Best Of Vietnam & Cambodia 7 Days

Our walking trip begins at Dong Xuan, the largest covered market in Hanoi. On the market's periphery, dozens of street vendors sell an astounding array of items, from live fish to exotic fruits and spices. Your professional English-speaking local guide will enlighten you on the complexities and traditions of Vietnamese cuisine, including information on the ingredients and historical contexts of popular northern dishes. Walking through the maze of frenetic alleyways that comprise the Old Quarter of Hanoi, we stop at a local café to sample the renowned Hanoi delicacy Banh Cuon. Observe in astonishment as the professional chefs demonstrate how to prepare this delicious dish on the street. Continuing into the Old Quarter, we go past street merchants and quiet residential streets where you can see local life that has changed little in the millennia since Hanoi was founded. The next destination is the Banh My 25 shop "French Baguette," a small food stall with a few characteristic tiny Vietnamese chairs on the sidewalk where we enjoy the fresh baguettes while studying the neighborhood. Continue to other food stalls on Ho Hoan Kiem Streets, where you can taste such as Egg coffee. Then, for dessert, we will venture down a small lane to partake in the local custom of feasting on fresh fruit served in a cup and covered with crushed ice — do not miss out on this delicacy!

Note: Your travel documents contain a Visa-on-Arrival letter (unless otherwise arranged). Please make sure to put this in your carry-on luggage. Customs needs to see your Visa-on-Arrival letter when you come into the country.

Overnight in Hanoi
Meals included:  Street foot

Morning

Enjoy your hotel's breakfast. The tour guide will pick you up at your hotel between 8:00 and 8.30 am to begin the Hanoi city tour. Visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Ho Chi Minh Museum. Examine the architectural and historical characteristics of the ultimate resting site of Uncle Ho. The One Pillar Pagoda, erected by King Ly Thai To in 1049 and situated one side of the Mausoleum, has become an iconic emblem for the people of Hanoi.

Continue your journey to the Temple of Literature (Quoc Tu Giam) - the earliest university built in Vietnam in 1070. Its gardens and well-preserved structures provide a tranquil peek into the academic past of Vietnam. Have lunch at a local restaurant.

Afternoon

After lunch, proceed to the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, which preserves and displays the cultural artifacts of Vietnam's 54 ethnic groups. Then, we will take you by Hoan Kiem Lake to view the tranquil waters and the splendor of Ngoc Son temple. Enjoy an hour-long cyclo tour through Hanoi's bustling old quarter to gain insight into the daily lives of Vietnamese citizens. At 6:00 p.m., you will be dropped off at your hotel.

It is your leisure time to explore Hanoi at night.

Overnight in Hanoi
Meals included:  Street foot

Morning

After breakfast and hotel check-out, your guide will pick you up and drive you through the magnificent farmlands of the Red River Delta to Halong Bay, where you will spend the night aboard. The limestone karsts and tropical islets rising from the bay's green waters provide an ethereal backdrop for your leisurely voyage.

You will be greeted aboard your boat, each having its own path, to begin your trip through the bay's hundreds of limestone islets and caves upon arrival.

Afternoon

After enjoying a delicious lunch onboard, you will sunbathe on the sundeck and take in the tranquillity of the bay.

Later, you will visit Sung Sot Cave, also known as "Grotte des Surprises," a natural gem concealed from view. Float tranquility amid spectacular limestone formations including tens of thousands of stalactites and stalagmites.

Continue to cruise. As you traverse the islands, you will encounter hidden bays, white-sand beaches, and floating settlements.

There is ample free time to enjoy activities onboard and in the Bay's breathtaking surroundings. Pamper yourself at the spa or take a dip in the green waters.

In the evening, you will sail to the overnight mooring location. During this stunning "blue hour," Halong Bay unveils its genuine, majestic grandeur. You have the option of attending the chef's culinary demonstration or watching the mesmerizing sunset from the top deck prior to a delectable supper.

The remainder of the evening will be unscheduled. You can watch a movie or go squid fishing with the crew before retiring to your accommodation for a pleasant night's sleep.

If time permits, we strongly suggest an additional night on board, which offers you much more time to rest and take in the breathtaking scenery. You will be able to travel farther into the Bay, where the scenery is more picturesque and less crowded.

