Discover Vietnam - Cambodia - Thailand in 22 Days are a magical combination of Southeast Asia. From the majestic Angkor ruins to the frenetic pace of Ho Chi Minh City, past the relaxed vibes of Hoi An to the white sand beach of Phuket, you’ll learn the history, meet friendly and welcoming people; eat delicious food and stay with local communities along the way. If you want to capture the true essence of this region, this jam-packed and all-encompassing itinerary is for you. See what all the fuss is about in Vietnam, and Cambodia – three shining gems in South East Asia.
Moreover, for each trip booked with Realistic Asia, we contribute $20 to our fund to support the local community projects we are actively involved in to make our destinations a better place. Please follow our social media for more details and monthly reports.
Upon your arrival in Vietnam, we will meet you at the Noi Bai International Airport and transfer you to the hotel.
Please note: We will transfer you to Phuket International Airport to take your flight back home on the last day, please plan your inbound flights accordingly
Your Vietnam adventure begins with your arrival in Hanoi. Your private driver will meet you at the airport, holding a signboard with your name. He will escort you to your accommodation right in the heart of the city, with the fascinating Old Quarter at your fingertips. You can easily explore the city at your own pace or relax at the hotel after the flight. Overnight in Hanoi.
Today you will visit the picturesque villages in Ba Vi, where you will immerse in the authentic countryside lifestyle and have an unforgettable experience. Head for a 1.5-hour drive from Hanoi center and visit Mr. Duoc with his family at his tea plantation. You will learn everything about tea production and try your hands at picking the tea leaves. Listen to interesting stories of Mr. Duoc's life as he is also a Vietnam War veteran before heading to your other host Mrs. Chin, who will teach you to cook local Vietnamese dishes. After lunch, she will take you around the village, where you will visit the local workshops and see what locals do for their life. Then enjoy the easy cycling trip along the rice paddies followed by the feet soak in the herbal bath, made using the Muong Ethnic traditional recipes. Head back to Hanoi.
In the morning, check out of the hotel, and get picked up by the Cruise team. Take the most scenic route to reach Halong Bay, taking you across the Red River Delta with emerald green rice paddies stretching for as far as the eyes can see.
On arrival at the pier, you will board the cruise and enjoy the fantastic views of limestone rocks and the karst grottoes. Have an utterly delicious seafood lunch and enjoy the time at the sundeck exploring the Bay. The cruise will stop in a secret place where you will spend time kayaking or swimming, so you can explore the karst grottoes closer. Towards the evening, you will return to the boat for an early dinner, followed by some time at leisure. You can optionally attend the activities taking part on the boat or just relax. Overnight on cruise.
Rise early today to view the sunrise at the wonder of nature with breakfast served in the dining room. A Tai Chi class on the sun deck will awaken your mind and muscles. Then head off to visit the limestone cave full of stalagmites and stalactites. After your exploration return to the boat to check out and enjoy the brunch while the cruise is sailing back to the harbor.
Then you will be transferred to your accommodation in Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi.
AM: 8:00 - 8:30. Our guide & driver will pick you up at your hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter, then leave by coach to Hoa Lu (2.5 hrs). Visit the historic capital of Vietnam and the famous ancient temples of Le and the Dinh Dynasties. Then our bus will transfer you from Hoa Lu to Tam Coc for lunch around 12:30 PM.
After lunch, take boat trip to visit Tam Coc to see the beauty of the karst formations as you pass along their base and row into one of the many caves carved through the limestone. Then, cycle for an hour on quiet roads through villages, rice fields, rivers, and rocky outcrops in Tam Coc - Bich Dong (around 5 km).
Dive back to Hanoi and drop off at your hotel around at 18:00 PM. Overnight in Hanoi.
Have breakfast at the hotel and complete the check-out formalities (before 12:00). Then you will be transferred to the airport. Take a flight to Hue. Overnight in Hue.
Around 8:00-8:30 a.m., we will pick you up and head to explore the most interesting historical and cultural parts of Hue. Take a dragon boat to cruise along the Perfume River to visit Thien Mu Pagoda, which is the oldest pagoda in Hue. Enjoy the fresh air from the Perfume River and enjoy the amazing views.
Visit Hue Imperial Citadel. This imperial city was the home of Vietnam’s last royal dynasty – the Nguyen Dynasty. You will walk through the halls and gardens and see the antiques to learn more about the past.
