13 Days Luxury Discovery in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand

ITINERARY

Day 1: Hanoi | Arrive in Hanoi | Hanoi Old Quarter | Water Puppet Show and Dinner

International Flight: Excluded

Meals: Dinner

Welcome to Vietnam! Upon arrival, an airport representative will greet you and assist with the express visa process. Continue with our guide to Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi Hotel for check-in.

In the afternoon, 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 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’s teachings.

Historical Hoan Kiem Lake

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. In the late afternoon, transfer to Tran Quoc Pagoda set on West Lake. 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. Then return to the hotel.

Trang Quoc Pagoda – 13 Days Luxury Discovery Vietnam Cambodia Thailand

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.

After the show, you’ll enjoy traditional Vietnamese cuisine at Home Restaurant – a historic French colonial residence restored in between the Old Quarter and the serene West Lake. Enjoy fine Vietnamese cuisine. Once you finish your dinner, you’ll transfer to the hotel.

Accommodation: Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi

Day 2: Hanoi | Culture of Vietnam and Thang Long Citadel

Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, our guide will meet you at the hotel and transfer to visit Thang Long Royal Citadel – recognized recently as a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO. Continue the tour with Museum of Ethnology containing more than 10,000 objects, 15,000 black and white photos, and hundreds of videotapes and cassettes which depict all aspects of life, activities, customs, and habits of the 54 ethnic groups of Vietnam.

Finish with a visit to the Museum of Women, a museum dedicated to the daily life and culture of women throughout Vietnam. This also features many key women important to Vietnamese history. Return to the hotel for leisure.

Accommodation: Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi

Day 3: Hanoi – Lan Ha Bay | Lan Ha Bay Luxury Cruise

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

In the morning, take a shuttle transfer to Haiphong where you’ll enjoy some time at Orchid’s Private Lounge for refreshments until boarding. Then board Orchid Cruise.

Receive a safety briefing and check in your cabins. The boat sets adrift for Da Chong islet, home to an old French lighthouse. Enjoy a sumptuous feast in the panoramic dining hall while enroute to the isles of Con Vit and Gia Luan. The bay opens up to you with stunning green karsts towering above the water. This area receives very few cruise ships as it has just been newly opened up. Continue to Ba Trai Dao beach of Lan Ha Bay. A paradise with perfect beaches and natural beauty. Stop at one of the beaches for swimming or kayaking during the afternoon.

Lan Ha Bay – 13 Days Luxury Discovery Vietnam Cambodia Thailand

As dusk approaches, welcome the sunset with a local specialty – “Ba Kich”(a liquor made from Noni fruit). Back on board, you’ll join a cooking demonstration to learn a few Vietnamese culinary secrets. Enjoy your creation! Then time for supper in the dining hall. Delicious Vietnamese cuisine and seafood in a romantic setting. After dinner, you may enjoy watching the stars from the sundeck, watching a movie in the restaurant, or give night squid fishing a try with the staff(subject to seasonal availability).

Accommodation: Orchid Cruise

Day 4: Hanoi – Siem Reap | Lan Ha Bay Sunrise | Flight to Siem Reap

Internal Flight: Included

Meals: Breakfast

Rise early for one of the top best sunrises in the world. Then head to the sundeck for an invigorating Tai Chi session amongst a picture-perfect backdrop of karsts, sea, and nature. Enjoy breakfast in the dining hall before taking a journey to explore the area around Sang Tai sea cave via canoes.

Return to Hanoi.

Take an evening flight to Siem Reap. Upon arrival, an airport representative will greet you and assist with the express visa process. Continue with our guide to Victoria Angkor Resort and Spa for check-in.

Siem Reap is a quaint town in Cambodia and the gateway to the vast remains of the Angkor empire. Discover the Royal Gardens on your own with ancient trees home to a colony of giant fruit bats. Take a stroll along the scenic riverside and visit the night markets to find unique souvenirs. You may also want to spend the evening with a visit to Pub Street with several restaurants and bars that stay open late into the night. Many restaurants have live entertainment in the evening.

Accommodation: Victoria Angkor Resort and Spa

Day 5: Siem Reap | Angkor Thom by Bicycle | Meet Angkor Expert | Bodia Spa

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Enjoy a relaxing cycling tour in the morning in ancient Angkor Thom – a stone city built around the time of Angkor Wat.

The biking tour will start at the South Gate – a photogenic bridge at the gateway of the stone city of Angkor Thom which has made its way into many Hollywood movies. Angkor Thom was the last and most enduring capital city of the Khmer Empire. Enter the stone city and explore shaded trails and ancient monuments. Visit Bayon Temple where you will be surrounded by 216 gigantic stone faces which fame as “Khmer Smile”, you will also visit the Terrace of Elephants, the Royal Palace, and the Terrace of the Leper King. Stop your cycling trip with a visit to the local monastery to chat with monks and see their daily life.

