Essential Vietnam & Cambodia

Upon arrival in Hanoi we transfer to our hotel. Early check in has been arranged (if applicable), so our rooms will be ready on arrival. This afternoon we have a fascinating start to our Vietnam tours, we visit the National Museum of Fine Art, which displays a vast collection of ancient stone carvings and Buddhist statues. We’ll also visit the lakeside Ngoc Son Temple and take a walking tour of Hanoi’s Old Quarter, a bustling area of narrow streets, traditional shop-houses, temples and countless cafés and bars.

We continue our exploration of Hanoi this morning, passing the monumental Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the wooden stilt house where Ho Chi Minh lived in his later years. Nearby we’ll see the One Pillar Pagoda, the 11th-century Temple of Literature and West Lake. Here we’ll visit Tran Quoc Pagoda and the Taoist Quan Thanh temple. The rest of the day is at leisure, while this evening you might like to attend an optional water puppet show, a traditional art form unique to northern Vietnam.

We head towards Halong, travelling through the rich farmlands of the Red River Delta. We’ll board our private junk for a cruise on the emerald green waters of beautiful Halong Bay, dotted with more than 2,000 towering karst islands topped with dense jungle foliage. We enjoy lunch on board before we return to Halong.

We fly to Danang today, travelling on from there to nearby Hoi An. Later this afternoon we take a walking tour of Hoi An, with an exceptionally well-preserved old town that has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are more than a thousand preserved buildings including temples, merchants’ houses, warehouses and workshops here.

This morning we have an excursion to the peaceful village of Triem Tay, located close to town on Cam Kim Island, in the Thu Bon River. Accompanied by our guide, we’ll visit some of the traditional houses, meet the locals and learn about their culture and traditions.

We fly south to Ho Chi Minh City. This evening we’ll enjoy a special dinner at a local restaurant.

Today we head out to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels, the remarkable underground tunnel network where Vietcong guerrillas hid during the Vietnam War. You’ll see secret trapdoors, underground kitchens, living areas and meeting rooms. We return to the city for a tour, visiting landmarks such as Reunification Palace, Reunification Hall, the elegant 19th-century Central Post Office, and the opera house.

This morning we embark on an excursion to the Mekong Delta region, often referred to as ‘the rice bowl of Vietnam’. In Tien Giang, we will board our boat for a scenic river cruise, stopping to visit a small handicraft factory on Turtle Island. Later we’ll take a tuk tuk ride along country roads, enjoy locally produced honey, and explore the Xep Canal by boat. We’ll also pay a visit to the Vinh Trang Pagoda in My Tho.

We head to Ho Chi Minh City Airport for our flight to Siem Reap and on arrival transfer to our hotel.

Angkor Wat is the largest religious complex in the world and Cambodia’s most cherished symbol. We begin our visit at the ancient city of Angkor Thom. At the centre of the city stands the impressive Bayon Temple, adorned with enigmatic carvings. After lunch we continue to the Ta Prohm temple, whose ruins are wrapped in the sinuous, snake-like roots of strangler figs and silk cotton trees. We then see Angkor Wat itself, a remarkable site famous worldwide for its exquisite bas reliefs, including over 3,000 images of apsaras - celestial nymphs or muses - as well as dynamic battle scenes, and depictions of Hindu myths. We’ll visit Pre Rup Temple before viewing sunset from either Sros Srong or Bakheng Mountain.

This morning, we’ll enjoy a boat trip on Tonlé Sap Lake, stopping to visit a floating village. On our way back we’ll call in at SATCHA Cambodian handicraft centre, where local artisans' are empowered to develop through knowledge of traditional and contemporary skills. Later this afternoon, we head to the Royal Garden, home to the King’s Palace in Siem Reap.

This is our final day of our holiday to Vietnam and Cambodia. This morning is free before we transfer to the airport for your overnight return flight to the UK.

Upon arrival, your vehicle will be waiting for the journey home.