17 Day 5 Star Memoirs of Vietnam and Cambodia Small Group Tour with FREE Sapa Extension

Chao mung! Welcome to Vietnam and its beautiful ancient capital, Hanoi.

On arrival at Hanoi airport, make your way to your luxury 5-star hotel located in the heart of the city.  Take some time to relax and, depending on your arrival time, enjoy the afternoon or evening at your leisure.

Airport transfers are not included. Our transfer portal offers the option to book your airport transfers for an easier arrival experience (additional charges apply). Access to this portal will be available through your Traveller Hub once your booking is confirmed.

We’ll be rising early today to board our coach and depart for the quiet mountainous town of Sapa. Located in northwestern Vietnam, close to the Chinese border, Sapa is home to a variety of different ethnic tribal groups. Upon arrival in Sapa in the early afternoon, you will transfer to Ta Van village, where you'll be greeted by picturesque terraced rice paddies along the way. Enjoy a stroll around the village before returning to a homestay where you'll enjoy dinner at a local house, and even have the opportunity to learn how to prepare local cuisine. Following dinner, we'll head back to Sapa for an overnight stay at the hotel.

Sapa is a very popular trekking base, due to its location nestled among the Hoang Lien Son mountain range. The day will begin at 9.30am when we'll head towards Den Thang mountain and embark on a walk to explore the captivating hamlet of Hang Da, nestled within the Black Hmong ethnic villages at an altitude of 1,800 meters, offering breathtaking views of the Muong Hoa Valley. Here, you'll encounter numerous remnants of the traditional lifestyle of the Hmong people. Continuing along the broad village path, we'll gradually descend through the breathtaking Sa Seng valley, passing by several hamlets organized in the typical Hmong style of dwelling. After lunch, you will transfer to a hotel where we will spend our second night in Sapa. The rest of the afternoon and evening are yours to spend at leisure.

*To complete this walk, you will be required to walk a staircase of approximately 400 steps. Please note that the walk is approximately 10km.

This morning we say farewell to Sapa and begin our return trip to Hanoi, firstly your guide will pick you up at 9:30am for a guided visit of a Sapa Church, local market and Sapa Square. You will be dropped back to the hotel for some leisure time before an early afternoon transfer to your Hanoi hotel.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before you head off on a full day exploration of this charming city.

This morning we will visit Van Mieu, otherwise known as The Temple of Literature. The Confucian temple dates back to 1070, and features peaceful walled courtyards and graceful gateways and is one of the best examples of traditional Vietnamese architecture. Following this, we continue on and visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex from the outside; an impressive mausoleum that houses the embalmed body of President Ho Chi Minh.

This afternoon we head to the charming Old Quarter where we’ll enjoy a walking tour through Hanoi’s most historic and picturesque neighbourhood.  The Old Quarter is the oldest continuously developed area of Vietnam, highlighting more than 1,000 years of history. Explore the network of narrow alleyways known as 'The 36 Streets'. This is a wonderful place to soak up local life, and peruse market items from fabrics to crafts and exotic medicines. Each street was named to reflect the specialised trade of the merchants who had shops there, such as silk traders or jewellers. 

Return to your hotel in the late afternoon for an evening of leisure, or you may want to join an optional evening tour to explore the city’s incredible food culture.

This morning we depart for a leisurely drive to Tuan Chau Port. Upon arrival at this port city we will board our luxury Halong Bay cruise.

Onboard, enjoy a complimentary drink and take a seat in the lounge before a short welcome briefing with fellow guests. You’ll be shown to your luxury cabin where you can enjoy rich oak interiors, with high windows to make the most of the incredible views during your cruise. Enjoy a decadent lunch onboard made from fresh local ingredients you cruise by the beautiful and quaint villages.

Early in the afternoon we arrive at Surprise Cave - one of the most spectacular and largest grottoes of Halong Bay. The mouth of the grotto is reached by ascending about a hundred stone steps.

