Day 1: Arrival in Hanoi, Airport pick-up
Welcome to join in this Vietnam and Cambodia tour! In the following 12 days, you will follow us to explore the natural scenery, the history and culture, as well as the conditions and customs of these 2 countries and have a basic understanding of Southeast Asia.
Upon your arrival, your tour guide and driver will pick you up at the airport and then transfer you to the well-selected hotel and help you check in. For the rest of the day, you can either relax at the hotel to adjust to the time difference or check out Hanoi's lively and famous night market, the Old Quarter, where you could taste the authentic local snacks, like rice cakes, egg coffee, Vietnam pho and etc.
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Day 2: Hanoi full day highlights
After breakfast today, we will first head to the Ba Dinh Square, which is an important place to hold festival activities in the heart of Vietnam. Around the Square sit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Stilt House, and the Presidential Palace, through which you will learn about the life and history of president Ho Chi Minh, a national hero in the eyes of Vietnamese. Walk about 2 minutes and you will come to the One Pillar Pagoda, a unique building looking like a blooming lotus. Afterwards, we will come to the Temple of Literature, which is Vietnam's former Imperial Academy and Vietnam's first public university. An authentic Vietnamese lunch will be arranged at a local famous restaurant for you today. In the afternoon, we'll first take a stroll along the West Lake, the most beautiful scenic area in Hanoi and then visit the Tran Quoc Buddhist Pagoda, one of the oldest temples in Hanoi with a history of over 1,500 years. Inside the temple stands a giant storax tree which was given to President Ho Chi Minh by Indian President Prasat during his visit to Vietnam in 1959. After nightfall, your guide will take you to enjoy the local famous Water Puppet Show, which is very special and performed on the water. Afterwards, you will be escorted back to the hotel. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
Water Puppet Show
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Day 3: Private drive to Halong Bay, Halong Bay cruise tour
Today your guide will take you on a classic tour of Vietnam. After breakfast, we will drive for about 2.5 hours through the beautiful Red River Delta to Halong Bay. Surrounded by mountains and water, it is a wonderful place to relax and enjoy the natural landscape. Upon arrival, the staff of the cruise company will greet you at the dock and assist you with boarding. At noon, you will enjoy a hearty lunch while admiring the wonderful scenery. You will indulge in the fantasy of the natural view. The activities arranged by the cruise company in the afternoon will make your sea journey rich and enjoyable. You will see thousands of limestone islands in the sea, and have a chance to experience kayaking or swimming. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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Day 4: Half day cruise, Fly 1.5h to Da Nang, Drive 1.5h to Hoi An
Hoi An Ancient Town A wonderful day begins. In the morning, you can take part in the tai-chi class with the crew on the sundeck, or appreciate the sea sunrise while enjoying the delicious local coffee or tea. Then following the tour guide, you will visit some island villages and stunning sea caves. The warm hospitality of the local villagers and the unique island scenery will leave you an unforgettable memory. You will be greeted with the local wild fruit and the wine made from snakes and then be guided to step inside a local farmyard and see what's life really like in the thatched huts. Afterwards, return to the cruise to enjoy the yummy brunch. After the meal, check out of the cruise and you will find your guide and driver waiting for you at the shore and then escort you to the Hanoi Airport for your flight to Da Nang. Upon arrival, your Da Nang local guide and driver will pick you up and transfer you to the hotel in Hoi An. Meals: Brunch
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Day 5: Full day sightseeing in Hoi An
Today your guide will take you to explore Hoi An Ancient Town, Vietnam's earliest Chinatown. As early as the 17th century, there were many Chinese and Japanese settled and traded here, so the buildings here are full of Chinese and Japanese elements. Strolling through the ancient and bustling Hoi An Town, you will visit the famous local historical sites like the Japanese Covered Bridge, the Fujian Assembly Hall of Chinese and the Chua Ong Pagoda one by one. In the afternoon, a boat tour will be arranged for you to the nearby islands to visit the local traditional lantern and craftwork factory. At night, the ancient city of Hoi An is bustling and brightly lit. You can experience different lifes in different blocks, such as sampling the local wines in the Bar Block, buying some souvenirs in the Arts and Crafts Block or tasting the local snacks in the Street Food Block. You can have a leisurely exploration on your own. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
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Day 6: Fly 1.5h to Can Tho
After a delicious breakfast, you will have some free time to stroll in the Hoi An Ancient Town. Then according to the flight time, your guide and driver will pick you up from the hotel and then transfer you to Da Nang airport for your flight to Can Tho, which is the fourth largest city in Vietnam, and the largest city in the Mekong Delta. Upon arrival, your local guide and driver will welcome you at the exit and then transfer you to the hotel and help you check in. Meals: Breakfast
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Day 7: Visit Cai Rang floating market, Drive 3.5h to Ho Chi Minh City
