The Best of Vietnam & Cambodia Tour - 21 Days

On your arrival, our guide and car will wait you in the arrival lobby before we transfer to hotel for check-in. Around 6 pm, we will start walking around the Old Quarter along different streets, trying to taste many kinds of local food such as beef/chicken noodle soup, oil-fried pastry, tofu, rice pancake, pillow cake, sweet soup, stuffed pancakes with pork, draught beer… and one of our best surprised is a stop at Dong Xuan whole sales market where we know many kinds of ingredients being sold.
Last but not least is our happy ending at a hidden coffee in the Old Quarters enjoy its famous ‘egg coffee’ in the pleasant surroundings overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake. It would be a great chance to immerse in the local life at the local at weekend here. After the tour, we return back to the hotel in the old quarter of Hanoi.
These are the famous street foods that you can try in Hanoi:

• Bánh Cuốn - Steamed rice paper rolls
• Bún Ốc - Vietnamese freshwater Snails Noodle
• Bún Riêu Cua - The Hearty Crab Soup Noodle (Not suitable for people allergic to crustacean shells)
• Bún Cá - Noodle soup with fish
• Bánh Xèo & Nem Lụi - Crispy pancakes and lemongrass pork skewers
• Miến Xào Lươn - Glass noodles with eel
• Bánh Đa Trộn - Mixed flat rice noodles
• Bánh Tôm - Hanoi shrimp cakes
• Chả Rươi - Fried Worm (Based on season)
• Bánh Gối - Crispy 'empanadas'
• Mỳ Gà Tần - Chicken noodles in herbal broth
• Chè - Colourful Sweet Dessert Soup
• Lẩu - Vietnamese Hot-pot (Such as Thai Hot Pot, Hearty Crab Hot Pot, Beef Hotpot, Mixed Hot Pot, ...)
• Steaky Rices - Corn Sticky Rices, Green Sticky Rice Sticks, sticky rice with caramelized pork and eggs, etc)d
• Egg Coffee or Green Bean Egg Café

Today, at 9:30 am, our guide pick you up at the hotel in Hanoi where we will venture out to explore Hanoi the first stop will be a coffee shop on Phung Hung Street. The train will run through this area while we enjoy our coffee here. After spending around 1 hour here, we continue to visit the Temple of Literature, which was originally built as a temple to Confucius. Let's continue the tour by visiting Quan Thanh Temple represents the Taoist religion dating from Ly Dynasty.

Then, we go to the Ho Chi Minh Complex as the first attraction. With a fixed route, you will see Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (visit outside) which houses his corpse everlasting so that Vietnamese people and friend countries can come to pay expectation to him as the greatest president ever in Vietnam; his stilt-house described as Ho Chi Minh's final resting accommodation since his death in 1969, and One Pillar pagoda with a long history back to 1049 during Ly dynasty in Vietnam- the period that Buddhist was most magnifically prosperous. The architecture followed special meanings as well. You absolutely find out how special this city means to Vietnamese people.

After the tour here, we will spend time in the infamous Hoa Lo Prison Museum. Hoa Lo is also known as the ‘’Hanoi Hilton’’ and was where former US presidential candidate John McCain was incarcerated for over 5 years.

Later this afternoon, we enjoy 1-hour cyclo tour of the French-inspired "Old Quarter". We will be free to shop in the old Quarter ranges from markets through to designer boutique stores to amazing contemporary art galleries. Then, we sit down to enjoy a performance of the city’s famous Water Puppets and return back to the hotel in Hanoi.
Dinner will be Phở before we depart the night train to Lao Cai – Sapa.

*Note: If you need an hour's hotel in Hanoi after departing the cruise package, you can ask me and I will book a hotel for you at the cost of $30 per room.

