12 Days Essence of Vietnam and Cambodia Tour

Morning, start a full day city tour beginning with the Ho Chi Minh Complex which features the life of Ho Chi Minh, the nation’s founder. Explore Ba Dinh Square, an important point of pilgrimage for many Vietnamese, the Presidential Palace, 13 Ho Chi Minh Museum and the rural style Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts where he lived and worked. Stop by one of Hanoi’s icons, the One Pillar Pagoda, built in the 11th Century in dedication to Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara or Buddha of Compassion and reminiscent of a lotus blossom rising from a pond. Continue to the Temple of Literature, known as the first university of Vietnam built in 1070 by the Ly Dynasty to honor Confucius, sages and outstanding Vietnamese scholars. Lunch at local restaurant.

After lunch, continue city tour to one of the museums (Fine Art, History, Revolutionary, War, Ethnology Museum) of your choice (closed on Monday), Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple and experience a one hour cyclo tour. Finish your day off at the Thang Long Opera Theatre for a traditional Vietnamese water puppet show.

• Overnight in Hanoi

Today your private trip continues with Ninh Binh, which your private guide tells you about the history and culture of northern Vietnam and its landscape of limestone karsts. Ninh Binh is popular for the first imperial capital of Vietnam after several fights for independence.

Visit the temples dedicated to Emperor Dinh Tien Hoang of the Dinh Dynasty (968-80), and Emperor Le Dai Hanh of the Le Dynasty (980-1009) when we arrive in Hoa Lu. These temples are an original architectural work of art full of folk sculptures. Its values reflect relics hidden in thick bricks, tilts, Buddhist prayer-book pillars, and more importantly its meaningful history of the first ancient capital of Vietnam.

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Our tour continues with a boat trip to Trang An, Landscape Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site featured in the 2017 movie Kong: Skull Island. You can feel the deeply pure atmosphere with special smell of fresh rivers water and cool air from Karst Mountains when reaching each of the three caves in turns.

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Then you take a short biking with your guide to visit Bich Dong Grotto which is situated at the grandiose Ngu Nhac Mountain. Bich Dong means “Green Grotto” or “Pearl Grotto”, which reveals its magnificent natural beauties.

• Overnight in Hanoi

• 08:30: Get picked up from your hotel in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Enjoy the landscape of the Red River Delta on the way to Halong Bay.
• 11:30: Arrive at Tuan Chau Marina, have check-in procedures in the waiting lounge while enjoying a welcoming tea.
• 12:15: Transfer to Nostalgia Cruise by tender boat. Enjoy a welcome drink at the restaurant while receiving a cruise briefing and safety instructions for your trip.
• 13:00: Lunch will be served while Nostalgia disembark into Ha Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay – a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• 15:00: Transfer by tender to Cat Ba Island. Ride to Trung Trang Cave by bus. The cave runs 300 meters through the mountain and has a mysterious beauty due to geological tectonics over the last million years, as well as many historical relics. The cave has many stalactites with different shapes that stimulate the human imagination and amaze visitors.
• 17:00: Back to the boat. Nostalgia Cruise enters a less-populated area at Tra Bau of Lan Ha Bay. Enjoy a nice swim in the green, emerald water.
• 18:00: On board, you may participate in a cooking demonstration where we cook traditional Vietnamese food. Enjoy Happy Hour (buy one, get one free) at the bar while watching the sunset over the bay.
• 19:15: Savour a fusion dinner made with the freshest ingredients in the restaurant: elegant French neoclassical style mixed with traditional oriental touches.
• 21.00: A tea ceremony is served at the restaurant. You will learn how to enjoy Vietnamese tea and Vietnamese culture at this ceremony.
• 21:30: It’s time to admire the beauty of the night on the bay. Our bar on the sundeck and in the restaurant welcomes you. You may want to try your luck with squid fishing or play some board games in the restaurant.
• Overnight on board

