Grand Tour of Vietnam and Cambodia

We meet at London Heathrow for our overnight flight to Hanoi, Vietnam's bustling capital, arriving on Day 2. 

This afternoon, we begin our sightseeing with a city tour. We visit the Temple of Literature, a stunning temple built in 1070 that's home to Vietnam's first national university. We continue with a cyclo (a pedal-powered tuk-tuk) ride through Hanoi, taking us through the bustling streets of the Old Quarter, where the architecture dates back to the 13th century.

We continue exploring Hanoi, seeing the Mausoleum in Ba Dinh Square that houses the body of Ho Chi Minh, a famous Vietnamese revolutionary. 

Next, we transfer to the iconic Halong Bay. An extraordinary collection of limestone karst rock formations and islands dotted amongst emerald waters, this area of outstanding natural beauty is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Here we begin one of the highlights of the holiday as we board our luxury junk for an overnight cruise. We travel through the scenic bay, pausing at the mysterious Teen Ong Cave to admire the striking stalactites and stalagmites.

We soak up the scenery of one of the bay's limestone grottos this morning before we continue to Cua Van floating village. This village is filled with floating homes and fishing boats, all set against a backdrop of dramatic limestone cliffs topped with lush greenery. 

We return to shore where we pause at Dong Trieu Pottery Village, a village famous for its ceramics, with almost 200 years of history in the craft. This evening, we visit a Water Puppet Theatre, where we enjoy a performance of this Vietnamese art form. Tonight, we board the overnight sleeper service to Hue. 

On Day 5, we arrive in Hue. We cruise along the 'Perfume River', named over 100 years ago due to the floral scent from upriver orchards that was carried down the waters. We cruise to the seven-storied Thien Mu Pagoda, an elaborate Buddhist temple. Our explorations end with a visit to the Imperial Citadel, a historic royal complex in the heart of the city.

After a morning visit to the lively Dong Ba market, the oldest of its kind in Hue, we travel by train to Da Nang. We journey along one of the most beautiful stretches of railway in Vietnam, winding through thick, verdant landscapes before emerging onto a dramatic coastline, where steep mountains tumble down to the pristine beaches fringing the South China Sea. 

We explore the Museum of Cham Sculpture in Da Nang. The museum houses the largest amounts of Cham sculpture anywhere in the world and is home to many fascinating artefacts made by the indigenous Cham people. We see the stunning Marble Mountains, a cluster of five limestone and marble hills, before transferring to our hotel in Hoi An.

The charming riverside town of Hoi An is famed for its traditional buildings and history as a merchant trading post. This morning we discover the colourful Old Town on a guided walking tour. We visit the Tan Ky Old House, a merchant house that flaunts Japanese and Chinese architectural influences, and the stately-looking 400-year-old Japanese covered bridge. We have some time in the local market before we visit the Precious Heritage Art Gallery Museum, where we can admire French photographer Réhahn's Precious Heritage Collection.

After lunch, we venture to a lantern-making workshop where we enjoy creating traditional paper lanterns. Lanterns became popular in the city in the 16th century when they were introduced by Japanese settlers, who claimed they brought good luck. They're still loved for their charming aesthetics, and the Old Quarter lights up with colourful lanterns on an evening.

Leaving Hoi An, we transfer to Da Nang for the train to the vibrant coastal resort of Nha Trang, passing rice paddies and mighty oxen working the countryside as we travel. We check into our hotel located on the beachfront.

On Day 9, we make a daytime journey by rail to Ho Chi Minh City. Modern yet with a rich cultural history, this is an exciting city with a zeal for life. The city was known as Saigon under French colonial rule - a name which many locals still use for their city. The French heavily influenced the design, and wide boulevards and grand historic colonial buildings can be seen across the central districts.

We stay here for two nights, and this evening, enjoy a talk by a local expert about the history of Vietnam's railways.

We travel to the Cu Chi Tunnels - a vast underground complex utilised during the war against the US. At its height, this system stretched almost 155 miles towards the Cambodian border and contained field hospitals, weapons factories, kitchens and living quarters. We take a fascinating tour of the tunnels before lunch at a local restaurant. 

This afternoon, we enjoy a sightseeing tour of Ho Chi Minh City, taking in the beautiful Central Post Office and Reunification Palace at Reunification Square. We see the Opera House with its French colonial architecture, as well as Dong Khoi Street, a lively street known for being the hub of the city.

We travel by coach to the Mekong Delta, a wonder of nature where the enormous Mekong River splits into branches on its way to the South China Sea, creating a vast maze of rivers dotted with lush islands.

We travel by boat to get a glimpse of the communities that make their living amongst these tropical surroundings. We stop at the floating market of Cai Be, where vendors are found nestled amongst rice paddies, before crossing a lower branch of the Mekong River. We disembark and continue to Can Tho, where we stay for two nights on the Mekong's glorious banks. 

On Day 12 you have a free day to explore Can Tho. Or, relax at our hotel, where you could lounge by the pool with a cocktail.

This morning we visit Cai Rang, one of the world's largest and most impressive floating markets. After time to peruse the goods on offer, we transfer to Cao Lanh for a boat journey through the Mekong Delta into Cambodia. 

We arrive in Phnom Penh, the country's vibrant capital. Known as the 'Pearl of Asia' the city is the meeting point for three great rivers - the Mekong, the Tonle Sap and the Bassac. Phnom Penh is the beating cultural heart of Cambodia and boasts many enticing cafés, bars, and world-class restaurants on its French-influenced streets, as well as tempting street food stalls and colourful markets.

On Day 14, we get to know Phnom Penh on a full-day guided tour that introduces us to some of the city's main sights. We see the Silver Pagoda and grand Royal Palace, which occupy an impressive riverside location surrounded by beautiful, manicured gardens. We also see the National Museum, a traditional Khmer building built from red stone, as well as the Central Market.

We journey by road to Siem Reap today, pausing en-route at the Skuon Market, where you may like to sample some traditional Cambodian snacks before lunch at a local restaurant. Siem Reap is a vibrant city at the gateway to the Angkor region, with a dizzying blend of colonial and Chinese influences. We stay here for the next two nights.

On Day 16, we visit the world-famous Angkor Wat temple city, the world's largest religious structure. There are few places in the world quite like this; built over 800 years ago for the god Vishnu, the temple would originally have been an extravagant display of golden roofs and whitewashed buildings. Now, it seems to have been reclaimed by nature to a devastatingly stunning effect. 

We continue by tuk-tuk to Angkor Thom. Translated as 'Great City', Angkor Thom was the last capital of the Khmer Empire. The now-abandoned city is fascinating to discover, with the impressive King Jayavarman state temple, Bayon, at its centre.

Later, we enjoy dinner at a local restaurant, accompanied by a traditional dance show.

We enjoy a final visit to some of Cambodia's beautiful temples today, visiting Ta Prohm, Ta Som, Neak Pean and Break Khan. We have lunch at a local restaurant ahead of our flight back to London Heathrow, where we arrive on Day 18.