VIETNAM & CAMBODIA - 12 DAYS 11 NIGHTS

Welcome to Ha Noi – the capital of Vietnam! 

Upon arrival at Noi Bai International airport terminal 2, please follow the signs to immigration and passport control, collect your luggage and proceed through customs. Your private tour guide and driver will be waiting for you in the arrivals hall with an Active Asia Travel welcome sign with your name on (Please note: this is the standard sign board all your tour guides will have for meet and greet at airports and rail stations on your trip). 

Transfer by private vehicle to your hotel. 
 
Please note that standard hotel check-in time is from 14:00; we will make every effort possible to request an earlier check-in for you depending on your arrival time and if your room is ready. Your tour guide will provide additional details regarding your stay, and answer any questions you may have. 

Meals at your own expense.

Overnight Hanoi.
 

08:00. Dive in to the sights, sounds and smells of Hanoi.  Your guide and driver will collect you from the hotel lobby to start your trip with a visit to the Ho Chi Minh complex on the site where he declared Vietnam’s independence in 1945, and see the reverence with which Vietnamese people treat their “Uncle Ho”. Other sites that we will visit with our local guide include: House 54, Stilt House, Presidential Palace and the One Pillar Pagoda.

10:00. Continuing on our journey through Hanoi we drive to the Museum of Ethnology, to learn more about the cultural diversity of Vietnam’s ethnic minorities. Established by the Vietnamese government in 1997, this museum is home to a comprehensive and excellent collection of the 54 ethnic groups of Vietnam, including their traditional handicrafts and textiles.     

12:30. Lunch at a local Vietnamese noodle soup restaurant to enjoy Vietnam’s famous "Pho Bo" (beef noodle soup). Some of the locals call this world famous soup “Mac-Noodles" since it is as popular in Vietnam as MacDonalds is in other countries!  Over lunch, your tour guide will explain about Vietnamese eating habits, and some of the special ingredients in Vietnamese cuisine.  

**Please note: The evening street food tour is one of the day’s highlights so please remember to save your stomach for this special food tour.

13:30. In the afternoon, we visit the Temple of Literature.  Originally built to honor Confucius by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong in 1070, a university was added to the grounds six years later, which provided an education for the royal family and children of the aristocracy. The University remained here until Emperor Gia Long moved the administrative capital from Ha Noi to Hue in the 18th century.    

15:00. Return your hotel. Rest of the afternoon at your leisure before the evening street food discovery tour. 

17:00-20:30. Start your food walking tour at Dong Xuan market, Ha Noi’s largest covered market. Surrounding this area are dozens of street hawkers selling a staggering variety of produce from live seafood to exotic fruits and spices. Your local guide will give you an insight into the intricacies and traditions of Vietnamese food culture including the ingredients and historical background of popular northern dishes.   

From Dong Xuan market, walk through the maze of bustling streets that make up Ha Noi’s Old Quarter.  Tempt your taste buds with Ha Nanoi’s famed Banh Cuon at a local eatery and watch how this tasty dish is put together. Continue into the atmospheric heart of the Old Quarter, wander past street stalls and down quiet residential lanes where you can observe local life that has changed little over the centuries. 
 
Our next stop is for a Banh My “Vietnamese Baguette”. At a small local Banh My food stall perch on typical tiny Vietnamese stools on the sidewalk, watch the world go by while savoring this delicious baguette packed with fresh ingredients.
 
Next  we sample some Bun Cha consisting of vermicelli, herbs, and grilled pork in delicious bowl of dipping sauce. This is followed by one of Ha Noi’s best kept secrets at a hidden café to see how Ha Noi’s local egg coffee delicacy is made before trying a glass of this great invention.
 
Continue on to other food stalls along Hang Bo and Ho Hoan Kiem streets. Try some savory dishes such as Nom Bo Kho “papaya salad with beef” or a Vietnamese-style pudding called Che. 

Time for dessert as we venture down a small alley to join the locals for a traditional dish of fresh fruit served in a cup smothered with crushed iced, and condensed milk.

Check in hotel. Overnight in Hanoi.

