Cambodia & Vietnam

Arrive at Noi Bai International Airport and private transfer to your hotel in Hanoi.

Remainder of the day is free at leisure.

Visit the imposing marble edifice housing the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum before moving onto his wooden stilt house and the One Pillar Pagoda. We then explore the Temple of Literature, formerly Vietnam’s oldest university and now one of the capital’s foremost Confucianism places of worship.

We have a look around picturesque Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple – very much the focal point of the capital. This is followed by a ‘cyclo’ ride around the bustling and often chaotic Old Quarter, also known as the 36 Streets. In days gone by each street used to specialise in a particular trade – hence you have Chicken Street, Gold Street and my favourite Ghost Street (Hanh Ma) dedicated to selling incense and offerings to be burned on family altars. The tour includes a stop at a Vietnamese “long house.”

Transfer to Ga Hanoi train station for the overnight Victoria Express to Lao Cai on the Chinese border (Superior 4 berths / cabin share).

Arrive at Lao Cai station close to the Chinese border and take breakfast at a local restaurant. Continue to Sapa and the Victoria Hotel which overlooks the town.

Remainder of the day is free at leisure.

Drive to a lively ethnic market which serves as a meeting point for various ethnic hill tribes.

Return to Sapa and free afternoon.

Drive to Y Linh Ho where a scenic hike will lead you down to the Muong Hoa Valley with its terraced paddy fields. From here there are options from 1.5 to 4 hour walks along the Hoang Lien Mountain Range with various photo stops before heading to the Lao Chai Junction for a panoramic view of the Muong Hoa Valley. Walk to Ta Van and return to Sapa by car.

Proceed to the Black Hmong ethnic minority village of Matra, a very small and isolated village. Continue hiking through rice paddy fields and be immersed in spectacular natural scenery. Proceed to the ruin monastery of Ta Phin where your car will take you to the Lao Cai Train Station for your return journey to Hanoi.

Overnight train back to Hanoi.

Arrive in Hanoi in early morning and transfer to the hotel. Have breakfast at a local restaurant.

Remainder of the day is free at leisure.

Drive to Ky Son village. Take a pleasant walk or bike ride around the village to get a taste of the rural northern Vietnam. Return to the Moon Garden for a cooking demo and eat what you have helped to prepare!

Relax before setting out on a bike ride to Duong Lam Village. Visit the Mia pagoda, old country houses and temples before returning to Ky Son Village. Relax and drive back to Hanoi.

Depart Hanoi and drive through the lush paddy fields of the Red River Delta to Halong Bay.

Board a luxury junk and cruise through Halong Bay with lunch on board.

Drop anchor in the late evening for an overnight stay among the dramatic limestone peaks rising out of the sea.

Optional Tai Chi session on the junk’s sundeck. Visit Titov Island and climb to the top for some breath-taking panoramic views of Halong Bay. Disembark late morning.

En route to the airport watch an open air water puppet show in a Red River Delta village. The tradition of water puppetry dates back a thousand years to when shows were originally performed in the flooded rice paddies. Continue to airport for evening flight to Hue.

Arrive in Hue and private transfer to your hotel.

Embark on a Dragon Boat cruise on Hue’s Perfume River visiting Emperor Khai Dinh’s elaborate tomb set in the rolling countryside outside Hue and the Thien Mu Pagoda – Vietnam’s oldest active Buddhist monastery.

Visit the Imperial Citadel which still shows the scars of war from the 1968 Tet Offensive followed by the Phap Lam enamel restoration workshop (Phap Lam enamels used to decorate the palaces of Hue and the lost art has only recently been revitalised).

rive along a spectacular coastal road and over the Hai Van Pass to Hoi An stopping en route at the photogenic fishing village of Lang Co.

Free time to discover Hoi An’s historic Old Quarter or relax at the hotel. For dinner I would recommend The Mermaid Restaurant in the old town. It is one of Hoi An’s most established restaurants which was set up by Miss Vy – a well-known local chef and restaurant owner.

Visit Tra Que herb village and taste the local specialties.

Free time to stroll around the historic Old Quarter of Hoi An. The most popular attractions include the Japanese Covered Bridge, the Fukien Chinese Communal house, several ancestral homes and the vibrant riverside market on the banks of the Tu Bon River. Take a peaceful boat trip on the Tu Bon River and afterwards enjoy free time to further explore the old town.

A free day to explore ancient Hoi An town.

Free time until flight to Ho Chi Minh City.

Transfer to your hotel. City tour including Reunification Palace (outside only), Notre Dame Cathedral, Post Office and the poignant War Remnants Museum.

Visit the amazing Cu Chi Tunnels where Vietnamese guerrillas built a labyrinth of narrow tunnels as hideouts during the war.

Return to Ho Chi Minh City. Free time at leisure

Visit a Cao Dai temple en route to My Tho

Take a boat through Mekong canals visiting local handicraft workshops. Return to Ho Chi Minh City in the late afternoon.

Fly to Siem Reap in Cambodia and transfer to the hotel.

Begin exploring the vast Angkor Temple complex with the Roulos Group of temples dating from the 9th and 10th centuries, including the Preah Ko, Bakong, and Lolei Temples. Return to your hotel in the early evening.

Enter Angkor Thom via the Southern Gate and explore the ancient city. Then proceed to visit the ruins at Bayon, Baphoun, Phimeanakas, the Royal Palace, the Elephant Terrace and the Leper King Terrace.

Visit the magnificent Angkor Wat and explore its extraordinary architecture for an opportunity to experience a spectacular sunset over the monuments.

After breakfast, drive to the graceful 11th century Temple of Shiva – Banteay Srei and the Banteay Samre Temple. Later visit to Ta Prohm Temple enveloped by the jungle.

Travel through the countryside to a local monastery and meet the resident monks and participate in a private good luck blessing ceremony. A sacred thread will be tied around your wrist to protect you from evil spirits or harm. End the tour with a rejuvenating traditional Khmer or foot massage.

Transfer to the airport for the flight back to Ho Chi Minh City and your onward flight to the UK.