VIETNAM & CAMBODIA TOUR 15 Days 14 Nights Day 1: Hanoi Arrival Welcome to Hanoi - Capital city of Vietnam. Upon Your arrival at airport, our driver picks You up, then transfer You to Your hotel. Rest of the day is at leisure. Sweet dreams in Hanoi. Day 2: Hanoi city tour (B)
Morning, breakfast at hotel. About 8.00 AM, tour guide will pick You up from hotel's lobby, then You will start Hanoi city tour. Begin with a visit to Ba Dinh square, adjacent to the Ho Chi Minh Complex where many of the most important national historical events in modern history took place. You will also visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, an important historical attraction honoring our national hero, President Ho Chi Minh. Here visitors can express their admiration for & gratitude towards the father of Vietnam who led the country to independence & reunification. ***** Please note that all visitors must observe strict rules. You should respect these at all times. No short skirts or tank tops are allowed & there is a high-level security check on arrival. Taking photos, talking, or finger-pointing are strictly prohibited inside the mausoleums. Day packs can be put in a safe deposit before You enter but for Your own comfort & protection, carry as few valuable items as possible with You. Then, visit One Pillar Pagoda, a group of structures consisting of a pagoda & a tower built in the middle of a square lake. In the afternoon, You are free to discover the city on Your own. Enjoy Your evening at leisure to walk around Hanoi city as long as You d love to do. Sweet dreams in Hanoi. Day 3: Hanoi Halong bay (B,L,D)
Morning, breakfast at hotel. ***** Hotel check-out. You can leave heavy luggage at the receptionist, then collect them back on the next day from Halong bay trip. About 7:45 8:30 AM, Your tour guide & cruise s tourist bus arrives Your hotel's lobby to pick You up,, then You will travel to Halong Bay a famous wonder of Nature with its thousands of natural islands. Imagine Your lovely 2 days aboard a cruise, designed around Your comfort, space & relaxation, with spectacular views over Halong bay. According to legend, Vietnam was once invaded by cruel enemies. To help the Vietnamese fight against these invaders, the Jade Emperor sent the Mother Dragon & her children to the land to incinerate the invaders with magic fires & giant emeralds. The emeralds, then formed an impenetrable wall in the sea that caused the enemy s fleet to sink. After that, Vietnam gained peace. Legend says that the magical wall of emeralds turned into various islands. Appreciating the friendliness of people & beauty of the land, the Mother Dragon & her children decided to stay in Vietnam. They adopted human form & helped build up the country. To show respect & gratitude for this divine help, our ancestors named the bay where the Mother Dragon descended, Halong Bay & the Bay where her children descended as Bai Tu Long Bay which means Thanks to the Dragon s Children. On arrival, our crew will welcome You & give a short cruise briefing. A gourmet lunch will be served in a cozy restaurant while our cruise takes You on a magical odyssey through remote archipelagos, opening up stupendous seascape views along the quiet route. We ll cruise to Cap La Island the beautiful area in Bai Tu Long bay. Enjoy kayaking through the karst & breathtaking nature, swimming & relaxing. Enjoy Sunset party & sumptuous set-dinner onboard. Evening, it s Your free time to join Games, You may also try Your luck with squid fishing. Sweet dreams on cruise.
