Ultimate Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand 15-day tour

Meet your guide in the lobby for a full-day tour with many exciting outdoor activities. Visit the amazing Museum of Ethnology on the outskirts of Hanoi by taking a quick trip there. From the outside, you will be attracted by the presentation and layout, from the form to the displayed content, which is very scientific and logical. It is grasping the cultural colors of each ethnic group. After two hours of learning about the Vietnamese culture, you will move to Hoa Lo Prison (so-called Hanoi Hilton), which tells you about Vietnamese history & wars.

Today you will have Bún Chả for lunch. The Bún Chả will have vermicelli, grilled meat, and side dishes, including pickled vegetables, lettuce, and some herbs. A feature of Bún Chả is that it is served with a bowl of fish sauce seasoned to taste, adding a little spice from pureed chili. Bún Chả will be a wonderful dining experience in the “Asian food paradise” – Vietnam for sure!

To start our afternoon activities, we will visit Hidden Gem, a Vietnamese Coffee Shop. The coffee shop is impressive because the furniture is created by taking advantage of discarded products such as plastic bottles, tires, paint containers, and some parts of motorbikes and tractors. This activity aims to protect the environment. A cup of Vietnamese egg coffee is a must-try there.

Another exciting activity is waiting for you! Our guide and driver will take you to Long Bien Bridge, the first steel bridge in Hanoi and one of the first bridges built by the French in Vietnam. After a short walk on the more than one-hundred-year-old bridge, admire the panoramic river view and listen to your tour guide telling stories about history, Red River Delta culture, and local daily life; you will discover the banana island right at the foot of the bridge. The walking banana island activity is a chance to observe the infinite fruit plantation, and a one-of-a-kind memory for photographers or nature lovers.

Finish the day with a fun cyclo (a three-wheeled bicycle taxi). You will ride through the French colonial architecture of the precinct known as the French Quarter, past the French-style villas, the Vietnam History Museum, the heritage Metropole Legend Hotel, and the Opera House. Of course, you will not miss Hanoi Old Quarter before returning to your hotel.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Ha Noi Bun Cha street food

The scenery of Halong Bay, where thousands of limestone islands jut out of the emerald sea, in bizarre shapes, is truly an iconic image for Vietnam. An overnight boat trip is the best way to enjoy this Vietnamese must-see.

Saying goodbye to Hanoi, you drive through the rich farmlands of the Red River Delta to the legendary Halong Bay. It takes you 3 hours, including a 20-minute stop. Arrive at the jetty in Halong City toward noon and proceed with check-in formalities.

After a welcome onboard, enjoy a tasty lunch while cruising to the mythical bay. Around mid-afternoon, you participate in some activities to discover every corner of the bay. Each cruise operates a different itinerary, and caving, kayaking, rowing boats, swimming are the most popular ones. Towards the end of the day, the cruise sets anchor for the night among the karst formations.

Dinner is on board.

Overnight in Halong Bay.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Ha Long Bay landscape view in sunset

Get up early and don’t miss the chance to watch the sunrise at one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Participating in a tai chi class on the sundeck is a way to welcome a new day full of energy. At the end of the gentle training session, you move to the restaurant and enjoy a hot breakfast with a cup of fragrant coffee.

Some gentle activities on the bay will be arranged and announced by the cruise’s staff. If you don’t want to participate, you can choose to relax on board: watching movies, reading books, or sightseeing are also attractive options. After all, a buffet brunch is served while sailing slowly back towards port. Disembark and transfer back to Noi Bai airport for a flight to Danang. Upon arrival, you are welcomed by our local tour guide, who takes you 40 minutes to Hoi An.

Overnight in Hoi An.  

Meals: Breakfast, Brunch.

Ha Long Bay landscape view

Spend the whole morning relaxing.

At 14:00, you have an orientation walk in Hoi An town. The walking tour will offer you a chance to visit: a private house where members of the same family have lived continuously for centuries in a traditional setting; the Sa Huynh Museum, which contains exhibitions from the earliest period of Hoi An’s history; and the famous Japanese Covered Bridge Pagoda, the iconic building of Hoi An nowadays.

The second part of this morning is learning how to make a colorful lantern. After getting the guide from your instructor, you will select from a wealth of different silks, craft a bamboo frame, and create your lantern, which will fold neatly into your luggage and be brought back home as a souvenir. Today, dinner is at your expense, and we advise you to book a romantic sunset dinner with Cinnamon Cruise to enjoy the most beautiful moment of Hoi An ancient town.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Meals: Breakfast.

Hoi An Sa Huynh Museum

Enjoy a beautiful morning in Hoi An by cycling along the Thu Bon River to visit a local finishing village. You ride leisurely along the country lanes, viewing local life with the scenery of farmers working with their water buffalo on the fields. Peddle your way through palm forests, bridges, and pons; you will arrive in Cam Thanh Village. Take a short break with a local family before enjoying a 1-hour ride on a traditional wooden boat to explore the water coconut palm forest. While learning how to sail the basket boat, you also get a chance to relax by catching fish and purple crabs in the canal.

