Explore Vietnam and Cambodia’s heritage, landscapes, and culture

Hanoi

Arrive in Hanoi and check in to your hotel. Spend the day at leisure. Walk around the city, motorbikes, markets and French colonial buildings. You can visit a café, street food or just enjoy the mix of old and new. In the evening, take a walk around Hoan Kiem Lake or have a quiet dinner nearby. The city has a charm of East and West, tree-lined boulevards, temples and faded mansions welcoming you to Vietnam.

Hanoi

Visit Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house and peaceful garden. See the One Pillar Pagoda and the Temple of Literature. Stop at Tran Quoc Pagoda on West Lake for a nice view. In the afternoon, visit the Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts with traditional and modern art. Later, take a cyclo ride through the Old Quarter’s narrow streets full of shops and street life. In the early evening, watch a traditional Water Puppet show – a unique Hanoi performance.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Hanoi

Halong Bay

Leave Hanoi and drive to Halong Bay, a natural wonder of the world. On arrival, have a buffet lunch with local flavours before boarding your cruise. Sail across emerald waters surrounded by limestone islands. Visit quiet towns like Hon Gai and Cam Pha and the floating village of Vung Vieng. Later, choose between kayaking around the village or swimming in the calm waters. Dinner on board and relax as your boat anchors for the night.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Halong Bay

Start the day with Tai Chi on the deck. After breakfast, cruise to peaceful Lan Ha Bay. On Cat Ba Island, cycle or kayak through green scenery and small villages. Later, swim at Three Peach Beach with clear water and soft sand. Back on board, lunch. In the afternoon, cruise to Ho Ba Ham Islet inside the bay. As the sun sets, join a Vietnamese cooking class on the ship and have a peaceful dinner.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Hanoi

Morning Tai Chi and then visit some of Halong Bay’s most popular spots. Sail past Trong Grotto and Trinh Nu Caves and explore the stunning Sung Sot Cave, the biggest in the bay. Stop at Coc Ngoi Islet before returning to the harbour. After lunch, back to Hanoi and check in to your hotel. Use the evening to relax or revisit your favourite parts of the city before continuing your journey the next day.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Hanoi

Mai Chau

Drive to Mai Chau, a quiet valley with rice fields and mountains. On arrival, have a home-cooked lunch and spend the day exploring the valley. Walk or cycle to nearby villages and meet local people. Overnight in a stilt house, a unique chance to experience rural Vietnamese life. Dinner, learn about local customs or listen to folk music performed by the villagers.

Meals Included: Breakfast

SON LA

Drive deeper into the northwest mountains to Son La. The 4-hour journey goes past rice terraces, tea plantations and local markets. Stop along the way to visit villages of the Black Tai people, known for their traditional clothing and houses. Learn about the region’s ethnic cultures and enjoy the mountain air. In the afternoon, arrive in Son La and check in. Visit a tea-growing area or relax at your hotel. The town has a slow pace and offers insights into daily life in this remote area.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Dien Bien Phu

After breakfast, drive 2 hours to Dien Bien Phu, a town with an important part of Vietnamese history. Visit the Army Museum to learn about the 1954 battle between the Vietnamese and French forces. Walk up A1 Hill, a key site of the battle and enjoy the view of the valley. The experience combines nature and history, showing how the past still affects the region.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Sapa

Today is an 8-hour drive to Sapa. The scenery changes with terraced fields, waterfalls and forested hills. Sapa is a town in the northern highlands, known for its cool climate and diverse hill-tribe cultures. Once you arrive, take some time to relax and enjoy the view of the valleys. The town is the base to explore the traditions of the Hmong and Red Dao people who live in the nearby villages.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Sapa

OVERNIGHT TRAIN

Visit Ban Khoang village, a peaceful village surrounded by mountains and rice fields. Meet the local people and learn about their daily life. Continue to the remote Ta Giang Phin Valley, home of the Black Hmong people. Watch traditional farming and weaving techniques and gain insight into their customs. In the afternoon, back to Sapa for free time. Later in the evening, transfer to the railway station and board the overnight train to Hanoi. Relax in your sleeper cabin as you travel south through Vietnam’s countryside.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Siem Reap

Arrive in Hanoi and transfer to the airport for your flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Check in to your hotel and spend the rest of the day at leisure. You may visit the Angkor National Museum to learn more about the history and culture of the Khmer Empire. The museum’s exhibits will help you understand the temples better. Alternatively, relax by the hotel pool or stroll through Siem Reap’s markets and cafes. The evening is yours to explore or relax before the temple visits start the next day.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Siem Reap

Visit Angkor Wat, the biggest religious monument in the world and a symbol of Cambodian pride. Walk through its towers, galleries and carvings. Then head to Angkor Thom, the ancient walled city of the Khmer Empire. Enter through the grand South Gate and visit Bayon Temple, famous for its stone faces. Walk through the Royal Enclosure and see other historic structures. In the late afternoon, enjoy a quiet gondola boat ride around the moat of Angkor Thom and watch the sunset behind the ruins.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Siem Reap

Siem Reap

Today we visit Banteay Srei, a pink sandstone temple with intricate carvings. Then head into the jungle to Beng Mealea, a temple overgrown with roots and trees. After lunch, visit Koh Ker, the former royal capital of the Khmer Empire. Walk through the quiet ruins and climb the pyramid-style temple for the views. This day is all about discovery and exploring some of Cambodia’s off the beaten track ancient sites.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Siem Reap

Take a boat trip to Chong Khneas, a floating village on Tonle Sap Lake. See how the local people adapt their lives to the changing water levels with houses, schools and shops on boats. Back on land visit the Chantier Ecoles workshop where young Cambodians are trained in traditional arts like stone carving and silk painting. Lunch at a nearby restaurant and then stroll through a local market, perfect for buying handmade souvenirs or trying tropical fruits. Your last evening in Siem Reap is at your leisure.

Meals Included: Breakfast

SIEM REAP - DEPARTURE

Start your last day with a visit to the Angkor Silk Farm where you can see the entire silk production process – from raising silkworms to weaving fabric. A hands-on look at Cambodian craftsmanship and a great way to end your cultural journey. After the visit, back to your hotel to freshen up before your airport transfer. Depart from Siem Reap International Airport and take with you the memories of Vietnam’s landscapes and Cambodia’s ancient wonders.

Meals Included: Breakfast