A wide-ranging adventure showcasing the region’s natural wonders and fascinating cultures, this 17-day trip offers a combination of guided excursions and free time to explore beaches, ruins, urban culture, and awe-inspiring landscapes. Cruise the Mekong for a day and overnight on a traditional sailing junk boat in Halong Bay. Witness the heights of Cambodia’s past at Angkor Wat, and contemplate its lows by walking the infamous Killing Fields. Although many activities are included, there is still plenty of time to explore on your own and create the ultimate adventure.
Speak to our travel experts. They have spent a lot of time exploring our destinations. Their first-hand knowledge is the basis for organizing your perfect trip.
DAY 1: Hanoi
Arrive at any time.
There are no planned activities today until an evening welcome meeting. After the meeting, opt for dinner out with the group.
Your Welcome Moment: Meet Your CEO and Group
Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don’t forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.
DAY 2: Hanoi/Ha Long
Enjoy a Ha Long Bay cruise on a junk boat with visits to a cave and an island lookout. Savour a seafood lunch and dinner.
Drive to Bai Chay harbour, the jumping off point for Ha Long Bay. Thousands of islands with intricate cave systems rise dramatically from the waters. Sail past limestone karst mountains in the junk boat and stop to visit some of the islands and caves.
In the evening, devour a seafood dinner, then opt to enjoy a drink on deck under the stars.
Shared Van
Climb aboard and make friends with your seatmate en route to the next stop.
Junk
Skim across the water aboard this iconic traditional Asian sailboat.
Halong Bay Overnight Cruise
Board a traditional junk boat at Ha Long Bay harbour and cruise out onto serene waters. Marvel at massive limestone karst mountains jutting out of the water, creating unforgettable spectacular scenery. Swim, kayak or go cave exploring on one of the islands, if conditions are right. Indulge in fresh seafood meals with a variety of dishes to sample. Drift to sleep in a cozy cabin on board.
On rare occasion Halong Bay is closed to tourist vessels by the government authorities due to extreme weather conditions. Should this occur, an alternate activity will be provided.
Meals included: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
DAY 3: Ha Long/Huế
Enjoy breakfast and lunch on board before sailing back to the port and return to Hanoi. Enjoy some time in the city before an overnight train to Hue.
Interested in local cuisine? Opt to pre-book the “Hanoi Foodie Culture Tour” activity on the checkout page to include this optional on your tour.
Free Time
Spend a few hours exploring this beautiful capital city. Visit some shops, have a bia hoi on a street corner or grab a coffee in a lakeside café.
Basic Overnight Train (beds)
Drive about 15 mins to the station and then board the southbound train for the overnight journey.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Meals included: Breakfast | Lunch
DAY 4: Huế
Guided tour of the Imperial Citadel, Royal Tomb and Tien Mu Pagoda.
Arrive early to Hue, once the imperial capital of Vietnam. Start the day with a visit to the Tien Mu Pagoda followed by a visit to the tomb of one of Vietnam’s former emperors. After, opt for a vegetarian lunch at a local nunnery.
While in the city, try some local Hue specialties such as banh khoai (Hue savoury pancakes), and banh bot loc boc tom thit (thin rice paper filled with meat and shrimp). Wash it all down with a Hue beer.
Opt to pre-book the “Hue Motorbike Tour” activity on the checkout page ahead of time, to include this optional on your tour.
Tien Mu Pagoda Visit
Visit Tien Mu, one of the tallest and, perhaps, most elegant pagodas in Vietnam, at seven storeys high. Take a step back in time touring this historic temple – built more than 400 years ago along the north shore of the Perfume River, it has been the site of many political protests.
Imperial Citadel Tour
Tour this one-time capital city and UNESCO World Heritage site. See the walled fortress and former palace, which has many palaces, gateways, courtyards, and gardens to explore. The Forbidden Purple City (modelled on China’s Forbidden City) inside the citadel was once home to the imperial family and was significantly damaged during the Vietnam War.
Royal Tombs Visit
Visit the Royal Tombs along the Perfume River in Hue. Embracing the concept of Feng Shui, these tombs are extremely ornate and provide fantastic insight into the lives of the former rulers.
