This trip offers a thorough exploration through Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. You will be exposed to as much splendid tropical nature, interesting old-fashioned daily life, colourful Buddhist cultures, and well-known historic sites as possible.

Day 1: Home – Hanoi  
Arrival in Hanoi, the ancient intricate capital of Vietnam, airport pick-up, hotel check-in
Afternoon: 1 hour trishaw tour around the old quarter to be amazed by the unique hustle and bustle of the city.

Day 2: Hanoi – Lao Cai by Night Train (B) 
Full day for exploring the fascinating city of Hanoi where old and new things blend together, Vietnamese, Chinese and French cultures mix together.

8:30 Meet our guide and a pleasant walk around the peaceful Ho Chi Minh area, visit HCM Mausoleum ( close on Monday and Fridays) , HCM’s stilt house and garden, the One Pillar pagoda. Take another pleasant walk at the beautiful Temple of Literature, visit the Ethnology museum.

Afternoon enjoy a fantastic rickshaw ride through the bustle and hustle of Hanoi Old Quarter. Finally take a fascinating walk through the famous 36 busy streets of the Old Quarter and shopping

20:00 Transfer to the train station. Boarding on the night train Sapaly train Hanoi – Lao Cai 21:10  05:30   Overnight on train

Day 3: Lao Cai – Hill Tribe market - Sapa (B)

5:30 Arrival in Lao Cai, have breakfast at local restaurant and we take a scenic drive up the mountains to visit the colorful market (depending on a certain date: Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday). Enjoy taking many interesting pictures at the market, then drive back to Lao Cai and transfer to Sapa a tourist hub in North Vietnam. Check in a hotel for relaxation.

Overnight in Sapa

Day 4: Sapa – Lao Chai – Ta Van villages (B) 
9:00 Transfer to a point where you will start the 4 km light trekking to Lao Chai village of Black H’mong People on easy path, mostly down hill, altitude is between 1,400m – 1,600m. There will be many photo stops on the way.

13:00 Transfer back to Sapa by car. Time at leisure

Overnight in Sapa.

Day 5: Sapa – Ma Tra – Ta Phin Villages – Night Train back to Hanoi (B) 
9:00am: After breakfast, have another trekking tour to Suoi Ho village (walk or go by car from Sapa to Suoi Ho, depending on the guests’ condition) and walk to Ma Tra village inhabited by the H’Mong people. Then walk to Ta Phin village of red Dao people (walk around the village).

Back to Sapa and free time to enjoy relaxation of Sapa

17:00 transfer to train station. Get aboard of the Sapaly train  Lao Cai – Hanoi at 21:00  05:15

Overnight on the train

Day 6: Hanoi – Halong bay (B-L-D) 
5:15 arrival in Hanoi, transfer to observe the Hanoi people doing exercises around the Hoan Kiem lake, then go for breakfast at hotel and rest after a night train (no room reserve in advance )

8:00 transfer by shuttle bus to Halong Bay, a World Natural Heritage site. Upon arrival, check in aboard a shared junk and start cruising. Enjoy fabulous seafood, stunning sceneries and fishing

Overnight aboard

Day 7: Halong – Hanoi - Hue (B-Brunch) 
Morning continue the cruise. Have brunch on the boat. 

Afternoon drive to Noi Bai airport, take a flight to Hue, the last Royal capital of Vietnam, a World Cultural Heritage Site.

Check in a hotel and relax 

Day 8: Hue (B) 
Morning take a lovely boat trip on the Perfume River to the beautiful Thien Mu pagoda, the symbol of Hue.

Then transfer to visit the Royal Citadel of Hue, enjoy a pleasant walk in this interesting area, visit the amazingly full Dong Ba market. 

Visit the King Tu Duc tomb and King Khai Dinh tomb. 

Day 9: Hue - Hoian (B) 
Morning drive to Hoian, a charming ancient town, a World Cultural Heritage site.

Arrival in Hoian, enjoy the wonderful features of Hoian: relaxing, charming, and great shopping
Enjoy a pleasant city walk to visit the History Museum, a temple, old Chinese merchant’s houses, the famous Japanese pagoda bridge, and many beautiful shops.

Day 10: Hoian Countryside Tour with Biking - Fishing - Boating - Farming - Cooking  (B-L)

Start a nice day with bike ride from the hotel through the countryside of Hoian. Continue with a nice boat ride to see how local people fish on the river, which you can experience the activities yourselves. Enjoy a fun bamboo basket row through the water coconut plantation ending up at a local farmer’s house to have a chat with them about their lives.

