Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia

After arriving in Ho Chi Minh City, check in to our hotel and enjoy the evening at leisure.

This morning gather for a welcome orientation followed by a journey through the countryside to the Cu Chi area to explore the vast system of tunnels used by the Viet Cong to infiltrate the city during the Tet Offensive of 1968. This evening enjoy a celebratory welcome dinner in our hotel.

This morning visit the Presidential Palace and History Museum, followed by Ho Chi Minh City’s baroque-styled Central Post Office, a remnant of past French colonialism. Take an afternoon flight to Hue, the capital of the feudal Nguyen dynasty in the 1800s.

Tour the picturesque former Imperial capital of the Nguyen dynasty, one highlight being the Citadel, at the center of which stands Vietnam’s “Forbidden City,” once reserved for royalty. Take a boat cruise along the Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda, a monastery and center of Buddhist activism, followed by a visit to the tomb of Emperor Minh Mang.

Visit the picturesque Khai Dinh tomb before departing by coach and traveling along Vietnam’s scenic seacoast and through the Hai Van (“Sea of Clouds”) Pass to Danang. Once checked in to our wellness resort, enjoy a spa treatment of your choice.

This morning tour the nearby town of Hoi An, famous for its classic Chinese-immigrant architecture and thriving artist colony. Spend the afternoon relaxing at our beachside hotel.

Depart on a morning flight to Hanoi. Visit Ba Dinh Square, where Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam’s independence from France in 1945. His austere mausoleum now occupies the site. We then tour the leader’s former private residence and the One Pillar Pagoda, a Buddhist temple, which dates from 1049. Finally, take in the well-preserved traditional Vietnamese architecture of the Temple of Literature.

Visit the Hoa Lo Prison, known as “Hanoi Hilton”, a prison used by both French colonists in Indochina and later for U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. Later, wander the sprawling Museum of Ethnology to learn about Vietnam’s 54 minority ethnic groups, their customs and lifestyles. Dedicated to Confucius, this is Vietnam’s first national institution of higher learning, established in 1076. Head to the Guild District this afternoon for an electric cart tour of its numerous narrow lanes, each devoted to the practice of a single handicraft. Gather this evening for a performance of Hanoi’s celebrated water puppets, followed by dinner at a local restaurant.

Following breakfast, take a scenic three-hour drive to Ha Long (“Descending Dragon”) Bay. Board our cruising vessel and, throughout the afternoon and into the evening, enjoy drifting amid the dramatic limestone islets of the bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Stay overnight aboard our ship on the peaceful waters of Ha Long Bay.

Disembark our ship this morning and drive back to Hanoi. Enjoy a stop for lunch and some free time on the way to the airport before our evening flight to Luang Prabang, a small town bordered by green mountains set on the Mekong River. Enjoy the slow pace of traditional Laotian life and the warm and welcoming spirit of the town’s inhabitants.

Our exploration of Luang Prabang begins with a tour of the former Royal Palace of the Lanexang Kingdom, now a national museum. Reflecting a combination of French and Lao traditional styles, the palace is the current home of the precious, golden Buddha figure. Continue our exploration of Luang Prabang with a look at Wat Xiengthong, the most traditional Buddhist temple (or wat) in Laos. After lunch enjoy some free time to explore the downtown area and afterwards experience a traditional baci (“spirit-calling”) welcoming ceremony and dance performance at our hotel.

Start the day with a morning cruise in a motor canoe along the upper Mekong River to the Pak Ou Caves, an important local pilgrimage site, and to the village of Baan Muang Keo. Please note that mornings on the Mekong River can be foggy and chilly so be prepared to wear a couple of light layers until the day warms up. Enjoy lunch at a local outdoor restaurant overlooking the river, then travel back to town by boat for dinner at our hotel.

Continue exploring Luang Prabang this morning. Later this afternoon, transfer to the airport for our flight to Siem Reap.

Situated just outside of Siem Reap, Angkor flourished from the 10th to the 15th centuries, serving as the capital of the powerful Khmer kingdom. The vast complex of temples that remains today represents just a fraction of the city that once thrived here. Tour Angkor Wat, a gigantic, three-level structure built between 1112 and 1152 that is a symbol of the Cambodian state. The construction is dedicated to Vishnu and forms a symbolic “temple mountain” set in the center of a vast complex of walls, moats and ceremonial causeways. This afternoon, tour Angkor Thom, royal city of the 12th-century god-king, Jayavarman VII. Stunning reliefs, towers and giant, carved stone faces make the Buddhist temple known as The Bayon among the most memorable of Angkor’s constructions. Continue on to visit the Preah Khan (“Sacred Sword”) temple complex.

This morning explore tow of Angkor’s earliest and most prized sites, Banteay Samre and Banteay Srei, which displays the most beautifully preserved carvings remaining at Angkor. Take a guided tour of Ta Prohm, a 12th century temple built in the Bayon style, famously featured in the film Tomb Raider. After lunch visit the National Museum and old market area, then return to our hotel and toast our journey during a farewell dinner.

Transfer to the airport for flights home.