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: Phnom Penh | Arrive in Phnom Penh | Dinner Cruise on Mekong River
International Flight: Excluded
Meals: Dinner
Welcome to Cambodia. Upon arrival, our guide will greet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel for check-in.
In the evening, enjoy a dinner cruise on board a wooden renovated rice barge. Dine with fine French cuisine and a toast while cruising alongside the sparkling city lights of the “Pearl of the Orient”. After disembarkation, return back to the hotel for overnight.
Accommodation: White Mansion Boutique
Day 2: Phnom Penh | Killing Fields, Genocide Museum, and the Royal Palace
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Phnom Penh Royal Palace – 16 Days Epic Journey of Vietnam and Cambodia
See the highlights of Phnom Penh and the iconic landmarks.
After breakfast your private guide will escort you to one of the Killing Fields called Choeung Ek, It is 15 km southwest Phnom Penh, the killing fields were essentially places of execution and dumping grounds for dead bodies during the Khmer Rouge regime (1975-1979).
In the afternoon your guide will pick you from the hotel lobby to the National Museum, where you will see the large collection of Khmer history, arts, and architecture. You will also visit the Silver Pagoda, which has 5,000 silver tiles on the floor and a visit to the Royal Palace where the Khmer royal family lives.
After the tour, you’ll escort to your hotel for leisure time and overnight.
Accommodation: White Mansion Boutique
Day 3: Phnom Penh – Siem Reap | Flight to Siem Reap | Apsara Dinner Show
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
You’ll transfer by a morning flight to Siem Reap. Upon arrival, our guide will greet you at the airport and you’ll continue to the hotel 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.
Be prepared to enjoy a beautiful traditional dance performed by a team trained in the Dance of Apsara.
This unique 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 to welcome you to the Kingdom of Wonders.
Accommodation: J7 Hotel
Day 4: Siem Reap | Angkor Thom by Bicycle | Filter Donation and Village Visit
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 about the history of the Khmer Rouge, Pol Pot, and the war. Cambodia is still healing from these atrocities.
Then visit a small village to donate a slow sand water filtration system. You’ll have a chance to meet with the village families. The water filtration system will be able to provide potable/drinking water to the whole village. We can also arrange to have your logo or names painted on the filter ahead of time. The installation staff will instruct the villagers on how to maintain the filter. Our guide will accompany you to help with translation.
Optional recommendation:
We recommend that if you have any used children’s books in your home that you no longer need, you may bring them with to donate to the children in the village. This can impact the village children to focus on their education and provide them English reading materials not available from their school.
Day 5: Siem Reap | Angkor Wat Sunrise and Gondola Ride | Dinner with Royal Garden View
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Angkor Wat Temple – 16 Days Epic Journey of Vietnam and Cambodia
Before the light of the day, our guide will pick you up from the hotel and transfer you to the front of Angkor Wat Temple. From here, you’ll watch one of the most revered sunrises in the world. 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.
Then you’ll go for a gondola ride through the moats of Angkor Thom to see the vast ruins of the Khmer Empire at its peak. Close your eyes and smell the sweet perfume of the Romdoul flowers growing wild on the shore mixed with the scent of lotus flowers bobbing in the water. Return back to the hotel for leisure time in the afternoon.
This evening, you will enjoy a private candlelit dinner at Le Bistro Du Parc, overlooking the Royal Gardens of Siem Reap.
Accommodation: J7 Hotel
Day 6: Siem Reap – Hoi An | Flight to Hoi An
Meals: Breakfast
Board an afternoon flight to Hoi An. Upon arrival, our guide will greet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel for check-in.
At the end of a long lane of sandy beaches, palms and the blue sea turns the Thu Bon River. Take a step back in time 300 years to cobblestone alleys and aged wooden and stone homes. Time stands still in this quiet part of the world where ornate doorways and bridges could keep the curious passerby entranced in amusement. The setting – a Far Eastern port that was forgotten in time. Japanese, French, Chinese, and Vietnamese designs and styles melt together along every street.
Accommodation: Fusion Maia Danang
Day 7: Hoi An | Leisure Day | Hoi An Ancient Town at Dusk
Meals: Breakfast
Morning is at your leisure to enjoy the resort facilities or explore on your own.
In the afternoon, transfer with our guide to 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.
Hoi An Ancient Town -16 Days Epic Journey of Vietnam and Cambodia
At dusk, enjoy walking along the riverside as old colorful lanterns light up the town. After the tour, return to the resort for overnight.
Accommodation: Fusion Maia Danang
Day 8: Hoi An – Hue | Road Trip to Hue | Hue Imperial Citadel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Our guide will assist with checking you out of your hotel and then transfer by vehicle (3 hours) 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.
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.
Hue Imperial Citadel
In the afternoon, you’ll press onward to see the famed Imperial Hue Citadel – the old capital of Vietnam. This Citadel has a moat and wall perimeter 6 miles 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.
Accommodation: Azerai La Residence, Hue
Day 9: Hue | Tombs, and Palaces by Bicycle
Meals: Breakfast
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.
Tomb in Hue – 16 Days Epic Journey of Vietnam and Cambodia
Lunch at a Former Royal 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 it’s whereabouts followed him to his grave.
Return to the hotel for leisure time.
Accommodation: Azerai La Residence, Hue
Day 10: Hue – Hanoi | Flight to Hanoi | Highlights of the Millenium Old Capital
Meals: Breakfast
Today, take a morning flight to Hanoi. Upon arrival, our guide will greet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel for check-in.
