Best of Vietnam and Cambodia

• Day 1:

  After clearing Customs and collecting your luggage, your tour guide will meet you and transfer you by private vehicle to the hotel for check-in. The rest of your day is at leisure.

• Day 2:

  After breakfast at your hotel, go on a half-day cultural tour of Hanoi by jeep where you will visit the Westlake area. You will see and learn about the contrasting traditional residential villages and the new architecture in the developing areas, visit rarely seen pagodas where daily worship is still practiced and enjoy the ambience and culture of these religious sites. After visiting a traditional Ao Dai Fashion House, we will continue driving through the city to the Museum of Ethnology where we will explore the cultural heritage and diversity of Vietnam. From here, we will experience Hoang Hoa Tham Street, which is full of bonsai, flower and pet shops before enjoying the Old Quarter from a unique perspective. After stopping for a coffee at a great vantage point, we will drive back to hotel via the lake and Opera House. Next go on a half-day Hanoi city tour by cyclo and electric buggy. The tour will take you by French colonial architecture, including the exquisite, recently restored Opera House, past Hoan Kiem Lake, also known as the ‘Lake of the Restored Sword’, Temple of Literature and Hanoi's Old Quarter. Then enjoy a Hanoi home-hosted Vietnamese meal.

• Day 3:

  Enjoy breakfast at your hotel. Then depart, via a private transfer, for Ha Long Bay and an overnight cruise in Ha Long Bay. Your accommodation is onboard the junk boat allowing for a peaceful night's sleep and a memorable morning out on the bay.

• Day 4:

  Early birds can attend a Tai Chi demonstration on the sundeck at the break of dawn. Start the day enjoying some cruise delights with a colorful buffet breakfast . Continue exploring Ha Long Bay sailing across its 2,000 islets and visiting some of its major highlights. Your cruise will come to an end on Tuan Chau Island where you will meet your guide and drive to Ha Noi Airport for your flight to Da Nang. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your resort for check-in, and the rest of your day is at leisure.

• Day 5:

  Enjoy breakfast at your hotel. Then embark on a half-day walking tour of Hoi An. The riverside town of Hoi An is a feast for the eyes. Devoid of most forms of motorized transport, the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Old Town of this ancient port is ideal for exploring on foot. Then enjoy a half-day visit to a local farm. Accompanied by a local guide, today’s exploration of the beautiful landscapes around Hoi An begins with a leisurely cycle ride through rich, exotic countryside. This is the ideal chance to observe rural Vietnamese life firsthand, all manner of photo opportunities presents themselves on this compelling excursion: water buffalo ploughing muddy rice fields, ducks waddling along narrow paths and farmers tending their crops.

• Day 6:

  Breakfast is at your hotel followed by a market visit and cooking lesson at the market restaurant. Begin the morning at Hoi An’s colorful central market followed by an interesting and informative tour in the restaurant where you will be guided around many live food counters in this unique first-of-its-kind interactive dining venue in Vietnam. This afternoon is free to enjoy the facilities at your hotel or to further explore the historic town at your own pace.

• Day 7:

  Breakfast is at your hotel. This morning, drive over the Pass of Clouds to Hue for a half-day excursion to Tu Duc and Khai Dinh Royal Tombs by car. Then enjoy a Hue sunset on the Perfume River and a street food tour by kayak and cyclo.

• Day 8:

  Breakfast is at your hotel and then set out on a half-day excursion to Thien Mu Pagoda. Consisting of seven stories, the Thien Mu pagoda is the tallest religious building in Vietnam and within its grounds is the Austin car in which Thich Quang Duc, a Buddhist monk who demonstrated against the South Vietnamese government during the Vietnam War, was driven to Saigon prior to his widely reported self-immolation in 1963. After collecting your luggage at the airport, Destination Asia’s tour guide will meet you and transfer you by private vehicle to your hotel for check-in. The rest of your day is at leisure.

