VIETNAM AND CAMBODIA

Hanoi(Vietnam) - Ninh Binh(Vietnam) - Halong Bay(Vietnam) - Angkor(Cambodia) - Phnom Penh(Cambodia) - Ho Chi Minh(Cambodia)

Day 01 : HANOI ARRIVAL

Welcome to Hanoi, you will be collected by our local driver at Hanoi Airport and transfer to hotel for check in. The room is at your disposal from 14.00 onwards. Balance of the day as your leisure.Overnight at the hotel.

Day 02 : HANOI CITY TOUR 

08.15 – 08.30AM: Meet your tour guide at your suggested places around Hanoi Old Quarter including:

• Tran Quoc pagoda, a Buddhist relic and national heritage lying on the West Lake.             
• Ho Chi Minh complex, the final resting place of Viet Nam’s greatest father; his house-on-stilt and One pillar pagoda – modeled after a lotus flower, a symbol of Hanoi.
• Temple of Literature constructed in 1070 dedicating to Confucius, sages, and scholars. It was also the first university of Viet Nam once.
• 12:30 PM,Relax and have lunch at a local restaurant in Hanoi Old Quarter. In the afternoon, spend time to explore:
• The traditional ceramics village of Bat Trang. Visit showrooms and see how they model the products. -Ngoc Son Temple dedicated to Tran Hung Dao - General Commander for his struggle against Mongolians. 
• 03:30 PM Drop you off at your hotel.

Day 03 : DAY TRIP TO NINH BINH

07:45 - 08:30 You will be picked up at the hotel and then depart for Ninh Binh province. Have a break 20 minutes en-route to free your legs.

• Arrive at Hoa Lu, which was once depicted the ancient capital of Viet Nam, settling up in the 10th century.
• Visit temples of two dynasties of Dinh and Le with very unique architecture in the old time.
• Learn about ancient culture through an excavation of vestiges of Royal Palaces ground dated 10th century.
• 12:30 Relax and enjoy lunch in a nice restaurant.
• Board the sampan boats in Tam Coc going along river among the villages, mountains and rice fields. Passing through 3 caves "Hang Ca - First cave, Hang Hai Second cave, Hang Ba - Third cave" to get a wonderful feeling. The boat returns to the dock for bus drive back to Hanoi.
• Arrive in Hanoi. Drop off at the hotel.Overnight at the hotel.

Day 04 : HANOI - HALONG BAY

After breakfast at the hotel, you will be taken by cruise shuttle bus to another fascinating land – the gem in the north of Vietnam – Halong Bay. The drive takes you through beautiful paddy rice and mountains of the Red River Delta. Visiting the bay, you will experience the magic of the wonderful wonder of the world.
From the harbor, board our boat for a cruise among the numerous limestone karst rising from the emerald water. Make a stop en route to visit a grotto of spectacular stalactites and stalagmites. Meals will be served on the cruise. Overnight on the cruise.
Note: You are recommended to bring an overnight bag to keep your necessary luggage. We are afraid that there is not enough space to store all the luggage of every passenger on board. Moreover, after an overnight stay on board, you will turn back to the same hotel in Hanoi, so your remaining luggage will be sure to be kept safely.

Day 05 : HANOI - HALONG BAY 

After breakfast at the hotel, you will be taken by cruise shuttle bus to another fascinating land – the gem in the north of Vietnam – Halong Bay. The drive takes you through beautiful paddy rice and mountains of the Red River Delta. Visiting the bay, you will experience the magic of the wonderful wonder of the world.
From the harbor, board our boat for a cruise among the numerous limestone karst rising from the emerald water. Make a stop en route to visit a grotto of spectacular stalactites and stalagmites. Meals will be served on the cruise. Overnight on the cruise.
Note: You are recommended to bring an overnight bag to keep your necessary luggage. We are afraid that there is not enough space to store all the luggage of every passenger on board. Moreover, after an overnight stay on board, you will turn back to the same hotel in Hanoi, so your remaining luggage will be sure to be kept safely.

Day 06 : HANOI - FLY TO SIEM REAP 

After breakfast, transfer to Noibai airport (without tour guide) for a short flight to Siem Reap.
16:20 – 18:05 VietJet Air (Planned)
Upon your arrival at the airport, our driver will meet and transfer you to the hotel for check in.Overnight at the hotel.

Day 07 : ANGKOR SIGHTSEEING

In the morning, our tour guide and driver will come to pick you up to transfer to Angkor Thom that was the masterpiece of King Jayavarman VII. Following the occupation of Angkor by the Chams from 1177 to 1181, the new king decided to build an impregnable fortress at the heart of his empire.
We begin to visit Bayon Temple with many other relics which offer a great chance to observe ancient sculptures.
Continue to visit Terrace of the Leper King. This intricately carved platform was the royal crematorium and the statue that was originally thought to be the leper king is now believed to be Yama, the god of death.
Afterwards, we will pay a visit to the Terrace of Elephants with 300 meters long through the core of Angkor Thom.
Then, visit Ta Prohm "Tomb Raider" fame. Ta Prohm has been abandoned to the elements, a reminder that while empires rise and fall, the riotous power of nature marches on, oblivious to the dramas of human history. Left as it was ‘discovered’ by French explorer Henri Mouhout in 1860, the tentacle-like tree roots here are slowly strangling the surviving stones, man first conquering nature to create, nature later conquering man to destroy.
We journey out to the Mother of all temples, Angkor Wat - the most famous and largest temple complex in Cambodia and in the world as well. The complex is considered the architectural masterpiece thanks to its perfection in composition, balance, proportions, relief's and sculpture.
Back to the hotel.Overnight at the hotel.

