Laos & Vietnam Tours

Day 1: Arrival Houei Say
Upon arrival in Houei Say, pick you up and check in hotel. We take a half day tour up the Mekong River to the area of The Golden Triangle where Laos, Thailand and Myanmar meet. On our return to Houei Say, we’ll stop at a riverside village to have a look at local life in the frontier area of Laos.

Day 2: Houei Say – Pak Beng
Today we begin a two day journey to Luang Prabang and we travel with Luang Say Cruises. The Luang Say boat leaves Houei Say pier at 09:00 for a cruise down the Mekong to Pak beng. En route one stop is made to observe rural life along the Mekong and discover minorities, a buffet lunch on board. Arrive in Pakbeng before sunset and check-in at Luang Say Lodge. Dinner on the terrace, overlooking the Mekong River.

Day 3: Pak Beng – Pak Ou – Luang Prabang
Full breakfast at lodge. (Optional: walk to Pakbeng market, where people from the surrounding village of minorities exchange their goods). At 08:30 board the boat for the second leg of the cruise. A short stop is made to visit a hill tribe village where you can watch the traditional process of Lao whiskey production before having a buffet lunch on board. Continue to Pak Ou village at the mouth of the Nam Ou River, where you visit Tam Ting “Caves of a Thousand Buddha’s”. Arrive at Luang Prabang before sunset. Transfer to the hotel.

Day 4: Luang Prabang Heritage Tour
Breakfast at the hotel and the first half of the day is spent visiting the Museum in the former Royal Palace and the monasteries Vat Xieng Thong, Vat Saen and Vat Vixoun. After lunch, we travel to the nearby traditional Tai Lue weaving village Ban Phanom. This village is famed for its intricately woven textiles and special weaving techniques - in former times, it was the weaver colony of the Luang Prabang Royalty. The next stop on our journey is scenic Tad Sae Waterfall and can be reached on the Nam Khan from Ban Phanom by long-tail boat - best during and after the rainy season. Its numerous cascades and pools are an ideal place for bathing. On the way to the Tad Sae Waterfall lies the tomb of the 19th century French explorer Henri Mouhot, the first European to rediscover Angkor Wat and to visit the Royal Kingdom of Luang Prabang. We return to the hotel by late afternoon .

Day 5: Luang Prabang Hill Tribe Excursion
Breakfast at the hotel and we depart from the hotel at 9:00am and drive up hill toward North-East of the airport via Hath Hient Village. We make a stop at the village to experience how villagers make iron knife. We continue to Ban Pickngai (Yuan ethnic minority). Passing the paddy rice field, we arrive to Ban None Tan (Khmu & Low Land ethnic minority) and to Ban Kok Wan (Khmu & Low Land). Our guide will prepare picnic lunch cooked out of local food while we enjoy the beautiful landscape of Hmong ethnic minority village. After lunch, we have time for swimming in Nam Pa River, one of the most scenic rivers. We then drive along the Nam Pa River bank to Ban Bo Hae, Ban Tha Oui and Ban Kok Muang to visit the Hmong villages. There is time to visit 2 more villages on the other river bank by crossing the wooden bridge. We return to Luang Prabang around 4:00pm.

Day 6: Luang Prabang – Pakse
The non-stop flight to Pakse departs at 10:50 so you have a little free time after breakfast to enjoy some relaxation time poolside or perhaps a short walk around the neighborhood of Villa Maly to see the remnants of the French Colonial buildings. A short transfer to the airport and we’ll then board a Lao Airlines flight and arrive in Pakse at 12:50. We’ll be met by the guide and car and start directly to drive south to Wat Phou Champasak for a visit to the pre-Angkorian ruins. We return to Pakse and check into the hotel and enjoy the sunset over the Mekong for the last day in Laos.

Day 7: Pakse – Siem Reap
The flight to Siem Reap departs Pakse at 10:20 so you have time for a leisurely breakfast until the transfer to the airport. Arrive at Siem Reap at 12:00 by flight VN869 , the guide pick you up at the airport and start the tour. Board on boat in Tonle Sap Lake. Here, enjoy a brief cruise past floating villages complete with schools, restaurants, hospitals and Les Artisan D’angkor. Rolling at local market for shopping and transfer back to hotel. Free time for relax.

Day 8: Siem Reap
08:00. Drive out of city to Angkor Thom to discover the impressive Angkor Thom: South Gate of Angkor Thom, Bayon, Baphoun, Terrace of Elephants, Terrace of Leper King and Phimean Akas and Ta Prohm temples. After lunch at local restaurant. In the afternoon, we will visit Angkor Wat temple and sunset from the top of Phnom Ba Kheng. Dinner and enjoy Khmer Traditional Dance Show at local restaurant

Day 9: Siem Reap
After breakfast at your hotel, drive to Kbal Spean. Walk 45 minutes through the forest to the top of the hill to reach Kbal Spean, the "Thousand Linga River." Discover the 10th-12th century sculptures chiseled into the rocky riverbed, the Royal Bath and the waterfall. Continue to the enchanting temple of the Banteay Srei, nearly everyone's favorite site. The special charm of this temple lies in its compact size, remarkable state of preservation, and the excellence of it decorative carvings, visit Banteay Samre. Return to Siem Reap at the end of the afternoon.