• Day 9:

  Set out on a Ho Chi Minh City sightseeing tour. Heading out onto the streets early in the morning offers the chance to see a quieter side of Ho Chi Minh City. Continue to a local market, where early morning is one of the most feverish parts of the day. Observe vendors setting up their stalls while others haggle vehemently with customers over the price of their goods. The final stop today is the unforgettable Jade Emperor Pagoda city tour. This afternoon is at leisure followed by a Saigon sundowner sojourn. For those looking for a romantic evening away from the hustle and bustle of Saigon’s nightlife, this trip is the perfect choice. From here, a short transfer will bring guests to a local restaurant where you will enjoy the Vietnamese dishes. This excursion is sure to create memories for years to come.

• Day 10:

  Breakfast is at your hotel. Today you will enjoy a full-day Cai Be town tour. The Mekong Delta is a rich fertile region of farmland interlaced with countless waterways crisscrossed by low-lying rice paddies. You will explore one of the country’s most enchanting landscapes traveling by car to the Delta town of Cai Be before boarding the Mekong Queen, a traditional bamboo-covered wooden boat.

• Day 11:

  Breakfast is at your hotel before your transfer to the airport for your onward flight to Siem Reap. Upon arrival in Siem Reap, you will be welcomed and transferred to the hotel. Enjoy a visit to the South Gate of Angkor Thom "The Great City" and continue to Bayon.

• Day 12:

  Breakfast is at your hotel. Today, visit Angkor Wat temple, the largest temple in the world, with a volume of stone equaling that of the Cheops pyramid in Egypt. It is unlike all the other Khmer temples in that it faces west and is inspired by 12th Century Hinduism. Lunch is on your own account. Visit Ta Prohm, the temple that has been left largely in its natural state since its “re-discovery” by French explorers. Then explore Takeo, Thomanom and Chau Say Thevoda temples. Dinner is on your own account.

• Day 13:

  Breakfast at your hotel. Visit of Banteay Srei - ‘the Woman Citadel’ - a tiny, enchanting temple, which is one of the jewels in this remarkable city. Lunch on your own account. Visit of Theam’s House. Lim Muy Theam is a Cambodian artist and designer who draw on inspiration from both Khmer and contemporary international design. Visit the local market of Siem Reap. Continue for the visit of Artisans Angkor, a Cambodian company which was originally created to help young rural people find work near their home village.

• Day 14:

  Breakfast at your hotel. Depart for a boat trip to visit floating village at Kampong Phluk, a cluster of three villages of stilted houses built within the floodplain of the Tonle Sap about 16 km southeast of Siem Reap. The villages are primarily Khmer and have about 3000 inhabitants among them. A flooded forest surrounds the area and is home to a variety of wildlife including crab-eating macaques. Lunch is on your own account. Transfer to Siem Reap airport for your onward flight.

Land Tour Price Includes

• Accommodation with daily breakfast at hotels
• All meals (food only) as listed on the itinerary as included
• Tours and transfers by private air-conditioned vehicle with local English-speaking guides
• Ha Long Bay 2 days/1 night package on overnight vessel (join-in basis)
• Private boat trip to visit Mekong Delta
• Boat trip for the visit of floating Villages on Tonle Sap Lake
• Entrance fees to sites as mentioned in program
• Bottled water during tours and transfers
• Vietnam Government tax and services charge

Land Tour Price Does Not Include

• Arrival, Departure and Vietnam domestic air tickets
• Vietnam visas fee and processing fee (USD25 and USD20 per person respectively)
• Visa for Cambodia (Visa issued on arrival for most nationalities, USD30/pax (tourist visa)
• Any surcharge/extra fees for visit of the Angkor Historical site imposed by the Apsara Authorities in Siem Reap which are subject to change without prior notice
• Drinks during included meals
• Meals are not mentioned in the program
• Hotel’s early check-in (before 2:00 pm) and late check-out (after 12 Noon)
• Hotel’s peak season surcharges for compulsory Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve holiday dinners
• Personal expenses (drinks, laundry, telephone, tips for the guide/driver, etc)
• Other services not clearly indicated in the package inclusions