Best Indochina Family Tour 21 days

Upon your arrival at Hanoi airport, your tour guide and driver will greet you and escort you to your hotel, help with your check-in. The rest of day is for your relax.

After breakfast, you have a full day today to explore Vietnam’s charming capital. With its wide tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture, peaceful lakes and ancient oriental pagodas, Hanoi is an eclectic mix that offers something for everyone. Visit Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and his personal residence, the One Pillar Pagoda and the Tran Quoc Pagoda. End the morning with a visit to the Museum of Ethnology (or Women Museum, History Museum, Hoa Lo Prison or Army Museum)
In the afternoon, visit the Temple of Literature, the first University for the sons of mandarins. Followed by a visit to Ngoc Son Temple nearby Hoan Kiem Lake. Enjoy a one-hour rickshaw sight-seeing tour around Hanoi Old Quarter for great fun. Then, watch a traditional water puppet show in the late afternoon. Back to your hotel, free at leisure and overnight in the hotel of Hanoi.

Note: please note Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum is closed on Monday and Friday and most of museums are closed on Monday.

After breakfast, drive to Ninh Binh (2 hour drive), the destination that is well known with the nick name “Halong Bay on land”. On the way, stop at Hoa Lu, the ancient royal capital of Vietnam to visit temples dedicated to the Dinh and Le Kings. Continue your trip to Tam Coc and board a small sampan for a spectacular 2-hour trip through caves, waterways and beautiful rural landscape consisting of limestone cliffs and rice paddies.

In the afternoon, visit the ancient Bich Dong pagoda then drive back to Hanoi.

We start at 8.00 A.M for the 3.5 hour drive (170 km) through the Red River Delta, which offers plenty of chances for taking photos of Vietnamese farmers tilling the vast green paddy fields. Stop at half way for taking a short break. Arrive at Halong City, check in and board your junk, enjoy approximately 24 hours journey in the amazing bay: a natural wonderland composed of jutting limestone islands and sparkling turquoise waters. Savor a gourmet lunch of fresh seafood onboard as we sail out into the mystical bay. In the afternoon, enjoy some activities in the bay, or just spend some time relaxing on board (Possibility to swim in the bay if weather permits). Dinner is served on board.

Note: Visits or activities will be slightly different depending on each junk’s itinerary. Your tour guide will be replaced by a local guide on board during your cruise.

Awake early and participate in Tai Chi on the top deck or simply relax and enjoy the sunrise over the bay’s towering islands. Enjoy a morning cup of coffee or tea, and a light breakfast before setting out to explore nearby islands by rowboat. Return to the junk then take advantage of the sundeck and admire the amazing rock formations of Bai Tu Long Bay as we navigate back to Halong City. Have brunch on board the boat before returning to Halong pier. Our guide and driver will meet you at the pier then drive back to Hanoi. The rest of day is for your relax.

Enjoy some leisure time in Hanoi before transferring to the airport for your international flight to Luang Prabang. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to hotel. Luang Prabang has been claimed by the UNESCO to be ‘the best preserved city in South East Asia’. During our time here, we visit the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrine of Wat Aham, Wat Mai; we then climb up to the top of mount Phousi for an enjoyable exploration of the sacred, gilded stupa as well as a panoramic view of the city at sunset and the Mekong River. From there, we explore the Night Market, where you can find a lovely selection of handmade textile made by local and hill tribe people surrounding Luang Prabang.

Today, we enjoy a short-guided tour seeing the city’s oldest temple of Wat Sene and the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represents classical Laotian architecture. We then embark on a cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which also gives us a breathtaking view of the tranquil countryside as well as explore the mysterious Pak Ou Caves, two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by pilgrims. Along the way, we stop at the village of Ban Xanghai, where they make the local rice wine. On return, we take a short drive to Ban Xangkhong, a village well known for its silk weavings and for its Saa (jute) Papermaking and Ban Phanom, a small village known for its hand weaving.

