Itinerary
- Day 1
Siem Reap
You'll arrive in Siem Reap and head to your luxury resort hotel to get settled. Tonight you're having dinner at Mahob, which is set in a traditional Khmer wooden house. It's a good chance to try local food and meet the other travelers on the tour.
- Meals
- Dinner (Welcome Dinner at Mahob, set in a traditional Khmer wooden house. Enjoy tasty delicacies created from local ingredients as you immerse yourself in Khmer culture.)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Angkor Phokeethra Golf and Spa Resort, Siem Reap.)
Included Activities
- Welcome Dinner at Mahob in a traditional Khmer wooden house
- Day 2
Siem Reap
A professional archaeologist guides you through Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm temples. You'll watch the sunset from Angkor Wat, then catch the Phare Circus performance featuring Khmer culture. After that, dinner happens at Malis restaurant with modern Cambodian dishes.
- Meals
- Dinner (Modern Cambodian cuisine at Malis restaurant)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Angkor Phokeethra Golf and Spa Resort, Siem Reap.)
Included Activities
- Guided exploration of Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm with professional archaeologist
- Sunset viewing at Angkor Wat
- Phare Circus performance (MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience)
- Dinner at Malis restaurant
Landmarks/POIs Angkor Thom Ta Prohm Angkor Wat - Day 3
Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City
You fly to Ho Chi Minh City and check into your central hotel. Later this evening you'll meet up with your fellow travelers, then head to one of the rooftop restaurants in Saigon for dinner with city views.
- Meals
- Dinner (Welcome Dinner at a lively rooftop restaurant in Saigon. Admire marvellous views as you dine on local delicacies in a sophisticated setting with city lights twinkling across the city.)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Hotel Caravelle, Ho Chi Minh.)
Included Activities
- Welcome Dinner at a rooftop restaurant in Saigon
- Day 4
Ho Chi Minh City
A speedboat takes you from the city to the Cù Chi Tunnels where you meet a Viet Cong veteran who shares the history of this underground network. After lunch at Mango Home in the Mekong Delta, you're back in Ho Chi Minh City checking out Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office. You'll learn about Vietnamese coffee at a local coffee shop, then choose between the Museum of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine or the War Remnants Museum.
- Meals
- Lunch (Lunch at the enchanting Mango Home, a thatched restaurant located on the Mekong. Savour delicacies including noodle soup, grilled fish, and giant prawns fresh from the river, with views of the lush countryside.)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Hotel Caravelle, Ho Chi Minh.)
Included Activities
- Speedboat transfer to Cũ Chi Tunnels
- Guided visit to Cũ Chi Tunnels with Viet Cong veteran
- Lunch at Mango Home, Mekong Delta
- Visit to Notre Dame Cathedral
- Visit to Central Post Office (Gustave Eiffel's design)
- Vietnamese coffee brewing lesson at charming coffee shop
Optional Activities
- Museum of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine
- War Remnants Museum
Landmarks/POIs Cũ Chi Tunnels Notre Dame Cathedral Central Post Office War Remnants Museum Museum of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine - Day 5
Mekong River Delta
You're taking a private boat cruise down the Mekong River. A tri-motorcycle ride follows, and locals teach you about coconut production. You also visit the home of a former Khmer Rouge soldier to hear their perspective on the region's history.
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Hotel Caravelle, Ho Chi Minh.)
Included Activities
- Private Mekong River Cruise
- Tri-motorcycle ride through Mekong Delta
- Coconut processing demonstration
- Visit to home of former soldier and rice paper factory
Landmarks/POIs Mekong River Delta - Day 6
Hue
You cycle through rice fields to reach Phu Mong village and its traditional garden houses. Dinner at Ben Xuan Garden House Theatre includes local musicians performing while you eat.
- Meals
- Dinner (Dinner at Ben Xuan Garden House Theatre, serenaded by local musicians)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Pilgrimage Village, Hue.)
Included Activities
- Cycling through rice fields to Phu Mong village
- Dinner at Ben Xuan Garden House Theatre with local musicians
Landmarks/POIs Phu Mong village - Day 7
Hue
The Imperial Citadel and Minh Mang's royal tomb are on your agenda, with a local explaining Emperor Gia Long and the Nguyen Dynasty. You'll have a quiet lunch by the Perfume River, then choose between a cyclo ride to An Dinh Palace or a visit to a private museum with rare antiquities.
- Meals
- Lunch (Local lunch by the Perfume River)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Pilgrimage Village, Hue.)
Included Activities
- Visit to Imperial Citadel
- Visit to royal tomb of Minh Mang
- Local lunch by the Perfume River
Optional Activities
- Cyclo trip to An Dinh Palace
- Visit to private museum of Tran Dinh Son with rare antiquities
Landmarks/POIs Imperial Citadel Royal Tomb of Minh Mang Perfume River An Dinh Palace Dong Ba Market - Day 8
Hoi An
Walking through Hoi An with local guides, you'll go inside former merchants' homes and walk past traditional houses. The 18th-century Japanese Covered Bridge is part of the tour. For dinner, you pick between traditional Vietnamese, modern Vietnamese, or fusion cuisine at a local restaurant.
