Vietnam – Cambodia Explorer 12D11N

Day 1: Hanoi arrival

Arriving at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi, you will be met and driven to your hotel. You will have time to relax after your journey. In the evening, you will have tickets for a performance of traditional Water Puppetry (an art form unique to northern Vietnam, and an interesting, light-hearted introduction to its rural culture). Your overnight stay will be in Hanoi.

Day 2: Hanoi orientation (B,L)

You will spend the whole day to discover Hanoi charming ancient capital. Your guide will take you to the Tran Quoc pagoda, Temple of Literature, the first university in Vietnam dating back to the 11th century, and a popular attraction, as is Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, his simple stilt house where he lived and worked and the museum dedicated to his memory, One pillar pagoda. After lunch, you will moved to Van Phuc silk village a small village where families have specialised in weaving and dying silk over centuries, once the creators of fine material for the robes of the Royal court. Experiencing sitting on a cyclo, the popular mean of transport in Hanoi, enjoying views of what is happening on the streets of the Old Quarter.

Your overnight will be in Hanoi.

Day 3: Hanoi – Halong bay – Deluxe Phoenix Cruiser (B,L,D).

You are cruising from awesome limestone cliffs of Ha Long Bay toward the centre of the World Natural Heritage site, discovering exotic formations of a limestone cave, and exploring the daily life of local people living on the bay. This overnight cruise with comfortable accommodation and professional hospitality on our traditional wooden junk offers a fabulous experience in Ha Long Bay.

Am: Be picked up at your hotel from 8h00 for 3.5 hour bus ride through the country side of the Red River Delta to Ha Long City. Upon arrival, aboard Halong Phoenix Cruiser, fresh seafood lunch (vegetable menu available) would be served while the boat is gliding out.

Pm: A short tender ride from the middle of the bay to an island for the famous Sung Sot Cave, followed by visiting Ti Top island, relax on its beach or walk up to the top for the panoramic view of the anchorage area. As the sun sets over the bay, just relax on sundeck with your favorite drink. Dinner is served with typically local seafood.

Overnight on board.

Day 4: Halong Bay – Hanoi (B, L) 

Am: Rise up for a breathtaking on sundeck then be ready with fun kayaking around the area for a stunning vista in the serene bay. Back to boat, you learn recipes and techniques that go into the most popular dish of the Vietnamese food just before lunch time. Lunch would be served when cruising back to the harbor.

Pm: Our bus is waiting on the harbor to take you back to Hanoi. Trip ends at your hotel around 16h00.

Day 5: Charming Hanoi with cuisine and shopping (B)

The day will be free for strolling in the charming ancient capital, go shopping in the old quarter, enjoy the savour of Hanoi speciality, – take your pick from traditional Hanoi Pho (beef noodle soup), Nom (green papaya salad with seasoned beef), Banh Goi (pillow-shaped rice pastry with minced pork and mushroom), Banh Cuon (hot rice paper with pork and fried onion) or Bun Cha (fresh noodle with grilled pork). If you are hungry, try two or three varieties – they are snacks rather than a meal.

Your overnight will be in Hanoi.

Day 6: Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh (B,D)

After breakfast you will be relax until our driver come and transfer you to the airport for flight to Ho Chi Minh city. Arriving at Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City, the hustle and the bustle city, you will be met and driven to your hotel. Enjoy Welcome dinner with Vietnam traditional cuisine and have a good night sleep.

Day 7: Ho Chi Minh – Cu Chi half day tour (B,L)

A morning drive will take you to visit the famous Cu Chi tunnels, a byzantine maze of underground passages, chambers, rooms and booby traps used by both the Vietminh and the Viet Cong to suddenly materialise as if from nowhere, launch a lightning ambush, you will watch a short introductory video on the tunnels construction and explore the maze of tunnels. and vanish equally rapidly.

Your overnight will be in Ho Chi Minh.

Day 8: Ho Chi Minh – Mekong day trip (B,L)

We start the tour early at 7.30 am and go ahead to Tien Giang. On arrival take a boat trip around four beautiful Islets: Dragon, Unicorn, Tortoise and Phoenix on Tien River. Through Xep canel to visit Mekong traditional houses at Quoi An village (make all from coconut tree). See coconut collection set and how the locals make handicrafts from coconut trunk and shell. Enjoy seasonal fruits and listening to traditional music. Take the horse-cart on village path and stop at Ben Truc orchard, taste honey with tea or wine. See bees-breeding in wooden boxes at local farms.

Take rowing-boat on water palm creek. Lunch on islets at the local house. Experience the friendliness and hospitability of the host . Boat to visit a coconut candy workshop, taste candy (Special products of Bentre province). Drive back to Ho Chi Minh City.

End of the tour at about 5:00 pm.

Day 9: Ho Chi Minh – relaxing and shopping around (B)

After breakfast you will be spoilt for choice for shops and most of them are within easy walking distance of each other. Many shops are found along Dong Khoi, which used to be the trendy Rue Catinat in French colonial times. Close by are Hai Ba Trung and Le Loi, which are also worth a look. Off-the-peg clothing is always a good buy but even better is to have clothes made up by one of the many tailors. There is always a good range of colored silk to choose from. Hand-embroidered tablecloths and napkins are very popular. Your overnight will be in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 10: Ho Chi Minh departure – Siem Reap (B) 

Our fantastic holiday come to an end. After breakfast be relax until our driver will come to take you to airport for your flight to Siem Reap. Upon arrival at Siem Reap International airport, you are welcome by our local guide with the sign of Absolute Tours and your name, transfers to hotel for check in. Then our guide will take you to Preah Ang Chheck, Ang Chhorm (The main shrine in Siem Reap) for the Siem Reap orientation. Visit to Angkor Wat temple. Lunch at your won, afternoon visit to Angkor Thom City (South Gate, Bayon, Terrace of Elephant, and Terrace of leper king.

Dinner at your own and overnight at hotel in Siem Reap.

Day 11: c – Angkor Temples (B,L)

Breakfast at hotel, visit to Prasat Kravan (Brick temples – 10th BC), Ta Prohm (Jungle temple), and then we walk about 3 km to one small temple in the forest and lunch box at the Riverside (Spean Barang). Continue to victory Gate of Angkor Thom, visit to Preah Khan and Neak Pean temples. Dinner is at your won (Recommends: Khmer Kitchen, Bopha Angkor restaurants) and overnight at hotel in Siem Reap.

Day 12: Siem Reap departure (B)

Early morning, visit the sunrise at Phnom Bakheng Hill (Elderly is not recommended), the view of surroundings is amazing which we can view the site of Angkor through the forest. Back to hotel for breakfast, and then visit to Banteay Srei (Lady temple which is the most beautiful temple in Cambodia with carving). At 12:00 check out from the hotel and visit to Floating Village at Tonle Sap Lake, Old Market, and transfer to airport for departure.