Grand Tour of Vietnam & Cambodia: 23 days Hanoi to Siem Reap

Xin Chao and welcome to Hanoi. On arrival, you’ll be transferred to downtown Hanoi and your hotel for your included one-night stay. Relax at the hotel, explore the city, or wander Hanoi’s romantic West Lake. This evening, meet your tour director for your welcome briefing.

This morning after breakfast, leave Hanoi and travel to Halong Bay where you will board your elegant Au Co cruise ship. Cruise through the bays and islets enjoying the stunning scenery of this magnificent region. Enjoy the tours offered on board, learn more about the main livelihood of the locals in the area or simply choose to relax. Towards the end of the day, the ship anchors for the night in the Trinh Nu area among the karst formations where dinner will be served on board.

Included Excursion
A two-night Halong Bay cruise on the elegant Au Co cruise ship

Today, continue sailing further into the region’s more untouched areas towards Lan Ha Bay. From a smaller boat, enjoy swimming on quiet beaches and kayaking in Ho Ba Ham Lake. Then visit Cua Van fishing village by rowing boat. After a full day’s exploration, you’ll return to your cruise ship and after dinner, try your hand at squid fishing.

Enjoy the sunrise and breakfast. Then cruise through breathtaking rock formations and visit Sung Sot Cave, before arriving back at port for your transfer to Hanoi.

On arrival back in Hanoi, you’ll visit Hanoi’s Old Quarter also known as the ‘36 Streets’. This bustling area of narrow streets and alleys is home to literally thousands of small businesses and shopkeepers. It's a great place to explore with plenty of photo opportunities. Visit Hang Be Market, also located in the Old Quarter, before enjoying a walk around Hoàn Kiem Lake located in central Hanoi. Here walk across the red bridge to Ngoc Son Temple located on the Jade Islet within the lake. Later, enjoy a traditional water puppet show, a unique North Vietnamese art form depicting scenes from rural life and episodes of historical significance. As part of EmeraldPLUS, you'll enjoy dinner at KOTO (Know One Teach One), a unique restaurant set up to train and educate disadvantaged children.

EmeraldPLUS
Dinner at KOTO Restaurant

Included Excursion
Visit Hanoi’s Old Quarter

Included Excursion
A traditional water puppet show

Begin your morning city tour and learn about ‘Uncle Ho’, Ho Chi Minh, regarded as the father of modern Vietnam. Admire the exterior of his imposing mausoleum, before continuing to the Ho Chi Minh Quarter to glimpse his humble stilt house and the small but iconic One Pillar Pagoda. Then explore the nearby Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university established to educate Vietnam’s royalty, mandarins and members of the elite. The university functioned for an incredible 700 years, and its charming gardens and well-preserved architecture offer a fascinating glimpse into the nation’s storied past.

Depart Hanoi and transfer to the airport for your included flight to Da Nang (Hoi An). Upon arrival in Hoi An, transfer to your resort for your included three-night stay. Tonight you can join a DiscoverMORE excursion.

DiscoverMORE
Hoi An Memories Show (extra expense)

Included Excursion
Hanoi’s City Tour, including the Temple of Literature

Today, start with our EmeraldPLUS visit to the Reaching Out Project. Reaching Out is an NGO (non-governmental organisation) established in 2000, which provides opportunities for people with disabilities to learn skills and gain meaningful employment. Visit the workshop and get a glimpse of how this NGO helps them to integrate fully with their communities and lead independent and fulfilling lives. After, enjoy a walking tour of Hoi An and see the old merchant’s houses, the Japanese Covered Bridge and the Assembly Hall of the Chinese Congregation. Tonight, after a dinner menu sampling the local style street food, the evening is yours free to wander the historical lantern lit streets and their many shops or bars.

EmeraldPLUS
Reaching Out Project

Included Excursion
A walking tour of Hoi An

Enjoy a day of leisure to explore Hoi An and its surroundings. Perhaps take the time to explore the Old Town and visit one of the many tailors Hoi An is known for, or take a cyclo (bicycle style rickshaw) to An Bang Beach. Alternatively venture out on one of our DiscoverMORE excursions. The choice is yours.

DiscoverMORE
My Son Historic Kingdom Tour (extra expense)

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Hoi An Rural Life (extra expense)

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Thu Bon River Sunset Cruise (extra expense)

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Red Bridge Cooking Class (extra expense)

Leave Hoi An for Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam. You will drive through Danang before crossing the H?i Vân Pass, known as the Ocean Clouds Pass before dropping down to the wonderfully photogenic fishing village of Lang Co. In Hue, you will visit the Imperial Citadel where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945. Enjoy a relaxing cyclo (bicycle-style rickshaw) ride from Dai Noi ‘Old City’ to Tinh Tam Lake where the Emperors where the emperors used to go to relax. Then later, join a boat trip to visit Thien Mu Pagoda before checking into your hotel for the night. This evening, for your EmeraldPLUS experience, savour a traditional Vietnamese royal dinner menu.

