Vietnam & Cambodia Essence – 23 Days

After breakfast, explore Hanoi’s cultural landmarks at the Ho Chi Minh Complex, including the Mausoleum, stilt house, Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh Museum, and One Pillar Pagoda. Stop for a photo at the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university. Visit the Museum of Ethnology to learn about Vietnam’s 54 ethnic groups and admire traditional architecture. After lunch, stroll Hang Be Street’s daily market to explore local ingredients. Embark on a food tour, sampling oil-fried pastries, tofu, rice pancakes, pillow cakes, sweet soups, stuffed pork pancakes, and draught beer. Visit Dong Xuan Market to experience Hanoian street life and enjoy egg coffee at a hidden café with panoramic views of Hoan Kiem Lake. Overnight in Hanoi.

Choose one of two art-focused tours: Option 1: Sophie Art Tour Visit the Vietnam Museum of Fine Arts, housed in a former French convent, to explore colonial-era artworks blending European and Vietnamese styles. View wartime sketches and lacquer works from the Indochina Wars. Continue to Apricot Gallery to see post-war art by once-controversial artists. Visit contemporary art exhibitions and a vibrant art space in a colonial villa, learning about modern Vietnamese art’s evolution. Option 2: Chat with Art Collector Tour With Mr. Huong Le of Nguyen Art Gallery, tour the Fine Art Museum, home to contemporary paintings, sculptures, and traditional arts. Visit Nguyen Art Gallery, showcasing works by young and emerging Vietnamese artists. Enjoy tea or coffee while discussing art with the gallery owner, overlooking the Temple of Literature. After lunch at KOTO restaurant, visit a local artist’s warehouse to observe craftsmanship and the Ancient House on Ma May Street to meet a traditional calligraphy expert. Transfer to the train station for an overnight journey to Sapa. Overnight on the train.

Arrive in Lao Cai, meet your local guide, and transfer to Can Cau Market, open Saturdays, where Flower Hmong, Black Zao, and Phu La ethnic groups trade in vibrant costumes. Explore the market’s photogenic displays, then drive to Bac Ha for lunch. Visit Ban Pho village, admiring its verdant valley of corn, rice, and plum forests. Taste local corn wine at a village home. Transfer to Sapa and check into your hotel. Overnight in Sapa.

After breakfast, trek through Sapa’s stunning valley, starting along Cau May Street. Admire mist-covered rice terraces and cross the Muong Hoa River to Ta Van village, or follow buffalo trails through terraced fields. Continue to Lao Chai village, passing a suspension bridge and ancient rock carvings depicting human figures and stilt houses. Check into a Lao Chai homestay, join your host to cook dinner, and learn to prepare five-color glutinous rice, a local specialty. Overnight at the homestay.

After breakfast, visit Silver Waterfall and Heaven Gate at Tram Ton, Vietnam’s highest road pass, offering spectacular views of Fansipan, Indochina’s tallest peak. Trek downhill through Hoang Lien National Park’s bamboo forest to Sin Chai village, home to the Black Hmong community. Enjoy lunch by a river, then walk through the village, learning about community-based tourism. Transfer to the bus station for a 5-hour journey back to Hanoi. Check into your hotel. Overnight in Hanoi.

Travel by luxury van (max 7 passengers) to Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. Board the Dragon Legend cruise at Hon Gai International Harbor and enjoy a set-menu lunch while sailing through Bai Tu Long Bay’s limestone karsts. In the afternoon, visit Vung Dang – Cong Dam for swimming, kayaking, or relaxing on a white sandy beach. Return to the cruise for dinner and access to the mineral seawater pool, fitness room, or spa services. Overnight on the cruise.

Wake for a Tai Chi session and breakfast, enjoying the bay’s serene landscape. Cruise to Cong Do to explore Thien Canh Son Cave, a hidden gem. After a buffet lunch, disembark and drive to Hanoi, stopping at Yen Duc village in Dong Trieu province. Enjoy a water puppet show performed by local artists, showcasing Vietnamese agricultural traditions. Check into your hotel in Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi.

Drive 60 km west to Duong Lam Ancient Village, Vietnam’s first nationally recognized ancient village. Explore its historic gate, banyan tree, well, communal house, and laterite brick houses. Join locals in making green-lentil or onion-filled rice cakes (seasonal). Stroll narrow alleys, sip tea with residents, and visit Mong Phu Temple, Mia Pagoda (with 287 statues), and the temples of national heroes Ngo Quyen and Phung Hung. Enjoy a traditional Vietnamese lunch, then fly to Hue. Check into your hotel and relax. Overnight in Hue.

After breakfast, board a dragon boat along the Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda, Hue’s iconic Buddhist symbol, offering panoramic river views. Visit the majestic tombs of Kings Khai Dinh and Tu Duc, learning about royal life and Vietnamese concepts of death. After lunch, explore the UNESCO-listed Imperial Citadel, home of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802–1945), and the Hue Royal Fine Art Museum in the former Dien Long An Royal Palace. Stroll Dong Ba Market to observe local life. Overnight in Hue.

