Laos – Vietnam – Cambodia classic tour 17 days

  • icon-date17 DAYS
  • icon-date25 Meals

This tour was focusing on promoting cultural exploration. The trip not only offers the “cannot miss” destinations but also takes you to many off-beaten path destinations. Starts from the hill tribal villages and most spectacular rice terrace fields in northern Vietnam and crosses the border to Laos to delve into the culture of the Buddhist land to Angkor Wat, the largest ancient monument in the world. Join us on a journey where you can touch and feel the cultural connection with the beauty of Indochina.

WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU

Whether you are curious about our services, travel information or an advise for your trip- We are ready to answer any and all questions

    Full Name*

    Email*

    Expecter length?*

    Area code*

    Phone number*

    Number of travelers*

    Destination(s)*

    Departure schedule?*

    Your special request

    Explore your Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia tour itinerary:

    Day 1: Luang Prabang

    Arrival Luang Prabang World Heritage Town UNESCO. Warmly welcome you to our city, you will meet your guide and driver. Transfer to Hotel for check in. Take a rest you can explore the heritage sites on your own.

    Day 2: Luang Prabang city tour – Pak Ou Caves – Ban Xieng Mene (B)

    We enjoy a short-guided tour of the city’s oldest temple, Wat Sene and the magnificent Wat Xieng Thong where you can see the impressive “tree of life” mosaic set in colored glass. We then board an upstream cruise on the Mekong River. We will stop at Ban Xieng Mene, Wat Chomphet and Wat Long which gives us a panoramic view of the tranquil countryside. We’ll make sure to stop at the Pak Ou Caves, sanctuaries consisting of two large caverns, both repositories for thousands of Buddha images. We will also stop at a few villages during the day, including Ban Xanghai where the local rice wine is produced and Ban Xang Khong, where locals produce Saa paper, an autoctonous product of Laos.

    Overnight in Luang Prabang.

    Meal: Breakfast

    Day 3: Luang Prabang – Kang Sii Fall (B)

    An optional early start gives you the fantastic opportunity to participate in the daily morning alms giving ritual to saffron clad monks. This tradition is unique to Laos, being the only Buddhist nation still preserving this procession. Back to hotel for breakfast.

    We start our last day with a visit to The National Museum at the former Royal Palace, which displays a lovely collection of artifacts reflecting the richness of Lao culture throughout the ages. Free time to venture into town and stroll around the shopping areas.

    From there we will drive to the beautiful Khouangsi Waterfalls where you can swim in the turquoise pools or walk along forest paths. Picnic lunch served – subject to weather conditions. During this tour, we will also visit couple of local villages where some minorities lives, such Ban Thinkeo (Hmong),  Ban Thapaene (Khmu) and Ban Phanom (Thai Lu), this one famous for its silks and cottons. Upon arrival, refresh at your hotel and get ready for dinner at the local restaurant Overnight in Luang Prabang.

    Meal: Breakfast

    Day 4: Luang Prabang – Fly to Hanoi (B)

    Start your day on the right foot with a delicious breakfast to get you going. Then, your driver will take you to the airport, where you will take a flight to Hanoi – the capital of Vietnam.

    Arrive in Hanoi, our driver and tour guide will take you to your hotel in the center of the city. Check-in, put off your luggages and relax. The rest of the day is your time to explore the city by your own.

    Meal: Breakfast

    Day 5: Hanoi city tour (B, L)

    After having breakfast, the first destination is the Temple of Literature – Quoc Tu Giam. It’s not only the first university in Vietnam, but it always is the fire to light up the traditional fondness for the learning Vietnamese people. Students come here to get motivated before the upcoming important exam. Quoc Tu Giam has also been chosen for organizing the complimentary ceremonies, events on holiday, be the icon of Ha Noi city. The second destination is the Ho Chi Minh complex, an important place for pilgrimage, which has built to honor and express gratitude to Uncle Ho. The most important part of the complex is the Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, where preserved Uncle Ho’s corpse for people all over the country and international visitors to visit their beloved old father. In front of the mausoleum is the Ba Dinh square. It has preserved many imprints of great events of the Vietnamese nation. On September 2, 1945, at this square, President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence that gave birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. And then you will come to visit the Presidential Palace, a large French design building used as the workplace of the president. Behind the Presidential Palace is the Ho Chi Minh’s Residence. This place will show you how simple the president live in his whole life. Another signature place in the complex is One Pillar Pagoda, a strange architectural style pagoda built from 1049. And the final place will be the Ho Chi Minh Museum, a place to express gratitude and eternal memory of the great merits of President Ho Chi Minh.

