Discover The Charm Of Indochina Tour 18 Days

Day 01: Bangkok Arrival

Warmly welcome on arrival in Suvarnabhumi International Airport, meet & greet service by our representative. Transfer from the airport to the hotel by the private air-conditioned vehicle with English speaking guide. Check in at the hotel. Overnight in Bangkok.

Meal: None

Tour guide: English speaking guide

Day 02: Bangkok City Tour

Start out with a visit depart hotel for a chic and unique city tour. Visit a bustling around the clock market, Pak Klong Talad, take a short Tuk Tuk ride to Saranrom Royal Garden where you can relax while learning varieties of Thai plants. Continue to the Grand Palace and Emerald Buddha Temple – Wat Phra Kaeo. Before entering the main gate to the temple of the Emerald Buddha, stop by the Royal Regalia Museum to see the beauty of decorative jewelry, which used to be the ornament of the royal officers and consorts. Walk in to enjoy the beauty of the temple of The Emerald Buddha. Visit the most sacred Buddha statue of Thailand, held by all Thais as also the symbol of national independence and enjoy the stunning buildings which you cannot miss taking photos of, every time you turn around.

Afternoon, take a long-tailed boat along the Chao Phraya River to see Thai lifestyle. Pass the Grand Palace and pay a brief visit to the Royal Barge Museum which houses ceremonial King’s Barges decorated with multi-color glasses, gilt and stuccos. Disembark at Wat Arun – the temple of Dawn to visit the tallest prang in Thailand. Overnight in Bangkok.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

Tour guide: English speaking guide

Day 03: Bangkok – Luang Prabang

We are no activities planned for today. You enjoy your free time until transfer to Suvarnabhumi International Airport for flight to Luang Prabang. You will be welcomed to Luang Prabang, the ancient first capital of Lane Xang kingdom, the center of religious life in Laos and today the World Heritage City.Transfer to our hotel for check-in. In the afternoon, you will take a sightseeing tour of the sacred city of temples, where nearly fifty temples still remain in the town and surrounding areas.

You will visit Wat Visoun (the 16th century temple which served as a small museum for religious artifacts) and Wat Aham (an early 19th century temple, whose two guardian figures at the foot of the steps which represent two characters from the Ramayana – Hanuman, the Monkey God and a fierce Yaksa). You will also visit Wat Xiengthong (the 16th century temple which, more than any temples in Luang Prabang, epitomizes all the elegance and grace of Luang Prabang architecture) and Phousi Hill (whose 328 steps lead to the summit that dominates the skyline and offers a panoramic view of the area. You will have an overnight stay in Luang Prabang.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

Tour guide: English speaking guide

Day 04: Luang Prabang – Pak Ou Caves

An optional early start gives you the fantastic opportunity to participate in the daily morning rituals of saffron-clad monks collecting offerings of Alms (often in the form of sticky rice) from the faithful residents. This tradition is very unique in Laos, being the only Buddhist nation still preserving the ritual.

Following breakfast, visit to the Royal Palace Museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts. You will depart to the boat landing and take an excursion by boat upstream to visit Pak Ou Cave, which is in the side of a lime stone cliff and opposite the mouth of the Mekong and Ou rivers. The sanctuaries at Pak Ou consist of two large caves, both repositories for thousands of Buddha images, which range from mere centimeters to two meters in height.

En route, you will stop at Ban Xang Hai, a well-known village for its traditional Lao rice whisky distilling. Lunch on boat.

You will arrive back in Luang Prabang in the afternoon and continue by car to the outskirts of town to visit Ban Xangkhong, a village well-known for its wood paper making and also Lao silk weavings with natural dyes. You will stay overnight in Luang Prabang.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

Tour guide: English speaking guide

Day 05: Luang Prabang – Kuang Si Waterfall

Today you cross the Mekong River by boat, to picturesque Ban Chan, a pottery village. You will visit the morning market, where you will see such diverse offerings as dried buffalo skin, local tea and saltpeter among the chickens, vegetables and hill-tribe weavings. Laos is also known for its traditional crafts, and today you will visit local villages of Lao ethnic minority groups at Ban Ouay, a Hmong village, Ban Ou a Laoloum village and Ban Thapene, a Khmu village. You then continue to the beautiful Kuang Si Waterfall where you can cool off with a refreshing swim in the pools or walk along the forest trails. You will return to Luang Prabang by late afternoon. In the evening you will enjoy the Ramayana Dance Show at the Royal Palace before an overnight stay in Luang Prabang.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

Tour guide: English speaking guide

Day 06: Luang Prabang – Hanoi

In the morning, you are free before transferring to airport to take the departure flight. You

will be warmly welcomed upon arrival in Hanoi airport and transferred to your hotel.

