Your Vietnam & Indochina DMC
Tour Overview
The best of Northern and Southern Vietnam await you on this itinerary! This adventure features the must-sees of the flexible Vietnam Tour with a thrilling side trip to Cambodia.
Kicking off with a full city tour in Hanoi, you will then travel to Ho Chi Minh City to explore Cu Chi Tunnels and French colonial architecture. Then, head south to the Mekong Delta, where you'll experience the vibrant floating markets and local crafts. Take a thrilling speedboat to Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh, and marvel at the Royal Palace and Wat Phnom. This amazing journey finishes with a trip to the architectural wonder of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap.
This tour is ideal for those who want a comprehensive Northern and Southern Vietnam experience with a touch of Cambodian culture. Ready to discover hidden wonders and iconic landmarks with Asia Links Travel? See the full itinerary for details of the Cultural Holidays to Vietnam!
Tour Highlights
- Discover Hanoi's main attractions including Ho Chi Minh's vestige complex, Museum of Ethnology, and Hanoi Old Quarter.
- Enjoy a wonderful cruise on Halong Bay with a lot of interesting activities.
- Learn more about Vietnam's history at Cu Chi Tunnels.
- Contemplate the beautiful colonial buildings in Ho Chi Minh City.
- Immerse in the bustling atmosphere of the Mekong Delta with a floating market and local workshops.
- Take a speedboat to Phnom Penh to explore the city's impressive architecture of Wat Phnom and the Royal Palace.
- Admire the spectacular structure of Angkor Temple Complex in Siem Reap.
Itinerary
When you arrive at the airport, you will be picked up and transferred to the hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is at your leisure. Enjoy a night at the hotel in Hanoi. Meals on your own.
You have all day to visit many famous attractions in Hanoi. Our sightseeing first stops at Ho Chi Minh Memorial Complex, a main historical site in Vietnam’s capital. Here, you will have a chance to learn about Ho Chi Minh's simple lifestyle and his legacy through a visit to the Stilt House, the Presidential Palace, and the Ho Chi Minh Museum.
Then, we will pay a visit to the first university in Vietnam - the Temple of Literature. Lunch on your own.
In the afternoon, our trip quickly continues with a visit to the Museum of Ethnology. Artifacts of 54 ethnic groups are showcased for tourists in this museum. This site is not only the largest but also the most interesting museum in Hanoi which brings us knowledge of the multiculturalism of Vietnam and some relaxing green space.
Being out of the museum surroundings, we will come to the colorful Old Quarter. You can find a wide range of stuff here from silk clothing, furniture, and cooking utensils to lovely souvenirs.
Dinner on your own account. Spend your night at the hotel in Hanoi.
You will have breakfast at the hotel.
Afterward, you will be transferred to another fascinating land – the gem in the north of Vietnam, Halong Bay. The way from Hanoi to Halong Bay welcomes you with the poetic rice fields that come between immeasurably high mountains of the Red River Delta.
Upon arrival in Halong, a Junk Boat is waiting for you to start off a trip through the magnificent landscape of the bay with gigantic limestone karsts and stunning emerald water. Then, you will understand why Halong Bay is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
A special lunch with delicious seafood will be served on board. After that, a visit to a grotto of spectacular stalactites and stalagmites will make you feel interested. You can relax in the warm water of Halong Bay and visit a floating village by kayak to enjoy a wonderful view of the bay and the islands. You own your night on board.
After having dinner on board, many activities from your friendly staff will be organized for you to join. Stay overnight on board.
Note: A shuttle bus with an English-speaking guide will take you to Halong Bay. Please kindly contact our Sales Consultant for further information about the private transfer of this trip.
Wake up early to enjoy the mesmerizing sunrise in Halong Bay with its peaceful atmosphere and stunning scenery. Breakfast will be served on board. Recharge your energy for a trip to other places today as our ship crosses the bay. Around midday, we head back to Hanoi on a shuttle bus after you are taken back to the vessel and dropped off at the main wharf.
The private car is ready for you to transfer to Hanoi Airport for a flight to Ho Chi Minh City.
Upon your arrival, our local guide and private car are ready to pick you up and transfer you to your hotel. Check-in and enjoy your night at the hotel. Dinner on your own account.