• 06:15 – Why not rise early to witness the bay at its very best whilst enjoying an invigorating Tai Chi session on the sundeck; after which we will be serving a light breakfast. Upon completing breakfast, we continue our journey and head out to explore the bay in the area where the Sang Toi cave is situated.
• 7:45 – Enjoy kayaking at Ao Ech area to discover the hidden charm of Lan Ha Bay.
• 9:30 – Return to Nostalgia Cruises boat for check-out procedures.
• 10:00 – Whilst cruising back you can enjoy a delightful brunch.
• 10:30 – Tea Ceremony is served at the restaurant. You will learn how to enjoy Vietnamese tea and Vietnamese cultural at this ceremony. Joining Tea Ceremony with our crew at the end of your stay!
• 11:35 – We bid farewell at Tuan Chau port, this is the end of the program.
• Transfer to Hanoi airport by private car for flight to Hue. Upon arrival escort to hotel for check in.
• Overnight in Hue

Your day will start with a short visit to Thanh Toan Village where you can see the lively morning market. This is where the locals come to buy their daily food. Nearby are the 300-year-old Thanh Toan bridge and a Cultural Museum where you can visit and talk to the locals.

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Continue on to the Hue Roal Complex, former home to the Nguyen Dynasty, the last Monarchy of Vietnam from 1802 – 1945. You will explore the ancient and atmospheric walled Citadel which contains the former Imperial Palace and the Forbidden Purple City.

Wind your way to the Hue Museum of Royal Antiquities, a captivating museum in Hue that displays a remarkable collection of artifacts from the Nguyen Dynasty, providing a unique window into royal history and culture.

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After the tour transfer to hotel in Hoi An for check-in and rest on your own leisure.

• Overnight in Hoi An

In the morning, you'll transfer to the My Son Holy Land. Tucked in the mountains up winding roads with serene views, lay the 4th century My Son Holy Land ruins. The surrounding mountains are strictly forbidden from living or development. The ruins lay in a beautiful surrounding mountainous landscape. You'll enter the temples while your tour guide gives you the history and stories of the Cham and the site. Afterward, you'll watch an Apsara show nearby the site, passed through the Cham tradition. The show features live music and colorful costumes.

In the afternoon, visit the you'll continue to visit Hoi An Ancient Town. This town features the 16th century Hoi An port town in its preserved state. You'll start the day visiting the Museum of Trade Ceramics. This museum houses art and pottery dating from the 1,500s to the 1,700s. Then you'll briefly visit the Chua Ong Pagoda, a temple from the 17th century which features China's influence in the region. You'll continue through the Ancient Town as the streets take on a magic of their own with old lanterns, French-style houses, intricately carved wooden doors and more. You'll take a stroll through the Old Tam Ky House to see it's imperial styles meshed with French overtures. Continue on to stroll along the river and see traditional boats and locals on bicycles passing by. You'll then approach the Japanese Covered Bridge. This bridge has connected the Chinese and Japanese sides of town over the waterway for centuries. The old wooden structure has shown amazing resilience for more than 400 years. At dusk, enjoy walking along the riverside as colorful lanterns light up the town.

• Overnight in Hoi An

Morning, your guide picks you up at your hotel in Hoi An then depart to Da Nang City to visit Son Tra Mountain included monkey mountain, Lady Buddha Statue. Finally, visit Marble Mountain which is include Am Phu Cave with thousands of Buddha statues.  

Ba Na Hills, pass the sea-shore on Nguyen Tat Thanh Street, one of the most beautiful roads of Da Nang City and Red Beach, where the French first landed in Da Nang. Arrive at the Cable car station at the foot of Ba Na Mountain. Enjoy the first leg Cable car, which achieves two Guinness World Records in 2009, longest non-stop cable car (5,042m) and highest non-stop cable car (1,292m). Sitting in the cabin, in mid-air, looking upon the endless tree line of the forests, bring you with spectacular views of the lush jungle and fairly waterfalls along the way. Experience pristine ecological systems of the Ba Na Mountains will leave you the sense of unforeseeable discovery. Visit the Le Jardin, old wineries, remains of French Villas and Ling Ung Pagoda with 27m high Buddha status. We then leave the Le Jardin for the second cable car station to visit the top of mountain and see the remains of old villas. Conquer the Peak of Chua Mountain at the height of 1,487m. View the whole Da Nang city under the cluster of white clouds. Leave Peak of Chua Mountain, visit the trail of Dreaming Stream, Rainbow Waterfall, Suspension Bridge, Golden Valley, and ruined Opera House.

