Indochina Discovery 18 days/ 17 nights

Indochina Discovery 18 days/ 17 nights bring you the trip to the major & famous cities of three countries: Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam with the divers cultures.

18 days 17 nights

Cambodia

Multi-Country Tours

Attractions

Phnom Penh - Vientiane - Luang Prabang - Ha Noi - Ha Long City - Hue - Hoi An

Duration

18 days 17 nights

Code

CMUT4

Overview

Indochina Discovery 18 days/ 17 nights bring you the trip to the major & famous cities of three countries: Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam with the divers cultures. You can find easily the flights from Bangkok or Saigon to Phnom Penh in Cambodia to start this trip. You will visit Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia still considered to be its spiritual heart, breathes a rich meld of French Indochinese architecture, Theravada Buddhist temples and a magical atmosphere. Explore the incredible Angkor ruins with unique architecture art and mystery stories about it. Fly to Laos, Vientiane with leafy boulevards and rundown, creaking colonial mansions and dotted with rustic wats surrounded by coconut palms. Luang Prabang is located on a peninsula-formed by the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers with great daily night market, lots of temples, excellent restaurants and baguette stalls everywhere. After visit Lao country you will travel to Vietnam, you will start from the north to the south, discover and enjoy the many charm city and tourist site, Hanoi, capital city, Halong the magnificent scenery of thousands of limestone dotted on the emerald water of Halong Bay – Bay of the Descending Dragon. Moving to the country’s center, you will visit two famous world heritage sites recognized by UNESCO with the victorious & long history: Hue imperial city and Hoi An ancient town. Fly to the South of Vietnam, visit Ho Chi Minh City, the largest and the most exciting city of Vietnam. Far from the city we take you join the ceremony of Cao Dai Temples and visit massive underground network Cu Chi used as military based of Viet Cong. End your Indochina trip by Sampan cruise along green canals as well as explore the daily life of people living along Mekong Delta and sailing along green canals.

Highlights :

- Visit Phnom Penh city including several cultural and historical attraction including the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, National Musem, Wat Phnom.
- Discover the civilization of Khmer through the giant Angkor Complex in Cambodia kingdom.
- See the major temples as the oldest Wat Sisaket, the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo of Vientiane.
- Stroll around looking at the beautiful temples, handicraft shops & markets and cruise to Pak Ou Cave and see some floating villages in Luang Prabang.
- Explore the graceful and charming capital city Hanoi with crazy French architecture, funky little shops selling mostly artisan goodies, street hawkers, and loads of color everywhere
- Boat junk cruise in the bay with the emerald green waters pierced by shards of towering limestone cliffs that are out of this world in Ha Long
- Learn more about Vietnam history through the Hue’s complex of tombs, pagodas & palaces, the beautififul ancient city of Hoian.
- Explore the throbbing metropolis Ho Chi Minh city & famous underground network Cu Chi
- Take sampan boat in Mekong Delta dotted by many island and fruitful orchard around

Itinerary

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Arriving at Phnom Penh, our Cambodia guide will be at the airport to welcome you and transfer you to your hotel. Afternoon’s city tour includes the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda and the Independence monument. Dinner in the local restaurant. Overnight at the hotel in Phnom Penh.

This morning we visit the Central & Russian Markets before transferring to the airport for the short flight to Siem Reap where our local guide will meet you. After lunch at a local restaurant, we take a boat trip to enjoy the wonderful views of Tonlesap Great Lake, then visit the beautiful Phnom Krom temple by the Lake. Later, dinner will be at a local restaurant with a traditional Cambodian dance performance on stage. Dinner in the local restaurant. Overnight at the hotel in Siem Reap.

The antiquites of Angkor are on the agenda today, starting with the ancient royal capital of Angkor Thom: Bayon, Thommanon, Chau Say Tevoda, the Terrace of Elephants and Leper King and Taprohm temples. After lunch we visit the world heritage temple of Angkor Wat, followed by the Ta Som, Ta Keo and Pre Rup temples. Overnight at the hotel in Siem Reap.

This morning we drive to Phnom Kulen where the 'River of 1000 Lingas' features thousands of symbols carved into the sandstone rocks under the water. We also visit the Rock temple, with its large reclining Buddha, and take a picnic lunch by the waterfall. On the return trip, we visit the oldest temple in Angkor, the 10th century. Banteay Srei. This temple has the best engravings among all the ruins and was used in the film 'Lara Croft Tomb Raider'. Overnight at the hotel in Siem Reap.

