Vietnam, Cambodia & Laos Discovery - 18 Days

Welcome to Hanoi. On arrival, you'll be greeted at the airport and transferred to the hotel. Check in is from 14:00 but early check in may be available, or you can leave your bags at the hotel and head out to explore.

At 17:00, meet your guide and the group in the hotel lobby for a walk to a local bia hoi, where we'll get to know each other over a local beer or two.

Estimated driving time & distance: 45 minutes / 25 kilometres.

Tour Style: On this tour you will enjoy sightseeing at all included sights with expert local guides, and all of your travel arrangements are included. You will travel without a tour guide between destinations.

At 9:00, meet in the lobby and head out for a walking tour of the Vietnamese capital. We'll take in some of the city's landmarks as well as the iconic railway line. We also stop at a local tea house to sample traditional lotus tea. Our tour ends with a visit to the Temple of Literature and an included lunch at a local restaurant.

After lunch, we continue our exploration. We'll see the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Imperial Citadel and the beautiful Phan Dinh Phung avenue. We stop for a refreshing drink at a sidewalk cafe before continuing our walk to the Dong Xuan Market. We then ride electric buggies to see the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake, before our busy day of touring ends back at the hotel.

Hanoi - Halong Bay. Meet in the lobby at 8:20 for the private transfer (no guide) to Halong Bay. On arrival at around midday, enjoy a welcome drink and check in onboard the cruiser. Lunch is served onboard as we begin to weave around the karst limestone islets that Halong Bay is known for. The rest of the day can be spent sunbathing and relaxing onboard, with opportunities to swim and kayak too. The exact schedule of the day varies, depending on the size of the group, time of year and weather conditions.

Estimated driving time & distance: 2.5 hours / 152 kilometres.

Halong Bay - Hanoi - Hue. You can choose to enjoy a lie in or rise early for a Tai Chi class on the sundeck. The morning is then spent further exploring Halong Bay, and we'll visit one of the impressive caves in the area. At around 11:00, we'll head back to shore and disembark. You'll then transfer back to Hanoi (no guide) and head to the airport for your included flight to Hue. You'll be collected on arrival in Hue and transferred to the hotel.

Estimated driving time & distance: 3 hours / 190 kilometres.

Hue - Hoi An. Today begins with a guided walk around the Purple Forbidden City, former residence of Vietnam's emperors. We'll start at the southern gate and work our way around the city, with time to stop for a coffee too.

Next, we leave the Forbidden City and enjoy a rickshaw ride around the streets of modern Hue and beyond. We stop at historic Kim Long village outside the city and have the chance to sample banh, traditional dumplings from Hue with a local family.

We leave Hue at around 13:00, making the 3-hour scenic drive to Hoi An, via the spectacular Hai Van Pass. On arrival in Hoi An, your evening is at leisure.

Estimated driving time & distance: 3.5 hours / 140 kilometres.

Begin today with an orientation walk around the pretty riverside Old Town of Hoi An. See colourful houses, narrow streets and artistic bridges as we explore. Our walk ends at the market, where we meet the chef who will lead our cookery session. He'll show you around the market, teaching you about the different herbs and spices used in Vietnamese cooking.

We then transfer by boat to a farm out on the river, where you'll enjoy a hands on cooking class - then tuck in to your creations. We'll transfer back to the hotel, and the rest of the day is free to head back into Hoi An or pop to the beach nearby.

Hoi An - Da Nang - Ho Chi Minh City. Say goodbye to Hoi An as you are transferred to the airport in Da Nang for your included flight to Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon. On arrival, you will be transferred to the city's District 1. Your luggage will be taken to the hotel while you embark on a guided walk around the city's central district, home to the Central Post Office, Continental Hotel, Opera House, City Hall and more. The guided walk ends at the hotel, and the rest of the day is at leisure.

Estimated driving time & distance: 1 hour / 40 kilometres.

Today we enjoy a day trip to the Mekong Delta, known as the "rice bowl" of Vietnam. Leaving at 8:00, we head to a less-visited part of the delta, where we board a private boat to start exploring. We'll meet local people, stop a independent factories and enjoy lunch at a local guesthouse on a tiny island.

After lunch, we visit a honey bee farm before hopping on bikes for a pleasant cycle around the delta. Visit another local farm to sample traditional Sam jelly and explore the Mekong's dense mangroves aboard a sampan.

After a full day of exploring, we head back to Ho Chi Minh City for the night.

Estimated driving time & distance: 4 hours / 190 kilometres.

Ho Chi Minh City - Phnom Penh (Cambodia). At 8:00, we depart for a morning spent further exploring Ho Chi Minh City. We head first to District 3, where we visit the oldest cafe in the area for a morning coffee - it dates to 1938! We then wander through the local market and explore the old part of the city, home to colonial residential buildings and local vendors selling all sorts of wares and street food. We'll also visit District 10 before our tour ends at one of the busiest street food areas in the city - time for lunch!

It's then time to say goodbye to Vietnam as you are transferred to the airport for your included flight to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. On arrival, you'll be transferred to the hotel.

Estimated driving time & distance: 30 minutes / 10 kilometres.

Please also note: Some members of the group may be ending their tour in Ho Chi Minh City and not continuing with us to Cambodia. Others may join the tour in Phnom Penh, and your tour guide will also change.

Our sightseeing tour of Phnom Penh begins from the hotel at 7:45. We first visit the golden Royal Palace, built in 1866 by His Majesty Preah Bat Norodom, great-grandfather to the current King. After time to visit the Throne Hall, Royal Treasury, Napoleon II Villa, and the Silver Pagoda, we continue to the National Museum where you can learn more about the rich and often turbulent history of Cambodia. Our tour ends with a visit to Wat Phnom, the hill that gave the city of Phnom Penh it's name.