Play with wild monkeys and take photos, freely then we return to Cable car station at foot of Ba Na Mountain then transfer back to Da Nang City.

Upon arrival our driver (No guide) will escort you to hotel and rest on your own leisure.

• Overnight in Saigon

Get off the beaten track. Go where no other tours will take you on this Mekong Delta day tour. Go beyond the concrete jungle of Saigon and onto the back roads and red dirt trails of the countryside. You will cross dozens of bridges over many river tributaries, ride on a river ferryboat, and cruise through a vibrant bustling riverside market. Zoom through the bright green rice paddies while stopping to tour local cottage industries such as incense making & rice wine production, and sample some Vietnamese specialty food and drinks.

Feel a world away from the city on this off-road ride. This tour requires an adventurous spirit and a strong backside. Experienced and skilled riders can drive their own Vespa on this Mekong Delta day tour, or you sit back & relax on the back of a restored vintage Vespa while we take you through the beautiful scenery. The tour comes to an end with lunch at a restaurant where you can cast a line and catch a fish while you enjoy a cold beer in the shade.

*Mekong Delta Tour Highlights*- Local ferry ride, local market, shrimp farm visit, zoom through rice paddies, incense making family, rice wine-making family, local lunch at a stilted restaurant

After the tour transfer to hotel and rest on your own leisure.

• Overnight in Saigon

The history of Ho Chi Minh City has many layers, telling a tale of decades of external influence from the Chinese and the French. With your private driver and English-speaking guide, start your visit today by exploring Cholon, the city’s Chinatown and widely regarded as the largest one in the world by area. The city used to be known as Saigon-Cholon until Vietnam’s independence from France in 1955. From here continue to the Jade Emperor Pagoda, also known as Phuoc Hai and regarded as one of the most interesting pagodas in the country. Built by the Cantonese community around the turn of the 20th century, it is still busy with worshipers. Filled with smoky incense, the pagoda with its elaborately carved figurines and decorated panels of carved gilt woodwork, is dedicated to Buddhist and Taoist deities. If you only visit one pagoda in the city, this should be the one. Finally, head over to Dong Khoi Area in the center of the city where the French colonial presence can be felt at the Notre Dame Cathedral, a Catholic Basilica commissioned entirely of imported French building materials. End with a visit to the Saigon Central Post Office, a stunning architectural marvel with rich Gothic, Renaissance and French influences.

Head into the countryside near Ho Chi Minh City today to spend half a day exploring an incredible feat of perseverance and war time engineering, the famed Cu Chi Tunnels. With your private driver and English-speaking guide, gain important insight into the prolonged struggle against invading armies, and appreciation for the resilience and spirit of the Vietnamese people. The residents of Cu Chi took the war underground into a highly developed network of tunnels that at its height stretched as far as Cambodia and included meeting rooms, kitchens and triage areas. Imperceptible from the ground, opposing armies could roll their tanks over the bunkers without causing damage to the tunnels below. Living conditions were harsh – in addition to fighting the war, residents battled food and oxygen scarcity, venomous insects, and cramped living quarters.

After the tour transfer to airport for flight to Siem Reap. Upon arrival in Siem Reap, our driver (no guide) will escort you to hotel for check-in and rest on your own leisure.

• Overnight in Siem Reap

Breakfast is at hotel. We depart hotel at 8.00am for full day guided Angkor exploration, start with the south gate of Angkor Thom atop 4 giant faces, stroll to explore Bayon temple consisting of more than 200 smiling faces in stone, admired by interesting temples including Baphuon, Phimeanakas, terrace of leper king, terrace of elephant & Ta Prohm temple adorned with the stunning tree roots where Lara Croft Tomb Raider was filmed.

After lunch, continue to witness the marvelous Angkor Wat – the world’s heritage listed by UNESCO in 1992 and the largest monument in the world. Unlock the amazing history, its ancestral incredible, architectural masterpieces and the finest carvings dates back to the Khmer Empire when it dominated the largest parts of Southeast Asia. On your way back to Siem Reap, enjoy the sunset from the top of the pyramid-shaped temple of Bakheng.

• Overnight in Siem Reap.

Today our driver will escort you to airport for flight home.

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