18 Days Delight of Indochina Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand

Welcome to Vietnam. Meet your private guide and driver at Noi Bai International Airport and transfer to your hotel in central Hanoi.

After check-in, relax after your journey. Depending on your arrival time, take an independent walk around Hoan Kiem Lake or explore the atmospheric streets of the Old Quarter.

Begin a full-day introduction to Vietnam’s capital at the Ho Chi Minh Complex, One Pillar Pagoda and Temple of Literature, the country’s first national university.

After lunch, explore a selected museum and the traditional trading streets of the Old Quarter. Complete the day with a cyclo ride and a water puppet performance accompanied by live Vietnamese music.

Travel from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay and board your overnight cruise. Enjoy lunch as the vessel sails among dramatic limestone islands and emerald water.

The afternoon program may include a cave, island or floating-village excursion, with kayaking or swimming when weather and local conditions permit. Relax at sunset and enjoy dinner on board.

Start with tai chi or light exercise on deck, followed by breakfast and a final bay excursion according to the cruise program.

Enjoy brunch while returning to the harbour. After disembarkation, transfer to Hanoi airport for the flight to Ho Chi Minh City, where your southern guide will meet you and take you to the hotel.

Travel to the Cu Chi Tunnels to learn how the underground network supported communication, shelter and movement during wartime. See reconstructed facilities and enter an enlarged tunnel section if comfortable.

Return to the city for lunch, then visit the Reunification Palace, historic Central Post Office area and Ben Thanh Market. The evening is free for independent exploration.

Drive south through the Mekong Delta to My Tho. Board a local boat and cruise past river islands, orchards, villages and fish farms while learning about daily life beside the Mekong.

Travel by smaller sampan through palm-lined waterways, visit a family workshop and sample tropical fruit. Enjoy lunch in the delta before returning to Ho Chi Minh City.

Enjoy breakfast and free time until your airport transfer. Fly from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap, Cambodia, subject to the operating schedule.

Meet your Cambodian guide on arrival and transfer to the hotel. The remainder of the day is free to relax or explore the riverside and Old Market area independently.

Enter Angkor Thom through its monumental South Gate and explore Bayon, Baphuon, the Royal Palace area, Terrace of the Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King. Continue to atmospheric Ta Prohm, where tree roots grow through the stonework.

After lunch, discover Angkor Wat, the world’s largest religious monument. Learn about its history, symbolic design and detailed bas-reliefs before returning to Siem Reap.

Travel into the countryside to Banteay Srei, celebrated for the remarkable detail of its pink-sandstone carvings. Stop at a local village to observe traditional rural life and seasonal agricultural activity.

In the afternoon, take a boat excursion on Tonle Sap Lake to explore the stilted community of Kampong Phluk and its flooded forest when water conditions permit.

Transfer to Siem Reap International Airport for the flight to Bangkok. Meet your Thai guide on arrival and continue by private vehicle to your hotel.

The rest of the day is free to settle in, enjoy the riverside atmosphere or independently visit a nearby market.

Visit the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew, home of the revered Emerald Buddha. Continue to Wat Pho to see its monumental Reclining Buddha and historic temple grounds.

After lunch, travel by long-tail boat through the Chao Phraya River and Thonburi canals, observing temples and traditional riverside communities. Finish at Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn.

Transfer to the airport for the flight to Chiang Rai. Meet your northern Thai guide on arrival and begin with Wat Rong Khun, the White Temple, whose contemporary design combines Buddhist symbolism and modern art.

Continue to the Blue Temple and Baan Dam, the Black House art complex. Check into your hotel and enjoy the evening at leisure.

Travel through northern mountain scenery to the Golden Triangle viewpoint, where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet beside the Mekong River. Learn about the region’s trading history and visit the Hall of Opium or a local museum.

Continue through rural communities and tea-growing landscapes, with stops selected according to local conditions. Return to Chiang Rai in the late afternoon.

Leave Chiang Rai for Chiang Mai, stopping at Mae Khachan Hot Spring along the way. After arriving in Chiang Mai, enjoy lunch and check into your hotel near the old city.

Later, travel up Doi Suthep mountain to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. Explore the sacred golden stupa and enjoy panoramic views across Chiang Mai.

Visit a carefully selected ethical elephant sanctuary that prioritises observation, education and animal welfare. Learn about the elephants’ histories and natural behaviour without riding, staged performances or forced interaction.

Return to Chiang Mai and explore key old-city temples such as Wat Chedi Luang and Wat Phra Singh. The evening is free to visit a night market.

Enjoy breakfast before transferring to Chiang Mai airport for the flight to Phuket, subject to the operating schedule. Meet your driver on arrival and continue to your beach resort.

The remainder of the day is free to settle in, walk along the beach and enjoy the Andaman sunset.

Enjoy a full day at leisure in Phuket. Relax at the resort, swim when sea conditions are safe, explore the local beach area or arrange a spa treatment.

An optional Phang Nga Bay, Phi Phi Islands or Phuket Old Town excursion can be arranged according to your interests, season and weather conditions.

Enjoy breakfast and free time until check-out. Depending on your flight schedule, relax at the resort or make a final independent walk near the beach.

At the appropriate time, your private driver will transfer you to Phuket International Airport. Your 18-day Indochina journey ends upon arrival at the airport.