Vietnam - Laos - Cambodia – Myanmar Exclusive

Morning, explore Luang Prabang including the former royal temples, Wat Visun where one can see the Biggest statue, Wat Xieng Thong the most beautiful temple in Luang Prabang with its mosaic decoration and the former royal carriage. Next, visit the Museum (former king’s palace).

Afternoon, continue a visit at Photisak silver shop, and Minority Art centre. You also learn how different type of minority groups in Laos, their ways of living, and their survival. End of tour, climb up Mt Phousi overlooking the city of Luang Prabang before passing by the night market. Back to your hotel 

Morning, take a boat cruise on the Mekong River to visit the picturesque village of Ban Chan, a pottery village. On the way, a stop will be made to visit the morning Phousi Market, where you will see such diverse offerings as dried buffalo skin, local tea and saltpeter among the chickens, vegetables and hill-tribe weavings. Visit local villages of Laos ethnic minority groups at Ban Ouay, a Hmong village, Ban Ou a Laoloum village and Ban Thapene, a Khmu village. These villages have specialized in manufacturing and selling products made from silk and Saa paper for many years ago. You’ll see different kinds of Laos’ traditional crafts.

In the afternoon, go to see the beautiful Khuang Si Waterfall, located 30km south of Luang Prabang. You can cool off with a refreshing swim in the pools and hike around the falls if wanted. Return to Luang Prabang late afternoon.

You are free at leisure until transfer to the airport for flight from Luang Prabang to Ha Noi – Vietnam. Flight time is approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes

Welcome to Vietnam! Please be sure your visa should be pre-arranged, or your visa-on-arrival letter is in your carry-on luggage. Please go to custom desk as your first point of entry into the country and present these documents for visa upon arrival.

Your private vehicle and guide transfer you to hotel for check in. The driving distance is approximately 45 minutes. 

The city tour begins with a visit to the Ho Chi Minh Complex which features the life of Ho Chi Minh, the nation’s founder. At the complex, visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where the nation’s founder’s body is preserved (closed on Monday, Friday and through October - November), the colonial Presidential Palace, originally the French Governor Office and a fine example of French architecture in Hanoi, and the rural style Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked. Stop by one of Hanoi’s icons, the One Pillar Pagoda, built in the 11th Century in dedication to Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara or Buddha of Compassion and reminiscent of a lotus blossom rising from a pond. Continue to the Temple of Literature, known as the first university of Vietnam built in 1070 by the Ly Dynasty to honor Confucius, sages and outstanding Vietnamese scholars.

Afternoon, continue the tour to one of the following museums of choice namely the Museum of Fine Arts, the National Museum of Vietnamese History, the Museum of Revolution, the Museum of Military History or the Museum of Ethnology. Next, head for Hoan Kiem Lake, the center point of Hanoi whose name “The Return Sword Lake” originated from a legend of a sacred sword and home to a rare endangered giant turtle species and visit Ngoc Son Temple on the lake. Take a one-hour cycle tour of the Old Quarter of Hanoi with its ancient streets representing traditional trades from the past. Finish the tour at the Thang Long Opera Theatre with a traditional Vietnamese water puppet show.

Morning pickup at 8:00 AM from your hotel for transfer to Ha Long Bay, which is about 160 km or 3.5-hour drive away. The transfer is approximately 3 hours. You will see some rural areas of the Red River Delta with plenty of chances to take photos of Vietnamese farmers working in paddy fields and you may stop on the way to admire the local scenery. 

Arrive in Ha Long City at 11:30 AM and check in aboard the booked junk right after the welcome drink is served. Start cruising while having lunch on board and enjoy the mighty bay view. Ha Long Bay meaning Descending Dragon Bay in Vietnamese as legend has it that it was where a holly dragon landed down from sky. The bay, famous as one of the world’s wonders and heritage sites whose formation dates back 500 million years, consists of around 2,000 karst islands and islets scattered over an area of 1,553 km2.

After lunch, take a short trek to a nearby summit for a panoramic view of the bay dotted with golden sails, go swimming on a quiet beach or sunbath on the sundeck. Later in the afternoon, you will visit an interesting fishing village with an opportunity to interact with local people who have been living in the bay for almost three generations. An optional kayaking trip is available weather permitting. Back onboard enjoy a lavish dinner and enjoy the bay view at sunset. Spend a night on board.

