The Very Best Of Vietnam and Cambodia Tour 15 days

Susadei! Welcome to Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Upon your arrival at the Phnom Penh airport, you will be welcomed with a friendly greeting by a driver who will assist you in traveling to the hotel for check-in.

The regular check-in time is 14:00, and early check-in is available for an extra cost. Following that, you can have lunch at a local restaurant at your own expense.

Overnight in Phnom Penh

Spend a half-day learning about the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia. Visit the Killing Fields, where over 1 million people were killed, and the Genocide Museum, which houses relics from the time.

Start your tour in Phnom Penh, where you’ll meet your guide. Sit in the air-conditioned vehicle and listen to a presentation about Pol Pot and his government as you drive to the Killing Fields.

The bones and garment scraps left by the victims at the Killing Fields will let you appreciate the tragedy more fully. Visit the mass graves and the memorial stupa to pay your respects to those who have died.

Then return to the city center to visit the Genocide Museum. Learn more about the dictatorship and the people that were imprisoned. See the little chambers and cells where the prisoners lived, as well as historical photographs.

You will then have the opportunity to meet a few of the survivors. Hear their stories of what they went through and how they survived. At any time, you can ask your guide for further information.

At the end of the tour, your guide will take you back to the meeting location.

Overnight in Phnom Penh

Meals: Breakfast

Morning

After breakfast, you will take a flight to Siem Reap. Upon arrival at the airport, you are transported to the hotel to check in and rest.

Afternoon

You will continue your tour by driving downhill to see the Banteay Srei Temple.  A breathtaking variety of sculptures, lintels, pediments, and friezes adorn this magnificent pink sandstone edifice.  The complex features of the temple are believed by the Khmers to be too delicate for men to create, hence, they attribute the carvings to women.

 Pradark Village, a halt on the way back, gives you a look at country life.  People in the village make palm sugar and other wares with great competence.

Overnight in Siem Reap

Meals: Breakfast

Morning

 Meet our tour guide at the hotel for an exciting day of sightseeing that starts at Angkor Wat, a Hindu and Buddhist temple complex that is famous for its old beauty and awe-inspiring grandeur.  When you visit this ancient site, you should see the beautiful Angkor Thom and the South Gate, which is one of the best-preserved entrances to the complex and has huge statues that show the ocean of milk churning.

 Then, go to Bayon Temple, which is one of a kind in Cambodia. It has 54 huge towers with more than 200 happy Avolokitesvara faces painted on them.  Some other great sights you will see are the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace, and the Terrace of the Leper King.

At noon, have lunch at a local restaurant at your own expense.

 Afternoon

 The next exciting part of your adventure is a trip to Ta Prohm, an old Buddhist temple dedicated to Jayavarman VII’s mother.  A lot of people are amazed by the temple’s jungle-like atmosphere. Huge tree roots have grown through cracked stone and passageways, creating a jungle-like feel that makes the temple a great spot for photographers.

 After going to a place in town on your own for dinner, you will fly to Phnom Penh.  When you get to Phnom Penh, you’ll be taken to the hotel to check in and rest.

Overnight in Siem Reap

Meals: Breakfast

Take a bus to the magnificent Tonle Sap Lake, which is the largest freshwater lake in South-east Asia, you will have the opportunity to obtain a fascinating insight into the way of life in Cambodia.

 The dock will be brought to you after you have been picked up from a hotel in Siem Reap.  To go to the floating hamlet, which is located outside of Siem Reap, you can take a private boat.

 The tall, stilted buildings, the floating hospital, the fisheries, the traditional way of life in the nation, and the natural environment of the flooded mangrove forest are all things that you should explore.

 You can take a break on your way to Tonle Sap by participating in an optional tour that takes you through the flooded mangrove forest on a small boat. This tour is a terrific opportunity to explore the local flora and animals.

At the end of the tour, you will return to the hotel before getting the flight to Ho Chi Minh. Another driver will pick you up at the airport and transfer you to your hotel in Ho Chi Minh. Enjoy the remainder of your day.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh

Meals: Breakfast

Get picked up from your hotels in Ho Chi Minh City that are located in the city’s central area, and then travel to the Mekong Delta.  While you take a seat, relax, and take in the sights and sounds of the green rice fields, your tour guide will provide you with comprehensive information regarding the culture of the inhabitants.  Along the route, make a pit stop at the Vinh Trang Pagoda.

 You should proceed to My Tho and then take a boat ride along the Mekong River so that you may get away from the hustle and bustle of the town.  Take pleasure in a sampan ride around the canals that are bordered with coconut trees.  The village can be explored on foot after disembarking.  When you visit local households, you will get the opportunity to have honey tea, wine, and fruits while listening to traditional music performed by the natives of the area.  Take pleasure in a classic lunch.

 Have a trip to Can Tho, which is located in the center of the Mekong Delta, in the afternoon.  You should spend the night in the hotel.  Leisure time to go out and discover the city at night.

Overnight in Can Tho

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

 To get to the well-known Cai Rang Floating Market, you should get up early and get there at 6:00 AM. The early hours of the morning are when the market is at its most active and lively. Observe the commotion caused by boats selling a variety of local items, including fruits, vegetables, and other agricultural goods.