After the train arrives at 6 am, our guide will pick you up at Lao Cai Station and we will transfer to Sapa in around 1 hour. When you arrive in Sapa, we will eat breakfast here before starting our trip. The drive uphill offers the most spectacular scenery of Fansipan Mount. Just a kilometer out of the town, rose flower farms and later chayote grow on bamboo frames covering a vast area. We’ll stop at the magnificent Silver Waterfall before continue the road trip for some kilometers further to Heaven Gate and Tram Ton Pass. At 2047m above sea level, the Heaven Gate & Tram Ton Pass is the highest mountain pass in Vietnam. From here enjoy walking around for half an hour for the beautiful scenery of both two sides of the Hoang Lien Son mountain range. The wind blows stronger to force the clouds to move constantly. It is the best point here to enjoy the breathtaking scenery of the two sides of the Fansipan Mountain Range. Amazingly the weather is very different by the side: On many days It is foggy and cloudy on the Sapa side and sunny brightly on the other side. Leaving the Heaven Gate for the way back downhill 7 km, where you may stop to take pictures of some lush farm in O Quy Ho where different kinds of vegetables, flowers, fruit trees, and even medicinal plants have grown for years which makes this part of Sapa evergreen. Transfer back to Sapa and the trip ends with drop off at the hotel or any place at request.
Approx: 2 hours driving/ 1 hour walking

After breakfast, we transfer to Cat Cat village. After a couple of minutes, you follow the steps going downhill to Cat Cat village. You will stop by a waterfall and a hydroelectric station for a while before continuing the trek on a dirt trail through rice paddy terraces. You also will enjoy spectacular scenery while walking along a narrow river. You eventually arrive in Y Linh Ho village of the Black Hmong minority, where you can take a rest while you are served lunch nearby the river.

After lunch, you head toward Muong Hoa valley. You will pass through the Lao Chai village of the Black Hmong minority and then the Tavan village of the Giay minority by following a very popular trekking route. You will return to Sapa from Tavan by car.
Approx: 0,5-hour driving / 5 hours walking / 1-hour lunch.

*Note: The tour is a private tour so our tour guide will follow the speed of all members. You can consider to change to a different route because there’re many village in Sapa and this route is the basic one.

This morning, you will be free to enjoy Sapa on your own. After check-out the hotel at noon, we then take the shared D-Car from Sapa to Hanoi.

After breakfast, we pick you up at the hotel in Hanoi by shuttle bus to start our journey. On the way, we will have a short stop at Pearl Farmhouse for refreshment about 20 – 30 minutes. When we arrive at Halong International Harbour, you will wait at the lounge before boarding for the cruise. Welcome onboard! You will enjoy the lunch while viewing the beautiful islets of Ha Long Bay

In the afternoon, we will visit Sung Sot Cave first. Then we move to Titop Island, where you can go swimming and hiking. After that, we transfer back to the cruise and enjoy Happy Hour for drinking and Sunset party at the sky bar, on the 4 floors. Around 6 pm, we will have a cooking class (Enjoy Vietnamese traditional food – Spring rolls). Dinner on board and spend the rest of day relax.

The morning activities will be a Taichi Class whilst cruising to “Luon” Cave. You will be enjoy the sunrise on board with the early breakfast serving at 6:45 am. At 7:30 am, we start visiting “Luon” Cave – one of the caves open to the form beautiful endemic then vegetation of Halong Bay. 2 options to choose how to discover it: kayaking for free and traditional woven (bamboo) boat rowed by a local boatman. After spending time here, we will return back to Alisa Cruise, relaxing and packing the luggage. Leave the luggage outside the door. The crew will collect and get them ready on the pier. At 9:45 am, we enjoy a brunch buffet at the restaurant after check-out while cruising toward the port. Around 11:00 am, we will embark the cruise and transfer back to Hanoi in the next 2-3 hours for the flight to Hue.

On your arrival, our car will pick you up at the airport and transfer you to a hotel in Hue for accommodation

Around 8.00 – 8.30 am, we pick you up at the hotel in Hue to start our journey. The first place of our trip is Thien Mu pagoda - The oldest pagoda in Hue city. We go there by Dragon boat to have a different look at the fabled Perfume River and also fully admire the beauty of Thien Mu pagoda from afar. After that, we explore the Imperial Citadel – The home of Vietnam & the last royal dynasty - the Nguyen Dynasty. Famously being one of Vietnam’s seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Imperial City of Hue has long been a must-see attraction for tourists visiting a hidden charm of Vietnam.

Following, we go to Dong Ba Market to see the daily life of local people. It’s relatively clean, with ample space, and most of what's sold will fit in your suitcase. This place is designed for locals so you can pick up some cheap and tasty eats. The market ranges from raw foods to t-shirts and the usual stuff you find at tourist markets.

