The Best of indochina 18 day

The Best of Indochina - Travel from VietNam to Laos and Cambodia ( 18days/17 nights ) starting from Hanoi - Vietnam

All the highlights of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos on the Indochinese peninsula in a 18-day tour

Day 1 - Arrival Hochiminh city ( D )

Meet at Tan Son Nhat international airport. Transfer to hotel. Short city tour. Dinner on floating restaurant on Sai Gon River. Night in Ho Chi Minh City

Day 2 - Saigon - Mekong - Mytho ( B, L, D )

Drive to visit My Tho Town in Tien Giang Province, one of 11 provinces in the Mekong Delta. Boat trip on Mekong River to visit farmer's house and garden. Lunch on an islet in the river. Visit bee-raising farm, coconut-candy enterprise. Drive back to Hochiminh City. Stop at Long An Town to visit a CaoDai Temple, a strange religion in the South of Vietnam. Night in Hochiminh City.

PM: You will visit the morning Phosi Market where you will see such diverse offerings as dried buffalo skin, local tea and saltpeter among the chickens, vegetables and hill-tribe weavings. Laos is also known for its traditional crafts, and today you will visit local village of Lao ethnic minority groups at Ban Ouay, Hmong Village, Ban Ou, Laoloum Village and Ban Thapene, Khmu Village, then drive to the beautiful Khouangsi Waterfall where you can splash around in the pools or walk along the forest paths, return to Luang Prabang by late afternoon and continue to Ban Phanom, a well known weaving village, return to the city by late evening, for observing the sunset at Wat Siphouthabath. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Day 3 - Hochiminh city tour – Danang City - Hoian ( B, L, D ) By Flight

Am : Visit Reunification Palace and War Museum. Cathedral, BenThanh Market, Dong Khoi Street for shopping. Lunch to be arranged in nice restaurant. Take flight VN 245( 18h40 -20h00 ) to Danang. Pick up and transfer to Hoian Town. Dinner and overnight at hotel in Hoian

Day 4: Hoian (B,L,D)

Visit Hoian - an old trading town, some 30km from Danang. Visit Hoian: Japanese Covered Bridge, TanKy Old house, Assembly Hall Chinese. PhucKien Pagoda, Hoian Museum and Market. Lunch and dinner at restaurant. Overnight in Hoian.

Day 5: Hoian - Danang - Hue ( B, L, D )

Transfer to Danang -Hue . visit Marble Mountain and enjoying sea/sun bathing in China beach. Spend time in taking photograph from HaiVan Pass (the pass of Sea and Cloud) LangCo beach enroute. Dinner in Hue with Hue specialty. Pick up and transfer to hotel.

Day 6: Hue- Hanoi ( B, L, D ) By Flight

Am : Boat trip to visit ThienMu Pagoda, TuDuc & KhaiDinh Tom tomb. Visit Imperial Citadel in the afternoon. The tour ends by shopping at Dongba Market . Transfer to the airport for flight to Hanoi VN 246 ( 18h35 - 20h45 ). Pick up and tranfer to hotel. Dinner at the restaurant. Overnight at hotel in Hanoi

Day 7: Hanoi – Hoalu - Tamcoc ( B, L, D )

AM : depart to Hoalu - Ninhbinh, considered as the Bay of " Halong bay in Land ", famous for the beauty of its landscapes, cruising on boat through the rice paddies in Tamcoc surrounded by high cliffs and explore the pagodas inside the caves and Bich Dong temple. Return to Hanoi. Dinner at restaurant. Overnight at hotel.

Day 8 : Hanoi - Halong Bay - CatBa islands (B, L, D)

Driver to HaLong Bay, 180km to the North-East of Hanoi, one of the World's Natural Heritage. It takes you 3,5 hour for driving. Boat trip on the bay (5 hours) to visit typical islands and caves. Lunch on boat. Enjoy the landscape of the immense bay with 5,000 islets. Bathing at a beach at The Titop Islet. Check in hotel in CatBa islands. Dinner and night at Cat Ba islands.

Day 9: Catba islands - Haiphong city - Hanoi (B, L, D)

Drive to visit Cat Ba National Park. Bathing at Cat Co Beach. Lunch at the restaurant . Then Get hydrofoil to HaiPhong City during 90 minutes. Arrive Haiphong city. Pick up aand transfer back to Hanoi. Dinner and night in Hanoi.

Day 10: Hanoi City tour ( B, L, D )

AM : 8h00 Visit Ngoc Son temple, coach trip along the Hanoi Old Quarters, pass by Dong Xuan market then continue to the Old Citadel. Stop for visiting Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Museum, One Pillar Pagoda. Continue to visit the Quan Thanh Temple and Tran Quoc Pagoda. Lunch. PM : After lunch proceed to visit the Ethnology Museum, continue to visit the Literature Temple and Quoc Tu Giam. Enjoy Water Pupet Show. Overnight at hotel.

Day 11: Hanoi - Van Phuc Silk Village - LuangPrabang ( B, L, D ) By Flight

AM : 8h00 Pick up from your hotel to VAN PHUC, a silk village, drive back to Hanoi. Lunch. Transfer to the airport for the flight to Luang Prabang which is perhaps the best-preserved traditional city in South East Asia. The tranquility and charm of this town with its splendid natural scenery and cultural sights make it one of the most delightful places to visit in Laos. Check in hotel. Night in Luang Prabang.

