Includes internal flights, twin shared accommodation, English speaking guides, private cars, sightseeing and meals listed. Excludes visa and travel documents, travel insurance, international flights, local tipping, etc.
This itinerary is to give you a flavor of what is possible. We can tailor this trip to suit your specific needs and expectations. You may alter any aspect of the itinerary from excursions to accommodation.
Day 1: Saigon | Arrive in Saigon | Saigon Dinner Cruise
International Flight: Excluded
Meals: Dinner
Welcome to Vietnam! Upon arrival in Saigon, our guide will greet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel for check-in.
As dusk is setting, take a cyclo tour around 45 minutes to Dang Pier on the Saigon River, where you’ll enter a replica of the emperors Saigon Boat Cruise for a magnificent and memorable dining and entertainment spectacle.
The dinner cruise features soft traditional ethnic music while you enjoy the passing lights of the city. The captain will welcome you on board and introduce you to the specialties which have made this boat a culinary experience in Ho Chi Minh City. While onboard, relax on the upper deck and enjoy a panoramic view of Saigon lighting up the evening sky.
Accommodation: Maison de Camille Boutique
Day 2: Saigon | Cycling Saigon’s Countryside | Saigon Highlights
Meals: Breakfast
Go out of the busy city and enjoy a biking tour around rural areas.
After a hearty breakfast at the hotel, transfer with our guide outside of Ho Chi Minh City. Get fitted to your bicycles. Then enjoy a relaxing ride through villages and local markets on both paved and dirt roads.
Stop at a cafe on the way to try traditional Vietnamese coffee. The Vietnamese in the South outside the city have warm hospitality and beaming smiles.
Notre Dame Cathedral – 16 Days Best Vietnam Cambodia Holiday
Afternoon, you’ll see the highlights of Saigon and learn of the history of these iconic landmarks.
You’ll start by visiting the Notre Dame Cathedral. Constructed by French colonists during their settlement, you’ll learn of its significance as the largest cathedral in Southeast Asia. Across the road is the Old Saigon Post Office, a neoclassical architectural building which is considered as one of the main tourist attractions in the city. To finish the tour you’ll visit the Emperor Jade Pagoda. Also known as the Tortoise Pagoda, this figurine-filled place of worship is considered by many to be Saigon’s finest.
Accommodation: Maison de Camille Boutique
Day 3: Saigon | Mekong Delta Discovery: Vinh Long
Meals: Breakfast
Discover the Mekong River, essential to life in the heart of Vietnam.
After you’ve finished breakfast at the hotel, we will take you to Vinh Long where you’ll embark on a boat cruise to the vibrant Cai Be floating market. Be prepared to see fresh spices, mints, and local fruits. If you’re adventurous, you can taste of one of the many colorful fruits in season.
The next stop is the Hoa Binh Phuoc islet, full of local homes where the families produce tiles and ceramics. You’ll visit the rice-paper kiln and coconut candy kiln where you can walk around and observe daily country life. You can have the opportunity to taste fresh-made coconut candy which has a soft and chewy consistency.
Accommodation: Maison de Camille Boutique
Day 4: Saigon – Hoi An | Cu Chi Tunnels | Flight to Danang
Internal Flight:Included
Meals: Breakfast
Take your adventures underground this afternoon for an adventure in history you won’t forget.
Discover the amazing systems developed by the guerrillas fighting in the Vietnam War. You’ll have an opportunity to see the various weapons used in the war on display.
Then you’ll be taken to see the innovative ways the guerrillas survived and fought back in the war. See how they built an impressive underground system as your tour guide tells of the stories and history of the Vietnam War.
You’ll also have an opportunity to shoot the various guns used in the war at a firing range near the tunnels(extra charges apply). Then you’ll have the chance to see rice paper and coconut candy being made. After, you’ll enjoy jasmine tea and a boiled cassava root snack that was a common food eaten by guerrillas during the war.
After the tour is finished, you’ll transfer to the airport for your onward flight to Danang.
Upon arrival, our guide will greet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel in Hoi An for check-in.
Accommodation: Vinh Hung Heritage Hotel
Day 5: Hoi An | Morning Leisure | Hoi An Ancient Town at Dusk
Meals: Breakfast
Morning is at your leisure to enjoy the resort facilities or explore on your own.
Hoi An Ancient Town – 16 Days Best Vietnam Cambodia Holiday
In the afternoon, our guide will meet you for a guided experience in Hoi An Ancient Town. This town features the 16th-century Hoi An port town in it’s preserved state. You’ll start the day visiting the Museum of Trade Ceramics. This museum houses art and pottery dating from the 1,500s to the 1,700s.
Then you’ll briefly visit the Chua Ong Pagoda, a temple from the 17th century which features China’s influence in the region. You’ll continue through the Ancient Town as the streets take on a magic of their own with old lanterns, French-style houses, intricately carved wooden doors, and more. You’ll take a stroll through the Old Tam Ky House to see it’s imperial styles meshed with French overtures. Continue on to stroll along the river and see traditional boats and locals on bicycles passing by. You’ll then approach the Japanese Covered Bridge. This bridge has connected the Chinese and Japanese sides of town over the waterway for centuries. The old wooden structure has shown amazing resilience for more than 400 years.
