Indochina Revealed 20 days

DETAILED INTINERARY

Day 1: Arrival Hanoi (D)
You will be welcomedupon arrival at Hanoi's Noi Bai International airport and transferred to your hotel in town. You will then have free time before a welcome dinner and an overnight stay in Hanoi.

Day 2: Hanoi (B/L)
The colonial capital city Hanoi is a unique Asian city with tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture, peaceful lakes and oriental pagodas and temples dating back more than a thousand years ago. This full day tour takes you around Hanoi's most interesting sights, including the Ho Chi Minh Complex, his Mausoleum and house on stilts,the Presidential Palace, the One Pillar Pagoda, and the Old Quarter (also known as the 36 streets and guilds). Also on the tour, you'll see the Lake of the Restored Sword and Ngoc Son Temple, the Temple of Literature, peaceful West Lake (with lover's street "Thanh Nien"), the sedate Tran Quoc Pagoda and Quan Thanh Temple and one of the city's museums, either the History Museum or the Ethnology Museum. In the evening you will enjoy a traditional Vietnamese water puppet show and an overnight stay in Hanoi.

Day 3: Hanoi-Halong Bay - Overnight on a traditional junk (B/L/D)
Today you will leave Hanoi for Halong Bay via the Red River Delta. Upon arrival, you will set out on a junk cruise while lunch is served. After lunch, you will take a short trek to a nearby summit for a panoramic view of the bay, then go swimming on a quiet beach or sunbathing on the sundeck. Later, you'll visit an interesting fishing village with an opportunity to interact with fishermen who have been living in the bay for almost three generations. At sunset, kayak or simply take a bamboo row boat to discover a water tunnel with many coral reefs in a scenic lagoon. You will go back to your junk, enjoy watching the peaceful sunset and later unwind at a restaurant before an overnight stay on board the junk

Day 4: Halong Bay - Hanoi (B)
You will wake to the sounds of waves, and birds welcoming the new day. You will have an opportunity to view the sunrise over the bay before breakfast. After breakfast, you will visit a beautiful limestone grotto then walk back to the boat for a final glimpse of Halong Bay while cruising back to the dock. Checkout is at 11:45 and the boat arrives at the harbor by 12:00 p.m. for the drive back to your hotel in Hanoi where you will stay overnight.

Day 5: Hanoi - Hue (B)
Following breakfastyou have free time in colonial Hanoi until transfer to airport for flight to the Hue World Heritage site. You will be picked up and transferred to the hotel for an overnight stay in Hue.

Day 6: Ancient Capital Hue (B/D)
Rising up in the ancient land, you will have breakfast at the hotel before you board a private traditional boat for a cruise on the romantic Perfume River. Being the ancient capital, Hue is surrounded by ancient tombs of emperors past, and a visit to some of these tombs will be on the itinerary for today. You will visit the charming Lady Pagoda (Thien Mu Pagoda) Minh Mang's Tomb and Tu Duc's Tomb. In the afternoon you will embark on a tour to visit the Citadel, the Forbidden Purple City, the Imperial Museum and the Dong Ba market. You'll enjoy a royal style dinner at a local restaurant before an overnight stay in Hue.

Day 7: Hue - Ancient town Hoi An (B/L)
You will leaveHue and head to another World Heritage site, Hoi An. You will go over the Hai Van pass and stop in Danang to visit the Cham Museum and handicraft villages at the foot of Marble Mountain. Once in Hoi An, you will check into your hotel and have free time to relax before an overnight in stay.

Day 8: Ancient town Hoi An (B)
You will enjoy a half day orientation tour of Hoi An, including the Chinese Assembly Halls, the Japanese Covered Bridge, Phuc Kien Pagoda and Tan Ky House. Following the tour there will be free time to shopping or relaxing before an overnight stay in Hoi An.

Day 9: Hoi An - Danang - HCMC (B/L)
In the morning you will transfer to Danang Airport for a flight to Ho Chi Minh City. In the afternoon you will embark on a city tour of Saigon including the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Old Post Office, the War Remnants Museum and bustling Ben Thanh Market. You will stay overnight in HCMC.

Day 10: HCMC - Mekong Delta (B/L)
You will leave HCMC for lush My Tho where you will take a private boat through the green vegetation of the canals. You will visit an orchard where you willbe treated to a delicious lunch in a bonsai garden in the heart of Mekong, complete with tropical fruits. You will also visit the snake farm, Dong Tam, which breeds snakes for, among other things, snake wine. You will then head back to HCMC.