Day 12: LuangPrabang ( B, L, D )

Breafast at hotel. Luang Prabang is perhaps the best-preserved traditional city in Southeast Asia. The tranquility and charm of this town with its splendid natural scenery and cultural sights make it one of the most delightful places to visit in Laos.We visit the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrine of Wat Aham, Wat Mai; we then climb up to the top of Mount Phousi to explore the sacred, gilded stupa as well as capture a beautiful view of the city and the Mekong River at sunset. From there, we visit the Night Market, where you can browse a lovely selection of handmade textiles, made by the local and hilltribe people surrounding Luang Prabang. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Day 13 :LuangPrabang– Pak Ou Caves – LuangPrabang ( B, L, D )

After breakfast, we enjoy a short-guided tour seeing the city’s oldest temple of Wat Sene and the magnificent Wat Xieng Thong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represent the classical architecture of Luang Prabang temple. We then embark on a cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which also gives us a beautiful view of the tranquil countryside as well as an interesting visit to the mysterious of Pak Ou Caves, crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes. Along the way, we stop at the village of Ban Xang Hai, where they make the local rice wine. On return, we also have time visiting Ban Xangkhong, Ban Xienglek, villages of Jute Sar paper hand making, known for its hand made paper quality. The National Museum at the former Royal Palace, which displays a lovely collection of the artifacts reflecting the richness of Lao culture dating from the days of the early kings right through the last sovereign, and the Central market are not to be missed. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Day 14 : LuangPrabang - Vientiane ( B, L, D ) Morning Flight

Brefast at hotel. Take morning flight to Vientiane. Arrival Vientiane. Visit the sacred Wat Sisaket the oldest temple with thousands of miniature Buddha statues and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. On the way to the famous and sacred structure of That Luang Stupa, we stop to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxai Monument, which is well known as Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph. Transfer out to see the Buddha Park, a blend of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures created by mystical monk on parkland located by the Mekong River and the impressive Friendship Bridge. A view of the spectacular sunset over the Mekong River is perfect way to finish the day. Overnight in Vientiane.

Day 15 : Vientiane - Siemreap ( B, L, D ) By Flight QV 512 ( 6h30 - 9h00AM )

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for flight to Siemreap. Pick up and transfer to hotel. Visit "Great City" of Angkor Thom, visits include the famous Bayon Temple, Phimeanakas Temple within the Royal Palace enclosure, Baphuon Temple, the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King. Afternoon dedicated to visit the most famous & magnificent Angkor Vat temple. This architectural masterpiece was constructed in the 12th century and covers an area of about 210 hectares.With many galleries with columns, libraries, pavilions, courtyards and ponds full of water, carved low-reliefs about Ramayana Story and day-to-day life at the time of Angkor's construction. At the end of afternoon, following the season, since the Mountain Bakend, the sunset on all the temples, with spectacular views over Angkor Vat.

Day 16 : Visit Angkor Wat ( B, L, D )

Am : Breakfast at the hotel. Morning visit of a selection of temples, including the Royal City of Preah Khan with impressive sculptures, Neak Pean built on a small circular island, Ta Som, East Mebon, Preah Rup. Afternoon we will continue our visits by Thommanon temple , Ta keo , one of Angkor's great temple mountains.Ta Prohm with a part of the jungle, Banteay Kdei, Srah Srang a Royal bathing place, Prasat Kravan with unique brick sculptures. We will visit Les Chantiers Ecole, a handicraft center located in the center of Siem Reap. Les Chantiers Ecole was founded in 1992 and its aim is to revive that ancient Khmer art. This organization gives young people the opportunity to learn the art of stone, wood carving, and silk weaving .

Day 17 : Siemreap - Banteay Srei - Roluos: ( B, L, D )

Morning we will visit the enchanting Banteay Srei. It appears that the temple was designed to leave no space undecorated, and the fine carvings in pink sandstone are quite unique. The second visit will be to Banteay Samre, with elaborate architecture and exceptional carvings, and we will visit of a local village. Afternoon, we will visit the earliest temples of Angkor area a the Roluos group. The three Roluos temples have been in years 877 to 889. They are the Bakong Temple Mountain with beautiful carvings on the false doors and lintels, the funerary temple of Preah Ko, and Lolei Temple.

Day 18: Departure ( B )

Am : Breakfast at hotel. Visit Tonlesap lake if time permitting. 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 floatting schools, floatting police station, etc. It is same as a big village floatting on the lake, and the "village" move from place to place following water levels and curant. Or transfer to the airport for departure flight. End tour.

Accommodation offering in this trip ( click to see ):

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Tour Cost includes:

- Full transportation by private car or bus as tour program indicated.

- Full meals as indicated in the itinerary.

- Domestic flight : Nhatrang - Danang.

- Train ticket : Hue -Hanoi ( soft sleeper )

- Hydrofoil Ticket From CatBa to HaiPhong

- English- speaking guide

- Entrance fees.

- Boat trip in Halong Bay, Perfume River, Nhatrang, Tiengiang river in Mytho.

- Twin-share accommodation with daily breakfast; ( AC room)

Tour Cost excludes:

Airport taxes; Visas; travel insurance; tips; personal expenses, emergency transfers