12-Day Classic Vietnam & Cambodia Tour

Meals: Not specified
Transportation: International arrival flight; airport transfer

Your local guide and driver will meet you at Hanoi airport and take you to your hotel. Your guide will help with check-in, and the rest of the day is free.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Meals: Breakfast
Transportation: Private sightseeing vehicle; cyclo

The morning starts at Tran Quoc Pagoda on the shores of West Lake. There is time to learn about its Buddhist symbolism and enjoy the quiet surroundings.

Next is the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the resting place of President Ho Chi Minh. He lived in this area at various times between 1958 and 1969.

One Pillar Pagoda stands above a lotus pond. The visit is followed by the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first national university.

For the afternoon museum visit, the choice is between the Vietnam National Museum of History and the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology. Afterwards, the route takes in Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple.

A syclo ride leads through the Old Quarter, also known as the 36 Streets. Small shops and local businesses line its narrow, busy streets, offering a look at Hanoi’s commercial life.

Optional: A one-hour traditional Vietnamese water puppet show in the late afternoon.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Transportation: Road transfer; cruise

After breakfast, the drive to Halong Bay takes about three hours. Boarding is around noon at Tuan Chau Island, one of the gateways to the bay.

The afternoon cruise explores the bay, with limestone caves, beaches and floating communities among the rock formations rising from green waters.

Spa and massage services are available on board. Meals are served in the dining room, with a varied menu and a choice of wines and other drinks. A cooking demonstration by the chef introduces traditional Vietnamese dishes.

Overnight aboard your Halong Bay cruise.

Meals: Breakfast
Transportation: Cruise; road transfer; domestic flight; private transfer

Tai Chi on the sun deck starts the morning as the cruise continues through Halong Bay. A buffet breakfast in the dining room is followed by a visit to a limestone grotto. Disembarkation is around noon.

Your guide will take you to Hanoi Airport for the flight to Da Nang. A local guide meets you on arrival for the transfer to your hotel in Hoi An and check-in.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Meals: Breakfast
Transportation: Private vehicle; local boat

The morning journey leads to My Son Sanctuary, a Cham religious site dating back to the fourth century. Mountains surround the site, with a scenic approach to the temple ruins. The visit introduces Cham history and traditions.

The afternoon is spent in Hoi An Ancient Town, a well-preserved trading port dating from the 16th century. Traditional houses and temples share its streets with restaurants and cafés. Visits include the Japanese Covered Bridge, a Chinese temple and former merchants’ houses.

Later, a boat trip along the river leads to Thanh Ha Pottery Village, where local artisans can be seen at work. In the evening, colourful lanterns light the streets of Hoi An and flower lanterns float on the river.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Meals: Breakfast
Transportation: At leisure

Today is entirely free for Hoi An’s sandy beaches, with time to relax in the sunshine or spend the day by the sea.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Meals: Breakfast
Transportation: Domestic flight; private airport transfers; private sightseeing vehicle

After breakfast, an airport transfer connects with the flight to Saigon. Your local guide meets you on arrival and takes you to the hotel for check-in.

The afternoon tour covers some of Ho Chi Minh City’s main sights, starting with Notre-Dame Cathedral, built during the French colonial period.

Across the road is the Saigon Central Post Office, another colonial-era landmark. Next is Reunification Palace, once the residence and workplace of South Vietnam’s president.

The final stop is Cholon, the city’s Chinatown, with its busy streets, teahouses, pagodas and Binh Tay Market.

Overnight in Saigon.

Meals: Breakfast
Transportation: Private vehicle; river boat; optional cycling

The morning drive leads to My Tho in the Mekong Delta. The surrounding countryside is often described as Vietnam’s rich basket.

The first stop is Vinh Trang Pagoda, decorated with mosaics made from broken pottery. A tall white Buddha overlooks gardens with flowers, shrubs, lotus ponds and ornate gateways. A river boat trip follows, passing stilt houses, fruit plantations and fishing villages.

After lunch, the excursion continues to An Khanh, a village known for fruit orchards and coconut sweets. If time allows, there is a choice of a short bicycle ride or a walk around the small, relatively flat island.

The return to Saigon leaves time to rest after the excursion.

Overnight in Saigon.

Meals: Breakfast
Transportation: Private vehicle; international flight; private airport transfer

The morning visit is to the Cu Chi Tunnels, an underground network developed and used by guerrilla forces during the Vietnam War. Weapons displays and explanations of life below ground show how people lived, survived and fought in the tunnels.

In the late afternoon, a transfer takes you to the airport for the flight to Siem Reap. Your local guide meets you on arrival and accompanies you to the hotel for check-in.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Meals: Breakfast
Transportation: Private sightseeing vehicle

Today introduces Angkor, once the capital of the Khmer Empire, which ruled much of Southeast Asia.

The morning covers Angkor Thom and nearby temple sites, starting at Ta Prohm. Enormous silk-cotton trees and strangler figs grow over the ancient stone blocks, with roots spreading through the ruins.

Banteay Kdei follows, a smaller temple complex with a similar atmosphere. Other stops include Victory Gate, the Terrace of the Leper King, the Royal Palace area and Baphuon Temple. At Bayon, smiling stone faces rise above the corridors and chambers.

The afternoon is devoted to Angkor Wat, the world’s largest religious monument. There is time to explore its galleries, levels and chambers and examine the detailed stone carvings.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Meals: Breakfast
Transportation: Private vehicle; boat

A drive through the countryside leads to Banteay Srei this morning. Built from reddish sandstone, the temple has exceptionally detailed and well-preserved wall carvings.

After lunch, a half-day excursion explores Tonle Sap, Southeast Asia’s largest freshwater lake. The boat trip takes in the lake views and mangrove forests, then continues to Kompong Phluk. The village’s stilt houses offer a look at daily life around the water.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Meals: Breakfast
Transportation: Private airport transfer; international departure flight

Your guide will take you to the airport for your departure flight.

End of services.