Vietnam-Cambodia Overland Tour (11D/10N Program)
Hanoi – Halong – Hue – Danang - Hoi An – Ho Chi Minh City - Cu Chi - Phnom Penh - Siem Reap
Day 1: Arrival in Hanoi (-, -, -)
Saigontourist representative will greet and pick you up at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi. Transfer you to your hotel for check-in. Stay overnight in Hanoi.
Day 2: Hanoi- Bac Ninh - Halong (B,-, -)
Have a morning sightseeing tour of Hanoi with cultural and historical highlights, comprising Lake of Restored Sword, Ngoc Son Temple, the Temple of Literature, the Ethnology Museum (closed on Monday) and a downtown pedicab ride (1 hour) round the old quarters of Hanoi, a collection of narrow streets, each named after the product sold. In the afternoon depart a scenic drive for Halong. Stop over at Phu Lang ceramic village. This old pottery village is worth visiting not only because you can meet and make friends with the locals and make original gifts for friends and relatives, but its natural surroundings are also attractive. Stay overnight in Halong.
Day 3: Halong – Hue (B, L, -)
Embark a traditional-style wooden boat at a nearby wharf for a 4-hour cruise around the wondrous Halong Bay, a World Heritage site listed by UNESCO in 1994. Visit some magical grottoes, marvel at odd-shaped islands and relax in the best scenic beauty of Vietnam. Lunch of fresh seafood is served on board. Transfer to Noi Bai airport for an evening flight to Hue. Pick up on arrival at Hue Airport and transfer to hotel. Stay overnight in Hue.
Day 4: Hue (B, -, -)
Enjoy a full day tour of Hue, a former imperial city of Vietnam. Explore the Royal Citadel, built in 1804 on a site chosen in accordance with geomancy. The next stop is the lively Dong Ba market. In the afternoon pay visit to the elaborate mausoleum of King Tu Duc (ruled 1848 – 1883). Then, drop into Thien Mu Pagoda, one of the oldest ancient architectural structures for religious worship in Hue, and from here take a boat cruise along Perfume River returning to you hotel. Stay overnight in Hue.
Day 5: Hue- Danang (B, -,-)
Transfer to Danang (110km). Admire beautiful landscape on the road over the Hai Van Pass or explore the 6,280-metre-long Hai Van Tunnel, the longest highway tunnel in Southeast Asia. Visit the Museum of Cham Sculpture (closed on Monday) with the World’s finest collection of some 300 Cham sculpture exhibits dating from the 7th to the 15th centuries, the Marble Mountains with numerous caves and Buddhist shrines and the stone-carving village of Non Nuoc. Stay overnight in Danang.
Day 6: Danang – Hoi An - Danang (B, -,-)
Travel to Hoi An ancient town, known as Faifo to early Western traders and recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage in 1999. Take a leisurely walk through the Japanese and Chinese Quarters to visit a number of temples, pagodas, communal houses, traditional shops, local markets and other places of interest and watch local daily activities, handicraftsmen at work and a lively show of traditional dancing and music. Drive back to Danang. Rest of the day is at your leisure on the beach. Stay overnight in Danang.
Day 7: Danang – Ho Chi Minh City (B, -, -)
Transfer to Danang airport for a morning flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Pick up and transfer to hotel. Have an afternoon sightseeing tour of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly called Saigon). Visit the History Museum (closed on Monday), the Reunification Palace, the Central Post Office, and then have a short walk along the shopping Dong Khoi Street from Notre Dame Cathedral to the Municipal Theatre. Continue to drive to bustling Cho Lon (Chinatown). Drop into the lively Binh Tay wholesale market before visiting Thien Hau Temple. Stop over at a lacquer workshop on the way back to your hotel. Enjoy an evening water puppet show, a theatrical genre reflecting the agricultural civilization of thousands of years ago. Stay overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 8: Ho Chi Minh City –Cu Chi - Phnom Penh (B, -, -)
Morning drive 70 km to Cu Chi, famed for its elaborate network of over 200 km of three-story underground tunnels hand-dug by local people during the Vietnam War. Crawl down a tunnel to feel the underground life, and then test your marksmanship with an AK rifle at a local rifle range (optional with surcharge). Then drive to Moc Bai border check point for a land journey to Phnom Penh. Traveling time including customs and immigration procedures at the border check points is about 5 hours. On arrival in Phnom Penh transfer to your hotel for check-in. Stay overnight in Phnom Penh.
Day 9: Phnom Penh – Siem Reap (B, -, -)
Have a sightseeing tour of Phnom Penh comprising visits to the Notorious Tuol Sleng Museum, the largest center for detention and torture during the rule of the Khmer Rouge, the central market of Phnom Penh, the Victory Monument, the National Museum with a collection of art sculptures presenting different periods of Khmer history, the Silver Pagoda located in the Royal Palace, famous for its 5,000 silver floor tiles and solid gold Buddha statue encrusted with 9,584 diamonds (weighing 90kg), and the Wat Phnom Temple. Transfer to Phnom Penh Airport for an evening flight to Siem Reap. Pick up on arrival at Siem Reap airport and transfer to your hotel. Stay overnight in Siem Reap.
Day 10: Siem Reap (B, -, D)
This morning pay visits to Ta Prohm, a filming site of Lara Croft's adventures in "The Tomb Raider", and Angkor Thom, the last capital of the Khmer Empire, which comprises the Southern Gate, the famous Bayon complex, Elephant Terrace and Leper King Terrace. In the afternoon explore the famous 12th-century temples of Angkor Wat, covering 81 hectares with their five distinctive towers emblazoned on the Cambodian flag. Then walk up to the top of Phnom Bakheng Hill to enjoy a panoramic view of the western Baray and Angkor Wat at sunset. In the evening enjoy a buffet dinner with a presentation of Khmer dancing & music. Stay overnight in Seam Reap.
Day 11: Departure from Siem Reap (B, -, -)
Visit "Les Artisans D' Angkor - Chantiers Ecoles" and a local market. Transfer to the airport for departure flight.
Note: The tour itinerary is sometimes subject to small modifications depending on weather and road conditions, flight schedules, hotel room availability.
