Discover Vietnam - Cambodia - Thailand (22 Days)
Places You’ll See
Hanoi
Ba Vi National Park
Halong Bay
Ninh Binh
Hue
Hoi An
Ho Chi Minh city
Mekong Delta
Cu Chi
Phnom Penh
Siem Reap
Phuket
Itinerary
Discover Vietnam - Cambodia - Thailand in 22 Days are a magical combination of Southeast Asia. From the majestic Angkor ruins to the frenetic pace of Ho Chi Minh City, past the relaxed vibes of Hoi An to the white sand beach of Phuket, you’ll learn the history, meet friendly and welcoming people; eat delicious food and stay with local communities along the way. If you want to capture the true essence of this region, this jam-packed and all-encompassing itinerary is for you. See what all the fuss is about in Vietnam, and Cambodia – three shining gems in South East Asia.
Your Vietnam adventure begins with your arrival in Hanoi. Your private driver will meet you at the airport, holding a signboard with your name. He will escort you to your accommodation right in the heart of the city, with the fascinating Old Quarter at your fingertips. You can easily explore the city at your own pace or relax at the hotel after the flight.
Overnight in Hanoi.
Highlight:
Harvesting tea leaves on a traditional, 30-year-old Tea Plantation
Cooking with a friendly local host
Visiting local workshops in the village
Cycling across the rice field and villages
Traditional Foot Soak with herbs following the traditional recipes of Muong ethnic minority
08:00 – Private guide and car pick you up at your hotel/residence.
09:30 – Arrive to Ri village where you will start the trip at your host’s house with a welcome drink. Meet Duoc (Mr.) – a Vietnam War veteran and tea-farm owner who tells historical stories with his own experience.
10:00 – Follow Duoc to his vast tea-farm and learn how to harvest tea leaves. This is a green and peaceful place where you can enjoy beautiful scenery of the village. You may then help him pick tea leaves, and be shown how to collect the best part of the tea tree to make the most wonderful beverage of Vietnam – the traditional tea. Carry on with the process of producing tea at his small workshop, most of the works there are manual.
11:15 – Have a ten-minute drive to visit another host family in Moc village where you will enjoy a fun cooking class with Chin (Mrs.). She will show you how to cook some Vietnamese dishes and you will then enjoy lunch with food you helped cook.
13:30 – Stroll around the village and visit some local families to understand rural lifestyle and learn how tofu, conical hat and other local products are made.
14:45 – Enjoy a cycling trip through beautiful paddy fields and interact with local farmers by chance.
15:30 – Wrap up your countryside tour by a traditional foot bathing in warm water with herbs, following the traditional recipes of Muong ethnic minority. This will relay you (and your feet!) after cycling around the village.
16:00 – Drive back to your hotel/residence in Hanoi.
Overnight in Hanoi.
In the morning, check out of the hotel, and get picked up by the Cruise team. Take the most scenic route to reach Halong Bay, taking you across the Red River Delta with emerald green rice paddies stretching for as far as the eyes can see.
On arrival at the pier, you will board the cruise and enjoy the fantastic views of limestone rocks and the karst grottoes. Have an utterly delicious seafood lunch and enjoy the time at the sundeck exploring the Bay.
The cruise will stop in a secret place where you will spend time kayaking or swimming, so you can explore the karst grottoes closer. Towards the evening, you will return to the boat for an early dinner, followed by some time at leisure. You can optionally attend the activities taking part on the boat or just relax.
Overnight on cruise.
Rise early today to view the sunrise at the wonder of nature with breakfast served in the dining room. A Tai Chi class on the sun deck will awaken your mind and muscles.
Then head off to visit the limestone cave full of stalagmites and stalactites. After your exploration return to the boat to check out and enjoy the brunch while the cruise is sailing back to the harbor. Later you will be transferred to your accommodation in Hanoi.
Overnight in Hanoi.
