12 days 12 Day Vietnam & Cambodia 2020
Hanoi - Halong bay - Hue - Hoi An - Saigon - Cu chi tunnels - Mekong Delta - Siem Reap
Type of trip: Culture, History & leisure
Start/Finish: Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi/ Finish Siem Reap
Departure: Private Basis (depart on request)
| Day | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hanoi Arrival | Upon arrival to Hanoi’s airport you will be met by our guide and transfer by private car through the city to hotel in the centre of city for check-in. The rest of the day is free at leisure or oriental walk with your guide before a welcome dinner (pls note that early check-in is NOT included and subject to hotel’s availability). Overnight in Hanoi Meal: Welcome Dinner |
| 2 | Hanoi city tour | Today you will visit to the most important attractions of the city such sites as Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum & Residence, One Pillar Pagoda, the Temple of Literature, Hanoi “Hilton”, History or Ethnology museum, finish your visit today by a cyclo tour around the Old Quarter to discover Hanoi's mesmerizing streets, the Lake of the Restored Sword and enjoy a rural traditional Vietnamese water puppet show. Overnight in Hanoi Meal: Breakfast |
| 3 | Hanoi – Halong Bay | Breakfast, check out of the hotel and heading to Halong Bay. Enjoy the great scenery of the surrounding farmlands of the Red River Delta including rice fields, water buffalo and everyday Vietnamese village life. On arrival in Halong, you will board the Traditional Junk, a fantastic replica of a junk that navigated Halong Bay's shallow waters a century ago to see the 1,500 km over which thousands of limestone islands and grottoes rise from the clear emerald waters of the Gulf of Bac Bo. Visit Cua Van fishing village – see the actual daily life of fishing village people and explore Surprise cave (one of the most famous caves on the bay). Then free for swimming or kayaking (optional)… Dinner will be served on boat. Overnight on Junk Cruise. Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| 4 | Halong Bay - Da Nang - Hue | Breakfast will be served on board. Enjoy sun rise in the morning from the top of your boat. Continue your cruising for more exploration of the Bay with the tiny limestone islands are dotted with many beaches and grottoes created by the wind and the waves that provide an excellent backdrop for swimming. Drop off at the pier at around mid-day and transfer back to Hanoi's airport to take early evening flight to Da Nang. Meet with our local guide in Da nang and transfer to Hoi An. Time at leisure. Overnight in Hoi An Meal: Brunch |
| 5 | Hue - Hoian | In the morning, take a boat trip on the romantically named Perfume River to visit Hue's best-known religious site, Thien Mu Pagoda, as well as the mausoleum of former Emperor Minh Mang and Imperial Citadel. Drive to the Hoi An in the afternoon, on the way to Hoi An you will stop for sightseeing and take photos at the wonderfully photogenic fishing village of Lang Co lagoon, you will then continue drive over the Pass of Ocean Clouds, passing Da Nang city to Hoi An ancient town - a major Asian trading port in the 17th and 18th centuries with a relaxed lifestyle that has changed little over the years. Don’t forget that this is the town famed for its great tailors. Overnight in Hoi An Meal: Breakfast |
| 6 | Hoi An | Enjoy morning cooking class. The tour will be started with a short trip to visit Hoi An’s colourful market, and experience the amazing sights, sounds and aromas of this busy market. You will have the opportunity to interact with the local sellers and learn about all the ingredients to be used in the cooking lesson later. The cooking lesson runs for about 2 hours – the chefs first demonstrate each dish before we prepare the same dish ourselves. Enjoy your lunch with what you have cooked. Next, your guide will take you on a tour of the ancient town by cyclo along the narrow streets to visit the homes of former merchants, the 400 year-old Japanese Covered Bridge, the ancient house and the exotic local market. Remainder of the day is free on your own exploration or picking up your clothes from tailors. Overnight in Hoi An Meal: Breakfast, Lunch |
| 7 | Hoi An - Da Nang – Ho Chi Minh city (formerly known as Saigon) | We drive from Hoi An to Danang to take a noontime flight to Ho Chi Minh city. Upon arrival to HCMC’s airport your guide will greet you and transfer by private car through the city to your hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is free at leisure for shopping at Ben Thanh market. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh city Meal: breakfast |
| 8 | Visit Cu Chi Tunnels & Ho Chi Minh city tour | Have your breakfast at hotel then depart HCMC for Cu Chi Tunnels to visit the underground network which stretched for over 200km and became legendary during the 1960s. The Cu Chi tunnels played a vital part in the U.S - Vietnam War. The network, parts of which were several levels deep, included innumerable trap doors, specifically constructed living areas, storage facilities, weapons factories, field hospitals, command center and kitchens. Today the remaining tunnels have become a major tourist attraction giving the visitor a unique experience and feel of what underground life during the war. Afternoon, enjoy city tour to visit Notre Dame Cathedral was built between 1877 and 1883 and the stone used to create it was exported in its entirety from France. Next to the cathedral stands the Central Post Office, finished in 1891. It is another fine example of French architecture and is Vietnam's largest post office. Continue to visit the Reunification Palace and. Your tour will be ended with a stroll around the bustling Ben Thanh Market . Overnight in Ho Chi Minh city Meal: breakfast |
| 9 | Ho Chi Minh city - Mekong Delta/ Cai Be floating market | In the morning, you’ll leave Ho Chi Minh City for the Mekong Delta town of Cai Be, where you will board a boat to see the floating market. Along the way, you also visit the many fascinating local cottages industries including rice paper makers, sweet factory, bonsai nurseries. A huge lunch followed with many seasonal fruits at an orchard is some enjoyment of the trip. You then weave our way through the intricate network of canals which are the lifeblood of the Mekong Delta before you meet up with your vehicle to come back Ho Chi Minh City. Overnight in Hochiminh city Meal: Breakfast, Lunch |
| 10 | Saigon - Siem Reap | Depending on your flight, you may have time at leisure before you will be transferred to the airport in time for your departing flight to Siem Reap. This afternoon, see the unique interior brick sculptures Prasat Kravan, the Srah Srang reservoir (known as "The Royal Baths" was once used for ritual bathing), Banteay Kdei (surrounded by 4 concentric walls), Eastern Mebon (guarded at its corner by stone figures of harnessed elephants, some of which are still in a reasonable state of preservation) and the mountain-temple of Pre Rup until sunset. Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight in Siem Reap Meal: Breakfast, Dinner |
| 11 | Siem Reap | In the morning, visit the most famous of all the temples on the plain of Angkor: Angkor Wat. The temple complex covers 81 hectares and is comparable in size to the Imperial Palace in Beijing. Its distinctive five towers are emblazoned on the Cambodian flag and the 12th century masterpiece is considered by art historians to be the prime example of classical Khmer art and architecture. Angkor Wat’s five towers symbolize Meru’s five peaks - the enclosed wall represents the mountains at the edge of the world and the surrounding moat, the ocean beyond. Afternoon: Visit the South Gate (with its huge statues depicting the churning of the ocean of milk), the ancient capital of Angkor Thom (12th century), Bayon Temple (unique for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces of Avolokitesvara), the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, the Elephants Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King. Sunset at Angkor Wat. Overnight in Siem Reap Meal: Breakfast |
| 12 | Departure | Free until be transfer to SiemReap airport to take a flight back to Saigon or Bangkok in good time to connect with your departure flight back home. End of trip. |