Best of Vietnam and Cambodia 20 Days, 19 Nights

Arrive in the capital city of Vietnam; Hanoi welcomes you with a smile.

After clearing immigration, proceed to the baggage reclaim area to collect your luggage. Your private tour guide and driver from Asia Dream Tours will be waiting for you outside the baggage claim/ custom area to transfer you in a private vehicle to the hotel in downtown.

Arrive at your hotel then check in and relax at your own leisure in Hanoi.

Overnight in Hanoi.

(Check in time is 14.00 – Early check in is upon availability)

Today, you are free at your own leisure to refresh yourself after the long flight to Hanoi. This afternoon, at around 17.00, we start our excellent street food walking tour in old quarter of Hanoi along the perimeter of the local market where dozens of street hawkers sell a staggering variety of produce from live seafood to exotic fruits and spices. Your expert English-speaking local guide will give you an insight into the intricacies and traditions of Vietnamese food culture including details on ingredients and historical backgrounds of popular northern dishes. We eat as we go, trying seasonal fruits…

Walking through the maze of bustling streets that make up Hanoi’s Old Quarter, we tempt the famous dishes of Hanoi such as Bun Cha Hanoi , Banh Cuon at a local eatery.

Continuing into the atmospheric heart of the Old Quarter, we wander past street stalls and quiet residential lanes where you can observe local life that has changed little since Hanoi was founded over 1000 years ago. Our next stopis at a local draft beer restaurant. We sit down with the Hanoi locals and sample various meats, vegetable together with some glass of cold beer.

Your local guide will then take you to one of Hanoi’s best kept secrets to taste top ten street foods in Hanoi is Banh My Hanoi. At the end of the tour, we will sample the famous Egg Coffee. This hard-to-find café is one of the few left in the narrow street inside the old quarter of Hanoi. Return to your hotel after the excursion or free at your own leisure to continue exploring the city.

Overnight in Hanoi.

The full day tour takes you around Hanoi’s highlights sites including the Ho Chi Minh Complex: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and his stilt house, Presidential Palace and the One Pillar Pagoda. You also have chance to visit historic University – The Temple of Literature, that dates back to the 11th century; learn about Buddhist practices in a serene lakeside pagoda. Visit the famous Ethnology Museum. Back to the Old Quarter to walk through the narrow streets that were famous for its specialized craft making guilds, the guild streets are named for their product or location and still bear such names nowadays.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Set in an idyllic valley, hemmed in by hills, the Mai Chau area is a world away from Hanoi’s hustle. The small town of Mai Chau itself is unappealing, but just outside the patchwork of rice fields rolls out, speckled by tiny Thai villages where visitors doss down for the night in traditional stilt houses and wake up to a rural soundtrack defined by gurgling irrigation streams and birdsong.

After breakfast you will be picked up again by your tour guide and driver, and taken on a four-hour scenic drive to Mai Chau through a spectacular mountain range. This is an authentic hill tribe region and a fantastic base for treks, local markets and villages. Arrive after mid-day, we check in and free for lunch.

Later in the afternoon, we will explore the surrounding villages on foot, meeting local people and learning about their lives raising crops and livestock. Tonight we enjoy dinner cooked and served by the local family. You can join a local traditional dance show performed by the White Thai people (optional). Return to the lodge for the night.

Overnight in Mai Chau.

After breakfast with a view, you can wander around the houses to glimpse the daily life of local people. They specialize in weaving brocade products and they’re happy to show visitors their skills. The village is operated as a community cooperative organized by the people themselves – one of many reasons why we are proud to bring visitors here.

Afterward, we will head to NinhBinh from Mai Chau. On arrival, check into your hotel and relax at your own leisure in Ninh Binh.

Overnight in Ninh Binh.

After breakfast, join a “countryside leisure excursion” ride on bicycles (or you can take the ride alternatively if you are not familiar to cycle), between the lush green fields and through the narrow lanes, seeing the locals going about their daily lives.

Then, we will join an authentic “local cooking” demonstration learning how to make some local specialties. You will have the opportunity to prepare and cook some food of your own.
At around 12:00, enjoy a delicious lunch which you have prepared.

After lunchtime, we will take a relaxing sampan boat (4 people in each sampan) down a small canal to visit Thien Ha caves, enjoying the natural scenery along the way. This is a newly discovered eco-tourism attraction and said to be the most beautiful cave in NinhBinh by tourists, offering endless photo opportunities.

After discovering Thien Ha Caves you continue your leisurely boat trip. You are rowed for 2,5 hours more on an untouched water route toward Thung Nham a pristine and untouched area surrounded by sheer limestone cliffs and stunning rice paddies. Along the way you can enjoy the fresh air, clean and clear water with under water grass while having plenty of Kodak moments. Also the absolute absence of crowds will be a big bonus.

Arrival Thung Nang you are picked up by your awaiting driver and then transfer to Hoa Lu, The Ancient Capital where you will visit the remaining two temples of Dinh King and Le King.
Return to Hanoi after the tour. Rest of day is for relaxing at your own leisure.

Overnight in Hanoi.

At 08:00, you will leave Hanoi for Halong Bay after 3.5 hours drive and board a boat, enjoying lunch while cruise through the bay. The magical bay is home to thousands of limestone islands rising from the waves like dragons’ teeth. Later in the afternoon, you will visit an interesting fishing village with opportunity to interact with fishermen who have been living in the bay for almost three generations. Back on board, you will enjoy cocktails or cooking classes while watching the sunset, before indulging in a lavish dinner onshore. Afterwards, you can choose to do anything from joining movie night, playing board games, or relaxing at the beauty spa before retiring for the night.