Continue to bike to Tra Que vegetable village where you will change into farmers’ outfits and practice planting vegetables.

After that, it is time to practice cooking some local food for lunch and enjoy what you have cooked.

Bike back to the hotel and rest after a fun busy day.

Day 11: Hoi An – HCMC (B) 
7:30 Check out the hotel , transfer to airport and take the flight to HCMC DAD SGN 9:35 11:05

Upon arrival, meet our guide and transfer for city tour in HCMC, the biggest city of Vietnam of modern hustle and bustle with visits to the Binh Tay market and Thien Hau temple in China town, the War museum, The Hundred Years Red Cathedral (Notre Dame Cathedral), The Old Post Office and The People’s Committee Hall which were all built during the French colonial period.

17:00 Enjoy the unique water puppet show

Hotel check in.

Overnight in HCMC

Day 12: HCMC – Cu Chi tunnel (B) 
8:00 Meet our guide and transfer to Cu Chi and visit Cu Chi Tunnels where human knowledge has been enriched by experiencing a web-like tunnel system of more than 200km in length which provide shelters for Vietnamese guerrillas during the Vietnam War against American troops.

Back to HCMC . Time at leisure

Overnight in HCMC.

Day 13: HCMC – Cai Be – Vinh Long – Can Tho (B-L) 
08:00 transfer to Cai Be located on the Upper Branch of the Mighty Mekong River.

10:30 Arrival in Cai Be, get on a boat and visit the Cai Be floating market and many workshops of making rice paper, salt, soya sauce, coconut candies, pop corn, pop rice, etc.

Get back on the boat and have lunch served with local food on the boat (included).

Continue to Vinh Long by boat along rivers, fruit gardens etc.

Enjoy a nice sampan row through Luc Cu canal.

Enjoy a walk for 15 minutes along fruit gardens and villages to visit Ut Trinh garden. Enjoy fruits and local traditional music.

Continue the boat tour to Vinh Long town, visit a local market

Then transfer to Can Tho by road.

Arrival in Can Tho. Check in a hotel and relax

Day 14: Can Tho – Tra Su – Chau Doc (B) 
7:00 After breakfast, check out and transfer to visit Cai Rang floating market. Then visit a rice noodle factory, An Binh market.

10:00 Transfer to Chau Doc

Transfer to visit Tra Su swamp, enjoy the tours by motor boat, rowing boat, on foot. See the birds (many birds can be spotted late in the afternoon, before dark)

18:00 Transfer back to your hotel

Overnight in Chau Doc

Day 15: Chau Doc – Phnom Penh (B)
7:00 Take the express boat to Phnom Penh

Upon arrival at Boat Pier at about 12:00-01:00pm, greeted by tour guide and visit Royal Palace & Silver Pagoda and check in at hotel. Free at own leisure

Overnight in Phnom Penh

Day 16: Phnom Penh (B)
After breakfast at hotel, visit Toul Sleng Genocide Museum and Killing Fields.

 Afternoon, visit Wat Phnom, Central Market and Independence Monument.

Overnight in Phnom Penh

Day 17: Phnom Penh – Siem Reap (B) 
After breakfast at hotel, transferred to Phnom Penh Airport for flight departure to Siem Reap.

K6 105  PNH  REP  10:40   11:25

Upon arrival at Siem Reap, greeted by another guide and transferred to visit  Banteay Srey Temple and Sunset View on Bakheng Hill.

Overnight in Siem Reap

Day 18: Siem Reap – Angkor Temples Tour (B) 
Early rise to see the Sunrise at Angkor Wat Temple and back to hotel for breakfast.

After breakfast at hotel, transferred to visit South Gate of Angkor Thom, Bayon Temple, Phimean Akas Temple, Terrace of Leper King, Terrace of the Elephant, and Ta Prohm Temple. Lunch at own account. Afternoon, visit Angkor Wat Temple.

Day 19: Siem Reap – Pakse – Khong Island (B)
Transfer to the airport to take a flight to Pakse

QV 514 REPPKZ 1440- 1540. 

Meet upon arrival at Pakse airport, then excursion by car directly to Khong Island. We will arrive Khong around 6PM.

