Vietnam and Cambodia tour 12 days

Code: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, G = Guide

Day 1: Arrival at Hanoi (D, G)

Upon arrival at Noi Bai airport, our guide will greet and accompany you to your hotel. Free time until you’ll be picked up to watch water puppet performance, a traditional art form closely connected with the long-standing spiritual life of the Vietnamese people. You’ll then be driven to a good local restaurant and enjoy a welcome dinner with us. Your overnight stay will be in Hanoi.

Day 2: Hanoi city tour (B, L, G)

The morning tour will begin with Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the resting place of Uncle Ho. You will also see his house-on-stilts and learn about the simple life of the Vietnamese?s beloved leader. Your next visit will be Tran Quoc Pagoda, one of the oldest pagodas, which still maintains its unique architecture harmonious with nature and boasts many precious Buddhist statues. You will then driven to Temple of Literature, the oldest school inVietnam, giving it the distinction of being the most significant temple in both Hanoi and Vietnam.

In the afternoon, you will call at the Vietnamese Museum of Ethnology, an excellent instruction to the cultural heritages of Vietnam’s 54 distinct ethnic groups. Later on, you will visit the beautiful Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake – a striking blue gem in the city centre. The tour ends with 1 ?hour walking tour around the Old Quarters to enjoy its warmth and cosiness, looking up to contemplate centuries-old and weather-beaten houses, both familiar and exotic, etc. Your overnight stay will be in Hanoi.

Day 3: Hanoi/Ha Long (B, L, D, G)

Picked up at around 8.30 a.m, you’ll then depart for Ha Long Bay. Enjoy a 3 hour drive with a brief stopover at Hong Ngoc Embroidery workshop for refreshment and see different kinds of handicrafts skillfully made by disable people.

Arriving Ha Long Bay, you will go aboard and check in. Lunch will be served afterwards with a selection of seafood specialities. The boat will take you first to the famous World Heritage area where you can visit Amazing Cave and take a swim on a tranquil beach in Ha Long Bay. Then you are free, possibly for retiring to your cabin or having romantic walks on the boat side to enjoy the marvellous sunset. You’ll spend a night on boat.

Day 4: Ha Long/Hanoi/Hue (B, L, G)

It would be nice if you wake up to see sunrise and daylight filtering through the early morning mist and the towering rock formations. After western breakfast, you will venture into some of the sea level caves in a small sampan. You’ll then continue a leisurely cruise along Ha Long Bay and have lunch before returning to the habour. Our car will pick you up and drive you to the airport for your flight Hue. On arrival, you’ll be picked up and transferred to your hotel. You’ll spend the night in Hue.

Day 5: Hue (B, L, G)

After breakfast, you will take a cruise along Perfume River to visit Hue’s best-known religious site, Thien Mu Pagoda. Our car will then take you to visit the imposing Minh Mang tomb, a striking example of classic Sino-Vietnamese architecture.

After lunch, a continuation to visit poetic Tu Duc Tomb. This tomb is idyllically set in a romantic scenery of mounts, lake and pine forest and considered as one of the most beautiful works of the Nguyen dynasty. Last but not least, you will visit elaborate Khai Dinh Tomb, which  is the result of the interminglement of many architectural trends: European and Asian, as well as ancient and modern. The last famous site in your programme will be Tu Hieu pagoda, which is one of the most famous pagodas in Hue. Your overnight stay will be in Hue.

Day 6: Hue/Danang/Hoi An (B, L, G)

Morning transfer from Hue to Hoi An. Pass by Lang Co Beach and Hai Van pass. You will stop at Danang to visit Cham Museum, which holds the finest collection of Champa sculptures in different art styles from the 7th to the 15th centuries. Driver and guide also take you to visit Marble Mountains and Stone Carving village where famous stone products are skillfully made by local people. Afterwards, you’ll head to Hoi An- an enchanting World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

After checking in your hotel, you will take a tour of the ancient town where the mix of Japanese and Chinese architecture reflects Hoi An’s significance in the past as an important trading port.. Your overnight stay will be in Hoi An.

