The journey
Cross four countries in eighteen days, from Bangkok's grand palace and Sukhothai's ruined temples to Luang Prabang's monks and markets, Halong Bay's limestone karsts, Hoi An's lantern-lit streets and the temples of Angkor.
Southeast Asia Uncovered is an eighteen-day journey through the region's classic highlights, taking in the modern metropolises of Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City and all the quiet places in between where nature and history beckon the curious traveller. Begin in Bangkok with the Grand Palace and a long-tail boat ride along the Chao Phraya River, then travel north to the ruined temples of Sukhothai and the ancient city walls and mountain temples of Chiang Mai.
Highlights
- Explore Bangkok's Grand Palace, Wat Pho and the canals of Thonburi by long-tail boat
- Wander the ruined 13th-century temples of Sukhothai, Thailand's first capital
- Join a Lao cooking class and a traditional Baci blessing ceremony in Luang Prabang
- Cruise the Mekong River to the sacred Pak Ou Caves and spend a night aboard a boat on Halong Bay
- Explore Hue's Imperial Citadel, Hoi An's ancient town and the Cu Chi tunnels near Ho Chi Minh City
- Discover the temples of Angkor, from Ta Prohm to Angkor Wat, and attend a Phare circus performance in Siem Reap
Included
Accommodation
17 nights across Bangkok, Sukhothai, Chiang Mai, Luang Prabang, Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hue, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City and Siem Reap
Activities
Bangkok city tour (Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Chinatown, Bangkok Folk Museum, long-tail boat ride, Wat Arun) · Sukhothai Historical Park · Si Satchanalai Historical Park and Phra That Lampang Luang en route to Chiang Mai · Chiang Mai touring (Mae Ping River boat cruise, Waroros Market, trishaw ride, Wat Phra Singh, Wat Suan Dok, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep with private blessing ceremony) · Luang Prabang city tour (former Royal Palace/National Museum, Wat Mai, Wat Sensoukarahm, Wat Xieng Thong) · Lao cooking class at Tamarind · Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre and Phousi Market bike ride · Mekong River cruise to Pak Ou Caves aboard Nava Mekong · Baci blessing ceremony · Mount Phousi climb and evening hill tribe market · Hanoi city tour (Temple of Literature, choice of Vietnam Women's Museum, Hoa Lo Museum or the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex, local family home visit and lunch, Old Quarter walking tour, Water Puppet Theatre) · overnight Halong Bay/Lan Ha Bay cruise · Hue half-day city tour (Imperial Citadel, cyclo ride, Tinh Tam Lake, Khai Dinh's tomb) · Hoi An ancient town walking tour and traditional healing-arts demonstration · Cu Chi tunnels tour · Ho Chi Minh City tour (Reunification Palace, 30 April Park, Central Post Office, Ben Thanh Market) · Siem Reap introductory walking tour · Angkor temples tour (Ta Prohm, Angkor Thom, Terrace of the Elephants, Bayon, Angkor Wat) · Phare circus performance
Also included
English-speaking guide or representative throughout · private air-conditioned vehicle transfers and touring as mentioned · entrance fees for mentioned visits · boat trips as mentioned (Chiang Mai, Pak Ou Caves, Halong Bay) · Phare show ticket · breakfast daily from Day 2 (17 total), plus lunch on Days 8, 10, 11 and 15 (4 total) and dinner on Days 7, 8, 11 and 17 (4 total)
The route
Day by day
The route in detail
Day 1
Arrival in Bangkok
Arrive in Bangkok and transfer to the hotel, then spend the rest of the day at leisure. Overnight in Bangkok.
Day 2
Bangkok Sightseeing
After breakfast, visit the Grand Palace, Thailand's most revered royal monument, taking in the Funeral Palace, the Reception Palace, the Throne Hall, the Coronation Hall, the Royal Guest House and the Emerald Buddha, Thailand's most revered Buddha image (appropriate dress required; the guide may adjust visit timing or suggest an alternative temple such as Wat Saket or Wat Suthat if crowds are heavy). Continue to Wat Pho, home of Thai massage and the Reclining Buddha. This afternoon, stroll through Chinatown's shops, tea houses, markets and temples, then visit the Bangkok Folk Museum, a seventy-year-old Thai house turned small museum. Board a long-tail boat for a ride along the Chao Phraya River and the quiet klongs of Thonburi, finishing at the magnificent Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn. Overnight in Bangkok.
Day 3
Bangkok to Sukhothai
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the flight to Sukhothai. On arrival, meet your guide and visit Sukhothai Historical Park, once a walled city surrounded by a moat and Thailand's first capital, founded in the 13th century during the golden age of Thai history. The park holds almost 200 ruined chedis in remarkable condition, including Wat Mahathat, Wat Si Chum, Wat Sri Sawai, Wat Trapang Ngoen and the Ramkamhaeng Museum, before checking into the hotel. Overnight in Sukhothai.
Day 4
Sukhothai to Chiang Mai via Lampang
After breakfast, drive north to Si Satchanalai Historical Park on the Yom River, once known as Muang Chaliang, home to 134 ruined monuments including Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat, Wat Khao Suwan Khiri, Wat Chang Lom, Wat Chedi Chet Thaeo and the Celadon Kiln Site Study and Conservation Center. Continue to Chiang Mai via Lampang, stopping at Phra That Lampang Luang, arriving in Chiang Mai in the late afternoon. Overnight in Chiang Mai.
Day 5
Chiang Mai
Travel thirty minutes north of Chiang Mai to a long-tail boat dock set among herbal gardens, then cruise thirty minutes along the rural Mae Ping River, passing traditional wooden houses and modern residences. Walk ten minutes to Waroros fresh food market to experience Northern Thai daily life, then take a trishaw ride along Tapae Road past the city walls to Wat Phra Singh. In the afternoon, explore ancient Chiang Mai's old city walls, gates and moat, visiting Wat Suan Dok, resting place of the ashes of Chiang Mai's royal family, then continuing to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, the mountain temple most sacred in Northern Thailand. Learn the story of the temple and its white elephant, join a private blessing ceremony, and witness the evening chanting of the monks as dusk settles over a spectacular view of Chiang Mai's lights. Overnight in Chiang Mai.
Day 6
Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang
After breakfast, free time at leisure before transferring to Chiang Mai airport for the flight to Luang Prabang. On arrival, transfer to the hotel, with the rest of the afternoon free at leisure. Overnight in Luang Prabang.
Day 7
Luang Prabang
After breakfast, begin a city tour at the former Royal Palace, now the National Museum, exploring the history of Laos, then continue on foot to Wat Mai, renowned for its golden bas-relief, Wat Sensoukarahm, with its dazzling golden façade, and Wat Xieng Thong, one of the most important temples in Laos. Return for lunch at your convenience. At 14:00, meet your guide with adapted bikes for an afternoon ride to the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre, exploring the diversity of Laos' ethnic minorities through costumes, tools and artefacts, then continue to Phousi Market to browse and taste exotic local fruits alongside vendors and residents. Return to the hotel by bike, then join a cooking class at Tamarind, learning the main ingredients and techniques of Lao cuisine and preparing an assortment of dishes under a chef's guidance, with recipes provided to take home. Overnight in Luang Prabang.
Day 8
Luang Prabang, Pak Ou Caves
For early risers, witness the dawn alms-giving ceremony as orange-robed monks walk barefoot through the streets collecting offerings, a beautiful and serene highlight of Laos' spiritual life. Return to the hotel for breakfast, then board the traditional wooden boat Nava Mekong for a relaxing 1.5 to 2-hour cruise upstream on the Mekong River, taking in mountain scenery and rural life along the banks. Reach the Pak Ou Caves at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Ou Rivers, home to hundreds of centuries-old sacred Buddha images. The boat continues cruising near the caves, mooring at the foot of limestone cliffs for a lunch of typical Lao dishes served onboard, before cruising back to Luang Prabang. In the afternoon, take part in a traditional Baci blessing ceremony, marked by flower trays, food offerings, a chanted Buddhist mantra and cotton threads tied around the wrist for good fortune. Climb the 328 steps to the top of Mount Phousi for a panoramic view of the city, stopping at the evening hill tribe market, before a Lao set menu dinner at the 3 Nagas Hotel. Overnight in Luang Prabang.
Day 9
Luang Prabang to Hanoi
After breakfast, free time at leisure before transferring to the airport for the flight to Hanoi. On arrival at Noi Bai International Airport, meet your guide for the 50-minute private transfer to central Hanoi, a city of contrasts, modern and traditional, chaotic and serene. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 10
Hanoi City Tour
Set off at 08:30 on a full-day guided tour of Hanoi's highlights, beginning with the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first university, established in 1076 to educate royalty, mandarins and the elite for 800 years. Continue to a museum option chosen on the day, either the Vietnam Women's Museum, celebrating Vietnamese cultural diversity and the role of women in society, or the Hoa Lo Museum, exploring the Vietnam War-era "Hanoi Hilton" (Hanoi's Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex, with its house on stilts and the One Pillar Pagoda, can be visited as an alternative option). Travel to a residential neighbourhood for a visit with a local family who worked for the Vietnamese army during the Vietnam-America war, hearing their stories over Vietnamese tea before sitting down to a home-cooked lunch of local specialities. In the afternoon, stroll Hanoi's Old Quarter, a maze of alleyways and the historic '36 guilds', concluding the day at the Water Puppet Theatre for a performance of this 11th-century art form. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 11
Hanoi to Halong Bay
After breakfast, leave Hanoi for the two-and-a-half-hour drive to Halong City, arriving at the pier around noon for check-in. Board the boat for the welcome and cabin check-in, with lunch served while cruising the UNESCO-listed waters of Halong and Lan Ha Bay, where thousands of limestone islands rise from the emerald sea. Enjoy visits or activities in the afternoon depending on the boat's set itinerary, before anchoring for the night among the karst formations, with sunset on deck followed by dinner. Overnight on Halong Bay.
Day 12
Halong Bay to Hue
Wake to breakfast amid the bay's spectacular rock formations, then check out as the boat cruises toward port. Disembark and transfer to Noi Bai Airport for the flight to Hue. On arrival at Phu Bai Airport, transfer by private vehicle to the hotel in Hue. Overnight in Hue.
Day 13
Hue to Hoi An
This morning, take a half-day discovery tour of historic Hue, beginning at the UNESCO-listed Imperial Citadel, with its buildings reflecting the pomp and ceremony of the Nguyen Dynasty. Continue by cyclo to Tinh Tam Lake, a lotus-filled lake meaning "Peace of Mind" where emperors once relaxed. Travel through Hue's countryside to Khai Dinh's tomb, a remarkable complex blending Vietnamese and European design. At 14:00, leave Hue for Hoi An, a major Asian trading port in the 17th and 18th centuries whose architecture and relaxed lifestyle have changed little over the years. The scenic route passes the fishing village of Lang Co before climbing over the Pass of Ocean Clouds. Overnight in Hoi An.
Day 14
Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh City
Depart at 08:30 for a half-day discovery of Hoi An's ancient town with a local guide, exploring former merchant homes, colourful communal halls, narrow lanes, traditional houses and the iconic Japanese Bridge, along with charming backstreets and lesser-known corners. Visit a traditional house where the art of healing through martial arts, blending Qigong, Tai Chi and Vietnamese Vo, has been practised by a local family for generations, with a chance to learn some basic steps, then taste a typical dessert at a cosy local home. Transfer to Da Nang Airport for the short flight to dynamic Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by locals, once known as the "Pearl of Indochina" for its architectural wealth. On arrival, transfer to the hotel, with the rest of the day at leisure. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 15
Cu Chi Tunnels and Ho Chi Minh City
Begin at 08:00, departing early to avoid the crowds at Cu Chi. Spend a couple of hours walking the rugged grounds with a local guide, learning how residents built an intricate underground tunnel network during the country's wars, with an optional underground crawl through the tiny chambers and a look at bamboo traps and camouflaged pits used for defence. Return to Ho Chi Minh City for lunch. In the afternoon, visit the Reunification Palace, the city's most famous landmark, preserved with its war rooms and opulent displays, then stroll through 30 April Park to the Central Post Office, glimpsing the former CIA building. Finish at Ben Thanh Market, a still-functioning local market welcoming travellers with its variety of stalls. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 16
Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap
The morning is free at leisure for last-minute shopping or sightseeing before transferring to the airport for the flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia. On arrival, your local English-speaking guide welcomes you and accompanies you to the hotel for check-in. At 16:00, begin an introductory walking tour, from spirit shrines to Angkor sculpture and royal gardens to historic temples, for an overview of Cambodian culture and history. Overnight in Siem Reap.
Day 17
Siem Reap
Beginning at 07:30, the best time to experience Ta Prohm, the temple made famous by Tomb Raider and known for the trees and vines growing atop its walls, entering from the east to avoid crowds. Continue to Angkor Thom, visiting the Terrace of the Elephants and the Royal Palace enclosure, then stroll the lower galleries of Bayon, admiring carvings depicting scenes of 11th-century life and the 54 towers of Buddha faces. Return to the hotel; lunch is on your own account. In the afternoon, visit the magnificent Angkor Wat, a 12th-century temple built by King Suryavarman II, reflecting Mount Meru, home of the Hindu gods, with intricate carvings and reliefs depicting Hindu myths and over 2,000 Apsara dancers. In the evening, attend Phare, a circus-like show blending modern and traditional Khmer theatre, with a chance to chat with the performers afterwards; dinner is included this evening. Overnight in Siem Reap.
Day 18
Departure from Siem Reap
After breakfast, check out from the hotel and transfer to Siem Reap Angkor Airport for the onward departure flight.
Moments
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