EmeraldPLUS
A traditional Vietnamese royal dinner at a local restaurant

Included Excursion
Cyclo ride from Dai Noi ‘Old City’ to Tinh Tam Lake

Included Excursion
A visit to the Imperial Citadel

Included Excursion
A boat tour on the Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda

Today, you’ll be transferred to Hue airport for your flight south to Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon. After checking into your hotel in downtown District 1, you are free at leisure to explore Vietnam’s largest and most dynamic city. Take a stroll around the historic centre to admire the impressive French colonial architecture, or enjoy one of the many Saigoonese restaurants and cafés.

Drive away from Ho Chi Minh City to Cu Chi Tunnels, watching the city skyline fade into the distance as the road winds through rice paddies, villages and scenes typical to southern Vietnam. Spend a couple of hours walking around Cu Chi’s rugged grounds with a local guide. Upon your return to Ho Chi Minh City, enjoy a Pho (noodle soup) lunch with the remainder of the afternoon and evening yours to enjoy at leisure or venture out on one of our DiscoverMORE excursions.

Included Excursion
Cu Chi Tunnels

DiscoverMORE
An evening Saigon Street Food walking tour (extra expense)

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Saigon After Dark by Vintage Jeep (extra expense)

After checkout, enjoy a guided city tour, visiting the Notre Dame Cathedral, Opera House and Town Hall. Then, visit the Reunification Palace before transferring to the port where you will board your Emerald Cruises Star-Ship, Emerald Harmony. You’ll be welcomed on board by your captain and crew before setting sail down the Saigon River to Cho Gao canal where you will anchor for the night. This evening, enjoy your first dinner on board with your fellow travellers. Your Cruise Director will conduct a port talk to review the activities and itinerary for the days ahead.

Included Excursion
An orientation tour of Ho Chi Minh City

This morning, you’ll cruise through the bustling Cho Gao Canal, one of the major arterial canals of Vietnam connecting Tien Giang Province in the Mekong Delta with Ho Chi Minh City. You’ll find this a fascinating sight, observing the heavy commercial traffic navigate this important waterway, where upwards of 1,800 vessels transit each day. During your morning of relaxation on board, soak up the ever-changing passing scenery, enjoy a refreshing dip in the infinity pool, or indulge in a spa treatment (at additional cost).

Once on the Mekong River, this afternoon you’ll visit the rural Tan My Floating community, followed by a ride through local plantations to visit a mushroom farm, a fruit farm with sampling and a honey farm with local sweets. Later, you’ll cruise onwards to Sa Ðéc, a Mekong Delta hidden gem. 

Included Excursion
Visit the Thoi Binh hamlet and its authentic farming and fishing communities

This morning is a leisurely cruise to Sa Ðéc.

Later this afternoon, take a short ride on a sampan to arrive in Sa Ðéc, a delightful old provincial city in the heart of the Mekong Delta. Enjoy a walking tour around town with a visit to the home of local resident, Mr. Huynh Thuy Le, who inspired Marguerite Duras’ novel L’Amant (‘The Lover,’), and the town’s bustling central market to peruse its varied produce.

Afterwards return to Emerald Harmony by sampan to anchor for the night.

Included Excursion
Visit the home of Mr. Huynh Thuy Le and the bustling Sa Ðéc markets

After a short sail with breakfast, transfer ashore by sampan to explore the village life on My An Hung Island. Recognised as a cultural and historical destination, this small village in rural Vietnam specialises in red-hot chilli and peppers. For today’s EmeraldPLUS experience, enjoy some local folk singing during the visit to this charming riverine community.

After returning to Emerald Harmony, enjoy an afternoon cruise to Gieng Island.

Included Excursion
Visit My An Hung Village 

EmeraldPLUS
Listen to local folk singing in My An Hung 

Locally known as ‘Mango Island,’ Cu Lao Gieng is a small, picturesque island untouched by tourism, located along the upper Mekong River. Travel by local motorcycle rickshaw through the island’s villages to visit families who work in various local industries, including mango farming, various types of boat construction and a factory that produces temple incense sticks.

The afternoon is yours to enjoy at leisure on board as we cruise to Tan Chau. Upon arrival and for today’s EmeraldPLUS experience, delight in a traditional Lion Dance performance on the Sun Deck of Emerald Harmony.

Included Excursion
Visit local industries in Gieng Island

EmeraldPLUS
Lion Dance performance on board Emerald Harmony

In Tan Chau, embark on a sampan ride to Evergreen Island for a walk through a local village, affording an insightful glimpse into the ‘Delta farming community'. You’ll then reboard your sampan returning to Tan Chau for a visit to a local Cao Dai Temple. Cao Dai is a syncretic, monotheistic religion established in Tây Ninh, Southern Vietnam, in 1926. At the temple, you can learn more about the hybrid of philosophies that form the basis of this fascinating and complex religion. Afterwards, take a ride in a Xe Loi, a local form of Cyclo unique to the Mekong Delta, back to your sampan and return to Emerald Harmony. Back on board your Emerald Star-Ship, you’ll cruise towards the border between Vietnam and Cambodia.

