Cultural Treasures of Indochina 21 Days

Upon your arrival at Noi Bai International Airport, our friendly driver and guide will warmly welcome you. A comfortable vehicle will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel, which is approximately a 35-minute drive away. After checking in, take some time to relax and settle in.

If you arrive early in the day, you have the freedom to spend the rest of the day at your leisure. You can stroll around on your feet to explore the charm of Hanoi Old Quarter with its vibrant 36 streets and enjoy Vietnamese street food, or simply unwind at your hotel after a long flight.

Tour guide: English-speaking guide 

Meals: None

Embark on a full-day tour of Hanoi, where you’ll discover the city’s top attractions and immerse yourself in its rich culture and history.

This day tour will give you a chance to explore the Ho Chi Minh Complex, which consists of the Presidential Palace, the One Pillar Pagoda, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, and his stilt house, is one of the destinations on the day tour of Hanoi.

Additionally, you have the opportunity to go to the first national institution, the Temple of Literature, which was founded in the eleventh century. In a tranquil pagoda by a lake, you can learn about Buddhist principles. Explore a variety of activities and Vietnamese folk games, such as calligraphy and mandarin square capture (O An Quan), at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology.

This morning is a captivating journey through history, allowing you to gain a deeper understanding of Vietnam’s cultural heritage and the legacy of Ho Chi Minh.

Back in the Hanoi Old Quarter, make your way along the winding lanes that were renowned for their guilds that produced specialty crafts. Today, the names of the streets still refer to their location or primary commodity. After that, you’ll take part in a customary water puppet display that showcases Vietnamese folklore and culture.

For the rest of the day, you are free to enjoy Hanoi nightlife. Don’t miss a chance to explore the nooks and crannies of the old town and delve into delicious Vietnamese cuisine.

We’ll stay overnight in the Hotel in Hanoi.

Tour guide: English-speaking guide 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Falling in love with charms of Hanoi

After breakfast, you’ll travel approximately 3 hours to Halong Bay, where you’ll delve into the Wonder of the World with wonderful overnight cruises.

Lunch will be served while you sail along the bay and admire the stunning landscape. Thousands of limestone islets rise from the ocean in the mysterious bay like dragons’ fangs.

Later in the afternoon, you will go to a real fishing community, where you will have the chance to interact with fishermen who have been working in the water for nearly three generations. You also have a chance to explore their culture and daily life.

Before indulging in a sumptuous supper on land, you will watch the sunset while sipping drinks or taking a cookery class back on board. After having dinner onboard, you can opt to participate in movie night, play board games, or unwind in the spa before retiring for the night.

You’ll spend all night to sleep on the cruise.

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Luon Cave Halong Bay

With the sounds of the waves, the breeze, and the fresh air, let’s wake up and say hello to the new day on the bay. Breakfast will be served on board.

A morning exploration of limestone caves is waiting for you.

Then we’ll return to the boat for one more look at Halong Bay as you sail back to the port. By 11.30 a.m., the boat has arrived at the harbor, and your driver is there to take you to Hanoi airport for your flight to Da Nang

Upon arrival, pick up by our staff then transfer to hotel in Hoi An. Overnight in Hoi An.

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide

Meals: Breakfast, Brunch

Hoi An in Yellow

A half-day wandering through the picturesque streets of this 16th-century trading port, where the buildings remind us of its Chinese, Japanese, French and Vietnamese architectural styles; visit the Japanese Covered Bridge, Phuc Kien Pagoda & Tan Ky House, and a walk into the central Hoi An. 

In the afternoon, spend time leisurely cycling through the scenic countryside of Vietnam, far from the traffic the motor scooters, and the noises the city. Visit the traditional villages, try renowned basket boats and enjoy the scenery during the bike ride. 

Finish the tour and back to your hotel. Free at your own leisure

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide 

Meals: Breakfast

Today is free at your own leisure. 

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide 

Meals: Breakfast

Hoi-An

Our driver will pick you up at the hotel this morning and take you to the airport in time for the early departure to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). When you arrive, our driver and guide will greet you and take you to the city center to check into your hotel.