Overnight on board

*** Itinerary varies depending on which cruise you are going to take.

Wake up on the bay to the sounds of waves, fresh air, and breeze welcoming the new day. After breakfast, visit a beautiful limestone grotto then walk back to the boat for a final glimpse of Halong Bay while cruising back to the dock. The boat arrives at the harbor by 11.30am and your driver is waiting to take youto the airport for your next flight to Da Nang.

Being welcomed at the airport by our driver and tour guide, you will head to your hotel in Hoi An. Check in and relax at your own leisure in Hoi An.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Balance your leisure time between lounging at the beach or happily emptying your wallet while browsing the world of handicrafts and souvenirs that Hoian has to offer or simply stroll along the riverside to get a feel for the olden days of the busy Faifo merchant port.

Overnight in Hoi An.

After breakfast we drive approximately 4 hours to Hue, via the scenic Hai Van Pass. En-route we stop to visit the Cham Museum in Da Nang, Marble Mountain with the carving village at the foot of the mountain and My Khe Beach which was home to American GIs during the war.

Before reaching Hue, we will travel to Thuan An Beach where we will board a wooden boat to the Tam Giang Lagoon, then switch to a traditional sampan after 30 minutes on the water. Go deeper in to the lagoon by sampan, which can navigate even the shallow parts of the tidal lagoon. Watch for fishermen who use handmade, conical traps to catch fish, beating the water with long, wooden poles, then pull up alongside their boats and try the traditional technique yourself.

You’ll see the sun set over mainland Vietnam as you continue across the lagoon—sunsets here are particularly scenic, as they illuminate the rolling terrain around Hue, which make the perfect backdrop for photography. After the sun goes down, head to shore, then meet a car for the return trip to your Hue hotel, where this tour concludes.

Overnight in Hue.

Breakfast in hotel and meet up with our local guide again to start a day exploring the charms of The Citadel in this former Imperial City with many well-preserved royal monuments in Hue. Board a dragon boat cruising the Huong River. Stop at Thien Mu Pagoda and then back to the car to visit the most famous TuDuc’s tomb. In the afternoon, visit the Citadel, Forbidden Purple City and the Dong Ba Market. Overnight in Hue.

Excellent vegetarian lunch will be served ata local Buddhist Monastery, prepared and served by the nuns.

Return to your hotel after the visit. Rest of day is for relaxing at your leisure.

Overnight in Hue.

After breakfast, our driver will transfer you to the airport for your short flight to Ho Chi Minh City.

Check in your hotel and relax at your own leisure.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

After breakfast, getting picked up by our tour guide at the airport, we will start visiting the most famous attractions of Saigon including the Notre Dame Cathedral and Saigon post Office. We will also visit the Reunification Palace, this fascinated is filled with Vietnamese historical stories then discover War Remnant Museum where the impacts of Vietnamese war will be displayed.

After that, we will visit the bustling Saigon market before back to your hotel. Rest of day is at your own leisure in Saigon.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Rise early for a boat trip to the Cai Rang market, the biggest floating whole-sale market of the Mekong region. Here you will have a chance to practice your bartering skills! The market is filled with small boats darting through the water as vendors sell their wares.
Continue along narrow canals, stopping at a fruit orchard to taste some of the succulent fruit in season before making a short walk to Ba Bo Bridge (water level allowing).

Get back to the City where you continue to visit BinhThuy old house and then head to Chau Doc Town. On arrival, check in and relax at your hotel in Chau Doc.

Check in and stay overnight in Chau Doc.

This early morning, you will head to the Victoria Pier and take the speedboat to Phnompenh (Cambodia).
Upon arrival, you will be meet our tour guide and transfer to hotel for check in and relax.

Afternoon, we tour Phnom Penh, the capital of the Kingdom of Cambodia. We will visit Wat Phnom, the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, with many pre & post Angkor artifacts. If time permit, we will also have some time to explore the Russian Market.

Return to your hotel after the visit.

Overnight in Phnom Penh.

After having breakfast, we deal with a dark chapter of Cambodian history as we visit sites related to the Khmer regime. Visit the notorious TuolSleng Museum & ChoeungEk Killing Field. This former school was used as a prison by Pol Pot’s security forces and became the largest center for detention and torture during the rule of the Khmer Rouge.

Afternoon, you will free your leisure till transfer to airport for take short flight to Siem Reap. Upon arrival, meet our tour guide and transfer to Hotel for check and relax.

Overnight in Siemreap .

Your start the day by driving to the world heritage areas on the road less travelled. Ride among the jungle passing local village and local shop. It’s a very special and acting day as you will explore some of Angkor’s most beautiful temples. You will visit the West Gate of Angkor Thom – undiscovered by mass tourist:

– The ancient capital of Angkor Thom (12th century)
– See the South Gate, Bayon Temple- unique for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces of Avolokitesvara
– Baphuon temple lying just to the north of Bayon a pyramidal representation of mythical Mont Meru
– The Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas
– The Elephant Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King.
Continue to visit the fabulous Ta Prohm embraced by the roots of enormous fig trees and gigantic creepers. After that you will have lunch at a local restaurant.

The tour continues with the major visit to the famous temple: Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is a World Heritage Site since 1992, famous for its beauty and splendor. Angkor Wat features the longest continuous bas-relief in the world, which runs along the outer gallery walls and narrates stories from Hindu mythology.

You end up our day with a visit to Bakheng Temple and enjoy a romantic sun set view form Bakheng hill.

Overnight in Siemreap.

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Today you are free at your own leisure in Siemreap.

Overnight in Siemreap.

Free at your own leisure until our driver transfers you to the airport for your departure flight home.