24 Days to Explore Highlights of Vietnam Myanmar and Laos

Welcome to Yangon!

Our tour guide and driver will welcome you at the airport upon arrival. You will be escorted to the hotel and check-in. The rest of the day is at your leisure for recovery.

Note: if your arrival time is early, and you prefer to explore the city instead of taking a nap, please kindly tell our travel consultant, and we’ll recommend one of our suggested activities like enjoying a food tour at night or having a half-day bike tour, or city walking tour.

Accommodation: NA

Meals: Breakfast

After morning breakfast, your tour guide will pick you up at 8:30 am to Yangon Railway Station. Taking the local circular Train journey to the outskirts of town (20-30 minutes ride).

1.Circular train journey: observing the lively and colorful life of the rural Burmese people.
2. Kyi Myin Daing Market: a variety of street vendors sell colorful wares, where you can explore the market and meet friendly locals.

Go back to the downtown area of Yangon to enjoy Myanmar cuisine, you’ll continue your tour in the afternoon. You’ll explore:

1. Old City Hall: A well-balanced blend of Western and Burmese architectural styles, listed on the Yangon City Heritage List.
2. Botahtaung Pagoda: features golden decorations inside and houses a sacred hair of Gautama Buddha.
3. Bogyoke Market: sells many Burmese traditional handicrafts including stone, wood, bronze carvings, and much more.
4. Kandawgyi Park: famous Karaweik, a concrete replica of a Burmese royal barge built in 1972, near Chaukhtetgyi Reclining Buddha Image.
5. Shwedagon Pagoda: an important Buddist icon, which has been described as one of the wonders of the world, plays a very important role in old Burmese history.

Enjoy the sunset over the Shwedagon pagoda, and then you’ll get back to the hotel for a good rest.

Accommodation: Overnight in Yangon

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After enjoying breakfast at the hotel, your tour guide will escort you to Yangon airport and take a flight to Heho Airport, which will take 1 hour. Your tour guide and driver will meet you at the airport and head to the hotel in Inle Lake. Inle Lake is the second-largest lake in Myanmar. 

The rest of the time is on your arrangement. You could visit Phaungdawoo Pagoda and Paya, Inthein Village, and Yan Aung Nan Aung Hsu Taung Pye Paya.

Accommodation: Overnight in Inke Lake

Meals: Breakfast

In the morning, after breakfast, you’ll start the Inle Lake full-day tour. Firstly, go to visit the lake’s morning market. This market is visited by lake inhabitants and surrounding hill tribes to sell and trade wares.

Then you’ll continue down a small canal leading to Indein in the middle of the lake, populated by ethnic Padaung (“long neck women”).

Walking through a covered alley lined on both sides with a thousand pagodas and a long-covered staircase, you’ll have a chance to discover the magnificent complex of Alaung Sithu in beautiful scenery of ancient stupas, which are buried in vegetation with a panoramic view of the Inle Lake.

After enjoying a local Burma lunch, you’ll continue to visit Khaung Daing Village in the afternoon. Khaung Daing Villiage is a native village near the northwestern of Inle Lake. There are some Shan-style temples to visit.

When the tour ends, you’ll be escorted to the hotel in Inle Lake. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Accommodation: Overnight in Inle Lake

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, after breakfast, you’ll start the Inle Lake full-day tour. Firstly, go to visit the lake’s morning market. This market is visited by lake inhabitants and surrounding hill tribes to sell and trade wares.

Then you’ll continue down a small canal leading to Indein in the middle of the lake, populated by ethnic Padaung (“long neck women”).

Walking through a covered alley lined on both sides with a thousand pagodas and a long-covered staircase, you’ll have a chance to discover the magnificent complex of Alaung Sithu in beautiful scenery of ancient stupas, which are buried in vegetation with a panoramic view of the Inle Lake.

After enjoying a local Burma lunch, you’ll continue to visit Khaung Daing Village in the afternoon. Khaung Daing Villiage is a native village near the northwestern of Inle Lake. There are some Shan-style temples to visit.

When the tour ends, you’ll be escorted to the hotel in Inle Lake. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Accommodation: Overnight in Bagan

Meals: Breakfast

Today, you need to get up early at 5:00 am to experience a beautiful hot air balloon flight over Bagan’s temples. 

Drifting over a panorama of a thousand ancient pagodas, silent in the shadow of low-slung mountains and against the banks of the mighty Irrawaddy River, you will have a wonderful overhead perspective of Bagan. It's a fantastic and interactive experience.

