A Combination of Vietnam and Laos 20 Days

Day 1: Arrival at Hanoi (D, GP)

Arriving at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi, you’ll be met and driven to your hotel. You’ll have time to relax before a ‘Welcome’ dinner at a restaurant in a restored French colonial building. You will spend the night in a hotel.

Day 2: Explore the capital Hanoi (B, L, G)

Today, you will visit some of the must-see sites in Hanoi. First, you will visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum’s complex including Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum, museum, his simple house-on-stilt and One-Pillar Pagoda. You will then visit oldest pagoda in Hanoi, Tran Quoc Pagoda.

After lunch, you will visit the excellent Ethnology Museum and the bustling Old Quarter. You will finish your day by a Water Puppetry performance. You will spend the night in Hanoi.

Day 3: Hanoi/Ha Long (B, L, D, G)

After an early breakfast, you’ll leave for Ha Long Bay, one of the most spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Areas where you’ll board a wooden junk built from the model of the old Vietnamese court vessels. The cruising route will take you to the busy World Heritage area and then to some of the less well-known grottoes and caves. Meals will be provided on board with fresh seafood mainly. You will spend the night in a twin or double cabin with an en suite toilet and shower.

Day 4: Ha Long/Hanoi (Brunch, G)

You’ll spend the morning cruising Ha Long Bay, followed by lunch just before docking around noon and leaving for Hanoi. The rest of the day will be free. You will spend the night in Hanoi.

Day 5: Hanoi/Hue (B, G)

Your morning will be free until your car arrives to take you to the airport for a noon flight to Hue. Arriving in Hue, you will visit the Imperial Citadel of Hue and the local Dong Ba market. You’ll spend the night in Hue.

Day 6: Hue (B, L, D, G)

Your morning will begin with a cruise along the Perfume River to visit to the Thien Mu Pagoda. From there, you’ll drive to the Royal Tombs of Emperor Minh Mang and, in the afternoon, Emperor Khai Dinh. After that, you’ll return to Hue to visit one of city’s ‘garden houses’.

In the evening, you’ll sit down for dinner in the pleasant surroundings of the garden houses and enjoy some of the most typical dishes of Hue’s cuisine. You’ll spend the night in Hue.

Day 7: Hue/Danang/Hoi An (B, L, G)

In the morning, your car will arrive to drive you to Danang via the high mountain pass of Hai Van. You will then visit the remarkable Hindu statuary in the Cham Museum before leaving for Hoi An. After lunch, you’ll have a guided visit to the Ancient Town of Hoi An. You’ll spend the night in Hoi An.

Day 8: Hoi An/My Son/Hoi An (B, G)

Today, you will visit the World Heritage ‘My Son Sanctuary’. Your guide will show you the remains of the remarkable towers constructed by the Cham builders. The rest of the day will be free. You’ll spend the night in Hoi An.

Day 9: Hoi An free (B)

The day will be free for strolling in the town, lazing on the beach, or whatever takes your fancy. You’ll spend the night in Hoi An.

Day 10: Hoi An/Danang/Ho Chi Minh City (B, GP)

You’ll have a free morning until you’re picked up for an afternoon flight to Ho Chi Minh City. After transferring to your Ho Chi Minh City central hotel and checking-in, you’ll be free to wander around the city centre. You will spend the night in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 11: Ho Chi Minh City orientation (B, L, G)

After breakfast, your guide will arrive to show you around Ho Chi Minh City. You’ll visit the History Museum, the Museum of War Remnants, the huge Ben Thanh market.

In the afternoon, you will visit the Jade Emperor Temple and a lacquer workshop. In the evening, you’ll have tickets for a performance of traditional Water Puppetry. You’ll spend the night in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 12: Ho Chi Minh City/Vinh Long/Can Tho (B, L, G)

A morning drive will take you to Vinh Long where a Mekong River cruise will take you to visit the fruit orchards, a traditional family-run brick kiln, and some long established cottage industries. You’ll drive further into the Mekong Delta to Can Tho where you’ll spend the night.

Day 13: Can Tho/Ho Chi Minh City (B, L, G)

In the morning, you will take a boat cruise in the Cai Rang floating market on the Mekong Delta and then return to your hotel to check out. On your return to Ho Chi Minh City, you’ll call in at the beautiful and ancient Vinh Trang pagoda, 3 km from My Tho centre. Your overnight accommodation will be in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 14: Ho Chi Minh City/Tay Ninh/Cu Chi (B, L, G)

A morning drive will take you to Tay Ninh to visit the Cao Dai Holy See in time to watch the mid-day ceremony. After lunch, you’ll visit the famous Cu Chi tunnels, a Byzantine maze of underground passages, chambers, rooms and booby traps used by both the Vietminh and the Viet Cong to suddenly materialise as if from nowhere, launch a lightning ambush, and vanish equally rapidly. You’ll spend the night in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 15: Ho Chi Minh City/Vientiane (B, G)

Your time will be your own until your private car and driver arrives to take you to the airport for noon flight to Vientiane where you will be met on arrival. The rest of the day will be free to wander around the sleepy capital. You will spend the night in a hotel.

Day 16: Vientiane city orientation (B, L, G)

The city tour today includes some of the must-see sites in the capital Vientiane. They are Wat Si Saket, Wat Pha Keo Museum, That Luang Stupa, Patuxay Monument, better known as Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph, local ‘Morning Market’.

In the afternoon, you will see another Wat, the Wat Ong Tu and have free time to stroll along the Mekong riverside to enjoy the sunset.

Day 17: Vinetiane/Luang Prabang (B, L, G)

Today, you will take a short flight to the charming Heritage City Luang Prabang, where you will be greeted on arrival. In the evening, you’ll be free to stroll around the city’s Night Market offering handmade textiles woven by local people and ethnic minority communities. You will spend the night in Luang Prabang.

Day 18: Luang Prabang city (B, L, G)

Today, you will visit the the magnificent Wat Xieng Thong, Wat Mai temple and the ‘Day Market’.

After lunch, you will climb up to the top of Mount Phousi provides a panorama of the ancient royal city and the Mekong River. You’ll spend the night in Luang Prabang.

Day 19: Luang Prabang/Kuangsi Waterfall/Luang Prabang (B, L, G)

This is the morning when you need your alarm clock! Early in the morning after a sustaining beverage and a small snack, you’ll witness one of Laos’ unique ceremonies – the daily ‘alms giving’ ritual of saffron-clad monks walking in a long line holding black bowls to receive offerings from local people. The traditional gift is a handful of ‘sticky rice’, but nowadays money is equally acceptable.

You’ll then return to your hotel for a proper breakfast. Afterwards, you’ll be driven to the Kuangsi Waterfalls, a serene beauty spot where you can splash around in the pools or stroll the forest paths. You will also visit Ban Phanom, a well-known weaving village. You will spend the night in Luang Prabang.

Day 20: Luang Prabang departure (B, G)

Your time is your own until your car arrives to take you to the airport for your departure flight. Tour ends.