Day 4: Halong bay Hanoi (B,L) Starting Your day with Tai Chi on the Sundeck. After breakfast, You will explore Thien Canh Son & learn more about history of Ha Long Bay, Bai Tu Long Bay, made by Mother Nature Upon return to the boat, You will have time to freshen up & finish packing. Please remove all of Your belongings from Your cabin, You may leave heavy luggage outside of the cabin (staff will transfer directly to the pier). Enjoy Vietnamese cooking demonstration on boat & a lunch later. Return to the quayside. Disembark in Hon Gai pier Farewell Halong Bay, then return to Hanoi. Finish the tour at Your hotel. Sweet dreams in Hanoi. Day 5: Hanoi Flight to Danang Hoi An (B)
Hotel breakfast. Driver pick-up from hotel, transport to airport for flight to Danang - the most pleasant city in Vietnam. It is a city where many are happy to earn a living. Upon arrival, our driver will pick You up from airport, for transport to Hoi An s ancient town. Enjoy rest of the day at leisure. In the evening, the town is transformed into a magical place by the lighting of hundreds of lanterns. Sweet dreams in Hoi An. Day 6: Cooking class in Hoi An (B,L) Today You will have a fantastic cooking class. The food is sensational and You will learn about life on the island too. About 7.45 AM, tour guide & driver meet You from hotel s lobby, and take You to the pier ready to board the boat. You will be able to explore a local morning market and buy Your ingredients. You will then embark on an unforgettable voyage into the heart of the Hoi An countryside, welcomed into a local family and taught how to prepare the regional Vietnamese cuisine still enjoyed by the locals. (A vegetarian cooking class is also available) On the way back, return by boat to the ancient town. We will transfer You back to Your hotel. Sweet dreams in Hoi An
Day 7: Hoi An Leisure (B) Day at leisure to enjoy Hoi An independently, where You ll see street stalls selling paintings, woodwork, ceramics, & lanterns. Hoi An is a mix of eras & styles from wooden Chinese shop houses & temples to colorful French colonial buildings, ornate Vietnamese tube houses & the iconic Japanese Covered Bridge with its pagoda. You can take a FREE bicycle from Your hotel & cycle through the rice paddies & the backstreets in the local villages & up toward Cua Dai beach. Lanterns light up this lovely ancient town on the full moon, mid-autumn, the traditional Tet holiday. Immerse Yourself the rich history of Vietnam while in Hoi An. Hoi An has a lot of lanterns, some of the most beautiful in the East. Coming to Hoi An presents an opportunity to take a window seat in a cafe & savour the sights of the lanterns in the street. You re free to explore & enjoy the ancient town. You can take a stroll through the lantern-filled streets & riverside promenade of Hoi An s Ancient Town. Sweet dreams in Hoi An.
Day 8: Hoi An Flight to Ho Chi Minh (B) Morning, Spend a full day at leisure discovering all of the delights of Hoi An independently on foot or with cycle, where You ll see street stalls selling paintings, woodwork, ceramics, & lanterns. It s easy to get around on foot. Why not get off the main streets & take to smaller roads & alleys to see how the locals live. Sip some Vietnamese coffee & see the local life happening in Hoi An, slow down to see the local. Or if You like to taste delicacies of Hoi An, go for Banh mi Phuong (the bread roll), Cao Lau (local noodles only in Hoi An). At appointed time, our driver picks up from Your hotel, & transfer You to airport in Danang for Your flight to Ho Chi Minh city - the biggest, most dynamic, most vibrant economies city in the country. Upon arrival, our drive transfers You to Your hotel. Sweet dreams in Ho Chi Minh city.
Day 9: Cu Chi Tunnels (B) Morning, breakfast at hotel. About 7:45 AM: Our tour guide will meet You at hotel s lobby, then You ll set off for the day to explore a slice of South Vietnam history: The Cu Chi tunnels. The Cu Chi Tunnels form an underground defense system in Cu Chi District, 70 km north-west of Ho Chi Minh City. The tunnels were excavated by the Viet Minh & The Viet Cong. The Viet Cong (also known as the National Liberation Front) was a political organization with its own army the People's Liberation Armed Forces of South Vietnam. During the Indochine & Vietnam Wars this army fought for the independence & freedom of their country. The network is several storeys deep in places & included countless trapdoors, living areas, storage facilities, weapon factories, field hospitals, command centers & kitchens. Today, Cu Chi is a developing city attracting government investment. Everywhere You can see big building projects in progress. Return to Ho Chi Minh city to relax after a history trip. Sweet dreams in Ho Chi Minh city.
