Unveil Indochina

This morning we will take a very early direct flight to Bagan. Myanmar’s archeological wonderland, where over 3,000 ancient temples blossom from the countryside. Have an early breakfast at the hotel then drive to the airport to catch a short domestic flight to Bagan. Start your tour with a trip to the bustling Nyang U Market in Old Bagan then explore the beautiful, gold leaf Shwezigon Pagoda and learn about the Burmese Buddhist tradition.

We continue our tour with a visit to Ananda Temple, stopping along the way in the Bagan plain to admire some of the surrounding temples. In the afternoon, take a tour of a local lacquer wear workshop and learn about this traditional craft. In the late afternoon drive to Shwe San Daw Pagoda and climb to the top to enjoy a sunset over the surrounding plain and winding Ayeyarwaddy River.

Enjoy an entire day devoted to exploring Bagan’s magical temples. Begin your tour with a visit to Myinkaba temple, then head to the peaceful village, Manuha to get a taste for local life and culture and discover the unique 11th century, Nanphay A temple. In the afternoon you are invited to take a horse cart ride to some of Bagan’s grandest temples then head to Tayokepyay pagoda to watch the sunset.

Have an early breakfast at the hotel then head to the airport to catch your morning flight to Mandalay. Known as the hub of Buddhism in Myanmar, Mandalay is a realm of stupas, monks and monasteries. Our driver and guide will meet you outside the arrival gate and take you to the city to begin your tour.

Start the day with a visit to Mahagandaryone Monastery and watch the monks in their afternoon meal and rice ceremony. Then take a stroll along the nearby U Bein Bridge to visit Kyautawgyi, returning by boat to enjoy cool breeze and spectacular landscape of Taungthaman Lake.

After lunch, we will drive to Sagaing Hill to learn about the different Buddhist educational systems for monks and nuns followed by a visit to the local university. Climb the steps to reach the hilltop Buddhist sites, exploring Sagaing Hill on foot to see the Buddha caves and Buddha image. Conclude your tour at Son U Pon Nya Shin Pagoda, drinking in the breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding Mandalay plain, Ayeyarwaddy River, Inwa Bridge and Mandalay City.

After breakfast, board a private boat and motor down the Ayeyarwaddy to Mingun, home to several unique pagodas, including the ruined Mingun Pahtodawgyi – the remains of a massive unfinished Buddhist stupa begun by King Bodawpaya in 1790. Visit the 90-ton bell before heading to the distinctive architectural pagoda, Myatheindan.

Return to Mandalay in the afternoon and enjoy a delicious lunch at a riverside restaurant over views of the nearby floating villages. In the afternoon, take a tour of Mandalay palace – the royal palace of the last Burmese monarchy, constructed between 1857 and 1859 by king Mindon. Head to Kuthodaw Pagoda, famed as “the world’s biggest book” composed of 729 stupas, each representing a page in the “book” indicating the Buddha’s life. Conclude the day with a ride up the zigzagging road to Mandalay Hill. Climb to the top of the hill and watch the sunset around the surrounding plain, river and mountains.

Leave the city on the morning flight to Heho where driver and tour guide of Great Tours awaits to escort you to visit the local market of Nyaung Shwe, one of a handful of towns along the banks of the immense Inle Lake. The lake sustains Intha families, who live entirely on stilted villages, their crops grown on cleverly suspended floating gardens. Take in the scenes by boat tour, marveling at the leg-rowing fishermen.

Enjoy the rest of the day and the tranquility of one of the most spectacular lakes in Southeast Asia. A lake probably most remembered for its Intha fishermen, their extraordinary boat rowing techniques and its lovely sunset.

This morning, a boat takes you to a beautiful temple of Indein, located on the hill overlooking the lake. It will be relaxing to walk along the corridors and enjoy the giant columns which have been left to the nature for centuries. Continue with the sightseeing to Phaungdawoo Pagoda, famous for its richly gilded five small Buddha images, also is believed to be the holiest in Inle Lake; Ngaphechaung monastery, known as jumping cat pagoda. As you go toward Nam Pan village the various cotton and lotus weaving factories and cigar making houses will attract your sense of traditional Intha life.