**Please note:

1, The city tour program is flexible. Our guide would be more than happy to adjust the tour itinerary at your needs. You can skip one site or add another if you so wish.

2, The food tour is not reserved for Vegetarians.
 

Please note: The itinerary can be changed by the cruise provider without prior notice

Around 08:30. Picked up by a limousine from your hotel in Hanoi. The driver will take a 10-15 minute break by a station for all on-board guests to rest on the way.

11:30. Arrive at Scarlet Pearl Cruise's Lounge in Halong International Cruise Port to check-in. Guests will be offered “welcome drink” and listen to instructions before boarding.

12:00. Guests will start boarding.

13:00. A splendid lunch is served at Tahiti Restaurant while the cruise travelling across primitive Lan Ha Bay. The bay has hundreds of islands and islets, making it a wonderful background for guests to look at while dining.

15:00. Arrive at Sang Cave by kayaking or rowing boat as the path towards the cave is 70m long of water. On the way, guests will be amazed by sparkling karst arcs through sunlight. Afterwards, guests are invited to enter Ech Lagoon, an extremely serene and emerald spot to kayak and swim. It’ll be a wonderful chance to immerse in one of the most remote parts of Lan Ha Bay. The shape of this lagoon looks like a giant frog resting, hence it explains the name “Ao Ếch” in Vietnamese.

17:00. Return to the cruise to relax and admire the sunset on the sundeck.

17:30. Watching sunset over Lan Hạy Bay is one of the moments that shouldn’t be missed out. During this time, there will be either a Sunset Party in Sky Bar or a cooking class hosted by our Chef (depending on the season).

From 17:30-18:30. It is Happy Hour meaning Buy One Get One Free - this promotion is applied on our limited drinks menu. Guests can also choose to watch the sunset by catamaran while sipping fresh cocktails (this is surcharged).

19:00    Fine-dining dinner will be started along with fun and interactive cultural exchange between all the guests and our Vietnamese host.

Overnight on board.

Please note: The itinerary can be changed by the cruise provider without prior notice 

06:30. Begin a new day with a Tai Chi session while welcoming magnificent sunrise. (Guests can also choose to take photos and enjoy the scene if they prefer so) 

06:45-07:30. A light breakfast is served in the refreshing and peaceful beauty of the Bay.

07:30. Explore Lan Ha Bay by catamaran to more remote destinations that larger cruises cannot reach.

09:00. Get ready to check out.

09:30. Guests will be served with succulent buffet brunch in Tahiti Restaurant before disembarking. 

11:00-11:30. The cruise is now back at the Port. Travel on a luxury limousine back to Hanoi. 

14:30-15:00. Drop off at your hotel in Hanoi. Free time at your leisure. 

17:00. Your private car with driver will pick you up from the hotel. Transfer to Noi Bai airport terminal 1 (without tour guide) for your evening flight to Phu Bai airport, Hue.

19:45. Depart Hanoi

21:30. On arrival at Hue you will be met by your local tour guide and driver in Phu Bai airport arrivals hall. After a short drive to the city center, check-in to your hotel. 

Overnight in Hue.
 

08:00.    After breakfast meet your local guide and driver at the hotel. Start the day with a short visit to Thanh Toan Village to see the lively morning market. This is where the locals buy their daily food. Visit the nearby 300-year old Thanh Toan tile-roofed bridge and the local cultural museum.
Continue on to the Forbidden Purple City, the former home of the Nguyen Dynasty (the last dynasty of Vietnam) from 1802-1945.   

12:00 noon. Enjoy lunch time at a local Buddhist Monastery, prepared and served by the nuns.

14:00.    In the afternoon, visit one of the impressive imperial tombs (the tomb of Emperor Tu Duc), Thien Mu Pagoda and Tiger Arena.   

The next stop is An Hien garden house, one of the most typical examples of a Hue garden house that still retains its original features.      

Back in Hue city spend time visiting Dong Ba market, a famous local market which gives many photographic opportunities with its bustling vegetable stalls and local crafts.

17:00    Return to your hotel.

Evening at your leisure. Overnight in Hue.

