Vietnam & Cambodia, from Halong Bay to Angkor temples

Hanoi arrival / visits ( -) Flight arrival ?

Arrival at Hanoi airport. Welcome and reception by our guide.

Capital of unified Vietnam, Hanoi has retained the quaint charm of the French colonial era.

The face of Hanoi has not changed much for decades. It is undoubtedly the most charming city in Vietnam with all its authenticity, large shaded avenues, numerous lakes, and well-maintained gardens. Transfer and check-in at the hotel.

Dinner at leisure. Overnight in Hanoi

Hanoi / visits and walks (B,L)

After breakfast,
Meet at 08:30 with the team for a day of visits and walks in Hanoi:

We will begin the guided tours of the capital with the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex which dominates Ba Dinh Square, and his stilt house to better understand the life of a great man whose life was very modest.

The One Pillar Pagoda is famous for its original construction born from a legend dating back to the 11th century.

Then visit the Temple of Literature dedicated to Confucius and his disciples. This complex was the first Vietnamese University.

Lunch at a restaurant in Hanoi city

In the afternoon, we will visit the Tran Quoc pagoda (Buddhism) and the Quan Thanh (Taoism)

At the end of the day, a walk to the Long Bien Bridge (or called Paul Doumer bridge during the French era) and a look at the "Train Street" area if it is allowed on the day of the visit

Dinner at leisure and overnight in Hanoi

Hanoi - Halong Bay / cruise (B,L,D) and overnight on Junk

After breakfast.
Departure for Halong Bay, made famous by the film "Indochine". Its landscape is marked by the 1969 karst islands which earned the site a place on the World Heritage list. In Vietnam, it is a must-see.

If Hanoi was Thang Long, "Ascending Dragon", Halong Bay is "Descending Dragon", and its unreal chaos of rocky peaks, the fruit of the frolics of this beast, mistress of the waters. The peaks cutting the horizon into bluish teeth or the submerged mountains from which only the summits emerge, the caves and caverns where the waters disappear, the play of mists and clouds, the inland seas create a mysterious and ghostly atmosphere. The most singular thing is that these strangely shaped hills seem to float on the surface of the water, so much their base is eroded and everywhere reigns the silence of this calm sea, sometimes broken by the cry of a seabird.

You embark on a boat for a cruise in this incredible setting. Several stops and visits, including one by sampan (traditional boat), will punctuate your itinerary. Boarding a traditional junk/boat. Check into your cabins.

Navigation in Halong Bay which extends over more than 1,500 km² and has nearly 3000 islands and islets. It is undoubtedly one of the most sumptuous landscapes in Asia.

Lunch on board

Here you cross landscapes where the film "Indochine" with Catherine Deneuve was shot. There are superb islets: the Teapot, the Devil's Face...

Visit one of the most beautiful natural caves in Halong Bay.
Return on board. Superb panorama of the bay at sunset.
Dinner on board the junk/boat. Overnight on board.

To end the day and if time permits, a night fishing session will be organized.

NOTE: The itinerary and visits to Halong Bay may be modified according to the confirmed junk's program, tide, and weather.

Halong Bay / cruise - Hoa Lu (B,L)

Breakfast on board the Junk.
Sunrise over Halong Bay, as the silhouette of the limestone peaks dotting the waters is revealed.
Morning Tai Chi session on the boat deck (optional and depending on your cruise program). Continuation of the bay visit. Brunch on board.

Then, you will take the road to Hoa Lu, the first capital of the country from 968 to 1009, under the reign of the Dinh dynasty. Sheltered by numerous rocky peaks, the site was ideal for protecting the capital from Chinese invaders.

En route, visit the Pho Minh pagoda and a local market.

The Pho Minh pagoda is located in Tuc Mac village, 4 km north of Nam Dinh city and 94 km south of Hanoi. The pagoda was built when the Ly dynasty was still in power in Vietnam, but was expanded in 1262 and later by the Tran kings. Dinner at leisure and overnight at the hotel.

Hoa Lu / visits and walk – Vinh (B,L)

After breakfast
Departure to visit the ancient capital of Hoa Lu with the 2 temples dedicated to the kings of the 2 Dinh and Lê dynasties.
A beautiful sampan ride on the preserved site of Thung Nham, passing through the caves under the limestone mountain, visit the Galaxy cave.
Lunch at a local restaurant
On the way to Vinh, following national road no.1, and Vinh is Ho Chi Minh's hometown. Visit Ho Chi Minh Square before check-in. Dinner at leisure and overnight in Vinh

Vinh - Dong Hoi - Phong Nha caves / visits (B,L)

After breakfast.
Departure for Phong Nha, still following national road 01 and part of the Ho Chi Minh trail.

