Gems of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos & Thailand

Your fare excludes:

P​lease note the following itinerary is subject to change without notice.

Day 1: Friday, February 14, 2025 Hanoi, Vietnam

Your tour opens in Hanoi. Layers of the city’s complex past can be found interwoven into its modern culture. Known for its French colonial architecture, tree-lined streets, and vibrant street food scene, Hanoi is Vietnam’s dynamic capital and second most populous city.

Day 2: Saturday, February 15, 2025 Hanoi

Start your morning with a city tour of Hanoi and the Old Quarter. Visit Ba Dinh Square and the Temple of Literature. Follow the meandering streets, decorated with temples and pagodas, and feast on the history before you. After working up an appetite, enjoy a walking food tour featuring some of Vietnam’s most famous dishes such as banh mi and pho. Enjoy coffee and views of Hoan Kiem Lake – the “Lake of the Restored Sword” – at a rooftop café. Later this evening, join your fellow travellers for a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.

M​eals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 3: Sunday, February 16, 2025 Hanoi

Today you may choose to start your day early by joining your Tour Manager and locals as they practice tai chi at a local park. After, visit the infamous Hoa Lo Prison. This historic site, dubbed the “Hanoi Hilton” by American POWs, is now a museum that tells the story of colonial history from the Vietnamese perspective. Following your visit, sit down with a local veteran from the Vietnam War to chat and connect with him as he recounts his history. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy as you see fit. You may choose to join an optional tour to see the famous water puppets of Hanoi followed by dinner.

M​eals Included: Breakfast

Day 4: Monday, February 17, 2025 Hanoi - Ha Long Bay

Journey to Ha Long Bay and board a charming junk boat for an overnight cruise - the perfect vantage point for soaking up the landscape. Once on board, enjoy fresh seafood as you sail past vistas of low green mountains, small villages, hundreds of islands, and limestone peaks jutting out from the sea. Disembark to discover the wonders of nature, history, and archaeology. Back on board, sit back and relax as the sounds and peaceful sway of the boat lull you to sleep.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 5: Tuesday, February 18, 2025 Ha Long Bay - Hanoi - Da Nang - Hoi An

Your day begins with a Tai Chi lesson on the sundeck at sunrise. After a light breakfast we head off to visit Sung Sot cave, one of the many limestone grottos accessible by boat in the UNESCO World Natural Heritage that is Halong Bay. It is time to say farewell to this stunning natural wonder and cruise back to the mainland. Fly to Da Nang and travel to Hoi An (UNESCO), an ancient trading port.

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 6: Wednesday, February 19, 2025 Hoi An

Explore the flavours of Hoi An. The next day enjoy a walking tour through the historic town, where we have added an introduction to the local tailoring culture in Hoi An, to see the process of making cotton and silk cloth, and you may even choose to have some tailor-made clothes made. Enjoy a free afternoon before joining the group for a local dinner.

Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 7: Thursday, February 20, 2025 Hoi An

Explore the flavours of Hoi An. Board a basket boat and journey along the Co Co River for an immersive cooking class. Learn how to catch seafood in the river and grind rice into flour. Use your ingredients to cook four classic dishes which you’ll enjoy for lunch. Later, on a walking tour of the old town, stroll by the ornate Chinese-style temple Phuc Kien Assembly Hall and a 400-year-old Japanese covered bridge. End at the vibrant market on the banks of the Thu Bon.

Late you will be free for your own leisure. Walk along the canals that cut through Ancient Town on your own, uncovering a preserved history interwoven into the modern way of life. Perhaps you’ll visit an art gallery, wander through a cultural museum, or go shopping for the perfect souvenir.

Meals included: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 8: Friday, February 21, 2025 Hoi An - Ho Chi Minh City

Leave Hoi An and fly to Ho Chi Minh City, the energetic urban capital formerly known as Saigon. On an eye-opening city tour, you’ll see the Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral,* and the Reunification Palace. Head over to explore treasures from local vendors on display at the Old Market in District 1.

