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 visit to the Presidential Palace and History Museum. Visit Ho Chi Minh City’s baroque-styled Central Post Office, a remnant of past French colonialism. This evening cruise along the Saigon River and enjoy a welcome reception and dinner at a local restaurant.

This morning 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. 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. Spend the evening at leisure, trying one of Hue’s many restaurants.

Visit the picturesque Tu Duc and Khai Dinh tombs before departing by coach and traveling along Vietnam’s scenic seacoast and through the Hai Van (“Sea of Clouds”) Pass to Danang. Visit the Cham Museum featuring the unique relics of the Cham Kingdom, which dominated this region of Southeast Asia in the 10th century.

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, wander the sprawling Museum of Ethnology to learn about Vietnam’s 54 minority ethnic groups, their customs and lifestyles.

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, take in the well-preserved traditional Vietnamese architecture of the Temple of Literature. 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.

Begin the day with a look at Laos’ most traditional wat (Buddhist temple), Wat Xiengthong. Then cruise in a motorized canoe along the upper Mekong River to the Pak Ou Caves, an important local pilgrimage site, stopping to explore a village en route. Tonight experience a traditional baci (“spirit-calling”) welcoming ceremony.

Today tour the former Royal Palace of the Lanexang Kingdom. Reflecting a combination of French and Lao traditional styles, the palace is the current home of the precious, golden Prabang Buddha figure.

Today continue exploring Luang Prabang, this small, charming Laotian town bordered by green mountains and set on the Mekong River, which gives us a glimpse into the traditional village life of the Lao people. Visit Wat Mahathat and Wat Visoun, two of Luang Prabang’s oldest Buddhist temples. In the afternoon, stop in some typical weaving and paper shops at the Ock Pok Tok Living Crafts Center and enjoy free time to explore charming Luang Prabang on our own.

Take an early flight to Siem Reap. Head to the Angkor Conservation Area and wander the halls of the Angkor National Museum, marveling at its many local artifacts and archeological finds.

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 one of Angkor’s earliest and most prized sites, Banteay Srei, which displays the most beautifully preserved carvings remaining at Angkor. Depending on the water level, we may take an afternoon boating excursion on Tonle Sap Lake to observe the unique aquaculture and fishing industry of the region’s “floating villages.” Fly to Bangkok later this afternoon and check in to our hotel.

Transfer to the airport for flights home.