Vietnam & Cambodia tour 12 days 

Hanoi - Ha Long - Hue - Hoi An - My Son - Ho Chi Minh City - Vinh Long - Siem Reap

Code: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, G = Guide

Day 1: Arrival at Hanoi (D, G)

Arriving at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi, you'll be met and driven to your hotel.

17.15: You'll be picked up to watch the Water Puppet show an art form unique to northern Vietnam, and a good, light-hearted introduction to its rural culture.

18.30: Your Welcome Dinner will be served at one of the best local restaurant.

You'll spend the night in Hanoi.

Day 2: Hanoi city tour (B, L, G)

9.00: Pick up at your hotel

9.30 - 10.30: Visit Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum, his simple stilt  house where he lived

10.30 - 11.00: You'll visit the Tran Quoc pagoda, the oldest pagoda located on West Lake

11.00 - 12.00: Visit Temple of Literature - the first university in Vietnam

12.00 - 13.15: Lunch at local restaurant

13.15 - 15.30: Visit the Ethnology Museum for an overview of Vietnam's 54 distinct ethnic

15.30 - 16.15: Visit Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake, the heart of city.

16.15 - 17.15: You'll have around 1 hour to walk around the Old Quarter. You'll drive back to your hotel. You'll spend the night in Hanoi.

Day 3: Hanoi/Ha Long (B, L, D, G)

8.30: You'll leave for Ha Long Bay, one of the most spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Areas and the world's largest marine limestone "karst" landscape.

10.00: You'll take a short break at Hong Ngoc Embroidery workshop.

10.30 - 12.00: You'll continue driving to Ha Long Bay.

12.00: You'll board your boat, a wooden junk built from the model of the old Vietnamese court vessels. It will take you first to the World Heritage area where you'll visit Amazing Cave and a famous beach in Ha Long Bay. You'll be able to swim, fish, climb a hill for an overview of the Bay's remarkable seascape. All your meals will be provided on board, usually based on fresh seafood.

You'll spend the night on the boat.

If you don't like seafood during this trip, please let us know what you like so we can arrange for you.

Day 4: Ha Long/Hanoi/Hue (B, L, G)

7.30: You'll have western breakfast on boat.

8.00 - 8.30: You'll venture into some of the sea level caves in a small sampan.

8.30 - 11.45: You'll spend the morning cruising Ha Long Bay, followed by lunch just before docking to the harbour.

You'll then be escorted to the airport for your flight to Hue. When you arrive, you'll be picked up to your hotel.

You'll spend the night in Hue.

Day 5: Hue (B, L, G)

7.30 - 8.30: Breakfast at your hotel

8.30 - 10.00: You'll be taken by car to visit Thien Mu Pagoda, a tranquil pagoda in the banks of the Perfume River.

10.00 - 12.00: Take a cruise along the Perfume River to the Royal Tombs of Minh Mang, the most majestic emperor and a staunch follower of Confucianism with many wives, concubines and a small army of children. Planned by the Emperor and built shortly after his death in formal Chinese style, it痴 opulent and exotic, and a good example of classic Sino-Vietnamese architecture.

12.00 - 13.30: Drive back to Hue for lunch at a typical Vietnamese restaurant.

13.30 - 16.45: In the afternoon, you'll drive to visit Royal Tu Duc tomb, the "poet Emperor", is set in an elegant garden with a magnificent lake and pavilion complex. The simplest of the actual tomb (a monument - he was buried elsewhere to thwart grave robbers) is at odds with the lavish opulence of his reign. You'll then be picked up to visit the Royal Khai Dinh tomb is an unprepossessing concrete construction on the side of a wide valley. Its interest lies in the uneasy combination of Vietnamese and European features, the use of fragments of ceramics and glass for decoration, and the striking views from the courtyard in front of the mausoleum.

16.45 - 17.30: The last famous site in your programme will be Tu Hieu pagoda, which is one of the most famous pagodas in Hue.

Day 6: Hue/Hoi An (B, L, G)

7.30 - 8.30: Breakfast at your hotel, you'll then be picked up to travel to Hoi An.

8.30 - 12.00: You値l drive to Lang Co Beach and the lagoon far below. You'll then cross the high mountain pass of Hai Van with excellent view to see Danang spread out.

12.00 - 14.00: You値l have lunch at local restaurant and have a brief to visit Cham museum, a remarkable Hindu statuary.

14.00 - 15.45: Driver and guide will take you to visit Marble Mountain, Stone Carving village where you can admire the stone products of local people and Non Nuoc Beach.

15.45 - 17.30: You'll continue driving to Hoi An and have a visit  Hoi An Town, and enjoy its considerable significance in the history of Vietnamtown.

You値l spend the night in Hoi An.

Day 7: Hoi An/My Son/Ho Chi Minh City (B, L, G)

8.00 - 8.30: Breakfast at your hotel

8.30 - 11.15: Drive to visit the World Heritage My Son Sanctuary, the guide will show you the remains of the remarkable brick towers, and explain their origins and purpose.

11.15 - 12.00: You'll travel to Danang for lunch then take a flight to Ho Chi Minh City. You'll spend the night in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 8: Ho Chi Minh City tour (B, L, G)

8.30: Your car and driver will come to take you for your Ho Chi Minh City tour

8.30 - 10.30: You'll be driven to visit History Museum, an exhibition of the 5th century Oc Eo civilisation.

10.30 - 12.00: You'll visit the Museum of War Remnants provides a very partial, but riveting, perspective of the American War

12.00 - 13.15: Lunch will be served at the local restaurant

13.15 - 14.00: You'll visit Centre Post Office with colonial building and the Cathedral Church.

