Classic Vietnam & Cambodia Tour in 16 Days

Welcome to Hanoi! Upon arriving in Vietnam's bustling, historic capital, your guide and driver will greet you just outside the Noi Bai Airport baggage claim to escort you to your downtown hotel. After settling in, head out for an afternoon orientation walk to discover the city's iconic landmarks, including the elegant Opera House, the atmospheric Old Quarter, scenic Hoan Kiem Lake, and the historic Ngoc Son Temple. Wrap up your first day in Vietnam with a delightful welcome dinner at one of Hanoiu2019s premier restaurants.

Today you have a full day to explore Vietnam's charming capital. With its wide tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture, peaceful lakes and ancient oriental pagodas, Hanoi is an eclectic mix that offers something for everyone.

Your city tour will take you to Hanoi's key sites:

• the Ho Chi Minh Complex (Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and stilt house);
• the Presidential Palace;
• the nearby One Pillar Pagoda;
• the Temple of Literature;
• West Lake;
• the sedate Tran Quoc Pagoda & Quan Thanh Temple;
• and one of the city's museums (a choice between the History Museum and the Ethnology Museum).

In the late afternoon enjoy a traditional Water Puppet Performance a unique Vietnamese art form hailing from Southeast Asia's wet-rice culture.

After breakfast, meet your guide and driver in the hotel lobby for a scenic six-hour drive to Sapa via Vietnam's longest and most modern highway. Upon arrival and hotel check-in, you will head up to Tram Ton Pass (Heavenu's Gate), the highest mountain road in the country at over 2,000 meters. Here, you can soak in the breathtaking panoramic views and catch a glimpse of the majestic Fansipan summit the rooftop of Indochina if the weather permits. Next, visit the spectacular Silver Waterfall to admire the stunning natural landscape, followed by a stop at O Quy Ho village, renowned for its diverse cultivation of local vegetables, flowers, fruit orchards, and medicinal plants. Conclude your day with a relaxing afternoon exploring the charming town of Sapa or unwinding at your leisure.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, before setting out on a full day's trek to explore Sapa's cultural diversity and haunting natural beauty. Take a guided hike through yawning valleys decorated with terraced rice fields and pass through remote hill tribe villages. You have three trekking options to choose from: Soft trek (~ 3 km), medium trek (~ 6km) and long trek (~12km). Trekking is an excellent way to explore the daily life and familiarize yourself with the cultures of the H'mong, Dzao and Dzay people who populate the region. Drive back to Sapa in the late afternoon.

Early morning your driver and guide will take you to one of the local markets (Coc Ly on Tue/ Sin Cheng on Wed/ Can Cau on Sat and Bac Ha on Sun). Wander through the stalls packed with hand-crafted goods peddled by the various hill tribe peoples who come here to buy and sell their wares. The specific details will be proposed by your travel consultant based on the travel date. After lunch, farewell the Vietnam's Northwest area for a journey back to Hanoi.

Your guide and driver will meet you at lobby of your hotel, then set out on a 2.5 hour drive to the UNESCO World Heritage Site: Halong Bay.

• The following Halong Bay itinerary is a sample for our standard service on a 3 star junk/ cruise. Different programs are available through our luxury cruise itineraries on the Violet, Ginger, Indochine Cruise, or Paradise Elegance. Please contact us for more details.
• Spend nearly 24 hours on a traditional junk cruise in the amazing bay: a natural wonderland composed of jutting limestone islands and sparkling turquoise waters. Arrive at the dock around noon and board your junk. Savor a gourmet lunch of fresh seafood onboard as you sail out into the mystical bay.

In the afternoon, cruise around some of Halong's many islands, including Dinh Huong and Ga Choi. Along the way visit one of the bay's 3 largest caves (Thien Cung, Dau Go or Sung Sot). Stop at an island cove with a sheltered white-sand beach and take a dip in the warm waters of the Gulf of Tonkin (weather permits). Pass the night on your junk, lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking of calm waters.

Awake early and participate in Tai Chi on the top deck or simply relax and enjoy the sunrise over the bay's towering islands. Enjoy a morning cup of coffee or tea, before setting out to explore the nearby islands by rowboat. Return to the junk for brunch then take advantage of the sundeck and admire the amazing rock formations of the bay as you navigate back to Halong City, where the driver will meet you at the dock and take you to Noi Bai Airport to catch the short flight to Danang. Meet another tour guide on arrival and drive to your hotel in Hoian.

Enjoy time for relaxation as you immerse yourself in the tranquility and charm of this sleepy riverside town. From the 16th to 18th centuries Hoian was a thriving international port frequented by Chinese, Dutch, French, Japanese, Portuguese and Arab traders, who came to trade in the high quality silk still produced in the region. Today, Hoian is a relaxing resort popular with tourists for its eclectic architecture, skilled tailors and numerous cafes.

Take a half-day walking tour through the narrow winding streets of the ancient quarter, visiting Chua Ong Pagoda, the Chinese Assembly Hall, the 200-year-old Tan Ky ancestral house and the famous Japanese Bridge.