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 9: Saturday, February 22, 2025 Ho Chi Minh City - Mekong Delta - Ho Chi Minh City

Take to the waters of the famous Mekong Delta. As you sail along, your guide will delve into the history and culture of the region. Discover the region’s cottage industry with a visit to a coconut candy factory and learn how this confection is made. Enjoy lunch featuring southern Vietnamese cuisine before travelling back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Meals included: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 10: Sunday, February 23, 2025 Ho Chi Minh City

Spend your morning at the Cu Chi Tunnels, a maze of underground passageways used as hideouts by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. Enjoy an afternoon at leisure in metropolitan Ho Chi Minh City before your dinner at a local restaurant.

Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 11: Monday, February 24, 2025 Ho Chi Minh City - Siem Reap, Cambodia

This afternoon, board your flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia’s gateway to the wonders of Angkor. In this ancient city, you’ll discover a world where colonial and Chinese architecture melds into a sophisticated urban and culinary scene. Tonight, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant accompanied by a traditional Khmer dance performance.

Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 12: Tuesday, February 25, 2025 Siem Reap - Angkor Wat - Siem Reap

Depart for a sunrise at Angkor Wat, a perfect example of classic Khmer architecture. Enter its eastern gate and exit to the west, watching the sunlight dance along stones. Later, visit Ta Prohm, a sprawling monastic complex that is overgrown with jungle. At Angkor Thom, the last capital of the Khmers, visit the Terrace of the Leper King and the temples of Baphuon and Bayon, 11th- and 12th-century masterpieces at the centre of the city.

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 13: Wednesday, February 26, 2025 Siem Reap - Preah Dak - Siem Reap

Start your day with an impact moment experience at the Visitor Center of APOPO, where “hero rats” are trained to navigate minefields and save lives. Learn about the country’s history with war and meet the professional rats at a demonstration. Then travel to the village of Preah Dak to learn about daily life and see how Nom Banh Jok (rice noodles) are created. Get a peek into the local culture at the palm sugar market, where tree sap is gathered and cooked for sugar. Make your way to Les Chantiers Ecoles, where local apprentices are trained in fine arts, and peruse the different workshops of sculpture, carving, and more. You may choose to end your day with a visit to Phare, the Cambodian Circus.

Meals Included: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 14: Thursday, February 27, 2025 Siem Reap - Luang Prabang, Laos

Continue your journey in Indochina with a flight to Luang Prabang, the spiritual capital of Laos. Get acquainted with the city with your guide. Then, it’s your choice! Venture into the lively outdoor markets at night -OR- return to the hotel for an evening at leisure.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 15: Friday, February 28, 2025 Luang Prabang

Hop into a tuk tuk with a guide and make your way to the city centre, including a visit to the National Museum – the former Royal Palace. Continue to Wat Xieng Thong monastery, decorated in eye-catching gold. Meander along the Nam Khan River to Wat Khili, highlighting the local culture and history. After lunch, cruise to the Pak Ou Caves, shrouded in mystery and home to thousands of Buddha statues. End your day with a home-hosted dinner and traditional Baci ceremony – celebrating a significant event in someone’s life.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 16: Saturday, March 1, 2025 Luang Prabang - Ban Long Lao - Luang Prabang

You may choose to rise early and begin your day with a traditional alms offering to local monks. After breakfast back at the hotel, journey to a traditional Hmong hill tribe village in Ban Long Lao and learn about this ethnic group and their way of life. Set out on an easy hike** through lush jungle and panoramic mountain scenery to the incredible Kuang Si Waterfall. Return to Luang Prabang and lunch in a local restaurant. This afternoon you may choose to join an optional tour to visit with Laotian weavers.

Meals Included: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 17: Sunday, March 2, 2025 Luang Prabang - Bangkok, Thailand

Board your flight to Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. A feast for the senses, this bustling city on the banks of the Chao Phraya River blends cosmopolitan sophistication with a strong sense of history and tradition. Tonight, join your fellow travellers and toast to the end of your adventure on a Klong dinner cruise.

Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 18: Monday, March 3, 2025 Bangkok

Return home with memories of your travels through the kingdoms of Southeast Asia.

M​eals included: Breakfast

This t​our commences in Hanoi on 14 February ends in Bangkok on 03 March 2025:

• t​win/double share $6,576 per person
• s​ingle traveller $7,476 per person

C​all 1300 414 198 to secure your place today. Our friendly Australian travel consultants can happily assist with additional accommodation and flights.

• Mercure La Gare Hanoi, Hanoi
• Bhaya Classic Halong Bay, Halong
• Little Oasis Hotel & Spa, Hoi An
• Novotel Saigon Centre, Ho Chi Minh
• Tara Angkor Hotel, Siem Reap
• Souphattra Hotel Luang Prabang, Luang Prabang
• Rembrandt Hotel & Suites Bangkok, Bangkok

Please note: h​otels are subject to change without notice at the tour operator's discretion.

The overall activity level of this tour is a level 3. This means you’re an on-the-go traveller. You don’t want to miss a thing, so walking and standing for longer periods of time (2-3 hours) isn’t a big deal. A moderately paced two-and-a-half-hour walking tour, covering several miles, hills, and uneven surfaces, is no problem for you.

Walking four miles over the course of a day is very doable, as is climbing into and out of various modes of transport (tuk-tuk, cable car, zodiac, etc.). You can climb three flights of stairs easily and handle altitudes between 6,000 and 9,000 feet. Expect some longer days with early mornings or late nights balanced with free time to recharge or set out on your own adventure. This level is not a fit for travellers who require mobility assistance devices.

Each traveller is responsible for proper documentation and inoculations that may be required and/or recommended to participate on this tour. Please contact your local travel clinic or personal doctor for specific details on the destinations you are travelling to and from. Please be advised many airlines do not provide advance seat assignments until check-in at the airport. Advance seating will be subject to the airline's terms and conditions. For air-inclusive reservations, the name provided at time of booking must match your government-issued ID that will be used during travel. Name changes are subject to penalties. Internal flights are required in order to participate on this tour and are included in the final price, quoted at time of booking.
PASSPORT REQUIREMENTS

Passports are required at your own expense for travel outside of Australia. Certain countries require a minimum of 6 months passport validity beyond the return date from the destination. Some countries require a visa in addition to a valid passport for entry into the country. You are strongly urged to contact the appropriate embassy or consulate for specific information and entry requirements.

IMPORTANT: We recommend that our guests take a photocopy of their passport and applicable visa. It should be packed separately from your actual passport and visa. We also recommend leaving a copy at home with your emergency contact.

VISAS ARE REQUIRED for this tour at your expense. The approximate cost for a one month SINGLE ENTRY VIETNAM VISA is $55 AUD and MUST BE OBTAINED PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. To enter Vietnam you will need 1 blank page in your passport. You can obtain the visa for Cambodia at the airport upon arrival. The cost is approximately $40 AUD and two complete blank pages are required in your passport along with one passport photo. A Laos visa is required for this tour at your expense.

This can be purchased upon arrival in Luang Prabang, Laos. The approximate cost is $48 AUD. One blank page is required in your passport. Certain countries require a minimum of 6 months passport validity from the date of return home. Rates are approximate and can be changed at any time based on governing authority. The days and order of sightseeing may change to best utilise your time on tour. Not all vendors accept credit cards or travellers cheques; therefore, it is recommended you bring small amounts of US dollars which are widely accepted for personal use.

Smaller buses, which may not be lavatory equipped, may be used on this program. In this case, frequent stops are made during travel periods. It is recommended that you bring an overnight bag (rather than your large luggage) on the overnight Ha Long Bay cruise. This will afford you more room to move about your cruise cabin. Your large luggage will be stored on the bus in a secure location. Museum visits and shopping may be affected by the observance of religious or local holidays.