After saying goodbye to Cam Thanh Villagers, you continue biking to another village. You stop at the organic vegetable village of Tra Que, where a large variety of vegetables are grown for the local community. There, you will see the environmentally sustainable practices, that the local villagers have used for centuries and are still using extensively today. Visit Kum Quat restaurant, and join a cooking class with Thành & his wife. Today, you will cook some traditional Hoi An foods, then sit down for a delicious lunch by yourself. Cycle back to the hotel, and relax by the swimming pool or at the beach.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Hoi An Cam Thanh Village fisherman

Following the hotel breakfast, you will be taken to the Da Nang airport for a short flight to Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s commercial center with a bustling population of 10 million.

Upon arrival, your private guide and driver will take you to the wartime legacy of the Cu Chi Tunnels, an incredible underground tunnel network constructed by the Vietnamese resistance fighters during the long struggle for independence. The Viet Cong’s success over the Americans was significantly assisted by taking control of a large rural area surrounding HCM City thanks to their vast network of tunnels. You will watch a brief introductory video at the Cu Chi Tunnels, followed by a walk through the reserve. Crawl inside the Cu Chi Tunnels to see how awful life must have been and explore the three beneath-ground levels. There will also be a chilling exhibition of the traps and weapons used against the American GIs.

After the visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels, head back to downtown for check-in.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Ho Chi Minh Cu Chi Tunnel

The rice bowl of Vietnam, the Mekong Delta, is essential to Vietnamese agriculture. As the mighty Mekong river approaches the coast at the end of its journey from China, it begins to spread out into a myriad of tributaries that bring life to the whole region. Explore these tributaries, both big and small, and witness a life lived almost entirely on water!

Pick up at the hotel at 8 a.m., leave the busiest city, and start the trip to Ben Tre.

On arrival at Ham Luong Pier (Ben Tre town), take a boat on Ben Tre River – one of the tributaries of the Mekong River, and observe the lively activities along the river, such as fishing, water transfers.

Stop at brickwork to see how to make bricks in handy, traditional style by printing and baking. Visit one of the many coconut processing workshops located along the canal.

Turn on the natural scissors creeks where they look smaller and smaller to go to the village. Take a walk to the family workshop to make sleep mats and enjoy some fruits and tea.

Take a biking trip on shady paths, pass by green rice fields and vegetable plains to be able to touch real life, and find out about tropical culture from Peasants. Lunch at a local restaurant.

Afternoon, take a row boat along Water Palm Creek and cruise back to Hung Vuong Pier. Disembark and drive through endless rice fields to get back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Ben Tre boat trip in palm trees village

After breakfast, let’s start the morning tour in the most dynamic city in Vietnam. You start the city tour to explore great architecture in one of our largest cities in Vietnam.

The architecture of Ho Chi Minh City is a splendid mix of Vietnam’s historical heritage, from French colonial villas to modern steel and glass monuments. The top architectural sights for tourists date back to the time when Saigon, the “Pearl of Indochina,” was the capital of French Indochina. More has been added to the cultural heritage since then, and we see interesting times ahead in terms of modern architecture. Our guide would be more than happy to bring you to the Central Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral, Nguyen Van Binh Book Street, and the Reunification Palace. If time permits, you also visit the Saigon Opera House, Saigon’s city hall.

Following lunch, you will be taken to the Tan Son Nhat International airport for a short flight to Siem Reap, the next country on your tour in Indochina.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Ho Chi Minh city Notre Dame Cathedral

Start your morning temple exploration at Ta Prohm, the most illustrious of the Small Circuit temples. Ta Prohm is best at 7:30 a.m., just as the temple opens. Built in the mid-12th to early 13th centuries, Ta Prohm is unique in that it is overgrown by jungle. With many parts crumbling to the ground, it is one of the most picturesque Angkor temples.

Alternatively, depending on the season and the crowds, you may wish to visit the Preah Khan temple. Built by the same king in a similar style, this larger temple complex has largely been buried in ruins and is known to very few visitors, making for a more intimate experience even in the high season.

Next, visit the ancient city of Angkor Thom, the last capital of the Great Khmer Empire under the reign of Jayavarman VII. This city is surrounded by an 8-meter-high wall, drawing a perfect square. Enter the city through an ancient gate carved with three-headed elephants and capped with four giant faces of the Buddha. On each side of the causeway over the moat leading to the entrance, a row of 54 gods and demons stands, holding a sacred Naga snake.

From here, continue to Bayon Temple, the heart of the Angkor Thom Complex. It is a massive temple, built in the 12th century, that played an important role in the Khmer people’s spiritual life. One of the most curious things at Bayon Temple is the almost 200 smiling faces carved into the walls. Some carving details of the temple have been damaged by time and climate. However, the soul of this ancient Khmer architecture remains.

