20 DAYS EXPLORE INDOCHINA ODYSSEY PACKAGE TOUR

On this fullday excursion you will get to explore and learn about everything Vietnamese, from the oldest pagoda, and the first university of Vietnam, to present day religious practises and ethnic minorities. You’ll hear the foklore tales about the turtle of sword lake, at the Ngoc Son Temple, as well visiting the final resting place of Ho Chi Minh - the leader of the Viet Cong Army, that defeated the americans in the 20 year war, and later became both prime minister and president. With no stones left unturned, this tour is everything you wanted to know about Vietnam, to better understand this exciting country.

In the morning, tour guide and shuttle bus will pick you up at the hotel in Hanoi old quarter and Hanoi Opera House then depart for the Hanoi city full day tour. Our first stop is named Tran Quoc pagoda on the West Lake, the oldest pagoda in Vietnam.

Then we will visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Museum to explore the architectural and historical aspects of Uncle Ho’s final resting-place. Just next door is Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts and off to one side of the Mausoleum is the One-Pillar Pagoda which was founded by King Ly Thai To in 1049 - the structure has become an important symbol for the people of Hanoi.

After that, we visit the colorful traditions of the 54 ethnic groups of Viet Nam, in the Ethnology Museum. Then bus takes you to a local restaurant in Hanoi Old Quarter, have a rest and enjoy some lunch.

In the afternoon, we visit the Temple of Literature, the most famous temple situated in Hanoi, also functioned as Vietnam's first university. It was first constructed in 1070, under King Ly Nhan Tong and dedicated to Confucius, sages and scholars. A vast structure that has existed to present day.

We drive to the legendary Hoan Kiem Lake to visit Ngoc Son Temple, dedicated to Van Xuong Saint and former general commander Tran Hung Dao, for his struggle against Mongolians. You will also see the beautiful Vietnamese and French architecture around the lake.

16:00 - 16:30: Arrive at the hotel in Hanoi old quarter and Hanoi Opera House.

Overnight in Hanoi

Meal: Breakfast,Lunch

With over 1600 islets, countless towering limestone karsts and hidden jungle caves, Vietnam’s “Bay of Descending Dragons” is a must-see destination for every traveller to Southeast Asia. Stay for 1 night in the bay aboard a Halong Bay cruise to experience all that this magical landscape has to offer.

Wake early to meet your driver at your hotel for transfer to the ports of Halong Bay. Relax on the 3.5 hour journey, ready for 2 days 1 night of exploring ahead. At the port, board your traditional junk boat and set sail through the emerald green waters of Halong Bay. Admire the endless islands and jungle-clad limestone karsts of this fascinating UNESCO World Heritage site and sit down to a delicious lunch on the sundeck of the boat.

In the afternoon, head off of the boat to visit vast caves and white sand beaches, hidden among the towering rock formations, and take to the water for a swim or a kayak. Then attend a cooking demonstration with our Chef to learn one of the most popular cuisines in Vietnam

In the evening, there is plenty of time to relax on the junk's sundeck, before a sumptuous dinner with your fellow guests.

Meal: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner

Take advantage of the cool morning breeze to start your day. Enjoy breakfast while you sail through the majestic peaks.

Then we will hike to visit cave or panoramic sea views

Back on your boat, enjoy lunch then head back to the marina. Spend your last few hours soaking up the scenery before the journey back to Hanoi. Arrival in Hanoi at late afternoon then you will take taxi by your own to Hanoi railway station for night train to Danang.

Overnight on 4 berth shared cabin

Meal: Breakfast,Lunch

Arrival Danang, our driver will pick you up and transfer to Hoian. You are free at leisure to explore Hoian by your own expense. Overnight in Hoian

Cycle along a beautiful, narrow road to a local fishing village name Cam Thanh. In this village you will stop at a rice paddy field, as well as a fish and shrimp farm… You will also have the chance to traverse the most dangerous bamboo bridges in Vietnam, ancient cemetery and holy temples.

Join in special farming work with the local farmers by ploughing the field, and even try your luck at riding water buffalo with the farmers. Watch the locals make palm-thatched houses. They will use completely naturally sourced water palm tree materials and bamboo forest materials. Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants on our planet, reaching growth of up to 1mm every 90 seconds, it’s a perfect renewable building material! Explore the water palm coconut paradise. Join local fishermen by catching fish and purple crabs with unique fishing nets,  paddle the traditional Bamboo Basket boat. Make souvenirs with palm leaves.

Have Lunch at the local home, learn how to make fresh rice milk and cook traditional Hoi An pancake (Banh Xeo) then back to your hotel.

Overnight in Hoian

Meal: Breakfast,Lunch

You are free a leisure until be transferred to airport for flight to Ho Chi Minh. Our driver will hold welcome signboard with your name on then transfer to hotel in Ho Chi Minh for check in.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh

Meal: Breakfast

Over 60 million people depend on the Mekong Delta for their primary source of income or sustenance and it connect 6 different countries. We will pick you up from your hotel in Ho Chi Minh city then transfer to My Tho by 2,5 hour drive.

