Explore Vietnam's history, cuisine, and landscapes on an 11-day tour starting in Ho Chi Minh City. Visit famous sites such as the Cu Chi Tunnels and the Mekong Delta region before heading to Phnom Penh, Cambodia by speed boat. Discover Cambodia's ancient temples and rich culture in Siem Reap with tours of Angkor Wat and other sites. This tour offers a unique blend of two Southeast Asian countries, allowing you to experience the best of both worlds.

• Bilingual travel host throughout program
• All ground transportation
• Breakfast daily
• Lunches/Dinners (as per itinerary) prepared exclusively for our group
• Temple visits
• Floating markets
• Cu Chi Tunnel
• Learn how to prepare traditional Vietnamese dishes
• Cycling through backroads of small villages
• Sunset river cruise
• Ox cart ride through rural Cambodia
• and more! 

• 11 days/10 nights in Twin/Double/Triple room with private bath
• ground transportation throughout program
• group transfer from Tan Son Nhat International Airport
• group transfer to Siem Reap International Airport
• speed boat from Chau Doc to Phnom Penh
• domestic flight to Siem Reap

• breakfast daily 
• 4 lunches made exclusively for our group
• 4 meals, including dinner on a floating restaurant

• underground tunnel
• prepare traditional Vietnamese dishes
• learn about traditional Vietnamese kitchen
• learn about the oriental science of ying-yang
• cycling through the backroads of small towns
• visit with local families making authentic roofs made from palm leaves & hammocks made from coconuts ropes & rice paper
• cruise through colorful floating markets
• watch locals practice silk weaving
• take in the beauty of ancient temples
• explore by Cyclo & ox cart
• sunset river cruise with dinner along the riverfront
• experience a Buddhist monastery from the 12th Century
• learn about lake life on a boat trip on Tonle' Sap Lake

• our continued connections efforts to maintain life-long friendships
• an educational guide to ensure you are equipped to leverage the educational opportunity for your homeschooler
• preparation for international travel from an experience travel professional. 

• international airfare from US to Vietnam & back from Cambodia
• transportation outside of group airport transfers
• travel insurance, which is highly recommended; a quote will be provided after registration
• shopping & personal expenses
• meals not listed as included in the program 
• all other expenses such as souvenirs, laundry, additional drinks after the 1st on included meals
• tips for group transfer driver, private drivers or tour director at your own discretion

What's not included:

1. Travel insurance- a quote will be provided after booking (optional but highly recommended). To give an idea of cost, a family of three (3) one adult, two children, insuring a trip for $1200.00, base rates start at $32. Adding cancel for any reason will increase your rate by  approximately $40, and adding interrupt for any reason  will increase your rate by approximately $10.
2. Meals other than what listed in the included list above.
3. Optional tours 
4. shooting gun at Cu Chi Tunnel
5. Personal expenditures such as souvenirs, laundry, additional drinks after the 1st on included meals,
6. Extending your trip ( we can arrange this for you)

Itinerary:

• Day 1: Friday, December 1, 2024

  Chào mừng bạn đến với Việt Nam!

  
  

  All guests are warmly welcomed upon arrival at Tan Son Nhat International Airport by our local guide then transfer to check in the hotel. Impressive Welcome Dinner will be served on a floating restaurant on board while cruising along the Saigon River. 

  
  

  Breakfast, lunch on your own.

  
  

  Overnight in Ho chi minh

  
  

  Day 2: Saturday, December 2, 2024

  Historical, Exciting, Cultural.

  
  

  Morning you will enjoy the journey of 75 km from Saigon to Cu Chi Tunnels - a complex of an incredible underground tunnel network constructed by Vietnamese resistance fighters (Viet Cong) during both the French and American wars. There are more than 200 km of tunnels, comprising a main axis system with many branches connecting to underground hideouts, shelters and other tunnels. You have the chance to crawl through this amazing system of tunnels.  

  
  

  Lunch will be served at a local restaurant before the journey back to Ho Chi Minh. Tour continues to visit Independence Palace (Reunification Palace), War Remnants Museum. Afterwards, stroll through the major sights of colonial Ho Chi Minh City: the Old Saigon Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral inaugurated in 1880 became the spiritual and cultural crucible of the French presence in the Orient as was the Post office designed by Gustav Eiffel and resembling a grand railway station, Dong Khoi Street (formerly Rue Catinat), Continental Hotel, Opera House and Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee (formerly Hôtel de Ville) which is one of the most photographed buildings in Vietnam - notable for its gardens, ornate facade and elegant interior lit with crystal chandeliers. 

