The Best of Vietnam & Campodia with 2 Weeks

DAY 1: Arrival in Hanoi.
Pick you up at the airport then transfer to hotel in Old Quarter of Hanoi for your accommodation. The rest of the day is free at leisure. Stay overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

DAY 2: Hanoi – City tour (B,L)
We begin Hanoi city tour by visiting the Ho Chi Minh complex, including the One Pillar Pagoda, the former leader’s house on stilts and his Mausoleum. Keep forward to the peaceful Temple of Literature - the first university of Vietnam. Lunch will be served at a local Vietnamese restaurant.
In the afternoon, proceed to the Ethnologic museum to learn about 54 officially recognized ethnic groups in Vietnam. Next, we will explore Hanoi by traveling through the Old Quarter with 36 ancient streets in a traditional cyclo.  This slow - speed tour will give your great chance to fully enjoy the daily life of the capital. It’s your free time now to have dinner and a short while to explore the streets of Hanoi.
Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

DAY 3: Hanoi – Halong bay (B,L,D)
08h00 – 08h30: Pick-up at hotel and start the scenic, 3.5 hour drive to Halong Bay. Enjoy the landscape of the Red River Delta country side and have a short break on the way.
12h00 – 12h30: Embark on Cruise followed by a short cruise briefing
13h00 – 15h30: Savor a delectable lunch as  Cruises among the limestone islands…
15h30 – 16h30: Kayak among the hidden areas of the bay, around the Luon Cave area.
16h30: Back to the  Cruise
16h30 – 17h30: Cruise to Soi Sim island. Go swimming and relaxing at the beach of Soi Sim or climp up to the top of the island for a panorama view of Halong Bay
17h30: Return to the main boat for a shower. Relax or snap photos as the sun starts to set
19h00: Dinner is served. Socialize with other guests, fish for squid, or just laze around
Overnight on board.

DAY 4: Halong bay – Hanoi (B,L)
06h30 – 07h30  Start your day with Tai Chi exercises or a photo hunt.
07h30 – 08h30  Have breakfast on board and enjoy the peaceful morning of Halong Bay.
08h30 – 09h30 Cruising to Titov island. Go swimming and relaxing at the beach of Titov or climb up to the top of the island for a panorama view of Halong Bay.
09h30    Return to the boat. Freshen up and check out of your cabin.
09h30 – 10h30 Continue your cruise exploring the Bay, passing Ba Hang fishing village, Dog Islet, and more.
10h30 – 11h30 While heading back to the harbor, watch the fruit carving demonstration and participate in the Cooking Class before enjoying a traditional Vietnamese lunch.
10h30 – 11h30 Disembark V’Spirit Classic.
12h30 – 13h00 Transfer back to Hanoi. Then transfer to airport for flight to Hue.
Stay overnight at hotel in Hue.

DAY 5: Hue – City tour (B,L)
At 08.00, Our guide and driver pick you up at your hotel to discover Hue. We visit is Emperor Minh Mang’s Mausoleum, Emperor Khai Dinh’s Mausoleum. Enjoy a Performance of Vo Kinh Van An – a Vietnam Traditional Kungfu. Continue our visit to Emperor Tu Duc’s Mausoleum. Stop on the way to see how conical hats and incense sticks are made. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.
Afternoon, visit Imperial capital during Nguyen Dynasty and the seven – storey Thien Mu Pagoda on the riverbank. Return by boat on the gentle Perfume River and do not miss the sunset on the river. You will come back your hotel at 17.30pm to pick up your luguage. Transfer to Hoi An.
Stay overnight at hotel in Hoi An.

DAY 6: Hoi An – Visit My Son Sanctuary and city tour (B,L)
Enjoy your breakfast at your hotel.
This morning, we will drive to visit My Son where was an imperial city during the Cham dynasty. My Son Sanctuary is a large complex of religious relics that comprises more than 70 architectural works. You can admire ancient architecture of temples and towers connected to each other with complicated red brick.
Afternoon, we will start walking tour around the ancient town to visit Japanese Covered Bridge, Pottery Museum, Tan Ky old house, Cantonese congregation, silk street of Hoi An, temples and pagodas of Chinese appearance. Overnight in Hoi An.

DAY 7:  Hoi An – Ho Chi Minh (B)
Morning, your leisure time to go around Hoi An for sight-seeing and shopping.
Afternoon, transfer to Danang Airport for the flight to Ho Chi Minh. Transfer to hotel. Checkin the room and take a rest before go out for street exploring and shopping in Ho Chi Minh. Stay overnight at hotel in Ho Chi Minh.

DAY 8: Ho Chi Minh City tour - Cu Chi Tunnel (B,L)
Enjoy your breakfast at your hotel.
AM: HCM City
We start the trip by visiting Notre Dame Cathedral, the historic Central Post Office, followed by exploring the Reunification Palace, and the remarkable site of the War Remnants Museum.
PM: Cu Chi Tunnels
Located 60km from HCMC, Cu Chi is now a popular spot for both Vietnamese & foreign tourists - the network of over 200km of tunnels became legendary when they played a vital role in the War. In their heyday, the tunnels were functioning underground cities including numerous trap doors, specially constructed living areas, storage facilities, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers & kitchens.
Start our tour, before entering the tunnels visitors can watch a short introductory video showing how the tunnels were constructed. You will spend the next hour exploring the tunnels. Afterwards, enjoy tea, cassava (guerrilla’s food during the war). Return to Sai Gon.
Stay overnight at hotel in Ho Chi Minh.