Day 10: Mekong Delta (B,L) Hotel breakfast. Our driver & tourguide pick You up, then start the trip to My Tho. Upon arrival, visit Vinh Trang pagoda which was built in late 19th century., then cruising pass by four beautiful islands named Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix & Tortoise islands. Stop over at Unicorn Island, go walking in the village paths to see orchards, have some tropical fruits, take a sit to enjoy Vietnamese folk music performed by the local people. Experience on a small rowing sampan through water coconut canal & treat Yourself to the beauty of the countryside, visit the family business & beekeeping farm, enjoy honey tea & coconut candy workshop which is popular in Mekong delta. Have lunch at the local restaurant. Proceed to Can Tho. Can Tho city is quite busy at night. Take a stroll along the pier or taste some dish at street food market. Sweet dreams in Can Tho city.
Day 11: Floating market Chau Doc (B,L) Hotel breakfast. About 7.00 AM: Get to the pier. Board boat for an exploration of the biggest floating market still remains in Vietnam, where You can experience the local rustic Vietnamese life of the Mekong. You ll see how people of the floating market display their agriculture products on boat & how they live in a floating village. Visit a noodle factory & a local village to see how noodles are made. Challenge Yourself to cross Bumpy Bamboo Bridge in the garden. Break for lunch. Continue the trip to Chau Doc, then visit Tra Su. This nature reserve covers a massive area about 850 hectares that is home to the rich & diverse species of water birds, fishes, reptiles, bats & some endangered species. The lush vegetation, florals & fauna in abundance created an amazing haven for wildlife. Taking a motorized boat followed by a rowing boat deep into the Cajuput forest through the lovely channel of waterways. After then, coming back to town for hotel check-in. Sweet dreams in Chau Doc.
Day 12: Chau Doc Phnom Penh (B,L) Hotel breakfast. About 6:45 AM, boarding a speed boat for the journey from Chau Doc to Phnom Penh. Arrive at Sisowath tourist dock in Phnom Penh around 02.00pm. Afternoon, start the tour by visiting stunning Royal Palace complex, home to the Cambodian royal family & a symbol of the nation. We begin amid the beautiful royal gardens, then enter the Throne Hall where the royal receptions are held & the Cambodian king's coronation took place. We continue to the Silver Pagoda, named after the 5000 silver tiles covering the floor. Visit National Museum, home to the world's finest collection of sculpture from the Angkor period. We, then continue to Wat Phnom, a symbol of the city. Located on one of the few hills in this pancake-flat capital, the first pagoda was originally built in 1373 to house Buddha statues discovered in the Mekong by a woman named Penh. This gives us the modern name of the city, Phnom Penh or Hill of Penh. Cambodians come to the shrine to pray for luck in love & life, employment & exams, so there it is always a bustling place. Sweet dreams in Phnom Penh.
Day 13: Phnom Penh Siem Reap (B) About 6.45-7.30 AM, we pick You up from Your hotel, then travel by tourist bus to Siem Reap (about 6 hours). Upon arrival about noon time. Check-in hotel. Take a rest. Your own discovery in Siem Reap city. Sweet dreams in Siem Reap. Day 14: Siem Reap Temples (B,L) Hotel breakfast. About 07.00 AM, today we will start visiting early to avoid the crowd, heat & humidity when touring. You'll understand why the architectural masterpieces of Angkor Thom & Angkor Wat, are designated as one of the "Seven Wonders of the World". Angkor Thom is the name given to the ruins of old town which lie next to
the more famous Angkor Wat. Here You ll find a number of smaller temples & buildings, many of which are being recaptured by the jungle. Continue Your visit at 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 & the Terrace of the Leper King. Lunch. In the afternoon, visit Angkor Wat the most famous of all the temples on the plain of Angkor. The temple complex covers 81 hectares & is comparable in size to the Imperial Palace in Beijing. Its distinctive five towers are emblazoned on the Cambodian flag & the 12th century masterpiece is considered by art historians to be the prime example of classical Khmer art & architecture. Sweet dreams in Siem Reap. Day 15: Siem Reap - Departure (B) Hotel breakfast. Our driver picks up from hotel, transfers You to airport for Your homeward flight. Your lovely trip is completed! And thank You for choosing. We wish You all the best!