Ancient Route Through Vietnam and Cambodia 11 Days

Welcome to Hanoi, Vietnam - the city for peace of the world. Our guide will be waiting for your arrival at the Noi Bai International Airport to meet up and take you to the hotel in the city’s center for check-in procedures. The ride from the airport to the hotel takes around 45 minutes. Then, you will have the rest of the day to explore the city at your own will and an overnight stay at the hotel. 

Get ready for a day to get to know the most authentic sites and attractions in Hanoi. On our first stop, we will be visiting the most significant construction in the heart of Vietnamese people - Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. The tour guide will share great stories about President Ho Chi Minh’s former life as well as his legacies that left behind at the Stilt House and the Presidential Palace. Coming up next, we will head to the Temple of Literature. which is known as the first-found university in Vietnam. 

Enjoy lunch on at your own expense at a local restaurant. 

Later in the afternoon, take a visit at Hanoi’s Museum of Ethnology, where you will be marveled at numerous collections of artifacts from 54 different ethnic communities in Vietnam and take part in reproducing activities at the museum. 

Thereafter, you will spend your time walking along the unique streets in the Old Quarter area, enjoying Hanoi’s culinary through street food, trying of clothings, and shopping for souvenirs, jewelleries, accessories.  

Back to the hotel to relax and savour the rest of your day.

After having breakfast at the hotel, pack for your short cruise in HaLong Bay - which was recognized as one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites in 2000. We will transfer to HaLong Bay with a shared shuttle bus and English speaking guide. 

On the way reaching HaLong Bay, you will have a chance to observe the greenery of the paddy fields and ranges of mountain in the background. Once arrived at the dock, onboard the Junk boat and set sail on the bay. 

Enjoy your lunch on board. 

Awaken your eyes with extraordinary caves carved by glamorous stalactites and stalagmites. Then, jump in the warm emerald water of the East Sea or go kayaking to discover hidden beauty of the gem on the Gulf of Tonkin. 

The Junk boat will drop the anchor to stay overnight on the bay. 

Dinner will be served on board and the cruise crew will hold a few activities to light up the night.

A small reminder for tourists: shared shuttle bus as transfer to Halong includes an English-speaking guide. Please contact our travel agency in case you want to travel with a private car. 

Your day will be truly amazing if you start your day early to watch the sun gently rise above the horizon with a sip of morning cocktail. The ship continues to sails further on the bay as you are having breakfast. During the course of the cruise, you will learn how the locals make their living on sea. 

After a light lunch on board, disembark the ship and ride back to Hanoi on a shuttle bus. 

Then, a private car with no guide will take you to the airport to board a domestic flight to Danang. On arrival meet up with local tour guide and transfer to your hotel in Hoian. Dinner on your own.

After filling up your stomach at the hotel, your morning in Hoi An will be lighten up with thrilling activities around the ancient town and you will have a chance to wander around the local market to feast yourself amazingly fresh products, especially vegetables and exotic tropical fruits. This is the best time for you to train your bargain skill, ask your guide for tips and advice!

Then, we will head to Bay Mau nipa palm forest by the one-and-only transportation - the coracle. Along the way of the canals, you will see a lot of mangrove trees, palms and daily routines of the local people making their living on the coracle by selling hats, rings and watches made from palm leaves. 

After leaving the coracle, take part in some cultural activities such as folk games and a cooking class to learn how to prepare Vietnamese food.

Enjoy the daily life fishing of the local people view on the Thu Bon River on boat. 

Later on, we head back to town center and take a free walk around the town to take some snapshots of the glamourous architecture inherited from the Vietnamese, Chinese, and Japanese predecessors. We will stop by the following locations: Hoian Museum, Phuoc Kien Assembly Hall, Tan Ky Old House, and Japanese Covered Bridge. 

Enjoy the rest of the day to explore the town.

Proceed to Ho Chi Minh city from Danang Airport by a domestic flight. The driver and guide will be waiting for your arrival at the airport and accompany you to the hotel. 

