14 Days Vietnam to Cambodia Heritage Tour

Hanoi is well known for its history, architecture, charm, tranquility, and cuisine. Our first visit was to the most well-respected sites, the Ho Chi Minh Complex and Ba Dinh Square, important pilgrimage points for many Vietnamese. The area surrounding the complex is a traffic-free zone filled with botanical gardens, monuments, memorials, and pagodas. It includes the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House, the Presidential Palace, the Ho Chi Minh Museum, and the One Pillar Pagoda.

Next, visit the 11th-century Temple of Literature, Hanoi’s first university. From here, continue to Bun Cha Huong Lien, the famous local spot where President Barack Obama dined with Anthony Bourdain.

In the afternoon, we drive approximately 25 minutes to the Ethnology Museum, which provides an insightful glimpse into the country’s lengthy history. More than 15,000 photos and 10,000 objects and artifacts depict the lives, activities, customs, and habits of the 54 recognized ethnic groups of Vietnam.

End your day by walking through the Hanoi Old Quarter. The streets of this district are bustling with scooters, bicycles, cyclos, and cars. The best way to enjoy the charming colonial architecture is to wander with your guide at a leisurely pace. Be sure to stop for a cup of Vietnamese coffee or a local snack from one of the many tantalizing street vendors.

Your Vietnam beach vacation begins with a trip to Halong Bay, a collection of almost 2,000 islands and jungle-clad limestone pillars in the Tonkin Gulf. Called “Bay of Descending Dragons” in Vietnamese, the archipelago is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a world-famous travel destination.

Leave the hotel and head to Halong, passing through wonderful scenery, including tranquil villages and buffalo in the fields.

Upon arrival, enjoy a welcome drink and a freshly caught seafood lunch while sailing out of the bay, passing amazing mountain shapes. Enjoy the seascape from the sundeck or even from your private cabin through glass windows. To enhance your experience, take a swim, go kayaking, and visit caves on the island. In the late afternoon, participate in a Vietnamese cooking demonstration led by onboard chefs and enjoy a seafood feast for dinner as stars emerge behind the jungle-clad limestone pillars.

Spend the night onboard in an elegant cabin with handcrafted wooden interiors and air conditioning. Before your overnight stay aboard, you can go night fishing.

Rise early to catch the sunrise over Sung Sot Cave while participating in a Tai Chi class with the boat’s Tai Chi guru.

Enjoy a light breakfast while sitting on the upper deck, relaxing, and taking in the breathtaking beauty of the rocky islands rising from the emerald waters of the bay. Then, explore Sung Sot Cave, swim, and relax. Return to the jetty while brunch is served, passing more fascinating rock formations.

Return to Hanoi with time to relax or grab a last-minute bargain before our late afternoon flight to Hue. Upon arrival in Hue, you will transfer to your hotel for check-in.

Today, visit Hue's oldest 19th-century pagoda, Thien Mu (Heavenly Lady) Pagoda, famous for its Buddhist center teachings.

Board our dragon boat from the base of the pagoda and cruise down the Perfume River, watching local fishermen while passing through the banks of Hue’s town.

We then visit the Hue Citadel, Vietnam’s former imperial capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You will discover the history of Vietnam during this period, the daily life of the royal family, and the typical architecture of this imperial construction.

Next, we will visit the tombs of the former Nguyen Emperors, including the Minh Mang Tomb.

Before returning to your hotel, stop at Dong Ba Market to do some shopping.

After a relaxing morning, we set out on a spectacular drive to Hoi An.

We pass through Lang Co fishing village, set within beautiful blue lagoons, before heading up and over the spectacular Hai Van Pass, stopping at the highest point to gaze at the breathtaking scenery, 980 meters above sea level.

Upon arrival in Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the rest of the afternoon is free for you to enjoy the peaceful ambiance of this ancient town or spend time with the skillful tailors, treating yourself to tailor-made clothes, which Hoi An is renowned for.

Today, we have the privilege of spending the day at a local family home in a small farming village just outside Hoi An.

We bike from the hotel to Tra Que village. Upon arrival, we are welcomed by the family and enjoy a traditional herbal drink before setting out on a guided walk through the local farmland. We learn about the village's history, observe harvesting processes, and discover the traditional uses of herbs and vegetables in cooking and Vietnamese medicine.

For those with a green thumb, you can join the farmers in preparing the land, seeding, watering, and picking the crops.

After trying your hand at farming, rest, freshen up, and enjoy a traditional lemongrass and rose petal foot bath before sitting down for a delicious lunch of local delicacies using fresh herbs and vegetables from the garden.