  
  

  End of the day you will explore the famous Ben Thanh Market, where you can purchase souvenirs for your beloved ones. 

  
  

  Dinner on your own.

  
  

  Overnight in Ho Chi Minh

  
  
  

  Day 3: Sunday, December 3, 2024

  Culinary Adventure Day

  A visit to Vietnam is a memorable experience and with the help you will be able to bring back home some of those memories. Prepare traditional Vietnamese dishes and re-experience authentic delightful Vietnamese cuisine together with your family and friends. In the morning course, you will learn more about the most popular Vietnamese dishes. You will be taught the correct blending of the many ingredients and spices to create the famous "nuoc mam" (fish sauce). You will also learn more about the cooking of the multitude of different rice. Apart from the preparation and cooking under the Chef’s guidance, you will be introduced to the traditional Vietnamese kitchen with cooking utensils, which still resemble the Vietnamese way of life. You will learn about the oriental science of Yin-Yang (even applied in cooking) and the history of Vietnamese cuisine with its roots in the Imperial City of Hue and its various influences from both Western and other Eastern cultures. After the lesson, indulge your cooking and finally you will understand the intricacies of the Vietnamese dining etiquette and the technique to master the chopsticks!

  Afternoon you are free at your own activities. 

  
  

  Dinner on your own.

  
  

  Overnight  in Ho Chi Minh

  
  

  Day 4: Monday, December 4, 2024

  Cycling, cruising, culture, cuisine

  
  

  Leave the busy streets of Ho Chi Minh City and drive and cruise deep into the Mekong Delta on this Cai Be day tour. Upon arrival in Cai Be, disembark the boat at Tan Phong Island and start a very interesting cycling tour on the backroads of small villages and be immersed in nature. Take the opportunity to visit local families making traditional products such as handicraft items made from water hyacinth, roofs made from palm leaves, hammocks made from coconut ropes and rice paper.

  
  

  Enjoy lunch with specialties of the Mekong Delta in the ambience of an ancient house. After lunch, walk through narrow lanes of a local market and enjoy the hustle and bustle of activities. Then get back on board and continue cruising the Mekong River. Witness everyday life of riverside communities and sample local fresh fruits along the way. Leave the boat for a while to visit local businesses such as family-run rice wine making and rice mill factory and interact with the host and learn about their daily lives. In the late afternoon, following the river cruise, continue by vehicle to Can Tho. 

  
  

  Dinner on your own.

  
  

  Overnight in Can Tho City.

  
  
  

  Day 5: Tuesday, December 5, 2024

  Boats, Banana Leaves & Pineapple

  
  

  Wake up early for a breakfast cruise to the colourful Cai Rang Floating Market bustling with wholesalers on big boats. Here, during the early morning market hours, larger sized boats anchor and create lanes that smaller boats weave in and out of. The main items sold here are fruit and vegetables and every boat has a long upright pole at its bow from which samples of the goods for sale are hung. The waterway becomes a maze of hundreds of boats packed with mango, bananas, papaya, pineapple, and even floating pho vendors. Afterward you will enjoy the drive journey of 3-hour to Chau Doc. Spend the rest of the evening at leisure. 

  
  

  Lunch on your own. 

  
  

  Overnight in Chau Doc.

  
  
  
  

  Day 6: Wednesday, December 6, 2024

  Cham Community, Silk Weaving & Scenic View

  
  

  After breakfast, you will visit Chau Doc’s local market which overlooks the confluence of three rivers, and later take a boat to Chau Giang District where a tiny mosque serves the local Cham community. The Cham minority who dominated coastal Vietnam from the 2nd to the 9th centuries were originally Hindu, but became Muslim as a result of contact with Arab seafarers and merchants in the Middle Ages. In Southeast Asia Islam was disseminated primarily by merchants who, following the monsoon winds, lived in various coastal towns for months at a time. The Chams also practice silk weaving and there is an opportunity to see them at work. The architecture here is rather distinctive.

  
  

  Visit a beautiful Khmer temple, and later visit the floating houses that double as catfish farms, now a huge industry for the country.

