A Private Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia & Thailand Tour – HCM City, Can Tho, Chau Doc, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Luang Prabang, Bangkok

Day 1 Depart North America
Depart USA for Ho Chi Minh City via Cathay Pacific Airways, connecting in Hong Kong

Day 2 HCM City
Upon arrival in HCM City, be met and transferred to your hotel.

Day 3  HCM City (Cu Chi Tunnels)
This morning, travel outside the city to the Cu Chi Tunnels, the Vietcong built a 200km long network of tunnels connecting command posts, hospitals, shelter and weapon factories. Return to the city for lunch followed by a walking tour of Old Saigon. Visit a thriving local market to see how these bustling and vibrant markets play a major role in the daily lives of Vietnamese people. From here stroll through the colourful back alleyways lined with flower shops and breathe in the aromas of the freshly cut blooms. Pass through another street where mechanics specialize in restoring vintage Vespa scooters. Take in the scenes of local life as you wander these narrow lanes. Stop for a refreshing traditional iced at the oldest coffee shop in Saigon, this old fashioned establishment has a colourful history stretching back over seven decades. Continue the walk through some other back lanes the go along to another famous street filled with shops selling locally-made guitars. Return to your hotel and enjoy your afternoon at leisure to relax and explore HCM City on your own. (B,L)

Day 4 HCM City / Mekong River Cruise/ Can Tho
Today, travel outside Saigon’s hustle-and-bustle to the town of Cai Be in the upper Mekong Delta. Board your sampan and enjoy the leisurely cruise along the peaceful river. Disembark and hope on your bike to visit the village and an ancient house and stop along the way to provide glimpses of local cottage industries: coconut candy and puffed rice (the local equivalent of popcorn). Lunch will be served in a colonial-style villa. Back on board, continue through narrow canals for more views of the Mekong Delta. Upon disembarkation in Vinh Long, travel by road to Can Tho. Check-in at your resort for your overnight accommodations. (B,L)

Day 5 Can Tho
In the early morning, take a boat trip to Cai Rang floating market, the largest and most bustling of the Mekong Delta markets. Fruit and vegetable vendors assemble from all over the region, hanging samples of their wares on long poles above their boats, while buyers navigate their smaller craft between the colorful fruit barges. Return to your resort and enjoy the balance of day at leisure to relax and explore Can Tho. (B)

Day 6 Can Tho/ Chau Doc
This morning, we depart by road and by boat for Chau Doc, a riverside commercial center not far from the Cambodian border in An Giang Province. The city was once known for its dugout canoe races. Chau Doc has quite sizable Chinese, Cham and Khmer communities. Here, enjoy a leisurely bike ride to the sacred Sam Mountain, which rises sharply from the surrounding rice paddies. We’ll explore some of the many temples and pagodas dotted around this pilgrimage mountain. Then, hop on a boat and drift along the scenic waterways to a floating village. Here, local fishermen will show us how they catch fish. On the other side of the river we’ll visit a Cham village with a thriving Muslim community. Check-in at Victoria Chau Doc Hotel for your overnight accommodations. (B)

Day 7 Chau Doc/ Phnom Penh
This morning, take a scenic boat ride on on board Victoria’s speedboat for Phnom Penh, the charming yet somewhat chaotic capital of Cambodia.  After lunch, enjoy a city tour with visits to the Royal Palace. Built in 1866 by King Norodom, this vast compound comprises of several revered treasures including the Silver Pagoda, a gold Buddha encrusted with 9,584 diamonds, and the 17th century emerald and baccarat crystal Buddha. Continue to the elegant National Museum, which contains a comprehensive collection of Khmer Art. Finally, explore the modern-day city, visiting one of Phnom Penh’s two great markets, the Central Market, located in a distinctive domed Art Deco building or the sprawling Russian Market, a labyrinth of stalls selling everything from Cds and Dvds to silks, crafts, jewellery and more. Overnight in Phnom Penh. (B,L)

Day 8 Phnom Penh
Today’s program offers a glimpse to the horrors of the Pol Pot Regime as a way to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for modern-day Cambodia. Visit Tuol Sleng, also known as S-21, a former High School that was used by the Khmer Rouge regime as the interrogation and torture facility. Kept largely unchanged, Tuol Sleng showcases photographs and exhibits about the tens of thousands of victims that passed through these doors – of which only seven of whom came out alive. Afterward, continue to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, one of numerous mass graves that was later discovered. The Killing Fields provide a stark reminder of the atrocities under the Pol Pot regime where millions of innocent Cambodians were mercilessly murdered. Afternoon free at leisure to relax and explore Phnom Penh on your own. (B)