Overnight on the boat in Halong Bay

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Morning

Tai Chi is a good way to start the day, as is common in the area. Join a "Local Specialist" for a morning class on the Junk boat's deck in a beautiful natural setting. You'll have time to swim at one of Halong Bay's quiet beaches first thing in the morning, and if you're feeling up to it, you can hop on a kayak and paddle through the Dark and Bright Caves while looking at the sparkling stone walls.

Go back to the boat. After you check out of your room, you can enjoy a full brunch buffet while the ship sails back to port. Around noon, you'll get off the boat and drive back to Hanoi.

Afternoon

The bus will take you to Hanoi. We will arrive around 16:00. The driver will drop off at Thang Long Water Puppet Theater where get a traditional water puppet show. After the show and some local snacks, you'll make your way back to your Hanoi hotel, where you can spend the rest of the day at your own pace. You can walk around town again and go to the night market.

Overnight in Hanoi

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

You are free at your leisure in Hanoi. You can have a late breakfast and leave your hotel.

Your private driver will pick you up at your hotel and take you back to Hanoi Airport so you can catch a short flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia.

When you get to Siem Reap Airport, a new private guide and driver will be waiting for you with a sign with your name on it. They will then take you straight to your hotel so you can check-in.

Evening

Your guide and driver will take you to a local restaurant for a traditional Khmer dinner. After dinner, you will go to Phare, the Cambodian Circus, which is an amazing mix of traditional and modern theater, music, dance, acrobatics, juggling, and contortion that tells a story about Cambodian lives and society.

Note: To get into Cambodia, you need both a passport and a visa. Your passport must also be valid for at least six months after the date you enter Cambodia. You can get a visa on arrival in Cambodia. Make sure you have two photos that fit the size of a passport.

Overnight in Siem Reap

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

You will have a full day to look around Siem Reap today. You will feel like you've left the 20th century and gone back a thousand years to a time when life was simple and nature was amazing.

Morning

After an early breakfast, your private guide and driver will pick you up. Start your exploration of the temple of the legendary city of Ta Prohm Temple, which is best known for its huge vine roots that grow down the walls and have been doing so for a thousand years. This perfect building is hidden under a canopy and has been worn down by time, rain, and the jungle. It will make you feel like you've stepped into a movie set for a treasure hunt adventure. Your private tour guide will tell you stories and history that have been told orally for generations.

When you leave Ta Prohm, get on your bike and ride through the hidden rainforest trails. You'll get closer to the greenery and hear the sounds of nature as you make your way to the city of Angkor Thom through the grand South Gate. Here, you can see the last capital of the once-great Khmer Empire. The Bayon, with its 216 mysterious faces, is at the center of the city. Still, you'll be amazed by the view from the top of Baphuon, the huge temple mountain, which gives you a clear view of the ruins around you. You'll end the morning by looking at the intricate bas-reliefs on the Elephant Terrace and Terrace of the Leper King, and then you'll have lunch at the restaurant.

Afternoon

Get ready to see Angkor Wat, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. At this point, you've probably seen the towers above the treetops and the gates ahead of you. But now you'll finally be able to answer that question that's been on your mind for a few days.

You'll go into Angkor Wat with your guide and learn about its stories and amazing architecture, which have shocked archeologists and left them with more questions than answers. Some of the most detailed and longest stone carvings in the world are at Angkor Wat. This complex is four times the size of the Vatican City, making it the biggest religious site in the world. Spend the afternoon going on adventures through the many passages, levels, and rooms that used to hold one of the many ancient world treasures. It will be something you'll think about for a long time.

When the tour is over, you'll be taken back to your hotel and have the rest of the day to yourself. Chill out!

Overnight in Siem Reap

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch

Today, you'll get to know the unique communities and traditional villages that dot the countryside near Siem Reap and give you a chance to feel like you're in a different world.

Morning

After breakfast, your private guide and driver will pick you up and take you about 55 km southeast of Siem Reap to Kompong Khleang, one of the largest and least-visited villages on the Tonle Sap Lake. On the way, you will stop for hot sticky rice and then go off the main highway and into the countryside. You will wind through dirt roads and see people working their rice paddies.

The next stop is the Floating Village of Kompong Khleang, which is home to about 10,000 people who all make a living from fishing. When you get there, get on a private motorized boat to see Kompong Khleang, the other two floating villages, and the Great