Classic Vietnam and Cambodia, 12 days, private FIT

Day 1

Arrive Hanoi

The driver and guide meet the clients after customs at Noi Bai and transfer them into the city. Arrival day is left free on purpose: long-haul flights land at all hours and an afternoon programme planned for a 14:00 arrival is lost whenever the flight is late.

The guide hands over a printed day sheet and explains how to reach the operations contact.

Day 2

Hanoi

A full guided day. Morning at the Temple of Literature and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum area (the mausoleum itself closes on some days and for maintenance periods, so the guide confirms the day before), then lunch and a walk through the Old Quarter streets.

Afternoon at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology or a cyclo ride, the agent's choice at quote stage.

Day 3

Hanoi to Ha Long Bay

An early road transfer east to the pier. Boarding is usually around midday; the boat sails into the bay, with lunch on board, kayaking or a cave visit in the afternoon depending on the boat's licensed route.

We quote Ha Long Bay or the quieter Lan Ha Bay depending on the boat you choose. Both sit within the Ha Long Bay – Cat Ba Archipelago World Heritage property.

Day 4

Ha Long Bay to Hanoi, fly to Hue

Sunrise on deck, brunch, and disembarkation late in the morning. The driver takes the group straight to Noi Bai for an evening flight to Hue.

This is the tightest day of the programme. We book the latest reasonable flight and do not sell an afternoon flight on this day. If the authorities suspend sailings because of weather, the boat night is replaced by a hotel night in Hanoi and the flight still operates.

Day 5

Hue

The Imperial City in the morning, then one of the royal tombs by road and a boat on the Perfume River if water levels allow. Hue was the capital of unified Vietnam from 1802 to 1945 under the Nguyen dynasty, and most of the day is about that period.

Day 6

Hue to Hoi An by road

A full-day road transfer south over the Hai Van Pass, with stops at the pass and in Da Nang. When cloud closes the pass, the driver takes the tunnel and the stop is skipped; the guide tells the clients the evening before so it is not a surprise.

Day 7

Hoi An

Morning walking tour of the old town, a trading port from the 15th to the 19th century. The old-town ticket covers a fixed number of heritage houses; the guide picks the ones that are open that day. Afternoon free, or a countryside cycle if the clients want it.

Day 8

Da Nang to Saigon

Transfer to Da Nang airport for a late-morning flight south. Afternoon city visit in Saigon: the post office area, the War Remnants Museum and Ben Thanh market.

Day 9

Mekong Delta day trip

A day in the delta by road and small boat: canals, a fruit garden, a family workshop. The clients return to Saigon in the late afternoon.

Agents who want the delta overnight should look at the Mekong Delta to Angkor programme instead.

Day 10

Saigon to Siem Reap

Morning flight to Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport (SAI). The airport is about 50 km east of town, so the transfer is longer than at most regional airports. Late afternoon at a temple outside the main circuit, or rest.

Cambodian e-visas are accepted at international airports, including Siem Reap.

Day 11

Angkor

Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and the Bayon, Ta Prohm. The day starts early to keep the hottest hours for lunch and a rest at the hotel. A three-day Angkor Pass is needed for two temple days; it is valid for use within ten days of purchase.

Day 12

Depart Siem Reap

Optional sunrise at Angkor Wat for clients on a late flight, breakfast, then the long transfer back to SAI for the onward flight.