Day 9 Phnom Penh/ Siem Reap
Transfer to the airport for your short flight to Siem Reap. Upon arrival, visit the National Angkor Museum to learn about the background of the Angkor ruins and Khmer Empire before commencing a tour of the impressive Angkor Thom. Covering a an area of 10 square kilometers and enclosed by a wall and wide moats, this ancient city is home to many of Angkor’s most popular sights. Later, watch the sun set over the Cambodian countryside from the upper terraces of an ancient Angkorian temple. (B)

Day 10 Siem Reap
Your morning begins with a visit to the magnificent Angkor Wat, the crown jewel of Khmer architecture and the national symbol of Cambodia. Angkor Wat is the largest, best preserved, and most religiously significant of the Angkor temples. Angkor impresses visitors both by its sheer scale and beautifully proportioned layout, as well as the delicate artistry of its carvings. Angkor Wat is stunning at any time of the day, but sunrise and sunset are especially beautiful times to watch the play of light on the stones. Continue to Ta Prohm. Featured in the blockbuster hit movie Tomb Raider – Lara Croft, Ta Prohm is one of the most popular attractions of Angkor as much of the jungle has not been cleared, appearing very much in a similar state as it was when European explorers first stumbled across the Angkor Temples. Last and certainly not least, Banteay Srei. Seemingly miniature in comparison to the other Angkor temples, Banteay Srei is considered to be the jewel of classical Khmer art. Built in pink sandstone, the walls are covered in exquisitely preserved carvings of unusual delicacy. (B)

Day 11 Siem Reap/ Luang Prabang
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Luang Prabang. Upon arrival, be met and transferred to your hotel. Balance of the afternoon at leisure to relax and soak up Luang Prabang’s tranquil setting. (B)

Day 12 Luang Prabang
Full day sightseeing of UNESCO Luang Prabang. Set between the Nam Khan and Mekong rivers, Luang Prabang is an enchanting town filled with historic temples and colonial style buildings. The entire town was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1995. Start the day at Wat Visoun (Wat Wisunalat), the oldest living temple in Luang Prabang, Wat dating back to 1513 and contains a collection of antique wooden Buddhas. Visit the nearby Wat Aham before continuing to Wat Xieng Thong, the crowning jewel of all the monasteries and temples in the city. Its many ornate buildings feature exquisite mosaic and gold-stenciled murals. From there, stroll down the main street of Luang Prabang, stopping at some of the many temples that line its sides, including Wat Sibounheuang, Wat Si Moungkhoun, Wat Sop and Wat Sene. Continue to the National Museum (Royal Palace), a modest but graceful building which combines traditional Lao and French beaux-arts motifs. Then, visit Hor Phrabang. In the right front corner room of the Palace which opens to the outside, is a collection of the palace’s most prized art, including the Phrabang, cast of a gold, silver and bronze alloy. Visit Wat Mai before returning to your hotel. (B)

Day 13 Luang Prabang (Pak Ou Caves or Kuangsi Waterfalls) 
Today, you will take the Mekong Riverboat trip to visit the Pak Ou Buddha Caves, located in the steep rock cliff at the confluence of the Mekong River and Ou River, filled with Buddha images of varying styles, ages and sizes. Enjoy a picnic lunch en route followed by several cultural and scenic visits before returning to the hotel.  (B,L)

Note: optionally, an excursion to Kuangsi Waterfalls with light trekking can be arranged instead of Pak Ou Caves. 

Day 14 Luang Prabang / Bangkok
Fly to Bangkok. Upon arrival, be met and transferred to your hotel. Enjoy the balance of the day at your leisure. (B)

Day 15 Bangkok
This morning visit the Royal Grand Palace, Wat Pho (Reclining Buddha) and Wat Trimit (Golden Buddha). Afternoon free at leisure to eat, shop and explore Bangkok on your own. (B)

Day 16 Bangkok / Home
Transfer to the airport for your departure flight home. (B)

****END OF PROGRAM****

• Prices are per person, based on double occupancy
• Prices includes all entrance fees, hotels taxes & service charges
• Price excludes personal expenses, beverages during included lunches, gratuities to guides and drivers
• Holiday surcharges and/or compulsory gala dinners at hotels apply between Dec. 20 – Jan. 05
• For Air & Land Option:
  • When Trans-Pacific travel takes place on a weekend (Friday-Sunday), add $50 per person each direction.
  • *June rates apply for departures between May 24-31 (due to peak season airfares)
  • **Airfare supplement of $400 (SFO/LAX) | $500 (JFK/CHI/BOS) applies for departures between December 10 – 31
  • U.S. & Foreign departure taxes, fees and fuel surcharges are not included (Approx. $350 – subject to change).
  • For add-on fares from eligible connecting U.S. domestic cities, please refer to Connecting Cities chart.
• Land only cost includes intra-Asia flights per itinerary
• Visas are required for Vietnam, Cambodia & Laos. Not included in package
• All services subject to availability at time of reservation