Vietnam & Cambodia holiday 12 days

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

Highlights:  Stretch out the tour interest to fascinating destinations, from the north to the south of Vietnam and further beyond its land to the Kingdom of Cambodia. You'll soak in a great deal of activities, experience grand vista and acquire various tradition and custom. Having a city tour in Hanoi, you'll leave for Ha Long Bay then head for Hue, drop in Hoi An, further to the South to visit the Mekong Delta before proceeding to Siem Reap for a new discovery.

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 good local restaurant.

You'll spend the night in Hanoi.

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

9.30 - 10.30: You’ll visit Ba Dinh Square, where silent sentries guard the marble and Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum where Ho Chi Chi lies in state (closed on every Monday & Friday and October & November). You’ll see the simple cottage where Uncle Ho lived and worked. You’ll continue to visit the One Pillar Pagoda and hear the legend of its construction, born from the love of an emperor in the 11th Century.

10.30 - 11.00: You’ll drive to visit the serene Tran Quoc pagoda, the oldest in Hanoi, on the banks of Hanoi’s West Lake.

11.00 - 12.00: You’ll also call the Temple of Literature, built in 1070 and the dedicated to Confucius, it is a serene retreat from the busy streets outside and later become Vietnam’s first university.

12.00 - 13.30: Lunch at local restaurant

13.30 - 15.30: Visit the Ethnology Museum for an overview of Vietnam’s 54 distinct ethnic

15.30 - 16.15: Pass by Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake , also known as Lake of Restored Sword from the legend that surrounds it en-route to one of the city’s fascinating museums.   

16.15 - 17.15: You’ll then take to the streets by cycle ride tour of the Ancient Qurter of 36 streets District. This densely populated corner of the city was once a centre of commerce where goods were sold under the street name of a particular guild. Still a thriving community of sellers today, you’ll see streets name such as Sugar Street, Tin Street and Paper Street. Ancient homes and temples are interspersed with stores in this souvenir hunter’s paradise.

You’ll spend the night in Hanoi.

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

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 with sails, a wide transom and rectangular superstructure, that will take you first to the busy World Heritage area and then to some of the less well-known grottoes and caves. Weather permitting, 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.

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.

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 and the Royal Khai Dinh tomb is an unprepossessing concrete construction on the side of a wide valley.

In the evening, you'll sit down for dinner in the pleasant surroundings and a comfortable atmosphere of another of the garden houses. The garden houses are a unique feature of Hue. The houses are traditional, privately owned, and set in attractive formal gardens. 

You'll spend the night 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’ll 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’ll 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’ll 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 return to Hoi An. Rest of day will be free perhaps to stroll around the Old Quarter of relax on the beach. You’ll spend the night in Hoi An.

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: You'll be driven to visit the Jade Emperor Temple. It’s one of the best Taoist temples in Vietnam, with superb effigies, remarkable carved panels of the descent to Hell and somewhat incongruous terrapin and tortoise sanctuaries.

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, is packed with every conceivable commodity and a visit to lacquer workshop to see the complex processes and meticulous workmanship involved in this traditional Vietnamese craft product. End of your services at the hotel. 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’ll 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’ll 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’ll be driven to Siem Reap River and Wat Athovea. There, you’ll 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’ll 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, 2011

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

Hotel list for Five Stars standard 

• Hanoi: Melia Hotel (***** modern high-rise building in one of Hanoi’s leafy boulevards in the city centre, uninspiring bland architecture, but high-quality facilities, restaurants, and service, ten-minute stroll from the city centre, Deluxe room)

• Hue: Imperial Hotel (***** in the heart of city centre) or similar

• Hoi An: Palm Garden Beach Resort (**** new villa and bungalow style resort on a 5ha site on the northern section of Cua Dai Beach, Deluxe Ocean View)

• Ho Chi Minh City: Majestic hotel (***** a charming colonial hotel in the center of Ho Chi Minh City, Colonial room) or similar

• Siem Reap: Angkor Palace Resort (***** the first Cambodian-owned premier luxury five-star resort accommodation. Its design, décor and furnishing reflect the finest in Cambodian architecture befitting royalties and dignitaries, Deluxe room)
   

Hotel list for Four Stars standard

• Hanoi: Silk Path Hotel (**** in the Old Quarter, Deluxe room) or similar

• Hue: Huong Giang Hotel (**** on the bank of the Perfume River, Deluxe room)

• Hoi An: Hoi An Trails Resort and Spa (**** close the Cua Dai Beach) or similar

• Ho Chi Minh City: Rex hotel (**** in the heart of city) or similar

• Siem Reap: Tara Angkor Hotel (**** conveniently located on the road to Angkor only 5km from the entrance, 15 minutes from the airport and a short ride to the centre of town, Superior room)

Hotel list for Three Stars standard

• Hanoi: Flower hotel (*** close Old Quarter) or similar

• Hue:  Romance Hotel (**** on the bank of the Perfume River) or similar

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

• Ho Chi Minh City: Elios hotel (*** in the city centre) or similar

• Phnom Penh: Sunway Hotel (**** within the city's "green belt" - an upscale district of prestigious addresses, affording our guests an unparalleled view of the city)

• Siem Reap: Casa Angkor Hotel (*** ideally located right in the heart of city, close to the world famous Angkor Wat temples and all others great temples)

Hotel list for Two Stars standard 

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

• Hue: Canary Hotel (** city centre, local standard) or similar

• Hoi An: Lotus resort (*** near the Old Quarter) or similar

• Ho Chi Minh City: Duc Vuong Hotel (** in the city centre) or similar

• Siem Reap: Angkor Way Hotel (*** Conveniently located in lush tropical setting within easy reach of Siem Reap city centre)

Creating Unique Touring Experiences with Gia Linh Travel
All the touring itineraries on this website have been carefully crafted by our in-country management teams and represent a series of experiences we can certainly recommend. However, we understand that every travel experience should be as unique and individual as each traveler. Our consultants are waiting to hear from you so that we can tailor or custom design a tour to your individual specifications.