Today, transfer by car to the incredible tunnel network of Cu Chi. This historical tunnel was the solid network that protected over 16.000 Viet Cong guerrillas in the wars. Significantly, it continuously became the shelter to resist attack on the air and land of the French in 1948. This tunnel was the communication route, keeping facilities, hospitals and living areas for a lot of Vietnamese fighters during the American war. To relive the severe days our warriors were, you can try to go deep into this network.
Back to the city center for lunch at a local restaurant (your expense).
Continue our trip with a visit around Ho Chi Minh City which used to be French Indochina’s capital. There are many historical landmarks to explore such as the Old Saigon post office, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Opera House. Then, we keep on sightseeing in the Reunification Palace - the command post of the Saigon Government in the 60s. Needless to say, it is where many important historical events while the American War. The final destination of the fifth-day plan is the ethnic Chinese district of Cholon.
Dinner on your own account. Overnight stay at the hotel in Ho Chi Minh City.
This morning, we will pass 130 km (about 3 hours driving) to come to Ben Tre located in the Mekong Delta. Stop at Phong Nam pier, you will get on the boat and sail along a branch of the Mekong – Chet Say River. You can stop at various workshops to learn more about the making of traditional products.
Coconut is the main product here. The shell is taken into a high heat kiln to create coconut charcoal. Other parts are made for different purposes including food. Continue our trip as you will have a chance to learn more about the local life. We will pass through a small canal and stop at a village. Walking is the best way to experience the life of the natives here.
Firstly, let’s come to a mat-weaving house where workers use the hand loom to weave the straw mats. Afterward, you can also try this technique.
After that, get on a “xe loi” (a kind of motorized vehicle – rickshaw) or grab a bicycle to explore a local village with rice fields and vegetable farms.
A nutritious meal at a local house is waiting for you. You cannot imagine that this lunch seemingly has all of the delicious specialties like elephant-ear fish and shrimp from the river. Don’t forget to take some cold drinks or beers for a good appetite.
Enjoy a sampan ride along a narrow canal before we get back to the pier for a drive to Can Tho. Dinner at your expense. Overnight stay at the hotel in Can Tho.
Today, we will explore the colorful floating markets of Cai Rang after you are transferred to Ninh Kieu Quay. Hop on board for an interesting cruise through the bustling market where a wide variety of products are sold. You can find some of the best tropical fruits here like mangos, bananas, mangosteens, star apples, sweetened longans and so on.
Afterward, access to the network of channels and streams of Can Tho to have a closer look at the local daily life on the river. Wave and smile at the friendly children playing in the water will truly make your day.
In the late morning, you will be picked up by a private car and taken to Chau Doc after getting off the boat. Meals on your own. Enjoy a night at the hotel.
Breakfast will be served at the hotel. After that, we will take a boat trip to Cambodia’s capital – Phnom Penh.
Check-in at the hotel when you arrive in Phnom Penh at noon.
The afternoon is the time to explore the city. Phnom Penh is situated on the confluences of 4 tributaries of the Mekong River. It has been the capital of Cambodia for more than 600 years after the Angkor period.
The next destination is an old pagoda which is located on the top of a hill – Wat Phnom. Built-in 1372 by a rich Khmer woman, this site features a great number of historical vestiges. Continue our trip to the National Museum, constructed in 1917-18 where we display many artifacts from both the Pre-Angkor and Angkor Periods. These Khmer arts were made from different materials like sandstone, bronze, silver copper, wood, ceramic, etc.
Then, take a look at the Royal Palace built in 1866, and Silver Pagoda which lies inside the complex. There are a great number of royal artifacts displayed in the area, mostly contributed by Cambodia’s King including the gifts from the foreign countries. The most stand-out object from this collection is the 90kg gilded Buddha image which is decorated with 9,584 diamonds, 17th-century emerald, and baccarat crystals.
Lunch and dinner on your own account. Spend your overnight at the hotel.
Enjoy your time until you are transferred to the Bus station for a 6-hour bus ride to Siem Reap. You will set your foot in Siem Reap in the afternoon. Meals on your own account. Rest overnight in Siem Reap.
If you like, a domestic flight from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap is also available at an additional cost. Contact us for more details.