Day 08 : SIEM REAP - BUS TO PHNOM PENH 

In the morning, our guide will pick you up at the hotel to transfer to the bus station to take the bus to Siem Reap (6-hour drive).
Once arrival, meet your driver and transfer to the hotel to check in. The room is at your disposal from 14:00 onward. The balance of the day will be free on your own.Overnight at the hotel.

Day 09 : PHNOM PENH CITY TOUR 

In the morning, you’ll be pick up from your hotel’s lobby and bring you to meet other passengers or your new friend at the meeting point. After self-introduced, our tour guide will brief about schedule today, then we start your full day journey by visiting to the most importance places in Phnom Penh.
We begin from Wat Ounaloam Monastery, the oldest Buddhist pagoda which has been established in 1443 and consists of 44 structures. Located along Sisowat Quay near the Royal Palace and facing to the Tonle Charktomuk “4 Face River”.
The Royal Palace, built by King Norodom in 1866 on the site of the old town, and the Silver Pagoda, located within the grounds of the Royal Palace. The Royal Palace of Cambodia is a complex of buildings although it is generally understood to be the royal abode of the King of Cambodia. Wat Phnom, the central point and the most significant of all the temples in Phnom Penh. The Royal Palace, built by King Norodom in 1866 on the site of the old town.
Spend your last morning by visiting the Central Market (Psar Thmei), a large market constructed in 1937 in the shape of a dome with four arms branching out into vast hallways with countless stalls of goods. The four wings of this gigantic yellow dome are teeming with stalls that sell goods ranging from gold and silver, antique coins, money exchange, books, flowers, food, fabrics, shoes, souvenirs, seafood and countless other products.
12:00 – 13:20pm Lunch break
After lunch, we continue to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S21 prison). This prison was a high school, and used as a prison by Pol Pot's security forces and became the largest center for detention and torture during the rule of the Khmer Rouge.
If time permitted, have quick look at Phsar Toul Tom Phuong “Russian Market”, then head out to the south around 15km to visit the notorious Killing Fields "Choeung Ek" 15km southwest of Phnom Penh. This one is the site of brutal executions of more than 17,000 individuals, most of who first suffered through interrogations, torture and deprivation in Toul Sleng Prison during Pol Pot regime (From 1975–1979).
Drop off at your hotel around 5 – 5:30pm.Overnight at the hotel.

Day 10 : PHNOM PENH - BUS TO HO CHI MINH 

Our guide will come to take you to the bus station to get on the shuttle bus to Ho Chi Minh (7-hour drive).
Upon your arrival at the bus station Penh, transfer you to the hotel for checking in.Overnight at the hotel.

Day 11 : HO CHI MINH CITY TOUR - CU CHI TUNNELS SIGHTSEEING

08:00-08:30 am Pick up at your hotel and start the city tour included:
Independence Palace (the Reunification Palace) was built on the sight of the former Norodom palace. 
War Remnants Museum which has a vast display of the both the Indochina wars. 
Notre Dame Cathedral & Central Post Office the beautiful structures from the French Colonial times 
Jade Emperor Pagoda with the peaceful atmosphere &o many stories behind each detail of the pagoda.
12:30 am   Lunchtime with a famous Phở restaurant (Vietnamese noodle soup).
02:00 pm Depart around 1,5 hours through the pleasant countryside before arriving at Cu Chi Tunnels - the historic site where Vietnamese soldiers used as a shelter during wartime. This fantastic network stretches over 250 km and is the shelter of Vietnamese soldiers during the wars.
06:00 – 07:00 pm Be dropped off at your hotel.Overnight at the hotel.

Day 12 : DAY TRIP TO MEKONG DELTA

08:30 – 09:00 AM Depart from your hotel for My Tho, the town lies on the left side of the Mekong River.  

• Boarding the sampan and cruising down the river around the four beautiful islands: Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix and Tortoise islands.
• Stopover at Unicorn Island, go walking around country lane and seeing orchards, enjoy tropical fruits, folk song music.
• Visit the fruit plantation. 
• Riding a hand-rowed sampan through Thoi Son canal 
• Visit the family business, visit honey-bee farm, enjoy honey tea and coconut candy workshop. Have lunch at a local restaurant.
• Cycling around the Tan Thach village, meet the local villagers to experience the local daily life in the Mekong delta. 
• 05:00 05:30 PM Drop off at your hotel.Overnight at the hotel.

Day 13 : HO CHI MINH DEPARTURE

At a good time in the morning, you will be picked up from the hotel (without guide) to the airport for your departure flight with beautiful memories.