Essence of Vietnam Laos and Cambodia 21 days

Xin Chao! Welcome to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.

Your private guide and driver will be waiting for you and your family at HCM City’s Tan Son Nhat airport with a sign bearing your name and will transport you directly to your hotel.

You will have time to unwind and acclimate to the speed of Ho Chi Minh City following check-in.

Please note: Your travel documents contain a Visa-on-Arrival letter (unless otherwise arranged). Please bring this item in your carry-on baggage. You must produce your Visa-on-Arrival letter to Customs when entering the country.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh city

Morning

After breakfast, you will be greeted by your guide and driven to Cu Chi, a small village located northwest of Ho Chi Minh City known for its network of subterranean tunnels that served as a safe haven and successful infiltration route for the Viet Cong during the closing stages of the Vietnam War.

Upon arrival, you will view a brief instructional movie before visiting the tunnels, the most renowned battlegrounds of the period. It is thought that the concealed network of Viet Cong tunnels spanned "hundreds of miles" in total length and contained living quarters, storage areas, temporary hospitals, kitchens, etc. Although the system was initially somewhat narrow, some sections have been enlarged for tourists, and you have the option to explore them.

Please note that these tunnels will be hot and claustrophobic, so if you want to watch from above ground, that is an option.

Cassava, the staple diet of the Viet Cong soldiers, is served alongside a tart tea. After exploring the Cu Chi Tunnels, return to the city with lunch at the local restaurant on way.

Afternoon

Spend the remainder of the day touring Ho Chi Minh City's major attractions. The Notre Dame Cathedral, the ornate City Hall (Hotel De Ville), the old Opera House, the historic Rex Hotel, the Central Post Office, renowned for its architecture, and Ben Thanh Market, where vendors display a vast array of goods and handicrafts, appealing to every taste, are particularly recommended.

Later, visit the Reunification Palace and the War Remnants Museum for a somber and enlightening look at Vietnam's military history and violent past.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

Morning

After breakfast, your guide and driver will transport you to Ben Tre Town in the Mekong Delta, which is renowned for its large rice fields, numerous canals, and magnificent sceneries, along picturesque rural roads. This region, known as the "rice bowl" of Vietnam, provides the majority of the country's fruit, rice, sugar cane, and coconuts.

After a two-hour journey through verdant farmland, you will arrive in Ben Tre, where you will go on a motorized boat tour through the coconut forest's small channels. During the boat voyage, you will stop at local cottage enterprises to observe how bricks and sleeping mats are woven by hand. Discover the craft that has been passed down through the centuries.

Take a stroll through the village lanes, stopping at local homes to sample fresh fruits and honey tea while hearing a Tai Tu music performance. Continue to another workshop where coconut candies and a variety of coconut husk and fiber products are manufactured by hand.

Take a small sampan through palm-fringed back canals, sailing calmly over secluded rivers surrounded by a vast array of tropical vegetation. The tranquil, rural location is a refreshing and therapeutic escape from the frantic bustle of HCM City, which appears to be in the distance.

Afternoon

After completing the sightseeing trip, your guide will take you to a riverbank restaurant for lunch featuring regional specialties, before returning you to the pier and transporting you back to Ho Chi Minh City.

This evening, you are free to visit the night market to sample authentic local cuisine or simply relax at the hotel.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh

Meals: Breakfast, lunch

Enjoy your breakfast. After check-out, transfer to Ho Chi Minh for the flight to Da Nang airport. The driver will pick you up at the airport and transfer you to the hotel in Hoi An Ancient Town.

Afternoon

Tour highlights include the Chua Ong Pagoda, Tan Ky Ancient House, Fujian Assembly Hall, and the Japanese Covered Bridge, all of which may be seen in the Ancient Quarter of Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Visit the Precious Heritage Museum, which houses Réhahn's Precious Heritage Collection, for more of its permanent display. The collection will take you to the most remote regions of Vietnam and reveal the intricate cultural fabric of the country's ethnic minorities.

Visiting the Reaching Out Tea House, owned and maintained by mute and deaf people, is the highlight of the day. The tea house is a peaceful haven in the heart of the Old District, otherwise full of noise and activity. In this establishment, you can expect to be served wonderful Eastern-style tea and tasty sweets.

