The Very Best of Vietnam & Cambodia Tour

Day 1: Depart UK

Depart with Cathay Pacific from the UK airport most convenient for you. Choose from London Heathrow, London Gatwick or Manchester. Alternatively, you can choose to fly direct to Hanoi from London Heathrow with Vietnam Airlines.  No matter which airline you choose, there will be no additional cost.

Included meals: In-flight meals and drinks

Alternative airline – Emirates

If you prefer, you may fly with Emirates via Dubai from London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London Stansted, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle or Glasgow for a supplement of £395 per person

Day 2: Hanoi, 3 nights

All flights with Cathay Pacific to Hanoi travel via Hong Kong. After clearing customs, we transfer to our hotel and our home for the next three nights, the delightful Pan Pacific Hanoi. If flying Vietnam Airlines, your flight arrives early morning, so you may wish to arrange a guaranteed early check-in.  Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi offers a rich Asian culture, mixed with Chinese and French influences. The afternoon is at leisure to settle in to your surroundings. Perhaps take a stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake or should you prefer, there is the opportunity this afternoon to meet Mr Nguyen Viet Hung, former winner of the Tea Masters Cup. Be captivated by stories, sample different teas and learn the secrets to brewing the best cup of tea. Early evening, enjoy a welcome drink with your Tour Manager and fellow travellers, so we may become better acquainted and learn more about our adventure ahead.

Included meals: In-flight meals and drinks

Day 3: Hanoi

Hanoi is an immediate assault on the senses, and we begin our morning tour with a cyclo (similar to a rickshaw) ride through the Old Quarter. Packed with charming colonial architecture, Buddhist temples and pagodas, the ancient commercial streets are named after the original businesses that were housed here. We visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the final resting place of ‘Uncle Ho’, before viewing the one pillar pagoda and the 11th century Temple of Literature. Later we visit the Ethnology Museum for a unique insight into the 54 ethnic groups that make up the Vietnamese people, together with a traditional water puppet show.

Included meals: Breakfast and lunch

Day 4: Hanoi Freedom Day

Today offers us the freedom that this wonderfully old-fashioned city deserves. With the full support of our Tour Manager, perhaps enjoy the delights of Hanoi at our own pace, joining one of many local photographic tours, taking a relaxing cyclo ride around the cobbled streets, or indulging in a specialist cooking class to explore the five fundamental tastes of Vietnamese cuisine. We can also help arrange a full day excursion to ‘Halong Bay on Land’, Ninh Binh.

Included meals: Breakfast

Day 5: Halong Bay, 2 nights

Tour Highlight

Halong Bay is one of Vietnam’s must-see destinations, famed for its emerald waters, staggering limestone islands, and untouched rainforests. Once in Halong, we travel in style on our first-class vessel, the Au Co, for a stunning two-night cruise around this UNESCO World Heritage Site. After enjoying lunch whilst cruising into the bay, we head to the fascinating floating village of Cua Van, with a population of just over 700, to see how these remarkably independent locals live. The day ends with dinner on deck, watching the sun set over this dazzling paradise.

Included meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 6: Halong Bay

Why not start your day with a Tai Chi lesson on the sun deck, before we cruise through the spectacularly serene Lan Ha Bay? Once arriving at Cat Ba Island, we venture on a short cycle ride to Viet Hai Village, where we learn about community life in the heart of Cat Ba National Park. Trinh Nu Cave, with its stunning array of stalactites and stalagmites, is our next destination at the heart of the picturesque Halong Bay. The evening is reserved for a delicious on-board barbecue with fellow passengers.

Included meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 7: Hoi An, 3 nights

After breakfast we head to Halong’s famous Sung Sot Cave, before getting back onboard our journey to the mainland whilst soaking up the beautiful panoramas. Once there, we take the awaiting coach back to Hanoi, before flying to Danang. After landing, we journey to archaic Hoi An, settling into the first-class Hoi An Silk Marina Resort & Spa, where we stay for the next three nights

Included meals: Breakfast

Day 8: Walking tour of Hoi An

Tour Highlight

A famed UNESCO World Heritage Site of grand architecture, the once major trading port of Hoi An is a fascinating time-warp of Japanese temples, Chinese warehouses, and Dutch and French colonial houses. We embark on a tour of Hoi An by foot, encompassing the beautiful Chua Ong Pagoda, symbolic Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, pristinely preserved Tan Ky House, and the 17th century Japanese Bridge. We also take a scenic boat trip along the Thu Bon River, before offering some afternoon downtime to unwind by the hotel pool, or join an optional lantern making class for those creative types amongst us!

Included meals: Breakfast

Day 9: Hoi An Freedom Day

Today offers an opportunity to relax and enjoy the hotel’s facilities, or alternatively head out for some further exploration of the area. It may appeal to you to take a cookery class at a local organic farm, or visit the captivating Hindu temple ruins of My Son, constructed as early as the 4^th century. Alternatively, visit Tra Que Village and learn about community farming techniques, before enjoying a fresh and tasty lunch made from locally farmed produce.