Day 10: Siem Reap – Beng Mealea – Koh Ker
We journey northeast from Siem Reap to the massive jungle temple of Beng Mealea, the size and scale of Angkor Wat but utterly swallowed by the jungle. We clamber about this titanic of temples that feels just like it would have when discovered by the first explorers. We continue to Koh Ker, a 10th century capital abandoned in the remote north of Cambodia for more than a thousand years. Return back to Siem Reap in evening.

Day 11: Siem Reap – Phnom Penh
Breakfast at the hotel, transfer to airport for a flight at 8:10 to Phnom Penh. The capital city of Phnom Penh was once considered the loveliest city of Indochina. Despite its recent turbulent history, it still maintains considerable charm. A city tour acquaints us with some major sights of Phnom Penh. The private quarters of the Royal Palace are now home to the royal family and are therefore very close to the public. At the northern area of the palace grounds is Silver Pagoda, the most sacred shrine in the country. We visit both structures as well as the legendary temple of Wat Phnom, which provides an interesting view over the environs. The next stop of our trip is the National Museum, exclusively dedicated to Khmer art and sculpture. The majority of the exhibits are from the Angkor period from 9th to 15th centuries, but some date from as early as the 4th century. Toul Sleng Museum and Killing Field of Cheoung Ek are not to be missed.

Day 12:Phnom Penh – Udong
Depart from Phnom Penh. En route, visit a Cham Muslim village. Arrive at Phnom Baset. Visit the pre-Angkorian temple (8th century) and the pagoda to view the reclining Buddha. Enjoy the beautiful view of the surrounding plains and rice-fields from the hilltop. Drive to Udong where a picnic lunch will be served. Then, visit the various temples and the three large stupas where the ashes of three former Kings are preserved. Next, visit the most impressive structure of the site, the "Vihara of the 18-Cubit Buddha". En route to Phnom Penh, stop to visit a silver craft village.

Day 13: Pnom Penh – Chau Doc
After breakfast at your hotel, have a short city tour in Pnom Penh to National Museum and transfer to boat station for a speed boat to Chau Doc. Arrive in Chau Doc, the guide pick you up and transfer to hotel. Free time for relax.

Day 14: Chau Doc – Can Tho
After breakfast at your hotel, we visit Sam Mountain. Admire the landscape from the Sam Mountain summit down the Vietnamese - Cambodian border, we visit then the caved pagoda. Then transfer to Can Tho. Arrive in Can Tho, check in hotel. Free time for relax.

Day 15:Can Tho – Ho Chi Minh City
After breakfast. We’ll take the boat trip to explore the picturesque tributaries of the Lower Mekong river (the Bassac river) . The boat trip later takes you to the Cai Rang and Phong Dien floating markets, which are the most original ones and bustling places of the region. You’ll have the most probably tried the Vietnamese vermicelli soup? So, they will now go and see how it is made. We then roam into the village to get in touch with the local people. Here, they have a chance to experience how to pass a "Monkey bridge" which is built by only one bamboo. Then transfer to Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 16:Ho Chi Minh City – Tay Ninh Temple – Cu Chi Tunnel
In the morning, the guide picks you up at your hotel and transfer to forward Tay Ninh, to see the ornate temple of Cao Dai and attend the fantastic mid-day service when the followers fill the hall wearing colored robes, a symbol of the curious combination of the Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism and after lunch, transfer to remarkable Cu Chi Tunnels outside Ho Chi Minh City. During the war “Viet Cong” guerillas built the labyrinth of narrow tunnels using them to hide during bombing raids and stage surprise attacks. After visiting Cu Chi tunnels, return to Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 17: Ho Chi Minh City
We have full day for exploring Ho Chi Minh City. In the morning, we visit Presidential Palace, War Museum, Post Office Centre, Notre Dame. After lunch, we continue to visiting Cholon (Chinatown), Thien Hau Pagoda and Ben Thanh Market

Day 18: Ho Chi Minh City – Danang - Hoian
After breakfast at your hotel, free time for relaxing or shopping until transfer to Tan Son Nhat airport for a flight to Danang. Arrive in Danang, we visit Cham Museum, Marble Mautain and Stone carving Non Nuoc Village. Then transfer to Hoian. Arrive in Hoian, check in and transfer to Hoian (30km). Check in and free time relaxing at Cua Dai beach.