At Bayon Temple, a renowned scholar will join you to share with you the epic stories she has discovered her research. Explore the ruins as she brings the carvings and stories to life, discussing both the politics of the Angkor period and the advances in human rights.

On the way back, stop to see the Killing Fields of Wat Thmei. Our guide will relay to you the history of the Khmer Rouge, Pol Pot, and the war. Cambodia is still healing from these atrocities.

As evening approaches, enjoy a relaxing spa treatment at Bodia Spa – an award-winning spa in Southeast Asia.

Accommodation: Victoria Angkor Resort and Spa

Day 6: Siem Reap | Koh Ker Pyramid | Beng Melea Jungle Temple | Banteay Srei Temple

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Wake early to visit Beng Melea while the morning dew and fog still cover this Indiana Jones-esque temple. Wind through maze-like tunnels, swing on ancient tree vines, and chart your own adventure while you climb through this amazing complex hidden in the jungle.

Koh Ker Pyramid – 13 Days Luxury Discovery Vietnam Cambodia Thailand

Then you’ll travel to what was once the great city of Koh Ker, which was the capital before Angkor Thom. You’ll visit many temples, ancient pools, and ruins in the vast area. Then you’ll finish with a visit to the pyramid temple of Koh Ker. Then enjoy your lunch at a local restaurant before heading forward to Banteay Srei.

After you had your lunch continue the tour to Banteay Srei Temple. Banteay Srei is built largely of red sandstone, a medium that lends itself to the elaborate decorative wall carvings which are still observable today. The buildings themselves are miniature in scale, 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. After this, you’ll return to Siem Reap.

Accommodation: Victoria Angkor Resort and Spa

Day 7: Siem Reap | Classic Citreon to Bayon | Angkor Wat Temple | Floating Village on the Lake | Apsara Dinner Performance

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

For your last day in Siem Reap, you’ll experience the temple relics in a way that will really let you feel like you’ve escaped the 20th century and traveled a thousand years back to a time when life was simple and nature was surreal. After breakfast, you’ll be escorted by a classic 1930s fully restored Citreon. Circle around Bayon temple and stop for photos with the classic automobile if you like.

Continue the tour to visit one of the Seven Wonders of the World: Angkor Wat. At this point, you most probably have gotten glimpses of the towers over treetops and the gates in front of passing. But now you’ll finally get to satiate that curiosity that’s grown in the last few days. Enter Angkor Wat and learn about the stories and amazing architecture that has stunned archaeologists leaving more questions than answers. Angkor Wat possesses some of the most intricate and longest stone carvings in the world. This complex is four times the size of the Vatican City making it the largest religious site in the world. Spend the morning adventuring through the many passages, levels, and exploring chambers that once housed one many treasure of the ancient world. It will be an experience you won’t forget.

Khmer Floating Village

In the afternoon, you’ll take a boat trip on the water of the Tonle Sap Lake to a floating village called Kampong Phluk. Kampong Phluk means, Harbor of the Tusks, due to its past trade in elephant ivory many years ago. Having 3,000 inhabitants residing in stilted houses, the most common profession is fishing. Return to the hotel.

Be prepared to enjoy a beautiful traditional dance performed by a team trained in the Dance of Apsara.

Continue in the evening to Angkor Village Hotel Theater for a traditional Apsara Dinner Show. where you will have a unique dinner experience which will bring ancient Khmer culture to life in spectacular surroundings while you enjoy the very best in Cambodia cuisine. This one-of-a-kind cultural experience highlights the mysterious civilization and heritage of Khmer spoken through choreography and music. Colorful costumes and playful activities will give you insights into the Khmer daily life and wedding traditions while you enjoy a delicious meal on your last night in the Kingdom of Wonders.

Accommodation: Victoria Angkor Resort and Spa

Day 8: Siem Reap – Chiang Mai | Flight to Chiang Mai

Internal Flight: Included

Meals: Breakfast

Today, take an afternoon flight to Chiang Mai with a short stopover in Bangkok. Upon arrival, our representative will greet you and assist with getting through customs and visa exemption processing. Continue with our guide to Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai Hotel for check-in.

The old city walls still stand verdantly against the course of time, inviting pilgrims to come rest, and explore the lost treasures of the Lanna Kingdom. Established as the capital in 1296AD of the vast “Kingdom of a Million Rice Fields”, Chiang Mai carries a heritage lurking around every quiet cobble-stone alley and corridor. These days, cafes, boutiques, pubs, and spas are auspiciously peppered throughout, while colorful Meo and Akha hill tribes make their daily ritual visit to the valley to offer their hand made tapestries and handicrafts to curious adventurers. The Ping River weaves through the valley to the East of the Old City while a peaceful moat surrounds the time-worn walls.