Today, we spend time exploring the biggest and most stunning temple of Angkor Archaeological Zone – Angkor Wat. The temple was built in the 12th century (from 1112 to 1152) in the dynasty of King Suryavarman II to worship Vishnu. Nowadays, it has become the national symbol of Cambodia which appears on the flag of the country. The site is also recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage which needs to be protected.
Angkor Wat shows us stories about Hindu deities and an immortal life through many carvings on the surface. You can imagine how glorious the kingdom was during the Angkor period via the magnificent structure of the complex. Although Angkor Wat was abandoned in the 15th century, it now remains an important Buddhist site and home to a great number of Buddha images.
Continue our visit to the smallest temple in the Angkor complex – Banteay Srei. Despite the intimate size, the temple holds great features of a beautiful pink sandstone structure and gorgeous Ramayana carvings to attract tourists.
Our next destination is the age-old monastery of Ta Prohm. It was specially built for the mother of King Jayavarman VII in 1186. Hence, this temple became a place where more than 12,500 people including 18 priests and 80,000 Khmer people. Unluckily, the temple was disregarded and enveloped by lush forests after the fall of the Khmer Kingdom.
Take time to contemplate the impressive carvings of the temple and enjoy the tranquil atmosphere here. After that, you will be escorted to the hotel.
Meals on your own. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Preah Khan – the biggest complex in Angkor is the first destination on our trip today. Waiting for Angkor Thom built completely, King Jayavarman VII required the building of Preah Khan as a provisional place for him to stay.
We will have the chance to visit the only island temple of Angkor – Neak Pean. As a legendary savior of many wrecked ships, Balaha is constructed like a statue of the horse which is opposite the temple.
Next, you will visit the two wonderful temples in Angkor, Thommanon and Chau Say Tevoda, which are extremely beautiful. Appearing in the 12th century by the dynastic of King Jayavarman II, these two temples recorded the admirable carved images to worship Shiva and Vishnu.
Continue our tour in the afternoon, we will visit Angkor Thom or the “Great City”. Constructed in the late 12th century in the ruling time of King Jayavarman II. Angkor Thom was the last and most stable capital of the Khmer kingdom. The city has an area of 9 square kilometers including many temples built in the time of King Jayavarman and his next generations.
Moreover, in the center of Angkor Thom, you can find the National Temple of Jayavarman, the Bayon Temple, and many notable vestiges around the Victory Plaza. A lot of old sculptures are waiting for you to explore on this site. It is time to come back to the hotel. Lunch and dinner on your own. Stay overnight at the hotel.
Don’t forget to buy some souvenirs for your friends and family because this is the last day of the tour. After that, you will be transferred to the airport to catch your next flight (without a guide). Meals on your own.
End of services with Asia Links Travel!
What's included
Trip Notes
Time travel: Possible to travel all year around.
Rooms are available from 14.00 on arrival day until 12.00 on departure day, room supplement charge will be added for request of early/late check in/out.
Airfares (if any) may change without notice prior to e-ticket issuance.
Price for infants and children will be quoted as follow:
- Children under 2 years old: Free of charge (Maximum 1 child under 2 years old travels with 2 adults; from the second child, 50% of the regular fare will be applied)
- Children from 2 to 5 years old: 50% of the regular fare will be applied
- Children from 5 to 11 years old: 75% of the regular fare will be applied
- Children from 12 years: 100% of the regular fare will be applied
During Peak Season and special occasions, surcharges may be added to the price:
- Christmas and New Year’s Eve: Compulsory meals would be added during these times of the years, depends on hotels or resorts you will stay overnight.
- Vietnam Lunar New Year: 24 January – 27 January: Extra fee will be applied during holiday.
- Cambodia New Year: 12 April – 18 April: Extra fee will be applied during holiday.
Visa requirements:
For Vietnam: You must have a valid passport and a visa (or pre-approval letter for a visa on arrival) to enter Vietnam. Our consultant will be happy to advise you on visa requirements.
Your passport must be valid for six months beyond your planned stay, and you must have at least one blank page for each visa stamp.
We can customize this tour just for you
We'll get back to you within 6 - 12 business hours
You might also like...