In the afternoon, we'll be picked up by tuk-tuk and taken to a cooking class with a local chef. Starting at the market, we'll gather any ingredients we need and observe the local vendors before heading to the kitchen where you will be taught Khmer cooking techniques, you'll then put them to good use as you cook up some authentic cuisine. After you've eaten your creations, we head back to the hotel.

Phnom Penh - Siem Reap. Enjoy a leisurely morning or join an optional tour to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. and the Russian Market (Phsar Toul Tompong), a lively outdoor market selling antiquities, silver and gold jewelry, gems, silk, kramas, stone and wood carvings, as well as T-shirts, CDs, and other souvenirs.

We leave the Cambodian capital just before midday. You'll be transferred by a driver (without a guide) to the bus station before taking a public bus to Siem Reap. After being transferred (no guide) to the hotel, the rest of the day is at leisure.

Estimated driving time & distance: 6 hours / 320 kilometres.

After breakfast, we will visit the last capital of the Khmer Empire: Angkor Thom, built in the 12th century and deserted most likely during the 16th century, including the South Gate with its huge statues depicting the churning of the ocean of milk, Bayon temple, unique for its 54 towers decorated with 216 smiling faces of Avolokitesvara, Baphuon, a pyramidal representation of Mount Meru, the Terrace of the Elephants, used by Jayavarman VII to watch his victorious army return the Terrace of the Leper King, which’s statue was formerly thought to represent a legendary “leper king,” but is now considered to represent Yama – the Lord of the Dead and believed the terrace itself might have functioned as a royal cremation platform. Continue towards the famous Ta Prohm, a beautiful jungle temple that nature seems to have taken over. It has been relatively untouched since its discovery and retains much of its mystery.

After lunch at a local restaurant, we visit perhaps the world's most famous temple: Angkor Wat, the world’s largest religious monument, named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. The 12th-century temple complex spreads over 81 hectares. Its five towers symbolize Meru’s five peaks, the enclosed wall representing the mountains at the world's edge, and the surrounding moat and the ocean beyond.

This morning, we drive to explore the remarkable stilted village of Kampong Phluk on the Tonle Sap Lake. Here, houses are built a minimum of five meters above dry ground to account for the rise and fall of the lake’s waters. This unique architecture has been nicknamed “bamboo skyscrapers.” This out-of-time village has two distinct faces, depending on the season. During the dry season (approximately February to July), you will visit another Floating Village on Tonle Sap Lake, Chong Kneas floating village. The surrounding forest floods during the rainy season (approximately August to December). Instead of exploring the town on foot, you will explore the forest by pirogue.

After lunnch at a local restaurant, we explore Siem Reap’s traditional craftsmanship and community development projects. We travel to Pouk to visit the Silk Farm, a project dedicated to reviving traditional silk production while empowering local communities. Learn about the process of silk-making, from mulberry tree cultivation to hand-weaving exquisite fabrics. This project provides sustainable employment opportunities for rural families, helping them improve their livelihoods.

Return to Siem Reap to visit Les Artisans d’Angkor, a social enterprise committed to preserving Khmer craftsmanship and supporting local artisans. Witness artisans creating intricate stone carvings, woodworks, lacquerware, and silk paintings. This initiative provides vocational training and stable jobs for underprivileged individuals, enabling them to support their families and communities.

Afterward, continue your stroll toward Psar Chas (Old Market), the bustling local hub where Siem Reap’s residents shop daily. Wander through colorful stalls brimming with fresh produce, spices, textiles, and everyday goods, absorbing the authentic rhythm of local life.

Siem Reap - Luang Prabang (Laos). In the morning, check out and transfer to the airport for your included flight to Luang Prabang in Laos. On arrival, you will be met and transferred to the hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Please also note: Some members of the group may be ending their tour in Siem Reap and not continuing with us to Laos. Others may join the tour in Luang Prabang, and your tour guide will also change.

This morning, embark on a tuk-tuk tour of Luang Prabang. Visit the Morning Market and Wat Xieng Thong, the oldest temple in the city. Zip around the city streets to visit a local craft centre by the Mekong and then enjoy lunch overlooking the river.

In the afternoon, discover the Royal Palace, now a national museum. We'll then head back to the hotel to freshen up before our sunset climb to Mount Phousi. The views from the summit are incredible. You'll be feeling peckish after the climb, so we'll head to the night market before making our way back to the hotel.

This morning, transfer to the pier for an included cruise up the Mekong to the Pak Ou Caves, home to thousands of statues of Buddha. Whilst here, we also visit the village of Ban Xang Hai, famous for its distillation of rice wine.

After heading back to Luang Prabang, we visit Ban Phanom village, a Lue ethnic minority village known for its cotton and silk weaving techniques. We'll take part in a Baci ceremony, said to "enhance the spirit". White cotton is tied around your wrists are prayers are spoken for you. After this unique experience, we head back to the hotel, and the rest of the day is free.

Begin today with a visit to the Kuang Si Waterfalls, where you can swim in turquoise-coloured pools or walk on the paths that run alongside the falls. Before we reach the falls, we'll stop to visit some of the local villages where Laos' ethnic minorities live: Hmong, Laoloum and Khmu. We'll wander through these villages, meet the villagers and learn more about local ways of life. Then it's on to the falls, where lunch is also included.

Back in Luang Prabang, the rest of the day is free for you to tick off anything you may have missed, or to do some final souvenir shopping.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before check out. An included transfer takes you to the airport. Safe travels!