An optional early start gives you the fantastic opportunity to participate in the daily morning rituals of saffron-clad monks collecting offerings of Alms (ubiquitous sticky rice) from the faithful residents. This tradition is very unique in Laos, being the only Buddhist nation still preserving the procession.
From there you will visit the morning Phosi Market, where you will see such diverse offerings as dried buffalo skin, local tea and saltpeter among the chickens, vegetables and hill-tribe weavings. Laos is also known for its traditional crafts, and today you will visit local villages of Lao ethnic minority groups at Ban Ouay, Hmong Village, Ban Ou, Laoloum Village and Ban Thapene, Khmu Village, then drive to the beautiful Khouangsi Waterfall where you can cool off with a refreshing swim in the turquoise pools or walk along the forest trails. We return to the city by late afternoon to observe the sunset at Wat Phabath.

Breakfast then spend the rest of the day free for own experience in this charming city, transportation to the airport in Luang Prabang to take your flight to Siem Reap. Upon arrival in Siem Reap airport, transfer to hotel for check-in we visit to the world wonder of Angkor Wat. We first visit to South Gate of Angkor Thom, the famous Bayon, Baphoun. Continue to the Terrace of Temple, Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King. Complete the day with sunset watching from Phnom Bakheng Hill. Back to the hotel for overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. Today we continue to the enchanting temple of the Banteay Srei, the jewel in the crown of Angkorian art. Banteay Srei means ‘Citadel of the Women’ and it is said that it must have been built by a women, as the elaborate carvings are too fine for the hand of a man.

In the afternoon, we visit the Banteay Samre, which dates from the same period as Angkor Wat. The temple is in a fairly healthy state of preservation due to some extensive renovation work. After here we continue to visit the monuments of Rolous, which served as Indravarman I’s capital. The temples were built by the Khmer and mark the beginning of the age of Khmer classical art. Back to the hotel for overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. Today we continue to discover Angkor Wat. In the morning we visit the fabulous Ta Prohm embraced by the roots of enormous fig trees and gigantic creepers. Visit to Pre Rup temple, East Mebon temple, and Neak Poan temple.

In the afternoon we visit to Krovan temple, Royal Bath of Srah Srang and Banteay Kdei temples. Back to the hotel for overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. We take a short bus ride to Tonle Sap Lake. Board a motored boat and enjoy a cruise past a floating village. Visit to local schools in the floating village.

Back to the town and enjoy free time to shop in local market. Transfer to Siem Reap International airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Upon your arrival at HCM City airport, your tour guide and driver will greet you and escort you to your hotel, help with your check-in. The rest of day is for your relax.

In the morning, drive outside of Ho Chi Minh City to visit the incredible Cu Chi Tunnels. The Cu Chi Tunnels are an underground labyrinth of passageways, used by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War (or “American War” as it’s referred to here) as protection against American air raids. Those inclined are invited to crawl through selections of the tunnels to better understand what life was like for the Vietnamese soldiers during wartime.

In the afternoon, back to Sai Gon for a visit to the 19th century ‘Notre-Dame’ Cathedral, the beautiful Central Post Office which are fine examples of classical French colonial architecture. Continue with a tour of the former Presidential Palace (Reunification Palace), now preserved as a museum. After that, we finish the day by visiting the War Remnants Museum and the bustling Ben Thanh Market.

Depart Saigon and drive south to Ben Tre, a province of Mekong Delta and is famous for its tropical fruit gardens and traditional handicrafts made of coconuts. Your first stop is a brick kiln to see how the locals still use traditional methods to make the bricks. Then board on your private boat and start cruising to My Long craft village, stop at local house to see how to make rice paper. Then continue to cruise coconut jungle to visit local coconut workshop to learn how coconut candy and coconut souvenirs are made by hand. Back on board for another short cruise to a small family-run mat workshop.

Afterward, get on tuk-tuk (or take a bike ride of 3 km) and travel along the narrow shady village roads to a tropical garden of a fruit farmer, enjoy a walk around his orchard. Chat with the farmer whilst tasting fresh seasonal fruits in his garden. Continue your leisure sight-seeing until reaching a charming local restaurant for lunch with Mekong specialties. After lunch, have a short break before getting on sampan for rowing through the idyllic water palm creek. Arrive at your main boat and cruise back to Hung Vuong Pier where your driver awaits for a drive to Can Tho. Arrive in Can Tho at your hotel where you will be free at leisure this evening.