    Depart to WestLake to visit Quan Thanh temple, one of the Thang Long four sacred temples. You will know more about the Taoism culture of Vietnam and enjoy the picturesque view of the biggest natural lake in Hanoi.

    In the afternoon, you will visit the fascinating Ethnology Museum (close on Monday), which is both a research centre and a public museum exhibiting the ethnic groups of Vietnam. Besides visiting indoor and outdoor objects demonstrating the Vietnamese culture of 54 ethnic groups, you can join many interesting activities such as traditional festive, water puppet… The day ends beautifully with 1 hour on the cyclo to discover the alive Hanoi 36 streets in the Old Town. The bustling narrow streets will show you thousand of businesses and shopkeepers. “36 streets” used to wellcome artisans and traders from villages around Ha Noi from 2000 years ago. The streets were named for what they sold. You enjoy water puppet show in the late evening.

    Overnight in Hanoi.

    Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

    Day 6: Hanoi – Ha Long Bay (B, L, D)

    After breakfast, you’ll take a 2.5-hour drive to Halong Bay, one of the great nature of the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Upon arrival, the boat crew will welcome you and transfer you to the junk for check-in and enjoy a cruise around Halong Bay with a delicious local seafood lunch served on board. At the same time, you can behold thousands of limestone islands and grottoes rising from the clear, emerald water.  After lunch, you’ll join some activities on the boat to discover the beauty of the bay such as visiting a cave, kayaking, or enjoy swimming in the sea before getting back to the junk for relaxing and dining. In the evening, you can join night fishing with locals. Overnight on board.

    Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

    Day 7: Ha Long Bay – Hanoi – Fly to Hue – Royal dinner (B/Br/D)

    In the morning, your breakfast will be served while floating on the sea to explore the beauty of Halong Bay before disembarking time. Joining some more activities on boat and then checking out cabin. The early lunch will be served before getting back to the main dock and transfer to Hanoi for a flight to Hue. Arrive in Hue, our driver and tour guide will pick you up, and transfer you to the centre to have a royal dinner – a culinary style conceived to serve the Nguyen court for more than a century. Hue royal cuisine is always highly appreciated by not only the recipe and processing way but also the decoration for the dishes.

    Overnight in Hue.

    Meal: Breakfast, Brunch, Dinner

    Day 8: Hue city tour – Boat on Perfume River (B/L)

    Having your breakfast at your hotel, then you will be pick up at your hotel to visit the ancient tomb of Vietnam’s kings. Being the last great tomb from the Nguyen dynasty, The Nguyen Emperor Khai Dinh’s Royal Tomb consists of many royal tombs. One of those belonged to Khai Dinh, who built his final resting place to be monumental in style and bombastic in execution. It has mixed architecture of Western and Asia, modern and traditional Vietnam. The tomb clearly reflects the past period and the characteristic of Khai Dinh king, and the story behind it has always been the key attractive point for tourists to come and find out. Then, visit Tu Duc tomb which is a complex system of the pavilion, temple, chamber, courtyard and personal palace. Tuc Duc’s Tomb is a symbol of himself, portraying one of the Nguyen Dynasty’s Emperor: having majesty, power, but no less elegance and grace. The beautiful scenery of the tomb looks like various colored classic paintings with small bridges crossing the flowered lake, green shades and a peaceful atmosphere, which attracts tourists from all over the world

    Depart to Citadel which has a variety of structures with the royal style. You will explain about the history of 13 reigns of Nguyen Emperor, visit the palace where king and queen live.

    In the end of day, you will have a cruise on the beautiful Perfume River by dragon boat and viewing Thien Mu pagoda, the daily activities of other people, visit the sampan village along the Perfume River.

    Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

    Day 9: Hue – Drive to Hoi An – Half-day city tour (B, L)

    Enjoy your breakfast at the hotel then we start drive to Hoi An. On the way, we will stop at Lang Co beach to have a break and take some photos. Lang Co is an 8km white sandbank, mixing with the natural scenery of Hue forming a mysterious picture. The peaceful and charming of the fishing village and the beaches will win the heart of tourist.

    After that, we take you over the beautiful Hai Van Pass – Vietnam geographical and psychological boundary between the North and the South. Hai Van attracts the tourist by the scenery of mountain hiding in the cloud, curvy road surrounding from the bottom to the top, it’s a great place for the adventurer to conquer and test self-limit.