After breakfast, drive along scenic Highway 1A, admiring Lang Co Beach and Danang’s coastline. In Danang, visit the Cham Museum, housing the world’s largest collection of Cham artifacts, and China Beach, a former American R&R spot. Climb Marble Mountain, representing the five elements, for stunning countryside views. Arrive in Hoi An and spend the afternoon strolling its charming streets or relaxing on the beach. Overnight in Hoi An.

Join a Farming & Fishing Tour at Tra Que Vegetable Village, learning traditional farming techniques like fertilizing with river seaweed and watering with tin cans. Cycle through paddy fields, passing ducks and water buffalo. Board a river cruise to fish with locals, try net fishing, and paddle a bamboo basket boat through coconut palm-lined waterways. After lunch, take a walking tour of Hoi An’s ancient town, visiting the Japanese Covered Bridge, Chinese Assembly Halls, and a handicraft workshop. Overnight in Hoi An.

Drive 45 km to My Son Sanctuary, a UNESCO-listed spiritual center of the Champa Kingdom. Visit the Tra Kieu capital and explore My Son’s 65+ ancient towers and temples, built from the 4th century, set in a scenic valley. Return to Hoi An for lunch and a free afternoon to explore or relax. Overnight in Hoi An.

After breakfast, fly to Ho Chi Minh City. Spend the day exploring Saigon’s vibrant streets at your leisure. In the evening, attend the A O Show, a captivating blend of bamboo cirque, acrobatics, contemporary dance, and live music depicting Vietnam’s rural and urban life. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Drive to the Mekong Delta, visiting Cao Dai Temple, a symbol of local religion, and Cai Be Cathedral, blending unique architectural styles. Cruise through Cai Be Floating Market and inland markets, observing local trade. Row through small canals to explore Mekong life. At Tan Phong Island’s Mekong Ecolodge, enjoy welcome drinks and fresh fruits. Cycle to handicraft workshops (handbags, rice papers) and a local school (on school days) to meet children. Visit a family for tea, banana candies, and fruit-picking. Lunch at the ecolodge features local dishes. Return to Ho Chi Minh City. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Tour Ho Chi Minh City’s highlights: the Reunification Palace, War Remnants Museum, Saigon Central Post Office, and Notre Dame Cathedral. Ride a cyclo through Cho Lon to visit the Museum of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine, then shop at Ben Thanh Market. In the evening, join a Vespa tour, starting with drinks at Café Zoom. Sample authentic Saigon street food at two local restaurants, visit a Vietnamese-style coffee shop with live music, and end at a lively music bar. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Fly to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Upon arrival at Pochentong International Airport, your guide and driver transfer you to your hotel. Spend the day at leisure, exploring the city’s riverfront or relaxing. Overnight in Phnom Penh.

Explore Phnom Penh’s highlights, starting with the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, home to priceless Buddhist artifacts and royal ceremonies. Visit the rust-red National Museum, showcasing over 500 Khmer artifacts from the 4th to 15th centuries. Climb Wat Phnom for scenic views. Tour the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21), a former Khmer Rouge prison, to learn about Cambodia’s tragic history. Stroll the Russian Market for handicrafts and artifacts. End with a sunset Mekong River cruise. Overnight in Phnom Penh.

Fly to Siem Reap and begin with Banteay Srey Temple, the “jewel of Khmer art,” known for its intricate pink sandstone carvings. Visit Banteay Samre, a well-preserved temple with a central hall and libraries. In the evening, attend a Phare performance, a vibrant blend of theater, folk music, and Cambodian stories supporting the Phare Ponleu Selpak charity. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Cycle early to Angkor Wat, avoiding crowds. Enter Angkor Thom via the South Gate, visiting Bayon’s 37 pagoda towers with kingly faces, the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, Elephant Terrace, and Terrace of the Leper King. Enjoy a picnic lunch near Baksey Cham Krong Temple. Continue to Angkor Wat, Asia’s largest temple complex, with its moat, causeway, and towering structures. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Drive 2 hours northeast to Koh Ker, a 10th-century capital overgrown by jungle. Visit Prasat Pram, draped in tree roots, and Prasat Thom’s towering pyramid. Continue to Beng Mealea, a temple similar to Angkor Wat but engulfed by jungle, offering an untouched glimpse of Khmer ruins. Return to Siem Reap. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Visit the pre-Angkorian Roluos Group, including Preah Ko, Bakong, and Lolei, from the ancient capital of Hariharalaya. Cruise Tonle Sap Lake to Chong Kneas floating village, observing schools, hospitals, and a crocodile farm. Tour Artisans d’Angkor workshops to see silk weaving, stone carving, and lacquerware. In the evening, join a Vespa tour, visiting a cocktail bar, night market, wishing shrine, and enjoying picnic-style dining with Cambodian rice wine. Overnight in Siem Reap.

After breakfast, enjoy free time until your transfer to Siem Reap International Airport for your departure flight, concluding a remarkable 23-day journey.