It's time to start exploring Hoi An's delicious street food. You'll get to eat at stalls frequented by locals and savor the region's cuisine alongside them as your guide leads you through the maze of narrow streets. At 4 o'clock every day, the streets of Hoi An are flooded with dozens of merchants hawking anything from fresh fruit to grilled pork. The street food tour is a fantastic way to get a taste of some of the local specialties like Banh Mi, meet the people who prepare them, and see how the natives of Hoi An organize their condiment trays.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh

Meals: Breakfast, street food tour

Morning

You'll be driven to the Hoi An Market, which takes about half an hour. There, you can feel the bustle of the morning market and talk directly to sellers. When you go shopping, you might also learn how to "barter." Our tour guides will tell you about the things you need to bring to cooking classes.

Then, you'll take a boat tour along the Thu Bon River and Cua Dai beach to look at the sights. On the river, you can think about the beauty of the Vietnamese countryside, the traditional way to catch fish, and the lives of the friendly fishermen who live here.

Next, you'll switch to a coracle and paddle through the Bay Mau nipa forest's canals. You will be surrounded by the nipa palm forest's natural beauty. Then you can try to catch mangrove purple crabs if you want.

After these eco-tours, you'll be welcomed into the restaurant, where our chefs will teach you how to cook. The cooking classes will last for 2 hours, and the chefs will teach you how to make Vietnamese food and give you other useful information about the culture's food. Then you can make your own Vietnamese food and eat it.

Afternoon

You have half day to look around Hoi An on your own. Enjoy your time in the hotel and buy a ticket "Hoian Memories" show, order your clothes tailored in 24 hours.

The Ancient Town is only 5 km from the beautiful beach of An Bang. You can ride your bike there to swim and take it easy.

Overnight in Hoi An

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

Morning

Enjoy your breakfast and morning time.

Afternoon

you'll leave Hoi An and be driven to Hue, which is about 120 km from Hoi An. The trip over Hai Van Pass will be one of the most beautiful ones today.

In Danang, there will be a stop at the Cham Museum, which has a collection of Cham sculptures that can be seen outside. Many of the carved sandstone pieces are amazing. Go to the Marble Mountain. You also stop at the famous My Khe Beach (Known as China Beach by American GIs) for some quick photos.

You will also stop at Lang Co beach, which is one of the most beautiful beaches in Vietnam, for a short coffee break.

When you get to Hue, go to your hotel and check-in.

Overnight in Hue

Meal: Breakfast

Morning

Enjoy your breakfast and check out your hotel.

The guide will come to your hotel to pick you up. You will go on a one-day tour of Hue to learn more about this beautiful city. Take a dragon boat to the first place, Thien Mu pagoda (Heaven Fairy Lady Pagoda), which is the oldest pagoda in Hue city. The morning boat ride to the pagoda will be a great way to start the trip. The Perfume River's fresh air will make you feel very good. Visit The Citadel. The Nguyen Dynasty, Vietnam's last royal family, lived in Imperial City. After the Citadel, our car will take you to the Dong Ba market, which is Hue's busiest and has a lot of different foods and goods. You can see how people in the area buy and sell things here. This is also a chance to buy gifts for your family and friends. We ate lunch at a nearby restaurant that served food from Asia and Vietnam.

Afternoon

Visit Khai Dinh Tomb, which is a mix of Western and Eastern architecture. A quick trip to the Minh Mang Tomb, which is thought to be the most beautiful of all the Royal Tombs. It is known for its architecture, which fits in well with the natural environment.

After a great day, you will be transferred to Hue airport for a short flight to Hanoi. You will be met on arrival by your drive to your hotel in the center.

Overnight in Hue

Meal: Breakfast, lunch

Morning

After your breakfast at the hotel. You will be greeted by our guide and driver in the lobby of your hotel and talk about a safety briefing before we embark on our journey!

The first half of our Hanoi Vespa Tour exposes you to the REAL HANOI during a day in the life of a local, taking you through the maze of backstreets, tiny alleys, local homes, schools, odd markets, and the black market, where you will see how the locals live, work, and play. Other travel agencies only show you the good and encourage you to avoid the bad and strange aspects of your destinations. On Hanoi trip excursions, not only do we reveal the positive aspects of your places, but we also expose the negative and bizarre aspects. For us, common tourist spots are merely the tip of the iceberg; the vast majority of your destinations remain undiscovered.

In the second part of our Hanoi Vespa Tour, we pass by and stop at the MUST-SEE places of our beautiful city, such as Ho Chi Minh mausoleum-the Mecca of Vietnamese, The thousand-year-old Buddhist and Taoist temples of Tran Quoc, the Temple of Literature, the historical training track, the enchanting French Quarter, The hustling and bustling Old Quarter, the romantic lakes of Hoan Kiem, West lake, Hanoi Opera House; famous Long Bien Bridge.

