Vietnam – Cambodia 15 days

ARRIVAL FLIGHT: GUEST’S TICKETS

Xin Chao! Welcome to Hanoi, Vietnam. Your private driver meets you at the airport and transfers you directly to your hotel in the city center. Check in and rest after the flight. If you feel up to it, step outside to explore nearby streets, cafés, and small shops around the hotel. This light walk helps you adjust to the local pace. In the evening, meet the group for a short welcome gathering. This is your first chance to connect with fellow travelers and review the journey ahead. 

Start early at Hoan Kiem Lake with a Tai Chi and aerobics session alongside local residents. Walk to a nearby café for banh mi and Vietnamese coffee or egg coffee. Continue exploring the city by vehicle and on foot. Visit B-52 Lake to learn about wartime history, then move on to Hoa Lo Prison for insight into Vietnam’s colonial and war periods. Throughout the day, stop at several neighborhoods to sample local street food, including noodles and traditional snacks. Visit Train Street to observe daily life along the railway corridor. End the day at Ta Hien Street with fresh Bia Hoi before returning to the hotel. 

Leave Hanoi in the morning by private vehicle and head west toward Pu Luong Nature Reserve. The drive passes villages, rice fields, and mountain roads as the landscape becomes more remote. Arrive around midday and check in to your lodge. After lunch, walk through working farmland and terraced rice fields to observe daily village life. Pass traditional stilt houses built for the local climate and terrain. Meet residents working in the fields and learn about seasonal farming routines. The afternoon walk follows quiet paths through the countryside, away from tourist routes. Return to the lodge before evening. 

After breakfast, begin a 4 km trek descending into a wide valley filled with rice terraces and vegetation. Walk along narrow paths used by local farmers. Reach Uoi Village at the base of a steep mountain and stop at a local home for tea and rest. Continue the journey by bicycle, riding flat rural paths toward Lan Village. Along the way, pass wooden houses, grazing animals, and small streams. The pace is relaxed with frequent stops. In the afternoon, return to the lodge area and transfer by private vehicle to Ninh Binh. Arrive in the evening and check in.

Use Ninh Binh as your base to explore the Tam Coc region. Start with a boat ride along the river, gliding beneath limestone cliffs and through natural caves while rice fields stretch along the banks. After disembarking, visit nearby temples and pagodas set among karst formations. Continue by bicycle, riding through villages and farmland to observe rural life. Lunch is served at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, climb Mua Cave, ascending around 500 stone steps to reach a viewpoint overlooking the entire valley and river system. Spend time at the summit before descending. Return to the hotel in the late afternoon.

Depart Ninh Binh in the morning and travel by road to the coast. Board your private cruise and sail toward Lan Ha Bay, known for calmer waters and fewer boats. Lunch is served onboard while limestone islands pass by. During the afternoon, stop at quiet areas for kayaking and swimming near sheltered beaches. Continue cruising through narrow channels before anchoring for the night. Enjoy dinner onboard as the sun sets over the water.

Wake early for sunrise Tai Chi on the deck. Enjoy breakfast while the boat continues cruising through the bay. Visit Viet Hai fishing village on Cat Ba Island, walking or cycling through the village to observe daily island life. Return to the boat and sail back to port. Disembark and transfer by road to Hanoi Airport. Take a short domestic flight to Da Nang. On arrival, meet your driver and continue by private transfer to Hoi An. Check in at the hotel and rest after the travel day. 

Explore the countryside surrounding Hoi An by bicycle. Ride along flat village roads bordered by rice fields and waterways. Cross a floating bridge and visit a local workshop to learn how basket boats are made. Take a short ride in a basket boat through palm-lined channels. Continue cycling to a traditional countryside home, where you learn about rural family life and farming practices. The pace is slow, with frequent stops and minimal distance covered. Return to Hoi An in the afternoon. The evening is free to relax or explore town. 

Spend the day exploring Hoi An at your own pace. Walk through the UNESCO-listed Old Town, visiting preserved merchant houses, assembly halls, and riverside streets. Stop at the Japanese Covered Bridge and explore nearby markets and cafés. Learn about the city’s trading history shaped by Chinese and Japanese merchants. Use the afternoon for shopping, tailoring, or resting. As evening falls, walk along the river as hundreds of lanterns light up the streets and waterways. Dinner is on your own.

Fly from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City in the morning. Travel by road to the Cu Chi Tunnels, located northwest of the city. Explore the underground network used during the Vietnam War. Enter hidden entrances, see booby traps, storage areas, and living quarters. Crawl through a short tunnel section to understand underground conditions. After the visit, return to Ho Chi Minh City. The afternoon is free to explore central districts or rest at the hotel. 

Depart Ho Chi Minh City by road toward the Mekong Delta. Board a boat and cruise along rivers and narrow canals. Observe fishing boats and coconut cargo vessels moving through the waterways. Walk through a coconut workshop to see processing steps from husk removal to candy production. Taste freshly made coconut candy. Continue exploring nearby villages by tuk-tuk, passing farmland and homes. Lunch features regional Delta dishes. In the afternoon, return by road to Ho Chi Minh City.

Fly from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap. Complete immigration and receive your Cambodia entry stamp. Meet your driver and transfer to your hotel. Check in and rest. The remainder of the day is free. You can explore local markets, cafés, or relax at the hotel. In the evening, visit Pub Street for food and nightlife if you wish.

It’s temple time and these magnificent temples are nothing short of jaw-dropping. Some are hidden deep in the jungle, some are crumbling into ruin, and others look surprisingly brand new! After a jam-packed morning visiting temples (including the iconic Bayon Temple, better known as the “smiley face” temple) we’ll break for a picnic lunch in the shade. Then, it’s time for Cambodia’s star attraction: Angkor Wat! This kick-ass temple was built in the early 12th century and was mysteriously abandoned two centuries later. We’ll explore it from top-to-bottom, before heading over to Pre Rup temple for sunset. What a day!

After breakfast, depart Siem Reap by private vehicle toward Tonle Sap Lake. On arrival, board a local boat and cruise across the lake to observe daily life on the water. Pass floating houses, schools, and shops built to adapt to seasonal water levels. Learn how local families live, work, and travel entirely by boat during parts of the year. Spend time navigating through the floating village before returning to the pier late morning. Transfer back to Siem Reap around midday.

The afternoon is free. You may rest at the hotel, enjoy the pool, visit cafés, or explore local markets at your own pace. In the evening, regroup for a final group dinner in town to close the journey. 

With two full weeks of adventure behind us, we’ve finally come to the end of the road. Think of all the incredible things you’ve done, seen, and eaten, though! You’ve sailed through Ha Long Bay, slurped huge bowls of Pho, explored the temples of Angkor, and done it all with a group of incredible people who love travel as much as you do. Everybody will head off at different times today to catch their flights, so be sure to squeeze in some final goodbyes before you hit the road. Then, your airport transfer will arrive to drop you off before your flight for a worry-free departure. Until next time!