In the morning, refresh your body and mind with a Tai Chi exercise on the sundeck at the break of dawn. Have tea and coffee onboard and continue exploring Ha Long Bay sailing across its 2000 islets and visiting some of its major highlights. Normally, check out at 09:30, have a buffet brunch while cruising back to shore. Disembark at 11:00 AM to transfer to Hanoi capital. 

Free at leisure until meet our guide then transfer to airport for flight to Da Nang. Flight time is approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes

Arrival Hue airport, you are transferred to Hoi An town by private car & guide. The transfer from Da Nang airport to hotel in Hoi An is approximately 40 minutes. Check in & relax 

In the morning, you will meet your private guide at your hotel who will take you to visit the town. Once a bustling maritime commercial port of Asia between 15th and 19th centuries, Hoi An, recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, is now a peaceful town of exceptionally well-preserved architecture, lifestyles and traditions. The town exemplifies a fascinating fusion of cultures between Vietnam and the outside world including China, Japan, Thailand and the Philippines. Your sightseeing will include the iconic 400-year-old Covered Bridge with a small temple attached to one side as a prominent example of Japanese architecture, the Museum of Trade Ceramics which is an elegant Vietnamese style wooden house built in 1858 showcasing antique ceramic artifacts, the 200-year-old Tan Ky House typifying an ancient Chinese merchant residence, the Ong Temple built in 1653 by Chinese settlers to worship Guan Yu, an ancient Chinese general whose character stands for loyalty, bravery and justice and the local market vibrant with colors and activities.

Afternoon, boat cruise on the Thu Bon River will be made to enjoy the countryside landscapes. Land on Kim Bong village where carpentry has been practiced since the 16th Century as the village’s trademark to visit some old-fashioned boatyards using timber as the main material. Stop at Thanh Ha village to see its traditional ceramic production trade still alive and thriving despite the 500-year passage of time. 

Morning, transfer to Hue via the Hai Van Pass (Ocean Cloud Pass). Enjoy a stunning headland-and-bay panoramic view from the pass, which for miles hugs the mountainside along the shoreline and overlooking the Pacific Ocean

Afternoon take full day tour of Hue City, the former Imperial Capital of Vietnam for the 1802-1945 period and the last refuge of Vietnamese feudalism. The city’s beauty is characterized by a natural scenic landscape and an extensive variety of historical relics. Begin with Hue Citadel, a well-known UNESCO-recognized World Heritage Site which is a 520 ha fortress-like grand complex built in the early 1800s and featuring three enclosures separated by heavy ramparts namely Kinh Thanh Hue (Civic City) as the outer, Hoang Thanh (Royal City) as the middle and Tu Cam Thanh (Forbidden City) as the inner. Continue to Khai Dinh Tomb, the burial site of Vietnam’s second-to-last king, and the most elaborate compared to other kings’ tombs. The tomb shows a vivid European influence in architecture despite its Asian style. Next, visit Tu Duc Tomb, one of the Nguyen Dynasty’s finest architectural works nested in a pine forest where the 4th emperor of the Nguyen family was laid to rest. Last, shopping at Dong Ba market, which is the city’s traditional commercial center. 

Morning, free at leisure until transfer to Hue airport for flight to Ho Chi Minh City
Flight time is approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. Meet your driver for an airport transfer with a private vehicle and guide. The transfer distance is approximately 30 minutes

Afternoon, tour in the city starting with the War Remnants Museum which features a comprehensive collection of the machinery, weapons, photos, and documentation of Vietnam War with the both the French and Americans and the Reunification Palace which was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until end of April 1975. Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica, a neo-Roman cathedral built over 130 years ago by the colonial French with materials entirely imported from Marseilles and stained-glass windows from Chartres. Next, visit Sai Gon Post Office, a fine colonial building which was designed and built in the early 20th Century by the famous French architect Gustave Eiffel. Last, stop for shopping at the French-built Ben Thanh Market which dates back to 1870 and whose main entrance clock tower has become a city’s symbol. 