On the final leg of our Hanoi Vespa Tour, you will stop at various ORIGINAL restaurants, cafes, and food stalls. So that you can enjoy the most delectable of Hanoi's delicious cuisine, including family heirlooms and secret recipe dishes, local delicacies, and specialties.

Afternoon

You have the rest of the day at your leisure. Relax and enjoy the hotel's amenities, or take another stroll around the Old Quarter's hidden alleys.

Overnight in Hanoi

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Morning

After collection from the Hanoi hotel, enjoy a scenic drive to an area of natural beauty, often referred to as ‘Ha Long Bay on land’. First stop at Hoa Lu, you will have a quick visit to two temples built in honor of the emperors Dinh and Le. Having been eroded over the millennia, the dilapidated ruins have nearly been absorbed by the spectacular scenery creating a mystical atmosphere that will be sure to titillate your imagination. Keep going to the Mua cave. The place attracts visitors with its many interesting stories. Climb 500 stone steps staircase leading up the peak. From the top, you can see all the way to Tam Coc, and enjoy a stunning panoramic view of the countryside and the Ngo Dong river. Lunch will be served at the local restaurant.

Afternoon

You get a small boat. The ferryman will take you to visit the scenic landscape of the majestic mountains, and the fields in the triangle cups when the sampan goes along the Ngo Dong river. It is an outstanding natural beauty and the scenic karst formations which contribute to its reputation as being the “Halong Bay on land”. The last activity is cycling. Cycle for half an hour on quiet roads through villages, rice fields, rivers, and rocky outcrops inside the village. The most common friends you’ll be making are the friendly cows and water buffalo on the roadside or you may have to stop as a family of ducks cross ahead of you. Finally, return to the bus, where your vehicle will be waiting for you, and arrive back in Hanoi in the late afternoon.

Overnight in Hanoi

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Breakfast is the best way to start the day, so make it enjoyable and nutritious. Your tour guide will then pick you up from your accommodation in the Hanoi Old Quarter at 8:00 am to take you to Quang Ninh province and Halong Bay. Take 15 to 20 minutes to relax before getting ready for one of your life's greatest adventures.

At 12:30, we will arrive at the harbor, where you can board the boat and begin your voyage with our amiable, knowledgeable, and skilled crew.

The lunch will be served to you as the boat travels on to our destination, passing by an almost unlimited number of islands and islets. Unquestionably a genuinely wonderful encounter.

You can head to the upper deck after your excellent meal to take in Halong Bay's grandeur in all of its natural, pure, magical, and beautiful manifestations.

Are you all set to join the activity? Let's kayak for an hour around the region of the floating community. If you don't like kayaking, don't worry, you can also swim.

When the time is up, you'll head back to the boat for a fun sundown party on the sundeck. Here, you may mingle with other tourists while listening to relaxing music and taking in the breathtaking splendor of Halong Bay.

Yes, this day has been great. There is no better way to cap it off than by indulging in a sumptuous dinner prepared by our chef. After that, you are free to do whatever you wish with your time, such as sing or just unwind.

Overnight on Halong Bay

Meal: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

With a light breakfast of crisp toast, flavorful eggs, and a cup of enticing coffee or tea, you can start your day off right. When you're finished, you'll be prepared to embark on the day's main adventure: exploring the Cave.

Because it is the most stunning and alluring cave in Halong Bay, it is a remarkable destination. Your knowledgeable tour guide will talk you everything there is to know about it.

After then, the boat will continue crashing into numerous islands and islets, giving you a good perspective of Halong Bay's breathtaking splendor. Vietnam is the only country in the world where such a site exists!

Do you want to attend a cooking class? One of the regional specialties, delectable deep-fried spring rolls, will be one of the recipes you learn to make from our chef. You must do it to really appreciate it!

Later, as you have a delicious lunch, we'll cruise back to the pier. After that, it will be time to disembark and bid the boat crew farewell. Where your vehicle will be waiting for you, and arrive back in Hanoi and get a short transfer to Noi Bai airport to get the flight to Luang Prabang.

On arrival in Luang Prabang, your driver will meet you at the airport and transport you to your hotel. The remainder of the day is at your leisure to explore.

Overnight in Luang Prabang

Meal: Breakfast, lunch

Morning

You can get up early if want to see the saffron-clad monks as they go through the streets as part of their daily morning rituals.

