15 Days Highlight of Vietnam & Cambodia

(Hanoi-Halong-Da Nang – Hoi An-Ho Chi Minh –Mekong Delta – Phnom Penh – Siem Reap)

 

OVERVIEW 

This trip combining Vietnam’s and Cambodia’s highlights is ideally suited for those who want to have a deeper understanding of the two countries. During 15 days, you will visit almost the must-see destinations of Vietnam and Cambodia. From Hanoi - the 1,000-year-old capital to Ha Long Bay - twice recognized a s the UNESCO World Heritage. From the ancient town of Hoi An to the sizzling Ho Chi Minh City. Immerse yourself into the sights and sound of the Mekong Delta before take speedboat to Phnom Penh. Explore the charming capital, then fly to Siem Reap to marvel at one of the world’s most astounding archaeological sites: The Angkor Wat & learn more about the history of the Khmer kings at their highest and wealthiest power.

 

HIGHLIGHTS 

DAY 1 HANOI ARRIVAL 

 

Arrival Hanoi airport, warm welcomed by our representative person then transfer to hotel for check in (NO EARLY CHECK IN) Hanoi or “River-bound City” as its name literally means is Vietnam’s capital with a thousand-year-old history dating back to 1010. The city’s fascinating beauty which is characterized by unique cultural relics, ancient streets of antique houses, elegant French colonial buildings, tree-lined boulevards and romantic lakes has made it one of the most charming cities of Asia.

 

Overnight hotel in Hanoi 

 

DAY 2 FULLDAY CITY TOUR IN HANOI (B/L)

 

Start off with an hour Cyclo ride around the French Quarter in the heart of Hanoi, to immerse yourself in an old atmosphere of an area that perfectly captures the timelessness and nostalgia of Vietnam. Mainly formed and developed during the French colonial era in the 20th century, the structure of French Old Quarter is planned on chess board model, so it is difficult to be broken. Buildings and architectures are designed by French architects according to colonial style in accordance with Vietnam climate. This is a great introduction of the thousand-year-old city which helps you delve into a bygone time of Vietnam, from the grand structures dominate the tree-lined boulevard to the modest buildings hidden behind small alleys, from the newly renovated to those near collapse. Many decades after the French left, these architectures have been remained and become important heritages in the distinctly atmosphere and charm of the capital.

Afterward, pay your respect to the nation’s founder at the Ho Chi Minh Complex and Ba Dinh Square, an important point of pilgrimage for the Vietnamese. Explore the nearby simple cottage on stilts where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked during his humble beginnings as a revolutionary. Next, move to the Ho Chi Minh Museum featuring an extraordinary tribute to his life. Gain insight into the prewar history of the country at the Governor’s Residence, also known as the Presidential Palace, an excellent example of Hanoi’s classical French architectural heritage, and Ho Chi Minh refused to live in the opulent structure for symbolic reasons, opting to build a traditional Vietnamese stilt house on the grounds instead. Stop by the iconic One Pillar Pagoda - a unique Vietnamese architecture reminiscent of a lotus blossom rising from a pond and hear the legend of its construction. Then transfer back to your hotel for leisure. Afternoon, continue with the Temple of Literature, built in 1070 and dedicated to Confucius.

 

Afternoon, our guide & driver will pick you up then transfer to Chợ Hôm market, mainly known as a fabric market, where you can buy wholesale fabric by the meter to make your own dresses and other things. Chợ Hôm market is full of produce, meats, seafood, and traditional Vietnamese foods. Enjoy the market like a local and see how Hanoians buy foods in a local market.

 

After finishing the city tour, the group proceed to visit a unique café hidden away in a small alley at the heart of the Old Quarter. With about 95% furniture and decorations made from recycled materials, the café’s owner wants to contribute a part in protecting the environment, raising the community awareness, as well as spreading the message of nature protection to everyone, especially the young. Using the principle of “reduce – reuse – recycle”, all the scraps were cleaned, cut, grafted, and painted to make tables, chairs, decorative lights, and drinking cups. 

 

This evening, you’ll experience one of Vietnam’s unique traditional arts at a Water Puppet show. This style of theatre (known as "Roi Nuoc" in Vietnamese) originates from rural festivals in Vietnam and features artists standing waist-deep in water to manipulate puppets, making them move, talk, laugh and even dance on water’s surface. The plays act out typical Vietnamese stories, depicting farmers working in the paddy fields, water buffalo bathing, courtship scenes and martial arts displays, all to the delight of the audience.