After the Citadel, our car will take you to Dong Ba Market, the busiest market in Hue with various kinds of foods and goods. Here you can see how the local people buy and sell things and this is also a chance for you to buy souvenirs for your friends and family. Enjoy local dishes for lunch.
In the afternoon we will head out of town to visit the royal tombs. Take a rest before continuing the trip and enjoy our complimentary herbal foot bath. Visit Khai Dinh King’s Tomb – which is a blend of Western and Eastern architecture.
Then head to Minh Mang King’s Tomb, which is considered the most majestic of all of the Royal Tombs. Renowned for its architecture, which harmoniously blends into its natural surroundings. On the way back, stop by the Conical hat village and Incense Stick Village (practical experience with making conical hats and incense sticks at a local house). 4:00 – 5:00 p.m: Back to your hotel. Tour ends.
On this day, we will be transferring to Hoi An by car. On Hoi an arrival, we will be picked up and then transfer to the hotel in Hoi An for check-in. Overnight in Hoi An.
Our day starts at 8:30 a.m. with a visit to Hoi An's vibrant central market by boat. Led by an English-speaking guide, you'll learn about different fresh noodles, fish selection, spices, herbs, rice, and grains. You'll also get to taste a variety of exotic fruits. Afterward, we return by boat to Vy's Market Restaurant, a unique interactive dining venue in Vietnam. Explore the live food counters, engaging your senses as you witness various food-making processes. Sample from over 10 different food counters, including banh mi, dumplings, pickles, and other intriguing dishes. You can even participate in making rice paper, noodles, and more. The cooking lesson lasts approximately 2.5 hours. Our experienced teachers demonstrate each dish before you prepare it yourself. Afterward, we all gather to enjoy the delicious meal we've cooked together. You'll receive recipes and a Vietnamese cooking utensil to take home.
Today you will have free time to explore Hoi An at your own pace, seeing what interests you. This ancient town is full of Japanese merchant houses and pagodas, temples, and antique warehouses. Or just lounge about in a laid-back riverside café on the bank of the Thu Bon river. Overnight in Hoi An.
Enjoy the fresh air while breakfast is served. Then you will be transferred to the airport. Take a flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival, we will transfer you to the hotel. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.
Have breakfast at the hotel and complete the checkout formalities. Then you will be transferred to Ben Tre.
Arrive in a charming village, hidden under hundreds of coconut palm trees. Welcome to Mekong Home, a lovely family house composed of several bungalows in a tropical garden and on the Mekong river bank. Fresh coconut juice will be served, then check in your room. Rest for a while then depart with a family member for an introduction to the local fishing. Return to the restaurant at the end of the afternoon and participate in a cooking class: “Bánh xèo” – a Vietnamese pancake made from rice milk. Dinner is ready to serve with fresh dishes including local vegetables, ingredients, and flavors cooked in local style such as caramelized pork, fish soup, young coconut and shrimp salad, and spring rolls. After dinner, relax with lemongrass and ginger foot bath, a local therapeutic method to relieve the pain and fatigue of the legs. Overnight at Mekong Home.
Enjoy breakfast then start a cycling trip (from 2 hours to 2.5 hours) to the island of Oc on a concrete track, lined with fruit trees and coconut trees. On the way, pass by the local market where various local ingredients such as vegetables, meat, fruits,.. are sold. Subject to availability, visit a workshop of baskets made of coconut stems and a coconut processing operation. You will have a chance to interact with the workshop owners on different braiding techniques. Then return to the bicycles and cross a local Mekong River ferry to reach the island. From there, cycling on small paths dotted with small huts hidden in lush vegetation while seeing the daily life of the inhabitants of Mekong Delta, governed by artisanal and agricultural activities. Stop at a fish farm, to learn more about two species of catfish: ca tra (Pangasius hypophthalmus) and ca ba sa (Pangasius court), raised in ponds. Continue biking and back to Mekong Home.
Check out at around noon and get transferred back to Ho Chi Minh. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh.
Cu Chi Tunnels is a legendary underground system of over 220 km of tunnels, that played an important role during the Vietnam War. Today you will depart to Cu Chi for a 1.5-hour drive. Once we arrive, you will get a chance to walk through some of the tunnels, discover the hidden corners and imagine what life was like here for the resistance soldiers. If you like, try to cook with the smokeless stoves used by Vietnamese soldiers to cook during the war. You can even try foods that the soldiers lived on. Then head back to your hotel in Ho Chi Minh. Tour duration: 8:00 am - 2:30 pm
After breakfast, transfer by bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh.
