A Private Vietnam & Cambodia Tour – Hanoi, TAM COC, Halong Bay, Hoi An, Siem Reap

Day 1 Depart USA
Depart North America for Hanoi via Cathay Pacific Airways, connecting in Hong Kong.

Day 2 Arrive Hanoi
Upon arrival in Hanoi, be met by your personal guide and transferred to your hotel for your next 2 nights’ accommodations.

Day 3 Hanoi
Today, tour the city of Hanoi with visits to Hanoi’s Old Quarters, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum*, his House on Stilt where he lived and ruled the country, One Pillar pagoda, Temple of Literature, the Opera House and “Hanoi Hilton” Prison.  Lunch is served at a local restaurant.

Later this afternoon, embark on a Night Foodies tour to experience some of the city’s best street food stalls. Starting at the bustling Hom market, one of the biggest and most popular markets in Hanoi. Wander through the narrow alleyways passing colorful stalls piled high with a vast array of fruit, vegetables, sweets, and elaborate temple offerings. Take photos of the vibrant colors and breathe in the aromas of the tropical fruits. If you’re feeling brave, venture to the exotic section to see kicking frogs, silkworms and wriggling eels. The entire market is alive with the buzz and excitement of the locals bartering and haggling for the freshest ingredients at the best prices. Your guide will take you to popular street food stalls where you can sample some of the city’s signature dishes. Stop at a local coffee shop to taste this rich and flavorful drink then continue your culinary exploration with a stroll through the maze of bustling streets that make up the Old Quarter of Hanoi. Join the locals and pull up a plastic stool at a pavement stall to try Vietnamese snacks and a cup of iced tea, followed by a sweet dessert of fresh fruit and condensed milk. End the tour with a cold draught beer at a sidewalk stall popular with locals. (B,L,D)

****Note: *Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is closed Mondays & Fridays****

Day 4 Hanoi (Ninh Binh) 
This morning, journey south on a scenic adventure to Ninh Binh, dubbed the "Dry Halong Bay" where the breathtaking scenery and rural Vietnamese culture abound. Today's adventure commences with a visit to Hoa Lu Citadel, home to Vietnam's first capital dating back to the 10th century. From there, we hop on our bikes riding through local villages, rice fields and karst mountains toward Tam Coc. Here, glide along green waterways on a hand-rowed sampan passing under three caves. All around us, dramatic limestone formations rise sharply out of green rice paddies and wetlands. The boat ride lasts approximately 2 hours. Lunch is served at a local restaurant. Return to Hanoi in the afternoon. (B,L)

**Note: Cycling distance is approximately 13-15km approx on flat terrain and does not require technical abilities. This portion of the trip is optional for those who prefer to tour by foot/car or if conditions do not permit. 

Day 5 Hanoi / Halong Bay
This morning, enjoy a scenic drive through Northern Vietnam’s countryside for Halong Bay. Board your privately chartered “junk” for a fantastic cruise around the Bay. A fresh seafood lunch served on board.  Visit Surprising Cave (Sung Sot) and Titov island while sailing past floating villages and pearl farms. Kayak through the bay’s calm waters and explores its breathtaking Karst Towers before returning to pier. Overnight in Halong. (B,L)

Day 6 Hanoi / Hoi An
Transfer to Hanoi Airport for your early afternoon flight to Danang. Upon arrival proceed to UNESCO Hoi An, visiting China Beach and Marble Mountains en-route as time permits. Check-in at your resort in Hoi An for your next 3 nights’ accommodations. (B)

Day 7 Hoi An
Enjoy a morning walking tour of Hoi An’s beautiful Old Town, visiting the colorful morning market, Japanese Covered Bridge, local temples and residence. Balance of the afternoon at leisure to relax, shop and explore the cobbled streets of Hoi An your own. (B)

Day 8 Hoi An
Choose from the following tours below:

Cooking Lesson: Morning at leisure. This afternoon, visit Hoi An’s local farmers’ market to shop for fresh ingredients for this evening’s meal. Afterwards, board the Red Bridge boat for a cruise along the Hoi An River to Red Bridge Restaurant & Cooking School situated on the banks of the river. Enjoy a 2-hour Culinary Lesson led by an expert chef to prepare your very own Vietnamese dinner.(B,D)

Countryside Tour by Bicycle: Hoi An: This morning, enjoy a bicycle ride through Hoi An’s beautiful countryside for a 10km ride to Cam Thanh village famous for its Water Palm Garden (Water-coconut). Continue cycling to Cua Dai, then to Tra Que vegetable village which hosts a number of vegetable farms. Mingle with the local farmers and learn about their way of life. Afterwards, cycle back to the Hoi An Town through enchanting rice paddy fields and nice local villages. The total cycling distance is 20km. (B,L)

Day 9 Hoi An / Siem Reap
Morning at leisure. Transfer to the airport for your afternoon flight to Siem Reap.  Upon arrival, be met and transferred to your hotel for your next 3 nights’ accommodations. Later this afternoon, enjoy sunset over Angkor at a nearby temple. (B)

Day 10 Siem Reap
Today’s sightseeing begins with the magnificent Angkor Wat, the most impressive of Angkorian Temples and the symbol of Cambodia. Afterwards, visit the fortified city of ANGKOR THOM. Covering an area of 10 square kilometers and enclosed by a wall and wide moats, the city includes many of Angkor’s most popular sights. Explore Ta Prohm, one of the most popular attractions of Angkor as much of the jungle has not been cleared and it looks very much as most of the Angkor monuments would have appeared when European explorers first stumbled across them. A Cambodia lunch is served at a local restaurant. (B,L)

Day 11 Siem Reap (Tonle Sap Lake)
This morning, visit the marvelous Banteay Srei Temple famous for its delicate carvings in pink sandstone widely praised as the “Jewel of Khmer Art”. After lunch, embark on an inspiring boat trip to Tonle Sap Lake at Kampong Kleang to experience the primitive way-of-life of its floating villages. Located in the heart of Cambodia, this extraordinary lake swells up to seven times its original size during the monsoon season with an ecosystem that is one of the richest and most diverse in the region. Traveling by boat, we explore the floating fishing villages that live at the edges of the lake, passing submerged forests and fishing farms. Return to Siem Reap in the afternoon. (B,L)

Day 12 Return Home
Time permitting, enjoy additional sightseeing of Angkor Temples before transferring to the airport for your departure flight home, connecting in Hong Kong (B)

****END OF PROGRAM****

• Prices are per person, based on double occupancy
• Prices includes all entrance fees, domestic air taxes, hotels taxes & service charges
• Price excludes personal expenses, beverages and gratuities to guides and drivers.
• Holiday surcharges and/or compulsory gala dinners at hotels apply between Dec. 20 – Jan. 05
• Land only cost includes intra-Asia flights per itinerary
• Visas are required for Vietnam & Cambodia. Not included in package.
• All flights, hotels and land services are subject to availability at time of reservation
• For Air & Land Option:
  • When Trans-Pacific travel takes place on a weekend (Friday-Sunday), add $50 per person each direction.
  • *Jun-Aug rates apply for departures between May 24-31 due to peak season airfares
  • **Airfare supplement of $500 (West Coast) | $600 (East Coast) applies for departures between December 10 – 31
  • U.S. & Foreign departure taxes, fees and fuel surcharges are not included (Approx. $230 – subject to change).