Today after breakfast we transfer to the airport for the flight to Laos. On arrival at the capital, Vientiane, our Laos representative will be at the airport to welcome you and transfer to your hotel. After lunch at a local restaurant, today's city tour of Vientiane includes Wat Hoprakeo, built in 1566 by King Setthathirat to house the Emerald Buddha, Wat Sisaket, the only temple in Vientiane that survived the destruction of the city by the Siamese (Thai) in 1828; That Luang Stupa Museum shrine (great Sacred Stupa), the most important national monument in Vientiane, with a golden stupa believed to contain a relic of Lord Buddha and the Pratuxay Monument situated in the centre of Vientiane prefecture, its architecture inspired by the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and incorporating typical Lao motifs. Finally see the sunset at Mekong riverside. Overnight at the hotel in Vientiane.

After breakfast, we transfer to the airport for the flight to Luang Prabang, where our local guide will meet you and transfer you to your hotel. Today's city tour of the former Royal capital, Luang Prabang, include a visit to Wat Visoun, the site of the impressive Thad Makmo stupa and Phou Sii hill which stands right in the centre of the small city, where you can climb its 350 steps to enjoy commanding views over the Mekong. Wat Phu Sii sits atop the mountain, alongside the skeletons of Indochina war anti-aircraft guns. Then we continue, visiting Wat Mai (1796) with its five-tiered roof, and Wat Xieng Thong which is considered to characterize the uniqueness of Luang Prabang's local style, its several roofs sweeping low to the ground. We see also the impressive "tree of life" mosaic here. The gilt panel on the exterior of the chapel depicts semi-erotic episodes from the Ramayana. Later we visit the National Museum, which was once the king's palace. Displayed inside is a collection of personal artifacts of the former royal family. Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at the hotel in Luang Prabang.

After breakfast, we board a cruise heading upstream on the Mekong River, giving a panoramic view of the tranquil countryside. Our first stop is the village of Ban Muangkeo where we start a short trek (45 mins) to reach the mysterious Pak Ou Caves, two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by pilgrims. En route, we stop at the village of Ban Xanghai, where the local specialty of rice wine is produced. On the way, we also visit Ban Xangkhong, Ban Xienglek and Ban Nong Xai, small villages well known for silk weavings and for Saa (jute) Papermaking. Once back in Luang Prabang city we visit a traditional silversmith's workshop. Overnight at the hotel in Luang Prabang.

Today we visit the Tad Khuang Sii waterfall, on the way visiting a Hmong village and Ban Ouh village where Lao and Lu hill people live. The falls cascade over many calcified tiers and down several hundred feet into a series of cool, turquoise pools. The water here has a clear blue-green tint due to the high mineral content. You can climb the stairs and look down from various viewpoints on the way to the top. We take a picnic lunch by the waterfall then return to Luang Prabang and take the afternoon at leisure. Overnight at the hotel in Luang Prabang.

In the early morning, hundreds of monks line the street in Luang Prabang and are given rice and other foods by the local people. If you like, we can take you into the centre of Luang Prabang to watch and give rice to the monks - your guide will provide sticky rice for you. (This dawn tour is optional - a very early start!) Afterwards we take a stroll though the morning market before returning to the hotel for breakfast. After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the flight to Hanoi, Vietnam. Our Hanoi guide will be at the airport to welcome you & transfer you to your hotel. In the evening, see the famous Vietnamese Water Puppet show, followed by dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at the hotel in Hanoi

Our full day tour of Hanoi today includes Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum (closed on Monday, Friday and the whole October-November) and Residence, the One-Pillar Pagoda and the Army Museum. After lunch at a local restaurant we visit the Temple of Literature, built in the 11th century as Vietnam’s first university, followed by the Fine Art Museum, the Quan Thanh Temple, Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple. Overnight at the hotel in Hanoi.

Breakfast at hotel and then start a 3-hour drive through the Red River Delta to Ha Long City. Comfort stop en route for photos and coffee before arriving to Ha Long City. We then transfer to a lwooden sailing junkfor a cruise through the limestone cliffs and emerald waters of Ha Long Bay, giving us the chance to take in the stunning scenery of this World Heritage Site. While on board we will be served a sumptuous fresh, local seafood lunch followed by a swim and exploring some of the limestone caves in this area. When the sun comes down we drop anchor for the night nearby a remote island. Dinner and overnight on Junk

