On arrival at the airport, you will be met and transferred to check in the hotel. The rest of the day is your own time at leisure.

 

Overnight in Luang Prabang

An early start gives you the fantastic opportunity to participate in the daily morning rituals of saffron-clad monks collecting offerings of Alms (ubiquitous sticky rice) from the faithful residents. This tradition is very unique in Laos, being the only Buddhist nation still preserving the procession. From there, we will take a short visit to the morning local market near the Royal Palace. At the market, you can find anything from rice, to fresh vegetables, to steamed fish, frogs, and anything else that might be the day’s catch, just set up on the ground, this is what the locals do every day. This is really the chance for you to get a real flavor of the local culture.

 

After breakfast at the hotel, we ascend the 329 steps to the top of Phousi Hill for a panoramic view of the city and the Mekong River. We then visit Wat Visoun, dating back to 1513 during the reign of King Wisunarat (Visoun), this is Luang Prabang’s oldest temple and was once home to the Prabang Buddhas. We then transfer directly to the beautiful Kuang Si Waterfall where you can cool off with a refreshing swim in the pools or walk along the forest trails.

 

Before returning to Luang Prabang, we stop to visit the Kuang Si Falls Butterfly Park (closed on Tuesday, and from 03rd May to 19th June every year), one of the must-visit spots, where you can have an optional 15-minute tour to learn about butterflies and local flora. Laos is also known for its traditional crafts, we will take a short visit to the Ock Pop Tock Living Craft Center, where you will have a short tour so you get information about Silk, about weaver, about the Women that work in the Centre.

 

Meal: Breakfast

Overnight at hotel in Luang Prabang

Your full day city tour begins after breakfast, with a visit to the Royal Palace Museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts. We then enjoy a short-guided tour seeing the city’s oldest temple of Wat Sene and the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represents classical Laotian architecture. We then visit Wat Visoun, dating back to 1513 during the reign of King Wisunarat (Visoun), this is Luang Prabang’s oldest temple and was once home to the Prabang Buddhas. From there we stroll around to visit Wat Aham, which was once the residence of Sangkharat, the supreme head of Lao Buddhism. We continue our visit to the Arts and Ethnology Centre to learn about Laos’ many ethnic cultures.

 

We then transfer out to the airport to take the departure flight to Hanoi, Vietnam. Arrival Hanoi airport, warm welcomed by our guide & driver then transfer to the city.

 

Hanoi or “River-bound City” as its name literally means is Vietnam’s capital with a thousand-year-old history dating back to 1010. The city’s fascinating beauty which is characterized by unique cultural relics, ancient streets of antique houses, elegant French colonial buildings, tree-lined boulevards and romantic lakes has made it one of the most charming cities of Asia.

 

Meal: Breakfast

Overnight at hotel in Hanoi

Morning, take a full day city tour beginning with Ho Chi Minh Complex which features the life of Ho Chi Minh, the nation’s founder. At the complex, visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where the nation’s founder’s body is preserved (closed on Monday, Friday and through October – November), the colonial Presidential Palace, originally the French Governor Office and a fine example of French architecture in Hanoi, and the rural style Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked. Stop by one of Hanoi’s icons, the One Pillar Pagoda, built in the 11th Century in dedication to Buddha of Compassion and reminiscent of a lotus blossom rising from a pond. Continue to the Temple of Literature, known as the first university of Vietnam built in 1070 by the Ly Dynasty to honor Confucius, sages and outstanding Vietnamese scholars. Lunch with traditional food.

 

Afternoon, continue the tour to one of the following museums of choice namely the Museum of Fine Arts, the National Museum of Vietnamese History, the Museum of Revolution, the Museum of Military History or the Museum of Ethnology. Go to Hoan Kiem Lake, the center point of Hanoi whose name “The Return Sword Lake” originated from a legend of a sacred sword and home to a rare endangered giant turtle species and visit Ngoc Son Temple on the lake. Next, take a one-hour cycle tour of the Old Quarter of Hanoi with its ancient streets representing traditional trades from the past. Finish the tour at the Thang Long Opera Theatre with a traditional Vietnamese water puppet show.