Have breakfast in the hotel, leave by boat to the northern bank of the lake where the car and driver is wait for you. Take a nice drive to Heho airport for the flight to Yangon. On arrival, enjoy the city tour of Yangon with a visit to the grandiose gold pagoda complex: Shwedagon Paya. Explore the pagoda, walking among crowds of colorful robed monks and nuns then ẹnoy the sunset from the highest spire. In the evening enjoy a farewell dinner of traditional Burmese cuisine at Karaweik Palace.

Spend your full day exploring Yangon and its highlights from Sule Pagoda, the heart of Yangon city; Chaukhtayi Pagoda and Kandawgyi Lake. If time permits, we will stop for shopping at Scott market.

Our driver will transfer you to the Yangon International Airport for your departure to Hanoi. On arrival, our guide and driver will pick you from the airport for hotel. The rest of day is your own.

Today we commence our exploration of Hanoi with the Ho Chi Minh Complex, which contains the mausoleum of the nation’s founder Ho Chi Minh, the Presidential Palace and the Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts. Close to this complex is the One Pillar Pagoda, whose origins date back to the foundation of city.

We follow it with a visit to the Temple of Literature, which is well known as the first university of Vietnam and the History Museum with an excellent collection of artifacts illustrating the Vietnamese history. Later on, we will take a short visit at Hilton Prison where Vietnamese soldiers did captured & detained American pilots from 1967 till 1973 to learn more about the history of Vietnam war against American Imperialists. Lunch at a local restaurant

In this afternoon, Visit Tran Quoc Pagoda and Quan Thanh Temple. They are some major highlights set by the beautiful West Lake. Afterward, visiting the outlaying Ethnologic Museum is also a major part of our sightseeing. You will then visit the old quarters and the peaceful Hoan Kiem Lake with its sacred temple. In front of this lake is the famous water puppet theatre where we will see a fantastic performance.

The country capital during the Dinh and early Le Dynasties is Hoa Lu, which however has left its legacy in the form of two small temples, each one nearly a thousand years old.

Today we will depart our hotel at 8:00 for Ninh Binh to visit these two remaining structures. The first one is Hoa Lu ancient citadel dedicated to the Dinh Dynasty. The second one commemorates the Le Rulers. In front of these temples is the rugged Ma Yen mount; it involves a walk over 200 steps for a fantastic view over the surrounding areas.

The following sight is Tam Coc which is brand name “Halong Bay on land”. We board a sampan for a leisurely trip through the quiet and peaceful landscape of rice fields surrounded by towering limestone cliffs to the grottoes of Tam Coc.

After breakfast, we start trip today by transfer to Halong Bay – designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage site since 1994. Traveling through the scenic fertile Red River Delta countryside, we get to Ha Long Bay by noon. The natural world heritage site Ha Long Bay is truly one of the most impressive scenery that should not be missed if someone ever comes to the north.

Upon arrival at Ha Long, we embark on cruise for an exploration of the legendary Ha Long Bay. This exciting hours cruise passing by the evocatively shaped islets will provide us a fantastic view of the picturesque scenery blending with the sky and some 3,000 limestone islands and islets rising amazingly from the clear and emerald water. Enjoy a Sea food lunch while you cruising through the bay.

Arrival in Van Gia floating fishing village, take rowing boat through the village or kayaking to visiting around the floating fishing village. Visiting Halong Pearl Farm Village, and Swimming or Kayaking in the bay. Back the cruise and relax, free fresh fruits are served. You’ll join cooking class guided directly by Chef of the Cruise. You have chance to practice Vietnamese traditional dishes such as spring roll or famous cuisine of Vietnam.

After time for dinner enjoying special BBQ seafood on the cruise, you will be free for evening entertainments: play game on the cruise: cards game, chess, karaoke, squid fishing, and overnight on the Cruise.