Accommodation: Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai

Day 9: Chiang Mai | Befriending the Gentle Giants of Asia | Eve Kratoke Dinner

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today, you will visit an elephant sanctuary in the jungles near Chiang Mai. First, you’ll learn about the project and hear the amazing stories of each rescued and orphaned elephant. You will have an elephant just under both of your care for the day-with the mahout (elephant guide) to help you learn about your elephant and get acclimated with their behavior and personality. Learn how she became free from abuse and misuse. You’ll be shown how to approach your elephant, what spoken commands she respond to, how to read her body language, and how to check her health. Then have an opportunity to feed her. The mahout will also show you how to ride on her neck(no heavy howdah seats are used) or you can walk alongside your elephant if you prefer.

Continue to the nearby river. Here you will have the opportunity to observe or participate in bathing the elephants with the sanctuary staff. The sanctuary has a photographer who will capture these moments in high quality for you throughout the day and provide you a CD of the experience. Next enjoy a picnic spread.

After you have said your farewells, return back to the hotel for some leisure time.

Around 7 PM, we will transfer to an outdoor courtyard theatre. Take a place in traditional Thai seating as Thai dishes are brought to you. Enjoy colorful performances in traditional Lanna Thai apparel with live music. Then return to the hotel after the show.

Accommodation: Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai

Day 10: Chiang Mai | Suthep Mountain H’mong Tribe and Doi Suthep Temple

Meals: Breakfast

Today, you will visit Wat Prathat Doi Suthep Temple perched on Suthep mountain. Every Temple with a name starting with Wat Prathat contains Buddhist relics and is considered sacred to adherents. Climb around 300 steps to reach the temple. On the way, ring some of the temple bells, if you like. The temple has a set of impressive murals picturing scenes from the life and teachings of Buddha. Our guide will elaborate on some of the history and stories as you explore the temple compound.

After the visit, return to the hotel for your afternoon at leisure.

Accommodation: Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai

Day 11: Chiang Mai – Bangkok | Chiang Mai Temples| Flight to Bangkok | Dinner Cruise by Banyan Tree

Internal Flight: Included

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

In the morning, visit the most prominent temples in Chiang Mai. Start with Wat Phra Singh which houses the famous Phra Singh Buddha image. It features Lanna art throughout and illustrates many famous Buddhist stories. Continue on to Wat Chedi Luang, which once contained the Emerald Buddha. The temple is partially in ruins due to an earthquake in the 1500s. Then stop at Wat Chiang Man which is the oldest temple in Chiang Mai and also houses one of Thailand’s greatest treasures: the Crystal Buddha.

Then continue to Wat Suan Dok, which houses many of the remains of generations of the old Chiang Mai Royal Family. Finally, visit Wat Jet Yot – this peaceful temple is surrounded by green and was built in the Mahabodhi style from India to house the Eighth World Buddhist Council in 1453. You’ll return to the hotel.

Afternoon, take a flight to Bangkok. Upon arrival, our guide will greet you at the airport and transfer you to the resort for check-in.

In the evening, our guide will transfer you to the pier to embark on a renovated rice barge for a cruise dinner by Banyan Tree. The dinner features a live Apsara performance while you enjoy Thai delicacies and take in the night lights of the Chao Phraya River.

Accommodation: Anantara Bangkok Riverside Resort and Spa

Day 12: Bangkok | Bangkok by Longtail Boat

Meals: Breakfast

Temple of Dawn – 13 Days Luxury Discovery Vietnam Cambodia Thailand

In the early morning, take a traditional long-tail boat to Wat Arun – the Temple of the Dawn to enjoy a stunning view and explore the gem of Bangkok.

Continue to one of the must-see sights, the spectacular Grand Palace, undoubtedly the city’s most famous landmark. Built-in 1782- and for 150 years the home of the Thai King, the Royal court and the administrative seat of government – the Grand Palace of Bangkok is a grand old dame indeed, that continues to have visitors in awe with its beautiful architecture and intricate detail, all of which is a proud salute to the creativity and craftsmanship of Thai people.

Within its walls were also the Thai war ministry, state departments, and even the mint. Today, the complex remains the spiritual heart of the Thai Kingdom. Within the palace complex are several impressive buildings including Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), which contains the small, very famous and greatly revered Emerald Buddha that dates back to the 14th century. The robes on the Buddha are changed with the seasons by HM The King of Thailand and forms an important ritual in the Buddhist calendar. Thai Kings stopped living in the palace around the turn of the twentieth century, but the palace complex is still used to mark all kinds of other ceremonial and auspicious happenings. Then return to the hotel at your leisure.

Accommodation: Anantara Bangkok Riverside Resort and Spa

Day 13: Bangkok | Farewell!

Meals: Breakfast

Today our guide will transfer you to the airport before your onward flight and will bid you a fond farewell. Thank you for traveling with us!

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