DAY
1: Highlights of Vientiane
After arrival, we enjoy a tour of Vientiane.
We visit the temples of Wat That Luang,
Wat Pha Kaew, Wat Si Muang and Wat Si Saket,
as well as the Patuxai Monument. Dinner
and overnight in Vientiane.
DAY
2: Vientiane to Luang Prabang
We take a flight to the historic city of Luang
Prabang. We visit some of the important wats,
including watermelon-shaped Wat Wisunlat, Wat
Aham and Wat Saen, and take in the views from
Phousi Hill.
DAY
3: Pak Ou Caves
After a visit to the elegant temple of Wat Xieng
Thon, we take a boat up the Mekong River to the
holy caves of Pak Ou. We also visit some traditional
villages producing the local liquor Lao Lao, weaving
cotton and silk and making paper.
DAY
4: Luang Prabang to Phonsavan
In the morning, we visit the royal palace museum
before flying east to the city of Phonsavan. We
explore the local town later in the afternoon.
DAY
5: The Plain of Jars
We make a trip to the Plain of Jars to view
these curious jars. We then visit the former
provincial capital of Muang Khun, with its
temples in partial ruin. We fly south to
Vientiane.
DAY
6: Vientiane to Hanoi
In the morning, we fly to Hanoi. After lunch,
we take an afternoon tour of Hanoi’s highlights,
including the Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, the One
Pillar Pagoda and the Temple of Literature. In
the evening we enjoy a unique water puppet show.
DAY
7: Hanoi to Halong Bay
Today, we drive east to majestic Halong Bay, one
of nature’s wonders of the world. We take
a boat cruise around the bay, exploring caves
and beaches. Dinner and overnight in Halong City.
DAY
8: Hanoi's Old Quarter
We drive back to Hanoi and explore the sights, sounds
and smells of Hanoi’s Old Quarter. In the
evening we board the Re-unification Express south
to the city of Hue.
DAY
9: Classic Hue
We take a boat cruise on the Perfume River
to the Thien Mu Pagoda and tomb of Emperor
Ming Mang. After lunch, we enter the citadel
and the old Imperial Palace.
DAY
10: Hue to Hoi An
We leave Hue, stopping at Danang to visit the
impressive Cham Museum. We move on to charming
Hoi An, where we visit the historic pagodas, houses
and bridges.
DAY
11: Exploring Hoi An
As Hoi An is one of the most atmospheric
towns in all of Vietnam. we leave today
free for exploring the streets. Guests can
shop til they drop or take an optional excursion
to the impressive Cham site of My Son.
DAY 12:
Hoi An to Nha Trang
We take a long drive south to the coastal
city Nha Trang, stopping to visit several
Cham towers along the way, as well as
some attractive beach towns along the
way.
DAY 13: Cruising
the Islands Around Nha Trang
We enjoy a boat trip to the islands off
the coast of Nha Trang. We have a fresh
seafood lunch aboard the boat.
DAY
14: Nha Trang to Dalat
We leave Nha Trang for the hill station of Dalat
in central Vietnam. We follow the coast south
to Phan Rang, before climbing into the mountains.
We explore some sights around Dalat in the afternoon.
DAY 15: Dalat
to Saigon
Today we move south to the big city of
Saigon, passing through impressive mountain
scenery and active rubber plantations.
We arrive in Saigon late afternoon.
DAY16: Sights
and Sounds of Saigon
We enjoy a city tour, which includes the
Reunification Palace, the War Remnants
Museum, and some of the best examples
of French architecture around the city
such as the post office and city hall.
We also take a look at some of the most
popular markets in the city.
DAY
17: The Cu Chi Tunnels
We take a trip to the Cao Dai temple at Tay Ninh
and take part in a morning service for this unique
religion. After lunch, we head underground at
the Cu Chi Tunnels, an incredible complex of passages
dug by the Vietnamese to avoid American patrols
and bombs. We return to Saigon for dinner on board
a boat cruising on the Saigon River.
DAY
18: Saigon to Phnom Penh
We take a morning flight to the capital
of Cambodia. We visit the Royal Palace
and SilverPagoda, the National Museum
and the popular Russian and central markets.
DAY
19: Sights Around Phnom Penh
In the morning, we visit the gruesome
genocide museum of Tuol Sleng and the
Killing Fields memorial before viewing
Wat Phnom, symbol of the city. After lunch
we fly to Siem Reap. We watch sunset over
Angkor Wat from Phnom Bakheng.
DAY
20-22: Exploring the Temples of Angkor
We follow the same cultured Angkor itinerary
as HIE 18. Please see Days 16-18 of the
Indochina Explorer tour for details.
Hanuman is a member of the Cambodian Association of Travel Agents and the Cambodian Community-based Ecotourism Network. Hanuman was cited in ‘The Guide to Responsible Tourism in Cambodia, Laos & Vietnam'.