Included meals: Breakfast

Day 10: Hue, 2 nights

This morning we are treated to a spectacular drive over the Hai Van Pass along the Vietnamese coastline, a 19km stretch of road climbing to 3,000ft (914m) above sea level. This afternoon we visit the majestic Minh Mang Tomb, before continuing to the iconic seven-storey Thien Mu Pagoda, where resident monks continue to practice. We cruise back into the city along the Perfume River to our centrally situated Eldora Hotel, where we spend two nights.

Included meals: Breakfast and lunch

Day 11: Hue’s Imperial Citadel

Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and originally the settlement of the Cham people, the Imperial city of Hue was capital of Vietnam during the Nguyen Dynasty. After breakfast at the hotel we visit the Imperial Citadel, modelled on the Forbidden City in Beijing. The Citadel was sadly destroyed in the war, but, along with many surrounding buildings, is being slowly restored. Soon after we visit the dazzling former residence of Princess Ngoc Son, before taking time in the afternoon to do as we please. You may want to travel to the local village of Than Tien to learn the 300-year old craft of paper flower making, or try your hand at the delicate art of Truc Chi – making paper from bamboo pulp

Included meals: Breakfast and lunch

Day 12: Ho Chi Minh City, 2 nights

We rise early today to catch our transfer to the airport, where we fly on to Ho Chi Minh City. After checking in at the upmarket Liberty Central Riverside Hotel, our accommodation for the next two nights, we offer opportunities to visit the one remaining stronghold of Catholicism in the city, Notre Dame Cathedral, and explore the War Remnants Museum – a graphic depiction of war in Vietnam. We also visit the city’s perfectly preserved, French colonial Central Post Office, and take a stroll along Dong Khoi Street to the delicately featured Saigon Opera House.

Included meals: Breakfast and lunch

Day 13: Cu Chi Tunnels

Tour Highlight

After breakfast we journey into the stunning countryside – once the stronghold of the Viet Cong, who fought against the US and South Vietnamese governments in the Vietnam War. We visit the Ho Chi Minh Agricultural Village, where we join a Vietnamese cooking class, and continue afterwards to the Cu Chi Tunnels – a vast, 250km underground network used by the Viet Cong as hiding spots, for communication, and as supply routes during the war. Our visit provides a captivating insight into how the Viet Cong lived and fought. This evening offers an optional dinner at ‘Dining in the Dark at Noir’, a dining experience like no other!

Included meals: Breakfast and lunch

Day 14: Mekong Cruise, 4 nights

Tour Highlight

Our fabulous four-night cruise between Vietnam and Cambodia begins when, after breakfast, we head for the centre of the Mekong Delta, Can Tho. Arriving mid-afternoon, we board our deluxe river cruise ship, which includes a stylish restaurant, lounge bar, swimming pool with bar, spa, library and movie room, with numerous shaded sun loungers and plush seating areas to relax and socialise. The en-suite cabins are tastefully chic, each with floor-to-ceiling windows, which open up to a private balcony. Enjoy the sunset over the immaculate Hau River as we cruise towards Tiger Island, and in the evening join us for a gala dinner, presenting the very best of traditional Southern Vietnamese folk music, known as don ca tai tu.

Included meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 15: Tiger Island – Vam Nao

Our fascinating day begins by heading ashore to explore Tiger Island by electric bicycle or sampan, where we visit cottage industries such as net weaving, and learn the art of making two Mekong Delta specialties, incense and banh (a local rice cake), in the pagoda known as ‘Mr. Tiger’s Temple’. We will enjoy lunch back on the ship as we coast towards the provincial capital of Long Xuyen, where our afternoon will include visits to the vibrant Long Xuyen Floating Market, and the eclectic An Giang Traditions Museum, with intriguing exhibits on Vietnamese, Chinese, Khmer and Cham cultures. Dinner on the boat will include evening entertainment as we cruise to Vam Nao, where we moor overnight.

Included meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 16: Vam Nao – Tan Chau

After breakfast, our boat, the Victoria Mekong, sails to the border town of Tan Chau, where we visit a temple dedicated to the uniquely Vietnamese religion of Caodaism, whose enthralling inhabitants worship Cao Dài as the supreme deity believed to have created the universe. We take an exclusive trip by rickshaw to the silk village to witness the incredible, labour-intensive steps taken to produce this fine textile. The afternoon offers an additional option to visit Tra Su, following a journey by speedboat – the mysterious submerged forest famed for its opulent mangroves and abundant birdlife. Tonight, we enjoy a traditional Vietnamese lion dance, followed by dinner on board.