At dusk, enjoy walking along the riverside as old colorful lanterns light up the town. After you’ve finished the tour, your guide and driver will return you to your hotel.
Accommodation: Vinh Hung Heritage Hotel
Day 6: Hoi An – Hue | Road Trip to Hue | Leisure
Meals: Breakfast
Our guide will assist with checking you out of your hotel and then transfer by vehicle for a scenic ride along the mountain coasts of Vietnam. Start by riding alongside the beaches of Danang where you’ll see hundreds of traditional fishing boats scattered out along the water with beautiful mountains lining the horizon. Then you’ll approach a steep and narrow ascent where you’ll find the scenery surreal. Along the way, there is a stretch of road which overlooks a beautiful bay with a small fishing village, perfect for a Facebook portrait.
You’ll continue your climb to a summit where the clouds will meet you. In Chinese, the summit is referred to as “Where the Clouds Meet the Ocean”. You’ll continue onward through mountains, valleys, countryside, and shorelines where you’ll find numerous breath-taking scenes. Feel free to request your driver to stop for photos along the way.
As you enter Hue, you’ll see many imperial signs and impressive houses and buildings which are only a deluge of what’s to come. After check-in, you’re at leisure for the rest of the day.
Accommodation: Eldora Hotel
Day 7: Hue | Hue Tombs and Heritage
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast, take to bicycles through the romantic city of Hue and surrounds. Your journey will bring you to Khai Dinh’s Tomb. On the way, stop to take some photos of the countryside scenery. When reaching Khai Dinh Tomb, start exploring the structure. It is notable for it’s elaborate decorative work and unique architecture, being a mix of a number of architectural styles. The tomb is of a rectangular structure leaning against Chau Chu Mountain in the outskirts of Hue. The side walls are formed by large dragon sculptures. The tomb is home to an imperial audience court, featuring a reinforced concrete steel monument, as well as twelve stone statues representing bodyguards.
Close to the top floor is the Khai Thanh Palace, featuring intricately designed glass and porcelain decorations on the walls. The ceiling of the palace is decorated with nine intricate dragons. The rear room of the palace is home to a temple containing Khai Dinh’s grave, an altar to him as well as a statue of his likeness. After visiting Khai Dinh tomb, continue by bicycle to Tu Duc Tomb. While Khai Dinh’s Tomb is noteworthy for its ornate extravagance, Emperor Tu Duc’s tomb showcases a traditional elegance, and many views it to be the most beautiful of Hue’s royal tombs. Designed by Tu Duc himself, it is said he preferred spending time in these serene grounds than at the palace.
Lunch at a Former Residence
Enjoy a Hue styled Vietnamese lunch at a local restaurant before riding to the last famous imperial tomb today – Minh Mang Tomb. Minh Mang tomb is a standard architectural complex consisting of 40 structures (palaces, temples, and pavilions) designed on a symmetrical axis running from Dai Hong Gate to the foot of La Thanh (The Surrounding Wall) behind the Emperor’s tomb. Local rumor has it that the emperor buried a splendid treasure of gold and priceless valuables somewhere on the large compound. But the secret of its whereabouts followed him to his grave.
Return to the hotel for leisure time.
Accommodation: Eldora Hotel
Day 8: Hue – Hanoi | Hue Imperial Citadel and Purple Forbidden City | Flight to Hanoi
Internal Flight:Included
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Hue Royal Citadel – 16 Days Best Vietnam Cambodia Holiday
In the morning, go to see the famed Imperial Hue Citadel – the old capital of Vietnam. This Citadel has a moat and wall perimeter 10 km long. You’ll be able to view it’s vast gardens and structure relics. Then you’ll breach the outer perimeter of the Hue Imperial City. Inside, you’ll see many of the national treasures and structures which have survived the Vietnam War. Venture further inside and you’ll enter the Purple Forbidden City. This city was off-limits to the commoners and only could be entered by the highest officials in the Vietnamese government and royalty. Your driver will meet you on the other side of the city where you’ll then be escorted to a stop at the Dong Ba Market where you can see local fruits and produce for sale.
Your ventures will take you to lunch at a royal residence. These imperial styled houses near the Royal Citadel feature beautiful gardens, intricate furnishings, and detailed ornaments at every turn. Each dish highlights different aspects of Hue traditional food enjoyed by the royalty. The brilliant food presentation will be sure to leave a fond memory with you of this family-owned garden and restaurant. Return to the hotel for check out.
Take a flight to Hanoi. Upon arrival, our guide will greet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel for check-in.
Accommodation: Silk Path Boutique Hotel
Day 9: Hanoi | Impressions of Hanoi
Meals: Breakfast
In the morning, 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 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.
