The Great Indochina

DAY 1: LUANG PRABANG
Arrival in Luang Prabang, Laos, and transfer to the hotel for accommodation for 2 nights, with breakfast.

In the evening, visit the city's night market.


DAY 2: LUANG PRABANG
After breakfast, ride a traditional boat along the Mekong River, which has beautiful landscapes with its banks surrounded by villages, fields and forests. On the way, we stop at the village of Ban Shanghai, famous for making some of the varieties of rice wine.

Visit the mysterious Pak Ou caves, two caves connected with about 4,000 lacquered gold Buddha statues, with different shapes and sizes.

Stop for lunch at a local restaurant (without drinks). Then, visit the National Museum and the former Royal Palace, and climb Mount Phousi, which offers a fantastic panoramic view of Luang Prabang and the Mekong River.

Return to the hotel.


DAY 3: LUANG PRABANG/HANOI
Departure very early to see the monks walking around the city and receiving donations from the population (usually food). Visit the local market and return to the hotel for breakfast.

Tour to the most important and significant monument in Laos: Wat Xieng Thong. There are more than twenty buildings in the complex, including sanctuaries, pavilions, and residences. In its gardens there is a wide variety of flowers, shrubs and ornamental trees.

Visit the Wat Sane, Wat Mai and Wat Visoun temples, and the Ock Pop Tock, a traditional textile store and center created and managed by women.

Stop for lunch at a local restaurant (without drinks). Return to the hotel for transfer to the airport for boarding to Hanoi, Vietnam (flight not included).

Upon arrival in Hanoi, transfer to the hotel and accommodation for 2 nights, with breakfast.


DAY 4: HANOI
After breakfast, tour of Hanoi. Vietnam's capital is the only Asian city with tree-lined avenues, French colonial architecture, lakes, and oriental temples.

Visit the Temple of Literature, the country's first university and considered the symbol of Hanoi, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Ba Dinh Square, and the One-Pillar Pagoda, made of wood shaped like a lotus leaf, in honor of Buddha.

Lunch stop at a local restaurant (no drinks).

In the afternoon, visit an artisanal flower shop to learn about the production of traditional Vietnamese spiritual floral arrangements and offerings. Then, stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake with panoramic views of Ngoc Son Temple. Finally, ride a Pousse cycle (bike with cart) through Hanoi's old quarter, also known as the District of 36 Streets.


DAY 5: HANOI - HALONG BAY
After breakfast, land transfer to Halong Bay (approximately 2h30 journey), through the rich agricultural lands of the Red River Delta, past rice fields and the region's traditional rural life.

Board the traditional wooden boat “junco” for a cruise for 1 night with full board. The trip passes through numerous islands in the bay, such as the Turtle, the Dog, the Chief of Man, etc. Free time to relax and enjoy the scenery or organize optional activities.

Note: The cruise itinerary is subject to weather conditions.


DAY 6: HALONG BAY - HANOI/ DANANG - HOI AN
During the cruise it is possible to take a Tai Chi class on the boat terrace at sunrise. An opportunity for beautiful photos.

Brunch served on board and return to the pier. Ground transfer to Hanoi airport and board a flight to Da Nang (flight not included).

Upon arrival, ground transfer to Hoi An and check-in at the hotel for accommodation for 2 nights, with breakfast.

At dusk, take a boat ride on the Hoai River to catch a glimpse of city lights and flashlights over the waters that call for good omens. Upon disembarkation, free time to stroll through the streets of the region and return to the hotel on your own.


DAY 7: HOI AN
Breakfast at the hotel and visit to the city of Hoi An, an important commercial port in Asia in the 17th and 18th centuries, whose architecture and relaxed lifestyle have changed little in recent years.

Stroll around the old city center to visit traditional merchant houses; the over 400-year-old Japanese bridge; the Phuc Kien room, an old house of traditional Tan Ky architecture; and the city's history museum.

Stop for lunch at a local restaurant (without drinks).

Return to the hotel and free afternoon to enjoy the beach, stroll through the colorful market, or do some shopping.


DAY 8: HOI AN - DANANG - HUE
After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to Da Nang, with a visit to the city and the Linh Ung Pagoda. Continue on the road to Hue, the former Vietnamese imperial capital.

Upon arrival, stop for lunch at a local restaurant (no drinks). Transfer to the hotel for accommodation for 1 night, with breakfast.

In the afternoon, visit Thien Mu Pagoda and tour the Dong Ba market.


DAY 9: HUE/HO CHI MINH
After breakfast, private visit, with an English-speaking guide, to the imperial citadel where the Nguyen dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945, and to the tomb of Emperor Minh Mang. After lunch at a local restaurant (without drinks), visit the mausoleum of Emperor Khai Dinh.

Transfer to the city's airport to board a flight to Ho Chi Minh City (flight not included). Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel and accommodation for 2 nights, with breakfast.


DAY 10: HO CHI MINH
After breakfast, departure for a tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels, an impressive complex of underground tunnels used during the Vietnam War.

Then return to Ho Chi Minh. Lunch stop at a local restaurant (no drinks).

In the afternoon, visit the old Central Post Office, Nguyen Hue Street, and the City Hall. Later, you can enjoy authentic Vietnamese “coffee” (not included).


DAY 11: HO CHI MINH/SIEM REAP
After breakfast, transfer to the airport to board a flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia (flight not included). Transfer to the hotel for 3-night accommodation in Siem Reap, with breakfast.

Stop for lunch at a local restaurant (without drinks). Next, tour the Rolous temple complex: Preah Ko Temple, Bakong Mountain Temple, and Lolei Temple. Rest of the day free.


DAY 12: SIEM REAP
After breakfast, ride a tuk-tuk (traditional Cambodian vehicle) to the south gate of Angkor Thom, home to the 8-meter-high walls that lead to the Bayon temple in the center. As Bayon itself has no wall or moat of its own, those in the city are interpreted by archaeologists as representing the mountains and oceans that surround Mount Meru.

Then, visit the Ta Prohm temple, which has remained relatively the same as when it was discovered and still holds much of its mystery.

Stop for lunch at a local restaurant (without drinks). Visit the most famous of all temples: Angkor Wat, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The temple complex covers 81 hectares and is the largest and best preserved temple of those that make up the Angkor complex. Considered the ultimate example of the classical Khmer architecture style, it is considered the largest religious structure ever built, in addition to being one of the most important archaeological treasures in the world.

Return to the hotel.


DAY 13: SIEM REAP
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure to attend a Buddhist ceremony with the monks in a Pagoda, where it will be possible to learn more about Buddhism and how this religion affects Cambodian culture. Then, visit the Bantey Samre and Bantey Srei temples, dedicated to Shiva.

Lunch stop at a local restaurant (no drinks). Soon after, visit the D'Angkor Artisans, a center for the protection and conservation of traditional crafts.

Return to the hotel.


Day 14: SIEM REAP
Breakfast and check-out at the hotel. Private transfer to Siem Reap airport.



THAILAND