In the afternoon, we will visit the Royal Palace a royal residence now where His Majesty, the King of Cambodia, and the royal families live. It is like a small town of royal dynasties.
Continue to Silver Pagoda, which serves less as a functioning temple than a repository for cultural treasures such as 90 kg golden Buddha encrusted with 2086 diamonds.
Finally visit Wat Phnom Temple is one of the most important pagodas in Phnom Penh. Built in 1373 on an artificial hill by the wealthy widow Daun Chi Penh. Overnight in Phnom Penh.
Have breakfast at the hotel. Then meet your guide and visit Tuol Sleng Museum (also known as S-21 prison). This former school was used as a prison by Pol Pot’s security forces. More than 17,000 people held at S-21 were taken to the extermination camp at Choeng Ek to be executed.
Then drive to visit the “Killing Fields” of Choeng Ek (15 km south of Phnom Penh). Between 1975 and 1978 about 17,000 men, women, children, and infants (including nine westerners) were detained and tortured at the S-21 prison and transported to the extermination camp of Choeng Ek.
Visit the Russian market (Toul Tumpong Market), The market has gained a reputation for cheap clothing, a large selection of Buddha images and woodcarvings, betel-nut boxes, silk, silver jewelry, and classic music instruments. Enjoy a cruise on the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers in Phnom Penh, it bursts into 4 branches. Overnight in Phnom Penh.
Breakfast at the hotel and then to Siem Reap by bus. Upon arrival, pick up and transfer to the hotel for check-in.
In the afternoon visit Wat Thmey or Killing Field contains a unique glass-walled stupa containing the bones of victims of the Khmer Rouge. After that, visit Wat Memorial Mountain. Overnight in Siem Reap.
Breakfast at the hotel. Visit Angkor Thom, the South Gate of Angkor Thom, Bayon Temple, built from the late 12th century to the early 13th century by King Jayavarman VII and consists of 54 towers, the Royal Enclosure, the Phimeanakas, the Elephants Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King.
Then visit Ta Prohm, a beautiful temple, covered by jungles. This temple is a famous landmark after the Lara Croft and Tomb Raider movie.
Visit Angkor Wat, the largest temple in the world which covers an area of 200 hectares and is surrounded by a moat and an exterior wall measuring 1300 meters x 1500 meters. Early this evening, we will take the Tuk Tuk (the most common taxi in Cambodia) to cruise around Siem Reap and the town and for a blessing ceremony by Buddhist monks. Overnight in Siem Reap.
Relish the remaining moment in Siem Reap before your private driver escorts you to the airport to take the flight to Phuket. When you arrive in Phuket, we will meet you and transfer you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free. Overnight in Phuket.
Enjoy a free day in Phuket and visit some of its stunning beaches. For example, Kata Beach is always reliable with soft white sand, shady palm trees, water sports, and a laid-back atmosphere. You can easily spend the day here with a handful of food and drink vendors. Another idea is Nai Harn Beach located at the end of Phuket, which has grown in popularity over the years. However, thanks to the relatively small size of the bay and its large lake on the other side, the beach hasn’t been developed like others nearby. That being said, friendly hotels, shops, and restaurants are nearby for food and drink. If seeking a more isolated atmosphere, head to Freedom Beach with possibly the best white sand in Phuket. Though it's more challenging to get to (you can either hike a steep path or take a longtail boat to arrive), you'll escape the motorized water sports and beach vendors for truly peaceful environs. Overnight in Phuket.
Enjoy a free day in Phuket and visit some of its stunning beaches. For example, Kata Beach is always reliable with soft white sand, shady palm trees, water sports, and a laid-back atmosphere. You can easily spend the day here with a handful of food and drink vendors. Another idea is Nai Harn Beach located at the end of Phuket, which has grown in popularity over the years. However, thanks to the relatively small size of the bay and its large lake on the other side, the beach hasn’t been developed like others nearby. That being said, friendly hotels, shops, and restaurants are nearby for food and drink. If seeking a more isolated atmosphere, head to Freedom Beach with possibly the best white sand in Phuket. Though it's more challenging to get to (you can either hike a steep path or take a longtail boat to arrive), you'll escape the motorized water sports and beach vendors for truly peaceful environs. Overnight in Phuket.
Relish a healthy breakfast on the final day of your trip. Complete the hotel check-out formalities after which you can visit the local markets and buy souvenirs for your loved ones. Later, proceed for departure and board your flight back home. Trip Ends.
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
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This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
You will not receive a refund if you cancel.
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