Day 20: Khong Island (B) 
After breakfast ,depart by boat downstream to Ban Khone for about an hour, visit Khone Paheng where the French built a 14km long railway, you can follow the railway line to view an old locomotive by passing a massive French built bridge. Mekong Dolphin Conservation Center is located on Done Khone Island, you are welcome to visit the center. Visit Khone Papheng which considers as the biggest water fall in South East Asia.
Back to the resort for relaxation

Day 21: Khong Island – Pakse – Vientiane (B)
After breakfast, then excursion by car to the former Royal capital of Champassak. Upon arrival, continue by road to Vat Phou (8 km from the city), a pre-Angkorian temple dating from the 6-13th century, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002. In the afternoon, continue by car to stop at Ban Houei Thomo village and walk to the nearby ruins of the Khmer temple of Oum Moung, which is hidden in a thick forest. Arrive in Pakse & then go to airport for catch a flight to Vientiane.

QV 206 17JAN  PKZVTE    1710  1825

Meet upon arrival, transfer to hotel & check in.

Day 22: Vientiane (B)
After breakfast ,Spend a full day touring Vientiane: visit the Ho Phrakeo, where the Emerald Buddha was enshrined at the beginning of the Lane Xang Kingdom, the Vat Sisaket, known as the Buddha Museum, where more than ten thousands Buddha statues in niches can be seen, the morning market, and the Patouxai before lunch in a local restaurant. In the afternoon discover That Luang Stupa then enjoy an excursion by car to the Buddha Park of Xieng Khouane. Return to your hotel by the end of the afternoon.

Day 23: VTE – Luang Prabang (B) 
After breakfast, transfer to airport for morning flight to Luangprabang.

QV 111 19JAN  VTELPQ  0910  1000 

Meet upon arrival, transfer to hotel & check in. Then we Visit former royal temples, Wat Visun where one can see the Biggest Buddha statue, Wat Xieng Thong the most beautiful temple in Luang Prabang with its mosaic decoration and the former royal carriage. Visit the Museum (former king's palace), then clime up Mt Phousi overlooking the city of Luang Prabang.

Day 24: Luang Prabang – Boat tour – Park Ou cave – Elephant ride – Villages (B) 
This tour is a combination of elephant riding, with a visit to Pak Ou caves and Ban Xan Hai (Lao whisky village) in a full day tour. We pick you up from your hotel at 8:00 AM and start the day with a 50 minute drive north of the city to the beautiful limestone cliffs at the confluence of the Mekong River and Ou River. The caves are famous for their hundreds of devotional Buddha images ranging from different shapes and sizes.

After the cave, cross the river to experience a 1 hour elephant ride through the jungle and rice fields along the river towards the elephant camp. The camp belongs to a traditional mahout (elephant care taker) family who have taken care of elephants for many generations. After the journey with the elephants, continue the tour by visiting the village where the famous Lao whisky and Lao rice wine is made. The community at Ban Xang Hai has many local handicrafts and Lao Whisky available for tasting and purchasing as well. 

Day 25: LUANG PRABANG – KWANGSI WATERFALL – HILL TRIBLE VILLAGE (B)

After breakfast, excursion by car to the beautiful waterfalls of Khouang Sy, nestled in the lush tropical vegetation. On the way back, visit the villages of the hill tribes such as the village H'Mong of Benchers Thinkeo and the khmu minority village of Ban Thapaene.

Afternoon, excursion to visit Ban Sang Khong Village, a traditional hand weaving Village & paper making village. Return to Luangprabang & spend some time strolling through the H’Mong market.

Lunch and dinner at own account.

Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Day 26: Departure Home sweet Home (B)
After breakfast, time at leisure until transfer to the airport for your departure flight.

End of service

Inclusions:

• Accommodation with breakfast (based on twin sharing)
• All meals indicated in the program (B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner)
• All ground transport on tour with A/C vehicles, boats, bicycle, trishaw etc., all the domestic flights HAN – HUI, DAD – SGN, PNH – REP,  PKZ – VTE, VTE – LPQ, and 1 international flight REP-PKZ.
• All entrance fees, show, elephant ride
• Local English speaking guides
• Bottles of water 

Exclusions:

• International flight tickets to Hanoi and from Luang Prabang
• Visa for Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos
• Personal travel Insurance
• Personal expenses such as other meals, drinks, tips etc. 
• All other accounts not mentioned in the above inclusions.