19 day Vietnam Cambodia Holiday Packages

Day 1: Arrival In Ha Noi (D)

Our driver will meet you in Ha Noi and transfer you to your hotel in the old quarter of Hanoi. After check in you will have free time to take a rest or start exploring the area around the hotel and take a walk around the famous Hoan Kiem Lake.

Overnight stay in Hanoi.

Day 2: Ha Noi City Tour – Sa pa (B/L)

08:00: Guide will meet you at your hotel & you will depart to visit:

Ho Chi Minh Complex: Completed in 1975 the complex contains Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum, his former stilt house residence, the Presidential Palace and the Ho Chi Minh museum.

Next stop is a visit to the Temple of Literature: Originally built as a temple to Confucius, this is the site of Vietnam’s first university dating back to 1070. Inside are the stone steles used for ceremonies and mounted on the backs of turtles and inscribed with the names of the university’s graduates. The complex is divided into five courtyards which originally would have been reserved for the Emperor and his mandarins. One of the courtyards contains the statue of Confucius guarded by two beautiful bronze storks standing on turtles. The temple highlights the importance Vietnamese society has placed on education.

12:00: A delicious set menu lunch will be provided for you in a local restaurant.

13:00: Your tour recommences with a visit to the Museum of Ethnology which is widely acknowledged as the best in Vietnam and has an extensive display dedicated to Vietnam’s 54 Ethnic minority peoples.

Then it is on to the Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake: The Ngoc Son temple is set on a tiny island on the Hoan Kiem Lake and was erected in 18th century. The temple is reached by crossing the Huc Bridge which literally means “Place Touched by Morning Sunbeams”. Hoan Kiem Lake is a focal point of the city and the source of many legends including the legend of the returned sword which dates back to the 15th century and refers to a magical sword used to free Vietnam from Chinese rule.

The Old Quarter, also known as the 36 streets, is a bustling area of narrow streets home to literally thousands of small businesses and street vendors, selling a wide variety of goods. Originally each of the 36 streets names’ were related to the products being sold there. Hence you can walk from Fish Street to Tin Street to Bamboo Street and you will enjoy exploring the area while riding in a traditional cyclo.

Dinner at a local restaurant.

20:00: your driver will pick you up from the hotel and transfer you to Hanoi railway station where you board an evening train to Lao Cai.

Overnight stay on train in soft sleeper cabin.

Day 3: Lao Chai – Sapa – Y Linh Ho – Ta Van (B/L/D)

06:00: Arrive at Lao Cai railway station where you will be met and transferred by shuttle bus to the township of Sapa which takes approx one hour.

08:00: After breakfast, a morning shower and leaving your main luggage at the hotel, we will walk from Sapa towards Muong Hoa valley. Here you will discover the wonderful scenery of the Hoang Lien mountain range and meet people of the Black H’mong tribes before Trekking through terraced rice paddies and minority villages along the Muong Hoa River.

We then cross the suspension bridge towards the Zay village, arriving at Ta Van, where we have dinner cooked on a wood fire and enjoy the hospitality of a local Zay family.

Overnight stay in Home stay accommodation.

Day 4: Ta Van Village – Lao Chai – Ha Noi (B/L/D)

Enjoy views of the magnificent landscape with your sunrise coffee and enjoy a delicious breakfast.

Once we have said our goodbyes, we will set off to trek through bamboo forests towards Giang Ta Chai waterfall, cross over a rattan suspension bridge and enter Giang Ta Chai village which is inhabited by the Red Zao minorities.

Here we will experience daily life before crossing over Muong Hoa River up walk up the mountain to visit Supan village, the home of the H’mong people. We then board the bus back to Sapa where you can take shower in the hotel and have dinner before transferring to Lao Cai train station for the night train back to Ha Noi.

21:15: Train departs. Overnight is in a soft sleeper cabin on board the train.

Day 5: Ha Noi – Ha Long Bay (B/L/D)

05:00: Arrive at Hanoi train station and transfer to the hotel where you can have a shower and enjoy breakfast.

07:45 – 08:30: Your transport will pick you up at your hotel and you will depart for |Ha Long Bay. You will stop for a short break at the Humanity center situated approximately half way on to the bay and enjoy local specialties.

12:00: Arrive in Ha Long Bay and transfer by tender to your luxury Junk where the captain will welcome you on board the boat.

A delicious lunch will be served for you as the boat passes through many of the thousands of islands and islets within Ha Long Bay.

15:30: You will have the opportunity to explore what is commonly thought to be the biggest and most amazing cave in Halong Bay, the Surprise Cave.

17:00: Kayaking for an hour around the fishing village and observe the daily life of the local community there. Then back to boat for Sunset Party.

19:30: Enjoy a dinner of local or western food and spend a romantic night on board the Junk.

