ID8: Indochina holiday 19 days

Itinerary in Brief:

Day 1: Saigon arrival
Day 2: Saigon – Cai Be floating market – Vinh Long - Can Tho (B, L)
Day 3: Can Tho – Chau Doc (B, L)
Day 4: Chau Doc – Phnom Penh (B, L)
Day 5: Phnom Penh – Siem Reap (B, L)
Day 6: Siem Reap – Angkor (B, L)
Day 7: Siem Reap – Angkor (B)
Day 8: Siem Reap – Vientiane (B, L)
Day 9: Vientiane – Luang Prabang (B, L)
Day 10: Luang Prabang (B, L)
Day 11: Luang Prabang  - Hanoi (B)
Day 12: Hanoi city tour (B, L)
Day 13: Hanoi – Halong Junk Cruise (B, L, D)
Day 14: Halong – Hanoi – Hue (B)
Day 15: Hue city tour (B, L)
Day 16: Hue – Danang – Hoian (B)
Day 17: Hoian free(B)
Day 18: Hoian – Saigon (B, L)
Day 19: Saigon departure (B)

Itinerary in Details:

Day 1: Saigon arrival
Upon arrival to Saigon airport, you will be greeted by the guide of Asia View Travel and transferred to our hotel in center of Saigon. Free time at leisure to relax.  Overnight at hotel in Saigon.

Day 2: Saigon – Cai Be floating market – Vinh Long - Can Tho (B, L)
Pick up at  hotel, transfer to Caibe. Upon arrival at Cai Be, embark a private boat to cruise around Cai Be Floating Market to see local people being selling, buying, exchanging goods from their boats. Visit local garden and house to see orchard, rice crisped producing process. After lunch taking a cruise along river to see peaceful tranquil life of villagers, admire marvelous natural setting of Mekong Delta region. About 3 pm, the boat will arrival at Vinh Long Market, walking around to explore Vinh Long Market. Then transfer to Can Tho where we stay at lovely hotel, right by the Mekong river. Over night in Can Tho. 

Day 3: Can Tho – Chau Doc (B, L)
Rising early to the sounds of the Delta coming to life for another day, we breakfast and start our trip with a boat cruise on sparking streams along the endless waterway of Mighty Mekong River to Cairang  floating markets. There will be hundreds of boats loaded with fruits, vegetables and fish jostling for trade. Sellers advertisers their wares by crying out across the waters. We visit the lush orchards and are treated to a delicious tropical fruits. Afternoon continues to ChauDoc with a stop over at the stork garden near Thot Not. Late pm hike up to Sam mountain with its panoramic view over the vast plains into Cambodia. Overnight in Chau Doc.

Day 4: Chau Doc – Phnom Penh (B, L)
After breakfast board the speed boat to Phnom Penh. The boat departs from Chau Doc at 7:00Am and arrive Phnompenh around 12:00PM. Visa formalities take about 45 minutes at the border and Cambodian visas must be issued before hand, as they are not available on the border at the present time. Continue by river to Phnom Penh. Meet our guide and transfer to hotel. Lunch at local restaurant. Phnom Penh city tour: Visit the Victory Monument, and the National Museum, also called Musee des Beaux-Arts. A French archaeologist and painter, Georges Groslier, designed it in Khmer style in 1917. The museum contains a collection of Khmer art - notably sculptures - throughout the ages. Visit the Royal Palace, built by King Norodom in 1866 on the site of the old town, and the Silver Pagoda. Located within the grounds of the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda is so named because of its floor, which is made up of 5000 silver tiles. The treasures found inside include a solid gold Buddha encrusted and weighing 90kilograms and a small 17th century emerald and baccarat crystal Buddha. End your afternoon with the visit of the Wat Phnom Temple, Phnom Penh's namesake, from where you can enjoy views over the tree-lined avenues of Phnom Penh during sunset.

Day 5: Phnom Penh – Siem Reap (B, L)
Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to pier to take the speed boat to Siem Reap. Arrive Siem reap around 12:00, pick up and transfer to the hotel.
Lunch at local restaurant.In the afternoon, continue your temple tour. See the unique interior brick sculptures Prasat Kravan, the Srah Srang reservoir (known as "The Royal Baths" was once used for ritual bathing), Banteay Kdei (surrounded by 4 concentric walls), Eastern Mebon (guarded at its corner by stone figures of harnessed elephants, some of which are still in a reasonable state of preservation) and the mountain-temple of Pre Rup until sunset.

Day 6: Siem Reap – Angkor (B, L)
Breakfast at hotel. In the morning, visit the most famous of all the temples on the plain of Angkor: Angkor Wat. The temple complex covers 81 hectares and is comparable in size to the Imperial Palace in Beijing. Its distinctive five towers are emblazoned on the Cambodian flag and the 12th century masterpiece is considered by art historians to be the prime example of classical Khmer art and architecture. Angkor Wat's five towers symbolize Meru's five peaks - the enclosed wall represents the mountains at the edge of the world and the surrounding moat, the ocean beyond. Lunch at local restaurant.
Visit the South Gate (with its huge statues depicting the churning of the ocean of milk), the ancient capital of Angkor Thom (12th century), Bayon Temple (unique for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces of Avolokitesvara), the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, the Elephants Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King. Sunset at Angkor Wat.