Proceed to Cu Chi Tunnels to relive as well as experience the out of this world sophisticated tunnels of more than 250-kilometer long underground. Originally, the tunnels were used as shelter, communication routes, hospitals as well as storage for weapons and food for Vietnamese soldiers in the Vietnam War. What special about the tunnels is that you have to crawl underground to get from one room to the next! 

We head back to the city’s center at noon for lunch. 

The afternoon is arranged with a couple of sites for you to get to know the city better by visiting attractions like Saigon Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral, Opera House, Chinatown Cho Lon, and Reunification Palace, all featured with French colonial architecture. 

The tour starts off in Ho Chi Minh city, you will meet our guide at the meeting point and then head to Ben Tre - a rural province belonging to Mekong Delta and about 130 kilometers away from Ho Chi Minh city. 

You will be dropped off at Phong Nam Pier and embark the slow boat on Chet Say river. 

Stop en route to experience some workshops to learn and try making traditional products. One of them is the coconut workshop where you can see how many things people can make out a simple coconut from candies to decoration. 

To have a better understanding of the life of the people in the south of Vietnam up close, we will make a stop at a local village by a small canal. Here you will get the chance to try weaving a straw mat with instruction from the inhabitants. Coming up next, you can choose from riding a “xe loi” (a motorized trishaw) or ride a bicycle to go further into the village. On the way, you can take some shots of the scene of farmers doing their daily routine like farming, growing plants, harvesting and plowing with simple tools. 

After a long morning, time to have lunch at a local house and freshen up for the afternoon. 

Spend a little more time on the canal and then return to starting point to disembark. Leaving the Mekong Delta, you will head towards the airport in Ho Chi Minh city to board the flight to Siem Reap. 

Our guide and driver in Siem Reap will welcome you at the airport and accompany you to the hotel for checking-in. 

Warmest greetings from Siem Reap - the capital city of Cambodia! Siem Reap is exactly the gateway to the Angkor region - where situated the Angkor Wat in the Angkor Archeological Zone built since the 12th century. Angkor Wat is at the moment the largest monument of the Angkor complex and the best preserved, and of course - an architectural masterpiece.

Angkor Wat has become the most ancient Seventh Wonder of the World - recognized by the UNESCO - and its name literally means “Temple City” in Khmer. 

After the visit to Angkor Wat, we will move to the smallest temple in the Angkor Complex - Banteay Srei. Though owning the smallest size of all temples, Banteay Srei is still considered the jewel on the crown of Angkorian art due to the possession of cut from stone of a pinkish hue and inclusion of some finest stone carving. 

Proceed to the Ta Prohm Temple which has long been a jungle temple and was once the scene for the blockbuster Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. You will be overwhelmed by the fig, banyan and kapok trees spread their gigantic roots over the stones and split the walls and terrace apart. 

Take it easy and take your time to wander around the Angkor Complex to uncover its ancient beauty. 

Head back to the hotel to rest for the day. 

Today’s first site to visit is Preah Khan - also be a part of Angkor Archaeological Park. In Khmer language, the Preah Khan is known as “Holy Sword” - named by King Jayavarman VII in order to honor his victorious battle. 

Thereafter, move on to the next one-and-only island temple of the Angkor Complex - Neak Pean. The central pond of the monument is a replica off Lake Anavatapta in the Himalayas which is located on top of the universe.

There are many more wonderful temples waiting to be seen in Angkor Archaeological Zone which are Thommanon and Chau Say Tevoda. They were both built to worship Shiva and Vishnu gods.  

Another highlight of the tour that we will be heading to in the afternoon is Angkor Thom. Angkor Thom - the “Great Angkor City” - also the last capital of the Khmer Empire. It is used to be a fortified cit enclosing residences of priest, officials of the palace and military, as well as buildings for administering the kingdom. 

In addition, the National Temple of Jayavarman, the Bayon Temple and other honorable monuments are found in the center of Angkor Thom for you to learn more about the history of the city and the country. 

Head back to the hotel to freshen up for the day. 

Reward yourself with a de-stress day and look for some souvenirs for your family and friends because this is the last day of the tour. Private car will be arranged to take you to the airport for your next flight.