Day 6: Ha Long Bay – Ha Noi – Hue (B/L)

Rising to the sound of lapping bay waters, we have time for an early morning dip followed by breakfast. Sitting on the upper deck, you can relax while taking in the breath-taking beauty of the rocky islands rising from the emerald water of the bay. After breakfast, explore Sung Sot cave, swim and relax. Cruises back to the jetty while brunch is served while you are cruising through the bay, along the way seeing more of the fascinating formations.

Cruise check-out and transfer to Hanoi

17:00: Arrive in Hanoi and transfer to Hanoi airport to board flight to Hue.

Arrive Hue and transfer to your hotel.

Day 7: Hue (B/L)

09:00: Your day of discovering the wonders of Hue will begin when your English speaking meets you at the Hotel.

As part of your Hue city tour you will visit the impressive complex of the Imperial Citadel. Built in the 19th Century and surrounded by high stone walls and moat, the Citadel was once the exclusive home of the Nguyen Imperial Family. It is similar to the famous Forbidden City in Beijing and is not to be missed.

12:00: A delicious set menu lunch will be served at a local restaurant and after lunch you will take a cruise on the famous Perfume River and visit Tu Duc and Bao Dai tombs.

Tu Duc Tomb is one of the most beautifully designed tombs of the Nguyen dynasty. Embedded in a lush pine forest, the tomb is the final resting place of Emperor Tu Duc (1848-83) who had the longest reign of all emperors of the Nguyen dynasty.

Bao-Dai, the last Vietnamese Emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty, was born at Hue in 1913. The Nguyen Dynasty, which ruled the Vietnamese people during the 19th and first half of the 20th century (1802-1945). On August 25 1945, Bao-Dai abdicated when the communist Viet-Minh seized power. He then lived in exile in Hong Kong until he returned as Chief of State, with the support of the French in 1949.

Return to your hotel at approximately 15:00.

Day 8: Hue – Hai Van Pass – Da Nang – Marble Mountains – Hoi An (B/L/D)

08:30: Your guide will meet you at the hotel and travel with you in an air conditioned private vehicle from Hue to Hoi An driving over Hai Van pass. The scenery from the top of Hai Van pass is spectacular and offers some great photo opportunities.

The pass, which once formed the boundary between the kingdoms of Dai Viet and Champa, also forms a boundary between the climates of northern and southern Vietnam, sheltering the city of Da Nang from the winds that blow in from the northwest.

You will arrive in Da Nang at approximately 1130h and after having lunch at a local restaurant you will visit the Cham Sculpture Museum. Next stop will be at the Marble Mountains and Non Nuoc village where you will ride the new twin glass elevators to the main area for a visit before continuing onto Hoi An.

16:00: After checking into your hotel and having a short rest, your guide will meet you and take you on a short introduction tour of some tailor and shoe shops in Hoi An.

18:30: Dinner will be provided for you at a restaurant in Hoi An before you return to your hotel.

Day 9: Hoi An Ancient Town – Spa Treatment (B)

09:00: Your guide will meet you at your hotel and take you on a two hour walking tour of Hoi An Old Town. Famous for it’s quant mixture of Chinese, Japanese and European architecture, the old town was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999. You will visit, the Japanese bridge built in the 16th century and famous for being the only covered bridge known to incorporate a Buddhist pagoda, the 200 year old Tan Ky house, museum of trade ceramics and several other historical sites.

You will then have free time to continue exploring the old town or continue shopping for those special items.

16:00: A taxi will come to pick you up at your hotel and take you to a nearby spa where you can select a 90min treatment from your package.

17:30: Taxi will take you back to your hotel where you can enjoy free time in the evening to relax or walk through old town at night.

Day 10: Hoi An Countryside – River Cruise – Free Day (B/L)

08:30: We will meet you at your hotel and depart on a Hoi An Backstreets & Village tour. The tour takes you by air conditioned vehicle down the quiet backstreets and through small villages where the locals live so you can see Vietnamese life up close.

Along the way we will take a break at a village café for a coffee, soft drink or a beer before getting on board a private boat at the nearby ferry terminal for a slow and enjoyable cruise on the Thu Bon River. At the end of the cruise you will arrive at a local restaurant on the banks of the river for a delicious set menu seafood lunch.

Arrive back to your hotel at 2 pm and enjoy free time for walking in town or shopping.

Day 11: Hoi An – Ho Chi Minh (B)

Free time for you to finish your shopping or try on the new clothes you have had made. After you have checked out of your hotel we will transport you to the airport flight to Ho Chi Minh.

Overnight stay in Ho Chi Min

Day 12: Cu Chi Tunnels – HCM City Tour (B/L)

08:00: Pick up at your hotel and depart for Cu Chi and the famous system of tunnels. Hidden deep underground, the 3 floors of tunnels is a intricate labyrinth of winding ways with a total length of approximately 250 kms.

