Angkor Wat & Nord Vietnam 9 days

Welcome to Siem Reap, the gateway into the Angkor temples. Designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the Angkor Archaeological Park encompasses dozens of temple ruins including Bayon, Banteay Srei and the legendary Angkor Wat. Upon arrival, our tour guide and driver will welcome you at the airport and drive you to the hotel to check in. Spend the rest of the day to enjoy the pool of hotel or take a short walk to Old market in the center of Siem Reap City. 

Meals: N/A
Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap

Enjoy an entire day dedicated to discovering the mysterious Angkor temples. Start to Visit South gate of Angkor Thom with its majestic doors, monumental temple of Bayon facing the tropical forest and Baphuon and Phimeanakas mountains, elephant terrace and Terrect of the Leper King, Takeo "Jewel of Crystal" is dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva and was erected at the end of the 10th century and Ta Prohm temple which is a wonderful combination of human genius and natural beauty. Giant trees have grown there for centuries. Return to town for lunch at Tonlesap restaurant. In the evening, Visit Angkor Wat: the 7th World heritage wonder, the founder was Suryavarman II who reigned Cambodia from 1113 to 1152 and built the five towers in the 12th century and dedicated them to the Hindu God Vishnu. The plan of the pyramidal conception of the temple combined with spaces, alleys, ditches is an ancient masterpiece of architectural design and construction.

Optional Tour: Wake before dawn and take a “tuk-tuk” ride to visit the jungle-entwined temple, Ta Prohm. Sunrise is one of the most beautiful and haunting times to visit the temples, whose ancient sandstone blocks are gilded gold by the early morning rays.  Return to the hotel for breakfast then set back again on a full day temple tour. 

Meals : Breakfast
Accommodations: Hotel in Siem Reap

Immerse yourself in the rich culture surrounding Siem Reap on a boat tour along Tonle Sap Lake. After breakfast at the hotel, we will take a short walk through a tranquil Siem Reap neighborhood to learn about the local way of life before driving to Tonle Sap Lake to board a local boat for a cruise through the floating villages. Return to Siem Reap for lunch then drive to the airport to catch your flight to Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, where our driver and guide will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel for check in.  

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

In the morning, depart for Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex; including Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, house on stilt, presidential palace, the historic figure and father of modern Vietnam, (exterior only; closed Mon and Fri and from Oct-Nov). Then it's on to a wooden ethnic minority style house which was his temporary residence from 1954 - 1969. In the same complex you will see the One Pillar Pagoda, founded by King Ly Thai To in 1049. This structure has become one of three important symbols for the people of Hanoi. Then followed by Van Mieu litterarlly translated “Temple of Literature” which is wel-known in Vietnam for a combination of Confucian sanctuary and academy, the centre also housed the country’s first university, founded in 1076. We have time to wander through the stone tablets and soak up a thousand years of learning with our local guide.

After lunch at another of our favourite local spots, we leave you to enjoy the afternoon as you see fit.

Depending on your interests, our guides will be happy to lead you to some of the city’s more interesting art galleries, or take you on a shopping tour for silks and linens (this is perhaps the best place in Vietnam to pick up gifts for people back home) or continue visiting historic sites or visit to a very beautiful Museum of Ethnology to enhance your understanding of Vietnam's diverse culture through its unique presentation of objects & dress from daily life or making city orientation to West Lake then to visit Ngoc Son Temple in Hoan Kiem Lake.

Followed by, we travel by rickshaw cyclo (traditional bike-propelled cart) and foot along tree-lined boulevards and through the 1000-year-old Old Quarter, exploring the markets and taking in some of the city’s great colonial architecture.

In the late afternoon, we’ll enjoy a performance of water puppetry, an art form that developed in the rice paddies of northern Vietnam before heading to the train station to catch your night train to Lao Cai.  

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Soft Sleeper Cabin with AC

Morning drive to Bac Ha, with a 30-minute en route visit to the Phong Hai market, 40km from Sapa. On arrival in Bac Ha, 130 km from Sapa, to visit the colorful market of hill tribe people such as Flower Hmong, Phu La and Dao Tuyen gathering here to exchange goods. After lunch, we drive to Trung Do and trek 4km to visit its village - inhabited by Tay minority. From the village we go by boat up the Chay River for 1.5 hours, where we experience the magnificent sight of the beautiful caves, the Raining waterfall. The boat ends at Bao Nhai. Drive back to Lao Cai to visit Tran Hung Dao temple, the century banian tree, the 12 zodiac-signs park, and the Chinese Vietnamese borderline. Then, transfer to Sapa, arrive in the lat afternoon.

Note: The sample itinerary for Bac Ha Market only on Sunday. It depends on your departure; you could visit one of these markets.

• Coc Ly market:                      Tuesday
• Cao Son market: Wednesday
• Lung Khau Nhin: Thursday
• Can Cau: Saturday 

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodations: Hotel in Sapa

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, before setting out on a full day’s trek to explore Sapa’s cultural diversity and haunting natural beauty.  You will take a guided hike through yawning valleys decorated with terraced rice fields and pass through remote hill tribe villages. We have three trekking options to choose from: Soft trek (~ 3 km), medium trek (~ 6km) and long trek (~12km). Trekking is an excellent way to explore the daily life and familiarize yourself with the cultures of the H’mong, Dzao and Dzay people who populate the region. Lunch at a hill tribe village and then we drive back to Lao Cai to catch your return night train to Hanoi.

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Accommodation: Soft Sleeper Cabin with AC 

Upon early arrival, pick-up and check-in day use hotel. Depart for Halong Bay (180km about 3.5 hours) passing the countryside of the Red River Delta to the UNESCO World Heritage site.

A traditional style Vietnamese Junk Cruise is awaiting your arrival and will set sail at noon today for the 23 hours cruise on this magnificent bay. Lunch will be served on board amidst spectacular views of the bay. Afternoon will visit one of the largest caves in Halong Bay and a beach stop where you can swim in the refreshing waters of the South China Sea. Tonight enjoy a fresh seafood dinner onboard your Junk.

Note: The following Halong Bay itinerary is a sample for our standard service on a 3 star junk/ cruise. Different programs are available through our luxury cruise itineraries (Please contact us for more details)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: On junk

Participate in Tai Chi on the top deck or simply watch the sunrise over the magnificent bay. Enjoy your morning cup of coffee or juice before setting out to the nearby cave on a row boat. Watch for monkeys high on the cliff tops. Return back to the Junk where breakfast is served, while sailing around Bay Tu Long bay where the movie “Indochine” was filmed.

Your cruise will end at noon and you will meet your guide & driver for the trip back to Hanoi. 

Meals: Brunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before driving to the airport to catch your departure flight home. 

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: N/A

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