Day 7: Hoi An/My Son/Ho Chi Minh City (B, G)

After breakfast, you will be driven to My Son Sanctuary, once the religious and political capital of the Champa Kingdom for most of its existence. Set in a lush green valley, a series of impressive tower-temples dating from between the 7th and 13th centuries provide a breathtaking site. Our guide will show you the remains of remarkable brick towers, and explain their origins and purpose. You’ll then return to Danang for lunch and then be driven to the airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Your overnight stay will be in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 8: Ho Chi Minh City tour (B, L, G)

A full day tour of the city begins with a visit to the History Museum, which has an excellent collection on the evolution and development of Vietnam’s history and culture, from the Bronze Age Dong Son civilization (13th century BC) till the last feudal dynasty ending in the mid-20th century. The following visit to the Museum of War Remnants will provide you a very partial, but riveting, perspective of the American War.

After lunch, you’ll visit the splendid old colonial buildings such as Centre Post Office and Notre Dame Cathedral. Furthermore, the next visit to Jade Emperor Pagoda, one of the best Taoist temples in Vietnamese, will surely captivate you with its oriental architecture and artistic values. Tour ends after 2-hour shopping at the lively Ben Thanh market, which is so closely tied to the city’s life that the clock tower at its main gate has long been considered a symbol of the city. You’ll spend the night in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 9: Ho Chi Minh City/Vinh Long (B, L, G)

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Vinh Long, a peaceful province on Co Chien river, which branches out from the Mekong. Upon arrival, you’ll take a boat trip to enjoy ?a beautiful river painting? of Cai Be floating market which was formed in the Nguyen Dynasty in the 19th century and bearing all the characteristics of the locals? life in the western region. Proceed to visit some fruit orchards and local cottage industries. Lunch will await you at a local house. You will also have a chance to listen to the traditional folk music “Don Ca Tai Tu” which is is operated by the local people. You’ll then stroll on the village paths to visit the local markets and enjoy some kind of famous tropical fruit such as banana, pomelo, dragon fruit and so on. Return to Ho Chi Minh City for your overnight stay.

Day 10: Ho Chi Minh City/Siem Reap (B, L, G)

In the morning, you’ll be driven to the airport for your flight to Siem Reap. On arrival at Siem Reap airport, you’ll be picked up by our driver to your hotel. You’ll then start your tour by visiting the Temple complex, of which Ankor Wat is a key element. Firstly, you’ll have a visit to Ankor Thom, starting with the Bayon, a bizarre structure of several architectural changes reflecting a switch from Hinduism (the foundations) to Buddhism (the superstructure). You’ll then have visits to some of the outer sites including Takeo, a five-tiered pyramid, Sras Srang Lake and landing terrace and Prasat Kravan (also known as the Cardomom Sanctuary). Overnight in Siem Riep.

Day 11: Siem Reap (B, L, D, G)

After breakfast, you’ll have a full day to explore the grand circuit with visits to Pre Rup and East Mebon,  both built in the tenth century, Ta Som, an un-restored temple, and Neak Pean, a Himalayan-style lake and sanctuary. In the afternoon, you’ll explore Angkor Wat itself which is the most famous and largest temple ground in the entire Angkor plain,  and for most people, the most impressive temple in the complex after which you can watch the sunset from the top of Phnom Bakheng Hill. You’ll spend the night in Siem Riep.

Day 12: Siem Reap departure (B, G)

After breakfast, you’ll be transferred to Siem Reap River and Wat Athovea where you’ll embark for a boat trip on Tonle Sap Lake. The amazing lake and river system of the Tonle Sap is quite unique. This vast lake is regarded as the largest lakes in Southeast Asia, fills with the waters of the Mekong each year, bringing vast numbers of fish and irrigation during the dry season. You’ll then on the way to visit a floating fishing village. You’ll return to your hotel for checkout and lunch, and have free time in the afternoon until your car returns to pick you up for your departure flight.