16-Day Tour in Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia
Duration
16 Days | 15 Nights
Destinations
Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia
Travel Type
Private | Customizable
Places You’ll Visit
Tour Overview
This 16 days tour is designed to cover the best highlights of Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia. You will follow local English-speaking guides to uncover the natural and cultural wonders of Luang Prabang and the mysterious Pak Ou Caves, then fly to Vietnam to explore the ancient Hanoi, stunning karst landscape from a Halong Bay cruise, the imperial feeling of Hue, beautiful beaches in Da Nang, the ancient charm of Hai An, and bustling life in Ho Chi Minh city. During your 3-day stay in Cambodia, you’ll get a chance to see the unique architecture art of the Angkor ruins and listen to your guide narrate stories and legends behind the ruins.
Highlights of This Tour
- Cruise on Halong Bay to look into local villages and plush green limestone peaks.
- Adventure to Kuang Si Waterfall to enjoy the natural beauty and have fun around the pools.
- See the best ancient temples, and natural beauty, and experience the morning rituals of local monks in the charming UNESCO-protected Luang Prabang town.
- Cruise upstream along the Mekong River to explore the mysterious Pak Ou caves with numerous Buddha statues.
- Crawl through two sections of Cu Chi Tunnels to look into Vietnam’s wartime history in the last century.
- Explore the well-preserved buildings, bustling markets, and ancient temples in Hoi An.
- Witness the unique floating village with floating schools, a floating police station around Tonle Sap Lake.
- See the ruins and monuments in Angkor Wat and admire many time-honored sandstone carvings.
Itinerary
Please make your own way to Luang Prabang an ancient town featuring well-preserved French colonial architecture, ancient temples, and amazing natural beauty.
Upon arrival at the airport, you will be welcomed by your guide and driver before they drive you to the hotel for check-in. Then a visit to the local market and streets is arranged for you to get a first impression of this town.
Meals: N/A
Overnight: Luang Prabang
Today, you can get up early (optional) to catch the daily morning rituals of saffron-clad monks collecting offerings. Laos is the only Buddhist nation that still preserves this unique tradition. You can buy some food to offer to monks for their blessings.
After breakfast, start your city tour in Luang Prabang. You will firstly visit the Royal Palace Museum (closed on Tuesday) which presents a wealth of interesting artifacts. Then be guided to the Wat Sene, the first monastery in town with its vihan covered with red and yellow tiles, and the magnificent Wat Xieng Thong, the largest temple in Luang Prabang that will introduce you to characteristics of 16th-century Lao architecture.
We will also not miss the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrine of Wat Aham.
After lunch, follow your guide to Traditional Art and Ethnology Center to learn about the interesting local ethnic culture. Followed by a visit to the weaving villages of Ban Xiengkhong and Ban Xienglek where you meet the Master Weavers and see they make silk weaving.
Then, get back to the town to visit Wat Mai. We then get to the top of Phousi Hill (you’ll need to take 329 steps) to enjoy a bird view of Luang Prabang City and the Mekong River at sunset.
Before getting back to your hotel, enjoy an exciting time at a local night market where you can see various handmade textiles made by local villagers.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight: Luang Prabang
After breakfast, relax on an upstream cruise along the Mekong River before you reach the mysterious Pak Ou Caves. Located by the Mekong River, Pak Ou Caves are two linked caves, in which you’ll discover thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues.
During the cruise to Pak Ou Caves, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery along both banks of the Mekong River, and glimpse into local life by visiting Ban Xanghai village, villagers here are good at making local rice wine.
Return to Luang Prabang for lunch in the afternoon. You will then be escorted to the Kuang Si Waterfall to enjoy the beautiful surrounding scenery. It’s a relaxing time when you can either have fun around the turquoise pools or enjoy leisure walking along the forest trails.
Along the way to Kuang Si Waterfall, you will pass the endless rice paddies and farms, and stop at some villages of the H’mong and Lao Loum people. You will be introduced to the life of local villagers, and get a rare chance to join in their daily work such as wooden cotton spinning, weaving, rice harvesting, etc.
Get back to Luang Prabang by late afternoon. Admire the stunning sunset at Wat Phabath before back to your hotel.
Note: the itinerary may change subject to weather conditions.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight: Luang Prabang
Enjoy your free time until your driver transfers you to the airport for departure. Arriving in Hanoi, the local guide and driver will pick you up at the airport, and escort you to the hotel for check-in.
The rest of the day is free for you to take a rest or explore the city by yourself.
Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Hanoi
Start today with a visit to Ho Chi Minh complex to discover Ho Chi Minh’s life and role in Vietnamese history, and visit One Pillar Pagoda.
Listen to your guide narrate important historical and cultural events while visiting the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university.