On arrival at My Tho, after visiting Vinh Trang pagoda, take a motor boat to enter My Tho city through Bao Dinh natural canal. Take a leisurely cruise on the Tien River to view the four beautiful islands known as Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix and Tortoise islands.

Enjoy lunch at the local restaurant, then visit the coconut candy mill and take an amazing rowing boat trip along the small canal on a hand-rowed sampan under the shadow of the water coconut trees along natural canals. Then enjoy seasonal fruit & honey tea to the sound of "Southern Vietnamese folk music", performed by locals.

Meet at the bus and return to Ho Chi Minh City. This trip provides a fascinating insight into daily life in the Mekong Delta and you are guaranteed to take home your own private collection of beautiful memories.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh city

Meal: Breakfast,Lunch

Pick up from your hotel to transfer to the Cu Chi tunnels. The trip to Cu Chi will take approximately one and a half hours by bus. Upon arrival, before exploring the tunnels, you will have some short introduction followed by introductory video about how the tunnels were constructed and how the people survived in the harsh conditions during times of war.

Then, spend your time to explore the remaining area and tunnel systems which included the special constructed living areas with kitchens, bedrooms side by side with other facilities like storage, weapons factories, field hospitals, and command centers helping whoever lives inside the tunnels meet their basic needs. You will also see and learn about the many hidden trap doors and dangerous traps within the maze-like tunnels for security purpose during the war.

Afterward, special tea and cassava (guerilla fighters food during the war) will be served. Break time for relax or time for those who want to try their aim on the shooting range, firing the same model guns that were used in the war. Return to Saigon. 

Meal: Breakfast

You are free at leisure until we transfer to bus station for day bus to Phnom Penh. Arrival in Phnom Penh, You will be transfer to your selected hotel. (Hotel check in time 2pm.) Relax at the hotel for freshen up.

In the afternoon, visiting The Royal Palace. The Palace was opened in 1870 under King Norodom, and now contains the Royal Residence, the Throne Hall, the Silver Pagoda, and other buildings. The Silver Pagoda (Wat Preah Keo Morokat) is one of the city's most visited sites and offers a display of priceless Buddhist and historical objects.

The Pagoda draws its name with more than 5,000 silver tiles, which cover a floor in the temple. The building serves less as a functioning shrine, no monks currently reside here, than a repository of cultural treasures such as the famous Emerald Buddha and many other valuable statues and Toulsleng prison museum (also know as S21). Overnight at hotel in Phnom Penh.

Overnight in Phnom Penh.

Meal: Breakfast,Dinner

Breakfast at the hotel. Pick up at your hotel and depart for Battambang by overland transfer (290 km. 4-5 hrs drive). Stop at the Silversmith village, see the pottery manufactories in Kompong Chnang and visit also a fish market. Arrive in Battambang, and check-in at the hotel.  Walk through the town to discover its beautiful colonial architecture. Overnight at hotel in Battambang. 

Meal: Breakfast,Lunch

Breakfast at the hotel: Drive along the picturesque Sangker River to Wat Slaket Pagoda, the residence of the provincial Buddhist patriarch Continue to visit Wat Ek Phnom. Visit a market where Prahoc, the Cambodian fish paste, is made. Visit the Provincial Museum (closed on Saturdays / Sundays) and the local market.

Drive to Phnom Banon, with its five sandstone towers on top of a hill and enjoy a magnificent view of the surrounding plains until sunset. The same afternoon, we are also enjoying bamboo train village with a great experiences of sliding on this funny train. Overnight at hotel in Battambang

Meal: Breakfast,Lunch

Breakfast at hotel. Travel by by speed boat to Siem Reap along the Sangkar River; enjoy unspoiled landscapes and traditional daily-life scenes. Crossing Cheur Khmao Pagoda, “Black Wood Pagoda”, in Bak Prier floating village and cross the Biosphere Reserve and the floating villages of Prek Tuol. Picnic lunch on board. Continue by boat across the Tonle Sap lake to Chhoeung Kneas floating village.

Arrive at Siem Reap port and transfer to Siem Reap town. The same afternoon, we use Tuk Tuk as our transportation to take us to visit Les Artisans d'Angkor - Chantiers Ecoles" of Siem Reap. Overnight at hotel in Siem Reap

Meal: Breakfast,Lunch

Early morning, we will visit the sunrise at Angkor Area – the idea is to view the reflection of amazing Angkor temple in the morning sun. Return to the hotel for breakfast.

After that, we will start our full day visit, firstly with the sightseeing tour of Angkor area we spend a full day exploring the wondrous ancient ruins with the South Gate of Angkor Thom, which is famous for its series of colossal human faces carved in stone, the impressive Bayon Temple, the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace, the Terrace of the Leper King and the largest as well as the most complete temple of Angkor Wat. 

This architectural masterpiece was constructed in the 12th century and covers an area of about 210 hectares. We stroll around this massive edifice, seeing the many galleries with colums, libraries, pavilions, courtyards and ponds full of water reflecting the towering temple. Overnight at hotel in Siem Reap.