We begin our half-day city trip in Ho Chi Minh City in the late afternoon with signature famous attractions just a few highlights:

The Old Post Office: Stunning colonial-era building in Ho Chi Minh City with shops and cafes. Independence Hall: Historical site in Ho Chi Minh City with significance in Vietnam’s history, especially during the Vietnam War. War Remnants Museum: Somber museum in Ho Chi Minh City showcasing the impact of the Vietnam War through photographs and exhibits.

Besides, on the way, you may well have some local touch moments with lesser-known attractions.

Overnight in HCMC and the evening are your leisure.

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide 

Meals: Breakfast

Ca Phe Bet in Saigon

There will be a lot of history to learn today. We’ll go to the Cu Chi Tunnels after breakfast at the hotel. Surprisingly, Viet Cong soldiers dig Cu Chi tunnels by hand in order to turn it into a covert military outpost. This place is a must-visit if you wish to understand more about the Vietnam War.

Get back to Ho Chi Minh around 2:pm

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, take a smooth drive from Sai Gon to Cai Be then the program will start with a visit a local market. Then, the rowing boat will take you deeper into the countryside on smaller canals to enjoy the peaceful time. Back to our boat to go across one of the longest river in the world, Mekong River, to come to An Bình Island. Travel on a handmade canal to Ut Trinh home & have an optional lunch. After lunch, we can walk around this orchard & enjoy some cups of tea when listening to the traditional music in the ancient house.

Walk in the local village to visit the local family to see how to make rice paper, coconut candy, pop-rice… Enjoy some sweets with a cup of hot tea.

Optional biking can be made for a leisure! It will be so amazing to bike on village paths to see the local daily life: orchard, school, church, pagoda, traditional houses and maybe the ancestral ways to pick up fruits in the Mekong Delta…Visit the brick kilns where you can see how the local people create beautiful potteries from clay. The cruise will end at Vinh Long city and our tour guide and driver will pick you up to transfer you about 2 hours to Can Tho.

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, board the small local boat for a cruise to visit colorful Cai Rang Floating Market, the floating market Can Tho, there will be many boats laden with fruits, vegetable, and fish, jostling for trade. Visit local cottage industry of making “Hu Tieu”, gardens before back to your hotel.

Check out at 12:00 pm and get on your vehicle to transfer back to Sai Gon for your flight to Siem Reap. (Driving distance – 4 hours) 

Upon arrival, pick up by our tour guide and driver then transfer to hotel. Overnight in Siem Reap. 

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide 

Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, visit Angkor Thom, the South Gate of Angkor Thom, Bayon Temple, built from the late 12th century to the early 13th century by King Jayavarman VII and consists of 54 towers, the Royal Enclosure, the Phimeanakas, the Elephants Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King, then visit Ta Prohm, surrounded by jungle. Afternoon, continue to visit Angkor Wat, the largest temples in world and covers an area of 200 hectares and surrounded by moat and an exterior wall measuring 1300 meters x 1500 meters. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide 

Meals: Breakfast

Breakfast at the hotel – Heading out of town we make our way by traveling on a newly paved road to the intricately carved and well preserved temple of Banteay Srei. Along the way we make stopover at the Preah Dark village and we follow these with a visit the Banteay Samre Temple adorned with impressive relief’s depicting scenes of Vishunu as well as Krishna legends.

Afternoon, visit to Floating Village, take a ride by traditional wooden boat on Tonle Sap Lake to experience the human occupations at the edges of the lake is similarly distinctive. Floating villages, towering stilled houses, huge fish traps, and an economy and way of life deeply intertwined with the lake, the fish, the wildlife and the cycles of rising and falling waters. Overnight in Seim Reap.

After breakfast at your hotel, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Bangkok.

Upon arrival, your guide greets you after luggage claim and escorts you to the hotel. In the afternoon, discover Bangkok’s hidden charm on a private long-tail boat ride. Even today, locals still use the ancient klongs, a maze of canals around the Chao Praya River. Here, wooden houses stand beside gilded temples, sellers paddle past with their wares, and children play along the banks. This quiet waterway reveals the old Bangkok, still alive yet often unseen.