The entire experience will last about 2.5 hours. On landing, our fully trained Myanmar ground crew will pack the balloon whilst passengers enjoy a glass or two of celebratory champagne. You’ll receive a flight certificate signed by the pilot.

After enjoying a delicious breakfast, you have free time on your own until your tour guide picks you up at 1:00-1:30 pm to Mount Popa.

1.Mount Popa: a dormant volcano in central Myanmar and the highest point of the Pegu Range.
2.Popa Taungkalat Monastery: a special monastery high up on a big rocky hill, offering beautiful views of the fields nearby and Mount Popa.
3.Nat Shrine: mannequin-like figures representing the 37 Nats, dedicated to animist spirits.

Note: you need to climb 777 steps to get to Popa Taungkalat Monastery, if you don’t want to do that, you can choose to visit the sandalwood forest and medical herb garden with plenty of flora and fauna.

After touring Mount Popa, a stop will be made at a palm tree plantation on the way back to the hotel in Bagan. Villagers earn money from these palm trees. It's a nice break where you can watch them work with palm trees.

Accommodation: Overnight in Bagan

Meals: Breakfast

In the morning, after breakfast, your tour guide will escort you to start a half-day Bagan tour. You’ll visit:

1. Thousands of Buddhist pagodas: over 4000 Buddhist temples and Pagodas sprinkled all across the town.
2. Nyaung Oo Market: locals buy and sell products.
3. Shwezigon Pagoda: the largest pagoda in Bagan painted with real gold. 

After enjoying lunch, you’ll be transferred by private van to Mandalay. The total distance is 112 miles and will take about 3 hours. Upon arrival, you will be escorted to your hotel for check-in.

Welcome to Mandalay! Upon your arrival in Mandalay, your local guide will meet you at the airport and escort you to the hotel for the rest.

Accommodation: Overnight in Mandalay

Meals: Breakfast

After enjoying your breakfast, your tour guide will pick you up from your hotel in Mandalay at 7:30 am-8 am. You’ll be driven to Mingun, located 11 km up the Ayeyarwady River on the west bank from Mandalay. From here, you will explore the historic sites around Mandalay. In Mingun, you’ll visit:

1.Mingun Bell: the world's largest uncracked bell.
2.Pathodawgyi Pagoda: the world's largest pile of bricks.
3.Myatheindan Pagoda: It's white and looks like the mythical Buddhist Mountain called Mount Meru.

You’ll then continue to Sagaing, the ancient capital of the Shan and Myanmar Kingdoms. Uncountable white-and-gold stupas are highlights of Sagaing. Sagaing Hill is widely regarded as the religious center of Myanmar. You’ll visit Soon Oo Pon Nya Shin Pagoda on the tranquil Sagaing Hill.

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant in Sagaing. Crossing a bridge over the Irrawaddy River, you’ll take a horse cart to explore the ruins of the old royal capital.

1.27m tall leaning tower.
2.Maha Aungmye Bonzan Monastery: built of brick in traditional style with elaborated stucco ornamentations that look like carvings.
3.Bargaya Monastery: a splendid teak wood monastery with wood carving.

Your last destination today is the Amarapura, the royal capital of Myanmar twice. In Amarapura, you’ll visit:

1. Mahargandaryon Monastery: The largest teaching monastery in Myanmar.
2. U Bein Bridge: exploring the local way of life and enjoying the sunset.
3. Weaving Workshop: Weaving is the main business of Amarapura people.

After the tour, you will be escorted to the hotel, enjoy your free time, and have a good rest.

Accommodation: Overnight in Mandalay

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After enjoying your breakfast, your tour guide will pick you up from your hotel in Mandalay. You’ll take the flight to Luang Prabang, about 7 hours and 5 minutes.

Welcome to Laos, the mysterious Buddhist country with a unique culture and natural beauty.

Upon your arrival in Luang Prabang, your private local tour guide guide will welcome you in the airport then escort you to your hotel in Luang Prabang city.

The rest of the day will be at your leisure to relax and explore the city, you can enjoy some drinks in one of the cafés or strolling along the beautiful riverside.

Feel free to ask our tour guide for suggestions if you'd like to explore the city instead of taking a rest.

Accommodation: Overnight in Luang Prabang

Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, your tour guide will meet you at 8:00 am – 8:30 am to start the day of the Luang Prabang city tour. In the morning, you will visit:

1. Royal Palace Museum: once served as the residence of King Sisavang Vong and was designed in the French Beaux-Arts style with many interesting artifacts of traditional Lao culture.
2. Wat Sene: the oldest temple of Luang Prabang.
3. Wat Xiengthong: its roofs sweep low to the ground and represent classical Laotian architecture.
4. Wat Visoun: the oldest Buddhist temple and the city’s museum of religious arts.
5. Wat Aham: the monastery of the blossoming heart.