And then it was time to head back to the hotel for breakfast. Your tour of Luang Prabang's ancient town begins with a stop at the Royal Palace Museum, which houses a wide variety of fascinating items. The next stop is the beautiful Wat Xiengthong, a temple that exemplifies classical Laos architecture with its low-sloping roofs. In addition to the temples of Wat Aham and Wat Mai, you may also see the magnificent stupa of Wat Visoun.

Afternoon

Ban Ouay, a Hmong village, Ban Ou, a Laoloum village, and Ban Thapene, a Khmu village, are just a few more of the local villages of Lao ethnic minority groups that you should see. The next stop is the stunning Khuang Si Waterfall, where you may swim in the pools or hike through the surrounding forests. In the late afternoon, let's head back to Luang Prabang.

Overnight in Luang Prabang

Meal: Breakfast, lunch

Morning

After breakfast, you'll take a short drive to Ban Xieng Long, where you can see the protected elephants at the "Elephant Park Project" along the Nam Khan riverbanks. During our visit to the Elephant Park Project, we learn about an intriguing period of history. Laos, once known as the "land of a million elephants," is slowly losing its largest animal, the elephant. The Project protects and incorporates these animals into tourism activities. Elephants found a new home here in Laos.

The highlight is an elephant ride through a beautiful landscape with jungle-covered mountains in the background.

Afternoon

After lunch, take a boat ride to visit the Tad Sae Waterfall for a refreshing swim (August through January) or to a short jungle walk with a visit to a baby elephant in the jungle (February through July). After a really wonderful day, you come back to the hotel.

Overnight in Luang Prabang

Meal: Breakfast, lunch

Morning

The day will begin with a trip to the Central Market and the National Museum (which is closed on Tuesdays). After that, you take routes up to Vang Vieng, a town in the mountains. Today, your journey will be hard because you will be driving along one of Asia's most beautiful but also roughest roads.

Afternoon

Arrive in Vang Vieng, which is a small, quiet town on a bend in the Nam Song River. Even though tourism has grown in recent years, the beautiful scenery of calm water and rocky limestone outcrops has not changed. After you check into your hotel room, you'll get on a boat and take a leisurely ride along the Nam Song River to see the beautiful mountain scenery.

Overnight in Luang Prabang

Meal: Breakfast, lunch

Morning

Following breakfast, you'll board a local tractor and travel through the rice fields on your way to the Tham Phoukham caves, where you'll be awestruck by the world's most stunning limestone cavern, encircled by lush, verdant forests. You can get a feel for the area's culture and customs by visiting small towns and talking to the locals. We can cool down from the heat by swimming in the little natural pool that sits in front of the caverns, or we can use it as a launching point for a tour of the area.

Then, you'll make your way back to Vang Vieng town using a local bus or tractor. Along the way, you'll stop at the Hmong, Souay, and Taidam villages, where you'll meet warm and friendly hill tribe people and see their traditional clothing.

Afternoon

You will have fun paddling a kayak for 3 hours down the Song River to see temples and caves. After a fun day, go back to your hotel.

Overnight in Vang Vieng

Meal: Breakfast, lunch

Morning

From Vang Vieng, you'll head to Vientiane via car first thing in the morning. You stop by the well-known archaeological site of Vang Xang, which dates back to the 11th century, on your route there. Vientiane, the attractive and fascinating capital of Laos, is about two hours drive from Luang Prabang. With its unusual blend of Lao, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, and French influences, this small town evokes fascinating visions.

Afternoon

You will go sightseeing in Vientiane, visiting such landmarks as the city's oldest temple, Wat Sisaket. The frescoes and Buddha statues in this building are quite spectacular. Keep on touring Haw Prakeo, the Laotian royal temple where the Emerald Buddha Statue was once kept. The next stop should be the famed That Luang Stupa, but before you do, you should check out the massive Patuxay Monument, Vientiane's very own Arc de Triumph. Later in the day, head back to the hotel. You are free to do whatever you like for the remainder of the day.

Overnight in Vientiane

Meal: Breakfast

Morning

You can do what you want in the morning. The hotel room must be vacated by noon.

Afternoon

 you will be taken to the airport in Vientiane for a short flight to Siem Reap. When you get there, our local guide will meet you and give you a warm welcome. Then we'll go to the hotel and check-in.

Enjoy walking down a busy pub street with many bars for a cool drink or shopping at the Angkor Night Market.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Meal: Breakfast.

Today, with the assistance of your guide and driver, you will spend an entire day touring the 400-square-kilometer Angkor Archaeological Park, which includes forested areas. The park features the beautiful ruins of five Khmer capitals from the ninth to the fifteenth century.