On arrival you will watch a presentation video and get to see the tunnels. It is very interesting to discover how the tunnels were constructed and how the people survived.

For the adventurous, you can have the opportunity to try firing an AK-47 assault rifle which was the weapon of choice for the North Vietnamese Army during the American war. (fees not included)

On arriving back in HCMC, your city tour takes you to the major attraction sites including the Re-Unification Palace, Central Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the War Remnants Museum.

Day 13: Saigon – Vinh Long – Can Tho (B/L)

08:00: After breakfast you will meet transport at your hotel and transfer to Cai Be by road. Upon arrival in Cai Be, you will board the boat and journey along the river through the town’s floating market. You will experience how daily life on the river goes on and observe trading between merchant ships and local farmers. Then it is on to cruise through secluded canals and over the Mighty Mekong to a small island where there is a short stop to enjoy seasonal fruits before your boat takes you to Vinh Long. At Vinh Long, you board the bus and transfer to a hotel in Can Tho and overnight stay in can Tho.

Day 14: Can Tho – Chau Doc (B/L)

06:00: You will make an early start and enjoy a morning boat trip to Cai Rang floating markets which is one of the most lively and colorful markets in Southeast Asia. After experiencing the wonderful sight and sounds of the market, you will cruise back to town and enjoy breakfast in the hotel before leaving to visit the central market in Can Tho.

Then take a ride around town in a form of transport unique to the local area called a Xe Loi (Semi Loy) which is colonial-era cab pulled by motorbike.

Lunch is provided in a clean local restaurant before you depart on your trip to Chau Doc. Overnight stay in Chau Doc.

Day 15: Chau Doc – Phnom Penh (B/L)

08:00: After enjoying breakfast in the hotel, it will be time to board a speed boat for your journey to Phnom Penh. On reaching the Vinh Xuong border gate, passengers will be required to complete entry procedures before Continuing onto Cambodia. After cruising on Tone Le Sap River, the boat will arrive in Phnom Penh International Port (Sisowath Street) at approximately 1230h.

The rest of the day is free time to enjoy exploring your new surroundings.

Overnight stay in the hotel.

Day 16: Day tour Phom Phenh (B/L)

Begin your tour of Cambodia’s charming capital with a visit to Wat Phnom which believed to have been built sometime between 1373 & 1422. The Pagoda was built to house 4 bronze statues of Buddha washed ashore by the river.

Next is a visit to the Royal Palace built in 1866 by King Norodom and take a stroll in its beautiful garden.

You will also visit: the Silver Pagoda so named because of its floor that is comprised of 5,000 silver tiles and houses a gold Buddha encrusted with 9,584 diamonds and a small 17th century emerald and baccarat crystal Buddha.

Continue to the National Museum, built in 1917, it is an exceptional example of traditional architecture and is exclusively devoted to preserving and displaying Khmer art and sculptures.

Next is a visit to the notorious Tuol Sleng Museum. In 1975 Tuol Svay Prey High School was taken over by Pol Pot’s security forces and turned into a prison known as Security Prison 21 (S-21). It soon became the largest such center of detention and torture in the country. More than 17.000 people held at S-21 were taken to the extermination camp at Choeung Ek to be executed. Visit the Russian Market (Psah Tuol Thom Pong), a lively outdoor market where you will find antiquities, silver and gold jewelry, gems, silk, kramas, stone and wood carvings, as well as T-Shirts, CDs and other souvenirs.

Then have lunch at the local restaurant.

Note: National Museum, Silver Pagoda and Royal Palace are open every day. However, the Silver Pagoda and the Royal Palace may be closed without prior notice while H.M. the King is in the residence.

Day 17: Phomphenh – Siem Reap (B)

After breakfast, transfer to the airport and board your flight to Siem Reap.

On arrival, you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel for check in.

Free time in Siem Reap.

Day 18: Full Day Tour Of Siemreap And Angkor Wat (B/L)

08:00: Depart your hotel for a visit the monuments of Roluos, which are among the earliest large, permanent temples built by the Khmer. Preah Ko, erected by Indavaraman 1st in the late 9th century and dedicated by the King to his ancestors in 880. Bakhong, the largest and the most interesting of the Roluos group of temples. Lolei, the four brick towers are replicas of the ones at Preah Kho, built on an islet in the center of large reservoir by Yasovarman 1st, the founder of the first city of Angkor.

Hvae lunch at local restaurant.

After lunch, you will visit Angkor Thom, Bayon, Phimeanakas temples and the Terraces of the Elephants and Leper King.

In the early evening enjoy a walk to the top of Phnom Bakheng to view the sunset over Angkor Wat.

In the evening enjoy dinner at local restaurant and some time to enjoy the nightlife of Siem Reap town.

Day 19: Departure (B)

Enjoy some relaxing time before you transfer to the airport to board your flight.