Why travel this route
Twenty-five days is enough to feel the differences rather than just tick the borders: the density of Vietnam, the scale of Angkor, the quiet of Luang Prabang. Each country gets its own guide, and the pace slows deliberately as you move west.
This is our longest standard route and the one people most often take for a milestone — a retirement, an anniversary, a first long trip after years of short ones. It is entirely private and every segment can be adjusted.
- Five nights in and around Hanoi, including the villages and temples most visitors never reach
- Rowboats through the flooded caves of Ninh Binh and the old capital at Hoa Lu
- Two nights trekking in Pu Luong among Thai villages and rice terraces
- A night at anchor in Bai Tu Long Bay with kayaks and fresh seafood
- Hue's imperial city, Thien Mu pagoda and the tombs along the Perfume River
- Hoi An's ancient town, then beach days at Nha Trang
- Cu Chi, Saigon and the Cai Rang floating market in the delta
- Phnom Penh's palace and its harder history, then two days among the temples of Angkor
- Three nights in Luang Prabang: Pak Ou caves, riverside villages and the morning alms round
Where you sleep, night by night
Twenty-four nights across three countries. Border crossings and internal flights are all arranged for you.
| Stop | Nights | Why we stop here |
|---|---|---|
| Hanoi | 5N | A thousand-year-old capital where lake-side boulevards, shophouse alleys and street-food corners sit side by side. |
| Ninh Binh | 1D | Karst peaks rising straight out of rice fields and slow rivers — the dry-land twin of Ha Long Bay. |
| Pu Luong | 2N | A nature reserve of water wheels, stilt houses and rice terraces cut into limestone ridges south of Mai Chau. |
| Ha Long Bay | 1N | Thousands of limestone towers rising out of jade water, best seen from a small boat on the quieter Bai Tu Long side. |
| Hue | 2N | The Nguyen capital: a walled citadel, royal tombs scattered along the Perfume River, and Vietnam's most particular cooking. |
| Hoian | 2N | A lantern-lit trading port turned UNESCO town, ringed by rice fields, herb gardens and fishing hamlets. |
| Nha Trang | 2N | A long curve of sand with islands offshore, snorkelling, and a seafood scene locals take seriously. |
| HCMC | 2N | Vietnam's loudest, fastest city — colonial facades, war-history museums and an endless appetite for coffee. |
| Mekong Delta | 2N | A flat maze of channels, orchards and floating markets where daily life still happens on the water. |
| Phnom Penh | 1N | Cambodia's riverfront capital, where the royal palace and the country's hardest history sit close together. |
| Siem Reap | 2N | The base for Angkor — sunrise at the main temple, and quieter shrines swallowed by forest. |
| Luang Prabang | 3N | A Mekong-side royal town of gilded temples and French shophouses in northern Laos. |
What you actually do
Mostly sightseeing pace, with two trekking days in Pu Luong and optional cycling in Hoi An and the delta.
- Village cycling and temple visits around Hanoi
- Rowboat trip through the Ninh Binh karst
- Trekking and a stilt-house stay in Pu Luong
- Overnight cruise on Bai Tu Long Bay
- Imperial sites in Hue and the ancient town of Hoi An
- Beach time and island trips at Nha Trang
- Cu Chi tunnels and the Cai Rang floating market
- Royal Palace and national museum in Phnom Penh
- Angkor Wat, Bayon and Ta Prohm with an Angkor specialist
- Pak Ou caves and Mekong villages from Luang Prabang
Good to know before you book
Visas differ by country and by nationality. We send a written checklist with your quote and remind you again six weeks out.
Plan this trip with us
Tell us your dates, how many of you are travelling and what you would like to change. A trip planner in our Hanoi office replies within one working day with a day-by-day plan and a price.