Treasures of Vietnam Cambodia Laos Tour 12 days

You will be warmly welcomed at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi and transfer to your hotel for check-in. On this afternoon, you will take a 20 minute drive from your hotel to the very impressive Museum of Ethnology, among the finest of Vietnam's museums. You will see many exhibits, photographs and actual houses inhabited by some of the 54 ethnic people in Vietnam. It will offer a truly colorful introduction to these ethnic tribes. From here, you will enjoy a one hour cyclo tour of Hanoi's vibrant Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake, the focal point of the city. Lastly, in the late afternoon, you will be enchanted by the legends and stories told at the Water Puppet Show that no one should miss while visiting Hanoi.

You will be met at your hotel at 7:30am, then you will enjoy a 3.5 hour drive to Halong Bay via the Red River Delta. Once at Halong City, Cruise through the most beautiful place of the bay with the famous islets such as Cock Fighting, Dinh Huong islets …while enjoying a sumptuous local seafood lunch on boat. Cruise through the emerald waters between the limestone outcrops and long corridors, visit Thien Cung  Cave. After a 4 hour navigation, you will go back to the harbor for a drive back to your hotel in Hanoi. Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight in Hanoi.

This morning city tour will have you drive to Ho Chi Minh's complex, including the mausoleum of the nation's founder and leader. The Presidential Palace and Uncle Ho's wooden stilt house can also be seen here. One of must-see places in the complex is the One Pillar pagoda dating back tothe 11th century. The next stop is the Temple of Literature, the site of Vietnam's oldest university and dedicated to one of the world's most famous scholars, Confucius. Inside the temple grounds, huge steles rest on the backs of even larger stone turtles (in Vietnam's culture, the turtle represents longevity). The stele recorded the names of the successful candidates who later became mandarins in the Emperor's court. You will be greeted by your guide upon arrival at HCMC's Tan Son Nhat International airport. You will then be escorted to your hotel in town for a three-night stay. You’ll then have a relaxing day.

In the morning you will visit the Reunification Palace, the Opera House and the Hotel de Ville. If desired, you can also visit the moving War Remnants Museum.You’ll also be able to explore Dong Khoi Street, the city's main shopping boulevard with shops selling clothes and accessories by new Vietnamese designers, hill tribe crafts, high quality linens and housewares. In the afternoon you will take a drive to visit Cu Chi tunnels - At its height, the tunnel system stretched over 250km. from Saigon to the Cambodian border and was three levels deep. The network included innumerable trap doors, specially constructed living areas, storage facilities, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers and kitchens. Today the remaining tunnels have become a major tourist attraction giving the visitor a unique experience and a feel of what underground life during the U.S.-Vietnam American must have been like. Back to HCMC. At leisure. Overnight in HCMC.

You will leave HCMC to lush My Tho - The Mekong Delta is the southernmost region of Vietnam. It is often referred to as the rice bowl of Vietnam as it produces three crops of rice per year. The fertile Mekong Delta is also famous for its tropical fruits and flowers.

Arrive in My Tho where you board a private local boat for a leisurely cruise along the river past stilt houses, fruit plantations. Continue by boat to Tan Thach in Ben Tre, and board a hand-rowed sampan to float along natural canals shaded by coconut trees, then sample seasonal fruit and honey tea accompanied by locals performing Southern Vietnamese folk music. Visit a family business which epitomizes the idyllic rural lifestyle, try the delicious coconut candy and observe the pastoral life as you roam through the fruit plantation and village. Vietnamese lunch at local restaurant. Visit a family business which epitomizes the idyllic rural lifestyle, try the delicious coconut candy and observe the pastoral life as you roam through the fruit plantation and village. and visit VinhTrang pagoda. Transfer back to Ho Chi Minh City.

After breakfast at your hotel, you’ll have free time until transferring to the airport for your onward flight to Siem Reap.

Upon arrival at Siem Reap Airport, greeting by our friendly tour guide, then you will be transferred directly to hotel (room may ready at noon). This afternoon, drive to village of Chong Khneasand board on boat to Tonle Sap Lake, This is the largest permanent fresh-water lake in South East Asia and flows into Tonle Sap River, joining the Mekong in Phnom Penh. We will see a fishermen's "floating village" with floating schools, floating police station, etc. Overnight at hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel. Start your visit to the World Heritage Site; visit 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 and the Terrace of the Leper King. Continue to seeing the architectural masterpiece of Angkor Wat. We stroll around this massive monument, exploring the many galleries with columns, libraries, pavilions, courtyards and ponds full of water reflecting the towering temple. 

Breakfast at hotel.

Continue to the small circuit, visit the unique brick sculptures of PrasatKravan, and continue to Ta Prohm. One of the area’s most beautiful temples, Ta Prohm has been left relatively untouched since it was discovered and retains much of its mystery. Its appeal lies in the fact that, unlike the other monuments of Angkor, it was abandoned and swallowed by the jungle, looking very much the ways most of the Angkor temples appeared when European explorers first stumbled upon them. Visit as well Takeo, Thommanon and Chau Say Tevoda. Afternoon, drive to visit the famous BanteaySrei Temple (Citadel of Women), 35km from town. On the way back stop at Pradark Village, where you will see the villagers making palm sugar, handicraft for selling to tourist. It’s a nice chance for you to see the local people living at the country side with their struggling for daily life. Overnight at hotel.

Breakfast at hotel. Free at your leisure time until check-out at 12.00.Transfer to airport for onward flight to Luang Prabang. On arrival at the airport, you will be met and transferred to check in the hotel. The rest of the day is your own time at leisure. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

After breakfast, you will first visit the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represents classical Laotian architecture.  We then embark on a cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which also gives us a breathtaking view of the tranquil countryside, before reaching the mysterious Pak Ou Caves, two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by pilgrims.  Along the way, we stop at the village of Ban Xanghai, where they make the local rice wine. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

After breakfast, we visit Royal Palace Museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts.  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.  This then takes us to the beautiful Khouang Si Waterfall where you can cool off with a refreshing swim in the pools or walk along the forest trails. We then return to Luang Prabang.

In the afternoon, we still have time to visit the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrines of Wat Aham before ascending the 329 steps to the top of Phousi Hill for a beautiful sunset view of the city and its glowing reflection on the Mekong River. The tour ends after a visit to the famous Night Market, where you can find a lovely collection of handmade textiles made by local and hilltribe people surrounding Luang Prabang. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Breakfast at hotel & check-out. Transfer to airport for boarding flight to the next destination. End of services!