Note: the program can be changed according to cruise

Wake up in the morning to the calming sound of the waves crashing on the nearby islands, enjoy Tai Chi lesson on sundeck. Enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning and relax. Sitting on the upper deck, you can enjoy the breath – taking beauty of the rocky Islands rising from the crystal-clear waters of the Bay. The quiet is almost eerie; in summer you can hear birds singing, even that cicadas chirping ashore and the gentle lapping of the waves against our boat, the perfect soundtrack to accompany the fresh air and gentle breeze.

Arrive Sung Sot Cave (Amazing Cave) and joining with guide to visiting and explore the cave. Our boat start cruising back and brunch buffet will be served on the way. Check out and arrive at the harbor by 11:30. You get back on our car and go back to Hanoi for the flight to Da Nang. On arrival, your guide/driver will welcome you and transfer to Hoi An.

Hoi An, which was originally a Cham seaport but has been influenced down centuries by a myriad of traders from various cultures. There are plenty to see in this tranquil and delightful town, some of which are the famous Japanese Covered Bridges, the Pottery Museum, the 200 years old Tam Ky House, the Chua Ong Pagoda and the vibrant market. We include these sites in an enchanting walking tour past many low tiled houses scattered along the small streets and assembly halls which reflect the town’s multi-cultural past.

In the afternoon, you’ll take a half day trip to the capital and religious center of the former Champa Kingdom, My Son Holly Land. Set in a lush green valley, dozens of red brick towers and sanctuaries dating from between the 7th and 13th centuries provide a breathtaking site.

Morning we departure for Hue, drive pass by Da Nang city – the 4th largest city of Vietnam. You then stop en route to visit famous White Sandy Beach, better known as R&R of the US army officials and soldiers during the Vietnam War. Then you visit the Marble stone carving workshop at Ngu Hanh Son handicraft village. Stop en route at Lang Co beach to have short break before crossing Hai Van Pass. At the height of 500 meter above sea level Hai Van pass is the highest pass in the central coast of Vietnam. Here you can enjoy the magnificent view of the central coast. The soft adventure drive over the 23 km long pass will add more highlights for this trip.

Arriving in Hue, we have a boat trip on the romantically named Perfume River visits Hue’s best- known religious site, Thien Mu Pagoda. The beautiful riverside Thien Mu Pagoda is one of the oldest ancient architectural structures for religious work ship in Hue. We include this in a half day cruise on the Perfume River which also gives us a taste of the scenic countryside and an enjoyable visit to the mausoleum of Emperor Minh Mang in a tranquil setting of gardens and lakes. This impressive landmark reflects the beautiful architecture, intricate decor and mysterious statues.

After breakfast at hotel, you will take a cruise on the Perfume River. We continue to discover Imperial Citadel from where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945 including Flag Tower, Noon Gate, Nine Dynastic Urns, Nine Holy Cannons, Thai Hoa Palace, and Forbidden Purple City. The city tour in Hue includes with a chance to see a Royal musical performance of Hue (which is listed also as one of cultural UNESCO World Heritages).

By the end of morning, we will have one more chance to take a glancing tour of Hue with a walk to the bustling Dong Ba Market that sells a wide variety of local goods and handicrafts. Along the way we pass many fantastic eating spots, all ideal for visitors to sample some local delicacies.

In the afternoon, transfer to airport for flight to Ho Chi Minh City.

Breakfast in hotel. The incredible underground network in Cu Chi stretched over 200 kilometres and became legendary during the American war. The extensive tunnels have been specially constructed with living areas, weapon factories, filed hospitals, command centres, plus accommodation. Today we have an excursion to Cu Chi Tunnels to visit an exposition hall and a widened section of the tunnels to get a feel of the underground life. There are also possibilities to fire off rounds from an AK47 or MK16 at the nearby rifle range.

Upon leaving Cu Chi we drive a short distance to Tay Ninh, the headquarters of Cao Dai Sect . This religion was founded in 1923 and now numbers over 2 million members. We arrive in time to see the ornate temple of Cao Dai and attend the fantastic mid-day service when the followers fill the hall wearing colored robes. These costumes are a symbol of the curious combination of the Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism.