Day 11: Cu Chi tunnels and Cao Dai Temples (B/L)
This morning you will drive to Tay Ninh home to the Divine Eye, the official symbol of Cao Daism. Cao Dai followers worship Jesus Christ, Confucius, Taoism, and Buddha, and you will see the midday service. On the way back you will stop to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels. The tunnels consist of more than 200km of underground tunnels. This main axis system has many branches connecting to underground hideouts, shelters, and entrances to other tunnels. The network included innumerable trap doors, specially constructed living areas, storage facilities, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers and kitchens. Today the remaining tunnels have become a major tourist attraction giving the visitor a unique experience and a feel of what underground life was like during the U.S.-Vietnam War. You will stay overnight in HCMC.

Day 12: Saigon - Vientiane (D)
You will have free time until transfer to airport for a flight to Vientiane in Laos. You will be met and transferred to your hotel for a welcome dinner and an overnight stay.

Day 13: Vientiane - Luang Prabang (B/L)
After breakfast there will be a tour of Vientiane. Although it is a capital city, Vientiane has the feel of a small provincial town. The wide boulevards are almost devoid of traffic and with its many temples, the city retains the feel of another age. The tour includes visits to the major temples of Vat Sisaket, Vat Phrakeo and the impressive That Luang Stupa, the country's most important monument. You will also see the city's "Arc de Triomphe", the National Museum and shop at the morning market before transferring to the airport for a flight to Luang Prabang. Upon arrival in Luang Prabang, you will be picked up and transferred to your hotel for an overnight stay.

Day 14: Luang Prabang (B/L)
An optional early start gives you the fantastic opportunity to participate in the daily morning rituals of saffron-clad monks collecting offerings of Alms (often in the form of sticky rice) from the faithful residents. This tradition is very unique in Laos, being the only Buddhist nation still preserving the ritual.

You will visit Wat Xieng Thong Temple, then take a traditional boat trip upstream on the Mekong River to visit the famous caves of Pak-Ou (located on the side of a steep cliff), home to hundreds of Buddha statues. En route you will visit a local ricewine distillery and Ban Phanom weaving village. Next, you will visit Wat Phousy on the top of the hill overlooking the Mekong River and have an overnight stay in Luang Prabang.

Day 15: Luang Phrabang (B/L)
Today you will visit themorning market, the national museum (the former king's palace), and climb up Phousi Hill overlooking the city. You will have free time in town and then an overnight stay in Luang Prabang.

Day 16: Luang Prabang- Siem Reap (D)
You are free until transfer to the airport for your flight to Siem Reap. Once in Siem Reap, you will visit the fascinating ruins of Ta Prohm, shrouded in overgrowth and the roots of Banyan trees.

In the afternoon you will start exploring Angkor Thom and the South Gate, Bayon, the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King. You will have dinner during an Apsara dance show at a local restaurant before an overnight stay in Siem Reap.

Day 17: Angkor Wat (B/L)
Following breakfast at the hotel, you will take a drive off to Pre Rup and East Mebon and visit Bantaey Srei and Bantaey Kdei. In the afternoon you will visit Angkor Wat before an overnight stay in Siem Reap.

Day 18: Siem Reap - Phnom Penh (B/L)
Following breakfast, you will take a 2 hour boat cruise on Tonle Sap Lake. In the afternoon you will take a short flight to Phnom Penh, and upon arrival you will be transferred to your hotel. You can enjoy a free day of leisure in the capital of Cambodia, while shopping or just relaxing before an overnight stay.

Day 19: Phnom Penh (B/L)
In the morning you will visit the National Museum, the Royal Palace, and the Silver Pagoda. Then, you will continue your visit to the riverfront, the most popular place for tourists. The view of the confluence of the Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers is quite unique. Next, you will visit Wat Phnom and Yeay Penh's Statue ("Grandmother Penh") before lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon you will visit the Victory Monument, the symbol of Cambodian independence regained from French colonialism in 1953. Then you will visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (aka S21 Prison) and the Cheung Ek Killing Field. You will stay overnight in Phnom Penh.

Day 20: Departure (B)
There is no activity planned for today so you are free to enjoy your free time for souvenir shopping until transfer to the airport for your onward flight.