After eating a delicious Laotian lunch, you are going on a tour in the afternoon.

1. Arts and Ethnology Center: learning about Laos’ many ethnic cultures.
2. Weaving Villages of Ban Xiengkhong and Ban Xienglek: known for their arts and crafts including saa paper and silk.
3. Weaving Class: Start with a simple explanation of silk, dyeing, and weaving. Tourists will get their own loom and guidance from a weaver to learn how to weave.

After the class, you will return to the city for a visit to Wat Mai, which is one of Luang Prabang’s largest and most richly decorated temples. 

You will finish the afternoon trip by enjoying a refreshing drink at one of Café. Then, you will be escorted to the local night market to discover the local life of Luang Prabang.

After the tour, back to the hotel for a good rest.

Accommodation: Overnight in Luang Prabang

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, your tour guide will meet you at the hotel around 8:00 am – 8:30 am. The day begins with a boat ride up the Mekong River, which gives you a breathtaking view of the tranquil countryside. Along the way, you'll stop and visit:

1. Ban Xanghai village: the place where Laos rice wine and rice whiskey are produced. You'll have the opportunity to try some and learn about the process used to make it.
2. Pak Ou Caves: two linked caves filled with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by pilgrims.

Lunch will be served near the caves. You'll try a local Laotian dish called "Orlam" which is a soup with vegetables and features a spicy wood that is partially edible. After a short rest, you’ll continue on your half-day tour to the beautiful Kuang (Khouang) Si Waterfall.

1. Bear Rescue Sanctuary: three bear houses were built with a capacity for 25 rescued bears.
2. Khouang Si Waterfall: the most beautiful in Laos. You can cool off with a refreshing swim in the pools or walk along the forest trails.

After the tour, your tour guide will escort you to enjoy a Lao-style spa and get relaxed. Then, you will get back to the hotel for a good rest. 

Accommodation: Overnight in Luang Prabang

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

This morning you will need to get up very early to visit an alms ritual unique to Laos, departure from the hotel at 5:00 am. You will accept the blessing of monks to whom you give the alms.

Around 6:00 am, you could enjoy the sunrise at Mount Phousi. It is a quiet, peaceful, and mesmerizing morning. Go back to the hotel for breakfast, and have a rest until your tour guide escorts you to the Luang Prabang airport. You’ll take a 45-minute flight to Vientiane.

Welcome to Vientiane, the largest city and the capital of Laos. You’ll be escorted to the hotel in Vientiane for check-in. The rest of time is for you to explore this calm city.

Accommodation: Overnight in Vientiane

Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, your tour guide will meet you at the hotel around 8:00 am – 8:30 am. The day will go through the highlights of Vientiane. You'll stop and visit:

1. Buddha Park: also known as Xieng Khuan, is filled with over 200 Buddhist and Hindu statues.
2. Patuxay Monument: a monument about the war in Vientiane that honors the people who fought for freedom from France.
3. Pha That Luang Stupa: a huge Buddhist stupa covered in gold and constructed in the 3^rd century.

Enjoying a local Laotian lunch, you’ll continue your Vientiane day tour in the afternoon:

1. Wat Si Saket: the oldest surviving temple with thousands of Buddhist images.
2. National Museum: get to know some history of Laos.

After the tour, your tour guide will escort you to the hotel for a good rest. 

Accommodation: Overnight in Vientiane

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Enjoy your breakfast until your tour guide pick you up to Wattay International Airport and fly to Hanoi. The flight take about 70 minutes.

Welcome to Hanoi!

Upon arrival, our tour guide and driver will welcome you at the airport. You will be escorted to the hotel and check-in. 

In the afternoon, you will enjoy a half-day Hanoi city tour:

1. Hoan Kiem Lake with Ngoc Son Temple: famous for its peaceful beauty, cultural as well as historical values.
2. Taking a traditional cyclo tour through the Old Quarter: the fascinating experience of rickshaws driving around the Old Quarter and experience the daily life of the local.
3. Savor the best street food in the world: Never miss out the Vietnam food

Enjoying local Vietnamese dinner, you will be escorted to watch a traditional Vietnamese water puppet show at Thang Long Water Puppet Theater. The show lasts 50 minutes. It’s a unique Vietnam performance to display the daily life in Northern Vietnam villages.

After the show ends, you will be escorted back to your hotel in Hanoi.

