THE DETAILED PROGRAM OF 9 DAY VIETNAM COMBODIA HIGHLIGHT TOUR.
DAY 1: SIEM RIEP ARRIVAL.
Welcome to Siem Reap, you will meet our tour guide and driver to transfer to the hotel to check-in. Siem Reap is an area located in the northwest part of Cambodia. Once the seat of power for the great Khmer Empire, this location is home to the most ornate temples and as such is the most popular tourist site for those taking a tour of Cambodia. The balance of the day will be free at your leisure. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.
DAY 2 : ANGKOR SIGHTSEEING DAY TRIP.OVERNIGHT IN SIEM RIEP (B,L)
08:00: After meeting our tour guide, then we drive to Angkor Thom that was the masterpiece of King Jayavarman VII. Following the occupation of Angkor by the Chams from 1177 to 1181, the new king decided to build an impregnable fortress at the heart of his empire.
- We begin to visit Bayon Temple. At the exact center of Angkor Thom, this is an eccentric expression of the creative genius and inflated ego of Cambodia’s most celebrated king. Its 54 towers are each topped off with the four faces of Avalokiteshvara (Buddha of Compassion), which bear more than a passing resemblance to the king himself.
- We continue to visit Terrace of the Leper King. This intricately carved platform was the royal crematorium and the statue that was originally thought to be the leper king is now believed to be Yama, the god of death.
- We continue along the Terrace of Elephants, originally used as a viewing gallery for the king to preside over parades, performances and traditional sports. At the southern end lies the Baphuon, once of the most beautiful temples at Angkor, dating from the reign of Uditayavarman 1 in the 11th century.
- We visit Ta Prohm “Tomb Raider” fame. Ta Prohm has been abandoned to the elements, a reminder that while empires rise and fall, the riotous power of nature marches on, oblivious to the dramas of human history. Left as it was ‘discovered’ by French explorer Henri Mouhout in 1860, the tentacle-like tree roots here are slowly strangling the surviving stones, man first conquering nature to create, nature later conquering man to destroy.
- We journey out to the Mother of all temples, Angkor Wat. Believed to be the world’s largest religious building, this temple is the perfect fusion of symbolism and symmetry and a source of pride and strength to all Khmers. Built in the 12th century by King Suryavarman II, this is most famous temple at Angkor.
Transfer to your hotel. Dinner on your own.
Overnight at the hotel.
DAY 3 : SIEM RIEP VISIT TO TONLE SAP LAKE & FLIGHT TO HANOI.OVERNIGHT IN HANOI (B)
Pick up from your hotel at 08:10am, we depart for the Tonlé Sap. We will enjoy a boat ride on the Tonle Sap Lake. This is the largest permanent fresh-water lake in South East Asia and flows into Tonle Sap River, joining the Mekong in Phnom Penh. We will see a fishermen’s “floating village” with floating schools, floating police station, etc. It is same as a big village floating on the lake, and the “village” move from place to place following water levels and current. We will stop at Les Artisan Dangkor.
At a good time, our driver will come and pick you up for the flight to Hanoi.
Welcome on arrival and transferred to the hotel in the city center for check in. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.
DAY 4 : HANOI CITY TOUR .OVERNIGHT IN HANOI (B,L)
08.15 – 08.30 AM: Meet your tour guide at your suggested places around Hanoi Old Quarter including:
- Tran Quoc pagoda, a Buddhist relic and national heritage lying on the West Lake.
- Ho Chi Minh complex, the final resting place of Viet Nam’s greatest father; his house-on-stilt and One pillar pagoda – modeled after a lotus flower, a symbol of Hanoi.
- Temple of Literature constructed in 1070 dedicating to Confucius, sages, and scholars. It was also the first university of Viet Nam once
Relax and have lunch at a local restaurant in Hanoi Old Quarter.
In the afternoon, spend time to explore:
- The traditional ceramics village of Bat Trang. Visit showrooms and see how they model the products.
- Ngoc Son Temple dedicated to Tran Hung Dao – General Commander for his struggle against Mongolians.