After check-in, enjoy a stroll on your own around Hoan Kiem Lake outside your hotel. Feel free to also pick up a souvenir at the night markets or at one of the many trinket shops in the alleys and small roads of this historic part of town.
Half-day City Private Tour
In the afternoon, 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 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: Intercontinental Hanoi WestLake
Day 11: Hanoi | Home Hosted Cooking Class
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Learn the Vietnamese culinary secrets with a cooking class in Van Giang Village.
After you’ve finished breakfast at the hotel, your private guide and car will greet you to bring you 11 miles South of Hanoi to Van Giang Village. Here you will learn the basics of preparing refreshing and nuanced Vietnamese dishes from the rural residents of the Red River Delta. After you’re finished with your guided creation, you’ll sit and enjoy lunch.
After lunch, enjoy a cup of green tea as you get acquainted with your hosts and hear the village’s history.
In the afternoon, you’ll visit Bat Trang Pottery Village. Situated approximately 10 miles outside of Hanoi, the village is surrounded by fertile farmland. You’ll see how the artisans form, paint and glaze their products, which are then baked for several days in huge kiln.
When the tour finishes you’ll return to your hotel in Hanoi.
Accommodation: Intercontinental Hanoi WestLake
Day 12: Hanoi – Lan Ha Bay | Emerald Isles of Lan Ha Bay
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lan Ha Bay – 16 Days Epic Journey of Vietnam and Cambodia
In the morning, transfer to Haiphong with our guide (3 hours) to the La Regina Private Lounge. Then board La Regina Legend Cruise.
Start with a welcome drink and a cold hand towel while the Cruise Manager gives the safety briefing. The boat starts to cruise to Lan Ha bay. A delicious set menu lunch is served in La Corona restaurant.
In the afternoon, take an excursion to discover Trung Trang cave, one of the iconic and historic caves in Cat Ba island.
As dusk approaches, welcome the beautiful sunset. Join a Cooking Class on the sundeck with the Chef to learn how to prepare an iconic dish. Then dinner is served on the sundeck, weather permitting.
In the evening, you can try Squid Fishing or watch a movie in La Magia Restaurant on the third floor. Or perhaps some private time in your room. I do suggest keeping your eyes to the water for catching an iridescent light show from plankton and sea life, if conditions are right.
Accommodation: La Regina Legend Cruise
Day 13: Halong Bay | Lan Ha Bay Discovery
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Start your day with a Tai Chi session on the sundeck. Breakfast is served in La Corona on the second floor. Move to the Day Cruise for some free time and exploring Lan Ha Bay. Then continue to Viet Hai village in the midst of jungles, surrounded by the mountain range of the Cat Ba Island.
Back to the main boat for relaxing and to enjoy the lunch. After lunch, enjoy kayaking at Ao Ech area which is one of the most beautiful areas in Lan Ha Bay.
Back to the La Regina Legend Cruise. Enjoy watching the beautiful sunset on the bay as the lights last rays cast streaks across the sky. Join a Cooking & Fruit Carving Class on the sundeck with the Chef. As dusk is setting in, Dinner is served on the sundeck, weather permitting.
Accommodation: La Regina Legend Cruise
Day 14: Hanoi – Ninh Binh | Lan Ha Bay Sunrise | Road Trip to Ninh Binh | Bai Dinh Temple
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Enjoy the sunrise over the bay followed by a Tai Chi session on the sundeck. A light breakfast is served in La Corona on the second floor. The boat anchors at Tra Bau area, where you’ll enjoy kayaking or swimming.
Return back to the boat for relaxing, packing up, and settling any bills. Brunch is served in the restaurant while the boat heads back to the harbor.
Disembark from the cruise at Haiphong where our guide will meet you and then transfer to Ninh Binh (2 hours).
Check-in at the Emeralda Resort 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: Emeralda Resort Ninh Binh
Day 15: Ninh Binh – Hanoi | Bicycling Vietnam’s Countryside & Natural Wonders of Ninh Binh | Return to Hanoi
Ninh Binh Grottoes – 16 Days Epic Journey of Vietnam and Cambodia
Meals: Breakfast
Start at 8 am with our guide taking to the countryside by bicycle through narrow backroads. Rice fields and grottoes line your path with towering karsts in the distance. An occasional local farmer and small communities with friendly welcoming smiles. You’ll head up to Ba Chon Mountain viewpoint. Enjoy the clean fresh air of this region far away from any major cities. Continue South on the country road alongside Van Nature Reserve. You’ll stop at Van Long Marina to board a traditional local boat. Explore some of the streams and grottoes of Van Long Nature Reserve. You might spot some flocks of the rare black-faced spoonbill, cotton pygmy geese, or white-browed crakes.
Return back to the resort to relax and freshen up. Check out at noon 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.
Return to Hanoi (2 hours) and get checked-in at Intercontinental Hanoi WestLake Hotel. The rest of the day is at your leisure.
Accommodation: Intercontinental Hanoi WestLake
Day 16: Hanoi | Farewell!
Meals: Breakfast
Today, our guide will transfer you to the airport for your flight onward and to bid you a fond farewell. Thank you for traveling with us!
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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.
Saigon Highlights - Cu Chi Tunnels - Mekong Delta - Hoi An Ancient Town - Hue - Hanoi Highlights - Lan Ha Bay Cruise - Ninh Binh - Angkor Ruins - Apsara Dinner Show
Hanoi Old Capital - Halong Bay Cruise - Ninh Binh - Hue Citadel - Hoi An Ancient Port Town - Koh Ker Pyramid - Preah Vihear Mountain Temple - Angkor Wat
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