Vietnam & Cambodia Highlights – 12 Days from Hanoi to Siem Reap

Welcome to Vietnam!

Upon arrival at Noi Bai International Airport, your private driver will meet you in the arrival hall and transfer you to your hotel in central Hanoi.

After check-in, the rest of the day is free to relax after your flight.

If you arrive early enough, you may take a gentle walk around Hoan Kiem Lake and Hanoi’s Old Quarter, where narrow streets, colonial buildings, local cafés and traditional shops offer your first taste of Vietnam.

Optional: Depending on your arrival time, we can arrange an evening street-food experience or traditional water puppet show.

• Travel style: Easy start / Arrival day
• Transfer: Private modern AC vehicle
• Local guide: No guide
• Meals: No meals included
• Overnight: Hanoi

After breakfast, begin your private Hanoi city tour.

Start with the Ho Chi Minh Complex, including the exterior of Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, the Presidential Palace area and the traditional One Pillar Pagoda.

Continue to the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first national university and one of Hanoi’s most important historical sites.

After lunch, explore the atmospheric Old Quarter.

Walk through the maze of historic streets and discover traditional shops, local markets and small cafés.

Continue to Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple before returning to your hotel.

Suggested experience

In the evening, you can enjoy a guided Hanoi street-food tour, tasting local specialties such as: Pho, Bun cha, Banh mi, Vietnamese coffee, Local desserts.

• Travel style: Culture / Food / Walking
• Transfer: Private modern AC vehicle
• Local guide: Local English-speaking guide
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
• Overnight: Hanoi

After breakfast, leave Hanoi and travel south to Ninh Binh, approximately 2–2.5 hours by private vehicle.

Your first stop is Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam during the Dinh and early Le dynasties.

Continue to a local restaurant for lunch.

In the afternoon, enjoy a boat journey through Tam Coc, often described as one of Vietnam’s most spectacular natural landscapes.

The traditional rowing boat takes you through limestone karsts, caves, rivers and peaceful valleys.

Later, visit Mua Cave and climb the steps to the viewpoint overlooking the dramatic landscape of Tam Coc.

Return to your hotel for a relaxing evening.

• Travel style: Nature / Culture / Boat trip
• Transfer: Private modern AC vehicle
• Local guide: Local English-speaking guide
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
• Overnight: Ninh Binh

Enjoy breakfast before travelling to Ha Long Bay.

Arrive at the cruise port around midday and board your overnight cruise.

After lunch, the cruise begins sailing among Ha Long Bay’s spectacular limestone islands and emerald waters.

Depending on the cruise itinerary, activities may include:

• Kayaking or bamboo boat
• Cave exploration
• Swimming
• Sunset on the sundeck
• Vietnamese cooking demonstration

Enjoy dinner on board while surrounded by the scenery of the bay.

• Travel style: Nature / Relaxation / Cruise
• Transfer: Private modern AC vehicle
• Local guide: Local English-speaking guide
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Overnight: Cruise Cabin

Wake early to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of Ha Long Bay.

Depending on your cruise program, you may join a Tai Chi session, explore another cave or simply relax on the sundeck.

After brunch, disembark and meet your private driver.

Return to Hanoi and transfer to the airport for your flight to Da Nang.

Upon arrival, your private driver will transfer you to Hoi An.

The evening is free to explore Hoi An at your own pace.

• Travel style: Cruise / Relaxation / Flight
• Transfer: Private modern AC vehicle / Flight
• Local guide: Local English-speaking guide on the cruise, no guide during transfers
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
• Overnight: Hue

After breakfast, enjoy a private walking tour of Hoi An.

Discover:

• Japanese Covered Bridge
• Historic merchant houses
• Chinese assembly halls
• Local market
• Riverside streets
• Traditional craft shops

Your guide will explain how Hoi An developed as an international trading port and how different cultures influenced its architecture and traditions.

Lunch.

In the afternoon, choose between:

Option A – Countryside cycling

Ride through rice fields and small villages.

Option B – Cam Thanh experience

Visit the coconut-waterway area and experience a traditional basket boat.

Option C – Cooking class or Lantern-making

Join a Vietnamese cooking class or lantern-making workshop.

• Travel style: Heritage / Countryside / Local life
• Transfer: No transfer included
• Local guide: Local English-speaking guide
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
• Overnight: Hoi An

Travel into the countryside to visit My Son Sanctuary, an ancient Cham religious complex surrounded by forest and mountains.

Explore the archaeological site with your guide and learn about the history of the Champa Kingdom.

Lunch: Lunch on the way back
Afternoon: At the appropriate time, your private driver transfers you to Da Nang Airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City.

Upon arrival, meet your driver and transfer to your centrally located hotel.

The rest of the day is free.

You may explore the surrounding streets, enjoy Vietnamese coffee or visit a rooftop bar for sunset.

• Travel style: Heritage / Countryside / Flight
• Transfer: Private modern AC vehicle
• Local guide: Local English-speaking guide
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
• Overnight: Ho Chi Minh City

After breakfast, travel approximately 1.5 hours to the Cu Chi Tunnels.

Explore parts of the tunnel network and learn about its historical role during the Vietnam War.

The visit includes an explanation of the tunnel system, underground living conditions and the surrounding countryside.

