Grand Tour of Indo-China
The temples of Angkor, Mekong River and the ancient and modern capitals
In Brief
| Flight - 1 night. Ho Chi Minh - 3 nights. Hoi An - 2 nights. Hue - 2 nights. Ha Long Bay - 1 night. Hanoi - 2 nights. Vientiane - 1 night. Luang Prabang - 3 nights. Siem Reap - 3 nights. Phnom Penh - 1 night. Flight - 1 night. |
Itinerary 2 (May onwards))
Day 1 Fly overnight from London Heathrow via Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 2 Transfer to the 4-star Duxton Hotel for three nights.
Day 3 Travel to Cu Chi to visit the underground tunnel network. A tour of Ho Chi Minh City includes the Reunification Palace, History Museum and Notre Dame Cathedral. Evening dinner cruise on Saigon River.
Day 4 A scenic drive through the Mekong Delta to Vinh Trang pagoda and My Tho for a cruise.
Day 5 Fly to Danang to visit the Cham museum. Transfer to Hoi An for two nights at the 4-star Hoi An Hotel. A walking tour visits merchants’ houses and the 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge.
Day 6 Visit the My Son ruins of the Champa Kingdom. Cruise on the Thu Bon River.
Day 7 Travel to Hue (3 hrs) for two nights at the 4-star Huong Giang Hotel. Visit the Imperial Citadel.
Day 8 Cruise on the Perfume River to visit Thien Mu Pagoda. Continue by road to visit the tombs of the Emperors Tu Duc and Khai Dinh.
Day 9 Fly to Hanoi and transfer to Ha Long Bay (4 hrs) for overnight at the 4-star Novotel Hotel, overlooking the bay.
Day 10 An extended cruise in Ha Long Bay with a seafood lunch. Return to Hanoi (4 hrs) for two nights at the 5-star Hotel Melia Hanoi.
Day 11 Tour of Hanoi including the One Pillar Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh’s home and Mausoleum, Temple of Literature, Hoam Kiem Lake and old Quarter. Water puppet show.
Day 12 Fly to Luang Prabang† for three nights at the 4-star Villa Santi Resort. Visit a weaving workshop, Vat Xieng Thong, Vat Mai and Vat Vixoune.
Day 13 Cruise on the Mekong to visit Pak Ou sacred Buddhist caves and visit a riverside village. Evening Baci Ceremony. Traditional Laos show and dinner.
Day 14 Early morning, witness monks’ during their morning ritual of Tagbat. Visit Phousi Hill, the Royal Palace Museum and the traditional Arts & Ethnology Centre. Afternoon visit to Khmu village and Kuangsi waterfall (opportunity to swim in a water pool).
Day 15 Fly to Vientiane for overnight at the 4-star Mercure Hotel (previously Novotel). A city tour takes in Vat Sisaket, Vat Phra Keo Temple, That Luang Stupa and Patouxay.
Day 16 Fly to Siem Reap for three nights at the 4-star Tara Angkor Hotel. Explore the temples of Angkor including the 12th-century Angkor Wat.
Day 17 Further visits include the South Gate of Angkor Thom, Bayon and Elephant terrace. Afternoon jungle temples include Ta Prohm, Preak Khan, Neak Pean and Ta Som. In the evening visit the Apsara dance theatre for a show and dinner.
Day 18 Visit the Temples of Banteay.
Day 19 Drive to Phnom Penh (5 hrs) via Kampong Thom for an overnight stay at Sunway Hotel. Afternoon visit to the National Museum and the Apsara Art Association.
Day 20 A morning cyclo tour of Phnom Penh includes the Silver Pagoda, Royal Palace and Wat Phnom. In the afternoon, visit Tuol Sleng, the genocide museum, and the killing fields, Choeung Ek. Transfer to the airport for the flight to Bangkok and onwards to London.
Day 21 Arrive Heathrow in the early morning.
Extensions - Bangkok/Bangkok & Hua Hin
Stay on for a further three nights at the centrally located 5-star Amari Watergate hotel in Bangkok. Extend further for four nights at the 5-star Centara Grand Beach Resort Hua Hin (formerly the Sofitel Central Resort), set in magnificent tropical gardens on the Gulf of Siam. Breakfast and transfers included.