In the afternoon, enjoy free time to shop, exploring the town or relaxing on the beach.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel then check-out and drive northward to Hue over the 500m high Hai Van pass. Enjoy a stop at the scenic Lang Co Beach for a drink before continuing on to Hue - a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Spend the afternoon on a leisurely walking tour through Vietnamu2019s ancient capital city, visiting the Royal Citadel, Thien Mu Pagoda and the Mausoleum of King Tu Duc - a replica of the king's palace built for the next reincarnation of the king.

Have breakfast at the hotel then drive to the airport to catch your flight to Vietnam's modern metropolis: Saigon. Arrive in the late morning and enjoy an orientation tour through Ho Chi Minh City's bustling streets en route to the hotel. Have lunch at a downtown restaurant of your choosing then set out on a guided city tour. The rest of this afternoon you will visit such sites as the Reunification Palace, the War Remnants Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, the City Post Office and Ben Thanh Market.

Get an in-depth look at the Delta discovering local lifestyles, delving into Cham culture and admiring the region's colourful canvas... Today you leave Saigon and travel to the Mekong River Delta. Enjoy an early breakfast at the hotel before driving to the riverside town, Cai Be. Along the way, stop at a candy factory and orchard garden, where you have an opportunity to listen to traditional music.

Enjoy a relaxing lunch at a local restaurant, then cross the Mekong's calm waters on a rustic row boat to visit an island in the middle of the river delta. Spend time exploring the small islands and rural way of life. Your driver will be waiting for you on the other side of the river to take you to the largest city in the Mekong Delta: Can Tho. Rest of the day, you may like to walking along Ninh Kieu Park and on a pedestrian bridge of Can Tho City.

Wake early and leave the hotel to visit the famous Cai Rang floating market by motor boat. Experience the daily life of the Mekong River Delta as vendors from around the region gather to sell fresh fruits, local delicacies and handmade goods. Following the visit to Cai Rang and the city of Can Tho, depart for the approximate 3-hour drive to Chau Doc.

En route there is an optional stop at one of the Mekong Delta's best stork sanctuaries, Bang Lang Stork Garden, with thousands of birds wheeling, swooping and squabbling over nesting places at dusk.

Later in the afternoon, visit Sam Mountain, an important pilgrimage site that is frequently visited by pilgrims from all over the Mekong Delta. There are dozens of pagodas and temples around Sam Mountain; reaching the peak is the highlight of the visit. Check in to your hotel and relax.

After breakfast, check-out the hotel then travel by speedboat up the Mekong to Cambodia's capital: Phnom Penh. The total trip takes about five hours (including visa formalities). Visas are easily obtained at the border between Vietnam and Cambodia and cost 34 USD (including the processing fee). Your guide will meet you at the dock in Phnom Penh and take you to the hotel. Despite its recent turbulent history, Phnom Penh's wide tree-lined boulevards and faded colonial mansions hold an undeniable charm. After lunch at a downtown restaurant, visit the notorious Killing Fields of Choeung Ek and the Tuol Sleng Prison Museum where you have a chance to hear the moving stories of the prisoners. A visit to these sights provides a deep insight into the painful bloody rule of the Khmer Rouge.

After breakfast, take a leisurely tour to visit National Museum, the Royal Palace home to the royal family, and Silver Pagoda. Then your driver will transfer you to the airport to take a short flight to Siem Reap, the gateway into the ancient Angkor temples. Lunch is on your own arrangement then relax in your hotel room. In the afternoon, visit Angkor National Museum that houses 8 galleries to give an impressive array of artefacts which date back to the earliest civilisations of Angkor. Then wander the Old Market area of the town with its labyrinth of lanes filled with boutiques, galleries, cafes and small bars.

Enjoy an entire day dedicated to discovering the mysterious Angkor temples. Wake before dawn and take a u201ctuk-tuk'd ride to visit the magnificent Angkor Wat - the largest Khmer temple and finest example of Angkorian art and architecture. For your most convenience, a table with hot tea or coffee and breakfast box are arranged and served right on site of Angkor Wat.

After breakfast, you will visit Angkor Thom's imposing South Gate, topped with the four serenely smiling faces of Avalokiteshvara. Next, venture to Bayon to become hypnotized by the smiling stone faces of the temple. Gain fascinating insight into the temple's ancient origin from your guide, hearing of vicious battles and attempting to decipher the intricate bas-reliefs that detail scenes of cockfighting and childbirth. Later, you will visit the Elephant Terrace, the Terrace of the Leper King and finally Ta Phrom Temple. Back to your hotel and remain day is at leisure.

Today is free at your leisure for last minute shopping or sight-seeing before driving to the airport to catch your departure flight. Optional: If you are interested in visiting Tonle Sap Lake, please talk with your travel consultant to arrange a half day tour to this Southeast Asia's largest freshwater lake (excluded in the package price).