 

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight hotel in Hanoi 

 

DAY 3 HANOI –HALONG OVERNIGHT ON BOAT (B/L/D)

 

In the morning you will depart Hanoi at 08:30 for a 3.5 hour drive through the Red River Delta to Ha Long Bay City. On the way, you will stop for refreshments. Upon arriving in Halong City, you will take a tender transfer to your junk and set sail through the bay while lunch is served. As you cruise the magical bay, you will notice thousands of sculpted limestone islands rising from the waves like dragons’ teeth. 

 

Later in the afternoon, you’ll visit a fishing village with the opportunity to interact with fishermen who have been living in the bay for almost three generations. Back on board, you’ll enjoy cocktails or a cooking class while watching the sunset and later unwind at a restaurant for a lavish dinner. Enjoy some evening activities such as movie night, board games, or a beauty treatment before an overnight stay on the junk.

 

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Included

Overnight on Cruise

 

DAY 4 HALONG –HANOI- TAKE FLIGHT TO DANANG – TRANSFER HOIAN (B/BR)

 

After rising to the sound of the ocean coming to life, you’ll enjoy breakfast, take a Tai Chi class and watch the sunrise over the bay (if you choose to get up that early!) You will visit a beautiful limestone grotto, then head back to the junk for a final glimpse of Halong Bay while cruising back to the dock. Disembarking at the Cruise Café Lounge, you’ll rejoin your private car for transfer back to the airport for a one-hour flight to Da Nang. Upon arrival at Da Nang, our guide will pick up at the airprort then transfer 45 minutes to Hoi An town . You will check in hotel and free at leisure. 

 

Brunch Included

Overnight hotel in Hoi An

 

DAY 5 HALF DAY COOKING CLASS & HALF DAY HOIAN WALKING TOUR (B/L)

 

Morning, you will have breakfast at hotel then take half day cooking class tour and half day Hoi An town tour 

Half day cooking classic tour (joining with other ones) 

Our guide & driver pick up the group at the hotel lobby to transfer to Hai Café for a welcome drink.

Visit Hoi An’s colorful market, and experience the amazing sights, sounds and aromas of this busy market. We will have the opportunity to interact with the local sellers and learn about all the ingredients to be used in the cooking lesson later.

 

We board the Red Bridge boat for a leisurely cruise (25 minutes) along the Hoi An River to the Red Bridge Cooking School. This is a chance to view local river life, so make sure your camera is handy.

On arrival, we explore the cooking school’s herb garden, before learning about some of Hoi An’s and Vietnam’s well-known dishes. The cooking lesson runs for about 2 hours – the Red Bridge chefs first demonstrate each dish before we prepare the same dish ourselves. Included in the class is a brief introduction to Vietnamese food carving (plate decoration). After the lesson, we sit down and eat what we have cooked.

Bring your swimsuit and after the cooking tour has finished relax and enjoy free use of our 20 metres swimming pool - towels and showers provided.

 

Recipes:

Half day Hoi An walking tour 

Take walking tour around Hoi An town to visit Hoi An town. Once a bustling maritime commercial port of Asia between 15th and 19th centuries, Hoi An, recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, is now a peaceful town of exceptionally well-preserved architecture, lifestyles and traditions. The town exemplifies a fascinating fusion of cultures between Vietnam and the outside world including China, Japan, Thailand and the Philippines. Your sightseeing will include the iconic 400-year-old Covered Bridge with a small temple attached to one side as a prominent example of Japanese architecture, the Museum of Trade Ceramics which is an elegant Vietnamese style wooden house built in 1858 showcasing antique ceramic artifacts. You will also visit the 200-year-old Tan Ky House typifying an ancient Chinese merchant residence, Ong Temple built in 1653 by Chinese settlers to worship Guan Yu, an ancient Chinese general whose character stands for loyalty, bravery and justice and the local market vibrant with colors and activities.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch 

Overnight hotel in Hoi An

 

DAY 6 HOIAN –DA NANG –TAKE FLIGHT TO HO CHI MINH –HALF DAY CITY TOUR (B/L) 

 

Moring, you will have breakfast at hotel then take half day city tour. 

The impact of the Vietnam War can be witnessed all over the country, and any war or history buff should make sure a visit to the War Remnants Museum is on their must-see list for Ho Chi Minh City. With your private driver and English speaking guide, delve into the images and sounds of Vietnam’s lengthy war history with the French and Americans. The museum features a comprehensive collection of the machinery, weapons and photos of the Vietnamese side of the war, and includes a moving tribute to the journalists, civilians and soldiers lost during the war, as well as a critical look at biological warfare, weaponry, and worldwide movements for peace. Continue to the Reunification Palace, also known as the Independence Palace, which was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until the end of April 1975 during the Fall of Saigon. It was here that the Vietnam War ended when a North Vietnamese Army tank crashed through its gates and led to the formal reunification of the two sides. 