Accommodation: Overnight in Hanoi

Meals: Breakfast

In the morning, after breakfast, our driver will pick you up at about 8:00, then head to the cruise port of Halong Bay. It takes about 3 hours to arrive. Upon arrival, the cruise staff will help you with the check-in at around 12:00.

Welcome onboard in Halong Bay! You will be greeted with a welcome drink and the introduction and guidelines. Then, you will enjoy the lunch onboard in the elegant dining room.

In the afternoon, you will enjoy some exciting activities such as sightseeing, kayaking, or swimming according to each cruise’s itinerary.

While onboard, you can take advantage of the leisure time of the Spa, Beauty, and Massage services surrounded by the stunning scenery around you. Besides, you can also join in the chef’s cooking class and learn the art of traditional Vietnamese cooking.

In the evening, an elegant dinner is ready with a fusion of Eastern and Western cuisine, accompanied by a wide selection of wines and beverages from around the world.

After dinner, enjoy a leisurely evening onboard, such as joining in board games, squid fishing, a night movie, or bars & karaoke. 

Accommodation: Overnight at the Halong Bay

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Your second day of Halong Bay Cruise will start with a Tai Chi class for 20 minutes to breathe the fresh air and brighten the day.

After breakfast, continue with the exploration of the tourist sites on Halong Bay. At around 10:00, it’s time to pack your luggage for checkout.

At about 11:30 am, your cruise boat will sail back to the port and you will enjoy an early lunch on the way. Then, our driver will transfer you to the airport in Hanoi. You’ll take a 75-minute flight to Hue.

Welcome to Hue! The former Imperial Capital of Vietnam from 1802 - 1945, was known for its royal mausoleums, traditional imperial cuisine, and pagodas.

Upon arrival, your tour guide and drive will welcome you in the airport and drive you to the hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is the free time for you in Hue.

Accommodation: Overnight at the Hue

Meals: Breakfast

Your local tour guide and driver will meet you at the hotel at 8:00 am and drive to Hue for a visit. It takes about 2 hours.

Welcome to Hue! The former Imperial Capital of Vietnam from 1802 - 1945, was known for its royal mausoleums, traditional imperial cuisine, and pagodas. During this day tour, you’ll visit:

1. Hue Capital Citadel: a well-known UNESCO-recognized World Heritage Site which is a 520-ha fortress-like grand complex
2. Tu Duc Tomb: resting place of the fourth King of the Nguyen dynasty.
3. Dong Ba market: biggest commercial center of Hue province and the adjacent regions.

After lunch, you’ll continue your Hue tour at around 1:30 p.m.

1. Thien Mu Pagoda: unofficial symbol of Hue City with its origins dating back to 1601.
2. Minh Mang Tomb: the 2nd Emperor of the Nguyen dynasty was buried.
3. Perfume River: take a dragon boat cruise to enjoy the open view of the river and the peaceful landscape along the river banks.

After the tour, you'll be escorted to the hotel for the rest.

Accommodation: Overnight in Hue

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, after breakfast, you will enjoy your free time until your tour guide picks you up to Hoi An. The drive takes around 3 hours. On the way there, you'll get through Hai Van Pass & Tunnel.

Welcome to Hoi An, one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites and famous for the old town. Your tour guide will take you to the hotel in Hoi An for Check-in.

In the afternoon, your tour guide will meet you at the hotel around 13:00 and bring you to the edge of the old town for a half day of exploration. During the tour, you will visit:

1. 200-year-old Tan Ky House: a beautiful home that has been lovingly preserved over seven generations.
2. Museum of Trade Ceramics: with fascinating pottery artifacts from all over Asia and the Middle East
3. Chua Ong Pagoda: the neighborhood around it has distinctly Chinese-inspired buildings and is lovely to explore at a relaxed pace.
4. Hoi An Market: reputed to be one of Vietnam’s best.

After the sightseeing tour, we'll take you back to the hotel, and then you can have the rest of the day to yourself for city exploration.

Accommodation: Overnight in Hoi An

Meals: Breakfast

In the morning, after breakfast, you will start your half-day excursion to Cam Thanh village. Your tour guide will pick you up around 8:00 am - 8:30 am. Cam Thanh village is a fisherman at Cam Thanh Water coconut village. During this half-hour, you will experience:

1. Fishing, catching the crabs & coconut mussels: enjoying experiences from learning traditional fishing techniques and exploring tranquil coconut-palm flanked waterways of a past war.
2. Vietnamese bamboo basket boat ride: made of bamboo with the shape of baskets to make you have the very Vietnamese experience.

After the tour, you will be driven to Da Nang and enjoy free time for the rest of the day.