Enjoy dinner on board of local Vietnamese specialties before retiring for the evening.  Alternately, you may wish to enjoy the ship’s evening activities including squid fishing on the boat with help from the crew.

Start your morning by enjoying sunrise Tai Chi class upon the sundeck as day breaks on the calm lagoon. You will be then transferred by tender to the Titov Island. Spend time on the island, allowing time to climb to the peak for a breathtaking 360 degree view of the Bay (there is also an expansive viewing deck half way up). After the climb, there is time left to relax on the beach and have a swim.

Once back on board, enjoy a full breakfast and relax in the dining room and lounge or on the deck enjoying your last views of the bay before disembarking at midday. From here, we drive to Hanoi Airport (approximately 3.5 hrs drive) for our included flight south to Hue and transfer to your luxury resort for the next two nights. 

Your 5-star resort is ideally located in the quiet countryside in a rustic village setting surrounded by lush tranquil gardensand embodies the subtle and unique connection of treasured traditional style and Vietnamese modern art vibrancy.

Once checked in, the rest of the afternoon and evening is at leisure. Enjoy the resort facilities or simply relax and take in the soothing natural environment and local culture. 

Enjoy a delicious breakfast before boarding a local dragon boat for a tranquil cruise along the famous Perfume River. The river borne the name “Huong” (Perfume) for over a century as a result of flowers from upstream orchards dropping into the water during the autumn giving it a strong floral sent.We take the cruise to the iconic Thien Mu Pagoda and then take a road transfer to visit to the Imperial City. Established as the capital of unified Vietnam in 1802 CE this historic city is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Centre and retains many architectural works, temples, and palaces.

Following this, we visit the nearby village of Thuy Bieu well-known for its rustic ancient houses and gardens before returning to our luxury resort for an afternoon of leisure and relaxation. 

Enjoy breakfast at the resort before transferring by road to the beautiful heritage town of Hoi An. En route we stop by the picturesque  Lap An Lagoon for some amazing photo opportunities as well as the famous Hai Van Pass.

On arrival into Hoi An, we check into our luxury 5-star resort perfectly located only a short walk from the ancient town. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure to relax and make the most of the hotel’s beautiful facilities or take a short walk and wander the ancient streets and canals of this well preserved town.

This evening enjoy an Inspiring Taste as you join a cooking class and learn to make one of  Hoi An's traditional dishes: the white rose dumpling. Following your class, enjoy a delicious dinner before returning to the hotel.

This morning enjoy a guided walking tour through the narrow cobblestone streets of the Old Quarter and spend time mingling with local vendors at the Hoi An Market. Previously known as Faifo, Hoi An was once the most important trading port in the region. Now designated a UNESCO World Heritage Centre, the city is one of the best places to discover well-preserved Vietnamese architecture.  

The rest of the afternoon is yours to enjoy as you please. As the sun goes down the city lights up with a sea of colourful lanterns, giving Hoi An the moniker 'City of Lanterns' and making for a thoroughly photogenic and romantic atmosphere.

Enjoy breakfast before we transfer to the airport for our included flight Ho Chi Minh City, commonly known as Saigon. On arrival, you are transferred to your luxury 5-star hotel located in the heart of this exciting city.

This afternoon, enjoy a guided tour where we visit some of the city’s most visit of Ho Chi Minh City, including; Dong Khoi Street, the city's major thoroughfare connecting French colonial architecture with modern skyscrapers,the beautiful and iconic Saigon Central Post Office with its perfect combination of Neo-classical European architecture and Asian influences,and the War Remnant’s Museum which holds 20,000 documents, artefacts, and films around the brutal truth of the Vietnam War and its long-lasting traumatic consequences.

Return to the hotel where the rest of the evening is at leisure.