Today you will experience the ancient culture and history of Vietnam as well as see the stunning landscape and beautiful scenery when we travel to the Ninh Binh Province. This area is known as “Ha Long Bay on land” and is located 80 km south of Hanoi.
AM: 8:00 - 8:30. Our guide & driver will pick you up at your hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter, then leave by coach to Hoa Lu (2.5 hrs). Visit the historic capital of Vietnam and the famous ancient temples of Le and the Dinh Dynasties. Then our bus will transfer you from Hoa Lu to Tam Coc for lunch around 12:30 PM.
PM: After lunch, boat trip to visit Tam Coc to see the beauty of the karst formations as you pass along their base and row into one of the many caves carved through the limestone. Then, cycle for an hour on quiet roads through villages, rice fields, rivers and rocky outcrops in Tam Coc - Bich Dong (around 5 km). Dive back to Hanoi and drop off at your hotel around at 18:00 PM.
Overnight in Hanoi.
Relish the remaining moment in Hanoi before your private driver escorts you to the airport to take the flight to Hue. When you arrive at Hue Airport, your driver will pick you up and transfer you to your accommodation in the city centre. The rest of the time is free at leisure.
Overnight in Hue.
Complex of Hue Monuments lies along the Perfume River in Hue City and some adjacent areas of Thua Thien Hue Province. Hue City constitutes the cultural, political and economic centre of the province, and was the old imperial city of Vietnam under the Nguyen Dynasty.
From 1802 to 1945, Hue was the capital of unified Vietnam under the reign of the 13 Nguyen Kings. During these years, architectural works of a high cultural and historic value were built: the Citadel, especially the Imperial City (including 253 constructions), 7 Royal tomb compound of 9 kings of the Nguyen Dynasty, the Temple of Heaven, Tiger Arena, hundreds of pagoda. The monument complex of Hue, nowadays, was listed by UNESCO as the world heritage in 1993.
In the Morning: 07h50 - 08h10 Pick up you at your hotel and then take a full day to discover Hue: visit Emperor Khai Dinh stom, and Emperor Tu Duc ’s stomb. Stop on the way to see how conical hats and incense sticks are made. Lunch at a local restaurant.
In the Afternoon, visit Imperial capital during Nguyen Dynasty, An Hien Garden House and the seven – storey Thien Mu Pagoda on the riverbank. Return by boat on the gentle Perfume River .
17:00 Arrive in your hotel.
Overnight in Hue.
Our day starts at 8.30 am
We visit Hoi An's colorful and bustling central market by boat in small groups with an English-speaking tour guide where participants learn about; the uses of different fresh noodles, how to recognize and buy fresh fish, fresh and dried spices, fresh herbs and their uses in our recipes and medicinal purposes, rice and different grains. You will also see and taste many exotic fruits.
We then return to Vy’s Market Restaurant by boat where you will be guided around the many live food counters in this unique first-of-its-kind interactive dining venue in Vietnam. Here you can see, smell, hear, taste, touch and interact with many different food making processes. You can try samples from over 10 different food counters including banh mi, dumplings, pickles, weird & wonderful foods, our rationing foods in Vietnam that were in place for 45 years, sweet treats and many more. You can see rice paper being made from ground rice and water, laid out to dry on bamboo and then later roasted for rice crackers to eat with Hoi An chilli sauce and salads, various shapes and sizes of rice noodles. Experience our famous local noodle dish Cao Lau, see the noodles rolled out by hand and cut in the traditional way with a long knife and then steamed over an open fire. You may participate in many of the street food counters; cutting noodles, making rice paper and wontons, using the bun noodle machine and more.
The cooking lesson runs about 2.5 hours – our cooking teachers first demonstrate each dish before you prepare the same dishes yourselves. After the lesson we all sit down and eat what we have cooked. You will receive a copy of the recipes and a Vietnamese cooking utensil to take home.
Recipes: (Vegetarians are provided with replacement ingredients).
