A Glance of Vietnam & Cambodia – 10 Days

GENERAL INFORMATION

Tour Route: Hanoi – Halong Bay – Siem Reap – Ho Chi Minh City – Cu Chi Tunnels – Mekong Delta
Duration: 10 Days/ 9 Nights
Date: No fixed departure dates. You may go whenever you wish.
Start/ End: Hanoi / Ho Chi Minh City
Tour Customizable: Definitely! (Tell us your specific requirements in the inquiry form)
Accommodation: Listed below orequivalent

FULL ITINERARY

Day 1: Hanoi Arrival – Walking Tour with Street Foods (D)

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, …) o 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

Overnight in Hanoi
Meals: Dinner with Street Foods 

Day 2: Hanoi – Halong Bay – Overnight on Cruise (B, L, D)

Morning
08:00– 08:30: Our tour guide and bus pick you up at your hotel in Hanoi old quarter (If you booked the  transfer).
08:30: Departure to Halong Bay for 2.5 hours by our Limousine Shuttle Bus (Extra fees) via High Speed Express Way 5B
10:00: Stopover at Pearl Farmhouse for refreshment about 20 – 30 minutes

Afternoon
12:30: Welcome on board
13:00: Lunch (During the lunch the boat is cruising pass the small fishing village)
14:20: Visit Titop Island, where you can go swimming and hiking. (When we go you need to bring  swimming suit, sun cream, sunglasses, a little money). After visiting Sung sot cave, we will comeback Alisa boat, our boat keeps cursing to kayak area.
16:00: Kayaking (Please change your clothes because it will be wet, we don’t recommend you take your  camera, cell phone together)

Evening
18:00: Enjoy Happy hour for drinking and Sunset party at the sky bar, on the 4 floors.
18:15: Cooking class (Enjoy Vietnamese traditional food – Spring rolls)
19:00: Dinner is served.
20:30: Relaxing time (Squid fishing)

Overnight on board
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Day 3: Halong Bay – Hanoi (B)

6:15: Customers can enjoy free gym on the 3rd floor sundeck or watch the early sunrise on the deck.
6:45 – 7:45: Breakfast is served.
7:45 – 8:45: Go to visit Sung Sot cave (you should bring hiking shoes, camera.
9:45: Check out time (For the better arrangement, please put your luggage out of the door and return the  room key at the reception). Our staff will help you to transfer your luggage to the jetty in advance.
9:45-10:30: Early Lunch is served.
10:30: Pay the bill at the bar counter on the 2 floors.
11:00: Say goodbye to the crew and disembark on Alisa harbor.
12:00: Get on the bus come back to Hanoi

Overnight in Hanoi
Meals: Breakfast 

Day 4: Hanoi ½ City Tour – Fly to Siem Reap (B, L)

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. 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 expect 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, we have lunch  and moved to the airport for the flight to Siem Reap.

Overnight in Siem Reap
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch  

Day 5: Siem Reap – Full Day Temple Tours (B)

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel will 9 am, we then spend time visiting 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.

In the afternoon, we visit 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 a wonderful sunset from the top of Phnom Ba Kheng Hill. After the tour, we returned  back to the hotel and spent the rest of the day relaxing.

Overnight in Siem Reap
Meals: Breakfast  

Day 6: Siem Reap – Phnom Kulen Mountains – Tonle Sap Lake (B)

We will drive up Kulen Mountains for the visit to a Grand Buddha Statue, the River of Thousand Lingas  and the Great Waterfall. In the afternoon, 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.

Overnight in Siem Reap
Meals: Breakfast 

Day 7: Siem Reap – Fly to Ho Chi Minh City (B)

Today, you will be free until we depart the 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. After check-in, we will be free to wander  around the hustle and bustle city.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City
Meals: Breakfast  

Day 8: Ho Chi Minh City & Cu Chi Tunnels GROUP TOUR (B, L)

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. 

Inclusions: A/c van picks up and drop off (centrally located hotel in Dist1, HCMC), transfer & sightseeing  as per program, English-speaking tour guide, entrance fee, pure bottled water, meal as lunch.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch 

Day 9: Ho Chi Minh City – Mekong Delta GROUP TOUR (B, L)

Group size: 25 pax  

Around 7 – 7.30 am, we pick you up at your hotel or 112 Tran Hung Dao street, Ward Pham Ngu Lao, District  1, and depart for Cai Be by car/van via Trung Luong Expressway.

Upon arrival in Cai Be, we have a boat ride to the remaining site of a renowned wholesale floating market  on the Tien River many years ago. This site entitles you to know something about the local trading habit  that has changed due to the age of modern society when more terrestrial transportation and high-technique  of agriculture have dominated everywhere. There, you can realize how diverse the area is and how rich  orchard gardens are, which makes it the basket of fruit in the lower part of the Mekong River.

Next, we ramble in small villages where you will uncover the beauty of an ancient house and learn about  the indigenous culture. Then we make a short visit to a small family business where the locals make coconut  fudges and crispy rice popcorn. We can savor delicious fresh fruit and feel the slow rhythms of Southern  Vietnamese folk music – a kind of music entwined with the life and culture of the Mekong Delta people. Then  we paddle through small canals – an exciting experience since we can look around, unwind, and soak up the  wonderful atmosphere of the Upper Mekong Delta. Additionally, after arrival on Tan Phong Island, immerse  yourself in nature’s tranquility.

At lunch time, you not only enjoy luscious food but also get closer to the locals as it is a chance to learn how  to prepare Vietnamese specialties. The meal is cooked on your own and served in the heart of the local  garden. After that, we cycle on the village path through orchards. Meet the local islanders to learn more  about the local daily life in the Mekong Delta and visit Ba Kiệt’s ancient house.

Around 6 – 6.30 pm, we take a boat ride back to Cai Be and meet your bus for the trip back to Ho Chi Minh  City.

Inclusions: A/c van/bus sightseeing as per program, pick up and transfer (centrally located hotel in Dist1,  HCMC); mineral water; Boat trips in the Mekong delta, English speaking guide, all entrance fees, bikes,  kayaks, lunch as indicated in the program.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 10: Ho Chi Minh City Departure (B)

Time will be free until our car arrives at the hotel to take us to the airport in good time to board our  departure flight. Trip ends. See you again on the next Cambodia – Vietnam vacation packages!

Inclusions:

• 9-night accommodation with daily breakfast as per detailed itinerary
• Transfers by private air-conditioned vehicle with experienced driver
• Meals as specified in the itinerary with authentic local food. Western food is available (upon  request) (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner).
• Local-stationed English-speaking tour guide
• Entrance fees & permits
• 2 Days 1 Night Halong Bay
• Group Tour in HCM City, Mekong Delta
• Bottle of drinking water

Exclusions: 

• International flights and airport taxes
• Domestic flights and airport taxes
• Vietnam & Cambodia E-Visa
• Early check-in fee in Hotel Hanoi
• Travel insurance with Covid protection term up to $10,000
• Other meals which are not indicated above
• Surcharge and Compulsory dinners (if any)
• Beverages in the restaurants where meals are included
• Gratuities to guides and drivers
• Personal and other expenses such as porter, bar bills and laundry not stated in the itinerary.