After Hanoi city tour, transfer you to your hotel & be relaxed at leisure.
Dinner on your own. Overnight at the hotel.
DAY 5 : HANOI – HALONG BAY.OVERNIGHT ON CRUISE (B,L,D)
07:45 – 08:15 am: Picked up by cruise shuttle bus to another fascinating land – the gem in the north of Vietnam – Halong Bay.
12:00 pm: Take a tender to the main cruise and have lunch.
02:00 pm: Visit a grotto of spectacular stalactites and stalagmites and anchor for a relaxing swim in a hidden cave.
05:00 pm: Dinner on the cruise with cooking class. Overnight on the cruise.
DAY 6 : HALONG BAY – HANOI & FLIGHT TO HCM CITY.OVERNIGHT IN HCMC (B,L)
06:30 – 07:30 Join in the Tai Chi exercise & have breakfast
07:30 – 09:30 Enjoy your time to swim, sunbathe and relax in the fascinating background of the bay.
09:30 – 10: 30 Check out & have lunch on board
11:30 – 12: 30 Transfer back to Hanoi.
Our driver will pick you up to transfer to the airport (without the guide) to take your domestic flight to Ho Chi Minh.
Once arrival in Ho Chi Minh, you will be warmly welcomed and transferred to the hotel to check in by our tour guide and driver.
Dinner on your own. Overnight at the hotel.
DAY 7 : DAY TRIP TO MEKONG DELTA.OVERNIGHT IN HCMC (B,L)
Our guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel, and drive 1,5 hours to My Tho. We will stop along the way for refreshments and toilet.
- Upon arrival, we board a motor-boat and cruise along a vast network of canals and channels to enjoy wonderful views of the Mekong River, including four famous islands “Dragon, Unicorn, Turtle and Phoenix”.
- Stop at one of the floating fish houses, in nets and wire baskets under their house, the villagers cultivate freshwater fish and shrimp – a major export product of the region.
- Cross the River to the other side, you will stop at a traditional workshop to witness a step-by-step process on how to make coconut candy, honey farming… while trying some yourself and listening to traditional music.
- Enjoy what local people offer by hand rowing a sampan along the shady, breezy canal. We will transfer to local transportation called Xe Loi to travel throughout the villages.
Lunch will be served at a riverside restaurant with a Vietnamese 5-course set menu. Please request in advance if you have a food allergy, you are a vegetarian, or you observe Halal.
Take a rest after lunch before boarding the motor-boat back to My Tho. We drive to Vinh Trang pagoda, an ancient southern architectural gem built in the middle of the 19th century. There are many Buddha statues including some that are over a hundred years old.
We drive another 1,5 hours back to Ho Chi Minh city and drop you at your hotel.
DAY 8 : HO CHI MINH CITY TOUR – CU CHI TUNNELS.OVERNIGHT IN HCMC (B,L)
08:00-08:30 am: Pick up at your hotel and start the city tour included:
- Independence Palace (the Reunification Palace) was built on the sight of the former Norodom palace.
- War Remnants Museum which has a vast display of the both the Indochina wars.
- Notre Dame Cathedral & Central Post Office the beautiful structures from the French Colonial times
- Jade Emperor Pagoda with the peaceful atmosphere &o many stories behind each detail of the pagoda.
12:30 am: Lunchtime with a famous Phở restaurant (Vietnamese noodle soup).
02:00 pm: Depart around 1,5 hours through the pleasant countryside before arriving at Cu Chi Tunnels – the historic site where Vietnamese soldiers used as a shelter during wartime. This fantastic network stretches over 250 km and is the shelter of Vietnamese soldiers during the wars.
06:00 – 07:00 pm: Be dropped off at your hotel. Dinner on your own account. Overnight at the hotel.
DAY 9 : HO CHI MINH DEPARTURE (B)
You are free to relax until being transferred to the airport (without tour guide) for your departure flight. The room is at your disposal until noontime. Meals on your own. End of service.