1. Cabbage leaf parcels shrimp mousse in broth
2. BBQ chicken & lime leaves
3. Mango salad with prawns
4. Crispy Hoi An Pancakes with pork, prawns & bean sprouts
Overnight in Hoi An.
07:30: Pick up at your hotel in Ho Chi Minh City and start the trip to Cai Be. Upon arrival in Cai Be, have a boat ride to the remaining site of a renowned wholesale floating market on the Tien River many years ago. This site entitles you to learn about the local trading habits that has changed due to the age of modern society when more terrestrial transportation and high agriculture techniques have dominated everywhere. There, you can realize how diverse the area is and how rich orchard gardens are, which makes it the basket of fruit in the lower part of the Mekong River.
Ramble in small villages where you will uncover the beauty of an ancient house and learn about the indigenous culture. Make a short visit to a small family business where the locals make coconut fudges and crispy rice popcorn. Savor delicious fresh fruit and feel the slow rhythms of Southern Vietnamese folk music – a kind of music entwined with the life and culture of the Mekong Delta people. Paddle through small canals – an exciting experience since you can look around, unwind, and soak up the wonderful atmosphere of the Upper Mekong Delta. Additionally, after arrival on Tan Phong Island, immerse yourself in nature's tranquility.
At lunch time, you not only enjoy luscious food but also get closer to the locals as it is a chance to learn how to prepare Vietnamese specialties. The meal is cooked on your own and served in the heart of the local garden.
Cycle on the village path through orchards. Meet the local islanders to learn more about the local daily life in the Mekong Delta. Visit Ba Kiệt’s ancient house.
Take a boat ride back to Cai Be and meet your bus for the trip to Can Tho City. Proceed to Can Tho City and overnight in Can Tho.
Have breakfast at the hotel. You can take a leisurely boat ride to explore the picturesque tributaries of the Lower Mekong River (Bassac River), then visit Cai Rang Floating Market, the most vibrant floating market in the area.
Walking tour of the local noodle factory. Visit Munir Ansay Pagoda - Khmer temple, famous for its unique structure. Then, move by boat to the Con Son tourist area, visit the fruit plantation, and enjoy seasonal fruits.
Have lunch and return to Ho Chi Minh City.
Today you will be picked up by an experienced English-speaking guide to Cu Chi Tunnels, located in the countryside near Ho Chi Minh City. The approximate travel time is one hour and 30 minutes. The residents of Cu Chi took the war underground into a highly developed network of tunnels that at its height stretched as far as Cambodia and included meeting rooms, kitchens, and triage areas. Imperceptible from the ground, opposing armies could roll their tanks over the bunkers without causing damage to the tunnels below. Living conditions were harsh – in addition to fighting the war, resident’s battled food and oxygen scarcity, venomous insects, and cramped living quarters. Gain important insight into the prolonged struggle against invading armies, and appreciation for the resilience and spirit of the Vietnamese people. After that, travelers can try the delicious manioc which was the main food for guerilla-warriors in Cu Chi during the war. Visitors can try to fire off an AK47 or MK16 or machine guns at the nearby shooting range.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh city.
After breakfast, transfer by bus from Ho Chi Minh city to Phnom Penh. On arrival, the hotel check-in. Visit Royal Palace is a royal residence now where His Majesty, the King of Cambodia, and the royal families live. It is like a small town of royal dynasties. Continue to Silver Pagoda, which serves less as a functioning temple than a repository for cultural treasures such as 90 kg golden Buddha encrusted with 2086 diamonds. Finally visit Wat Phnom Temple is one of the most important pagodas in Phnom Penh. Built-in 1373 on an artificial hill by the wealthy widow Daun Chi Penh.
Overnight in Phnom Penh.