Today, meet with your hotel to transfer about 136 km to Vinh Long, a riverside town in the vast Mekong Delta, the world’s largest delta. Embark a boat cruise to lively Cai Be floating market where sellers and buyers bargain and exchange goods from their boats. Proceed through a fascinating maze of shady canals to Hoa Binh Phuoc Island. Beautiful landscape of zigzag canals, lush vegetation, peaceful villages and activities of rural life will make you a delightful sight. There on the island, visit some local farmers’ homes, interact with warm-hearted hosts and learn about their trades of bonsai gardening, tile and ceramic production and rice paper and coconut candy making. After tour, we transfer back to Ho Chi Minh 

Fly from Ho Chi Minh City to Yangon, Myanmar (Schedule flight isn’t daily operated but on Tuesday, Thursday & Sunday only). Flight time is approximately 2 hours.

On arrival at the Yangon international airport, welcomed by our guide and transferred to your hotel for check in and has a rest (Check in time is 14:00 and early check in is subject to availability). 

Free at leisure until transfer to airport for domestic flight to Bagan city. Flight time is approximately 1.5 hours.

Arrival airport, you are transferred to Bagan ancient town by private car & guide.

Bagan is really quiet, it’s a beautiful area, and the temples here are often completely deserted. Your experienced guide through Bagan will show you the best-known temples of the area. Start the day climbing a pagoda to get a first impressive view over the whole area. From here you continue to move to the other amazing temples that have been here for hundreds of years. Places like the Ananda, Dhammayangyi, Sulamani, and Thatbyinnyu will certainly impress you.

Return to hotel afterwards your guide pick you up again at around 16.00 pm to continue the tour by horse cart to Pyathagyi pagoda for sunset.

Free at leisure until transfer to airport for domestic flight to Bagan city. Flight time is approximately 1.5 hours.

Arrival airport, you are transferred to Bagan ancient town by private car & guide. Check in & free at leisure 

Begin your day at Nyaung U market - a busy market in New Bagan when people from all around town come and buy their vegetables, herbs, meat and other ingredients for dinner. The guide will give an assignment to go and buy and taste 3 different kind snacks typical for the region.  

Visit Taungbi village where you visit the old wooden monastery built for royalty and two temples that are not well known but certainly worth a visit. The guide will explain to you the reason why so many pagodas were built here. The rest of the day the car and guide are available for additional visits of the temples till 18.00 pm if wanted.

Morning, transfer to airport for domestic flight to Heho. Flight time is approximately 1hour. Meet your driver for an airport transfer to Inle Lake.

Inle Lake in southern Shan State is a vast natural lake surrounded by traditional Shan villages. Surrounding and on the lake itself the Intha people have been living for many centuries in villages built entirely on stilts. Embark on a private motorboat around the lake to discover its natural beauty, visit the floating gardens, see some of the famous leg rowers, and have a cup of tea at a local family’s house. On and around the lake, traditional markets are held in different villages according to a 5-day rotating schedule. You will be taken to visit one of these colorful markets frequented by Shan and PaO people. You certainly also visit a local cheroot factory (where the Burmese cigars are made), Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, Intha Heritage house - where the Burmese cats are bred, a weaving factory and floating tomato gardens if wanted. 

Inle Lake in southern Shan State is a vast natural lake surrounded by traditional Shan villages that certainly is worth a visit. Surrounding and on the lake itself the Intha people have been living for many centuries in villages built entirely on stilts. Embark on a private motorboat around the lake to discover its natural beauty, visit the floating gardens, see some of the famous leg rowers, and have a cup of tea at a local family’s house. On and around the lake, traditional markets are held in different villages according to a 5-day rotating schedule. You will be taken to visit one of these colorful markets frequented by Shan and PaO people. You certainly also visit a local cheroot factory (where the Burmese cigars are made), Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, Intha Heritage house - where the Burmese cats are bred, a weaving factory and floating tomato gardens if wanted.

Transfer to airport and take flight back to Yangon. Arrival airport, you are welcomed by our guide & driver then transfer to the city

Flight back to Yangon then connect your flight departure