Indochina highlights tour 12 days

Detailed Itinerary:

Day 1: Welcome to Vietnam and Saigon city tour (Lunch)

AM:Impress Travel team will welcome you at the airport with your name sign, then transfer to hotel for check in.

PM:After welcome lunch, our city tour starts, visit sites of Reunification Hall, City hall, Notre Dame Cathedral, War crimes Museum, Chinatown, Ben Thanh Market.

Day 2 : Saigon – Cao Dai temple – Cu Chi tunnels (Breakfast, Lunch)  

AM:Getting started at 08 am from your hotel, transferring to Tay Ninh, near the Cambodian border, is home to the unique Cao Dai sect, whose patron saints include Joan of Arc, Victor Hugo and Winston Churchill to name a few. The religion is an odd mix of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and Christianity.

PM:After lunch, we transfer to Cu Chi tunnels for visiting the Cu Chi outdoor museum to learn about the infamous tunnel systems of the Viet Cong. Take this opportunity to get a unique understanding of the guerillas underground fight strategies during the war and crawl through 50 - 100 meters of the 200 km tunnel system. On the way back to Saigon, local rice paper workshops, and views of Vietnam countryside and paddy fields are pleasant sights. We'll drop you off at your hotel around 5:30 pm.

Day 3: Saigon – Cai Be floating market - Saigon (Breakfast, Lunch) 

AM:0800 depart for a fascinating drive through rural Vietnam to Cai Be. As you leave the bustling city of Ho Chi Minh city the scenery changes for the lush rice paddies. This area is referred to locally as the 'rice bowl of Vietnam'. On arrival disembark on your private boat for a trip to Cai Be floating market. See the larger boats in the market, each selling mostly one product, this is truly a different experience and one you will remember.

Continuing downriver towards Vinh Long, the journey takes one hour and a long the way will stop to visit some of the picturesque islands that lie in the centre of the Mekong River.

Stop at Binh Hoa Phuoc Island and see the delta's second most famous produce after rice, tropical fruits. Stroll through the orchids on the islands, which grow such fruits as Longan, Sapodilla, and Durian whilst also sampling these exotic fruits.

Enjoy lunch on Binh Hoa Phuoc Island and sample the local delicacy Elephant Ear Fish.

PM:Cruise the back waters using the local means of transport, hand paddle boats and on 'Monkey Bridges', small rickety structures that look fairly easy to walk on but are harder than you think.

Take a look also at the local brick kilns and brick production which is popular in this area where more and more houses are now made of brick.

Late afternoon departure from Vinh Long for the drive back to Ho Chi Minh city where you will arrive around 1700.

Overnight in Hotel, Saigon city

Day 4: Saigon to Hanoi (Breakfast, Lunch)

AM:Transfer to the airport for your flight to Hanoi, which has been the country's historical centre for almost a thousand years and has a wealth of sights to see.

PM:Visit the Ho Chi Minh Presidential Palace, the One Pillar Pagoda, the intriguing Ho Chi Minh museum and the infamous Hanoi Hilton, the prison where US pilots were held during the war. In the evening see a performance of the famous Hanoi water puppets.

Day 5: Hanoi - Ha Long Bay (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

AM: After breakfast at hotel, private van / car & Impress team will pick us up and we start our 4-hours drive to Halong City stopping on the way for some refreshments and local hospitality. Upon arrival at Halong City, we transfer to our boat for a cruise in the stunning Halong bay . Sea food lunch will be served on board.

PM: The cruise will take you by exotic islands with shape of Dog, incense urn, sail island, fighting Cocks which are naturally f formed by process of erosion between the see water an lime stone mountain.
Arrive Surprise cave and explore the by KAYAking, paddle to Luon cave, this cave is a natural tunnel thrusts through a mountain’s foot and lead to an exotic lagoon.
Surrounded by mountains covered by dense Jungle. Seafood drmer and optional night paddle. Overnight on board inside a wonderfully tranguil atmosphere in Luon cave area.

Day 6: Ha Long Bay – Hanoi (Breakfast, Lunch)

AM:A new day , wake you up with soys and emotions in early morning for watching sea. And then have breakfast, continue KAYAKing exploration Paddle from Luon cave toward islets in shape’s Tortoiseman’s head and around insude Hon Gai before returing to the wharf.

12h00:

PM:Return to Ha Long wharf, get on land and transfer back to Ha Noi.

Day 7: Hanoi to Luang Prabang (Breakfast, Lunch)

AM:After breakfast in the hotel, transfer to the airport for your flight to Luang Prabang in Laos. This beautiful and engaging city is surrounded by mountainous forests and is situated on the confluence of the Mekong and Khan Rivers.

PM:After lunch and the take a short walking tour of the city and see the dazzling architecture of its many Buddhist temples.

Day 8: Luang Prabang, Mekong boat trip and Pak Ou Caves (Breakfast, Lunch)

AM:First visit the Royal Palace museum, which is full of local art and furniture and the former residence of the now deposed royal family. Then take a short boat trip along the Mekong to see the mysterious cave of a thousand Buddha statues at Pak Ou.

PM:After enjoying a picnic lunch and in the evening take part in an interactive traditional Lao style cooking class.

Day 09: Luang Prabang to Siem Reap  (Breakfast, Lunch)

AM:Enjoy some free time for shopping more sightseeing before your flight to Siem Reap in Cambodia.

PM:In Siem reap, you will visit the Artisans D'Angkor silk farm and learn about the traditional Khmer craft of making and weaving silk. The hotels at Siem Reap are top quality but in the evening you may want to go down town and sample the food at one of the local restaurants.

Day 10: Temples at Angkor and Lake Tonle Sap (Breakfast, Lunch)

Am:Today is probably the highlight of the whole trip when you spend lots of time at the amazing Angkor temple complex. Begin with a pre dawn visit and see the sun rise over Angkor Wat. Board a fixed cable balloon for a bird's eye view of the temple complex then visit the Bayon with its eerie stone faces and the jungle temple of Ta Prohm.

PM:In the afternoon enjoy a relaxing cruise on Tonle Sap Lake.

Day 11: Outer lying temples (Breakfast, Lunch)

AM:Today visit two of the most interesting temples outside Angkor Thom city. Travel two hours through scenic countryside to the 11th century Boeng Mealea Temple and then drive for another hour to the well preserved Banteay Srei Temple which has only been accessible since the late 1990s when the Khmer Rouge left the area.

PM:After lunch, Return to Siem Reap, We will visit the Cambodian Landmine Museum on the way.

Day 12: Siem Reap (Breakfast)

Today your tour ends in Siem Reap. You may have some time for last minute shopping before being transferred to the airport for your onward flight or journey home taking with you a wealth of memories from this truly deluxe tour of the highlights of Indochina.