    Arrive in Hoi An, we will walk through town, seeing remarkably well-preserved traditional houses that have withstood 200 years of weather and war. Learn about the prosperous merchants who used to live in these homes, trading with buyers from all over the world. The next destination is the Japanese Covered Bridge, one of two such bridges in Vietnam. This beautiful bridge was first constructed in the 1590s by linking it with the Chinese quarters. Following Tran Phu Street, we will reach The Assembly Halls. There are 4 Assembly Halls in Hoi An which you can find when walking along Tran Phu Street. Each of those Halls belongs to a Chinese community who have their own beliefs, different assembly halls worship different gods and goddesses. Visit a local family making lanterns brings you a chance to try making some special souvenirs for friends and beloved before ending this trip.

    Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

    Day 10: Hoi An village tour – Cooking class (B/L)

    You will be pick up at your hotel to the boat station. Take a boat and then begin the tour to traditional villages. The first destination is Kim Bong carpentry village, established from the 15th century. From the 16th century, Kim Bong was famous for home appliances, shipbuilding… products. The village had a significantly contribution to the development of Hoi An trading port. Nowadays, skillful craftsmen turn to make handicraft products. Although the product is more simple and plain, it still shows the skillful and talent of the craftsman.

    Then we go to Thanh Ha Pottery village, established in the late 15th century, was once listed as “National native product”. Thanh Ha village used to produce bowl, jar, roof tile, lining brick… to distribute to Hoi An and another nearby area. There’s a time that the village was nearly forgotten, however with efforts from the heart of the craftsman, the village was gradually recovered. You will have a chance to hear the story of the craftsman, watching the process of making a pottery product, and even more excited is to try to make a product of your own.

    In the noon, we go to An My Paddy Field, see the buffalo – the symbol of countryside in Vietnam. Continue to the local house in Tra Que Village, enjoy welcome drink. Taking part in a cooking, learn how to make traditional rice milk and having super lunch with local food at the local family. This will be a true experience of the trip. After lunch, meeting local farmers, talking with them and share  about their local farming, experience daily life, Listening to the tour guide introduced and explained about the process of the wet rice how to grow it and have chance to work as a really farmer.

    Get the special bamboo basket boat on Cua Dai river, exploring the Seven hectares water palm forest, learn how to catch purple crabs… Back to hotel.

    Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

    Day 11: Hoi An free time (B)

    This day is your free time to leisure.

    Meal: Breakfast

    Day 12: Hoi An – Da Nang – Fly to Ho Chi Minh – Half-day city tour (B)

    Start your day on the right foot with a delicious breakfast to get you going. Then, your driver will take you to Danang Airport, where you will take a flight to Ho Chi Minh City.

    Upon arrival in HCMC, our driver and tour guide will transfer you to the city center to begin our half-day city tour. Our first destination in the city is the War Remnants Museum where we can be informed about the US invasion of Vietnam, and its absorbing exhibits give visitors an invaluable insight into a defining chapter in the Vietnam war’s history. Departure to Reunification Palace which was named in global history in 1975 and was built for the South Vietnam Government during the Vietnam-American War. After that, we will visit the famous French architecture Notre Dame Cathedral, and General Post Office. Back to the car and go to your hotel. Check-in the hotel and put off your luggage and get relax.

    Meal: Breakfast

    Day 13: Ho Chi Minh – Mekong Delta – Ho Chi Minh (B, L)

    After having breakfast, we travel to Hung Vuong Pier in Ben Tre. Take a boat at Ben Tre River for sight-seeing lively activities along the river such as fishing, and water transfer. We will stop at the most popular places for handicraft workshops including a craft brickyard where the locals still use centuries-old traditional methods to handmade bricks, process coconut into many different forms, and weave mats with the aid of dried reeds and a huge loom. A local Xe Loi (motorized rickshaw) will take us into a tropical garden where we can taste the exotic tropical fruit and enjoy our homemade lunch. Spend the rest of the afternoon lounging on a sampan boat rowing through Ben Tre’s iconic backwaters with water palms and coconut trees.

    Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

    Day 14: Ho Chi Minh – Fly to Siem Reap (B)

    After your complimentary breakfast, you will be transfered to the airport for a flight to Siem Reap.

    Arrive Siem Reap, Siem Reap – Treasures of the Kingdom of Cambodia, special welcome all warmly to everybody, a moment of courtesy meeting then self-introduces with our Cambodian tour guide in the meeting point’s Siem Reap.

    Overnight in Siem Reap.

