Vietnam & Cambodia Highlights

Once you have arrived at Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport, a private vehicle collects you for the journey into the city, reaching your accommodation in Hanoi city centre in around an hour.

Please note: Your driver will be waiting from 12 pm, with a maximum wait time of 30 minutes and room for three bags.

This morning is free before your private guided city tour begins at 12:30 pm.

Your guide leads you first to the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first university, before continuing to West Lake to visit Tran Quoc, the city's oldest pagoda. From here, you head to Hoan Kiem Lake and into the French Quarter, taking in Ngoc Son Temple, The Huc Bridge and the historic Ma May house.

The tour closes with a choice between a water puppet show - a traditional performance using puppets to bring Vietnamese folklore and rural life to the water's surface - or a cyclo ride through the Old Quarter's narrow streets, past colonial buildings, markets and street life. These can be exchanged at no extra cost, though the water puppet show should be booked ahead as it is subject to availability.

In the morning, a private transfer collects you from your Hanoi hotel from around 8 am, reaching Halong Bay in around three hours.

A tender then takes you out to your cruise ship, where a welcome drink and safety briefing precede check-in to your cabin. Lunch is enjoyed on board as the ship sails into Lan Ha Bay - a quieter extension of Halong Bay - passing Finger Islet, Candle Islet and countless limestone towers along the way.

In the afternoon, you visit the Dark and Bright Cave, with the chance to kayak or take a bamboo boat, and to swim in the bay's emerald waters. Back on board by early evening, a sunset party marks the close of the day, along with the option to join a cooking class in traditional Vietnamese spring rolls.

Your captain then finds a tranquil spot to anchor for the night. Dinner follows once at anchor, after which you're free to relax at the bar, watch a film in the restaurant, book a spa treatment, or take part in squid fishing and karaoke on board.

Sunrise brings an early start, with the chance to join a Tai-chi session on the sundeck at 6 am, followed by tea, coffee and a light breakfast as the ship continues past dramatic karst towers.

By 8:15 am, you're out kayaking around the Tra Bau area, once used as a filming location for the movie Kong: Skull Island, with time for swimming before returning to the ship to check out by 9:30 am. A final lunch on board follows as the ship sails back towards the harbour, where you disembark and transfer by road to Hanoi, arriving at your hotel in the Old Quarter in the afternoon.

You'll have some free time back in Hanoi before making your way to the station this evening - perhaps a last stroll around the Old Quarter or a final taste of the local street food.

In the evening, you board the overnight sleeper train to Hue, departing at 7:25 pm and arriving the following morning at 8:55 am. You'll share an air-conditioned four-berth sleeper cabin, with a wet towel, bottled water, seasonal fruit, a beer or soft drink, and snacks provided.

The overnight train arrives into Hue at 8:55 am, where a representative meets you for the transfer to your accommodation in Hue city centre, a journey of around an hour.

With the rest of the day free, you can spend the afternoon settling in and exploring Hue independently - perhaps a walk along the Perfume River or a visit to one of the city's local markets.

Please note: Your driver will be waiting from your arrival time, with a maximum wait of 90 minutes.

This morning, you're picked up from your hotel for a four-hour tour of Hue's imperial history, riding on the back of a vintage Vespa driven by an experienced local rider - this is not a self-drive experience. Departing at 8 am, the tour begins at Hue's Royal Palace within the Imperial Citadel, where you learn about the city's ancient dynasties and the daily lives of its emperors and kings.

From here, you continue by Vespa to a traditional bronze casting village, before reaching the ancient Tiger Arena and Elephant Temple on the city's outskirts. The ride continues into the countryside to visit a local craftsman at his home, crossing a floating bridge and passing through rolling hills and pine forests with sweeping river views.

The tour finishes with a visit to a secluded ancient royal tomb, where you can enjoy local snacks overlooking a lotus-filled pond before heading back into the city by around midday.

In the afternoon, a private transfer takes you on to Hoi An, a journey of around three hours to your accommodation in the ancient town.

After breakfast, you join a small-group tour of Hoi An, departing at 8:30 am from a local cafe in the old town. You begin with visits to the Museum of Folk Culture, the Old House of Tan Ky, the Japanese Covered Bridge and the Fukian Assembly Hall, taking in the town's distinctive mix of Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese architecture.

From here, you transfer to Cam Thanh coconut village to paddle through the water coconut forest by basket boat, before enjoying a light local meal at around 11:45 am. The tour ends by 12:30 pm with a drop-off back in Hoi An's old town.

The rest of the day is free to spend as you wish - perhaps browsing Hoi An's tailor shops and markets, or relaxing by the river.

Please note: A local entrance fee applies for the coconut boat ride and is not included in the tour cost.

Your final morning in Hoi An begins early, with a private transfer collecting you from your hotel reception at 7 am for the hour-long drive to Danang International Airport, with room for three bags.

From Danang, you take a short flight to Ho Chi Minh City, departing at 10 am and arriving at 11:30 am. On arrival, you're welcomed by a representative for the transfer into the city centre, reaching your accommodation in around an hour.

This morning, a private limousine van collects you at around 8 am for the drive to Cu Chi, a district known for its role in the wartime resistance and its extensive underground tunnel network, stretching more than 220 kilometres. Along the way, you pass through scenic countryside, where it's not unusual to spot ducks and buffalo cooling off in the river.

At the tunnels, you explore the site and get a sense of wartime life in the area, with the chance to try shooting accuracy with an AK-47 and sample food once eaten by Vietnamese soldiers.

A lunch of local Vietnamese cuisine follows, before you return to Ho Chi Minh City to visit the Reunification Palace - the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until the end of the war in April 1975 - along with Notre Dame Cathedral, the General Post Office and the War Remnants Museum. The day wraps up at around 5:30 pm with a drop-off at your hotel.

Today is yours to spend exploring Ho Chi Minh City independently - Ben Thanh Market and the city's street food stalls are worth seeking out, or you could take a stroll through the French colonial quarter.

This afternoon, a private transfer collects you from your hotel reception at 2:15 pm for the drive to Tan Son Nhat International Airport, ahead of your flight to Siem Reap.

You depart Ho Chi Minh City at 5:15 pm, arriving into Siem Reap at 6:15 pm. On arrival, a representative welcomes you for the transfer to your accommodation, with a maximum wait time of 60 minutes.

This morning, you're collected from your hotel at 9 am for a full day exploring the temples of Angkor by open-air jeep. The tour begins at Ta Prohm, one of the most photogenic temples in the complex, left largely as it was found - overgrown by jungle trees and vines, with parts of the structure crumbling into the earth.

From here, you continue to the ancient city of Angkor Thom, entering through its stone gate carved with elephants and four giant faces, before reaching the Bayon - known as the Giant Face Temple - at the city's centre, where you'll have time to stop for snacks and fruit.

The tour continues to Angkor Wat itself, where your guide shares the history and symbolism behind this iconic temple of the Khmer Empire. A local lunch follows, before you head further off the beaten track through the villages surrounding the Angkor complex, ahead of your drop-off back at the hotel.

Today is free to spend however you like - perhaps relaxing by the pool, or exploring more of Siem Reap's temples and old French quarter independently.

Early the next morning, a private transfer collects you from your hotel at 6 am for the drive to Siem Reap Angkor International Airport, marking the end of your tour.