Vietnam and Cambodia exploration

Upon your arrival in Hanoi, you will be greeted by your Vietnamese tour guide and tansferred to the hotel. Whenever you're ready embark on a lively journey though the narrow alleys and lakeside streets of the Old Quarter of Hanoi. Conquer the narrow and turbulent, moped-dominated alleys, most of which are named for the crafts or goods that were once produced and sold here. Afterwards, pay a visit to the Ngoc Son Temple on Hoan Kiem Lake before enjoying a demonstration of the traditional water puppet theater in the evening and a welcome dinner in a restaurant that offers street children, work and a perspective.

Overnight in Hanoi.

In the morning, make a visit to the historic Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum which is preserved body of the beloved revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh. Continue by walking to Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house and the one Pillar pagoda, a Buddhist temple built in the 11th century in the shape of a lotus blossom and set on a single stone pillar.

Later, make a visit to the Temple of Literature - Vietnam’s first national university and the most significant temple complex in the city then drive to Vietnam Museum of Ethnology which offers an insight into the 54 different ethnic groups of Vietnam.

End of the day, return to Hanoi center and conclude your day with a 1 hour cyclo through the Old Quarter where craftsmen make and offer their wares on streets, bearing the name of the items they are selling.

Overnight in Hanoi.

After breakfast, check out your hotel and head to Halong Bay. Halong Bay was declared as A UNESCO Natural Heritage Site, Halong bay covers an area of 43,400 ha and including over 1600 islands and islets, most of which are uninhabited and unaffected by humans, it forms a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars and is an ideal model of a mature Karst landscape developed during a warm and wet tropical climate.

Arrive at Tuan Chau International Passenger Port, embark on the traditional wooden boat followed by a welcome drink while the cruise manager briefs about the itinerary and safety information. A tasty lunch will be served on board when our cruise starts sailing towards the southeast portion of Halong Bay, passing by Chicken Rock, Finger Islet and Frog Islet. Arrive to Dark and Bright Lagoon and visit the area by rowboat or kayak (Kayaks can be booked in advance at the reception with extra cost(s)). Return to our cruise and rest of the day is at your leisure.

Later, take part in a cooking demonstration with traditional Vietnamese food on the sundeck (or in the restaurant if weather does not permit it). Cruises back through the bay on cruise, until an overnight anchorage in Ho Dong Tien area. 

Dinner & overnight on board.

In the early morning, start your day with a Tai Chi lesson while hot tea and coffee are being served on the sundeck then enjoy a light breakfast on board before exploring the Surprise Cave. One of the biggest caves in Halong Bay with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites.

Back to our main boat, brunch or lunch will be served in the restaurant while the boat heads back to harbour. Check out and disembark at Tuan Chau port and transfer to Hanoi Airport (Noi Bai Airport) to fly to the former imperial capital of Hue.

Once arriving in Hue, transfer to your hotel to check-in.

Today our program includes exploring the magnificent Imperial Citadel. After breakfast you visit the imposing citadel and the Imperial Palace and take a boat trip on the Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda, one of the landmarks of Hue. The afternoon is then at your leisure. Explore the city or optionally take part in a tour of the  imperial tombs of Khai Dinh and Tu Duc.

In the morning you leave the imperial city of Hue and drive over the picturesque Hai Van Pass, the natural border between North and South Vietnam, to the old trading town of Hoi An. After your arrival there, take a city tour and get to know the diversity of the old town, which is rightly considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Discover the Hokkien Temple, the Japanese Bridge and the multitude of ancient buildings in its center. You can get a special insight into traditional craftsmanship at a small lantern manufacturer and even have the opportunity to make a lantern yourself.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Today is at your leisure. Enjoy the charm of the old town or visit, for example, a tailor who will make all your silk dreams come true. Optionally, you can also take an excursion to the temple ruins of My Son (bookable on site). The UNESCO World Heritage Site was once the main religious center of the Cham people and is one of the most impressive archaeological sites in Southeast Asia.

Today you continue your Vietnam journey with a flight from Danang to Saigon. Upon arrival in the pulsating and dynamic Ho Chi Minh City, as Saigon is officially called, you and your guide will immerse yourselves in the hustle and bustle of Cho Lon, the city's Chinese Quarter. Visit, among other things, the Binh Tay Market Hall, where you can buy the best souvenirs to your heart's content, and the Thien Hau Temple, where mainly local women make offerings to various goddesses.

Overnight in Saigon.

Saigon – city tour & Cu Chi tunnels

• Cu Chi Tunnels: we drive to visit Cu Chi Tunnels, an interconnecting network of subterranean passageways used by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War to evade American forces. Upon arrival, you will have the opportunity to climb into the tunnels yourself, entering through a secret hatch in the ground and crawling through enlarged tunnels, experiencing first‐hand what life was like for their inhabitants. Viet Cong guerrillas would spend days at a time living in the tunnels, emerging only to gather supplies or to mount an attack. As a result, the tunnels became a miniature base of operation for the war, housing medical wards, food, ammunition stockpiles and barracks, as well as providing secret infrastructure for communication between forces. The presence of the tunnels was a contributing factor in drawing out the war and ultimately the withdrawal of American forces. Many efforts were made to discover and destroy the tunnels, but their extensive nature and well‐guarded, boobytrapped entrances made this nearly impossible. For a more visceral taste of the wartime experience, head to the nearby firing range, where AK‐47, M16, M60, M40 and Magnum 44’s are available with live rounds. Please note: The firing range charges $1 USD per bullet.

