmar. At the end of the day, visit the ancient temple of Pahtodawgyi which was built in 1820.

Return to Mandalay and the rest of the day is at your leisure.

Day 13: Mandalay – Departure

Flight: Excluded
Meals: Breakfast
Transfer to the airport for your flight onward. Thank you for traveling with us on our Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar tour!

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