14.00 - 14.45: Drive to visit the Jade Emperor Temple. It's one of the best Taoist temples in Vietnam

14.45 - 17.00: You'll have approximately two hour to visit the Ben Thanh market, one of the liveliest areas of Ho Chi Minh City and a visit to lacquer workshop.

You'll spend the night in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 9: Ho Chi Minh City/Vinh Long (B, L, G)

8.30 - 10.30: Drive to Vinh Long, a city famous by the Mekong River and floating market

10.30 - 15.30: You値l cruise to visit Cai Be floating market, fruit orchards, a traditional family-run brick kiln, and drop in to look at some traditional cottage industries - a workshop making the huge coffins unique to the Mekong is particularly interesting. You'll have a lunch at one of the local family and have a shot show of traditional music in Mekong Delta which is operated by the local people.

15.30 - 16.00: You'll have time to wonder around the fruit market to buy some kind of famoust tropical fruit such as banana, pomelo, dragon fruit, mangostin and so on.

16.00 - 18.00: You値l return to Ho Chi Minh City. You'll spend the night in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 10: Ho Chi Minh City/Siem Reap (B, L, G)

In the morning, you'll take the flight to Siem Reap. On arrival at Siem Reap airport, you'll be picked up by our driver to check in your hotel. You'll then visit the Temple complex, of which Ankor Wat is a key element. You'll begin with a visit to Ankor Thom, starting with the Bayon, a bizarre structure of several architectural changes reflecting a switch from Hinduism (the foundations) to Buddhism (the superstructure). Your next visit will be to the Elephant and Leper King Terraces followed by the Baphoun Temple, which is now nearing the end of an eight-year multi-million dollar restoration programme. Afternoon visits to some of the outer sites including Takeo, a five-tiered pyramid, Sras Srang Lake and landing terrace and Prasat Kravan (also known as the Cardomom Sanctuary). Overnight in Siem Riep.

Day 11: Siem Reap (B, L, D, G)

A full day to explore the grand circuit with visits to Pre Rup and East Mebon,  both built in the tenth century, Ta Som, an unrestored temple, and Neak Pean, a Himalayan-style lake and sanctuary. In the afternoon, you'll explore Angkor Wat itself, the largest, and for most people, the most impressive temple in the complex after which you can watch the sunset from the top of Phnom Bakheng Hill. You'll spend the night in Siem Riep.

Day 12: Siem Reap departure (B, G)

After breakfast, you値l be driven to Siem Reap River and Wat Athovea. There, you値l embark for a boat trip on Tonle Sap Lake, a natural reservoir that partly controls the level of floods in the Mekong Delta, and visit a floating fishing village en-route. You値l return to your hotel for checkout and lunch, and have free time in the afternoon until your car returns to pick you up for your departure flight.

Prices per person in US$: 

Valid until December 31, 2009

Surcharge for peak season of hotels are not inclusive in the prices above.

Contact Us for more details

Prices include:

• Breakfast and accommodation sharing a twin or double room.

• One way domestic flight tickets in Vietnam: Hanoi - Hue, Danang - Ho Chi Minh City, including domestic airport taxes.

• International flight tickets: Ho Chi Minh City - Siem Reap, excluding airport tax.

• Boats cruise as programme.

• Travel by private, air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced, safe driver.

• English-speaking guides as indicated in the itinerary

• Where necessary, entry fees for all visits as mentioned in the programme.

• Lunches and dinners, as specified, in the best local restaurants and full board on the boat in Ha Long Bay.

• Government taxes

Price do not include:

• Other international flight tickets and airport tax.

• Visas.

• Dinners except as specified above.

• Drinks, gratuities and personal expenses.

• Insurance.

Hotel list for Five Stars standard

• Hanoi: Nikko Hotel (***** overlooking the Thuyen Quang, indoor swimming pool) or similar

• Hue: Saigon Morin Hotel (**** luxury colonial hotel, overlooking the perfume river, Deluxe room) or similar

• Hoi An: Life Resot (**** colonial style) or similar

• Ho Chi Minh City: Duxton Hotel (**** colonial and historic building in the city centre) or similar

• Siem Reap: Sofitel Royal Angkor (***** closest to the Angkor Wat Temple complex) or similar

Hotel list for Four Stars standard

• Hanoi: Sunway Hotel (**** near the city centre) or similar

• Hue: Huong Giang Hotel (**** overlooking the Perfume River, Superior Riverview) or similar

• Hoi An: River Beach Hotel and Resort (**** on the China Beach, Superior) or similar

• Ho Chi Minh City: Continental Hotel (**** colonial building in the city centre) or similar

• Siem Reap: Prince D'Angkor Hotel (**** city centre) or similar

Hotel list for Three Stars standard

• Hanoi: Army hotel (*** city centre with swimming pool) or similar

• Hue: Heritage Hotel (*** newly opened in the city centre) or similar

• Hoi An: Lotus Hotel (*** with swimming pool, 2km from town centre) or similar

• Ho Chi Minh City: Chancery Hotel (*** city centre) or similar

• Siem Reap: Lotus Angkor Hotel (*** city centre) or similar

Hotel list for Two Stars standard

• Hanoi: Nam Hai Hotel (** in the Old Quarter) or similar

• Hue: Green Bamboo Hotel (** local standard in the city centre) or similar

• Hoi An: Pho Hoi Riverside Resort (*** near the Old Quarter) or similar

• Ho Chi Minh City: Le Le Hotel (*** city centre) or similar

• Siem Reap: Seaside Hotel (** city centre) or similar