DAY 9: Ho Chi Minh – Mekong delta: Visit My Tho, Ben Tre (B,L)
Leave Ho Chi Minh city, enjoy the scenic journey along the way bordered by green rice fields. On arrival at My Tho, visit Vinh Trang pagoda, take a leisurely boat ride along the river, view stilt houses, fruit plantations and fishing villages along the river bank. Proceed to Tortoise islet, have lunch in the orchard garden. Then a boat ride to An Khanh – a less touristy attraction in Ben Tre, enjoy cruising on a hand-rowed sampan under the shade of water coconut trees along natural canals, then enjoy seasonal fruit & honey tea to the sound of "Southern Vietnamese folk music", performed by the locals. Visit a family business which epitomizes the idyllic rural lifestyle, taste delicious coconut candy & observe the pastoral life as you roam through the fruit plantations and villages. Proceed to Can Tho. Overnight in the hotel (family home-stay with dinner can be arranged on request). Free time to visit the bustling Can Tho market.
Stay overnight at hotel in Can Tho.

Day 10: Can Tho - Chau Doc - Tra Su Sanctuary (B)
Take a leisurely boat trip to explore the picturesque tributaries of the Lower Mekong river (Bassac River), then proceed to Cai Rang floating markets (& Phong Dien is optional), which are the liveliest in the whole religion.
Have you ever tasted Vietnamese vermicelli soup? Well, now go and see how it is made. Then wander around the village and meet the friendly local people and experience how to pass a "Monkey bridge" which is built by only one stem of bamboo. Visit the orchard garden. Stop for lunch. Proceed to Chau Doc, continue the tour to visit Tra Su, getting to the wild birds Sanctuary, cruising smoothly with small boats to discover the arrays of splendid canals deep into the forest, watching storks, cranes and other tropical birds. Back to the Town, hotel check in. Overnight in Chau Doc.

Day 11: Chau Doc - Phnom Penh (B)
After breakfast, take a rowing boat trip through the floating village and visit the fish farm to see how the Mekong Delta people raise fish from their floating houses. Visit the Cham minority in their traditional weaving village. Transfer to a speed boat for the final part of the journey to Phnom Penh. Arrive at Sisowath tourist dock in Phnom Penh around 02.00pm.
After your rest, visit to the Royal Palace, built by King Norodom in 1866 on the site of the old town. Visit 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.
Continue your visit at the National Museum. This is one of Phnom Penh’s true architectural gems. The Museum is instantly recognizable with its warm red terracotta and its gracefully cured roof topped by dozens of guardian nagas. It was designed in Khmer style in 1917 by famed French architect Georges Groslier & Ecole Des Arts Cambodgiens.
Overnight at hotel in Phnom Penh.

DAY 12: Phnom Penh – Siem Reap (B,L)
Breakfast at hotel. Today, you have full time to explore Siem Riep. We will visit Ta Prohm, one of the area’s most beautiful temples. Ta Prohm has been relatively untouched since it was discovered and retains much of its mystery. Neak Pean, a fountain built in the middle of a pool (representing the paradisiacal Himalayan mountain-lake), Ta Som, built in late 12th century C.E. the most distant temple on the grand circuit, small but classic. Preah Khan temple, built by the King Jayavarman VII. Preah Khan is, like Ta Prohm, a place of towered enclosures and shoulder hugging corridors. Unlike Ta Prohm, however, the temple of Preah Khan is in a reasonable state of preservation and ongoing restoration efforts should maintain and even improve this situation.
We then will have visits to the unique interior brick sculptures of Prasat Kravan, Srah Srang ("The Royal Baths" was once used for ritual bathing), Banteay Kdei (surrounded by 4 concentric walls), Ta Keo, constructed in late 10th early 11th century C.E, the first temple to be constructed wholly of sandstone.
Stay overnight at hotel in Siem Reap.

DAY 13:  Siem Reap – Explore Angkor Thom and Angkor Wat (B,L)
Breakfast at hotel. We will drive to visit 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.
In afternoon, it is time to 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. Enjoy wonderful sunset from the top of Phnom Bakheng Hills.
Overnight at hotel in Siem Reap.

DAY 14: Siem Reap – Boat trip on Tonle Sap Lake – Departure (B,L)
After breakfast at hotel, take a boat trip for sight-seeing on Tonle Sap Lake, the Great Lake of Cambodia. It is one of the largest lakes in Asia. Here, enjoy a brief cruise past floating villages complete with schools, restaurants, and hospitals.
Transfer to Siem Reap airport for your departure flight. Tour ends.

OUR PRICE INCLUDES:

• Domestic flights.
• Hotels and accommodations as per itinerary.
• Transfer and transport as per itinerary.
• Halong bay: Kayakking – safe, clean and nice.
• Halong bay: Room on boat with Air-conditioner.
• Meals mentioned (B,L,D = Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
• English speaking guide.
• Entrance and sightseeing fees.

EXCLUDES:

• Drinks.
• Tips
• Personal expenses.