12-Day Tour: Cambodia And Vietnam Discovery

Once arrival, you will meet our tour guide and driver to transfer to the hotel to check in. Siem Reap is an area located in the northwest part of Cambodia. Once the seat of power for the great Khmer Empire, this location is home to the most ornate temples and as such is the most popular tourist site for those taking a tour of Cambodia. The balance of the day will be free at your leisure. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

Our Services:

• Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap
• Meals: None
• Tour guide: English speaking guide for airport pick up
• Transfer: Private car

In the morning, our tour guide and driver will come to pick you up to transfer to Angkor Thom that was the masterpiece of King Jayavarman VII. Following the occupation of Angkor by the Chams from 1177 to 1181, the new king decided to build an impregnable fortress at the heart of his empire.

We begin to visit Bayon Temple with many other relics that offer a great chance to observe ancient sculptures.

Continue to visit Terrace of the Leper King. This intricately carved platform was the royal crematorium and the statue that was originally thought to be the leper king is now believed to be Yama, the god of death.

Afterwards, we will pay a visit to the Terrace of Elephants with 300 meters long through the core of Angkor Thom.

Then, visit Ta Prohm “Tomb Raider” fame. Ta Prohm has been abandoned to the elements, a reminder that while empires rise and fall, the riotous power of nature marches on, oblivious to the dramas of human history. Left as it was ‘discovered’ by French explorer Henri Mouhout in 1860, the tentacle-like tree roots here are slowly strangling the surviving stones, man first conquering nature to create, nature later conquering man to destroy.

We journey out to the Mother of all temples, Angkor Wat – the most famous and largest temple complex in Cambodia and in the world as well. The complex is considered the architectural masterpiece thanks to its perfection in composition, balance, proportions, relief’s and sculpture.

Back to the hotel. Dinner on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

Our Services:

• Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
• Tour guide: English speaking guide
• Transfer: Group transfer

Today, we’ll escape the city by driving 48kms North of Siem Reap to visit the holy Kulen Mountains, also referred to as Phnom Kulen (“Mountain of the Lychees”) by locals. The sandstone from this mountain was the main supplier of construction materials for the Angkor Kingdom. We’ll stop at the sacred site of The River of a Thousand Lingas, which features hundreds of lingas carved in the sandstone bed of the river, which date back to the 9th century. Further downstream, large blocks of stone, also underwater, are carved with Apsaras dancers and Vishnu figures.

Next on the agenda is a wander around the mountain-top pagoda which is home to relics, statues and a large reclining Buddha. The last mountain stop will be Kulen Waterfall, featuring a natural pool which is the perfect place to cool off on a hot day and a great picnic spot too, so that’s what we’ll do. On the way back to Siem Reap we’ll pay a visit to local villages making palm sugar. Back to the hotel. Dinner on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

Our Services:

• Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
• Tour guide: English speaking guide
• Transfer: Group transfer

Today is at your leisure to explore the city on your own. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

Our Services:

• Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap
• Meals: Breakfast
• Tour Guide: None
• Transfer: None

On this day, you are free at your leisure until being picked up and transferred (without the guide) to Siem Reap Airport for a flight to Hanoi. The room in Siem Reap is at your disposal until noon. The guide and driver will pick you up at the airport and then you will be transferred to the hotel for check-in. Your room is at your disposal at 02:00 PM. The balance of the day is yours to enjoy the bustling and hustling life in Hanoi City. Meals on your own and overnight at the hotel.

Our Services:

• Accommodations: Hotel in Hanoi
• Meals: Breakfast
• Tour guide: English speaking guide
• Transfer: Private car

After breakfast, meet the guide and start the trip with Tran Quoc Pagoda, a Buddhist relic and national heritage lying on the West Lake.

Visit Ho Chi Minh’s complex, the final resting place of Viet Nam’s greatest father; his house-on-stilts and One Pillar Pagoda – modeled after a lotus flower, a symbol of Hanoi.

Arrive at Ethnology Museum to learn about cultures of 54 ethnic groups living in Vietnam.

In the afternoon, we will visit Temples of Literature constructed in 1070 – dedicated to Confucius, sages and talented scholars. It is the most famous temple in Hanoi, also functioning as Vietnam’s first university.

Leave for a legendary Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple dedicated to a former general commander Tran Hung Dao for his struggle against Mongolians. Dinner on your own and overnight at the hotel.