Day 7: Siem Reap – Angkor (B)
An early bird special:Transfer to the archaeological site for the sunrise from the Phnom Bakheng, one of two hills dominating the plain of Angkor, from where you will have a spectacular view of the Western Baray and Angkor Wat Or sunrise at Srah Srang.
Return to the hotel for breakfast.
Morning, transfer to Banteay Srei temple (10th century), regarded as the jewel in the crown of Classical Khmer Art. Continue to Ta Prohm, one of the area's most beautiful temples. Ta Prohm has been relatively untouched since it was discovered and retains much of its mystery.
In the afternoon,Visit the floating village of Chong Khneas, located 10 kilometers south of Siem Reap. Visit the village and take an excursion in a traditional wooden boat on the Tonle Sap Lake, the "Great Lake" of Cambodia, one of the largest in Asia.

Day 8: Siem Reap – Vientiane (B, L)
Breakfast at hotel, transfer to the airport for flight  to Vientiane. Lunch on flight. Upon arrival, you are met and transferred to your centrally located hotel. After a short rest, we start to visit the major sights of the capital; including the oldest Wat Sisaket with thousands of miniature Buddha statues and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. On the way to the famous and sacred structure of That Luang Stupa, we stop to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxay Monument, which is well known as Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph. From there, we visit the Central Market  where you can find the antique items for collection, well handmade textile and gift away items. Overnight in Vientiane.

Day 9: Vientiane – Luang Prabang (B, L)
Breakfast at hotel, transfer to airport for your flight to Luangprabang. We spend the day touring Lao capital, visiting the National Museum (Revolutionary Museum) where varied antique items and legend of Laos’s history fighters and leaders displace from the ancient times to new revolution period. We then board a short flight to Luang Prabang, which is perhaps the best - preserved traditional city in Southeast Asia. UNESCO registered 1995 as World Cultural Heritage City. The tranquility and charm of this town with its splendid natural scenery and cultural sights make it one of the most delightful places to visit in Asia. On arrival, we transfer you to hotel. After a short rest, we are strolling around to see the Street Night Market, where you can find the lovely collection and handmade textile by local and hill tribe people surrounding Luang Prabang, we then climb up to the top of Phousi Mount for an enjoyable exploration of the sacred, gilded stupa as well as viewing a beautiful panorama sunset over this once royal ancient city and the Mekong River. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Day 10: Luang Prabang – Pak Oucave (B, L)
Breakfast, we enjoy a short-guided tour seeing the city’s oldest temple of impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrine of Wat Aham, Wat Mai, Wat Sene and the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represent the classical architecture of Luang Prabang temple. We then board a boat embarking upstream on the Mekong River, which also gives us a beautiful view of the tranquil countryside as well as an interesting visit to the mysterious of Pak Ou Caves, crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes. Along the way, we stop at the village of Ban Xanghai, where they make the local rice wine. On return, We  take a short drive to Ban Phanom, well known for its hand weaving. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Day 11: Luang Prabang - Hanoi (B)
06:00 Early this morning you may want to wake up early and participate in the daily early morning ritual of saffron-clad monks with their black Alms-giving bowls being given offerings from the local people, including the ubiquitous sticky rice. This is the highlight of tour prior goodbye to this charming city. Transfer to the airport for flight to Hanoi. Pick up at Noi bai airport, transfer to the hotel in City center.

Day 12: Hanoi city tour (B, L)

This morning we start city tour  with the Ho Chi Minh Complex. This famous site contains the mausoleum of the nation’s founder Ho Chi Minh ( Close on Monday, Friday & November), the Presidential Palace and the Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts. Close to this complex is the One Pillar Pagoda, whose origins date back to the foundation of city. We follow this with the Temple of Literature, which is well known as the first university of Vietnam. Lunch at local restaurant. Afternoon, visit the impressive Ethnology Museum, dedicated to Vietnam's 54 ethnic groups,  the Restored Sword Lake (Hoan Kiem Lake) and Ngoc Son Temple. Take a cyclo tour  around the 36 streets of the Hanoi old quarter to learn more about simple life of Hanoian. Enjoy water puppet show- a remarkable Vietnamese art form that combines traditional music, fireworks, underwater puppeteers, and elaborate puppets floating gracefully over water. Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

Day 13: Hanoi – Halong Junk Cruise (B, L, D)
Breakfast at hotel, start a 3-hour drive through the Red River Delta to Ha Long City. We then transfer to a refurbished wooden sailing junk for a cruise through the limestone cliffs and emerald waters of Ha Long Bay, giving us the chance to take in the stunning scenery of this World Heritage Site. While on board we will be served a sumptuous fresh, local seafood lunch followed by a swim and exploring some of the limestone caves in this area. When the sun comes down we drop anchor for the night nearby a remote island. Overnight on Junk.