Accommodation: Overnight in Da Nang

Meals: Breakfast

After enjoying your breakfast, your private tour guide and driver will meet you at the hotel at 8:30 am.

Departure to Ba Na Hills, the road will pass the seashore on Nguyen Tat Thanh Street, one of the most beautiful roads of Da Nang City, and Red Beach, where the French first landed in Da Nang.

Soon you’ll arrive at the Cable car station at the foot of Ba Na Hill to enjoy the first leg Cable car.

1. Ba Na Hill Cable Car: two Guinness World Records in 2009, longest non-stop cable car (5,042m) and highest non-stop cable car (1,292m).
2. Golden Bridge: stands 1400m above sea level and looks like giant hands of Gods pulling a strip of gold out of the land.
3. Ling Ung Pagoda: 27m high Buddha status.
4. Dreaming Stream, Rainbow Waterfall, Suspension Bridge, Golden Valley, and Ruined Opera House.

Lunch with Buffet menu at the restaurant of Mercure Bana Hill resort. You can play with wild monkeys and take photos, freely then return to the Cable car station at the foot of Ba Na Mountain and transfer back to Da Nang City. The rest of the time is for your leisure.

Accommodation: Overnight in Da Nang

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today, after breakfast, you’ll leave Da Nang and take a flight to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), which about 80 minutes.

Welcome to Saigon, the largest city, business, and financial hub of Vietnam! Its history dates back hundreds of years. Saigon is famous for its fascinating culture and ornate pagodas and temples. Upon arrival in Saigon, our tour guide will escort you to the hotel and have a rest.

Around 18:00-18:30, your tour guide will bring you to join in the dinner cruise on the Saigon River.

After the tour, back to your hotel and have a good rest.

Accommodation: Overnight in Saigon

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

After breakfast, at about 8:30 am, we will drive about 1.5 hours to Cu Chi Tunnels, where you discover these amazing systems developed by the guerrillas fighting in the Vietnam War. You will see various weapons used in the war on display. It will take the whole morning to explore and enjoy.

After lunch at a local restaurant, back to Saigon city to explore the iconic highlights, including:

1. Notre Dame Cathedral: honored as one of the world's 19 most majestic cathedrals, the only representative from Southeast Asia, seen as the architectural symbol of Ho Chi Minh City
2. Old Saigon Post Office: Vietnam’s largest post office and oldest colonial structure, is one of the must-sees, attracting visitors with its aesthetic and historical values
3. Cholon: the largest Chinatown in Ho Chi Minh with many traditional shops, markets, and local food stalls.
4. Emperor Jade Pagoda: a sacred place of Saigon, built by a Chinese merchant named Liu Daoyuan, where people pray and seek blessings.

End of the sightseeing tour, you will be escorted to the hotel and enjoy free time for the rest of the day.

Accommodation: Overnight in Saigon

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Enjoy your breakfast at the hotel and prepare to enjoy a full-day Mekong Delta discovery. Your tour guide will meet you around 8:00 am -8:30 am.

Today you’ll take an excursion to My Tho, a city in the Mekong River Delta region. After traveling past miles of flat rice fields, along a bustling high way, you’ll start the My Tho tour with boarding a Mekong cruise boat to Thoi Son Island. 

1. Land on Thoi Son Island: listen to the Southern traditional music performed by native artists.
2. Paddleboat Cruise: visiting households with traditional occupations of home-based coconut candy and rice-wine-making.
3. Floating Market: observe from the comfort of your sampan life as it plays out on the riverbanks.
4. Bee Farm: try tea with fresh honey from the beehives and enjoy fresh seasonal fruits.
5. Vinh Trang Pagoda: an ancient architectural gem in Southern Vietnam.

After enjoy a local Vietnamese meal at Le Longanier Restaurant, you’ll head to Can Tho.

1. Le Longanier Restaurant: a lush tropical garden by the river, surrounded by fruit trees, giving you a sense of life during Indochinese times.
2. Local home grown Industries: coconut candy and puffed rice products that provide a living for the river people.

After arriving at the hotel in Can Tho, the rest of time is at your leisure.

Accommodation: Overnight in Can Tho

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Enjoy your breakfast and free time in the morning until your tour guide drive you back to Saigon. Then you’ll be escorted directly to Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Tour service ends here.

Hope you enjoyed a great trip with us and we look forward to seeing you next time.

Note: If you’re planning to continue exploring Indochina region, like Thailand and Cambodia, please never hesitate to tell us, we’re tour experts for all of these destinations.

Accommodation: NA

Meals: Breakfast