 

The afternoon continues with a drive passing by the former American Embassy and the site where the famous Buddhist Thich Quang Duc self- immolated in June11, 1963.  After his funeral, where his remains were finally reduced to ashes, Quang Duc's heart, which had not burned, was retrieved, enshrined, and treated as a sacred relic. His self- immolation begins people’s up-rising movement largely, which lead to the fall of President Diem regime End with a visit to the iconic Ben Thanh Market, a centrally located covered market with ample opportunities to pick up souvenirs or relax with a cup of Vietnamese coffee.  In the afternoon, check in hotel and free at leisure 

 

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch 

Overnight hotel in Ho Chi Minh

 

DAY 7 HALF DAY CU CHI TUNNEL (B)

 

Morning, you will have breakfast at hotel then take half day Cu Chi tunnel. 

Transfer to Cu Chi, the northernmost suburban district of Ho Chi Minh City. Discover the famous Cu Chi Tunnels, which were once a major underground hideout and resistance base of Viet Cong forces during the two wars against the French and the Americans. The tunnels, entirely hand-dug, formed a highly intricate network of interlinked multilevel passageways at times stretched as far as the Cambodian border and totaling over 120 km in length. Its complexity was beyond imagination containing meeting rooms, kitchens, wells, clinics, schools, depots, trenches and emergency exits all aimed for guerrilla warfare. The tunnels were deep and strong enough to withstand destructive bombings and self-contained enough to outlast prolonged sieges. 

 

Activities in Cu Chi Tunnels, where you will

In the afternoon, come back Ho Chi Minh check in hotel and free at leisure. 

 

Meal: Breakfast

Overnight hotel in Ho Chi Minh 

 

DAY 8 PANORAMA RIVER CRUISE  (B/L/D)

 

In the morning we pick you up at your hotel in Saigon and take you to Can Tho or Cai Be. You board your wooden river cruise vessel around noon. After a refreshing welcome drink, we show you our on-board facilities and your cozy cabin. As lunch is served, the boat starts cruising.  Sit back and watch the fantastic scenery and the daily life of the Mekong people.

In the afternoon you can disembark for a guided leisurely stroll through a village and the surrounding fruit orchards or rice fields. Meet the friendly locals and taste the local produce and fruits.

Get back on board and enjoy a drink at the bar or relax on deck as the sun sets over the magnificent water landscape of the Mekong river. The cruise boat will anchor for the night. The day ends with a delicious on-board dinner. You stay overnight on board your floating hotel in the Mekong Delta.

Meal: Lunch, Dinner 

Overnight on cruise 

 

DAY 9 LIFE ON THE WATER AND FLOATING MARKETS(B/L/D)

 

Wake up well rested to the sound of the river and get ready for another exciting day of sightseeing in the Mekong Delta. At 6.30h the cruise vessel sets off for a sunrise cruise. Watch the locals go about their daily work drying exotic fruits and building ships on the wooden yards while enjoying an early breakfast.

After breakfast, we will board a sampan boat to Cai Rang floating market, the region’s busiest and most live market. On even dates, you will explore the small channels of the Mekong delta around Cai Be with a small sampan or by foot. Marvel at the sheer abundance of exotic fruits and vegetables. We will pull up to the boats for talking and bargaining with the merchants. We will also visit some of the local candy and cake making factories or boat through the green water landscape to see local houses, verdant orchards and ship-building yards.

Later in the morning, your boat goes through the green water landscape on a little rowing sampan to see local houses, verdant orchards and ship-building yards. Alternatively, you can discover the nearby town by foot or explore the small side canals of the Mekong river on a bicycle.

The cruise boat then resumes its journey as lunch is served. In the afternoon there will be another side trip to one of the exotic villages along the way.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Overnight on cruise 

 

DAY 10 AN EXOTIC WORLD OF ITS OWN (B/L)

 

After breakfast and an early start through the glorious morning atmosphere on the Mekong river. In Can Tho we will visit the floating market of Cai Rang. In Cai Be will explore the delta by foot or with a small sampan. Be sure not to miss the great photo opportunities for authentic snapshots of the Mekong people and their life. Take another sampan side trip right into the lush rural landscape, the fertile fields, the exuberant green. 