  
  

  Late this afternoon visit Sam Mountain, an important pilgrimage site that is frequently visited by pilgrims from all over the Mekong Delta. There are dozens of pagodas and temples around Sam Mountain and reaching the peak is the highlight of the visit. The views from the top are spectacular (weather permitting) and one can easily see Cambodia. 

  
  

  Lunch and dinner on your own. 

  
  

  Overnight in Chau Doc.

  
  
  
  

  Day 7: Thursday, December 7, 2024

  Riverside Cyclo Adventure.

  
  

  After breakfast at the hotel, you will enjoy the speed boat from Chau Doc to Phnom Penh (4-5 hours). Upon arrival in Phnom Penh around 13h00, you are warmly welcomed by our local English-speaking guide and be accompanied to the hotel for check-in.

  
  

  Phnom Penh was once considered one of the most beautiful cities in the Orient, and despite its turbulent history and more recent (and rapid) development, it still retains a colonial charm. Cambodia’s capital, majestically located at the confluence of the mighty rivers of the Mekong and Tonlé Sap, is at once bustling and laid back. Wide tree-lined boulevards and many colonial-era buildings reflect the glorious days of old and add to the allure of the city, where Asian and Western traditions meet in a fascinating way.

  
  

  Afterward you will enjoy the tour to the most remarkable sights of Phnom Penh in a Cyclo, an original Phnom Penh means of transportation and a fun way to explore this lively city.

  
  

  First, head to Wat Phnom, a small hilltop temple that marks the founding place of the city. Then continue along the riverfront to the Royal Palace. This palace dates back to 1866 and houses the Silver Pagoda, named for the over 5000 heavy silver tiles that cover its floors. Its original name is Wat Prakeo, meaning Temple of the Emerald Buddha. In this temple view a collection of Buddhas in gold, silver, crystal, and bronze.

  
  

  The next stop is the National Museum, which was built in traditional Khmer style. It houses the world's foremost collection of ancient Khmer artistic, archaeological, and religious artifacts from prehistory to the 17th century. Over 5,000 pieces are on display, constituting the repository of the Kingdom's cultural wealth. In addition, the roof space is home to a large bat colony!

  
  

  Late afternoon, enjoy an atmospheric sunset river cruise with a coconut juice degustation on board while watching how Phnom Penh’s popular riverfront comes to life in the early evening.

  
  
  

  Phnom Penh has an excellent selection of restaurants for all tastes. Tonight, enjoy dinner at the renowned Foreign Correspondents’ Club located on the Riverside. The building is a colonial gem with great views of the confluence of the Upper Mekong, Lower Mekong, Bassac and Tonle Sap rivers. 

  
  

  Lunch on your own.

  
  

  Overnight in Phnom Penh.

  
  
  

  Day 8: Friday, December 8, 2024

  Angkor's Ancient Wonders

  
  

  After breakfast you will transfer to Phnom Penh Airport for domestic flight to Siem Reap

  
  

  Upon your arrival in Siem Reap, you will be welcomed by a local English speaking guide and transferred to your hotel for check in. Siem Reap is the base for exploring the fabled temples of Angkor, the ancient capital of the Khmer empire.

  
  

  After a short relaxing break, you will visit the famous Angkor Wat by car. Built during the reign of King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century, it is constructed following the model of the temple mountain symbolizing the Mount Meru, home of the gods. Inside the temple, the walls are covered with stone carvings and bas-reliefs depicting Hindu mythology and the wars Suryavarman II fought during his reign. Moreover, Angkor Wat is well known for the more than 2,000 Apsara dancers decorating the temple. Construction is thought to have taken around thirty years of intensive labor. Today, Angkor Wat is gured on Cambodia's national ag as the temple symbolizes the soul of the Khmer people.

  
  

  During sunset time, Angkor Wat is less visited, and the Apsaras will shine in the most beautiful light. Return to your hotel, where you can enjoy the evening at leisure. 

  
  
  

  Breakfast, lunch, dinner on own

  
  

  Overnight in Siem Reap.