After lunch, we continue to visit Tu Duc (under renovate) & Khai Dinh King’s Tomb - a blend of Western and Eastern architecture. Khai Dinh designed his tomb himself, after exposure to France, and surely Chinese aesthetics, and it is very different from most other temples with nice colors, and beautiful fusion costumes (although he set a trend if you look at newer temples). This place will suitable for someone who likes history. The view is amazing, if try you can get a lot of perfect pictures. You will be impressed by the majesty and symmetry of the architectural constructions.

One more place on this trip is Conical Hat Village, an incense stick-making village. It has been a well-known trademark in Vietnam and around the world. When it comes to Hue’s traditional villages, Conical Hat Village is one of the most well-known brands. It is dedicated to preserving Hue’s distinctive cultural attractiveness. At around 4:00 – 4:30 pm, we go back to your hotel.

Today leave the brilliance of the Imperial City behind you to travel over the Hai Van Pass of the beautiful landscape; the rolling mountains sweep down to the coastline blending the turquoise hills into the sapphire water. In this way, there will be no guide at all, only the driver.

Upon your arrival in Hoi An, we will meet our guide at the hotel in Hoi An then we will start our walking tour around the ancient town to visit the Japanese Covered Bridge, the Pottery Museum, Tan Ky's old house, the Cantonese congregation, the silk street of Hoi An, and the temples, and pagodas of Chinese appearance. Then we are back to our hotel and spend the rest of the day relaxing.

13:30 - 14:00: Our tour guide pick you up at your hotel and depart to My Son Sanctuary - The World Cultural Heritage.

15:00: Arrive at My Son and we'll have 2 hours to discover the site by walking throughout the landscape, learning histories with our local English speaking guide, enjoying the Champa's traditional performances.

15:15: Get back to mini van for transfer to the Cau Lau’s wharf for taking a boat trip to Hoi An with nice and cool breeze on boarding, beautiful sunset river scenery on the biggest river in the Central of vietnam named as Thu Bon River. Get your camera ready for the amazing moment of local people activies along the river

18:30 Arrive at Hoi An, we will drop you at your hotel. Tour ends!

Included:
- Transportation, Hotel pick up & drop off.
- English speaking tour guide.
- Boat trip on Thu Bon river
- A bottle of water .
- All Entrance

Today is a free day

After breakfast, we will be free until your driver arrives to take you to Danang International Airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City.

On arrival at Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, welcomed upon arrival by a local tour guide and driver then we transferred to the hotel to check in and relax.

Group size: 4 – 12 people

At 7.30 am, we will pick you up at the hotel in HCMC. The first place of the morning trip is Independence Palace, also known as the Reunification palace, which was built on the sight of the former Norodom palace. The Independence palace is a widely known landmark of Ho Chi Minh City and was designed by the architect Ngo Viet Thu. We continue seeing the beautiful structures from the French Colonial times such as the Notre Dame Cathedral, and the historic Central Post Office. Followed by the remarkable site of the War Remnants Museum the museum has a vast display of both the Indochina wars. Lunch will be served in the local restaurant

Depart for Cu Chi tunnel, the trip will take approximately one and a half hours of bus driving. Upon arrival, before exploring the tunnels, you will have a short introduction followed by an introductory video about how the tunnels were constructed and how the people survived in the harsh conditions of wartime. Then, you can spend your time exploring the remaining area and tunnel systems which included the specially constructed living areas with kitchens, and bedrooms side by side with other martial facilities like storage, weapons factories, field hospitals, and command centers helping whoever lives inside the tunnels meet their basic needs. Besides, there are also many hidden trap doors and dangerous traps within the maze-like tunnels for security purposes during the war. Afterward, special tea and cassava (guerilla’s food during the war) will be served.

We have a break time for relaxation or time for those who want to try a real shooting gun. At 7 pm, we return to Ho Chi Minh City.

Notes:
*The Notre Dame Cathedral has been restored, so the guests just visit outside.
*Drop-off time is subject to traffic, weather...so the finished time could be later than expected.

We pick you up at the hotel after breakfast and transfer you to Cai Be. The program will start with a visit to Tan Phong Island for biking/walking on village paths to see the local daily life: orchard, school, church, pagoda, traditional houses... On the way, we can have some stops to see how they wave the dried water hyacinth to make many products: baskets, bags, hats, wallets, and shoes...