Heading out of town, we travel by roads to the Mekong Delta. This plain region boasts the largest rice bowl of Vietnam. On arrival in My Tho we board a boat navigating around the intricate small canals, which is a great way to observe the local lifestyle close-up and catch a view dotted by many islands.

The exciting river trip will pass by the lush green vegetation towards the famous Unicorn Island where we will stroll around an orchard, taste many seasonal fruits and see farmers at work. We navigate some narrower canals using small rowing boats to Ben Tre Province for an interesting visit to some local industries. The extra enjoyment is a lunch at one of the famous local eating spots.

This metropolis, contradiction of its northern counterpart, is crowded with bikes and motorbikes, excited by numerous shopping areas and sidewalk cafes. A morning will acquaints us with some major sights of Ho Chi Minh City. We drive past many lively streets on our way to the Reunification Palace. This mansion was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until end of April 1975. You will have photo stops and time to walk around at several locations to look more closely, and to take photos of some of the striking French colonial structures, including the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Old Sai Gon Post Office, the Rex Hotel and area. We follow these with a visit to the Jade Emperor Pagoda, the War remnant exhibit, a local lacquer factory, the Old US Embassy, and the final stop is Ben Thanh Market.

Transfer to airport for flight to Siem Reap. On arrival, you are met by our guide/driver and transferred to your hotel.

In this morning, we’ll start exploring Siem Reap by a visit to South Gate of Angkor Thom, the famous Bayon, Baphoun, the Terrace of Temple, Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King. It is time to one of the great wonders of the world and symbol of the heart and soul of the Cambodia, Angkor Wat and view wonderful sunset from the top of Phnom Bakheng Hills. The local guide will assist you with your choice of venue.

Tonight you will enjoy special dinner with Khmer Apsara Dance Show.

You will be picked up between 8:00 am to 8:30 am you will be transferred to the Kulen Mountain. Phnom kulen is is located 49 km northwards from Angkor Wat. Its name means “mountain of the lychees”.

Phnom Kulen is considered a holy mountain in Cambodia, of special religious significance to Hindus and Buddhists who come to the mountain in pilgrimage.

The first stop we going to see the big Buddha statues reclining on top of the mountain. On the second stop we heading to the 1000 lingas river which a lots scupture and caving in along the river. End of the our trip we will have along stop for bath at the water park. And then transfer back to the hotel.

After breakfast, you will be free until our driver arrives to take you to the airport for a flight to Luang Prabang. On arrival, you are met by our guide and transferred to hotel.

Wake up early before dawn (around 5:00 am) to catch up with traditional alms giving ceremony. The unique and must-see activities in Laos. In the early hours of the morning each day, as the sun is rising, the local Buddhist monks pad softly around the streets barefoot in single file, accepting gifts from the locals. All around the town, locals kneel down on the street, offering the monks gifts of rice, fresh fruit and sweets to contribute to their one meal of the day.

Transfer back to hotel for breakfast. Firstly, we explore local culture through the nearby morning market very popular for fresh vegetable, fish from the Mekong River, medicinal plant and other curiosity. And then, we visit Royal Palace, National Museum.
After lunch, we start to visit other famous sites in LuangPrabang including WatVisoun (known as the ‘Watermelon Stupa’ on account of its spherical shape), Wat Mai and WatXieng Thong, which epitomizes all the elegance and grace of the city’s architecture.

The last point is Phousimonutain to enjoy sunset view before transfer back to hotel.

After breakfast, we start exciting day by enjoy a 3-hour morning boat trip from LuangPrabang center to Pak Ou Caves. After discovery of Pak Ou Caves, cruise back and stop at “Ban XangHai” local village for tasting their unique homemade local rice whisky and rice wine before reach to Luang Prabang center.

After lunch by your own expense, we take one hour journey by private car (~30 km) to beautiful Kuang Si Waterfall. Enjoy landscape and swimming on natural and clean small lakes there before back to Luang Prabang center.

Day at leisure until to transfer to the airport to take flight back to your country