20-Day Southeast Asia Private Tour
Duration
20 Days | 19 Nights
Destinations
Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam
Travel Type
Private | Customizable
Places You’ll Visit
Tour Overview
It is possible to discover all the essential charm of Southeast Asia in one trip. This 20 days trip covering five fascinating countries (Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam) will introduce you to all top-recommended attractions and authentic local life throughout Southeast Asia. See many outstanding ancient pagodas & temples in Myanmar and experience the floating life and culture in Inle Lake. In Thailand, you’ll be wowed by myriad majestic palaces and get close to Asian elephants. You won’t miss awe-inspiring famous ruins & temples in Cambodia. Laos will entertain you with tranquil natural beauty, a laid-back vibe, and unique rituals. Vietnam discovery will be a highlight of this trip thanks to the sightseeing Halong Bay cruise, rich history, and cultural diversity.
Highlights of This Tour
- Experience a hot air balloon ride and fly over thousands of temples in Bagan.
- Get close to the unique floating gardens and locals’traditional fishing methods in Inle Lake.
- Sit back in a relaxing Halong Bay Cruise and be attracted by fantastic karst formations, floating villages, and mysteriousnatural grottoes.
- See the best ancient temples, naturalbeauty, and experience the morning rituals of local monks in the charming UNESCO-protected Luang Prabang town.
- Witness the unique floating village with floating schools, and a floating police station around Tonle Sap Lake.
- Get close to Asian elephants in Chiang Mai, enjoy a fun time with lovely elephants, and learn to feed and interact with them.
- Look into the royal palaces and ancient temples in Bangkok.
- See the ruins and monuments in Angkor Wat and admire many time-honored sandstone carvings.
Itinerary
Please make your way to Yangon airport. Your local driver will be ready to welcome you upon your arrival. Drive to your hotel to check-in and have a short break. Then, meet your expert guide who will inform some useful tips and notices to ensure you a smooth trip.
Start your Southeast Asia tour with a visit to Sule Pagoda and a leisure walking tour around the colonial district with many fascinating French-style buildings. Then head to the local popular Bogyoke Market to see various stalls and vendors selling all kinds of Burmese food and handicrafts. It’s a good chance to get close to real local life.
In the late afternoon, go to the most sacred Shwedagon Pagoda when it is glittering under the breathtaking sunset.
Meals: N/A
Accommodation: in Yangon
After breakfast, board a flight to Bagan which boasts over 2,000 ancient pagodas. You will follow your guide to see some of the most mesmerizing pagodas in the Bagan Archaeological Zone, including Dhammazedi Temple, Ananda Pagoda, Shwezigon Pagoda, Sulamani Temple, etc.
Around sunset time, get to the top of the temples to see an amazing sunset over the plains of Bagan.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Bagan
Be an early bird this morning, and a hot air balloon ride will take you to fly over the Bagan Plains. When the sun rises, the clear sky will be dotted with colorful hot air balloons, and the over 2,000 pagodas spread out across the horizon in the morning mist, surely a lifetime memory.
After breakfast, head to Manuha Temple in Myinkaba village. The village is famous for its lacquerware making. Burmese lacquerware is a world-famous handicraft, and in the village, you can walk into some workshops to see the process of lacquerware making.
Then, visit Nyaung Oo Market (or Nyuang U Market) to see local people buy and sell their daily food and how they bargain.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Bagan
This morning, take a domestic flight to Heho which is the gateway to Inle Lake.
On the way to Inle Lake, stop at a family–owned umbrella workshop where you’ll get a chance to uncover how Myanmar umbrellas are made from raw materials of bamboo and wood.
Sailing along the serene Inle Lake, you will observe local people fishing with traditional leg-rowing techniques, meet stilt villages and local unique floating gardens, look into simple village life, and immerse yourself in the surrounding scenery.
After the visit, return to the hotel on the shores of the lake.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Inle Lake
After breakfast, embark on your trip to Indein Complex. A small village on the west of Inle Lake, Indein is home to the Shwe Indein Pagoda which houses over 1600 ancient stupas of the 16th century. You can cruise along a peaceful canal adjacent to the lake to see shop stalls selling various Burmese products, women washing clothes, and children on their way to school.
Enjoy your lunch in a floating restaurant.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Indein
This morning, enjoy leisure sightseeing sailing on the picturesque Inle Lake before you fly to Mandalay. After hotel check-in, hop on a cruise on the Irrawaddy River to Mingun. Follow your guide to Mingun Pahtodawgyi to see the ruins of a massive unfinished construction project tracing back to 1790. Leisurely walk to the Mingun Bell & Myatheintan Pagoda.
Enjoy your free time strolling around the village before getting back to Mandalay. Be escorted to the Royal Palace in Mandalay.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Mandalay
After breakfast, you’ll on your way to Ava, the ancient capital of central Myanmar from 1364 to 1555. Located on the left bank of the Irrawaddy River, Ava will offer you a fascinating trip back in time when you hop on a horse-cart through ancient temples and countryside fields.
Continue driving to the Sagaing region and visit Sagaing Hill which is home to over 550 monasteries. Learn about monks’ life by visiting a local monastery.
Move to Amarapura. Once the royal capital of Myanmar during Konbaung Dynasty, it is now the worship and academic center for Buddhism in Burma. Visit a factory making longyis before taking a boat to admire the sunset around U Bein Bridge – the oldest wooden bridge in the world and the biggest highlight in the ancient town.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Mandalay
This morning, say goodbye to Burma and board your flight to Chiang Mai. Upon arrival, be welcomed by your local driver and transfer to the hotel for check-in.