Photo stops and visits along the way.

Quang Binh province is home to the famous Phong Nha–Ke Bang National Park, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2003.

Arrival in Phong Nha around noon, lunch at the restaurant.
And then we embark for a cruise on the river towards one of Vietnam's most famous beautiful caves, Phong Nha cave. Formed more than 250 million years ago, it has been recognized by UNESCO as a world natural heritage site.
Return to Quang Binh for the night at the hotel.

Phong Nha - 17th Parallel - Hue / visits (B,L)

After breakfast.
We continue to follow National Highway 1 to Hue. We cross a significant place of remembrance: the bridge of the 17th parallel. In 1954, after the defeat of Dien Bien Phu, the Geneva Accords validated the partition of Vietnam and made the Ben Hai River the separation zone between Ho Chi Minh's Vietnam in the north and South Vietnam presided over by Bao Dai. They provided for the withdrawal of French troops. The agreement would not be signed by either South Vietnam or the Americans. We know what followed: this demarcation line, which was supposed to be temporary, would last for 20 years, until the final outcome in 1975.  

We arrive in Hue to go back in time and history, visit the Citadel, and inside it, the Imperial City, and further inside, the Forbidden Purple City... Sumptuous palaces, dozens of magnificently crafted gates... Although the complex is still undergoing renovation due to the extensive damage caused by wars, it still magnificently testifies to the splendor of An Nam!
We will extend our discovery with a short one-hour cruise on the Perfume River and dock at the Thien Mu Pagoda.

Return to the city for lunch at a typical restaurant and then discover the city's largest covered market (Cho Dong Ba). Dinner at leisure. Overnight in Hue.

Hue / visits - Hai Van Pass - Hoi An (B,L)

After breakfast at the hotel.
We set off to discover a village specializing in the family production of incense sticks and conical hats. We continue our journey to the tomb of Emperor Tu Duc. It is perhaps the best known of the royal mausoleums but also the most impressive... The emperor himself designed it and... lived there before supposedly being buried there (The exact location of his burial is unknown).

Let's get back on the road south towards Hoi An, passing through the Hai Van Pass. Its reputation is far from undeserved: you will discover a breathtaking panorama of the entire Da Nang coastline. Da Nang where we will make a detour to admire the art pieces of the Cham culture at the museum dedicated to it. We then continue to Hoi An.

Arrival in Hoi An at the end of the day.

Among one of the oldest ports and trading posts in Southeast Asia, Hoi An has become a charming destination in Central Vietnam. Located on the Thu Bon River, the city enjoys the calm and tranquility of the place to flourish and thrive to the rhythm of a rich local handicraft.
Dinner at leisure and overnight in Hoi An.

Hoi An / visits and walks (B,L)

Breakfast.
Departure by bike to Tra Que village, where renowned aromatic herbs are cultivated, you will appreciate them during your lunch with a local family where you will taste 6 specialties of Central Vietnam including Tam Huu, an assortment of shrimp, pork and of course aromatic herbs! Foot massage (10 minutes).

Lunch with a local family

In the afternoon, visit the ancient city of Hoi An which is one of the wonders of Vietnam, 30 km south of Da Nang with more than 800 buildings of historical interest. During the visit to Hoi An, we will note the perfect state of preservation of many houses, the most famous of which on Nguyen Street is Tan Ky House at No. 101. Another point of interest in Hoi An: the Chinese sanctuaries and in the heart of the city, a covered Japanese bridge, dating from 1593, spans the river.

Free time. Dinner at leisure. Walk in the night market. Overnight at the hotel.

Hoi An - Da Nang flight to Saigon / visits (B,L) Flight around 08:00

After breakfast.
Free time and then transfer to Da Nang airport for the flight to Saigon.

Meet and greet by the guide and driver upon your arrival at Saigon airport. Transfer to your downtown hotel to drop off your luggage.

You begin your discovery of Saigon city with an immersion in the Chinese quarter. Discovery of its old quarters, its Binh Tay wholesale market (Cho Lon), the Thien Hau Temple "the celestial lady". Built by Cantonese immigrants in the early 19th century, this pagoda honors the goddess of the sea and is considered the most beautiful pagoda in the city.

Return to the city center to visit the colonial quarter with charming colonial buildings: Notre Dame Cathedral (which was built between 1877 and 1883 and the stones used for its construction were imported directly from France), the city hall, the municipal theater (visits from outside), the Central Post Office, the largest post office in Vietnam, built by Gustave Eiffel, which recalls the French presence at the end of the 19th century. These are the best examples of French colonial architecture in Saigon.
Visit the lacquer factory if you are interested
Lunch at a local restaurant. Dinner at leisure. Overnight in Saigon

Saigon - Cai Be (Mekong) - Sadec - Can Tho (B,L)

After breakfast.
Meeting at 08:00 with the team for departure to the Mekong.
Arrival in Cai Be, embark on a private sampan for excursions in the arroyos and crossing the Cai Be floating market. Visit local productions: puffed rice candy and caramel candy...