Included meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 17: Tan Chau – Phnom Penh

Today we have chance to sit back, relax by the pool, and take in the stunning scenery on our way to the Vietnam-Cambodian border. On board we can enjoy cultural lectures, exciting cocktail making competitions, or take a guided tour of the ship before our arrival in Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s charismatic capital at the junction of the Mekong and Tonlé Sap Rivers. Once known as the ‘Pearl of the Orient’, Phnom Pehn offers us the chance to enjoy Khmer Apsara dancing, performed by a troupe of underprivileged local children, followed by a farewell gala dinner.

Included meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 18: Phnom Penh, overnight

After our wonderful cruise along the Mekong comes to a close, it’s time to disembark for our tour of Phnom Penh, where we visit the striking Royal Palace – the official residence of Cambodia’s King Norodom Sihamoni – built in 1866. We also have the privilege of viewing the Silver Pagoda, whose floor is covered with 5,000 silver tiles, and the magnificent, near life-size Buddha, made from solid gold and encrusted with almost 10,000 diamonds.

Despite the splendour and the optimism that you will no doubt observe in Cambodia, there is no escaping its dark recent history, in which Pol Pot’s savage Khmer Rouge regime (1975-79) cost thousands of innocent people their lives. To learn more about these troubled times, we first visit Tuol Sleng (also known as S-21), the former high school turned prison where captives of the Khmer Rouge were held, before their fate at the Killing Fields awaited them. Today it is a museum, where the haunting faces of some 17,000 people who passed through its gates are displayed. Only seven survivors lived to tell the tale. From here we journey on to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, where a memorial provides an emotive yet chilling tribute to the fallen. This afternoon’s visit is a sobering and powerful cultural experience, providing us with an important insight into the resilience and spirit of the Cambodian people. Later in the afternoon we arrive at the exemplary Palace Gate Hotel, for our overnight stay.

Included meals: Breakfast and lunch

Day 19: Siem Reap, 3 nights

Tour Highlight

Our journey to Siem Reap begins with transfers to the airport. It is here, in this celebrated north-western city, that we explore Asia’s most famous and highly anticipated landmark, the temples of Angkor. This amazing monument was originally constructed as a Hindu temple dedicated to the God, Vishnu. This afternoon we visit the South Gate of Angkor where the statues of good and evil line the entrance, and the richly decorated Bayon, adorning the face of the Buddhist King Jayavarman VII. The afternoon sees us visit 10^th century Hindu Temple, Phimeankas, the Terrace of Elephants and the Terrace of Leper Kings, located inside the walled enclosure of the Royal Palace of Angkor Thom. After an epic day, we finish with a sunset cruise along the moat of Angkor Thom.

Included meals: Breakfast and lunch

Day 20: Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm

Tour Highlight

Angkor Wat is synonymous with Cambodia, and the temple’s famous five spires are featured on the country’s national flag. For early risers amongst us, there is the opportunity to experience sunrise over this epic temple, at an additional cost. Following breakfast, we return to Angkor Wat, the world’s largest religious monument, to fully discover this enchanting temple, which features high classical style Khmer architecture. Spread across a massive site, we’ll weave throughout the bewitching temple grounds, experiencing the alchemy of such incomprehensible designs. We close the morning’s adventure with a visit to the temple of Ta Prohm, where tree roots hold this spectacular shrine together. The afternoon is reserved for your own leisure, though the evening offers the option to visit the Phare Circus, which supports the development of Khmer youth through a programme of arts and performance.

Included meals: Breakfast

Day 21: Siem Reap Freedom Day

Our tour Manager will be on hand to help us make the most of this freedom day in Siem Reap. Having spent time exploring the city’s most iconic attraction, Angkor Wat, you may wish to indulge in other experiences in and around the city, particularly those linked to social enterprises formed to support the local people. How about learning to cook traditional Khmer cuisine, or visiting one of the city’s thriving local markets? You may choose to visit a neighbouring village, where you can interact with locals and discover more about their rural daily lives, or indulge your curiosities with a bamboo weaving workshop. Or perhaps it is time for you to simply breathe out and relax? The choice is yours.

Included meals: Breakfast

Day 22: Depart Siem Reap

Take the opportunity to relax before the homeward journey, or squeeze some last-minute souvenir shopping around Siem Reap before we depart for the airport. Our flights to our chosen UK airport operate via either Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific, Hanoi with Vietnam Airlines, or Bangkok and Dubai with Emirates.

If you would like to break the journey home with a stopover in either Hong Kong (if flying with Cathay Pacific) or Dubai (if flying with Emirates), we have a choice of hotel packages offering a 2-night stay including breakfast and return airport to hotel transfers.  If you’d like a longer stay, extra nights can be added.  Please contact us for full details.

Included meals: Breakfast, and in-flight meals and drinks

Day 23: Arrive UK

After 23 amazing days full of unforgettable memories, our incredible adventure comes to a close as we arrive into our chosen UK airport this morning.

Included meals: In-flight meals and drinks