Day 19: Hoian – My Son
After breakfast at your hotel, will enjoy a day trip to explore two world heritage sites recognized by UNESCO in 1999. First, travel on rural road to My Son (55km), where architectural treasures and sculptures of Cham culture dating from 7th to the 13th century can be discovered. Then transfer back to Hoian, and walking to around Hoian town to discover the historic town which used to be a prosperous seaport city during the 16th to 18th centuries. Its sizeable community of foreign merchants resulted in a unique architectural style with Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese influences. Walking tour in Hoi An to Chinese Assembly Hall & Temples, old houses & Japanese Covered Bridge, Nguyen Tran ancient house then free time for relaxing at Cua Dai Beach.

Day 20: Hoian – Danang - Hue
After breakfast at your hotel, depart Hoian for Hue (140km), passing through many pretty red-tiled villages with fruit orchards, enjoying spectacular views of sky and sea. Across the Hai Van Pass to Hue. Arrive in Hue, boat cruise through the center of Hue on the romantic Perfume River. We visit the elegant Thien Mu Pagoda along the riverbank and the tomb of King Minh Mang.

Day 21: Hue - Hanoi
In the morning, visit Imperial Citadel and tomb of Tu Duc and then transfer to Hue airport for the flight to Hanoi. Arrive in Hanoi, the guide pick you up and transfer to hotel. Free time.

Day 22 : Hanoi
After breakfast at your hotel, the guide pick you up and start a tour visit Hanoi. In the morning, visit Vietnam Ethnography Museum, Tran Quoc Pagoda, One pillar Pagoda and West Lake. After lunch at restaurant, visit Temple of Literature, Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son Temple and witness a performance Water Puppet. Then free time.

Day 23: Hanoi – Halong Bay
Morning : 08:00 AM - Pick you up from your hotel in Hanoi City by private car . Spend 3 hour sight seeing Country side in Red River Delta in North Vietnam.
Noon : 11.00 AM : Check in Emeraude Cruise. Enjoy a refreshing cocktail upon boarding. Start cruising; enjoy the magnificent scenery of Halong Bay.
Afternoon: enjoin buffet lunch in restaurant . Cruise among hundreds of islets to discover unspoilt pockets of Halong Bay, Surprise (Sung Sot) cave and its remote floating fishing villages. Kayak or swim from the vessel's stern deck. At the Hang Trong anchorage, whet your appetite with an onboard cooking demonstration. Enjoy sunbathing onboard with cool drinks. Relax over onboard beauty spa services and massage.
Evening : Dinner buffet and light entertainment.
Watch movies, play games with fellow passengers or enjoy night-fishing and chat with our crew.

Day 24: Halong Bay – Hanoi – Lao Cai railway Station
Morning: Attend in a Tai chi course to relax yourself in the early morning of Orient or wake up early to see Sunrise
International breakfast buffet during The Emeraude sail once again through the breathtaking scenery of Halong Bay heading for Halong city. End Cruise and Return Hon Gai/ Halong Bay
10:30AM : Check-out Emeraude . . Car will wait & pick-up and transfer Hanoi. Free time until the car pick you up and transfer to railway station for a night train to Sapa.

Day 25: Sapa
The train arrives at the Lao Cai railway station a around 6 am. The guide and private car pick you up and transfer to Sapa (38km). Have breakfast and free time for relax. Then, enjoy a free morning to explore around town. At 10 am from the hotel there will be a walking tour to the hill tribe villages of Cat Cat, home to the H'mong hill tribes minority peoples. As we walk to the villages nestled in the valley below Sapa, we will meet some of the local minority people on their way to and from Sapa. Here we have the opportunity to share cultural experiences with the families that live in the area.

Day 26: Sapa – Lao Cai Railway Station - Hanoi
After breakfast at your hotel, explore the Sapa daily market and then set out on our 3-4 hour trek that will take us along buffalo paths and trails and through several hilltribe villages of Lao Chai and TaVan, home to H'mong, and Dzay people. This is an absolutely spectacular walk through stunning scenery inhabited by some of the friendliest people you can meet. Stop for a picnic lunch on the way at a family in Ta Van village. This afternoon, we transfer back to Lao Cai for the Victoria Express train journey back to Hanoi. The train departs at 9:15 pm and you arrive Hanoi at 5 am the following day.

Day 27: Hoa Lu – Tam Coc - Hanoi
The guide will pick you up at railway station and transfer to hotel for relax and have breakfast. Around 8:30, transfer to Ninh Binh for visiting Hoa Lu & Tam Coc. Upon arrive in Tam Coc, board our boat for a cruise trip bring you go along the most green river in north of Vietnam for visiting 3 caves and rice field and mountain is over and over. Mountain here they soar skywards from a sea of green. After lunch at local restaurant, we continue on to visit the Ancient Citadel of Hoa Lu was the capital of Vietnam during 968 - 1009. We visit two Temple of King Dinh and Le. At the end of day, return to Hanoi.