 

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight at hotel in Hanoi

Morning pickup at 8:00 AM from your hotel for transfer to Ha Long Bay, which is about 160 km or 3.5-hour drive away. On the way, you will see some rural areas of the Red River Delta with plenty of chances to take photos of Vietnamese farmers working in paddy fields. Stop half way to visit a handicraft workshop of fine clothes and embroidered paintings. Arrive in Ha Long City at 11:30 AM and check in aboard the booked junk right after the welcome drink is served. Start cruising while having lunch on board and enjoy the mighty bay view.

 

Ha Long Bay meaning Descending Dragon Bay in Vietnamese as legend has it that it was where a holly dragon landed down from sky. The bay, famous as one of the world’s wonders and heritage sites whose formation dates back 500 million years, consists of around 2,000 karst islands and islets scattered over an area of 1,553 km2. The bay cruise will continue with up close sighting of Dinh Huong Island, Ga Choi Island, Dog Island, Sail Island, a visit to Sung Sot Cave and swimming stop at Titov Beach. Relax to enjoy the bay view at sunset, have dinner after, go fishing at 09:00 PM and spend a night on board.

 

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight on cruises in Ha Long Bay

Wake up at 06:30 AM and refresh your body and mind with a Tai Chi exercise on the sundeck. Tai Chi is an ancient internal martial art
often practiced in soft and gracefully slow moves to enhance internal harmony and vitality. Have tea and coffee onboard before proceeding to Titov Islet or SoiSim Island to trek and swim. Check out at 09:30, have a buffet brunch while cruising back to shore.
Disembark at 11:00 AM to transfer to Hanoi.

 

Free at leisure until meet our guide then transfer to airport for flight…

 

Arrival Da Nang airport, you are transfered to Hoi An ancient town by private car & guide

 

Meal: Brunch
Overnight at hotel in Hoi An

Morning, meet our guide at your hotel in Hoi An Town (or Da Nang) and transfer about 40 km West of Hoi An to visit My Son Sanctuary, another UNESCO-recognized world heritage which was once a religious center of Cham people where royal ceremonies and burials were performed. One sites that you cannot fail to visit while in Hoi An. My Son is a great sample of the ancient Champa civilization which was an independent state from around the 2nd to the 17th century, at which time it was occupied by the South part of Vietnam. The impressive Hindu-themed ruins feature many beautiful stone sculptures, temples and towers in tropical jungle surroundings. My Son was also a political central and a royal burial ground and the complex consists of more than 70 structures devoted to Hindu gods and goddesses and the most noticeable one, Shiva, was considered the protector of the Champa’s kings. Their skillful use of red bricks and sandstone is remarkable. In general, this Hindu sanctuary reminds you of other similar sites in Southeast Asia including the great Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

 

Afternoon, transfer for a city tour in Hoi An – the city recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site is now popular as a city of peaceful with well-preserved architecture, lifestyles and traditions. Your visiting will be impressed by an enchanting fusion of culture from Vietnam and also outside world including China, Japan, Thailand and the Philippines. Today, to explore almost the main attracting spot in Hoi An, our guide will take you to the iconic 400 year old Covered Bridge which a Japanese-styled temple is based on. Then continue to the Museum of Trade Ceramics – a Vietnamese Style wooden house which has showcased antique ceramic artifacts since 1858, the Tan Ky House which has had a long lasting of 200 year old – an ancient Chinese merchant residence, the Ong temple for worshiping an ancient Chinese general who had been admired as his loyalty, bravery and justice – Guan Yu, which is built in 1653 by the Chinese settlers. Finish tour, our guide take you to see the colors activities in local market.

 

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight at hotel in Hoi An

Meet our guide at your hotel in Hoi An or (or Da Nang) and go cycling to a lantern-making family for a half-day visit. This is an unmistakable part of Hoi An’s visual identity, every guests will always their memory of colors lanterns when come to Hoi An. Also the craft of lantern making has been handed down from the ancestor to present town dwellers. You will be guided by the friendly and skilled hosts how to make a lantern in traditional way. It is not a difficult but it requires you to observe carefully then practice cleverly, of course with the guidance of the host. From the first step of whittling bamboo into splints, bending them into a frame, cutting fabrics to size and finally gluing it to the frame and complete you own-made lantern. And now please tell us how yours looks like? We are sure that this will be an unforgettable experience in your life, the lanterns hand-made by yourself will be a meaningful gift for your family or friends when come back home.