Make your way to a Rice Noodle Factory as you continue your tour on the boat. While you are here, you will be able to observe the traditional method of producing rice noodles. In addition, we will spend some time exploring a lively local market, which is filled with colorful stalls that are teeming with fresh produce, spices, and veggies.

You should return to your hotel between the hours of 9:00 and 9:30 in the morning to check out, eat breakfast, and clean up after the events that took place in the morning.

Once it is complete, you should start your journey back to Ho Chi Minh City. Take a break at the historic house of 10 Vo while you are on your way. Learn about the architectural elements of the building, as well as the local traditions and rituals that are practiced there.

If you want to learn how to make traditional Vietnamese pancakes, you should try your hand at making “bánh xèo.” Indulge in a delectable traditional lunch.

If you have the energy, you should go on a leisurely bike ride around the neighborhood, during which you will discover the lovely surroundings and engage in conversation with the people who live there.

When you have finished that, you should head back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, tour guide will meet you and bring you to Cu Chi, a tiny town northwest of Ho Chi Minh City famous for its network of deep tunnels that offered shelter and an efficient source of infiltration for the Viet Cong during the last years of the Vietnam War.

When you arrive, you will see a brief introductory film from the era before tunnel exploration, the most renowned battlefields in the world. Housed living quarters, storage chambers, makeshift hospitals, kitchens, etc. This concealed network of Viet Cong tunnels is thought to span to “hundreds of miles” overall length. Though originally somewhat limited, some areas have been enlarged for visitors and you have the chance to investigate portions of the system.

These tunnels will be hot and could be claustrophobic, therefore there is a choice if you like to see from above ground.

Sample some of the primary Viet Cong Soldiers’ cuisine alongside a cassava taste accompanied with sour tea. Following your visit of the Cu Chi Tunnels, return to the city with lunch at Ben Nay restaurant along the way.

Visit a few of Ho Chi Minh City’s main attractions for the rest of the day. Your tour will be customized to fit you, but we especially suggest seeing the Notre Dame Cathedral, the beautiful City Hall (Hotel De Ville), the old Opera House, the historic Rex Hotel, the Central Post Office, famous for its architecture, and Ben Thanh Market, where merchants showcase a great variety of products and handicrafts, appealing to all tastes.

Later visit the Reunification Palace and the touching War Remnants Museum for an enlightening, albeit sad, look into Vietnam’s military history and tragic past.

Going back to your hotel, enjoy your free time before going to the airport to catch your trip to Da Nang.

 At the Da Nang airport, you will be picked up and taken to the Da Nang hotel to check in.

Overnight in Da Nang

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

You are scheduled to be picked up from the hotel at an early hour this morning and transported to Ba Na Hill Station, which is located on the outskirts of Da Nang.  From the Ba Na Hills, you can take a cable car to experience the breathtaking views.  You will have the opportunity to see the famous Golden Bridge, as well as an old French cellar known as the Debay Ancient Wine Cellar, a flower garden known as Le Jardin D’amour, and a museum dedicated to wax statues.  After that, you will get the opportunity to tour this resort park at your leisure while also enjoying the lunch that is provided, before returning down the mountain on the cable cars. From there, drive to Hoi An for drop-off at your hotel.

Overnight in Hoi An

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

It would be great if we could get a close-up and personal look at the local fishing and cooking groups.  As soon as you are picked up from your hotel in Hoi An, you will begin your journey to the neighborhood market, where you will shop for the ingredients you will need for the day.  In order to prepare for the culinary lesson that will take place later, you need follow the guide and head to the village of Cam Thanh to purchase organic veggies.  On the other hand, before we start this session, let’s go on our boat and go on a river tour. During this trip, we will get the opportunity to interact with local fishermen and have a firsthand experience of traditional net fishing.  As you navigate the canals of the coconut palm paradise, you will also have the opportunity to paddle the one-of-a-kind bamboo basket boat that is traditional to Vietnam.  By taking this tour, you will have the opportunity to gain a cultural perspective on the ways of life of both our farming and fishing communities.

You will then be able to enroll in a cooking lesson, during which you will learn how to prepare dishes such as deep-fried spring rolls, papaya salad with shrimp crackers, pork or fish cooked in a clay pot with steamed rice, and Banh Xeo, which is a rice pancake topped with fresh salad combined with seasonal fruit for dessert.  It is now time for lunch.

Overnight in Hoi An

Meals: Breakfast, lunch

Eat a full breakfast before leaving your lodging.  After that, we’ll transfer you to Da Nang Airport to catch your trip to Hanoi.

 When you arrive at Noi Bai Airport, our courteous driver will greet you and transport you to your hotel in the heart of the city.  Allow yourself some time to complete the check-in process and settle into your hotel room.

 You have the rest of the day to yourself in Hanoi.  You can relax or explore the vibrant city at your own pace.

Overnight in Hanoi

Meals: Breakfast

After you have finished your breakfast, your private shuttle will meet you at the hotel and take you to the International Airport. Once there, you will either catch your aircraft back home or continue on to more exciting adventures; we will assist you with the planning process.