Essential Cambodia and Vietnam

📍 Phnom Penh Airport – Phnom Penh (25 km): 50 mins

Welcome to Cambodia. On arrival in Phnom Penh, be welcomed by an English-speaking guide and then transferred to the hotel for check-in.

In case you cannot find your guide, please call our 24 Hrs Customer Care number +855 12 908 097 (Available on WhatsApp). 

Time at leisure 

In the evening, enjoy a cruise on the mighty Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers: the perfect opportunity for a different perspective of the Cambodian capital. Appreciate scenic landscapes along the contrasting riversides of the Tonle Sap, and the Mekong River, where a rural Cambodian lifestyle and landscape still remain. Whether comfortably seated on the aft deck or standing on the foredeck, enjoy the breezy evening atmosphere with local beer and soft drinks. Enjoy the spectacular views of the city during the sunset hour.  After the cruise, return to the riverfront and continue to dinner or return to the hotel. 

Overnight in Phnom Penh                     

Inclusions:

📍 Phnom Penh – Siem Reap: 55 mins by flight Siem Reap Airport - Siem Reap (52 km): 60 mins

Learn all about the history and culture of the capital on this guided, half day tour of Phnom Penh. Start with a visit to the Royal Palace, built in 1866 at the end of the French colonial era. Visit the Palace’s Silver Pagoda and admire the 5,000 silver tiles that line the floors and the impressive collection of Buddha images housed in the pagoda.  Continue to the National Museum. The museum is housed in a traditional Khmer-style building and surrounded by lush, tropical gardens. There are nearly 5,000 items on display dating back to the 4th century. The final stop is at Wat Phnom. The hilltop temple is located on the site where the city was originally established many years ago. 
Return to the hotel. 

Note: All visitors are required to wear modest clothing: no short pants or short skirts (knees must be covered) and no sleeveless shirts (shoulders must be covered). See-through clothing will also not be allowed.

In the afternoon, transfer to the airport for the flight from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. 

Flight: PNH-REP by K6 105 (14:30 - 15:25) – see separate price 

On arrival in Siem Reap, be greeted by the local English speaking guide and transfer to the hotel for check in. 

Overnight in Siem Reap
 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

Beginning from 07:30, this is the best time to experience Ta Prohm temple. The temple was made famous by the Angelina Jolie film Tomb Raider. The temple is best known for the trees and vines growing atop the temple walls. Enter from the east, to avoid the crowds. Then continue to Angkor Thom, visit The Terrace of The Elephants and the Royal Palace enclosure. Next, take a stroll around the lower galleries of carvings of Bayon, which depict fascinating scenes of life from the late 11th century, then find a quiet spot on the exterior of the temple to appreciate the 54 towers featuring faces of the Buddha looking out into the jungle around you.

Return to your hotel.

Afternoon visit the magnificent Angkor Wat, a 12th-century temple built by King Suryavarman II. This architectural marvel reflects Mount Meru, the abode of Hindu gods. Inside, intricate carvings and reliefs showcase Hindu myths with over 2,000 Apsara dancers grace the walls. Angkor Wat remains a powerful symbol of Cambodia, even gracing the national flag.

Note: Should you wish to witness a sunset, there are limited options and they can be quite crowded. Consider finding a quiet place away from the crowds, such as atop the city wall beside the West or South gate of Angkor Thom, or Srah Srang, Pre Rup. Be advised that a sunset will typically have you returning to town after 6:00pm. 

Then return to your hotel and free at leisure. 

Overnight in Siem Reap
 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Siem Reap - Siem Reap Airport (52 km): 60 mins Tan Son Nhat International Airport - Central HCMC (8 km): 30 mins

After breakfast, free till transfer to the airport for departure flight from Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh (Saigon). 

Flight: REP-SGN by K6 808 (11:30 - 12:55) – see separate price 

Once known as the ‘Pearl of Indochina’, Saigon boasts an enormous architectural wealth, mirroring its colourful history. From the pagodas, museums and European architecture of the city’s recent past to the growing number of skyscrapers, Saigon is like a trip through time. 

Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City and be welcomed by the guide and transferred to the hotel. Spend the rest of the day at leisure.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City
 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

Today begins at 08:00. Depart early this morning to avoid the crowds at Cu Chi. Drive away from Ho Chi Minh City, through urban areas.

Spend a couple of hours walking around Cu Chi’s rugged grounds with a local guide. Hear how the residents constructed an intricate, underground network of tunnels during the country’s recent wars. Crawl underground (optional) and have a look at the tiny chambers, imagining what life was like for those who lived there. Once above ground, see other ingenious items used by the residents to defend themselves such as bamboo traps and camouflaged pits. 

Throughout the tour, the guide will explain the impact of war on the local community and the country as a whole. Following this insightful visit, journey back to Ho Chi Minh City for lunch.

After lunch, visit perhaps the city’s most famous landmark - the Reunification Palace. Now preserved in a time warp, the ‘war rooms’ in the basement plus the opulent display’s are fascinating.  

Stroll through lovely 30 April Park to the Central Post Office. Here, you can also glimpse the former CIA building, where one of the last helicopter evacuations took place in 1975.   

Finish up the day at another historic site, the Ben Thanh Market. Still functioning as a local neighborhood market, the central location also welcomes travelers with a variety of stalls. 
Having gained greater understanding of Saigon's culture and history, return to the hotel or your next destination

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City
 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

📍 Central HCMC - Tan Son Nhat International Airport (8 km): 30 mins Da Nang Airport to Hoi An (30 km): 50 mins

After breakfast, transfer to Tan Son Nhat domestic airport for the short flight to the central port city of Da Nang. Be greeted upon arrival then transfer approx. 50 mins (30 km) from Da Nang Airport to Hoi An Hotel in the comfort of a private, air-conditioned vehicle with a private driver and a guide. 