  
  
  
  

  Day 9: Saturday, December 9, 2024

  Rural Cambodia: ox cart ride, pagoda blessing & temple exploration

  
  

  After breakfast, head out to the early-Angkor era temples of the Roluos Group, about 15km outside of Siem Reap. Roluos is the site of the rest town built by the Angkorian kings in the 8th and 9th century and consists of three main temples: Bakong, Lolei and Preah Ko. The beautiful surrounding countryside with its paddy elds and sugar palm trees is very typical for Cambodia – enjoy the beauty on an ox cart ride to Roluos Pagoda, a great and fun way to get in touch with rural Cambodia and its friendly people. Here, in a small contemporary pagoda, Buddhist monks will celebrate a private blessing ceremony for you, wishing you health and a safe journey – a very special experience! Return to the hotel for a break during the midday heat.

  
  

  Return to Siem Reap where you have some time at leisure for lunch (at your own expense) before this afternoon, explore the highlights of the Small Circuit. Start your tour with a visit to Ta Prohm temple, built in the mid-12th to early 13th centuries. Ta Prohm is unique in that it has been left largely as it was found: overgrown by jungle trees and vines, with many parts of the temple crumbling to the ground. This makes Ta Prohm one of the most picturesque and memorable of the Angkor temples. Your visit will also include Banteay Kdei, a Buddhist monastery from the late 12th Century, and Srah Srang, also known as the “pool of ablutions”.

  
  

  Continue to the ancient city of Angkor Thom. Angkor Thom was the last capital of the Great Khmer Empire under the reign of Jayavarman VII. This city is surrounded by an 8 m high wall, drawing a perfect square. Enter the city through the ancient South Gate, an impressive stone gate carved with Elephants and four giant faces.

  
  

  From here, continue to Bayon Temple in the exact center of the city. This 12th century masterpiece is a study in grandeur and is well-known for its 54 towers with enigmatic faces representing the 54 provinces of the Great Khmer Empire. The Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King are also must visits as they are both known for their intricate bas-reliefs.

  
  

  Lunch on your own

  
  

  Overnight in Siem Reap.

  
  
  

  Day 10: Sunday, December 10, 2024

  Pink sandstone, stilt houses, and flooded forests

  
  

  Early today, travel to the “gem” of the Angkor area, the pretty temple of Banteay Srei, which is best viewed in the warm morning light. The so-called “Citadel of the Women” remains the best preserved temple in Cambodia. It displays some of the nest examples of classical Khmer art as this small temple is noted for its truly remarkable ne bas-reliefs. Banteay Srei is unique in that it is constructed of pink sandstone, which is seen nowhere else in Angkor.

  
  

  On the way back, you will have the possibility to stop at local communities along the way and your guide will help you to interact with the local community to learn about the way of life here. Seize the opportunity to taste Palm Wine and Palm Sugar (seasonal) and other popular local produce.

  
  

  Lunch will be at Bongthom homestay restaurant, before embarking on an interesting boat trip on Tonlé Sap Lake, where you will have the opportunity to learn about life on the lake. Tonlé Sap is South East Asia’s largest freshwater lake with its size varying greatly depending on the season, as it swells to about 4 times its size during the wet season. Board a local boat and visit Kampong Phluck, a village where you will see houses on stilts that are submerged when Tonlé Sap Lake extends. On the way, you will pass floating houses and impressive flooded forests, portraying life on the water. (Note: Due to low water levels during the dry season, the boat trip is only possible from June to March. However an alternative floating village at Chong Kneas can be arranged instead). Overnight in Siem Reap.

  
  

  Dinner on your own.

  
  

  Overnight in Siem Reap.

  
  
  
  

  Day 11: Monday, December 11, 2024

  លាហើយ កម្ពុជា!

  
  

  Depending on your departure flight you may have time to explore Siem Reap’s colorful markets. Visit Artisans d’Angkor, established in 1992 in order to support Cambodian arts and crafts, and to help young people find work in their local villages by continuing the practice of traditional arts. Discover how wood and stone carvings, lacquering, gilding, and silk paintings are created.

  
  

  Transfer to Siem Reap International Airport for your international flight home. We hope you had an exciting holiday with us. Making it an affair to remember!

  
  

  Lunch and dinner on your own. 

  
  

  The time has come to end all of the fun you had! Head home to dream about the next trip you take with The Answer Is Travel! 

   

   

  Optional Add-On:

  Add 3 or 4 nights before or after our group program to take in Vietnam or Cambodia (or both) at your own pace.