After a short break, have your first glance at the vibrant city and its many cultural treasures. Wander around the ancient town and visit many temples, including Wat Phra Singh. In the late afternoon, hop on a songtaew (a local traditional bus) to the temple of Doi Suthe where you can enjoy a stunning panoramic view of the city.
Recommended night activities:
In the evening, don’t miss the night markets where you can stroll among many food stalls and treat your stomach to tasty local dishes and snacks.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Chiang Mai
After breakfast, embark on the trip to Elephant Nature Park – home to the rescued Asian elephants and elephants in rehabilitation.
The expert vets and team members will give a briefing on the Asian elephant story, and their daily life and introduce information about the elephant village. Then, you get a chance to feed the elephants.
After lunch in the park, it’s time to enjoy fun bathing with the cute elephants and help to rub them. This is a rare experience you can’t easily find in other places.
Return to Chiang Mai in the afternoon.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Chiang Mai
This morning, visit a local market to look for souvenirs to bring home before taking the flight to Bangkok. Your driver in Bangkok will greet you at the airport and take you to the hotel.
In the afternoon, enjoy your time visiting Damnoen Saduak floating market and Grand Palace. To get thorough relaxation, you can try the famous Thai massage.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Bangkok
Enjoy a full day exploring vibrant Bangkok today. Stroll around the neighborhood in Chinatown and find various stalls, along the maze of canals in the Thonburi district to look into local Thai life.
In the early evening, climb to the rooftop of some landmark building and marvel at the city being lit up by thousands of lights. Before getting back to your hotel, satisfy your taste bud with delicious Pad Thai, fried rice noodles, or many other Thai foods.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Bangkok
This morning, board your flight to Siem Reap in Cambodia. Be welcomed by your local driver and get to the hotel for check-in.
Start your exploration of Cambodia by wandering around its streets. Get your first glimpse of the lively little town and savor local Sombai (a local drink with hand-painted bottles). In the evening, try some local dishes and specialties before returning to your hotel. Relax and prepare for the next day’s exploration.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Siem Reap
This morning, 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 looking in the four cardinal directions. Next up, visit Ta Phrom which will evoke a feeling of traveling back in time.
In the afternoon, head to Angkor Wat, the most famous temple in Angkor and the largest religious monument in the world.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Siem Reap
The first stop today is the Khmer Habitat Interpretation Center which is built to enhance the richness of Khmer architecture. drive to Tonle Sap Lake (the lake has been listed as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1997) for a boat journey to one of many floating villages in this region. The local unique “floating village” has floating schools, a floating police station, etc. Hop on a boat to sail among the neighborhoods and look into the inhabitants’ life.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Siem Reap
After breakfast, your driver will transfer you to Siem Reap airport for your flight to Luang Prabang in Laos. On arrival in Luang Prabang, your local driver will be ready to greet you and drive you to the hotel for check-in.
Visit Ock Pop Tok on the banks of the Mekong River. This is a weaving center where you can visit the workshop and be better informed about Laotian fabrics.
Enjoy the beautiful sunset on one of the terraces along the Mekong River before returning to your hotel.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Luang Prabang
This morning, you can get up early to catch the morning alms-giving: the daily morning ritual of saffron-clad monks collecting offerings. Laos is the only Buddhist nation that still preserves this unique tradition.
Back to your hotel for breakfast and start your discovery of Luang Prabang – a UNESCO-listed town boasting numerous temples. Visit Wat Xieng Thong, the largest temple inLuang Prabang that will introduce you to characteristics of 16th-century Lao architecture. Next up, go to the Royal Palace Museum (closed on Tuesdays) which presents a wealth of interesting artifacts.
After lunch, head to Traditional Art and Ethnology Center to learn about the interesting local ethnic culture. In the evening, enjoy your time in the local night market and sample some local specialties.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Luang Prabang
In the morning, drive to the countryside. You’ll reach the rice fields and get a rare chance to learn rice planting and deeply experience daily life in the Lao countryside.
After enjoying some rice snacks at the farm, you will drive along the scenic Mekong River to Kuang Si Waterfall to have your picnic lunch. Then, the rest time is for you to refresh yourself with the picturesque scenery, have fun around the turquoise pools or enjoy leisurely walking along the forest trails.
Return to Luang Prabang at the end of the day.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Luang Prabang
Enjoy your free time to absorb the peaceful atmosphere of Luang Prabang before your guide drive you to the airport for your flight to Hanoi in Vietnam.
Upon arrival at Hanoi, your driver will welcome you at the airport and take you to the hotel for check-in. The following time is free for you to discover the old district and many delicious local snacks and food, including Vietnamese coffee, Banh Mi, etc.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hanoi
After breakfast, drive about 3 hours to the UNESCO-listed Halong Bay. Upon arrival, hop on the cruise and enjoy a welcome briefing and drinks.
The impressive Halong Bay with thousands of plush green limestone peaks towering over the sea is one of the most scenic areas in Vietnam. The overnight cruise will introduce you to the fantastic karst formations, floating villages, mysterious natural grottoes, and French-style architecture along the bank. Delicious meals are served on board.
En route, you will have free time to enjoy fun activities, like swimming and kayaking, and have a short excursion to some iconic villages and islets (each cruise may have a different itinerary).
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: on board
Continue your Halong Bay cruise this morning. You can attend a Tai Chi Class on the sun deck, sit on the upper deck for sightseeing, marvel at sparkling sunrise, and take great photos of the towering islands.
After breakfast, hop on a small boat to visit the Surprise Cave. Climb the stairs for about 10 minutes to admire the panoramic view of Halong Bay.
Enjoy lunch on board before you leave the boat. Your driver will transfer you to Hanoi Airport for your departure flight. End of your Southeast Asia trip.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: 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