After breakfast at the hotel, we depart bustle of Ho Chi Minh City and head to Ben Tre Ben, a beautiful tranquil province in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam known for its lush green landscapes, winding rivers, and friendly locals. On arrival, we board a boat and cruise along the mighty Mekong taking in scenic canals, islands, floating villages and seeing locals going about their daily lives. The cruise will stop at a local bricks factory and a coconut workshop before disembarking to enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.

Following lunch, we return to Ho Chi Minh City where the rest of the afternoon and evening is at leisure.

Enjoy breakfast before we transfer to the airport for your included flight to Siem Reap, the second-largest city of Cambodia and gateway to the famous ruins of Angkor, the seat of the Khmer kingdom from the 9th–15th centuries.

On arrival you will be welcomed and transferred to you luxury 5-star resort hotel located in an oasis of coconut palms just minutes from the vibrant downtown district.

The rest of the day is at leisure to enjoy the hotel facilities or take a short tuk tuk ride and explore the city on your own.

Today is dedicated to the famous temples of Angkor Wat.

For the early-rises, join the group for a once in a lifetime experience as we watch the sunrise over Angkor Wat temples before returning back to the hotel for breakfast.  

Following breakfast we’ll head off to begin discovering the most famous of all the temples on the Angkor plain: Angkor Wat. There isn’t much that matches the magnificence of this temple complex, one of the largest religious monuments ever built. The temple complex covers about 500 acres and is comparable in size to the Imperial Palace in Beijing. This 12th-century masterpiece is considered to be a prime example of classic Khmer art and architecture and its depiction appears on the national flag. Built to represent Mount Meru, its distinctive five towers symbolise the five peaks of the mountain; the enclosed wall represents the mountains at the edge of the world and the surrounding moat symbolises the ocean.

We first visit the South Gate of Angkor Thom City, Byon. Angkor Thom was once the capital of the Khmer empire. See the well preserved South Gate, with its huge statues depicting the Hindu mythology of the Churning of the Ocean of Milk. We’ll visit Bayon Temple, famous for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces of Avalokitesvara. We’ll also see the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King.

In the afternoon, we will explore Ta Prohm Temples. The jungle-covered temple of Ta Prohm is an incredible sight with enormous fig trees and gigantic creepers entwined in the stone foundations of the traditional structure, giving the impression of man’s creation being reclaimed by the powerful forces of nature.  We’ll explore this masterpiece as well as some of the surrounding temples including Banteay Kdei, Srah Srang, Ta Keo, Thommanon and Chau Say Tevado before returning to the hotel where the rest of evening at leisure.

After a delicious breakfast we begin our journey to Phnom Penh. The journey takes approximately 6 hours in total and along the way, we will stop at Tonle Sap Lake and take a boat ride to the fascinating Kampong Phluk Floating Village where houses are built on stilts and floating rafts.

You will have time for lunch (not included) before continuing the journey to Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s busy capital which sits at the junction of the Mekong and Tonlé Sap river and was once the hub for both the Khmer Empire and French colonialists. On arrival check into your luxury 5-star hotel located in the heart of the thriving and lively capital city of the “Kingdom of Wonder” where the rest of the day is at leisure.

After breakfast we enjoy a guided tour of Phnom Penh. We start with a visit the Tuo Sleng Genoice Museum and learn of the harrowing stories of the Cambodian genocide at the hands of the Khmer Rouge regime. We then continue to the Russian Market, named due to the large Russian expat population back in the '80s and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant (not included). Following this, continue to the legendary Wat Phnom, a Buddist temple that stands on the only hill in Phnom Penh which lent the the Cambodian capital its name. Later, we visit the private quarters of the Royal Palace which are now home to the royal family and closed to the general public. At the northern area of the palace grounds we see the impressive Silver Pagoda, the most sacred temple in the country.

Return to your hotel this afternoon for a rest before we enjoy an authentic Cambodian dinner for our last night together.

At the appropriate time today, you will be transferred to the airport for your departure flight.