Your cruise ends at Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn, where you climb for sweeping views over the River of Kings and the Grand Palace beyond.

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide 

Meals: Breakfast

The Grand Palace is to Thailand what the pyramids are to Egypt and the Eiffel tower to Paris; the face of the nation and well worth an in-depth guided visit. Dive in deep with your guide, learn about the why and how of the colors, the symbolism behind the postures of the guards, the religious aspect of the palace and temple for the Thai and the function of the complex today. Enter the always bustling Wat Po; home to the 45-meter long Reclining Buddha and the perfect place to make  your offering for your wish to be granted. You may want to offer 108 baht yourself, coin by coin, behind the enormous back of the Reclining Buddha in Wat Po. After passing his enormous face, ears and feet, with mother-of-pearl inlay, you will find 108 buckets and if you make sure not to skip one your wish might be

granted. If you believe more in the power of commerce then luck.

Your eyes go open wide on the Pak Klong Talat or Flower market, the wholesale market from where scooters full of flowers get whisked away all over town and where housewives come pick the right flowers for their  daily offerings

Continue to China Town in the afternoon. Taste varied tasty food along the road. Transfer back to the hotel. Overnight at your hotel. 

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide 

Meals: Breakfast

Chinatown, Bangkok

Transfer without guide from hotel to an airport in Bangkok for the flight to Chiang Mai.

After the luggage claim in Chiang Mai airport, you will be welcomed by another guide. Transfer to city center for the tour. Chiang Mai or ‘the rose of the north’ is often mentioned a quiet little paradise of Lanna-temples and culture.

These days this could take a little help to discover, so follow your guide trough the lanes and up to the temple on Doi Suthep! Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep is the most important and famous temple in Chiang Mai. 

The tour begins with a pleasant wildly driving up 3,500 feet above sea level to the sacred temple of Doi Suthep. You then ascend up the 306 steps to the temple gateway which guarded by two splendid Nagas (serpents). Walk around the grounds of Doi Suthep past golden pillars, six foot gongs and rows of bells. A five tiered parasols made of gold sat on display in the inner courtyard. Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep was built in 1383, is the symbol of Chiang Mai. It is the most sacred temple in the city and contains the holy relic of the Lord Buddha which is enshrined in the magnificent golden pagoda that can be seen for miles around. A panoramic view of the city and the surrounding countryside can be seen from the temple grounds. Other temples visited on this tour include Wat Suan Dok, whose large central stupa contains Buddha relic which supposedly self-multiplied!, and Wat Chedi Luang consist of an impressive chedi, originally built in 1411. It reached a height of over 85 meters before it was partially destroyed by an earthquake in 1545. It  now reaches a height of only 60 meters The temple also contains the city pillar.

Check-in at the hotel. Relax.

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide 

Meals: Breakfast

Pick-up time 07:30 – 08:00 AM

After a short introduction about the elephants, you will join a hands-on lesson to prepare food and vitamins for them. A calming singing bowl therapy follows, setting the tone for a meaningful experience. You’ll then have the chance to feed the elephants and spend some relaxed time with them before taking a gentle walk together.

Later, help guide the elephants to the river for a refreshing bath, where you can also play alongside them in the water. To care for their skin, you’ll take part in a soothing herbal compress massage or a fun mud spa session. The experience ends with a delicious lunch before heading back. After that, you can take a shower and change back into your clothes

Back to the city: 04:00 – 04:30 PM

Tour guide: English-speaking guide 

Meals: Breakfast

Feeding elephants in Chiang Mai

Transfer without guide to Chiang Mai airport for the flight to Phuket.

After the luggage claim in Phuket, you will be welcomed by the driver. Transfer to your hotel. Relax. 

Tour guide: None

Meals: Breakfast

Chiang Mai – a lesser-heard-of city

Full day at leisure.

Tour guide: None

Meals: Breakfast

Full day at leisure.

Tour guide: None

Meals: Breakfast

Koh Chang – Phuket's lesser-known sister

Full day at leisure.

Tour guide: None

Meals: Breakfast

Transfer without a guide to Phuket airport for the flight back home/to your next destination.

Tour guide: None

Meals: Breakfast