Breakfast at the hotel. Visit Tuol Sleng Museum (also known as S-21 prison). This former school was used as a prison by Pol Pot’s security forces. More than 17,000 people held at S-21 were taken to the extermination camp at Choeng Ek to be executed. Then drive to visit the “Killing Fields” of Choeng Ek (15 km south of Phnom Penh). Between 1975 and 1978 about 17,000 men, women, children, and infants (including nine westerners) were detained and tortured at the S-21 prison and transported to the extermination camp of Choeng Ek. Visit Russian Market (Toul Tumpong Market), the market has gained a reputation for cheap clothing, a large selection of Buddha images and woodcarvings, betel-nut boxes, silk, silver jewelry, and classic music instrument. Enjoy Sunset Cruise on the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers in Phnom Penh, it bursts into 4 branches.
Overnight in Phnom Penh.
Breakfast in Siem Reap. Take the flight to Phuket.
Overnight in Phuket.
Have a leisure day and immerse yourself into the emerald water.
Overnight in Phuket.
What's Include
3-star hotel:
- Hanoi: San Premium Hotel or similar
- Halong Bay: Le Journey Cruise or similar
- Hue: Cherish Hue or similar
- Hoi An: Kim An Hotel Hoi An or similar
- Ho Chi Minh: Queen Ann Hotel or similar
- Can Tho: Kim Tho or similar
- Phnom Penh: LCS Hotel or similar
- Siem Reap: Hari Residence or similar
- Phuket: Kata Sea Breeze or similar
4-star hotel
- Hanoi: Tirant Hotel or similar
- Halong Bay: La Pandora Cruise Halong or similar
- Hue : Eldora Hotel or similar
- Hoi An: Silkotel Hoi An or similar
- Ho Chi Minh City: Alagon Saigon Hotel & Spa or similar
- Can Tho: TTC hotel or similar
- Phnom Penh: Palace Gate Hotel and Residence or similar
- Siem Reap: Somadevi Boutique or similar
- Phuket: The Old Phuket or similar
5-star hotel
- Hanoi: Apricot Hotel and Spa or similar
- Halong Bay: Doris Cruise or similar
- Hoi An: Palm Garden Hoi An or similar
- Hue: Silk Path Grand Hue Hotel and Spa or similar
- Ho Chi Minh City: The Myst Dong Khoi or similar
- Phnom Penh: Hyatt Recency or similar
- Can Tho: Sheraton Can Tho or similar
- Siem Reap: Borei Angkor or similar
- Phuket: AVISTA HIDEAWAY PHUKET PATONG or similar
Check-in room at 14:00 // Check-out room at 12:00 noon (Except Early check-in or Late check-out mentioned in the program)
- Domestic flight from Hanoi to Hue, include up to 20 kg of checked luggage per pax
- Domestic flight from Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh, include up to 20 kg of checked luggage per pax
- International flight from Siem Reap to Phuket, include up to 20 kg of checked luggage per pax
Experienced English-speaking guide
French/German/Spanish/Chinese/Russia speaking guides are available upon request. The surcharge will be applied
As per the tour program:
B=breakfast
L-Lunch
D-Dinner
- Door-to-door pick-up & drop-off services by private car
- Private car for the excursion
- Boat as per itinerary
- Accommodation based on double/twin share with breakfast (including 5% service fee and 10% VAT tax)
- All sightseeing tickets according to the itinerary
- Tissues and water during transfers
- Service charges and government tax
- Exclusive and personalized single agent/single customer service
- 24/7 hotline support guaranteed
- No extra charge after service confirmation
• Arrival and Departure Flights
• Beverage, Personal expenses, tips, and gratuities
• Travel Insurance
• Public holiday surcharge (if any)
• Compulsory Gala Dinner on 24 Dec and 31 Dec
• Early check-in and Late check-out (If not mentioned)
• E-visa
• Surcharge for airport transfers between 12:00 am – 05:00 am
• Other services not mentioned above
FAQs
1. What are the cancellation policies and how can I change my booking?
2. Any policies are in place for children?
3. What are the payment terms for booking a trip with Realistic Asia?
4. I'm a solo traveller, is there a single supplement?
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