Lunch with a local family.
Continuation of the boat cruise towards Vinh Long with fruit tasting on board.

Disembark in Vinh Long and drive to visit the city of Sadec, known as the city of Madame Marguerite DURAS. You will visit the old house of Huynh Thuy Le. The house was the residence of Mr. Huynh Thuy Le's family, the first lover of the French writer Marguerite Duras. This love later became the memoirs on which Marguerite Duras wrote the famous novel "L'Amant" published in 1984 (translated into 40 languages). Then, on the way to Can Tho. Free dinner and overnight in Can Tho.

Can Tho / Floating Market - Long Xuyen - Chau Doc / Visits (B,L)

Breakfast at the hotel.
Departure by private car and then private boat to see the most typical floating market of the Mekong – Cai Rang market. Located 5km from the center of Can Tho city, Cai Rang is a wholesale market with a myriad of boats and sampans loaded with watermelons, mangoes, bananas, papayas, pineapples, onions, etc. The main items sold there are agricultural products and regional specialties. Many producers and farmers come here to sell their harvest to wholesalers. While the first boats arrive very early in the morning, Cai Rang market is in full swing a little later, around 7 or 8 am.

Then, continuation of the excursion to an ecological garden with exotic fruit trees from the South. Fruit tasting on site and then disembarkation at the edge of the local market of An Binh.

Resume the road to return to Chau Doc

Arrival in Chau Doc, you will make the main visits:
Ba Chua Xu Pagoda, Thoai Ngoc Hau Tomb and ascent of Nui Sam mountain.
Dinner and overnight in Chau Doc.
A meeting for Visa preparation at the border gate for the next day

Chau Doc - boat to Phnom Penh / visits (B) Fast boat 07:30

Breakfast at the hotel.
07:00 transfer to the pier to take the fast boat to Phnom Penh departing from Chau Doc.

A stop at the border gate to get a Visa (please prepare 35 USD / person) for entry Visa to Cambodia (This preparation is done the day before during the meeting at dinner with our team, and you submit your passports for advance application – just stick the Visa at the gate without the hassle of waiting too long)

Arrival in Phnom Penh around noon.
Welcome by the Cambodia team and transfer for visits.
Note that you must prepare a picnic lunch in advance to eat on board or a late free lunch upon arrival with the help of our local guide.

In the afternoon, we discover Phnom Penh, the languid Cambodian capital, and visit the National Museum, the Silver Pagoda, which is located within the grounds of the Royal Palace, and Vat Phnom Pagoda.

Free dinner and overnight at the hotel

Phnom Penh - Siem Reap by road (B)

Breakfast at the hotel.
You will take the road towards Siem Reap passing through Kompong Thom, 168 km from Phnom Penh, one of the 5 provinces bordering Tonlé Sap lake. On the way, you will visit Skun market, known as the spider market, then visit the temples of Kuha Nokor, Phum Prasat, and stone carving workshops.

Free lunch at a local restaurant en route

Crossing villages towards the pre-Angkorian temples of Sambo Prei Kuh, the ancient capital before Angkor.

The road continues to Siem Reap, 147 km away, through villages, rice plains, stopping at Kompong Kdei to visit an ancient archaeological bridge dating from the Angkorian era. Check-in at the hotel. Free dinner. Overnight at the hotel

Siem Reap / Visits to Angkor Wat & Thom temples (B,L)

Breakfast at the hotel.
In the morning, visit Angkor Thom (Great City) starting with the South Gate, the famous Bayon from the 12th & 13th century, Baphuon (11th C.) dedicated to Brahmanism, the Elephant Terrace, the Leper King Terrace, Phimean Akas (celestial palace).

In the afternoon, discover the wonderful temple of Angkor Wat, a world heritage site, and Phnom Bakheng (mountain temple). Free dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Siem Reap - Tonle Sap / Visits – Departure (B)

Breakfast at the hotel.
The morning is entirely dedicated to an excursion on Tonlé Sap lake, which is connected to the Mekong by a 100 km long channel.
We will take a boat on the waters of this lake, to meet the fishermen and the stilt-house floating village of Chongneas.
Then visit a workshop of the Chantier - Ecole d'artisans d'Angkor.
Free time and then transfer to the airport for your departure flight.

Those who wish to stay longer or make other extensions from this day can arrange it themselves or ask us for assistance on site.