Day 14: Halong – Hanoi – Hue (Brunch )
Rising to the tranquil beauty of the bay we have time for an early morning dip with joys and emotions for watching sunrise on sea followed by breakfast. This morning we continue to move around the bay to find more secluded areas The junk will be near us at all times serving as a back up vessel for those that require it. At around midday we will return to the main harbor before transferring to our awaiting vehicle for a 3-hour journey directly to the airport for flight to Hue. Pick up at Hue airport, transfer to hotel, check in , relax. Overnight at hotel in Hue.

Day 15: Hue city tour (B, L)

Breakfast at hotel, we then set out for the exploration of Hue's famous highlights, including the Citadel and the Forbidden Purple City. Built in the 19th century by the Nguyen dynasty, the City was home to the former Emperors of Vietnam from 1802 until 1945. We embark on a boat for cruise upstream on the Perfume River which also gives us a taste of the scenic countryside as well as an enjoyable visit to The beautiful pagoda of Thien Mu. One of the most poignant displays here is a car belonging to a former monk, who in 1963, drove to Saigon and set himself alight to protest against the South Vietnamese regime and its treatment of Buddhists. Disembark the board for a visit the elaborate mausoleum of former emperor Tu Duc, Emperor Khai Dinh. On return to the city, we then take a walk to the bustling Dong Ba Market and pass many fantastic eating spots where visitors have a chance to sample some local delicacies

Day 16: Hue – Danang – Hoian (B)

As we bid Hue farewell this morning we continue our south bound journey. Today's destination is the old trading town of Hoi An. Along the way though we will stop at Lang Co beach for coffee and refreshments. From here we head up to the Hai Van pass, stopping at the top to take in the stunning views north over Lang Co beach and south over Danang city. Continuing on our way down the other side and into Da nang, where we will stop at the Cham Museum, the famed Danang Beach, and the Marble Mountains. Arriving in Hoi An, Take a walk to visit famous Japanese Covered Bridges, the Pottery Museum, the 200 years old Tamky House, the Chua Ong Pagoda, the vibrant market. Passing many low tiled houses scattered along the small streets and assembly halls which reflect the town's multi-cultural past. The town is also famous for it's shops in particular it's large number of tailors. If you wanted, you could  have a whole new wardrobe made for you here! 

Day 17: Hoian free (B)

Today there is plenty of time to relax or discover Hoian by yourself. You can spend your time walking around exploring the many Chinese assembly halls and  fascinating ancestral  homes, some of which have been occupied  by the same family for fifteen genera ions. The town is also famous for it's shops in particular it's large number of tailors. If you wanted, you could have a whole new wardrobe made for you here! You might like to take a boat ride with one of the local women across the Thu Bon River. Perhaps you would like to hire a bicycle and head off on a scenic ride to Cua Dai beach, about 4 km away. There's even the chance to improve your culinary skills with a Vietnamese cooking lesson! One thing is for sure - there is no shortage of things to do in this town! Overnight at hotel in Hoian.

Day 18: Hoian – Saigon (B, L)

Morning after breakfast transfer to airport for the flight to Saigon. Pick up at Tan Son Nhat airport, transfer to city center, check in, relax. Afternoon we discover dynamic city with the Reunification Palace which was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until end of April 1975, and some French colonial structures including the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Old Sai Gon Post Office. After seeing the Jade Emperor Pagoda,  we continue our trip on to the bustling Ben Thanh Market where anything and everything is for sale. The bustling Chinatown is also not be missed as well. Overnight at hotel in  Saigon

Day 19: Saigon departure (B)

Breakfast at hotel, free until transfer to the airport for your departure flight. Say goodbye Vietnam. End of tour.

Thank you for traveling with Asia View Travel.

Accommodation Options

Tour includes:
• All accommodation with daily breakfast at selected hotels
• 2 days 1 night cruise on Halong Bay
• All tours & transfers in private air-conditioned vehicle
• Private English or French speaking guide
• Meals as indicated in the itinerary at local restaurant with local foods (B = breakfast; L = Lunch; D = Dinner)
• Boat cruise as stated
• Flight Ticket Siem reap - Vientiane, Vientiane - Luangprabang, Luangprabang  – Hanoi, Hanoi – Hue, Danang – Ho chi minh
• Speed boat ticket Chau doc – Phnom penh, Phnompenh – Siem reap
• Entrance fees and permits for all sights visited
• Mineral water & towel
• Government taxes & Service charges

Tour excludes:
• International flights that not mentioned above
• Multiple Vietnam visa arrangement (upon request visa on arrival at 15 USD, not including stamping fee at 50 USD)
• Cambodia Visa (available at the border at 20 USD/person)
• Laos visa (available at the airport at 30 USD/person)
• Meals not indicated in the itinerary
• Kayak in Halong Bay
• Surcharge on 24,31 December and Lunar New Year
• Personal travel insurance (Compulsory)
• Personal expenses such as Telephone and Laundry bills
• Tips and gratuities