The family will also demonstrate their cooking skills as they prepare their lunch.

We bid farewell to the family in the early afternoon and head back to town. The rest of the day is free for leisure.

After a relaxing morning, we take a flight to Saigon.

Upon arrival at Tan Son Nhat Airport, you will be met by your tour guide and driver and transferred to your hotel for check-in.

You are free to explore the bustling city of Saigon in the evening.

With over eight million inhabitants and four million motorbikes, Saigon is a city that never sleeps.

This morning, we take a half-day city tour with your guide, offering insight into everyday life in Vietnam. Famous landmarks include the colonial-era government quarter's vibrant yellow French-style post office. We then step off the tourist track to experience the local life of bustling Saigon. Learn about Vietnamese and Chinese communities as we travel to Cho Lon, one of the world’s largest and oldest Chinatowns.

In the afternoon, travel out of town to see the famous Cu Chi Tunnels, where thousands of Viet Cong soldiers lived during the Vietnam War. You can enter a few tunnels if you are comfortable with narrow spaces and watch exhibitions and videos about the tunnels when they were in use.

In the evening, you can enjoy trendy restaurants, cocktail bars, or street food near Ben Thanh Market.

Today, we head to Cai Be Floating Market to explore the typical Vietnamese life of the Mekong Delta.

Upon arrival at the Cai Be land market, visit rice factories in An Cu Village, then take a boat to Dong Hoa Hiep to visit the ancient house. Afterward, visit the Cai Be Floating Market and handicraft workshop. Continue to Tan Phong Island, where you will take rowing boats along the small canals, passing through Mekong Ecolodge for a short break. You can explore the island by bicycle, interact with locals, and learn how to make jack leaves cakes, a local specialty.

After enjoying the cakes, you can relax on hammocks under a 200-year-old milk fruit tree and experience crossing a traditional Monkey Bridge, popular in Vietnam's southwest.

Later, visit a local house to learn how to knit water hyacinths and create your hat under guidance. Finally, join a cooking class and enjoy lunch at Mekong Ecolodge before returning to Saigon in the afternoon.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to Siem Reap.

Upon arrival at Siem Reap Airport, you will be greeted by a local tour guide. Start with a city tour to visit the main shrine at Preah Ang Chek/Chhom Temple, followed by a visit to Angkor National Museum, showcasing ancient artifacts from Cambodia. In the afternoon, take a short cruise on Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia’s most significant natural water body, passing by floating villages. You will observe the simple lifestyle of local fishermen as you cruise by floating schools, clinics, sports halls, and more.

You are free to explore Siem Reap’s night markets in the evening.

Today, explore the Angkor Wat temple complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most magnificent monuments in the world.

Start at Angkor Thom, the last capital of the Khmer Empire, surrounded by an 8-meter-high wall. Enter the Bayon Temple, famous for the mysterious face carvings covering its many towers.

Afterward, continue to Baphuon, a temple built in the 11th century and now fully restored. Visit the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King before heading to Ta Prohm, famously known as the "Tomb Raider" temple because of its overgrown trees.

After lunch, visit the stunning Angkor Wat, the largest temple in the complex. Watch the sunset from the top of Phnom Bakheng Hill before returning to your hotel.

Early in the morning, visit the picturesque Ta Prohm, which was nearly overtaken by the jungle and remains overgrown, creating an oddly haunting and exotic scene. The magnificent roots of a tree pushing between the temple's huge stone blocks form an embrace that evokes feelings you may remember forever. Continue your tour by visiting the intricately carved Khmer ruins at Angkor Wat, one of the world’s most impressive ruins. The temple still features delicate Apsara carvings in Angkorian-era art. Return to the hotel at 9:00 AM for breakfast and rest at noon to avoid the day's heat.

At 3:00 PM, continue exploring the mysterious Royal City of Angkor Thom. The 54-tower Bayon Temple is an incredible sight. At first glance, it seems like a shapeless mass of stone, but upon closer inspection, faces emerge, staring out from a primitive and remote time. Further, visit the surroundings of the complex, including Baphuon, the Elephant Terraces, the Leper King Terrace, the Royal Palace area, and another ruin in the Angkor area, Preah Khan Temple, built in the 12th century by King Jayavarman VII, similar in style to Ta Prohm Temple.

After breakfast, enjoy free time at your leisure until your departure. Our tour guide will pick you up and transfer you to Siem Reap Airport for your departure flight.