In the afternoon, visit Ethnographic Museum before you ride a bike to explore the old quarter. Watch Vietnam’s unique water puppetry before getting back to your hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight: Hanoi
Today you’ll enjoy your leisure time and sightseeing on the Halong Bay Cruise.
After breakfast, enjoy the farmland view and great opportunities along the Red River Delta. Then get to the Ha Long Pier, from there you will board a wooden ship to cruise through limestone peaks and jungle-clad islets towering over the sea.
Enjoy your onboard lunch with local special seafood. Then the cruise will take you to Sung Sot Cave. The sunset from Halong Bay is enchanting.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight on boat
Enjoy your coffee and tea on the sundeck and learn to practice Tai Chi with a master. Your Halong Bay Cruise sightseeing continues today.
You will change to a small motor or rowing boat to discover the Luon Cave and a tranquil round lake embraced by lush forest and stone walls. Then return to the junk to enjoy a sumptuous meal combining Vietnamese and Western cuisine. Your cruise end here.
Then, you will be guided to Bac Ninh province to visit the Do temple and appreciate the local traditional music show called “Quan Ho”.
After that, drive to the airport for your flight to Hue.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight in Hue
Follow your guide to explore Hue today. Once the capital of imperial Vietnam from the mid-1500s to 1945, Hue still retains an imperial feeling today.
Visit the tombs of King Minh Mang and Tu Duc, and Tu Hieu Pagoda before a cruise on the Perfume River takes you to the Old Thien Mu Pagoda.
In the afternoon, trace its former glory at Forbidden Citadel, look into local life and find various local food in the crowded market of Dong Ba.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight: in Hue
After breakfast, drive to the My Khe beach that crosses the spectacular Hai Van pass. Make a stop at the Cham Museum and Marble Mountain, then continue driving until you reach Hoi An.
Check in to the hotel, the rest time is free for you.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight: Hoi An
Start your Hoi An exploration at 09:00 am. Hoi An still retains its timeless charm of the 15th century despite the steady stream of worldwide travelers. Now, its ancient charm can still be traced from the numerous traditional ancient architectures. Today you will be guided to discover its Quan Cong Temple, the Quang Dong Pagoda, The Phuoc Kien Pagoda, the Japanese Covered Bridge, the Tran Family Chapel, Sa Huynh Museum, and Phung Hung House.
The following time is free for you.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight: Hoi An
This morning, enjoy your free time until your driver picks you up at the appointed time. You will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Your local guide and driver will meet you at the airport after arrival, then drive to the hotel for check-in.
Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Ho Chi Minh City
Start today with a visit to the War Remnants Museum, followed by a guided tour to Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Post office.
In the afternoon, look into the life of a bustling modern city in Vietnam by visiting Thien Hau Pagoda, Chinatown, and the market of Cho Lon.
Then, absorb the city’s night atmosphere and return to your hotel for rest.
Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Ho Chi Minh
This morning, visit Cu Chi Tunnels to look into Vietnam’s wartime history in the last century. This immense underground tunnel network was used as the hiding spot of Viet Cong guerrillas during the Vietnam War. Tourists can follow a local guide to crawl two safer sections of the tunnel.
Then, drive to the airport for your international flight to Siem Reap.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight: Siem Reap
Today our first stop is Ta Prohm Temple, where the movie Tomb Raider was filmed. Then visit Neak Pean, Kdei, and Preah Khan Temple with towered enclosures and shoulder-hugging corridors.
After enjoying lunch at a local restaurant, follow your guide to Banteay Srey temple, one of the most elaborate temples at Angkor that is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight: Siem Reap
Today you will have an in-depth exploration of Angkor Thom City, the last capital of the Khmer Empire and the “heart” of Angkor’s monuments. Bayon Temple is a highlight here featuring its 54 towers with 200 smiling faces on them.
Then, head to Angkor Wat, the most famous temple in Angkor and the largest religious monument in the world. It is a landmark of Cambodia, appearing on the nation’s flag. It is said that Angkor Wat is a miniature replica of the universe in stone, containing over 1,200 square meters (12,917 square feet) of sandstone carvings.
In the late afternoon, enjoy the amazing sunset from the top of Phnom Bakheng Hills.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight: Siem Reap
After breakfast, drive to Tonle Sap Lake for a boat journey to the mangrove forests.
You will pass through the local unique “floating village” with floating schools, floating police stations, etc.
Then, transfer to the airport for your departure flight.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.
Overnight: N/A
What’s Included
Dates & Availability
Tuesday
15 Sep,2024
Wednesday
24 Sep,2024
Total price
$1,049
Tuesday
15 Sep,2024
Wednesday
24 Sep,2024
Total price
$1,049