Disembark the boat at around 11.00 — 11.30h on the pier and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. Sit back in the shuttle (bus or car) and watch the water landscape from a land perspective until you reach Chau Doc where we bring you to your hotel

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight hotel in Chau Doc 

 

DAY 11 ACROSS THE BORDER TOWARDS CAMBODIA BY SHARED SPEED BOAT (4 HOURS) (B)

 

We transfer you to the pier where you embark the speed boat for an exciting ride to Phnom Penh, upon Phnom Pen you will meet our tour guide then transfer to check in hotel 

 

Upon arrival, you will check in hotel then start a half day city tour including the Victory Monument, and the National Museum (called as Musee des Beaux-Arts). Next, you’ll visit a French archaeologist and painter, Georges Groslier, designed it in Khmer style in 1917. The museum contains a collection of Khmer art - notably sculptures – from throughout the ages. You’ll also discover 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 includes a solid gold Buddha encrusted and weighing 90 kilograms and a small 17th century emerald and baccarat crystal Buddha. End of day stop at the Central market and in right time to views over the tree-lined avenues of the city during sunset (afternoon tour) then back to the hotel. End Service!

 

Meal: Breakfast 

Overnight hotel in Phnom Penh 

 

DAY 12 PHNOM PENH TO SIEM REAP BY FLIGHT (B)

 

Moring you will have breakfast at hotel then transfer to airport for your flight to Siem Reap. Upon arrival, you will meet our guide then transfer to hotel for check in and free at leisure. 

 

Meal: Breakfast

Overnight hotel in Siem Reap

 

DAY 13 FULL DAY ANGKOR TOUR (B/L)

 

In the morning, visit to the antique capital of Angkor Thom (12 century): the South Gate with its huge statues depicting the churning of the ocean of milk, the Bayon Temple, unique for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces of Avolokitesvara, the Phimeanakas, the Royal Enclosure, the Elephants Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King. Lunch included, after your rest, 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. Then, back to the hotel. End Service!

 

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight hotel in Siem Reap 

 

DAY 14 HALF DAY TONLE SAP TOUR (B)

 

Morning, you will have breakfast at hotel then take half day Chong Kneas tour

Chong Kneas is a floating village at the edge of the Tonle Sap Lake. It is approximately about 30 minutes from Siem Reap, making it become an extremely popular sight for those wanting a break from the temples. On the way to the village, you’ll see large paddy fields and stilt-houses, and a hill with an ancient temple atop. There are three main communities living in the village: the Cambodian, the Vietnamese and Cham. Visiting here, you can also watch fishing and crocodile farms, school, floating house, restaurant…

 

Itinerary: 

The afternoon, your private guide & driver will pick you up at your hotel in Siem Reap and start a tour to explore the floating village of Chong Khneas, located 10 kilometers south of Siem Reap. Take a traditional wooden boat for a ride on the Tonle Sap Lake, the "Great Lake" of Cambodia, one of the largest in Asia and flows into Tonle Sap River, joining the Mekong in Phnom Penh. During your boat ride through Chong Khneas, you will see ordinary Cambodians going about their daily life in the floating village. 

 

Your boat will briefly enter the edge of the Great Lake before docking with the Tara – the biggest boat on the Tonle Sap Lake. We will see a fishermen's "floating village" with floating schools, floating police station, etc. It is same as a big village floating on the lake, and the "village" move from place to place following water levels and current. And then visit “Les Artisans d’ Angkor – Chantiers Ecoles” of Siem Reap before driving back to hotel. 

 

Meal: Breakfast

Overnight hotel in Siem Reap

 

DAY 15 SIEM REAP DEPARTURE (B)

 

Moring, you will have breakfast at hotel then free at leisure until transfer to airport for departure flight 

 

Meal: Breakfast 

 

RATE IS PER PERSON BASED ON TWIN OR DOUBLE SHARED

(LOW SEASON FROM MAY TO SEP.2022) 

CATEGORY	2	3	4	5	6	SS
Four stars	$1,507	$1,404	$1,339	$1,295	$1,267	$+578
Good four stars	$1,527	$1,424	$1,358	$1,314	$1,287	$+596
Five stars	$1,892	$1,790	$1,724	$1,680	$1,652	$+935

RATE IS PER PERSON BASED ON TWIN OR DOUBLE SHARED

(HIGHT SEASON FROM 1 JAN.2022-30 APR.2022)

CATEGORY	2	3	4	5	6	SS
Four stars	$1,603	$1,502	$1,436	$1,392	$1,364	$+637
Good four stars	$1,648	$1,545	$1,480	$1,436	$1,408	$+673
Five stars	$2,071	$1,969	$1,903	$1,858	$1,831	$+1,065