Our Services:

• Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
• Tour guide: English speaking guide
• Transfer: Private car

After breakfast at hotel, transfer to Ha Long Bay. On the way, you will see some rural areas of the Red River Delta with plenty of chances to take photos of Vietnamese farmers working in paddy fields.

Stop half way to visit a handicraft workshop of fine clothes and embroidered paintings. Arrive in Ha Long City at 11:30 AM and check in aboard the booked junk right after the welcome drink is served. Start cruising while having lunch on board and enjoy the mighty bay view. Ha Long Bay meaning Descending Dragon Bay in Vietnamese as legend has it that it was where a holly dragon landed down from the sky. The bay, famous as one of the world’s wonders and heritage sites whose formation dates back 500 million years, consists of around 2,000 karst islands and islets scattered over an area of 1,553 km2. Relax to enjoy the bay view at sunset, have dinner after, go fishing at 09:00 PM and spend a night on board.

Our Services:

• Accommodation: Overnight on cruise
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Tour Guide: English speaking guide on cruise
• Transfer: Shuttle bus

In the morning, refresh your body and mind with a Tai Chi exercise on the sundeck at the break of dawn. Have tea and coffee onboard and continue exploring Ha Long Bay sailing across its 2000 islets and visiting some of its major highlights. Normally, check out at 09:30 AM, have a buffet brunch while cruising back to shore. Disembark at 11:00 AM and transfer back to Hanoi.

Our Services:

• Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi
• Meals: Breakfast, Brunch
• Tour Guide: English speaking guide
• Transfer: Shuttle bus

At the good time this morning, you will be transfer to the airport (without tour guide) for a short flight to Ho Chi Minh City.

Once arrive, you will be warmly welcomed and transferred to the hotel to check in. The balance of the day will be at your leisure. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

Our Services:

• Accommodation: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh
• Meals: Breakfast
• Tour guide: None
• Transfer: Private car

This morning we will leave the city to visit the amazing tunnel network of Cu Chi. This incredible system, covering almost 250km in length was shelter to over 16,000 Vietcong guerrillas during the wars. Initially started in 1948 to provide shelter against the French air and ground sweeps, the network went on to serve as communication routes, storage facilities, hospitals and living quarters for Vietnamese fighters throughout the American war.  If you are interested (and game) you can even descend into the tunnels to learn more about the harsh conditions faced by Vietcong guerrillas who lived there.

In the afternoon set out on a tour of the former capital of French Indochina. Historic landmarks include the Old Saigon Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Opera House. Continue your tour by visiting the Reunification Palace which was used as the headquarters of the Saigon Government during the American war in the 60s. After that visit the ethnic Chinese district of Cholon. Then transfer back to the hotel. Overnight at the hotel

Our Services:

• Accommodation: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
• Tour Guide: English speaking guide
• Transfer: Group transfer

Our guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel, and drive 1,5 hours to My Tho. We will stop along the way for refreshments and toilet.

Upon arrival, we board a motor-boat and cruise along a vast network of canals and channels to enjoy wonderful views of the Mekong River, including four famous islands “Dragon, Unicorn, Turtle and Phoenix”.

Stop at one of the floating fish houses, in nets and wire baskets under their house, the villagers cultivate freshwater fish and shrimp – a major export product of the region.

Cross the River to the other side, you will stop at a traditional workshop to witness a step-by-step process on how to make coconut candy, honey farming… while trying some yourself and listening to traditional music. Enjoy what local people offer by hand rowing a sampan along the shady, breezy canal. We will transfer to local transportation called Xe Loi to travel throughout the villages.

Lunch will be served at a riverside restaurant with a Vietnamese 5-course set menu. Please request in advance if you have a food allergy, you are a vegetarian, or you observe Halal.

Take a rest after lunch before boarding the motor-boat back to My Tho. We drive to Vinh Trang Pagoda, an ancient southern architectural gem built in the middle of the 19th century. There are many Buddha statues including some that are over a hundred years old.

We drive another 1,5 hours back to Ho Chi Minh city and drop you at your hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

Our Services:

• Accommodation: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
• Tour guide: English speaking guide
• Transfer: Group transfer
• Other: Boat trip on Mekong Delta

On this day, you are free at your leisure until being picked up and transferred to the airport (without guide) for the departure flight. Room is at your disposal until noon. Meals on your own. End of services.

Our Services:

• Accommodation: None
• Meals: Breakfast
• Tour Guide: None
• Transfer: Private car