DISCOVER HERITAGE VIETNAM CAMBODIA IN 15 DAYS

Welcome to Vietnam!

After arriving at Noi Bai Airport, you will be picked up and transferred to the hotel in the city center. Hotel check-in is available from 2pm. The rest of the day is free for relaxing or discovering the city by yourself. Overnight at a hotel.

After breakfast, you head to the village of Quang Phu Cau, located in the Ung Hoa district about an hour’s drive from Hanoi. Here, centuries-old incense production has been maintained and is used in many religious ceremonies and rituals in Vietnam. From the first steps into the village, you experience the bustling life of the local people and even learn about the production process. Colorful incense bouquets dried in the sun, the typical scent of incense, Vietnamese spiritual values, all of which create a specific attraction for Quang Phu Cau. Back to Hanoi and start by visiting the Temple of Literature built in 1070 and known as the first university in our country. After, we will drive back to the Old Quarter for a 1.5-hour walking tour, specially designed for a deeper insight into Hanoian daily life. We will visit the Ngoc Son temple which sits on a green islet in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake, connected to the lakeside by a graceful scarlet bridge named The Huc. The temple is dedicated to Tran Hung Dao – the General who defeated the Mongols in the 13th century and Van Xuong De Quan – the patron of literature and examinations. Overnight at a hotel.

After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the harbour of Ha Long Bay, whose name means ‘where the dragon descends into the sea’, already recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Check-in in the furnished cabin with a splendid view of the bay, welcome drink and an crew’s briefing. An exquisite lunch is served with fresh seafood. Free time to relax before the afternoon’s interesting activities.

Start with an exploration of Luon Cave which is considered as one of the most ideal places in Halong for kayaking or rowing boat. After that, you can visit Titov Island, where you can go swimming or hiking to the top for another stunning, panoramic view of the Bay. Enjoy your special dinner in restaurants with the best view of Halong bay.

Free time to challenge yourself in the night squid fishing or enjoy the tranquility of the night on your cruise.  Overnight on board.

Wake up early to witness an enchanting sunrise. For those interested, a short Tai Chi lesson on the terrace will refresh your mind and body. In the morning, you can also enjoy a cup of tea or coffee while admiring the extraordinary landscape.

Your next excursion is a visit to the magnificent Sung Sot Cave, where you can take in the panoramic views across Halong Bay. You can also participate in a cooking class. The chef will show you the tricks of cooking our country’s typical dishes and then enjoy them with brunch.

Disembark from the ship around noon and meet our guide for the transfer to Noi Bai airport. Flight to Hue – our imperial city. Arrival and check-in your hotel.

In the morning, we will take a boat trip on the poetic Perfume River. Our first visit will be to Thien Mu Pagoda (Celestial Lady Pagoda) built in 1601 on the bank of the river. With its seven-storey Phuoc Duyen tower, Thien Mu Pagoda became the symbol of the ancient capital and has often been mentioned in folk rhymes about Hue. We will continue cruising toward Thuy Bieu village, settled on the bank of Perfume River. The village is famous for its green Thanh Tra (a small kind of pomelo) orchards. We will join the cooking class to prepare Hue’s typical dishes with our chef’s instruction and then we will enjoy our delicious food in the open-air riverside restaurant. In the afternoon, we will have a peaceful walk or bicycle ride through the villages to visit communal houses, ancient temples, and the garden houses – a typical and unique feature of Hue. After that, you will have a great time relaxing by soaking your foot in medicinal leaf and then followed by a massage. We will visit beautiful structures including the Flag Tower, Nine Holy Cannons, Ngo Mon Gate, Thai Hoa Palace, Nine Dynastic Urns and the Forbidden Purple City. We will then continue to visit the Tomb of Emperor Tu Duc designed by himself before his death. The Tomb includes 50 monuments arranged unsymmetrically and shows the perfect harmony of buildings and nature. Overnight at a hotel.

After a yummy breakfast, we will transfer to Da Nang by the mountainous road to arrive at Ba Na hill. After checking in at the ticket counter, we will walk to Hoi An Station. We will take a cable car which reaches a height of nearly 5,000 feet (1,487m), stretching over three and a half miles in length (5,771m). We will admire the truly spectacular views of luscious dense rainforest and beautiful waterfalls below, above you at the peak can be seen enormous stone hands holding the magnificent Golden Bridge. On arrival at Marseille Station, it’s time to enjoy an amazing view from the mountain to the beach below, while strolling on the recently world-famous Golden Bridge at 150m in length and at a height of 1,414m above sea level. After wandering through D’Amour flower garden and Debay Wine Cellar, another cable car ride will take you to the French Village, a romantic replica of a classical French town. Don’t forget to visit Ba Na’s spiritual attractions such as Linh Ung Pagoda, Rain Sheltering Teahouse, Linh Phong Stupa, the Holy Mother Shrine, etc. You will also have free time to enjoy the attractions at Fantasy Park – The “Entertainment Paradise”, discover the ghost house before going back to Hoi An. Overnight at a hotel.

After a delicious breakfast, we will take a half-day walking tour of Hoi An ancient town. In this UNESCO-classified world heritage site, we will visit Chua Ong Pagoda (dedicated to “Quan Thanh De Quan” – an ancient Chinese general), the 200-years-old Tan Ky house (with Japanese and Chinese influenced architecture), and the Japanese Covered Bridge (built by the Japanese then living in Hoi An to connect their quarter to that of the Chinese).