Included Excursion
Visit to Evergreen Island, a Cao Dai Temple visit and Xe Loi ride

Welcome to Cambodia. Today, you’ll awake in Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh. Known as the ‘Pearl of Asia’ during the French Indochina-era, this city was almost entirely evacuated by the Khmer Rouge regime in 1975. This morning, learn about the Khmer Rouge and the darkest days of Cambodia’s history. A short drive takes you to the Killing Fields at Choeung Ek, where you can stroll through the fields and visit the memorial, understanding more about the country’s sombre chapter.

Afterwards, visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (infamously known as ‘S-21’), a former school converted to the Khmer Rouge’s main prison and torture headquarters. Spend the afternoon as you please, either joining one of our Emerald DiscoverMORE excursions, visiting the Central Market located at in the heart of Phnom Penh, or simply relaxing on board Emerald Harmony.

This evening, as part of your EmeraldPLUS experience, you’ll enjoy an evening remork (local Tuk-Tuk) excursion through Phnom Penh, admiring the glittering city lights.

Included Excursion
Killing Fields at Choeung Ek and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

EmeraldPLUS
Phnom Penh by night on a remork (Tuk-Tuk) tour

DiscoverMORE
A silk farm tour at Koh Oknha Tei (extra expense)

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Craft Beer Adventure by remork (extra expense)

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Samai Distillery (extra expense)

In the morning visit the majestic Royal Palace, captivating with its French-inspired gardens and Silver Pagoda. Once back on board, as part of your EmeraldPLUS experience, you’ll enjoy a cultural performance by the Cambodian Student and Children’s Organisation. After lunch set sail from Phnom Penh and enjoy an afternoon of relaxed cruising as you continue further up the Mekong River to Angkor Ban.

Included Excursion
Visit to the Royal Palace

EmeraldPLUS
Cultural Performance by the Cambodian Student and Children’s Organisation

In Angkor Ban, explore its historical rural wooden houses which survived the Khmer Rouge. In the village temple, partake in an alm’s ceremony, learn how to pray in a Buddhist pagoda and receive a traditional Buddhist blessing from the temple’s resident monks from as part of your EmeraldPLUS experience. Afterwards set sail to your final destination, Peam Chi Korng located further upstream on the Mekong River.

Included Excursion
Walk around the historical village of Angkor Ban

EmeraldPLUS
A traditional Buddhist Monk blessing

Disembark Emerald Harmony in the morning, then continue your journey by road to Siem Reap for your included three-night stay. Upon arrival in this lively northern city, check in to your beautiful hotel, a deluxe boutique property of world-class design, which takes great care in honouring the environment and paying homage to the traditional and local aesthetics.

This evening, for your EmeraldPLUS experience, you’re invited to Phare, The Cambodian Circus, where a combination of acrobatics, music and dance tell a uniquely Cambodian story. Enjoy a special Emerald DiscoverMORE dinner while attending the circus, to further support Phare’s work.

EmeraldPLUS
Phare Cambodian Circus performance

DiscoverMORE
Evening – Local Fare at Phare Circus (extra expense)

Today, start with a visit to Angkor Thom, not a single temple such as the historic sites it neighbours, but rather one of the most remarkable royal cities of the Angkor Period and an architectural wonder. As the last capital of the Khmer Empire, it was a fortified city, home to priests, officials of the palace, military and buildings for administering the kingdom. Afterwards, visit the sacred Temple of Ta Prohm. In an incredible standoff between human creation and nature, the jungle's root systems have reclaimed this spiritual location now enshrouded in wild vegetation. The backdrop to many Hollywood scenes, the incredible Ta Prohm is both a cinematic and contemplative location. This evening is free to visit ‘Pub Street’ or try a DiscoverMORE option.

Included Excursion
Visit to Angkor Thom

Included Excursion
Visit to Ta Prohm Temple

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Vespa tour of Siem Reap (extra expense)

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Evening – Gondola Boat ride at Banyon with drinks (extra expense)

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Evening - Cambodian Street Food Discovery Tour (extra expense)

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Evening – Local Fare at Phare Circus (extra expense)

Witness a mesmerising sunrise over Angkor Wat. Afterwards, walk through this magnificent UNESCO World Heritage-listed site, renowned for its intricate carvings. This afternoon, enjoy time at leisure to explore the town, or join a DiscoverMORE excursion. Later, as part of your EmeraldPLUS experience, enjoy an immersive evening and farewell dinner, accompanied by an Apsara dance performance.

Included Excursion
Sunrise visit to Angkor Wat

EmeraldPLUS
Apsara dance performance and dinner show

DiscoverMORE
Siem Reap Countryside by Vespa (extra expense)

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Banteay Srei Temple and APOPO (extra expense)

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Tonlé Sap and Lotus Workshop (extra expense)

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Khmer Cooking Class (extra expense)

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Senteurs d’Angkor Workshop (extra expense)

After breakfast this morning, you will be transferred to the Siem Reap airport to catch your onward or homebound flight.

Rivers and waterways are subject to variations in water levels. While every effort is made to adhere to the planned itinerary, changes in river conditions, ad hoc local government regulations or local festivities may require journey modifications. These will be made based on the advice of local authorities or for safety reasons. Hotels are indicative and are subject to change.

Please note: Preview itinerary subject to change.