**Please note: The city tour program is flexible. Our guide would be more than happy to adjust the tour itinerary at your needs. You can skip one site or add another if you so wish.
 

08:00. After breakfast check-out of your hotel. We drive southward to the ancient town of Hoi An, along one of Vietnam’s most scenic routes over the Hai Van (Cloudy) Pass. Stop on route for photos and comfort break. This is a winding and at times steep, scenic coastal road. Visit China Beach and Marble Mountains along the way.

12:00. Arrive at Hoi An, check-in to your hotel. Enjoy a few hours free time.

14:00. Afternoon walking tour of the old town. Meet your private guide and driver. Transfer to the ancient town to meander on foot through the narrow winding streets, visit a number of important sites such as Tan Ky old house, the 400-year old Japanese Covered Bridge, the Assembly Hall of the Chaozhou Chinese Congregation, and local markets.

Continue to the home of a local lantern maker. The lantern is an iconic symbol of Hoi An. The lantern maker will give a brief introduction to the history, shapes, and colors of lanterns as well as the stages involved in lantern making. A demonstration how to decorate and make your own lantern for you to keep.

17:00. Return to your hotel.

Evening at your leisure. Overnight in Hoi An.
 

Group tour of maximum 08 persons/ Time: 08:00 am-15:00 pm

We start the day with a welcome drink at Hai Café (98 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Hoi An Ancient Town) – our meeting point.

Travel on your private vehicle (10 mins) to Tra Que Organic Village, and walk through the market gardens where local farmers work their fields using the traditional methods of hundreds of years ago – no electrical machinery here. We pick fresh saw-tooth coriander and Vietnamese mint for our cooking lesson later, before trying a special herbal drink at a local home.

To the local village market and with shopping list in hand we purchase a range of local ingredients, including star anise, cardamom, sesame rice paper, water spinach and banana flower.     

Arriving at Red Bridge Cooking School we have a chance to freshen up before beginning our class. Working together with our Red Bridge Chef we learn the traditional ways of preparing and cooking Vietnamese food from scratch. Using the freshest ingredients and traditional Vietnamese utensils (still in use today) we cook 4 famous dishes, including the national dish ‘Pho’.

The recipes can be found in details as below:

1/ Beef Noodle Soup (Pho) – includes the making of fresh rice noodles
2/ Clay Pot Fish with Fresh Dill (Cha Ca)
3/ Lemongrass Shrimp grilled in Banana Leaves (Tom Nuong La Chuoi)
4/ Grilled Chicken and Banana Flower Salad (Goi Hoa Chuoi Ga Nuong)

After the class we sit down and a chance to savour the dishes we have prepared. Leisurely cruise (25 minutes) along the Hoi An River back to central Hoi An.

Bring your swimsuit and after the cooking tour has finished relax and enjoy free use of our 20 metre swimming pool.

Be transfered by your private vehicle to your hotel for a check in. Enjoy the charm of Hoi An on your free leisure.

Overnight in Hoi An.

**Please note: Please let us know in advance if you are vegetarian so that alterntive recepies can be arranged for the cooking class. 
 

Today is absolutely free to relax and chill out. You can do your own exploring or relax on the beautiful beach. This is a great fun.

Overnight in Hoi An.
 

Breakfast at the hotel.
 
Freetime to explore Hoi An independently half day.

11:00. Check-out time at your hotel

15:00. Meet your private driver. Transfer to Danang airport for a flight to Siem Reap.

18:10. Flight departs.

21:00. Your private tour guide and driver will be waiting for you in the arrivals hall at Siem Reap airport with an Active Asia Travel welcome sign with your name on. 

Transfer to your hotel for check-in. Overnight in Siem Reap.
 

05:30    Take along some snacks and leave your hotel early in the morning. Travel to Angkor Wat to relish in the beauty of a sunrise over Angkor. Take beautiful photographs from the western end of the main building of Angkor Wat. Then come back hotel for breakfast before starting a new day tour.

After breakfast, we visit the ancient city of Angkor Thom. Angkor Thom was the last capital of the Great Khmer Empire under the reign of Jayavarman VII. This city is surrounded by an 8 m high wall, drawing a perfect square. Enter the city through the ancient South Gate, an impressive stone gate carved with Elephants and four giant faces. On each side of the entrance path a row of 54 gods or demons is holding the sacred Naga snake.     