DAY 5: Huế/Hoi An
Drive the Hai Van pass. Take advantage of Hoi An’s many options over the 2.5 days in town. Opt for a cooking class, riverboat trip, bike ride, beach time, tailor visit or My Son ruins.
Cross the Hai Van Pass (weather permitting), with fantastic views in all directions, before arriving to Hoi An in the afternoon.
With three nights here, there’s plenty of time to explore all this charming town has to offer.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Free Time
Use free time in this quaint town to explore any way you like.
Meals included: Breakfast
DAY 6: Hoi An
Explore all Hoi An has to offer. Dive into the culture, hang out on the beach or get clothes tailor-made in one of the many shops around town. Enjoy a noodle making demonstration and lunch at Oodles of Noodles, a G Adventures-supported project.
Your G for Good Moment: Oodles of Noodles Demonstration and Lunch
Try some of the oodles of noodles (more than 26 types!) available in the city in this tasty cooking class. Run by our G for Good partners, STREETS International, this class was developed exclusively for G Adventures. Former street youth that are part of this hospitality training program, will help you prepare and cook a number of different types of noodles. This program helps these youth practice their English, increasing their skill-set and opportunities available to them in the tourism industry. Enjoy your yummy creations while learning more about the local cuisine and this initiative which empowers street youth through skills and employment training.
Free Time
Explore this charming city.
Meals included: Breakfast | Lunch
DAY 7: Hoi An
Spend a free day exploring all Hoi An has to offer.
Your Discover Moment
There’s plenty to see and do in Hoi An, and we wanted to make sure that you had some time to take it all in. Feel free to relax or try optional activities like learning about Vietnamese cuisine with a cooking class, trying your hand at making traditional lanterns, and visiting the ruins of My Son. Your CEO has more ideas if you need them. Just ask!
Meals included: Breakfast
DAY 8: Hoi An/Ho Chi Minh City
Fly from Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh City with free time to explore this hectic city.
Drive to Da Nang for the flight to Ho Chi Minh City, once the capital of South Vietnam and the country’s commercial centre. Start exploring the small alleys and busy streets, keeping an eye out for laquerware shops and delicious local food stalls.
Plane
Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s… yup, it is a plane, actually.
Meals included: Breakfast
DAY 9: Ho Chi Minh City
Guided tour of Cu Chi Tunnels in the morning, free time in the afternoon.
Use free time to visit the Thien Hau and Giac Vien pagodas and stroll through the immense Ben Thanh Market. The Reunification Palace, the city’s Chinese quarter of Cholon, and the War Remnants Museum are also well worth a visit.
Cu Chi Tunnels Guided Tour
Take a guided tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels, a complex network of tunnels that the Viet Cong lived in to protect themselves from opposing forces during the Vietnam War. Try crawling through some of the tunnels (if you’re not claustrophobic). These tunnels stored ammunition, had underground hospitals, and served as a hidden base for attacking allied forces.
Free Time
Enjoy free time to explore this hectic city any way you like.
Meals included: Breakfast
DAY 10: Ho Chi Minh City
Enjoy a boat cruise through the villages, islands, and markets of the Mekong Delta, and visit traditional candy factories.
After enjoying a day in the Mekong Delta, travel back to Ho Chi Minh City in time for an optional dinner.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Day Trip to Mekong Delta
Travel to where the mighty Mekong empties into the South China Sea. Board a small boat and navigate through narrow canals, witnessing local living along the way. Stop to see cottage industries and their products for which the area is famous: delicious, chewy coconut candy and rice cakes.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Meals included: Breakfast
DAY 11: Ho Chi Minh City/Phnom Penh
Travel day with border crossing from Vietnam to Cambodia. Enjoy a cyclo tour through the city.
Drive to the border and cross into Cambodia. Continue on to the capital, Phnom Penh, and enjoy a cyclo ride through the city for a street-level perspective.
Local Bus
Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.
Border Crossing (Vietnam – Cambodia)
Ready for a little more ink in your passport? Grab your bags and get ready to check another country off your bucket list.
Local Bus
Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.
Phnom Penh Cyclo Tour
Settle in a traditional cyclo and depart from Wat Phnom. Tour busy streets to soak up the real vibe of the city. Pass the post office and Van’s restaurant, both stunning colonial buildings, and make your way to the Royal Palace and National Museum. Go along the riverside road and take in the atmospheric cafes that line the street.
Meals included: Breakfast
DAY 12: Phnom Penh
Guided tour of Tuol Sleng Museum (S-21 Prison) and Choeung Ek (Killing Fields). Opt to visit the Royal Palace, the National Museum or the Central Market.
Meet a local guide to learn more about the dark side of Cambodian history. Visit to Choeung Ek, the site of the infamous Killing Fields. After, visit Tuol Sleng Museum (S-21 Prison), the notorious Khmer Rouge prison where thousands of Cambodians perished.
Enjoy a free afternoon to sightsee. Opt to explore the city’s many sights: the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda, and the National Museum. With time, choose to visit the Russian Market, Wat Phnom or sip a drink at a riverside café.
Choeung Ek (Killing Fields) Guided Tour
Learn more about the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge visiting the killing fields of Choeung Ek; the grounds now stand as a powerful memorial filled with victims’ skulls and mass graves. Tour this sombre, yet serene, site with a guide.
Tuol Sleng Museum (S-21 Prison) Guided Tour
Learn about the dark history and devastation that occurred at Security Prison 21 (S-21); the prison, used by the Khmer Rouge regime, is now Tuol Sleng Museum. Take a guided tour to hear the stories behind the sombre photos lining the museum walls.
Free Time
Use free time to customize your experience and see the sights that interest you most.
Meals included: Breakfast
DAY 13: Phnom Penh/Siem Reap
Drive from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, the home base for exploring incredible Angkor Wat.
Shared Van
Drive through the beautiful Cambodian countryside.
Meals included: Breakfast
DAY 14: Siem Reap
Watch the sun rise over the massive Angkor temple complex with a guided tour. Opt to visit the Tonlé Sap floating village and the Angkor National Museum. Enjoy a traditional meal of Khmer food at a G Adventures for Good-supported project.
Spend two days exploring Angkor, the former capital of the Khmer kingdom and one of the wonders of the archaeological world. See some of the highlights of this ancient capital, like sunrise at the magnificent temple of Angkor Wat, the enigmatic Bayon within the walled city of Angkor Thom, and Ta Prohm, also known as the ‘Tomb Raider’ temple.
Enjoy a traditional meal to learn about Khmer food and meet some friendly locals. Alternating locations of our included local meal means we can support multiple small businesses and projects in the area. Each experience is truly unique and memorable.
Angkor Wat Guided Tour
Follow a local expert through the massive grounds of Angkor Wat for 2 days. You’ll have the opportunity to go in and out of the complex, resting at the hottest part of the day.
Your G for Good Moment: Local Khmer Meal
Depending on the day of the week your tour visits Siem Reap, you will either enjoy a traditional meal at the G Adventures-supported New Hope project or in a local home in a nearby village. With so many travellers coming through this area, alternating experiences helps to allow multiple small businesses to flourish. Both experiences are truly unique and memorable.
The New Hope Vocational Training Restaurant, an initiative kickstarted by G Adventures, provides skill-building opportunities to marginalized community members. The project also funds the adjacent free community school and health centre. Meals at Phila’s house support the education of underprivileged children in the area. Visit either project – both run by locals – and see how they have supported positive change in the community.
Meals included: Breakfast | Dinner
Day 15: Siem Reap
Spend another day in Siem Reap, exploring more temples of Angkor or going further afield.
Free Time
Get out and explore.
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 16: Siem Reap/Bangkok
Cross the border into Thailand and continue on to the bustling metropolis of Bangkok.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Border Crossing (Cambodia – Thailand)
Get ready to cross into Thailand. Aranyaprathet is known for being one of the most hectic border crossings but your CEO will help make the process go as smoothly as possible. The border crossing is done on foot and can take up to an hour so be patient and think of all the fun Thailand has in store.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Load into the van on the Thai side of the border and continue on to Bangkok.
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 17: Bangkok
Depart at any time.
Not ready to leave this vibrant city? Extend your stay with post-tour accommodation – your CEO can give you a hand.
Meals included: Breakfast