The afternoon tour gives you time to explore Angkor Wat, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The temple architecture has been modeled after the great Meru Mountain of India. The highest central tower is 65 m, representing the legendary Mount Meru, and its five towers correspond to the peaks of Meru. The entire structure has been built from sandstone and honeycomb. The magic is that the giant stone blocks are stacked on top of each other without any binders or reinforced concrete. Arrive just before sunset, when Angkor Wat is less visited, and the Apsaras will shine in the most beautiful light.

After touring, you get dropped off at your hotel.

Stay overnight in Siem Reap.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Siem Reap Victory Gate

Following breakfast, you drive out of Siem Reap to visit Koh Ker. Like many other monuments of Cambodia, Koh Ker has been hidden in the deep forest for thousands of years. Although the temple has been ravaged by time and war, every remaining detail still shows the splendor of an empire.

The first temple you’ll see on this full-day tour is Prasat Pram, with its five towers, some of which are draped in tree roots. Prasat Chin, or the Chinese temple, is in a state of ruin, and its blackened laterite tower is open to the sky. Visit the sacred oil well of Andong Preng before finishing the morning part of the tour at the 37-meter-high Prasat Thom pyramid with numerous thousand-year-old brick temples and shrines. Head out on the eastern part of the circuit, admire some of the largest temple lingas of the Khmer Empire: Prasat Krachap and Banteay Pichean are surrounded by forest, and you may see eagles circling overhead.

The tour now moves south to the jungle temple of Beng Mealea, situated behind large walls and dripping with vegetation. Marvel at the huge trees growing out of the ruins. This temple was built 30 years before Angkor Wat, with a similar style and layout. You have time for an in-depth exploration of this temple by scrambling over tumbled blocks and traversing high walls.

After the tour, you are driven back to Siem Reap.

Stay overnight in Siem Reap. 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Koh Ker Prasat Pram

Transfer to the airport with your guide (time to be confirmed the day before) for your flight to Bangkok, the city of angels. Upon arrival in Bangkok, meet with the Viland Travel’s guide and transfer to the hotel.

Optional tour: Food Tour by Tuk Tuk.

Bangkok is claimed to be the city that never stops eating. Bangkokians usually find themselves enjoying eating even at midnight. So, what would be a better idea than exploring this city of angels via a fun Tuk Tuk ride and visiting the best local eateries after the sunset? That’s why we’d love to invite you to come with us on the FOOD TOUR BY TUK TUK.

Overnight in Bangkok.

Meals: Breakfast.

Bangkok Tuktuk

After breakfast at the hotel, you start to discover Bangkok with your private tour guide and driver.

Your first stop is at Wat Traimit to visit the largest Golden Buddha statue in the world (with 3 meters high, weighs 5.5 tons, and is carved in solid gold). Your next visit is to Wat Pho to admire the massive reclining Buddha statue, which represents the entry of Buddha into Nirvana and the end of all reincarnations.

Just 800 m from Wat Pho, you will visit Grand Palace. The dazzling, spectacular Grand Palace is undoubtedly the most famous landmark in Bangkok and a must-see.

Continues with a long-tail boat ride along the canal to see Thai houses and typical rural life, as well as a visit to the Temple of Dawn before ending your day.

Overnight in Bangkok.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Bangkok Wat Arun

After breakfast, you drive north to Ayutthaya. Your first visit is to Wat Phu Khao Thong, built in 1387 by the second king of the Ayutthaya kingdom, an impressive monument in the Northwestern part of Ayutthaya. When the Burmese took over Ayutthaya in 1569, the king built a Mon-style chedi (or pyramid) on top of the former temple to celebrate his victory over Ayutthaya and the Siamese.

Continue to the Ayutthaya Historical Park and visit the ancient palace grounds. Wat Phra Sri Sanphet, lying beside the Grand Palace, was once the most significant temple during the Ayutthaya period. Adjacent to Wat Phra Sri Sanphet is Viharn Phra Mongkolbopit, an impressive building that houses a seated bronze Buddha image.

After a delicious Thai lunch, you move on to Wat Lokaya Sutha to see the reclining Buddha of Ayutthaya, which is 8 meters high and 42 meters long. The Buddha image was made of brick and covered with plaster. Continue to Wat Mahathat, a classic temple ruin of Ayutthaya and famous for the picturesque Buddha head engulfed by the Bodhi tree roots. The size of the foundation and the remaining plinths and towers attest to the significance of its time.

In the late afternoon, you take your ride back to Bangkok.

Overnight in Bangkok.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Ayutthaya Wat Mahathat

Today is at your leisure. Breakfast is still included, and check-out is at midday.
Depending on your departure time, a private driver will pick you up from the hotel (3 hours before your flight departure time) and transfer you back to the airport for your departure flight.

Meals: Breakfast.

Bangkok long tail boat