Then, the rowing boat will take you deeper into the countryside on smaller canals to enjoy a peaceful time. Next, we back to our boat to go across one of the longest rivers in the world, the Mekong River, to come to An Bình Island. While we travel on a handmade canal to homestay, we can walk around this orchard & enjoy some cups of tea while listening to the traditional music in the ancient house.

After that, we walk into the local village to visit the local workshop to see how to make rice paper, coconut candy, pop-rice and enjoy some sweets with a cup of hot tea. It’ll give you an unforgettable experience. One more thing to do on this trip is visiting the brick kilns where you can see how the local people create beautiful potteries from clay. The cruise transfers us back to Vinh Long city where we take our own vehicle to Can Tho and spend our night here.

Today, we will transfer from Can Tho to Chau Doc in 3.5 hours
On your arrival, we will enjoy lunch in the local restaurant before going to Tra Su Bird Sanctuary. Endowed with almost untouched natural beauty and sanctuary of flora and fauna, Tra Su Cajuput Forest is the most ideal spot in Southern Vietnam. Visiting Khmer villages with ancient pagodas and traditional weaving brocades, rowing dinghies through cajuput channels with the fragrance of flowers and the music sound of birds makes travelers not want to leave.

JOURNEY HIGHLIGHTS

• Explore Khmer culture with traditional weaving & ancient pagoda
• Enjoy fresh palm milk near the palm field
• Cruise motorboat & dinghies through cajuput cannels
• Watch birds & enjoy scene from 25m tower in central forest
• Palm field rest-stop - Visit Bee farm & test cajuput honey

After the tour, we transfer to Chau Doc Hotel and relaxing the rest of day!

Today, we will depart the speedboat from Chau Doc to Phnom Penh. This is shared speedboat.

Upon arrival at Phnom Penh pier, meets and transfer to hotel for check in

In the morning, visit the National Museum. Housed in a beautiful traditional building, it contains many outstanding examples of Khmer craftsmanship. Learn about a brighter period in Cambodian history with a visit to the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda.

In the afternoon, confront Cambodia's tragic past on a guided tour of the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a former school which served as a Khmer Rouge torture centre. It's estimated that more than 20,000 people were held and tortured here. Explore Wat Phnom, a peaceful temple situated on a hill for which the city is named. According to legend, a 14th-century woman named Penh found sacred Buddhist objects in the nearby river and placed them here on the small hill.

Transfer to Phnom Penh Bus station for your Joined Bus to Siem Reap. This trip will take you about 6 hours to arrive in Siem Reap via the country road of Cambodia where you will be met and transferred to hotel.

Rest of the day at leisure and night at hotel.

This morning, you will visit the antique capital of Angkor Thom (12 century): the South Gate with its huge statues depicting the churning of the ocean of milk, the Bayon Temple, unique for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces of Avolokitesvara, the Phimeanakas, the Royal Enclosure, the Elephants Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King.

Afternoon, we visit to Ta Prohm, one of the area’s most beautiful temples. Ta Prohm has been relatively untouched since it was discovered and retains much of its mystery, and the most famous of all the temples on the plain of Angkor: Angkor Wat. The temple complex covers 81 hectares and is comparable in size to the Imperial Palace in Beijing. Its distinctive five towers are emblazoned on the Cambodian flag and the 12th century masterpiece is considered by art historians to be the prime example of classical Khmer art and architecture. Enjoy wonderful sunset from the top of Phnom Ba Kheng Temple.

Morning, visit to Banteay Srey, known as Citadel of Women or a Pink Temple, and Banteay Samre Temples

Afternoon, visit to the unique interior brick sculptures of Prasat Kravan, Srah Srang ("The Royal Baths" was once used or ritual bathing), Banteay Kdei (surrounded by 4 concentric walls), Neak Pean, a fountain built in the middle of a pool (representing the paradisiacal Himalayan mountain-lake) and Preah Khan temple, Built by the King Jayavarman VII. Preah Khan is, like Ta Prohm, a place of towered enclosures and shoulder hugging corridors. Unlike Ta Prohm, however, the temple of Preah Khan is in a reasonable state of preservation and ongoing restoration efforts should maintain and even improve this situation.

In the morning, we will enjoy a boat ride on the Tonle Sap lake at KAMPONG PHLUK VILLAGE. This is the largest permanent fresh-water lake in South East Asia and flows into Tonle Sap River, joining the Mekong in Phnom Penh. We 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. Transfer to Siem Reap airport for your flight home.