In the afternoon, we will visit Thanh Ha pottery village where you can experience the daily life of villagers who have been making pottery for over 500 years. Here, we will learn about the process of crafting pottery products such as vases, pots and kettles. We will then take a 30-minute boat ride on Thu Bon River to Kim Bong village. The Kim Bong carpentry style is the finest mix of Cham people, China, Japanese and the talented hands of Vietnamese artisans. We will travel back to Hoi An City. Overnight at a hotel

Say goodbye to Hoi An and flight to Ho Chi Minh city. On your arrival to Ho Chi Minh City (former name is Saigon), you will be welcomed by our tour guide and driver. After transferring to your hotel at the city center (Check-in is available from 2pm), there will be time for your free exploration of the largest city in Vietnam. We will visit Notre Dame Cathedral, constructed between 1877 and 1880 by the French. We will take a few steps from the Cathedral to the General Post Office to admire its interior with the arched roof and curved windows, reminiscent of early European railway stations.

We will visit the Reunification Palace, formerly known as the Presidential Palace. After a prepared lunch, you will take a guided cycle tour for 2-3 hours to learn a deeper understanding of Saigon daily life. We will visit some local markets with several stops arranged at Ho Thi Ky flower market; The medicinal plant store; the Thien Hau Temple in the Cho Lon town, 5th district. Overnight at a hotel.

After a yummy breakfast, we will leave the hotel at 8am and make our way to Ben Tre Province in the Mekong delta. Upon arrival at Hung Vuong Pier (90km from Saigon), we get on a boat and cruise along the Ben Tre River. The boat will stop at a traditional brick factory for you to explore its imposing ovens.

We will have a short break at a coconut candies workshop, where you will observe how coconut flesh is used and processed. A short tuk-tuk ride on the winding small road of the countryside will take you into the green villages and we will stop at a family braiding mats. The local restaurant will prepare typical dishes of the Mekong delta for your lunch. Following this, we will board a rowing boat to join the maze of canals and return to the landing stage. We will then transfer to Can Tho province. Overnight at a hotel or homestay in Can Tho.

Early in the morning, we will take a boat trip to the well-known Cai Rang floating market, the largest and most bustling floating market in the Mekong Delta. The ambiance of local fresh fruits and vegetables is so animated: hundreds of motorized sampans full of rice, fruits and crafts are gathered on the river to exchange and sell local products. After leaving the market, you will take a bike ride in the Vam Xang region, a Mecca for fruit lovers because of its huge variety of fresh produce. You will get the opportunity to meet with local villagers, where you will learn about their traditions and daily lives. We will stop for a yummy lunch in a local farmhouse. Afternoon, we will transfer to Ho Chi Minh City for an overnight stay in a hotel.

After a refreshing breakfast at your hotel, we will take a flight to Phnom Penh. The afternoon, visit all the Royal Palace monuments: Chan Chhaya Pavilion, the Silver Pagoda and the National Museum, which has the world’s finest collection of Khmer sculptures. Discover the monument of Independence, which is shaped according to the central tower of Angkor Wat, and was erected in 1958 to commemorate the country’s independence from France in 1953. We will proceed with the visit of Wat Phnom Daun Penh – a hillside pagoda built by Lady Daun Pen in 1372l. Wat Phnom remains today as the highest artificial hill in Phnom Penh and the centre of much entertainment. Overnight at a hotel.

After breakfast, transfer from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap by private car. Make a stop at the spectacular Vipassana Dhura Buddhist meditation centre in Udong where the imposing Jade Buddha, the mummified monk and the colourful painted walls tell the story of the Ramayana. Stop at Kompong Kdei to see Spean Pratos, an ancient Angkorian bridge. Continue to Phnom Udong, the ancient Cambodian capital during the last stages of the Khmer Empire and the coronation site of many kings of the past. On arrival in Siem Reap, settle in at your hotel. Dinner with Apsara show.

We start very early in the morning so we can capture the iconic picture of the pre-dawn facing Angkor Wat temple. Sunrise at Angkor Wat can be a busy venue especially during the months of December, January, February and March.

After sunrise, we will explore the vast and rich of Angkor Wat temple, taking pictures at different angles, playing with light and shadows and capturing the most beautiful devatas carved in sandstone.

Next destination will be the Ta Prohm Temple, famous for its giant trees where the most impressive scenes of the Tomb Raider movie were filmed. We will continue by veering you away from the crowd to a remote temple in the jungle. We will also visit places out of the beaten path where you will capture unique pictures.

Next, at the Golden Hour, will be the impressive Bayon temple with its 54 towers and 216 faces overlooking the defunct city of Angkor Thom. The final stop will be at one of gate of Angkor Thom to capture sunset over the moat. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Depart for the Tonlé Sap. You will enjoy a boat ride on the Tonle Sap Lake. This is the largest permanent fresh-water lake in Southeast Asia and flows into Tonle Sap River, joining the Mekong in Phnom Penh. You will see a fishermen’s “floating village” with floating schools, floating police station, etc. It is same as a big village floating on the lake, and the “village” move from place-to-place following water levels and current. You will go to local pagoda, where you should change to clothes you can get wet in as here you will experience the ceremony “SrouchTeok”, which roughly translates into “Water blessing”. A monk will chant in ancient Pali as he splashes water over you, washing away your sins and bad luck so you can start fresh and by being a good person can increase your good luck.

Visit the Rolous Group including Lolei, Preah Ko & Bakong temple first. This island temple consists of four brick towers on a double plate rite platform. The 3 temples Bakong, Lolei and Preah Ko – located 11 Kilometers (6.8 miles) southeast of the Siem Reap Market – comprise the Rolous group of monuments and are dating back to the late ninth century and is the earliest site of the 600 years Angkor Period that is open to visitors. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Breakfast will be served in your hotel. Depending on your departure time, you will have free time to relax or buy souvenirs for your relatives or friends. Our driver will take you to Siem Reap International Airport at least 3 hours before departure.

Thank you very much for travelling with Asia Viva Travel.

Have a safe return flight!