Note: The tunnels can involve narrow passages and uneven surfaces. Guests who prefer not to enter the tunnels can enjoy the above-ground sections.

Lunch: Lunch on the way back
Afternoon: City tour with some of Ho Chi Minh City’s most important historical landmarks.

Visit:

• Reunification Palace
• War Remnants Museum
• Central Post Office
• Notre-Dame Cathedral area
• Ben Thanh Market

Your guide will provide historical context and explain the transformation of Saigon into modern Ho Chi Minh City.

After lunch, enjoy free time.

Optional evening

Saigon by Night & Street Food Experience

Explore the city after dark and taste some of southern Vietnam’s popular dishes.

• Travel style: History / Culture / Countryside
• Transfer: Private modern AC vehicle
• Local guide: Local English-speaking guide
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
• Overnight: Ho Chi Minh City

After breakfast, meet your private guide and driver at your hotel and travel south to Ben Tre, a peaceful region in the Mekong Delta known for its coconut groves and traditional coconut products.

Upon arrival, board a local boat at Hung Vuong Pier and cruise along the Ben Tre River, discovering the waterways and everyday life of the local communities.

Visit a traditional brick kiln and learn how bricks are still made using traditional techniques. Continue to a local coconut workshop to see how coconuts are processed into products such as coconut candy.

Continue by boat along a smaller canal to Nhon Thanh Village, where you can taste fresh tropical fruits and meet local residents.

Take a short bike ride or tuk-tuk ride along quiet village paths, passing coconut groves, rice fields and vegetable gardens. Enjoy lunch in the village, including a local specialty of elephant ear fish.

After lunch, take a leisurely walk through the village to gain a closer insight into local life before continuing by boat through a narrow canal shaded by water coconut palms.

In the afternoon, travel by private vehicle to Can Tho, the largest city in the Mekong Delta. Upon arrival, check in to your hotel and enjoy some free time to relax or explore the riverside city independently.

• Travel style: Local life / River journey / Cycling / Rural landscapes
• Transfer: Private modern AC vehicle
• Local guide: Local English-speaking guide
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
• Overnight: Can Tho

Wake up early and enjoy breakfast at your hotel before heading to the pier for a boat trip to Cai Rang Floating Market, the largest and most vibrant floating market in the Mekong Delta.

As the morning begins, hundreds of boats gather along the river, carrying fresh fruit, vegetables, rice and other local products. Observe how local traders buy and sell their goods directly from their boats and experience the lively atmosphere of this traditional river market.

Leave the floating market and continue by boat through the smaller waterways of the Mekong Delta.

Visit a local fruit garden to learn more about the tropical fruits grown in the region and taste seasonal produce. Alternatively, the fruit garden can be replaced with a visit to a riverside nursery garden, depending on seasonal conditions and local availability.

Continue to An Binh Market, where you can experience a traditional land-based market and compare it with the floating market you visited earlier.

Before leaving Can Tho, visit Binh Thuy Ancient House, a beautifully preserved historic residence surrounded by gardens. The house is also known for its connection with the film The Lover.

After the visit, return to Ho Chi Minh CIty and transfer to the airport for your flight to Siem Reap.

Upon arrival, your private driver will transfer you to Hotel.

The evening is free to explore Siem Reap at your own pace.

• Travel style: Local life / Floating market / River experience / Cultural heritage
• Transfer: Private modern AC vehicle
• Local guide: Local English-speaking guide
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
• Overnight: Siem Reap

After breakfast, meet your guide and driver at the hotel and begin your exploration of the Angkor Archaeological Park.

Start with Ta Prohm, one of Angkor’s most atmospheric temples, where ancient stone structures are embraced by towering tree roots. The temple’s jungle setting gives it a unique sense of mystery and was famously featured in Tomb Raider.

Continue to Angkor Thom, the last great capital of the Khmer Empire. Explore the impressive Bayon Temple, known for its monumental carved faces, together with the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, Terrace of the Elephants, Terrace of the Leper King and Baphuon.

In the afternoon, visit Angkor Wat, Cambodia’s most iconic temple and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Explore its grand galleries, courtyards, libraries and reflecting pools while learning about the history and architecture of this remarkable Khmer masterpiece.

Return to the hotel and enjoy the evening at leisure.

• Travel style: Cultural heritage / Temple exploration / History
• Transfer: Private modern AC vehicle
• Local guide: Local English-speaking guide
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
• Overnight: Ho Chi Minh City

After breakfast, travel through the Cambodian countryside, passing rice fields, palm trees, villages, pagodas and local farms.

Visit Banteay Srei, a beautifully preserved temple renowned for its intricate sandstone carvings and delicate details. Continue to Pradark Village, where you can see local families making traditional palm sugar and gain a glimpse into rural Cambodian life.

Lunch.

In the afternoon, private transfer to Siem Reap International Airport for your onward flight.

Your Vietnam & Cambodia Highlights – 12 Days journey ends with wonderful memories of Vietnam’s landscapes, cities and waterways and Cambodia’s extraordinary Khmer heritage.

The itinerary can also be arranged in reverse, beginning in Siem Reap and ending in Hanoi.

• Travel style: Cultural heritage / Rural life / Temple exploration / Local Experience
• Transfer: Private modern AC vehicle
• Local guide: Local English-speaking guide on the visit, no guide during transfers to airport.
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch