Private Tour: Indochina Authentic  - 21 days / 20 nights
The wonders of Indochina are many and varied, as you’ll discover on this journey highlighting three unique countries, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, each more magical than the last. Traverse this emerging region for an authentic Asian experience. You’ll welcome the comfort and convenience of flights between major cities, allowing you extra time to delve deeper into these fascinating destinations. If you are short on time, but don’t want to miss a thing, Highlights of Indochina is for you.

Detail Itinerary

Day 1 – Welcome to Vietnam – Arrive Hanoi Welcome to Hanoi: Vietnam’s bustling colonial capital. Our driver and guide will meet you outside the baggage claim of Noi Bai Airport and take you to your hotel in the city center. In the afternoon, enjoy an orientation walk, visiting some of Hanoi’s main attractions: the opera house, Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple. In the evening enjoy a traditional Water Puppet Performance—a unique Vietnamese art form hailing from Southeast Asia’s wet-rice culture—followed by a welcome dinner at one of Hanoi’s finest restaurants. Accommodations: Hotel in Hanoi Meals: Dinner Day 2: Hanoi City tour – Halong Enjoy a half day to explore Vietnam’s charming capital, before driving through the countryside of the Red River Delta to the magical, Halong Bay. With its wide tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture, peaceful lakes and ancient oriental pagodas; Hanoi is an eclectic mix that offers something for everyone. Our city tour will take you to Hanoi’s key sites: the Ho Chi Minh Complex (Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and stilt house); the Fine Arts Museum; the nearby One Pillar Pagoda; and the Temple of Literature. In the afternoon, we leave the bustle of the big city and drive to Halong Bay (3 to 4 hours drive). Accommodations: Hotel in Halong Bay Meals: Breakfast, lunch Day 3: Halong Bay Cruise – Hanoi – Fly to Danang Today we enjoy a day cruise on Halong Bay: a UNESCO World Heritage Site and natural wonderland composed of jutting limestone islands and sparkling turquoise waters. After breakfast at the hotel, our driver will pick up you and take you to the Halong harbor to board your private junk cruise for a 4-hour journey. Cruise along the calm waters, between looming, limestone outcrops to visit Dau Go Cave “Grotto of the Wooden Stakes,” where, in 1288, one of Vietnam’s most famous generals, Tran Hung Dao, stored hundreds of stakes before battling the invading Mongolian army. A short walk away, visit the newly discovered Thien Cung Cave (“Grotto of the Heavenly Palace “), famous for its stalagmites and stalactites. Savor a fresh seafood lunch, served on board before sailing back to Halong City, where your car will be waiting to take you to Hanoi for your flight to Danang. Our driver and guide will meet you at the airport in Danang and take you on the short drive to Hoian. Accommodations: Hotel in Hoian Meals: Breakfast & Lunch Day 4: Hoian Immerse yourself in the tranquility and charm of this sleepy riverside town. From the 16th to 18th centuries Hoian was a thriving international port frequented by Chinese, Dutch, French, Japanese, Portuguese and Arab traders, who came to trade in the high quality silk still produced in the region. Today, Hoian is a relaxing resort popular with tourists for its eclectic architecture, skilled tailors and numerous cafes. Take a half-day walking tour through the narrow winding streets of the ancient quarter, visiting Chua Ong Pagoda, the Chinese Assembly Hall, the 200-year old Tam Ky ancestral house and the famous Japanese Bridge. After lunch, take a short boat trip to a nearby island and visit a handicraft village specializing in ceramics. Return to the hotel in the late afternoon and enjoy a free evening at your leisure. Accommodations: Hotel in Hoian Meals: Breakfast & Lunch Day 5: Hoian – Hue Enjoy breakfast at the hotel then check-out and drive northward to Hue over the 500m-high Hai Van pass. Enjoy a stop at the scenic Lang Co Beach for a drink before continuing on to Hue—a UNESCO World Heritage site. Spend the afternoon on a leisurely walking tour through Vietnam’s ancient capital city, visiting the Royal Citadel, Thien Mu Pagoda and the Mausoleum of King tu Duca (a replica of the king’s palace built for the next reincarnation of the king), before exploring the Imperial Museum and Dong Ba Market. Accommodations: Hotel in Hue Meals: Breakfast, dinner Day 6: Hue – Saigon Have breakfast at the hotel then drive to the airport to catch your flight to Vietnam’s modern metropolis: Saigon. Arrive in the late morning and enjoy an orientation tour through Ho Chi Minh City’s bustling streets en route to the hotel. Have lunch at a downtown restaurant of your choosing then set out on a guided city tour. In the afternoon we will visit such sites as the Reunification Palace, the War Remnants Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Old Post Office and Ben Thanh Market. Enjoy the rest of the day free at your leisure. Accommodations: Hotel in Saigon Meals: Breakfast, dinner Day 7: Saigon – Mekong Delta – Chau Doc Today we leave Saigon and travel to the Mekong River Delta. Enjoy an early breakfast at the hotel before driving to the riverside town, Cai Be. Along the way, stop at a candy factory and orchard garden, where you have an opportunity to listen to traditional music. Enjoy a relaxing lunch at a riverside restaurant, then cross the Mekong’s calm waters on a rustic row boat to visit an island in the middle of the river delta. Spend time exploring the small islands and rural way of life. Our driver will be waiting for you on the other side of the river to take you to Chau Doc – a small town near border of Cambodia. Check in at your hotel then spend the late afternoon on an orientation walk around the small town. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Accommodation: Hotel in Chau Doc. Day 8: Chau Doc – Phnom Penh Today we travel by speedboat up the Mekong to Cambodia’s capital: Phnom Penh. The total trip takes about four and a half hours (including visa formalities). Visas are easily obtained at the border between Vietnam and Cambodia and cost $22 (including the processing fee). On arrival at Phnom Penh City, meets and welcome by our local guide in Cambodia and then transfers to hotel for check in (Early check-in is NOT included & subject to hotel’s availability). Visit the Tuol Sleng Prison Museum, a visit to these sights provides a deep insight into the painful bloody rule of the Khmer Rouge; the private quarters of the Royal Palace are now home to the royal family and are therefore very close to the public. At the northern area of the palace grounds is Silver Pagoda, the most sacred temple in the country. We continue to visit the National Museum, which is dedicated exclusively to Khmer art and sculpture. The majority of the exhibits are from the Angkor period from 9th to 15th century, but some date from as early as the 4th century. Dinner at local restaurant Meals: Breakfast, dinner Accommodation: Hotel in Phnom Penh Day 9: Phnom Penh – Kampong Cham – Kampong Thom Breakfast at hotel, depart to Kampong Cham by overland. This province is located 120km, north part of Phnom Penh. The road condition is good. Short tour of Kampong Cham to view the examples of colonial architectures. Visit Wat Nokor with its ancient temple and modern style pagoda (12th century) Check in at hotel in Kampong Cham. Afternoon we drive to Kampong Thom through one of the biggest rubber plantation, then we will visit the pre-angkor temple of Sambor Prei Kuk, return to overnight and dinner in Kampong Thom Town. Meals: Breakfast, dinner Accommodation: Hotel in Kampong Thom Day 10: Kampong Thom – Beng Melea – Siem Reap Breakfast at hotel transfer to Siem Reap on the way we will visit to one of the remote temples in Siem Reap call Beng Melea, it will take you about 1 hour to walk through and visit this ruins in the jungle, continue to Siem Reap and lunch at Stung Tra Chack Restaurant. On arrival at Siem Reap, free and relax at hotel until 18:00 ride on the tuk tuk to visit the local food market and then we continue to a local pagoda for a very special blessing ceremony arranged by Buddhist monks to bring you the happiness, prosperities, peace of mind and pleasant trip. Meals: Breakfast, lunch Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap Day 11: Siem Reap Angkor Temples Early morning, visit to Ta Prohm (the Jungle temple covered) and continue to Angkor Wat temple. Back to hotel for breakfast and relax at hotel during the noon time to avoid of the head of the day until 3pm, we continue to visit South Gate of Angkor Thom, Bayong Temple and proceed to one of the quiet temple Preah Khan then return to Siem Reap. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap Day 12: Siem Reap – Remote temple Heading out of town we make our way by traveling on a newly paved road to the intricately carved and well preserved temple of Banteay Srei. Along the way we make stopover at the Preah Dark village and the River of 1000 Lingas, locally named Kbal Spean. We follow these with a visit the Banteay Samre Temple adorned with impressive relief’s depicting scenes of Vishunu as well as Krishna legends. We also have time today to explore one of the local houses in the village to learn about the way of life of the Cambodia people in the countryside. Meals: Breakfast, dinner at Alliance Coffee Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap Day 13: Siem Reap – Tonle Sap Lake – Battambang Breakfast at hotel, transfer to the boat dock to embark on the local Khmer Traditional boat for cruising along the Tonle Sap Lake, the journey will take around 7 hours but it is the highlight of the tour in Cambodia you will see many floating villages and today we also have time to visit the Bird Sanctuary in Prek Tual where a plenty of water birds are, continue to Battambang. Lunch box will be provided on the boat, on arrival Battambang dock we are transferred to hotel for check in. Meals: Breakfast, lunch box Accommodation: Hotel in Battambang Day 14: Battambang – Phnom Penh Battambang countryside tour, we will visit to the pre-angkor temple of Phnom Banon, Local Village, ancient houses and then ride Bamboo train, return to the hotel for check out and after lunch you will be transferred to Phnom Penh City. It will take for 5 hours one the way of 295km, on arrival check-in at hotel. Meals: Breakfast, lunch Accommodation: Hotel in Phnom Penh Day 15: Phnom Penh – Vientiane Breakfast at hotel and free until transfer to Phnom Penh airport for departure to Vientiane, On arrival at the airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Time permitting; Your half day city tour enables us to see the major temples of Vientiane including the oldest, Wat Sisaket, a temple of thousands of miniature Buddha statues, and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo, which previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. We also visit Lao national icon, That Luang Stupa, and we stop to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxay Monument, which is Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph. Meals: Breakfast Accommodation: Hotel in Vientiane Day 16: Vientiane – Vang Vieng We leave the capital early for our journey northbound; we will see some breathtaking scenery en route as we pass through spectacular countryside towards the mountainous region. Along the way we visit the busy and colourful market of Thalat where various hill tribes come to trade goods and buy provisions. A next stop of our trip is Vang Xang, famous for its archeological site dating back to the 11th century. We reach our final destination Vang Vieng, which is nestled on a bend of the Nam Song River. Meals: Breakfast Accommodation: Hotel in Vang Vieng Day 17: Vang Vieng – Luang Prabang As part of our half day tour of Vang Vieng, we explore the famous caves of Tham Jang, which was once used by the local people as a hideout from Chinese invaders. We also cross the river to Ban Huai Ngai, a very pleasant village where we can explore the different lifestyles of the locals. Following lunch, we head north up route 13 to Luang Prabang. The stunning mountain scenery makes for an interesting journey. After a couple of photo stops, we arrive in Luang Prabang early evening. Meals: Breakfast Accommodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang Day 18: Luang Prabang Your full day city tour begins after breakfast, with a visit to the Royal Palace Museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts. We then enjoy a short-guided tour seeing the city’s oldest temple of Wat Sene and the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represents classical Laotian architecture. Today, we also visit the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrine of Wat Aham. Following lunch, we visit the Arts and Ethnology Centre to learn about Laos’ many ethnic cultures before we head out of town to see the weaving villages of Ban Xaengkhong and Ban Xienglek. We then return to the city for a visit to Wat Mai. We then climb up to the top of Mount Phousi for an enjoyable exploration of the sacred, gilded stupa as well as a panoramic view of the city at sunset and the Mekong River. The tour ends after visiting the famous Night Market, where you can find a lovely selection of handmade textiles made by local and hill tribe people surrounding Luang Prabang. Note: the Royal Palace Museum is closed on Tuesdays. Meals: Breakfast Accommodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang Day 19: Luang Prabang – Pak Ou Caves First we visit the morning Phousi 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 villages of Lao ethnic minority groups at Ban Ouay, a Hmong village, Ban Ou a Laoloum village and Ban Thapene, a Khmu villages. This then takes us to the beautiful Khuang Si Waterfall where you can cool off with a refreshing swim in the pools or walk along the forest trails. We then return to Luang Prabang. This afternoon, we embark on a cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which also gives us a breathtaking view of the tranquil countryside, before reaching the mysterious Pak Ou Caves, two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by pilgrims. Along the way, we stop at the village of Ban Xanghai, where they make the local rice wine. On return, we disembark the boat to visit traditional villages, and continue taking a short drive to Ban Phanom, a village famous for its hand weaving. Meals: Breakfast Accommodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang Day 20: Luang Prabang – Free and Relaxation Meals: Breakfast – Free at leisure Accommodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang Day 21: Luang Prabang – Departure Breakfast at hotel and free until transfer to airport for departure

Tour inclusions

* Private tours with English speaking guide for the entire trip except leisure time * Entrance fee to any applicable tourist sites * All transportation and transfers with air-conditioning vehicle * Boat trip to Tonle Sap Lake * Meals as stated per itinerary * Government tax and services charge * Could water and towel during the tour * Accommodation in twin/double share rooms with air-condition and private bath room

Tour Exclusions

* International airfare & airport taxes (Airport tax from Cambodia now is include in airfare) * Travel insurance * Visa and visa arrangement * Surcharges for compulsory gala dinners during festive seasons and * Peak season surcharges (which will be advised at time of booking) , * Personal expenses * Tips & gratuities