Classic Vietnam & Angkor - 11 Days

We will greet you on arrival at Hanoi Airport and transfer you to your hotel to check in. The rest of the day is yours to relax at leisure. Overnight in Hanoi.

We meet at 08:00 in your hotel lobby with the local guide for an orientation tour that begins at the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university, with serene gardens and ancient trees. We continue to the Museum of Ethnology (closed on Mondays) to see an extensive collection on the country’s 54 ethnic groups.

We pause for lunch at a local restaurant – an ideal spot to sample authentic Vietnamese cuisine in a cosy setting. In the afternoon, we visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and his former residence (closed on Mondays and Fridays), the One Pillar Pagoda, historic Tran Quoc Pagoda, and Ngoc Son Temple reached by a charming wooden bridge on Hoan Kiem Lake. In the late afternoon, we enjoy a traditional water puppet show. Overnight in Hanoi.

After an early breakfast, we transfer by the port’s shuttle bus to Tuan Chau for embarkation. On arrival, we check in and enjoy a welcome drink before cruising through magnificent Halong Bay towards Lan Ha Bay, where lunch is served on board. In the afternoon, we explore the tranquil Tra Bau area, with kayaking available if you wish. We return to the boat for sweeping views of the Gulf of Tonkin, followed by a cooking demonstration of classic Vietnamese dishes. Dinner and overnight on board.

For early risers, a Tai Chi session on the upper deck is available before breakfast. After breakfast, we visit one of the bay’s impressive caves, then enjoy a late breakfast while cruising back to the quayside for disembarkation. We transfer to Hanoi by the boat’s shuttle bus. On arrival, you have some leisure time before the transfer without a guide to the railway station for the night train to Hue. Overnight on the train.

If you prefer not to take the night train, an optional overnight stay at a hotel in Hue is available - if booking this option, you will need to arrange your own domestic flight from Hanoi to Hue.

We arrive in Hue early morning, where a local guide welcomes us and transfers us to the hotel for breakfast. We then take a one hour rickshaw tour to discover Hue – the former imperial capital under the Nguyen Dynasty – including the Imperial City with its temples, pavilions, museums and galleries. We visit the iconic seven storey Celestial Lady Pagoda before enjoying a traditional family lunch in a lush garden setting.

In the late afternoon, we visit the Tomb of Emperor Tu Duc, a harmonious complex shaped by geomancy, and stop at a family workshop making incense sticks and conical hats. Overnight in Hue.

After breakfast, we drive to Hoi An – an ancient Chinese and Japanese trading port that flourished in the seventeenth century. On arrival, we enjoy lunch at a local restaurant with sweeping views of the city, then continue with a guided exploration of the old town, where narrow lanes, traditional houses and a historic harbour form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the late afternoon, we visit a lantern making shop for an introduction to this delicate craft, then transfer to the hotel for check in. Overnight in Hoi An.

After breakfast, you have some leisure time until we transfer you to Da Nang Airport for your flight to Siem Reap (flight not included). On arrival, you are warmly welcomed, then transferred to the hotel without a guide for check in. Overnight in Siem Reap.

We visit the ancient capital of Angkor Thom, focusing on the Bayon with its many serene faces. We continue to the atmospheric Ta Prohm, where tree roots weave through the ruins, and, time permitting, we explore another temple within the Angkor complex.

We enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. In the early afternoon, we visit Angkor Wat – dedicated to Vishnu and built in the early twelfth century by Suryavarman II – a masterpiece of Khmer art and architecture. As evening falls, we transfer for dinner accompanied by a traditional Apsara dance performance. Overnight in Siem Reap.

After breakfast, we visit the National Museum to trace the story of the Khmer Empire and the Angkor civilisation. Afterwards, if you wish, you can stroll through a local market for some shopping before the flight. We have lunch at a local restaurant. The time is at leisure until we transfer to the airport for the flight to Ho Chi Minh City. On arrival, a local guide welcomes you and we transfer to your hotel for check in. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

After breakfast, we visit Thien Hau Pagoda – built in honour of the protective goddess of sailors – then take a stroll through vibrant Binh Tay Market, brimming with produce from across Vietnam. We enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, we explore the former colonial quarter, including the elegant nineteenth century Notre Dame Cathedral with its stained glass and devotional tablets, and the neoclassical Central Post Office dating from the early twentieth century.

We continue inside the Independence Palace, then admire the Opera House before visiting bustling Ben Thanh Market. Also today, consider joining an optional tour of the city by Vespa motorcycle.

After breakfast, we depart for Cai Be in the heart of the Mekong Delta, where the river divides into countless channels and arroyos. On arrival, we board a sampan for a leisurely cruise along the Mekong and its tranquil canals, then visit a traditional colonial house and a rice popcorn workshop. We enjoy a lunch of local specialities. In the afternoon, we return to Ho Chi Minh City. Depending on your flight schedule, we transfer to the airport for departure.