Vietnam & Cambodia Explorer

Day 1 - Hanoi
On arrival in Hanoi, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to relax and enjoy the hotel facilities

Day 2 - Hanoi
Take a full-day tour to explore Ha Noi’s illustrious history. In the morning, visit the imposing marble edifice housing the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum (CLOSED ON MONDAYS & FRIDAYS) before moving onto his wooden stilt house and the One Pillar Pagoda. You will then explore the first university of Vietnam, the Temple of Literature, which is imbued with the profound philosophies of Confucianism. In the afternoon, visit the Hoan Kiem Lake, the Ngoc Son Temple and an ancient Vietnamese "long house". A one-hour cyclo tour of Ha Noi’s Old Quarter allows you to catch a glimpse of ancient Ha Noi and learn about traditional Vietnamese architecture

Day 3 - Hanoi - Ha Long Bay
Drive through rice paddy fields to Ha Long Bay (PRIVATE CAR / WITHOUT TRANSFER GUIDE). Board a junk for a cruise among the hundreds of islets of Ha Long Bay while enjoying lunch. Drop anchor in the late evening for an overnight stay among the dramatic limestone peaks rising out of the sea

Day 4 - Ha Long Bay – Boat Cruise – Hanoi – Danang
Take a delightful morning cruise through the limestone cliffs and emerald waters of Ha Long Bay before returning to the dock. Drive back to Hanoi & transfer to the airport for the flight to Danang (PRIVATE CAR / WITHOUT TRANSFER GUIDE). Upon arrival, transfer to a hotel and the rest of the day is at your leisure

Day 5 - Hoi an
Pay a visit to one of Hoi An’s famous lantern workshops and learn how to make one yourself before setting out on a walking tour to explore this World Heritage Site. Highlights include an ancient merchant house, the Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, the 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge and the vibrant riverside market. Take a peaceful boat trip on the Thu Bon River and afterward enjoy free time to further explore the old town

Day 6 - Hoi an
Free at leisure

Day 7 - Danang – Saigon
Transfer to the airport for flight to Saigon. Upon arrival, transfer to a hotel and the rest of the day is at your leisure

Day 8 - Saigon
In the morning, you will visit the amazing Cu Chi Tunnels where Vietnamese guerrillas built a labyrinth of narrow tunnels as hideouts during the war. Return to Ho Chi Minh City in the afternoon for a half-day city tour. Highlights include the photo stops at the Reunification Palace, the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office. Visit a local market in Chinatown and either the Thien Hau Temple or the Quan Am Pagoda

Day 9 - Ho Chi Minh City – Cai Be – Vinh Long – Can Tho
Take a drive to Cai Be to enjoy a day out in the lush surroundings of the Mekong Delta. Cruise to the colorful Cai Be area before taking a sampan ride along the narrow, tree-lined canals for further exploration of the Mekong Delta. Board your boat and have your lunch while cruising to Cai Thia for a walking journey with a stop at a place where rice paper is made. Bikes are available on the boat for those who wish to explore further. Disembark at Cai Thia port for the drive onto Can Tho

Day 10 - Can Tho – Saigon – Siem Reap
Enjoy a morning boat cruise to the Cai Rang Floating Market which is full of small boats and vessels that deliver goods from all parts of the Mekong Delta. You will have a chance to observe lively activities of merchants trading their produce as well as enjoying the seasonal fruit before returning to Ho Chi Minh City & Transfer to the airport for flight to Siem Reap. Upon arrival, transfer to a hotel and the rest of the day is at your leisure

Day 11 - Siem Reap
Enter Angkor Thom via the Southern Gate and explore the ancient city. Then proceed to visit the ruins at Bayon, Baphoun, Phimeanakas, the Royal Palace, the Elephant Terrace and the Leper King Terrace. Continue to visit the Ta Prohm Temple which is mystically enveloped in the jungle. In the afternoon, visit the epic Angkor Wat, viewing its extraordinary architecture and bas-reliefs. After that, you have the option to enjoy the late afternoon in Angkor Wat temple, which is illuminated beautifully by the setting sun

Day 12 - Siem Reap
Free at leisure

Day 13 - Siem Reap – Battambang
Today, you will drive to Battambang (173km/2.30hrs away), Cambodia’s second-largest city, which was founded in the 11th century. It is the former capital of Monton Kmer and lies in the heart of the Northwest Cambodia. Until the war years when most of the infrastructure was destroyed, the province was the leading rice-producing region of the country. Upon arrival, visit the Provincial Museum (open from Monday to Friday) before checking in the hotel. In the afternoon, visit a local NGO (non-government organisation), Phare Ponleu Selpak, for the guided tours of its campus let you experience the vibrant energy of Phare firsthand. Take a stroll through campus with one of our guides to see circus students learning new tricks, music students practicing beneath shady trees, and watch an animation film made by our students. Notes for the visit to Phare Ponleu Selpak: Guided tours are offered from Monday through Friday at these times (9:00am, 10:00am, 2:30pm, and 3:30pm) only, except weekends and public holidays. Afterwards, the day ends with a visit to Phnom Banon, which boasts five hilltop sandstone towers and a magnificent view over the plains below

Day 14 - Battambang – Sightseeing – Phnom Penh
After breakfast, transfer to the Bamboo Train Station. The Bamboo train was set up by the villagers to facilitate the transportation of both goods and passengers. The train’s very basic technology is comprised of a platform on 4 wheels which is activated by a small motor. This is for about 8km travel through beautiful landscapes and rice paddies to the next station. Leave the train and start your discovery of local country life by visiting a village. Stop at a workshop that specializes in wooden sculpture. Continue to Wat Samrong Knong built in 1707 and one of the oldest pagodas in Battambang Province. Most likely, people spend roughly 1 to 2 hours discover stone carvings depicting the Times of the Khmer Rouge. This less touristic and unmissable site is a memorial of those of 10,008 people who were slaughtered and died in the Battambang killing fields during Khmer Rouge Regime. After lunch (own expenses), drive by the picturesque Sangker River to the 11th century to visit Wat Ek Phnom (11th century Suryavaman I) before driving to Phnom penh

Day 15 - Phnom Penh
We will dedicate the day to visit the capital and its most interesting points in Tuk Tuk. We will take you through its markets and streets that are full of palaces and place that will transport us to the sad recent past of the country (Toulsleng Prisons (also known as S21 and killing field of Choueng Ek). Afternoon we will make some visits near the city, visit the Royal Palace, built by King Norodom in 1866 on the site of the old town, and the Silver Pagoda. Located within the grounds of the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda is so named because of its floor, which is made up of 5000 silver tiles. The treasures found inside include a solid gold Buddha encrusted and weighing 90kilograms and a small 17th century emerald and baccarat crystal Buddha. We end our day trip at Wat Phnom Temple, Phnom Penh's namesake, from where you can enjoy views over the tree-lined avenues of Phnom Penh during sunset

Day 16 - Phnom Penh – Koh Kong (Cadarmom mountains)
Morning drive to Koh Kong province (PRIVATE CAR / WITHOUT TRANSFER GUIDE). Take a boat to a floating tented lodge on Tatai River that comes down from the Cardamom Mountains – the perfect place for nature lovers. Check in the lodge & free at leisure

Day 17 - Koh Kong
Free at leisure

Day 18 - Koh Kong
Free at leisure

Day 19 - Koh Kong – Phnom penh departure
After leisure time you will be transferred to Phnom penh airport for your departure flight (PRIVATE CAR / WITHOUT TRANSFER GUIDE).