From here, continue to Bayon Temple in the exact center of the city. This 12th century masterpiece is a study in grandeur and is well-known for its 54 towers with enigmatic faces representing the 54 provinces of the Great Khmer Empire. The Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King are also must-visits as they are both known for their intricate bas-reliefs. 

Lunch at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, visit the temples of the Small Circuit. The most famous among these is Ta Prohm temple, built in the mid-12th to early 13th centuries. Ta Prohm is unique in that it has been left largely as it was found: overgrown by jungle trees and vines, with many parts of the temple crumbling to the ground. This makes Ta Prohm one of the most picturesque and memorable of the Angkor temples. 

Depart for a very special sightseeing tour of the famous Angkor Wat. Built during the reign of King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century, Angkor Wat is constructed following the model of the temple mountain symbolizing Mount Meru, the home of the gods. Inside the temple, the walls are covered with stone carvings and bas-reliefs depicting Hindu mythology and the wars Suryavarman II fought during his reign. Angkor Wat is well known for the more than 2,000 Apsara dancers decorating the temple. Construction is thought to have taken around thirty years of intensive labor. Today, Angkor Wat is figured on Cambodia's national flag as the temple symbolizes the soul of the Khmer people. 
 
17:00.    Return to Siem Reap and back to your hotel.

Evening at your leisure. Overnight in Siem Reap.
 

08:00.  After breakfast, visit Kampong Phluk, a cluster of three villages of stilt houses built on the floodplains of Tonle Sap Lake about 16 km southern of Siem Reap. The villages are primarily Khmer with a total population of about 3,000 inhabitants. Flooded mangrove forests surround the area, home to variety of wildlife including crab-eating macaques. 

During the dry season when water level is low, the houses seem to be suspended in the air balancing on their stilts. In the wet season when the water level rises the stilts are hidden submerged under water and the houses appear to float on the surface. Kampong Phluk’s economy is, as one might expect, based on fishing, primarily shrimp farming.

Lunch at a local restaurant before returning to your hotel. 

Afternoon and evening at your leisure. Overnight Siem Reap.
 

Breakfast at the hotel. 

11:00. Check-out of your hotel. 

Free time until your tour guide and vehicle arrive to take you to Siem Reap airport for your departure flight. 

End of services.
 

Yes. A single supplement is available with a surcharge fee. If you're a solo traveller, please contact us for more information. 

Yes, all visitors to Vietnam must be covered by a minimum of travel medical insurance with a liability of US$10,000 or more for COVID-19 treatment. A more robust travel insurance policy for a trip to Vietnam is optional, but highly recommended due to the unpredictable nature of international travel.

Although the only travel insurance legally required to visit Vietnam is the medical coverage related to COVID-19, there are many other aspects of a trip overseas that can quickly become costly if things go awry. Travel insurance for Vietnam can be a great asset in unexpected situations, lessening the financial burden on a traveler in an emergency or otherwise difficult situation.

Vietnam trip insurance can include a variety of coverages designed to assist travelers in unforeseen situations. Travelers may choose between plans that offer specific coverage for their unique concerns, which may include airline delays or disruptions, sudden illness or injury while abroad, trip cancellation, and much more. These coverages do vary by plan, so be sure to review your policy carefully before purchasing.

Yes. Travel Health Insurance covering Covid-19 is mandatory. To enter Vietnam, you must show evidence of health or travel insurance that covers COVID-related medical care up to a minimum of US$10,000 for the duration of your visit. Failure to produce this may result in being refused entry to the country.

The price of Vietnam travel protection can vary depending on the age, health status, and number of travelers being covered, as well as the duration of the trip and type of coverage.
As risk involved with the trip increases, prices may also increase. For example, a trip to Vietnam that lasts one week may cost less than a two-week trip, even if the type of coverage is the same, due to the extended length of the trip. Additionally, a traveler with pre-existing health conditions can usually expect to pay higher rates than a traveler who does not have any diagnosed pre-existing conditions.