Tour route: Hanoi – Halong Bay – Danang – Hoi An – Nha Trang – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – Vinh Long – Can Tho – Chau Doc – Phnom Penh – Siem Reap
Duration: 19 Days/ 18 Nights
Date: No fixed dates
Start/ End: Hanoi/ Siem Reap
Tour Type: Private tour
Tour Customizable: Available
Active Level: Walking, Kayaking, boating, cooking class, fishing, Snorkeling…
BRIEF ITINERARY
Vietnam Tour in 14 Days
Day 1: Hanoi Arrival
Day 2: Hanoi City Tour
Day 3: Hanoi – Halong Bay
Day 4: Halong Bay – Hanoi
Day 5: Hanoi – Fly to Danang, Transfer to Hoi An
Day 6: Hoi An Cooking class
Day 7: Hoi An Farming & Fishing tour
Day 8: Hoi An – Danang – Fly to Nha Trang
Day 9: Nha Trang – Leisure at the beach
Day 10: Nha Trang Island & Snorkeling Tour
Day 11: Nha Trang – Fly to Ho Chi Minh City
Day 12: Saigon City Tour & Cu Chi Tunnels
Day 13: Saigon – Vinh Long & Can Tho
Day 14: Cai Rang Floating Market – Chau Doc
Cambodia Tour in 5 Days
Day 15: Chau Doc – Boat Trip to Phnom Penh
Day 16: Phnom Penh City Tour
Day 17: Phnom Penh – Fly to Siem Reap
Day 18: Angkor Temple Complex
Day 19: Siem Reap Departure
Vietnam Tour in 14 Days
Day 1: Hanoi Arrival (D)
Welcome to Hanoi Capital city of Vietnam by local tour guide and driver we then transfer to hotel and enjoy welcome dinner tonight at a local restaurant in town.
Day 2: Hanoi City Tour (B, L)
Our tour today begins from Ho Chi Minh complex where we visit Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum, his former stilt-house residence, the Presidential Palace, the Ho Chi Minh Museum and One pillar pagoda. Then we visit the Temple of Literature where was originally built as a temple to Confucius. This is the site of Vietnam’s first university dating back to 1070. The temple highlights the importance that Vietnamese society placed then and now on education.
In the afternoon, we visit one of the most interesting museums in Vietnam, the Museum of Ethnology, which is widely acknowledged as the best in the country and has an extensive display dedicated to Vietnam’s 54 Ethnic minority people. Before ending our city day tour, we enjoy one-hour cycling tour around the Old Quarter, known as the 36 streets and one hour Water Puppet show.
Day 3: Hanoi – Halong Bay (Overnight on Deluxe Junk Cruise) (B, L, D)
This morning, we meet the tour guide and driver again after breakfast and leave Hanoi for Halong Bay. After 3,5 hour driving along the Red River Delta, we embark the cruise. Welcome upon arrival by some cool drink then we check in, enjoy delicious lunch while the cruise passing Dog islets, Incense Burner, Fighting cock islets. We also visit the Amazing cave (Sung Sot) and swim at Titov or Soi Sim beach. End of the day, we enjoy the sunset on the sundeck and have dinner at the restaurant. Relax and overnight on cruise.
Day 4: Halong Bay – Hanoi (B, L)
Early waking up this morning to practice Tai Chi session or enjoying the sunrise on the sundeck, then we have breakfast. After that, the small boat will take us to visit Luon Cave where we can kayak around the bay to see the local people living around. Early checking out and the cruise goes back to the Halong city for disembarking at noontime while our lunch is served. Traveling back to Hanoi in the rest of the day.
Notes: The itinerary can change due to weather, tide levels.
Day 5: Hanoi – Fly to Danang & Transfer to Hoi An – Walking Tour (B)
This morning, we are escorted to the airport for more than 1-hour flight to Danang, one of the major port cities in Vietnam and the biggest city on the South Central Coast of Vietnam. Welcome upon arrival by local guide and driver, we then transfer to Hoi An.
In the afternoon, we enjoy walking tour visit the Japanese Covered Bridge, the Pottery Museum, Tan Ky old house, the Cantonese congregation, the silk street of Hoi An, the temples and pagodas of Chinese appearance.
Day 6: Hoi An Cooking Class (B, L, D)
The cooking class at the Red Bridge restaurant may be in the morning or afternoon. We meet the chief for a market tour to purchase some of the ingredients to be used in the cooking lesson later, then boating along Hoi An River to the Red Bridge Cooking school where we explore the herb and vegetable garden; learn some Hoi An’s & Vietnam’s well-known dishes. After the lesson, we enjoy the dishes what we have cooked.
Day 7: Hoi An Farming & Fishing Tour (B, L)
After breakfast, we meet tour guide then cycle to a local farming village where we share in the daily work life of local farmers – hoeing and a soil, watering veggie at an organic herb garden, riding water buffalo in the field and enjoy the freshest air of the countryside beauty. Then we take a cruise to the mouth of the river where it meets the Cua Dai Sea to learn and try our hand at local traditional fishing techniques using round and cast nets and try to learn to paddle the strange and unique Vietnamese bamboo basket boats.