Meal: Breakfast

Tour guide: English speaking guide

Day 07: Hanoi City Tour – Street Food Tour

This full day tour will take you around Hanoi’s most interesting sights, including the Ho Chi Minh Complex and his Stilts House, the Presidential Palace, the One Pillar Pagoda nearby and the Old Quarter, known for its maze of 36 streets and former craft guilds.

Also on the tour, you’ll visit the Temple of Literature, find the Lake of the Restored Sword, Ngoc Son Temple, take cyclo tour and enjoy a water puppet performance. Overnight in Hanoi.

At 06 pm: you will Foodies Tour in the evening, you will have a great chance to enjoy special food on street of Hanoi old quarter, you have time to drink local Hanoi beer and wine. Overnight in Hanoi.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

Tour guide: English speaking guide

Day 08: Hanoi – Halong Bay

After breakfast at hotel. You will be transferred to Halong and arrive the jetty around 12:15 p.m.

Upon arrival, you will set out on a junk cruise on the bay while lunch is served. You will pass through the magical bay, where thousands of sculpted limestone islands rise from the waves like dragons’ teeth. After lunch, you will take a short trek to a nearby summit for a panoramic view of the bay, swimming on a quiet beach or sunbathing on the sundeck.

In the late afternoon, you will visit an interesting fishing village with an opportunity to interact with fishermen who have been living in the bay for almost three generations. At sunset, you can kayak or simply take a bamboo row boat to discover a water tunnel with many coral reefs in a scenic lagoon. Back on board, you can enjoy watching the peaceful sunset and later unwind at a restaurant. You will stay overnight onboard.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Tour guide: English speaking guide on board

Day 09: Halong Bay – Hanoi – Flight to Hue

You’ll wake up on the bay to the sounds of waves and birds welcoming the new day. You will have an opportunity to view the sunrise over the bay and after breakfast, visit a beautiful limestone grotto.  You will have a walk back to the boat for a final glimpse of Halong Bay while cruising back to the dock. Then you will drive to Hanoi airport for flight to Hue. Upon arrival, pick up then transfer to hotel. Overnight in Hue.

Meal: Brunch

Tour guide: English speaking guide

Day 10: Hue City Tour

After breakfast at hotel, you will board a private traditional boat for a cruise on the romantic Perfume River. Being the ancient capital, Hue is surrounded by ancient tombs of past emperors, some of which will be on the itinerary for the day. The charming Lady Pagoda (Thien Mu Pagoda) will be the first stop of the day and is located at the convergence of rivers, which makes it an ideal place for a great view of the Perfume River and surrounding area. You will embark on a tour of the city, including the Citadel and the Forbidden Purple City, the Imperial Museum and Dong Ba market. You will stay overnight in Hue.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

Tour guide: English speaking guide

Day 11: Hue – Danang – Hoi An

After breakfast. You will leave the UNESCO-designated World Heritage Hue for Hoi An. You will travel over the Hai Van pass to have an overlook Lang Co Beach, stop in Danang for a visit to the Cham Museum and handicraft villages on the foot of Marble Mountain before arriving in Hoi An. Once in Hoi An, you will check into our hotel.

In the afternoon, you will enjoy a half-day walking tour through the narrow winding streets of the Ancient Quarter, visiting Chua Ong Pagoda, the Chinese Assembly Halls, the 200-year-old Tam Ky ancestral house, and the Japanese Bridge. And overnight in Hoi An.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

Tour guide: English speaking guide

Day 12: Ba Na Hills – Cooking Class

After breakfast, our tour guide and driver will take you to visit Golden Bridge on Ba Na Mountain. You will travel by cable car up to the Marseille station. Disembark and take a short walk to the Golden Bridge – a break point of the trip – to feel like walking on the clouds. Just newly opened to the public in early June 2018 the bridge which was built in the midst of the forest stands out in yellow. Noteworthy, this unique architecture with the bridge image supported by grey hands

creates a spectacular scenery. There will be time for photos, enjoying the easy breeze and breathtaking view. Afterwards, we’ll walk further to a romantic flower garden – Le Jardin D’Amour. The 9 gardens are 9 interesting stories in 9 unique architectural styles. These create a poetic and colourful space. Next, walk to visit Linh Ung Pagoda to admire its sophisticated architecture together with a 27m high Shakyamuni statue, which provides us a peaceful feeling. Finally, we will catch the cable car downhill and then transfer back to Hoi An.

