Welcome to Hanoi! Upon arrival at Noi Bai International Airport (HAN), you will be met and presented with your welcome packet before being transferred to your hotel.
The rest of the day is yours to spend in Vietnam’s electric capital. With layers of Chinese and French influence, gaggles of scooters and a wealth of world-class restaurants, there’s a new discovery around every corner in this bustling metropolis. Visit the revered Temple of Literature, dedicated to Confucius and the site of the country’s first university, or wander through the notorious Hoa Lo Prison Museum, once filled with American prisoners of war.
Rise and shine early today — you’re headed for the incredible Ha Long Bay!
Your driver will meet you at your hotel this morning for a scenic drive through the countryside to the Tuan Chau Marina to begin your overnight cruise, stopping along the way to stretch your legs and browse local souvenir shops. After a brief meet and greet with the captain and crew, enjoy a welcome drink and a delicious lunch as you cruise through the striking emerald waters of Ha Long Bay. Take in the majesty of the bay’s jungle-topped islands, watch the sun fall magnificently beneath the horizon and enjoy an evening stay among the striking limestone peaks.
Enjoy dawn tai chi with complimentary tea and coffee and a hearty breakfast on the boat. Cruise through Ha Long Bay’s serene waters and enjoy your final moments onboard, surrounded by the region’s spectacular beauty. Disembark at Tuan Chau Marina to return to Hanoi for an evening at your leisure.
Take the chance to continue your exploration of this character-filled city – stroll the grounds surrounding Hoan Kiem Lake, steeped in myth and legend, or head to the National Museum of Vietnamese History, an architectural wonder. Gourmand guests can opt for an optional culinary journey through Hanoi’s sizzling street food.
After breakfast, enjoy some time exploring Hanoi on your own before your transfer to the airport for your flight to Da Nang. On arrival, you’ll be picked up at Da Nang airport and transferred to your hotel in the charming coastal city of Hoi An.
Once a bustling Southeast Asian trading port, the city is still a powerful melange of cultures, influences and traditions. Marvellously preserved Japanese merchant houses and historic Vietnamese trading warehouses rub shoulders with grand Confucian temples and modern office buildings to form a colourful tapestry. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. Wander Old Town’s storied streets and be sure to bring an appetite – the banh mis here are considered the best in the country.
After breakfast at the hotel, the rest of the day is spent at your leisure. Every street in the peaceful port town is a gift, but the real treasure is a chance to explore Hoi An Ancient Town, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed district that brilliantly preserves the synthesis of cultures that led the city to flourish. Other highlights include the ancient Japanese Covered Bridge, first constructed in the 16th century and surviving even the French fascination with the automobile, and the masterfully preserved merchant residence, Tan Ky House.
Three optional activities are on offer today — an evening foodie tour by scooter, half-day countryside adventure by scooter or the My Son Holy Land tour. If you choose to explore on two wheels, you’ll meet with a local guide and whisked to the market or the open countryside. If you prefer to head to My Son, you will have the chance to wander through the elaborate carvings and sculptures of the Cham people to the Old Tower of the Cham.
After breakfast, you’ll have another full day to absorb the sights and sounds of Hoi An at your leisure. Visit the Hoi An Night Market, the perfect place to pick up a cherished souvenir to commemorate your Vietnamese escape, walk the golden sands of An Bang Beach, taking in the moored fishing boats, or catch a glorious cultural performance at the Hoi An Lune Center for the Performing Arts.
If you’re feeling adventurous, two optional visits are on offer:
Set off on a full-day tour to the Ba Na Hills and Golden Bridge - take in thrilling views from the cable car and the climbing train as you rise to the top of the mountain, then explore the nine gardens of Le Jardin d’Amour, the Debay Wine Cellar and the Ling Ung Pagoda and much more.
Or, get to know the local culture with a visit to a nearby fishing village, with a chance to meet the villagers and see traditional fishing practices in action.
After breakfast, enjoy a little more time to explore Hoi An before being transferred to Da Nang Airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City.
The rest of the day is spent at your leisure in Vietnam’s dazzling southern metropolis. Take the time to explore this city and you’ll be rewarded: the streets and thoroughfares run loud and fast and the hustle of the city’s markets is a haggler’s delight. Highlights could include a visit to the War Remnants Museum, the incense-smothered and delicately carved Jade Emperor Pagoda, or the colonial-era Fine Arts Museum.
After breakfast at the hotel, the rest of the day is spent at your leisure. Explore the city at your own pace or on and optional half-day tour, or head out to the countryside on a half-day discovery of the Cu Chi Tunnels, to learn how they were constructed and how people survived in the harsh wartime conditions. In the evening, you may wish to experience Saigon’s nightlife from the harbor on an optional dinner cruise – see the illuminated sights of Ho Chi Minh City over dinner, while Vietnamese folk music plays.
Meet with your guide and embark on a scenic cruise through the islands of the Mekong Delta, towards the market towns of My Tho and Ben Tre. Here, you’ll have the opportunity to visit lush fruit orchards and coconut groves – stopping for a moment to see all the different ways that coconuts are used by villagers in the region – and the home of a local antique collector, Uncle Six, who will display how he climbs coconut trees using only his bare hands. Drift down Water Palm Creek, gaining a glimpse into life on the Delta, before stopping for homemade lunch prepared for you by on the locals.
Return to Ho Chi Minh City after a day well spent.
Your time in Vietnam has come to an end today, as you rise early and cross the Moc Bai Border toward Phnom Penh, your first stop in Cambodia.
The country’s cultural epicentre, riverside Phnom Penh is home to ornate temples, fascinating museums and fragrant cuisine, all waiting to be uncovered. After your arrival, the rest of the day is spent at your leisure – visit the city’s legendary temples, abandoned centuries ago by the ancient Khmer kingdom or head to the Royal Palace for a glimpse into how the historic nobility once lived.
Please note that a guide may not be present on transfers on this day.
After breakfast, you’ll have another full day to catch the sights and sounds of Phnom Penh at your leisure.
You may choose to discover Cambodia’s tragic past with an optional Killing Fields tour. Begin at Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, used as a prison in the days of the Khmer Rouge regime, before travelling to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek. This poignant memorial sits on the site where over a million people are thought to have been executed during the Khmer Rouge rule. After an authentic lunch at a local restaurant, set off to discover Phnom Penh from a different angle with a cruise of the Mekong River, admiring the city’s architecture rising from the banks as daily life unfolds.
Today, soak up the scenery as you journey north to Siem Reap, gateway to the greatness of Angkor Wat. This exciting city juxtaposes ancient history with contemporary culture, from chic hotels to top-notch dining. On arrival, soak it all in after checking into your hotel in preparation for a full day of exploration tomorrow.
Siem Reap’s famous temple complex awaits you today – a bucket-list attraction for travellers across the world.
Begin with the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Angkor Wat. Rising majestically from the jungle, this 12th-century Buddhist temple complex spans 400 acres and is rich in archaeological treasures. Unofficially acknowledged as one of the wonders of the world, this incredibly well-preserved site is an architectural triumph.
Continue to Angkor Thom, the last city of the Khmer Empire, whose 12th-century temples and statues are a fascinating remnant of the Cambodian Middle Ages. Explore Bayon Temple, with its collection of smiling stone faces, and explore the hauntingly beautiful remains of Ta Prohm, a 12th-century Buddhist temple reclaimed by nature, with winding vines weaving around its crumbling walls.
To finish the day, climb to the upper terraces of one of the ancient buildings to view the spectacular sunset.
Your Vietnam and Cambodia experience has come to an end. After breakfast, you’ll be transferred to the airport for your flight home.
