Tour in Vietnam and Cambodia - A vacation between culture and spirituality

Accommodation in the hotel. In the afternoon visit of Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. It is located on the banks of Red River, this is why its name means "inside red river". You'll admire characteristical sights, such as Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (from the outside), One Pillar Pagoda (Chua Mot Cot), which was and is the symbol of Hanoi, Stone Lady Pagoda, St. Joseph's Cathedral.

This is followed by a rickshaw tour which takes you to explore the 36 Old Districts. Finally, you'll admire a unique Water Puppet Show. Return to the hotel, dinner and overngiht.

Breakfast in the hotel. In the morning visit to the temples of the capital, that of Literature, Van Mieu built in the 11th century in honor of Confucius and his four loyal students and that of his father, where usually a short concert of traditional music performed by Vietnamese musicians dressed in traditional clothes of the northern villages is held. Finally visit Jade Temple, Den Ngoc Son, located on the lake of the "restored sword" and the Quan Thanh, Den Quan Thanh, God protector of the city.

Lunch in a typical restaurant.

Following departure to the famous Halong Bay, formed by thousands of limestone islets rising from the sea. Before reaching the bay, visit the village of Bat Trang where locals produce pots, and later pagoda Chua But Thapn in Bac Ninh. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
 

Breakfast in the hotel. Transfer to the pier to get on board a junk to enjoy an excursion in Halong Bay. You'll discover amazing sceneries, winding among several islands, islets, rocks and cliffs. Here, there are also caves rich in stalagmite and stalactite.

The navigation lasts 5 hours, during which you'll visit the largest cave of the bay: Sung Sot (Cave of surprise). Lunch based on fish on board. Return to the pier, transfer to Hanoi aiport to take the flight to Danang. Transfer to Hoi An and accommodation. Dinner and overnight in the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for the visit of Myson. Return to Hoian and lunch at a local restaurant.

Then, visit to the Japanese Bridge, the Chinese Congregation and the Ancient House, built over 200 years ago. In the late afternoon we continue to the pier to take a trip along the Thu Bon River, admiring the villages that are located along the shores and enjoying the fascinating sunset. Finally, return to the hotel. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast in the hotel and departure to Danang. Upon arrival, visit to Cham Museum, built by the French in 1915. Then, you'll transfer to Hue. Upon arrival, accommodation in the hotel and lunch in a typical restaurant.

Visit of the Imperial City built by Nguyen Emperors. At the end of the visit, you'll enjoy a tour by rickshaw. Dinner and overnight in the hotel.

Breakfast in the hotel. Visit of Thien Mu Pagoda, symbol of both Hue and Buddhism, and of the Tomb of Tu Duc. Transfer to the airport to take the flight to Saigon. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel and accommodation in the booked room.

Lunch in a local restaurant. After lunch, you'll visit the colonial buildings of Saigon, such as Notre Dame Cathedral, Independence Palace and Ben Thanh Market in the first district, in order to have an insight of the city. Dinner and overnight in the hotel.

Breakfast in the hotel. 

Departure to the Mekong Delta and on arrival at the dock in Caibe boarding on a traditional boat to explore the countless branches of the river. Visit the floating market of Cai Be where you can admire the production of candy, the rice paper used to make spring rolls and that of puffed rice.  

Lunch in a typical restaurant.  

After lunch you will continue navigating through one of the tributaries of the Mekong to the city of Vinhlong, where there will be the meeting place for the car transfer to Can Tho, on the border with Cambodia. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
 

Breakfast in the hotel. Departure by boat from the hotel to visit the floating market of Cai Rang. At the end of the visit, you'll proceed on road to reach Chau Doc. Lunch in the hotel.

Afterwards, you'll embark on boat to arrive in a fisherman village, belonging to Cham ethnic group. Finally, excursion to the temple of Goddess Ba Chua Xu. Dinner and overnight in the hotel.

Breakfast in the hotel. Transfer by motor boat from Chau Doc to Phnom Penh, capital city of Cambodia. Upon arrival, you'll meet a local guide and transfer to the hotel. Lunch in a typical restaurant.

The tour continues visiting the classical part of the capital city: the National Museum, which includes masterpieces of Khmer sculpture from the V to XIII century, the Royal Palace area with its Throne Hall, where still today the king gives speeches to his people, and the complex of the Silver Pagoda nearby. Dinner and overnight in the hotel.

Breakfast in the hotel. Transfer to the airport for the flight to Siem Reap.

Upon arrival, transfer and hotel accommodation. Following departure to visit a fishing village. In fact on the road that leads to the foot of Phnom Krom, on the shores of lake Grand, dozens of boats that are home to the floating houses in the village of fishermen are moored: a "nomadic lake" community moving on the waters of the Tonle Sap to follow the fishing seasons and have their homes here. Not only that, the schools, the church, the shops, public offices and fish farms are all built on barges and floating platforms that rise and fall following the regular rhythm of the floods of the lake.

This is a spectacular insight into the customs of life of Indochinese coastal populations.

Lunch in a typical restaurant. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
 

Breakfast at hotel.

Full day excursion to the temples of Angkor: the largest archaeological site in the world where 276 monuments of primary importance were classified. Among the several worth visiting, you should not miss a visit to the fortified town of Angkor Thom with its imposing walls and the beautiful doors erected in the late 12^th century by the great King Jayavarman VII. He also ordered the construction of the Bayon in the center of the fortified quadrilateral. The Bayon is the most enigmatic and fascinating of all the temples built by the Khmer. Ta Prohm is the great Buddhist monastery that Yayavarman VII consecrated in 1186 and that archaeologists have deliberately left in the state in which it was found.

Giant trees rise in the maze of the tower-sanctuaries, huge roots wrap the galleries, dense shrubs sprout from the roofs of each building and the visitor is no longer able to distinguish the work of man and the creations of nature. The most celebrated temple is surely the one of Angkor Wat, the undisputed architectural and artistic masterpiece of Khmer.

It boasts beautiful reliefs that offer spectacular testimony of figurative art of sublime refinement. This temple was built when in Italy the cathedral of Pisa was consecrated and in Paris Notre Dame was being built. It is the emblem of Cambodia and also the symbol of the magnificent South-East Asian Middle Ages.

Lunch in a typical restaurant.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Full day dedicated to the visit to the temples. One of the most ancient sacred constructions at Angkor is Prasat Kravan, dated 921 and formed by five shrines with elegant shapes, dedicated to the cult of god Vishnu and built in aligned bricks on a basement turned to the east. Here bricks were widely used to build Mebon in 952, the temple which was located on an artificial islet in the middle of the basin of Eastern Baray. Only nine years later king Rajendravarman built Pre Rup, the great mountain-temple in warm ochre colors.

The great Buddhist shrine of Pra Khan, the Temple of the Sacred Sword, Banteay Kdei monastery, the Citadel of the Monk Cells, the enigmatic and spectacular holy basins of Neak Pean, the Intertwined Snakes and finally Srah Srang all date back to Jayavaraman the 7th period.

Lunch in a local restaurant. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

The end of our tour has come. After breakfast, you will have free time until the transfer to the airport.