Vietnam & Angkor Wat

Your exotic journey to Vietnam and Angkor Wat (Cambodia) begins as you depart on your wide-body jet flight bound for Asia.

Passengers who did not purchsae flights will join the tour in Ho Chi Minh City on Day 2.

Arrive in Saigon, now called Ho Chi Minh City. You'll be greeted at the airport and escorted to your hotel.

Today is free to explore Ho Chi Minh City independently or join an optional excursion! Consider a full-day optional tour to the charming delta town of Cai Be where we can visit the floating market and explore by cycle, visiting a local family, and enjoying a late lunch in a local house. This evening, enjoy a welcome dinner.

We'll begin our sightseeing today with a visit to the War Remnants Museum where collections of weapons, photographs, and memorabilia from two Indochina wars as well as an original French guillotine brought over in the early 20th century is housed. We'll continue outside the city to the legendary Cu Chi Tunnels which used to serve the former Communist Guerrillas. Enjoy lunch at a local organic agricultural farm in Cu Chi where the owner, a Vietnamese chef with 13 years of experience in Australia, has set up education goals for healthy foods. We'll learn from the chef how the food is made and where the ingredients come from. After lunch, we'll return to Ho Chi Minh City and enjoy the highlights of this vibrant city. See the Notre Dame Cathedral, the former US Embassy, Cholon, the buzzing Chinese quarter, and the lively Ben Thanh Market where an incredible array of goods are sold.

Today we'll fly to Danang where we'll visit the Cham Museum housing an exquisite collection of sandstone carvings and sculptures. Later, we'll visit China Beach, the renowned war-time R&R resort before we continue to Hoi An, one of Vietnam's most delightful and enchanting towns. This evening is free to explore Hoi An independently or consider an optional street food tour.

This morning we'll take a cyclo ride through the ancient town before we begin our walking tour of Hoi An. We'll visit the Japanese Covered Bridge, constructed in 1593 by the Japanese community to link the town with the Chinese quarters across the stream. Near the bridge is Sa Huynh Museum which houses exhibitions from the earliest period of Hoi An's history. Wander into the Tran Family Chapel, a 200-year-old house built for worshipping ancestors. Next, we'll visit Phuoc Kien Assembly Hall, a Chinese pagoda built around 1690, and enlarged in 1900. It is typical of Chinese clans in the Hoi An area and is dedicated to Thien Hau Thanh Mau, the Goddess of the Sea and Protector of Sailors and Fisherman. The rest of the day is free to explore Hoi An independently, or consider an optional excursion visiting a local community farming project!

This morning, we'll fly to Hanoi and upon arrival, we'll be transferred to our hotel. We'll spend some time today sightseeing around Hanoi city centre with electric cards and proceed through Quan Su Pagoda, Silk Road, Hanoi Rail Station, and then the Hanoi Opera House. Later, we'll visit the infamous former Hoa Lo Prison, nicknamed the "Hanoi Hilton".

Hanoi's rich history is closely tied to French colonialism as well as the Chinese era, evident in the city's architecture, cuisine, and culture. On today's sightseeing tour, explore the highlights of this fascinating city. View the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum then visit the One Pillar Pagoda and the Temple of Literature. Proceed to scenic Hoan Kiem Lake and enjoy a guided walk through the narrow lanes of the historic old quarter. This evening savor a thrilling performance of the unique Water Puppets!

*Starting in October 2022: Enjoy lunch at KOTO Hanoi, a community project with a mission to help disadvantaged and at-risk youth in Vietnam through their hospitality training program.

This morning, we'll depart for Halong City with a refreshment break en route. On arrival, we'll embark on our overnight cruise to the far corners of Halong Bay. Halong Bay is widely considered as Vietnam's most spectacular natural attraction. It comprises over three thousand small jagged limestone islands rising out of the South China Sea and these dramatic formations are the backdrop of your idyllic cruise. Enjoy lunch on board as we cruise out into the bay, stopping to anchor for an afternoon of activities. As our day comes to an end, watch the sunset over the bay from the deck, followed by a freshly prepared dinner before retiring for the evening.

We'll spend our last morning here in Halong Bay soaking up the scenery before we board our flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia, the gateway to the world-famous temples of Angkor Wat, among the "Seven Wonders of the World.

This morning, travel to Kampong Kleang where you’ll enjoy a relaxing boat trip on Tonle Sap Lake. Visit the fascinating floating fishing villages and view submerged forests and fishing farms. Later return to Siem Reap to further explore with a local expert the “Angkor Conservation Complex.” The crowning jewel of Khmer architecture, Angkor Wat is the national symbol and the highlight of any visit to Cambodia. The largest, best-preserved, and most religiously significant of the Angkor temples, Angkor Wat impresses visitors both by its sheer scale and beautifully proportioned layout, as well as the delicate artistry of its carvings. To approach the temple, you’ll first cross the vast moat, continuing along a broad causeway lined with naga balustrades. As you enter the main building, you’ll ascend through a series of galleries and courtyards before reaching the central sanctuary, which offers beautiful views back over the causeway and across the surrounding countryside. On the way, stop to enjoy the intricate stone carvings that adorn nearly every surface, with some 1,700 Apsaras, or celestial dancers, sculpted into the walls. Along the outer gallery walls, run the longest continuous bas-relief in the world, which narrates stories from Hindu mythology, including the famous Churning of the Ocean of Milk. You’ll also visit Preah Khan, a temple built by King Jayavarman VII with towered enclosures and shoulder-hugging corridors in a jungle setting. Continue to the Les Chantiers Ecoles, a vocational centre, to observe the artisans at work.

We'll begin our visit with the South Gate of Angkor Thom where statues of the gods of good and evil line the entrance. Our next stop is the Bayon, known for the hundreds of smiling faces that grace the towers. The bas reliefs are quite impressive and tell stories of daily life and the great battles that were fought between the Khmers and ancient Thais. Move on to Phimeanakas, shaped a bit like a pyramid with two ponds in the rear, which were once used for religious rituals but today serve as swimming pools for Khmer kids. We'll walk to the top of the temple for impressive views of the Angkor complex. See the rows of trunks that form the wall of the Terrace of the Elephants, a platform from which King Jayavarman surveyed his army. Close by is the Terrace of Leper Kings which includes a statue depicting Yana, the Hindu God of Death. Then it's a short drive to one of the most loved temples of all - Ta Prohm. This small crumbling temple is held together by giant tree roots giving it a magical feel. This evening, savor a farewell dinner and colorful cultural performance.

Full day at leisure for independent exploration or relaxation at your upscale resort. You might consider joining an optional excursion exploring some of the non-profit organizations and social enterprises working to make Cambodia a better place or an excursion to a Siem Reap pagoda to meet with the monks and receive a soothing monk's blessing. After dinner, transfer to the airport for your late-night overnight flight to Bangkok, Thailand where you'll connect for your flight back home.

Your exciting journey filled with the best places to visit in Vietnam comes to an end as you touch down in the USA later today.

*The tour will end for passengers who did not purchase flights on Day 13 in Siem Reap.