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Hotel Royal Hoi An, Hoi An.)
Included Activities
- Guided exploration of Hoi An Ancient Old Town
- Visit to former merchants' homes
- Crossing of Japanese Covered Bridge
Optional Activities
- Dinner at hand-selected restaurant - traditional Vietnamese cuisine
- Dinner at hand-selected restaurant - modern Vietnamese cuisine
- Dinner at hand-selected restaurant - East-meets-West fusion cuisine
Landmarks/POIs Hoi An Ancient Old Town Japanese Covered Bridge - Day 9
Thanh Dong Village
You'll float through Cam Thanh village's coconut jungles in a bamboo-basket boat while villagers explain their vegetable cultivation. Then you head to Thanh Dong village for a hands-on cooking class with a chef, preparing lunch from ingredients you just learned about.
- Meals
- Lunch (Highlight Lunch at riverside restaurant overlooking the rice fields, featuring dishes prepared during the hands-on cooking class with a local chef)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Hotel Royal Hoi An, Hoi An.)
Included Activities
- Visit to Cam Thanh village
- Traditional bamboo-basket boat ride
- Hands-on cooking class with local chef in Thanh Dong village
- Highlight Lunch with self-prepared dishes
Landmarks/POIs Cam Thanh Village Thanh Dong village - Day 10
Hanoi
Check in at Hotel de l'Opera Hanoi. This evening a local food expert takes you into the Old Quarter to try street food the way locals eat it, with pho, rice paper rolls, and crab spring rolls.
- Meals
- Dinner (Street food dinner in the Old Quarter with a local foodie. Dine as the locals do on delights such as steaming pho (beef noodle soup), rice paper rolls and crab spring rolls.)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Mövenpick Hotel Hanoi Centre)
Included Activities
- Exploration of Hanoi's street food culture with local gourmand
Landmarks/POIs Hanoi Opera House Hoan Kiem Lake - Day 11
Hanoi to Ha Long Bay
You board a private luxury junk to explore Ha Long Bay's emerald water and limestone islands. Tien Ong Cave with its stalactites and stalagmites comes first, then you sail to Cua Van floating village where fishermen have lived for centuries. You can either learn traditional Vietnamese cooking or relax on deck watching the sunset over this UNESCO site.
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Paradise Elegance, Ha Long Bay.)
Included Activities
- Private luxury junk boat cruise in Ha Long Bay
- Visit to Tien Ong Cave
- Visit to Cua Van floating village
- Traditional Vietnamese cooking demonstration (or deck relaxation)
Landmarks/POIs Ha Long Bay Tien Ong Cave Cua Van floating village - Day 12
Ha Long Bay to Hanoi
Start your morning with Tai Chi or an early swim, then have brunch while cruising past limestone formations on your way back to Hanoi.
- Meals
- Brunch (Brunch while cruising past the limestone formations en route to Hanoi)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Mövenpick Hotel Hanoi Centre)
Included Activities
- Tai Chi session or early morning swim
- Brunch cruise past limestone formations
Landmarks/POIs Ha Long Bay - Day 13
Hanoi
A local scholar leads you through the Temple of Literature, sharing its history going back to 1070 and its connection to Confucius. You'll see the grounds and the Well of Clarity. Tonight you'll toast your travels at dinner.
- Meals
- Dinner (Farewell dinner)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Mövenpick Hotel Hanoi Centre)
Included Activities
- Guided visit to Temple of Literature with local scholar
- Tour of Well of Clarity
- Farewell dinner
Landmarks/POIs Temple of Literature Well of Clarity - Day 14
Hanoi to Luang Prabang
Flying to Luang Prabang, the former royal seat of the Lane Xang Kingdom and center of Lao culture, you'll check into a five-star boutique hotel. The property sits in lush tropical gardens with views of the surrounding mountains.
- Accommodation
- Hotel (The Luang Say Residence, Luang Prabang.)
Landmarks/POIs Luang Prabang - Day 15
Luang Prabang
You're up early to watch the centuries-old Buddhist tradition of monks receiving alms. This spiritual ceremony happens with local people around you. Later you'll see views of the Mekong and Khan rivers from Mount Phousi, then learn about rural life at Wat Xiengthong before a private sunset cruise on the Mekong.
- Meals
- Lunch (Family style lunch at Kai Phaen restaurant. All profits are reinvested back into trainees and supporting social programs, giving them a brighter, more secure future.)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (The Luang Say Residence, Luang Prabang.)
Included Activities
- Alms offering ceremony with Buddhist monks
- Mount Phousi visit with river views
- Visit to Wat Xiengthong
- Private sunset cruise on Mekong River
Landmarks/POIs Mount Phousi Wat Xiengthong Mekong River - Day 16
Luang Prabang to Departure
Your tour ends with breakfast at the hotel before a private transfer takes you to the airport for your next journey.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Breakfast at hotel