 

Meal: Breakfast

Overnight at hotel in Hoi An

Free at leisure until transfer to Danang airport for flight…

Arrive at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, welcome by our guide and transfer to your hotel. Ho Chi Minh City formerly named Saigon is the largest city and economic center of Vietnam always bustled with activities of modern life. It is where businesses converge and shoppers indulge themselves into unlimited choices. However the city also carries with it a rich historical legacy in contrast with its dazzling glamor.

 

Meet our guide at your hotel and take a city tour to visit the War Remnants Museum which features a comprehensive collection of the machinery, weapons, photos, and documentation of Vietnam War with the both the French and Americans and the Reunification Palace which was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until end of April 1975. Last, stop for shopping at the French-built Ben Thanh Market which dates back to 1870 and whose main entrance clock tower has become a city’s symbol.

 

Meal: Breakfast

Overnight at hotel in Ho Chi Minh

Vinh Long is the gateway to island life including Cai Be floating market, rural homestays and abundant orchards, which can be a highlight of a Mekong Journey.

 

Today, meet with your guide at your hotel then transfer about 136 km to Vinh Long. The driving time is approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes. Vinh Long is not the largest town in Mekong Delta but as a major, noisy and chaotic transit hub. Embark a boat cruise to lively Cai Be floating market where sellers and buyers bargain and exchange goods from their boats. One thing you won’t see at other floating markets is the huge Catholic cathedral on the riverside – a memorable  backdrop  for  photographs.  Proceed  through  a fascinating maze of shady canals to Hoa Binh Phuoc Island. Beautiful landscape of lush vegetation, zigzag canals, peaceful villages and activities of rural life will make you a delightful sight. There on the island, visit some local farmers’ homes, interact with warm-hearted hosts and learn about their trades of bonsai gardening, tile and ceramic production and rice paper and coconut candy making. After tour, we transfer back to Ho Chi Minh.

 

Note: it’s best to arrive early in the morning to see Cai Be floating market in the busiest time when wholesalers on big boats moor and hang samples of their goods from tall wooden poles.

 

Meal: Breakfast

Overnight at hotel in Ho Chi Minh

Transfer to Tan Son Nhat airport for flight to Siem Reap. Flight time is approximately 2 hours. Meet your driver for an airport transfer to hotel. The transfer distance is approximately 30 minutes.

 

Meal: Breakfast

Overnight at hotel in Siem Reap

After breakfast at hotel, today start your visit at Angkor Thom by starting from the Southgate to the famous Bayon temple, unique for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces of Avolokitesvara. Continue visit to the Phimeanakas, the Royal Enclosure, the Elephants Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King. Continue visit to the temple of Ta Prohm, with enormous fig trees and gigantic creepers embracing themselves in the stone foundations of the structure giving the impression of man’s creation being reclaimed by the powerful forces of nature is an incredible sight.

 

Afternoon, continue tour to the most famous temple Angkor Wat, the World Heritage Site since 1992, famous for its beauty and splendor. Angkor Wat features the longest continuous bas-relief in the world, which runs along the outer gallery walls and narrates stories from Hindu mythology. Evening, visit Bakheng Temple and enjoy a spectacular sunset view from Bakheng Hills.

 

Meal: Breakfast

Overnight at hotel in Siem Reap

Morning, visit to Banteay Srei Temple (10th century), regarded as the jewel in the crown of classical Khmer Art. Then continue your visit to Banteay Samre, built in the third quarter of the 12th century. It consists of a central temple with four wings preceded by a hall and accompanied by two libraries, the southern example remarkably well preserved.

 

Afternoon, start excursion boat trip to Chong Kneas Floating Village, take a ride by traditional wooden boat on Tonle Sap Lake to experience the fishermen life. In the wet season, the Tonle Sap Lake is one of the largest freshwater lakes in Asia. Transfer back to hotel.

 

Meal: Breakfast

Overnight at hotel in Siem Reap

Breakfast at hotel, free until time for check out and transfer to Phnom Penh airport for departure flight

 

Meal: Breakfast