    Meal: Breakfast

    Day 15: Siem Reap: Angkor Highlight (B, L)

    Enjoy breakfast at hotel.

    We drive to Angkor Thom that was the masterpiece of King Jayavarman VII. Following the occupation of Angkor by the Chams from 1177 to 1181, the new king decided to build an impregnable fortress at the heart of his empire.

    We begin to visit Bayon Temple. At the exact center of Angkor Thom, this is an eccentric expression of the creative genius and inflated ego of Cambodia’s most celebrated king.

    We continue to visit Terrace of the Leper King. Along the Terrace of Elephants, originally used as a viewing gallery for the king to preside over parades, performances and traditional sports. At the southern end lies the Baphuon, once of the most beautiful temples at Angkor, dating from the reign of Uditayavarman 1 in the 11th century.

    We continue to Ta Prohm “Tomb Raider” fame. Ta Prohm has been abandoned to the elements, a reminder that while empires rise and fall, the riotous power of nature marches on, oblivious to the dramas of human history.

    We journey out to the mother of all temples, Angkor Wat. Believed to be the world’s largest religious building, this temple is the perfect fusion of symbolism and symmetry and a source of pride and strength to all Khmers.

    Overnight in Siem Reap.

    Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

    Day 16: Grand Circuit and Banteay Srei (B, L)

    After breakfast, we depart to Preah Khan Temple. It is located northeast of Angkor Thom and just west of the Jayatataka baray, with which it was associated. It was the center of a substantial organization, with almost 100,000 officials and servants. Next is Neak Poan, “the entwined snakes” is a small temple located on an island in the center of the now dry Jayatataka baray, a water reservoir 3,500-meter-long and 900 meter wide. Continue to Tasom offers some beautiful photo spots, especially the rear entrance where tree roots adorn the gateway.

    You’ll also visit the Landmine Museum where Mr. Aki Ra, a child soldier in the Khmer Rouge, has dedicated his life to helping those in need. Having spent most of his childhood fighting for the Khmer Rouge, Mr. Aki Ra was trained by the United Nations to detonate land mines; His fantastic work earned him a nomination for CNN Hero of the Year in 2010.

    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. On the way back stop at Pradark Village, where you will see the villagers making palm sugar, handicraft for selling to tourist. It’s a nice chance for you to see the local people living at the country side with their struggling for daily life.

    Not to be missed is Banteay Samre: Its rose-colored sandstone walls are decorated with carvings and bas-reliefs, which are among the most accomplished Angkor has to offer.

    Overnight in Siem Reap.

    Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

    Day 17: Siem Reap – Departure (B)

    Enjoy your hearty breakfast at the hotel then the driver picks up you and transfer to Siem Reap Airport for flying to next destination (or go home). It’s time to say goodbye, we thank you for traveling with us and warmly welcome you to come again.

    Ends of service!

    Meal: Breakfast

    FAQs about Vietnam and Cambodia tour package

    What is the best time to travel to Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia?

    The best times to visit Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia are October -November, and May – June when there will be fewer tourists, less humidity, and drier weather overall.

    How many days are enough for Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia?

    A 17-day tour is a great choice for tourists who want a more thorough understanding of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia while taking in a huge variety of sights and activities.

    Reviewed by

    Diep Van

    Phone: +84901166884

    Email: diep.van@ftripvietnam.com

    Diep Van

    Founder & Photography Guide

    Specialties: Culture, landscape, portrait, hiking, active and adventurous tour

    Besides my unlimited passion for traveling, a professional tour guide for over a decade, I have been taking photographs since sitting at Hanoi of the University of Culture in the early 2000s. Photography started as a hobby but it was seriously taken due to my work relations and my significant passion for the beauty of our world, especially in Southeast Asian parts such as Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar.

    Within a few years of taking photographs, my works began to be recognized by many reliable international publications such as AFAR Travel, The Times, and The Daily Telegraph newspaper. In addition, I continuously add to my growing profile by winning numerous major awards: 3rd Position of The Independent Photographer 2018, 1st Position of Amateur Photographer of the year 2018, Grand Prize Winner of the AFAR Travel Photography 2019, and a Gold Award of San Francisco Bay International Photography 2020.

    I photograph a wide variety of subjects, from travel to landscapes to street scenes. I enjoy documenting the East’s rich cultural heritage and its land soaked in glorious sunrise or sunset light in remote and secluded spots. And, I am very happy to share my knowledge and experience with you. You can visit Luminousvietnamtour to explore tour!


    RELATED TOURS