Return Saigon and continue with the city tour.

• During a city tour you can take in the atmosphere and the contrasts of this colorful city. You will stroll along the many historical buildings such as the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral and the City Hall, among others. Join the stream of locals and stroll through the various markets, such as the Ben Thanh Market.

Rest of the late afternoon and evening is at your own leisure.

*Alternatively we can do the visit to the Cu Chi tunnels by speedboat. Please let us know during the booking process. 

Overnight in Saigon.

Today you drive to Cai Be in the Mekong Delta. At around noon you go on board your cruise ship and you can make yourself comfortable in one of the cabins. Enjoy lunch on board as the ship slowly picks up speed. Lean back and enjoy the fantastic landscape of the lush jungle, the small canals and the everyday life of the locals in the Mekong Delta. During a stopover, stroll through orchards and rice fields with your guide and watch the locals at work in traditional craft workshops, such as a candy factory. Round off the day with a drink at the bar and enjoy the great backdrop of the sun setting over the waters of the Mekong. You stay overnight on board your floating hotel in the middle of the Mekong Delta.

When your ship departs in the morning you can watch the delta slowly come back to life. In Cai Rang, switch to a small boat to visit the floating market with its abundance of tropical fruits, vegetables and regional handicrafts. Early in the morning you can experience the hustle and bustle of the floating market. The region's residents sell countless goods from boats of all sizes. The floating markets in the Mekong Delta are not tourist markets, but wholesale markets where fruit and vegetables from the Mekong Delta are sold and taken to many places across the country and even Cambodia. The number of boats here fluctuates seasonally depending on the harvest time and demand. Then it's time to say goodbye to the Mekong Delta. Continue your journey by land to Chau Doc, a border town with Cambodia.

In the early morning you say goodbye to your Vietnamese tour guide and board the speedboat to Cambodia. The boat leaves at around 7:30 a.m. and reaches the port of the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh at around 12:30 p.m. Here you will be warmly welcomed by your Cambodian tour guide. Before you continue to your hotel, take a short stroll along the Sisowath Quay promenade. 

Today is entirely dedicated to sightseeing in Phnomh Penh. Once called the “Pearl of Southeast Asia”, the up-and-coming city offers a multitude of interesting sights. Discover, among other things, the Royal Palace with its ornate silver pagoda and the National Museum, which houses an interesting collection of art treasures from the time of the Angkor Empire. Get to know Wat Phnom and the Independence Monument and stroll through a local market and admire the various displays of the traders.

Today we jump to Siem Reap, the gateway to the monumental temple complex of Angkor! Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel. In the afternoon you will take a short orientation walk in Siem Reap with a visit to the Old Market and the night market.

In the morning the Tuk Tuk takes you to the old royal city of Angkor Thom. In addition to the towers of the Bayon Temple, which are decorated with countless smiling faces, the huge complex also houses the Terrace of the Leper King and the Terrace of the Elephants. We continue to the Ta Phrom Temple, which was slowly but surely recaptured by the jungle and is covered in vines, trees and roots. At the end of the day, there is another highlight on the program: the famous Angkor Wat temple. Marvel at the famous sight of this 12th-century temple and get an impression of the former splendor of this unique complex.

You start the day with a tour of the Rolous Group, one of the oldest temple groups in the over 200 km² temple area of Angkor. Afterwards your exploration of Angkor leads you to the Banteay Srei Temple with its beautiful, slightly pink sandstone and countless ornate decorations. In the evening you can enjoy the sunset against the breathtaking backdrop of this area on the way to the Pre Rup Temple and let your mind wander.

Flight 1h Siem Reap - Sihanoukville

Today you will be transferred to the airport in Siem Reap, from where you will fly to Sihanoukville. Your Cambodian tour guide will bid you goodbye in front of the airport building, as it is not allowed to enter the airport as a non-passenger for security reasons.

In Sihanoukville you will be picked up by your private hotel transfer (without a tour guide) and driven to the pier from which you will depart to the pristine archipelago of Koh Rong. Arrival in the island where the friends from the resort await you to show you to your beachside accommodation.

Overnight in Koh Rong or Koh Rong Samloem

Enjoy a few relaxing days at the white sand beach in front of your hotel or trek across the island to visit secluded and often deserted stretches of sand. The Koh Rong archipelago is renowned for its snorkeling and diving as well as an ideal and tranquil place to practice water sports such as kayaking and paddle boarding.

Free day.

Free day.

Boat to Sihanoukville 45m / Sihanoukville - Phnom Penh 5 hrs

Depending on the flight time, the transfer (without tour guide) back to Phnom Penh will take place in the course of the morning (the exact time will be given to you by the hotel), from where you will start your return flight via Saigon or Bangkok to Europe. Please note that the transfer time from Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh Airport is difficult to estimate due to the traffic situation, which is why there may be longer waiting times at the airport.