In the afternoon you will have a cooking class at Red Bridge Restaurant. we explore the cooking school’s herb and vegetable garden, before learning about some of Hoi An’s and Vietnam’s well-known dishes. The cooking lesson runs for about 2 hours – each dish is first demonstrated by the Red Bridge chef’s, before we prepare the same dish ourselves. Included in the class is a brief introduction to Vietnamese food carving (plate decoration). After the lesson, we sit down and eat exactly what we have cooked.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

Tour guide: English speaking guide

Day 13: My Son Holyland – Flight to Ho Chi Minh

Located 60 km. from Da Nang, 150 km. from Hue and 75km from Hoi An, My Son is the former capital of the ancient Cham civilization that ruled Central Vietnam from the second to the thirteenth century. Their religion was primarily derived from Indian Hinduism. My Son is considered to be one of the best-preserved Cham structures in Vietnam. The complex is comprised of seventy Hindu-like towers and temples dating from the second century. This site is a Must-See for those people who are interested in architecture and ancient civilizations and is now one of five UNESCO World Heritage sites in Vietnam.

After the trip you will be transfer to the airport for your onward flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival HCMC, you will be transferred to hotel for checkin. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

Tour guide: English speaking guide

Day 14: My Son Holyland – Flight to Ho Chi Minh City

After breakfast at hotel, Located 60 km. from Da Nang, 150 km. from Hue and 75km from Hoi An, My Son is the former capital of the ancient Cham civilization that ruled Central Vietnam from the second to the thirteenth century. Their religion was primarily derived from Indian Hinduism. My Son is considered to be one of the best-preserved Cham structures in Vietnam. The complex is comprised of seventy Hindu-like towers and temples dating from the second century. This site is a Must-See for those people who are interested in architecture and ancient civilizations and is now one of five UNESCO World Heritage sites in Vietnam.

After the trip you will be transfer to the airport for your onward flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival HCMC, you will be transferred to hotel for checkin. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh.

Meal: Breakfast

Tour guide: English speaking guide

Day 15: Mekong Delta for a day to Ben Tre

Ben Tre is the best option for a day trip to the Mekong Delta from Saigon, since it is only around 2 hours away, and 15 minutes from My Tho. However, this wonderful destination retains an authenticity which has been somewhat lessened in nearby My Tho.

This picturesque and friendly Mekong Delta town has historically seen very few travelers, but the recent opening of a bridge connecting Ben Tre and My Tho has made it far easier for day trippers to visit from Saigon.

Our one-day cruise excursion starts at 8:00 am from the lobby of your hotel in Saigon with a drive to Ben Tre. While there, you can take a walk along the waterfront, lined with French era shops and houses, and you’ll see plenty of coconuts being unloaded from boats for dispatch around the country. Then, jump on a boat for a couple of hours of cruising on the Mekong River. You will enjoy your delicious lunch at a local restaurant or on board. The excursion will end at around 4:00 pm where the vehicle will await you for your transfer back to Saigon.

Meal: Breakfast

Tour guide: English speaking guide

Day 16: Ho Chi Minh – Flight to Siem Reap

Leave Ho Chi Minh for flight to Siem Reap. Pick up from airport and transfer to hotel. After check in, we take short walk along the road in front of the King’s Residence to see the Main Shrine, where the local people usually worship, with its statue of Yeay Teap, Preah Ang Chek and Preah Ang Chorm. Buying jasmine and lotus flowers to worship is very important for the Cambodians. We continue to one of the city’s lively open markets, Psar Chars, also called the “Old Market”, where anything and everything is for sale! Then continue to Wat Bo, a large, highly respected pagoda, founded in the 18th Century. Like the Silver Pagoda in Phnom Penh, the vihear of Wat Bo contains unique wall paintings of the Reamker that are said to be late 19th Century. Look for the daily-life market scenes such as an opium smoking Chinese merchant, the colonial era French officer at the market and the French soldiers attending a traditional dance performance. Also of interest is the large collection of Buddha statues located behind the main Buddha. Tonight we enjoy buffet dinner with Apsara dance performance at local restaurant. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Meal: Breakfast

Tour guide: English speaking guide

Day 17: Siem Reap

Breakfast at hotel: Start your sightseeing tour of Angkor area we spend a full day exploring the wondrous ancient ruins with the South Gate of Angkor Thom, which is famous for its series of colossal human faces carved in stone, the impressive Bayon Temple, the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace, the Terrace of the Leper King and the largest as well as the most complete temple of Angkor Wat. This architectural masterpiece was constructed in the 12th century and covers an area of about 210 hectares. We stroll around this massive edifice, seeing the many galleries with columns, libraries, pavilions, courtyards and ponds full of water reflecting the towering temple and the jungle covered temple of Ta Prohm is an incredible sight. There are enormous fig trees and gigantic creepers which embrace themselves in the stone foundations of the structure giving the impression of man’s creation being reclaimed by the powerful forces of nature. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

Tour guide: English speaking guide

Day 18: Siem Reap Departure

There is no activities on today, just wait for transfer to airport for your departure flight. End of  services !

Meal: Breakfast

Tour guide: English speaking guide