Hoi An, one of Vietnam’s most picturesque towns and UNESCO-heritage listed, once a major Asian trading port in the 17th and 18th centuries now draws international visitors to its streets, for both the history and the surrounding scenes.  

Rest of the day at leisure.

Overnight in Hoi An
 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

Today’s tour will begin at 08:30. Be charmed by Hoi An, one of Vietnam’s most picturesque towns. 

Meet a knowledgeable local guide for this introductory, half day Hoi An city tour, learning all about its illustrious past as a trading port. Take a walk through town, seeing remarkably well-preserved traditional houses that have withstood hundreds of years of weather and war. 

Make a stop at the Japanese Bridge, one of two such bridges in Vietnam. The bridge spans a small waterway and was built more than 400 years ago to connect the Japanese community with the Chinese who lived on the other side of the water. Admire the carvings and paintings inside the bridge, learning about their symbolism and cultural significance.

Continue to a Chinese communal hall, a colorful mélange of bright gates, dragon statues and elaborate rooftops. Get an introduction to ancestor worship while visiting the family altar and watching local devotees making offerings.

Explore smaller laneways and local neighborhoods, gaining a better appreciation of Hoi An’s endless charm. After this insightful glimpse of Hoi An, return to the hotel or your next destination.

Rest of the day at leisure.

Overnight in Hoi An
 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Central Hoi An to Da Nang Airport (30 km): 50 mins Noi Bai Airport to central Hanoi (35 km): 50 mins

Transfer approx. 50 mins (30 km) from Central Hoi An to Da Nang Airport in the comfort of a private, air-conditioned vehicle with a private driver and a guide for the short flight to Ha Noi.

Be greeted upon arrival then transfer approx. 50 mins (35 km) from Noi Bai Airport to central Hanoi in the comfort of a private, air-conditioned vehicle with a private driver and a guide.

Hanoi, a city of contrasts, defies easy categorization. It's both modern and traditional, chaotic and serene, and always full of surprises. But one thing is for sure: it's a place that’s captivating, to all the senses. 

After check-in at Hanoi hotel, drive right in with a visit to the Temple of Literature. In 1076 Quoc Tu Giam - Vietnam's first university, also referred to as Van Mieu, was established within a temple to educate Vietnam's royalty, mandarins and members of the elite, for an incredible 800-years.   

Following, chose a museum option (to be discussed on the actual day of the tour):  
- Option 1: Vietnam Women’s Museum.  Highly acclaimed, the museum displays highlights of Vietnam’s vast cultural diversity and the significant role women play in Vietnamese society.  

- Option 2: Hoa Lo Museum: Step back in time to the days of the Vietnam War at the "Hanoi Hilton." Once home to POWs, the exhibits include photographs, artefacts, and displays. 
Conclude the exploration with a stroll through Hanoi’s Old Quarter. A maze of alleyways and hidden treasures, learn about local life in the ‘36-guilds’ as you weave through the frenetic streets on foot. 

As an alternative option to the museum and Old Quarter, Hanoi’s iconic Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex can be visited. The site is fascinating yet expect queues and long walking distances (Note the Mausoleum is closed Monday and Fridays, each afternoon as well as annually from June 12th to Aug 14th).

Join the long queues before continuing on foot past the Mausoleum to learn about the life and legacy of the nation’s founder. Continue to the ‘house on stilts’ where ‘Bac Ho’ resided from 1958 to 1969. Stroll around the tranquil grounds before completing the circuit at the One Pillar pagoda; built in 1049, the symbol of Hanoi is a unique representation of the city. 

Overnight in Hanoi
 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Central Hanoi - Halong (160 km): approx.2.5hrs

The perfect way to see the UNESCO World Heritage areas of Halong and Lan Ha Bay is to spend a night aboard a charming boat. The mystical scenery, where thousands of limestone islands jut out of the emerald sea, sculpted into wondrous shapes covered in lush fauna, is truly breathtaking.   

Following breakfast, leave Hanoi for the 2.5hours drive to Halong City. Arrive at the pier around noon and proceed with check-in formalities. 

After the welcome onboard and checking into the cabin, lunch will be served whilst cruising. In the afternoon, enjoy some visits or activities (depending on the boat’s set itinerary). Towards the end of the afternoon, the boat will anchor for the night surrounded by karst formations. 

Enjoy sunset on the deck followed by dinner, then retiring for the evening. 

Overnight on Halong / Lan Ha Bay
 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Halong to Hanoi (160 km) approx.2.5hrs

Wake up to the fresh morning amidst the islands of the bay for breakfast (brunch on some boats) while enjoying the serene setting of the spectacular rock formations. 

Mid-morning, proceed to checkout as the cruise cruises towards port. Disembark and transfer back to Hanoi. 

In Hanoi, Vietnam Museum of Ethnology (closed Mondays) is a must-visit for anyone interested in learning about the rich cultural diversity of Vietnam. The museum houses a vast collection of interactive exhibits that showcase the 54 ethnic groups of Vietnam. 

Overnight in Hanoi

Notes: 
- The cruise’s itinerary may be subject to change depending on weather conditions.
- Over the past years Halong Bay has been experiencing increasing environmental problems such as pollution, overfishing and impairment of its natural habitats. We encourage you to enjoy the beauty of Halong Bay, but also to help protect and preserve it so that future generations can experience its beauty with responsible tourism behaviour which is crucial to reducing issues on Halong Bay and ensuring its long-term sustainability.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Hanoi to Noi Bai Airport (35 km): 50 mins

Spend the last day at leisure until the transfer to Noi Bai Airport for the onward flight.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast