Upon arrival at the Siem Reap airport and after clearing immigration and customs, meet with your guide with a welcome signboard marked “The Time Journeys’s LOGO & your name” Then your tour guide will transfer to your hotel in centre. The rest of the day is at your leisure to explore city.
Meals: NA
Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap
Beat the crowd early morning by 7am, visit the picturesque Ta Prohm that had nearly disappeared into the jungle and remains overgrown, an oddly haunting and exotic scene. The magnificent roots of a tree, pushing between the huge stone blocks of the temple in a sort of embrace, evoke feelings that you may remember forever. And continue to visit the intricately carved Khmer ruins at Angkor Wat – one of the world’s most impressive ruins. The temple still owns fine Apsara carvings in Angkorian era art. Lunch is own account.
Afternoon, explore the mysterious Royal city Angkor Thom. City & Bayon Its 54-tower temple is an awesome sight. At first glance it seems a shapeless mass of stone, but further scrutiny reveals a face, and then another and another until suddenly you are engulfed by the silent, heavy, enigmatic and silent gaze through half-closed eyes, staring out from a primitive and remote time. Further, visit to the surroundings of the complex including the Baphou, Elephant Terraces, Lepper King Terrace and Royal Place area
Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap
After your breakfast at your hotel. 7am, drive to the rural outskirt 35km from Angkor area to visit the smallest, but magnificent, Banteay Srei built in the 10th Century and dedicated to Shiva. The temple was the birthplace of Khmer classical style architecture and the bas-relief work is the best example of Khmer classical art remaining. The pink sandstone structure bears a series of striking and beautiful sculptures, lintels, pediments and friezes. Khmers say the temple must have been carved by women for the details are too fine for the hands of a man. Drive on to Chau Srei Vibol which is a small charming temple on top of a hill which hardly sees any visitors – very few non-locals have heard of it, and it is set just far enough away from the main tourist routes.
Lunch is hosted at the local family, a great chance to chat with the survivor former village chief during Khmer Rouge regime. Continue to the ancient Khmer civilization site of Hariharalaya which flourished in the late 9th and earlier 10th centuries. These are the earliest temples in the Angkor area and are referred to the Rolous group we visit the main one called Bakhong temple.
Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap
Breakfast at your hotel. Drive to southern party of Siem Reap to embark on a short cruise on Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia’s biggest natural water body. The experience is wonderful as we pass by floating village, friendly children in small boats and fishermen at work and sunset at Phnom Krom. Then transfer you to the airport for a flight to Hanoi. Arrive in Hanoi, the guide pick you up and transfer you to your hotel. Free time.
Meals: Breakfast/
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi
Today, your journey will to see the capital of Vietnam, a city that celebrated 1.000 years in 2010 has countless fascinating cultural and historic sites and our days’ tour will visit the highlights. See the grand and solemn mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh (viewed from outside; closed Mon and Fri and from Oct-Nov), the ‘icon of Hanoi’ – The One Pillar Pagoda, the beautiful Temple of Literature, West Lake’s Tran Quoc temple and Quan Thanh pagoda as well as the fascinating Ethnology Museum. Enjoy lunch at local restaurant.
Follow your guide, you will weave through the bustling Old Quarter’s 36 streets. All named for the producs historically sold here. After visiting Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple, you will enjoy a water puppet show for a look at traditional performance art in Vietnam before back to your hotel. Free time for visiting in the evening.
Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi
Breakfast at your hotel. We’ll pick you up in Hanoi by 8:00am and drive through the verdant Red River Delta to make our way to the famous UNESCO World Heritage site, Halong Bay. You’ll board a luxury junk ship for an overnight cruise- while you relax on-board you can marvel at the incredible limestone karsts that jut out of the sea and the thousands of jungle-covered islands that seem to float on the waves. The turquoise waters of the Gulf of Tonkin swirl around hidden grottoes and ancient caves to create an enchanting, timeless world.
We’ll serve you a fresh seafood lunch while you sit back and relax as you enjoy the incredible view with a drink in your hand. We’ll take you to a traditional fishing village where the locals have created an entire town on the decks of their boats, then you can explore Cave before returning to the cruise for cocktails, canapés, and a spectacular sunset. End your day with a romantic, candlelit dinner.
Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
Accommodation: Cruise in Halong Bay
Begin the day with a Tai Chi class on deck in the early morning mist or just admire the beautiful scenery as the sun rises over the azure waters. Choose between an excursion to a secluded island with a sandy beach for a swim or join the chef for a cooking demonstration to learn more about Vietnamese cuisine. Enjoy a leisurely brunch while your junk cruises Halong Bay, passing islets and caves as you make your way back to the dock.
Say goodbye to the crew at main harbor and your driver will meet you when you disembark and transfer you to Noi Bai airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. When you arrive in Ho Chi Minh City, we’ll pick you up and transfer you to your hotel.
Meals: Breakfast/ Brunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh city
Breakfast at your hotel, drive to the outskirt of Saigon to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels, located in an area known in the American War in Vietnam as the Iron Triangle, the remains of a real bloody battlefield, which is a complex network of tunnels built during the long years of wars. The walking visit of the tunnels is specially led by one of the former VCs who used to live and fight in Cu Chi during the wars, giving you an authentic look at the former Vietnam War to understand how the guerrillas lived and fought by visiting different bunkers for weapon, guard, Commander, meeting, kitchen, dinning, etc. After lunch in Cu Chi, driver back to Ho Chi Minh City for visiting the Post Office & Notre Dame Cathedral circa 1880, a highlight tour of the former Presidential Palace, once headquarters for the Saigon Government during the “Vietnam War” and the War Remnant Museum to have an overall picture of the most recent wars in country. Afterwards, continue the drive to visit Ben Thanh Market which is a big marketplace in the downtown area of the city and is one of the earliest surviving structures in Saigon since the French occupation. With over 3000 stalls in the market, there is nothing you cannot find in this oldest and busiest market in Vietnam.
Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch
Accommodation: Ho Chi Minh City
Breakfast at your hotel. The guide pick you up and transfer you to Ben Tre. Arrive at Ham Luong dock, you will take a boat and then cruise along Ham Luong River, a tributary to the Mekong River. The cool breeze from the river and lush tropical islands along its banks will immediately get you excited to explore all the great things ahead.
Arrive and visit various local workplaces to find many wonderful examples of how local people use ageless techniques to create their crafts, including activated charcoal, dried coconut, handy coconut husk brooms, and many family businesses using coir, or coconut fiber, to create amazing art. Cruise around the village roads by “Xe Lôi”, the local vehicle, which is a kind of motorized rickshaw. Kayak through the natural canals to get a unique experience of the peaceful beauty of the Mekong River as well as the rural life there. Having lunch at a local host house. After lunch, you will have some time for relaxing. Then transfer you back to Ho chi Minh City.
Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City
Breakfast at your hotel. Your time will be your own until pick you up and take you to the airport for your departure flight. Your journey with The Time Journeys is now complete…
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Time check out is 12:00
Have a nice journey!
The time journeys can arrange additional customized trips for you if the above itinerary does not match your expectations.
• Hotel accommodation in shared twin or shared double room with daily breakfast.
• Meals as mentioned in the itinerary (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner).
• Tours and transfers by private air-conditioned vehicles.
• English speaking local guide
• All entrance fees as indicated in itinerary.
• Boat trips as mentioned in the itinerary
• Domestic flight: Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh City;
• Cruise in Halong Bay
• Cold water and towel during tours
• Visa Arrival to Vietnam
• Visa stamp fee
• Other meal, drink, Tip to guide and driver, personal expenses
• Supplement for French, Spanish, Italian and German speaking guide