Meal: Breakfast,Lunch

Breakfast at hotel, 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 we follow these with a visit the Banteay Samre Temple adorned with impressive relief’s depicting scenes of Vishunu as well as Krishna legends. Afternoon, visiting the jungle covered temple of Ta Prohm is an incredible sight. There are enormous fig trees and gigantic creepers which embrace themselves in the stone foundations of the structure giving the impression of man's creation being reclaimed by the powerful forces of nature and we also explore the surrounded temples if time permits. Overnight at hotel in Siem Reap. 

Meal: Breakfast,Lunch

Free in the morning then we will transfer to the airport for flight to Luang Prabang.

On arrival at the airport, you will be met and transferred to check in the hotel.

After a soft rest, your city tour begins with a visit to the magnificent Wat Xiengthong, a superb piece of Lao temple architecture, which presents a sweeping two-tiered roof and ornate mosaics including a beautiful ‘tree of life ‘glass montage on the rear temple wall.If time permits, we will take a short walk around the small streets of city center, watching the life of local people, and visiting the traditional house of Heuan Chan, the Chantal wooden house dating back to 100 years old.

After that, you will visit Royal Palace Museum, which was built in 1904 during the French colonial era for King Sisavang Vong and his family. Late afternoon, we climb up to the top of Mount Phousi for an enjoyable exploration of the sacred, gilded stupa as well as a panoramic sunset view of the city and the Mekong River.

The welcome dinner will be served at the local restaurant with the traditional dance and folk song, the best chance to experience the local culture.

The tour ends after a visit to the famous Night Market, where you can find a lovely selection of handmade textiles made by local and hilltribe people surrounding Luang Prabang. Overnight in Luang Prabang

Meal: Breakfast,Dinner

Wake up as the sun rises, we will prepare to join the most sacred tradition of Laos, the daily morning alms giving, which dates to the 14th century. More than 200 Buddhist monks depart from various temple to gather their daily meal from the faithful residents sitting quietly on the streets.

From there, we will visit the temporary morning market near the former Royal Palace. Just set on the ground, the local people come here to barter their day’s catch from rice, to vegetable, to fish, or chicken. This is the best chance to experience the local flavors. 

Breakfast at the hotel, we will first visit the city’s oldest temple of Wat Sene. After that, we embark on the leisurely cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which also gives us a breathtaking view of the tranquil countryside, before reaching the mysterious Pak Ou Caves, a 16th century cave monastery filled with thousands of Buddha images, which locates 25 Kilometers North of Luang Prabang in the limestone cliffs overlooking the Mekong river.  End route, you will stop at Ban Muang Keo, a well-known village for its traditional Lao rice whisky distilling. You will arrive back in Luang Prabang.

On arrival back in the city, we visit Wat Mai, which is one of the most beautiful temple of Luang Prabang. We then continue to Wat Visoun, dating back to 1513 during the reign of King Wisunarat (Visoun), this is Luang Prabang’s oldest temple and was once home to the Prabang Buddhas. Our last stop today is the Traditional Art and Ethnology Center (closed on Monday) to learn about Laos’ many ethnic cultures. Overnight in Luang Prabang

Meal: Breakfast,Lunch

After breakfast, we transfer directly to the beautiful Kuang Si waterfalls which is the biggest in the Luang Prabang area with three tiers leading to a 50-metre drop into spectacular azure pools before flowing downstream. The pools also make great swimming holes and are very popular with both tourists and locals

We will also take a short visit to the Bear Rescue Center, which houses a couple of dozen animals rescued from the hands of poachers and traffickers.
Before returning to Luang Prabang, we stop to visit the Kuang Si Falls Butterfly Park (closed from 15 APR – 30 JUN; 01-14 SEP, & 01 JAN every year), whose mission is to create a research centre studying and publishing about Laos butterflies, host plants and preservation.

Laos is also known for its traditional crafts, we will take a short visit to the Ock Pop Tock Living Craft Center, set serenely close to the Mekong, this beautiful, traditionally styled workshop, where weavers, spinners and batik makers produce top-quality fabrics, offers free tours every half-hour.

We then transfer out to the airport to take the flight to Vientiane, the capital city of Laos. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel. Overnight in Vientiane

Meal: Breakfast

In the morning, we will first visit Wat Si Muang, which is very famous for its supernatural power. We then transfer out to see Buddha Park, an enchanting collection of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures on the Mekong Riverside meadow, close to the Friendship Bridge. There are approximately 200 religious images dating back over 500 years, which were created by a mysterious monk spreading his philosophy on life and revealing his ideas about the universe.

In the afternoon, we see the major sights of the capital; including the oldest Wat Sisaket, the temple with thousands of miniature Buddha statues and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo, which previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. On the way to Lao’s national icon, the famous and sacred structure of That Luang Stupa, we stop enroute to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxay Monument, which is well known as Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph. A spectacular view over the Mekong River at sunset is a perfect way to finish the day. Overnight in Vientiane

Meal: Breakfast,Lunch

You are free to stroll around the town for your own exploration before taking the departure flight

Meal: Breakfast