Wake up early this morning for a more unique experience of the real Mekong Delta. A trip to Can Tho would not been considered finished if you miss the famous Cai Rang floating market. Board a local boat at Ninh Kieu pier and explore the colorful Cai Rang floating market, where many boats laden with fruits, vegetables and fish jostle for trade. Sellers advertise their wares by crying out across the waters or tie their goods to a tall pole attached to their boat so that buyers can see from a distance what is being sold. This memorable experience makes for many excellent photo opportunities. Relax and enjoy the cruise back to the hotel where we will freshen up before we check-out and return to Saigon airport for taking a flight to Hue. Upon your arrival at Hue airport, your tour guide and driver will greet you and escort you to your hotel. The rest of the day is for your leisure.

After breakfast, spend an entire day touring the Vietnam’s former ancient capital. Start the day with a visit to the Imperial Citadel, home to the Imperial City and Forbidden Purple City – once the Emperor’s private residence. The Imperial Citadel gives you a better understanding of the beauty of Vietnamese Royal architecture and culture. Then we will take a beautiful dragon boat trip along Perfume River and visit to Thien Mu Pagoda – one of the most popular attractions in Hue. In the afternoon, continue on your tour with the visit to King Ming Mang and King Khai Dinh tombs which are the most beautiful works of royal architecture of the Nguyen dynasty

After breakfast, drive to Hoi An – highlight of any tour to Vietnam – is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century. Its buildings and its street plan reflect the influences, both indigenous and foreign, that have combined to produce this unique heritage site. This scenic drive passes through the fishing village of Lang Co before climbing over the Hai Van Pass (Pass of Ocean Clouds). On the way, stop in Danang to visit the Cham Museum, which contains the finest collection of Cham sculptures in the world and Marble Mountain – a well-known pilgrimage site with peaks, caves, tunnels and temples.

Upon arrival in Hoi An, free to take walking tour of the Hoi An ancient town centre.

Our FARMING & FISHING LIFE TOUR provides you with a close-up and intimate exposure to both the local farming and fishing communities. The photo opportunities are endless.

Tour guide meets you at your hotel, cycle to a local farming village traveling along picturesque country roads (Bus or bike are option to choose to go). Share in the daily work life of local farmers – hoeing and a soil, watering veggie at an organic herb garden, riding water buffalo in the field and enjoy the freshest air of the countryside beauty. Board boat and cruise to the mouth of the river where it meets the Cua Dai Sea

Learn and try your hand at local traditional fishing techniques using round and cast nets. Learn to paddle the strange and unique Vietnamese bamboo basket boats. Explore the now tranquil coconut-palm flanked waterways of a past war and hear of the extreme conditions endured by soldiers on both sides. Have a relaxed fun with catching beautiful purple crabs on bamboo basket boat. Learn how to make an origami creations from reeds of palm leaves such as grasshopper , birds, ring, sunglass ,bracelets….etc Visit a local water coconut palm village, take a walk around the village and have some tea and snack with local talks.

Back on-board our boat, enjoy lunch and cold beer or soft drink. Return to hotel by coach.

Hoi An – highlight of any tour to Vietnam – is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century. Its buildings and its street plan reflect the influences, both indigenous and foreign, that have combined to produce this unique heritage site.

Day free to cycle through rice paddies in the countryside of Hoi An ancient town, shop for souvenirs among the antique shops and art galleries, or just sit at sidewalk cafes and soak up the atmosphere of this quaint town. Or relax on the white sandy beach of the famous Cua Dai Beach. Overnight in a Hoi An hotel.

Breakfast at hotel. Day free to relax on the white sandy beach of the famous Cua Dai Beach.

Free time at leisure for you to wrap up your memorable Indochina Holiday until our tour guide escorts you to the airport for your flight. to Hanoi/HCMC connecting with departure flight. Goodbye and see you again.