Today your guide will take you to the Cai Rang floating market to experience the real life of the Mekong people. The hard-working locals start their day at around 3:00 am, so you will have to get up very early today in order not to miss the peak hours from 5:00 to 7:00. At the appointed time, you will be picked up from the hotel and then take a boat to the Cai Rang floating market. You can see and enjoy many things here, such as the freshest local fruits, dried food, coconut candy, fish sauce, as well as many daily necessities. Here you will also find a unique phenomenon. At the bow of each boat stands a tall pole on which hangs different fruit and vegetables. Believe you've guessed this is the way how the merchants make people know what they're selling. How clever they are! Sailing on the crooked river in a small boat, you will also have a chance to visit some small factories of rice paper and coconut artworks. After that, we will return to the hotel to check out and drive for around 3.5 hours to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival, check in at the hotel and have some rest. In the afternoon, your guide will take you to visit the Reunification Palace as well as the residence and working office of the President of the Republic of Vietnam, which are located in the city center. Meals: Breakfast
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Day 8: Ho Chi Minh city highlights
Ho Chi Minh City is the largest and busiest city in Vietnam. Today your tour guide will take you to learn more about its history and development. First, we will drive to the Cu Chi Tunnels, which is a 250-kilometer (155 miles) evacuation tunnel built by the Viet Cong soldiers during the Vietnam War in order to avoid bombing. There are some places necessary for daily life such as kitchen, living room, meeting room, hospital, grain depot and etc. During the daytime, the soldiers and the local people lived in these dark, small, and damp tunnels. Only when night falls can they climb out of the hidden tunnels and get some fresh air. In order to win the Vietnam War, the Vietnamese sacrificed a lot. After finishing the visit, we will get back to the downtown area to have lunch. In the afternoon, you will be taken to the War Remnants Museum, where you will see many pictures and documents related to the Vietnam War as well as some weapons used by the US in the War. The pictures show the cruelty of the war and will make all visitors understand the preciousness of peace. Then your guide will take you to visit the Central Post Office and the Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, 2 typical French-style architecture built during the French colonial period. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Cu Chi Tunnels
War Remnants Museum
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Day 9: Fly 1.5h to Siem Reap, Take a boat to explore Tonle Sap Lake
Today, you will be escorted to the airport to take the flight to Siem Reap. Upon arrival, your local guide and driver will pick you up at the exit and then transfer you to the hotel. In the afternoon, you will be accompanied to take a boat trip on the Tonle Sap Lake to experience the local folk customs and rural life. When sailing on the lake, you will see the floating house, the small vegetable garden in front of the house, and the kids sitting in a basin and playing in the water, which will be quite interesting. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
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Day 10: Angkor Wat Complex full day sightseeing
Sunrise is one of the unmissable sights at Angkor Wat. Today, you need to get up early to enjoy the beautiful sunrise. Always have your camera ready to capture the wonderful scenes. After that, come back to the hotel to have breakfast. Then your guide will take you to visit the ancient and mysterious Angkor Wat, which is the largest temple and the earliest Khmer-style building in the world. Upon arrival, you will enter Angkor Thom through the South Gate and visit the city's distinguished temples and buildings, such as Bayon Temple, Baphuon Temple, Terrace of Elephants, and Terrace of the Leper King. There are 54 pagodas in Bayon Temple. Each pagoda is engraved with 3-meter (9.8 feet) high smiling Buddha faces, which is also known as the "Khmer Smile". After leaving the city from the Victory Gate, we will continue to Ta Keo, which is a temple with almost no carvings. Here, we can roughly understand the steps and processes of ancient people to build a tower. You can also climb to the top to see the whole view of the Angkor King City. After that, your guide will take you on a tour to Phnom Bakheng to enjoy the most beautiful sunset views. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
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Day 11: Angkor Wat Highlight Temples
After breakfast, your guide will take you to visit Preah Khan, also known as Sacred Sword Temple, which was built by King Jayavarman VII in the 12th century in memory of his father. The whole building was decorated with Apsala sculptures that you can take a closer look at. After that, head to Neak Pean, which was considered a hospital to treat people by five ponds full of different herbs. It was said that any illness, no matter physical or mental, can be cured by soaking in the pond for a while. It is also the reason why many people come here to find their inner peace nowadays. Afterwrads, you will visit Ta Som and Pre Rup. After lunch, we will head to Banteay Srei Temple, which is one of the most important buildings in Angkor dedicated to Shiva. Tonight, you will enjoy the Apsara Dinner Show as your farewell dinner. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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Day 12: Departure from Siem Reap
According to your international flight time, your guide and driver will pick you up from the hotel and then take you to the airport for your flight to the next destination. Wish you a nice journey. Meals: Breakfast
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