Accommodation: Silk Path Boutique Hotel
Day 10: Hanoi – Lan Ha Bay | Emerald Isles of Lan Ha Bay
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lan Ha Bay – 16 Days Best Vietnam Cambodia Holiday
Take a private transfer in the morning with our guide to Orchid’s Private Lounge in Hai Phong 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 en route 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.
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 11: Lan Ha Bay | Hidden Lan Ha Bay
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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.
Accommodation: Orchid Cruise
Day 12: Halong Bay – Ninh Binh | Halong Bay Sunrise | Bai Dinh Temple
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Enjoy the sunrise over the bay followed by a Tai Chi session. Then a light breakfast.
Take to kayaks and venture into Toi Sang cave. The cave is one of the longest grottoes in Halong with hanging formations. At the end, it opens up to a beautiful lake.
Return back to the cruise for a brunch and wrap your trip up with a Tea Ceremony with the crew for an intro into Vietnamese tea culture. Bid the crew farewell and then transfer to Ninh Binh.
Check-in at the hotel with stunning views all around.
Time to stretch your legs! Go with our guide to visit Bai Dinh Temple, the largest temple in Vietnam. This Buddhist temple was built into the mountain with 3 terraces and faces the river. Explore the many halls, rooms, carvings, and statues during the late afternoon. Our guide will then take you to the best place for watching the sunset over this untouched part of Vietnam. Shortly afterward, you’ll witness the 13-tier pagoda – Chau Bai Dinh – be lit up for the evening: a true spectacle to behold! Return to the resort for overnight and leisure.
Accommodation: Ninh Binh Hidden Charm Hotel And Resort
Day 13: Ninh Binh – Siem Reap | Wonders of Ninh Binh | Flight to Siem Reap
Internal Flight:Included
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast, enjoy some time at the resort to relax and take in the stunning views. Check out late morning and then you’ll go to visit Hoa Lu, the ancient capital. In 968, Dinh Bo Linh declared himself as the King. Since then Hoa Lu existed as the capital for only 41 years. In 1010, King Ly Thai To moved the capital from Hoa Lu to Thang Long – present-day Hanoi. Hoa Lu became the old citadel. In Hoa Lu there are now two temples dedicated to two Vietnamese kings, which have been built on the grounds of the old royal palace. The visit offers a chance to learn more about the feudal dynasties and historical periods in Vietnamese history.
Ninh Binh Grottoes – 16 Days Best Vietnam Cambodia Holiday
Next, you’ll take an amazing boat trip through Trang An Grottoes. A gathering of 31 valleys and 50 cross-water caves are home to 600 kinds of flora and over 200 kinds of fauna many of which are listed in the Red Book of Vietnam. Rowing through the Trang An Grottoes is a peaceful trip of serenity. The highland air is a respite from modern living and the sounds are only that of birds and the oars stirring the clear water. Towering overhead are magnificent forested mountains upon which you might catch a glimpse of grazing white-bearded goats. After the tour is finished, our guide and driver will transfer you to the airport in Hanoi.
Take a flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Upon arrival, our guide will greet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel for check-in.
Accommodation: Viroth’s Hotel
Day 14: Siem Reap | Angkor Thom by Bicycle
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.
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.
Accommodation: Viroth’s Hotel
Day 15: Siem Reap | Angkor Wat Sunrise | Apsara Dinner Performance
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Angkor Wat Temple – 16 Days Best Vietnam Cambodia Holiday
Before the light of the 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 play through the chambers as the morning haze settles and giving the temple a mystical ambiance while there are few tourists who visit during this time of day. After your explorations, you’ll return to your hotel for some rest and leisure time in the hot afternoon.
Be prepared to enjoy a beautiful traditional dance performed by a team trained in the Dance of Apsara.
In the evening, you will be picked up from the hotel lobby and transferred 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 in the Kingdom of Wonders.
Accommodation: Viroth’s Hotel
Day 16: Siem Reap | Farewell!
Meals: Breakfast
Our guide will transfer you to the airport for your onward flight and will bid you a fond farewell. Thank you for traveling with us!
It's easier than ever to get going! Request a quote today!
One of our Travel Experts will reach out to you and assist you with an itinerary and quote. Also, feel free to leave your phone number and we will give you a quick call just to say hello and clarify any questions we have about your inquiry.
Gentle Giant of Asia - Angkor Ancient Temples - Emerald Isles of Lan Ha Bay - H'mong Hill Tribe - Hue Imperial Citadel and Hue Tomb - Hoi An Ancient Town
Hanoi Old Capital - Halong Bay Cruise - Ninh Binh - Hue Citadel - Hoi An Ancient Port Town - Koh Ker Pyramid - Preah Vihear Mountain Temple - Angkor Wat
Saigon - Culinary Class - Danang Beaches - Myson & Hoi An Ancient Town - Hanoi - Halong Bay Cruise - Citroen Car to Angkor Thom - Khmer Culinary Class - Angkor Wat Sunrise
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