Morning

Avoid the crowds by beginning your day with a visit to the 13th-century Ta Prohm, a hauntingly beautiful temple where the roots of giant banyans and strangler figs entwine much of the stonework, creating scenes that have changed little since the French explorer Henri Mouhot rediscovered Angkor in 1863. This temple makes the 'Tomb Raider Temple' one of the most memorable and magnificent Angkor monuments.

Continue your explorations by visiting Angkor Thom, the ancient capital of the Great Khmer Empire, which once dominated a large portion of Southeast Asia. This city is enclosed by an 8-meter-tall wall that forms a perfect square. You will enter the city through the old South Gate, a colossal stone gate engraved with four enormous faces and elephants. A row of 54 gods or demons holds the sacred Naga serpent on each side of the entranceway.

Return to the hotel for a break from the midday heat at the hotel.

Afternoon

Your adventures will continue when you visit the late 12th-century Buddhist monastery Banteay Kdei ("Citadel of Chambers") and Sra Srang, also known as the "pool of ablutions." The Bayon Temple is located in the precise center of the historic city. This majestic masterpiece from the 12th century is famous for its 54 towers with mysterious faces representing the 54 provinces of the Great Khmer Empire.

Both the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King are noted for their exquisite bas-reliefs, therefore you will also see them. On your stroll through the grounds of the ancient Royal Palace, you will see a number of little-visited, secret temples.

Take a leisurely gondola boat ride across the moats of Angkor Thom to end your day of touring. Imagine the royal metropolis when it controlled over two million people nearly 800 years ago in peaceful isolation. As the sun approaches the horizon, make your way to Prasat Chrung, a modest temple built in the manner of Bayon, and ascend an iron staircase to a secluded spot for spectacular views of the ruins at sunset.

Evening

Let's enjoy your free time.

Overnight in Siem Reap

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch

Morning

After breakfast and check out. You will be picked up by your guide and driver and transported to one of the largest and least-visited fishing towns on the Tonle Sap Lake, Kompong Khleang, some 55km southeast of Siem Reap. On the way, you'll stop for sticky rice and then take a diversion into the countryside. During the wet season, you will see families cultivating rice paddies as you travel along dirt roads.

Board a private motorized boat upon arrival to tour Kompong Khleang, the other two floating towns, and the Great Lake. Explore the city's canals (during the wet season) or streets (during the dry season). During the rainy season, the houses appear to be floating, as water laps at the verandas; but, during the dry season, the buildings' towering stilts are visible, making them like wooden skyscrapers.

During the boat journey, you will stop to see where the Bridge of Life is located, as well as to visit a Cambodian pagoda and a village home built on stilts to learn more about village life. Explore the lake's open water to witness a small floating community and learn more about this magnificent natural flood barrier.

Your tour will conclude with a boat journey back to the harbor, where your driver will be ready to transport you to Siem Reap airport for a short flight to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia.

Afternoon

A new driver will meet you at the Phnom Penh airport and transport you to your hotel in the city center upon your arrival.

After settling into your hotel room and taking a little break. Take a guided tour to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S21), a former school that served as a Khmer Rouge torture facility. It is estimated that around 20,000 individuals were detained and tortured here. You will also visit the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, where a stupa composed of 8,000 human skulls marks the execution site of Tuol Sleng's torture victims. Afterward, you may choose to visit the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda to learn about a brighter moment in Cambodian history. Myth-shrouded Wat Phnom is as worthy of a visit as the National Museum's outstanding Khmer collection. The Central Market, US Embassy, Wat Phnom, Mekong river front, Independence Monument, and Royal Palace are typically included in city tours by bicycle, which is an excellent alternative to walking.

Overnight in Phnom Penh

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Morning

After breakfast, your tour guide will take you on a tour of the National Museum, Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, Independence Monument, Russian Market, and Wat Phnom. Then we ate lunch at a Cambodian restaurant in the area.

Afternoon

You can learn more about these terrible years by going to the famous Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocidal Crimes and Cheung Ek, also called the "Killing Fields." It is a very sad thing to do, but you will be glad you went to these two places. When you go to Cambodia, you won't meet many people who didn't lose a family member during these years, but everyone is willing to talk openly with you about it. So that it doesn't happen again, they want you to know about it and see the places where it happened.

Overnight in Phnom Penh

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Start your day with a tasty breakfast at your hotel.

Free time to do some shopping and explore around before departing to the airport.

And this is how the tour ends!

The tour may be over, but the memories you have collected during these last 21 days will stay in your mind for the rest of your life. This is what we want to offer you: a tour that brings you memories that last a lifetime and make you smile each time you think of them!