Then, explore the now tranquil coconut-palm flanked waterways of a past war and hear of the extreme conditions endured by soldiers on both sides. Have a relaxed fun with catching beautiful purple crabs on bamboo basket boat. Before lunch we visit a local water coconut palm village, take a walk around the village and have some tea and snack with local talks…
Day 8: Hoi An – Danang – Fly to Nha Trang (B)
We take a morning flight to Nha Trang beach city today. Relax at the beach in the rest of the day.
Day 9: Nha Trang – Leisure at the beach (B)
Relax at the beach.
Day 10: Nha Trang Island & Snorkeling Tour (B, L)
This morning, we take a boat to visit Tri Nguyen Aquarium on Mieu Island where many sea species of Nha Trang make a small ocean world. Mun Island is the best island for snorkeling where we can see lots of lives colorful corals and fish. We will also be able to see caves in which the sea swallows make their nest. Then relaxing, swimming & doing water sports or other activities at Mot Island, Tranh Beach Island or on a small island calling “Mini beach”. After lunch, we visit a fishing village before going to the shore.
Day 11: Nha Trang – Fly to Ho Chi Minh City (B)
We take the short domestic flight to Ho Chi Minh city at midday. It takes us around 1-hour flight then we are welcome by a local tour guide and driver. Relax in the rest of the day.
Day 12: Saigon City Tour & Cu Chi Tunnels (B, L)
It depends on the weather (rain or sun) and we may visit Cu Chi tunnels in the morning or afternoon. Cu Chi tunnels, otherwise known as the “Iron Triangle” or “Iron Land”; Before entering the tunnels, we will see a short introductory video showing how they were constructed, followed by an exploration of the maze of tunnels, some of which have been widened to allow tourist access. Also on display are various mantraps and the remains of an American tank, as well as numerous bomb craters made by 500lb bombs, dropped by B52 bombers.
Rest of the day, we visit the Reunification Palace, the former Presidential Palace for the president of the South of Vietnam; the War Remnant Museum, where we can see countless artifacts, photographs, and pictures documenting about the second Indochina war. Before going back to hotel, we stop at Notre Dame Cathedral and Old Post office to get good shots for our memory of the big, modern city of Vietnam.
Day 13: Saigon – Vinh Long & Can Tho (B, L)
Checking out of hotel this morning for our Mekong Delta trip. Our first visit is Vinh Long market in town where we can take a very impressive picture of fish, shrimps, prawns, crabs, snakes, rice-field rats tropical fruits….; then we boat to visit the brick kilns where the local people create the beautiful potteries from clay; visit and enjoy the orchard, traditional houses and some kinds of fruits as well as tea while listening to rational music.
Moving to rowing boat, we go deeper into the countryside to explore the traditional houses made of wood, palm tree leaves… as well as see activities of farmers like catching fish, picking up the fruits by ancestral ways of Mekong Delta… Before taking the cruise back to Vinh Long city for our continuous trip to Can Tho, we have our time to do biking along the village paths to see the local farms, houses, monkey bridge….
Day 14: Cai Rang Floating Market – Chau Doc (B)
Early morning, we take a boat trip to visit the Cai Rang floating market with the busy sense right at the time. Then we keep on cruising through the small channels system, visit the rice noodles village. Back to hotel for breakfast then we transfer to Chau Doc where we will be relaxed before taking a boat trip to Phnom Penh at 7 AM the next day.
Cambodia Tour in 5 Days
Day 15: Chau Doc – Boat Trip to Phnom Penh (B)
We take a speed boat to Phnom Penh within 5 hours, getting visa upon arrival at the border gate in Cambodia. Welcome upon arrival in Phnom Penh and we transfer to hotel. Then we visit the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, National Museum and Wat Phnom. Overnight in Phnom Penh
Day 16: Phnom Penh City Tour (B)
Today, we visit the Genocide Museum then head on to the Killing Fields. On the way to the Killing fields, we stop at the bustling market of Toul Tumpong also known as the Russian Market.
Afternoon we visit the Independent monument and the Victoria monument. Later in the afternoon, we enjoy the sunset boat cruise on the Mekong River. Overnight in Phnom Penh.
Day 17: Phnom Penh – Fly to Siem Reap (B)
We are escorted to the airport to take a short domestic flight to Siem Reap this morning where we visit the West Barray (the man-made lake built in the 11th century) and the silk farm before climbing to the summit of Bakheng Mountain or Pre Rup Temple to view a spectacular sunset.
Day 18: Angkor Temple Complex (B)
This morning, we visit Angkor Thom – the great city of the ancient Khmer empire. The visit includes the South Gate of Angkor Thom, Bayon and the picturesque Ta Prohm that had nearly disappeared into the jungle and remains overgrown, an oddly haunting and exotic scene. The magnificent roots of a tree, pushing between the huge stone blocks of the temple in a sort of embrace, evoke feelings that a visitor may remember forever.
Afternoon, we visit Angkor Wat – one of the wonders in the world and the symbol of the gorgeous Khmer Empire in the history
Day 19: Siem Reap Departure (B)
Today our awaiting vehicle will transfer us back to the airport for our departure flight. T19-day Vietnam and Cambodia tour ends. See you again in the next Vietnam tour packages.