Rising to the tranquil beauty of the bay we have time for an early morning dip with joys and emotions for watching sunrise on sea followed by breakfast. This morning we continue to move around the bay to find more secluded areas. The junk will be near us at all times serving as a back up vessel for those that require it. At around midday we will return to the main harbor before transferring to our awaiting vehicle for a 3-hour journey to Noi Bai airport for flight to Hue. Upon arrival Hue, pick up & transfer to hotel in Hue. Overnight at the hotel in Hue

We then set out for the exploration of Hue's famous highlights, including the picturesque Thien Mu, or Heavenly Lady Pagoda. One of the most poignant displays here is a car belonging to a former monk, who in 1963, drove to Saigon and set himself alight to protest against the South Vietnamese regime and its treatment of Buddhists. Disembark the board for a visit the elaborate mausoleum of former emperor Tu Duc. Transfer back to Hue center Hue for lunch at local restaurant. After lunch, visit the Citadel and the Forbidden Purple City. Built in the 19th century by the Nguyen dynasty, the City was home to the former Emperors of Vietnam from 1802 until 1945, do the walking and shopping in Dong Ba Market to enjoy the specialty of Hue city. Overnight at the hotel in Hue

Having breakfast, then we bid Hue farewell this morning. We continue our south bound journey in the comfort of an air-conditioned bus. Today our destination is the old trading town of Hoi An. Along the way through we will stop at Lang Co beach for coffee and refreshments. From here we head up to the Hai Van pass, stopping at the top to take in the stunning views north over Lang Co beach and south over Danang city. Continue on our way down the other side and into Da Nang where we will stop at the Cham Museum, the famed East Beach, and the Marble Mountains. Arrival in Hoian, we will visit Hoi An town with ancient merchants' houses, a Phuc Kien temple, the 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge, and the colorful riverside markets, workshops where artisans make Hoi An's famous lanterns. Guests learn how the lanterns are made then have a chance to create their own lanterns, from designing the frame to gluing the cloth. Overnight at the hotel in Hoi An

Today we drive to Danang to the airport for the short flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Our guide in HCM will meet you and transfer you to your hotel. After lunch, our afternoon city tour includes The Reunification Palace (the former Presidential Palace), the Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral, Lam Son Square, Ben Thanh Market, Thien Hau pagoda, The Museum of HCM Campaign and other sights of HCMC. Overnight at the hotel in HCM city

A morning drive through typical southern Vietnamese countryside takes us to Tay Ninh Province in the west of Vietnam to visit the incredible Cao Dai Great Temple. With architecture that could have come straight from a Walt Disney fantasy, here all the major faiths of the world blend together in a unique religious cocktail. After lunch, we visit the famous Cu Chi Tunnels, an underground tunnel network constructed by Vietnamese resistance fighters during the long struggle for independence. Overnight at the hotel in HCM city

Today we take a full day trip to the watery world of the Mekong Delta, just a couple of hours by road from the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City's streets. Depart for Vinh Long, 150km southwest of Ho Chi Minh city then a motor-boat takes us along the Mekong river and follows small canals flowing sluggishly between banks of luxuriant vegetation to Cai Be floating market, one of the most typical floating markets of the Mekong Delta. Experience the exotic sights, sounds and smells. Lunch at a bonsai garden with speciality food - "Elephant's Ear" fish is followed by a visit to a ceramic tile factory, a tofu and fish sauce factory, a blacksmith's, a roof thatcher's and a rice husking factory. Return to HCMC. Overnight at the hotel in HCM city

Free at leisure until it is time to transfer to the airport for your departure flight.

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Trip notes

Tour includes:

Private English speaking guide
Accommodation based on twin sharing room with daily breakfast
All Transfers & transport by private vehicle
Halong junk cruise 2 days/ 1 night
Cyclo tour and water puppet show in Hanoi
All entrance fees as indicated
Private traditional boat : Pak Ou cave, Hue, Mekong Delta
Meals as indicated (B = Breakfast ; L = Lunch; D = Dinner)
Water & cool towels
Government taxes & service charge

Tour excludes:

Vietnam visa : on arrival in condition of provided invitation letter
Lao Visa : Available at the airport/border ( 30 USD/ pax)
Cambodia visa : Available at the airport/border ( 25 USD/ pax)
Domestic airtickets : Phnom Penh – Siem Reap; Vientiane – Luang Prabang; Hanoi – Hue; Danang - Saigon
International airticket : Siem Reap – Vientiane; Luang Prabang - Hanoi
Travel insurance
Admission fees during free time
Meals and drinks not mentioned in the itinerary
Personal expenses such atelephone, laundry and bar bills etc.
Tips and gratuities