Temples, pagodas and timeless Indochina
This isn't just sightseeing — it's a journey into the heart of Vietnam & Cambodia's rich heritage. Walk through centuries of history, taste authentic flavors passed down through generations, and connect with traditions that have shaped this remarkable destination. Every moment becomes a story to tell.
Discover the wonders of Vietnam & Cambodia, a captivating destination that offers unique experiences, rich culture, and memorable adventures. Whether you're seeking relaxation, adventure, or cultural immersion, Vietnam & Cambodia promises to exceed your expectations with its warm hospitality and stunning scenery.
14 nights in Vietnam & Cambodia — day by day, fact-checked
Land at Tan Son Nhat, transfer to your District 1 hotel and settle into the first of three bases.
Your flight lands at Tan Son Nhat (SGN). The airport sits close to the District 1 centre, so the operator transfer is short, though peak-hour traffic lengthens it. Vietnam gives UK passport holders 45 days visa-free, so no visa step is needed here. Check your arrival time and plan the evening around it.
You land at Tan Son Nhat (SGN). The operator runs your transfer to the District 1 hotel; the airport is close to the centre but heavy peak-hour traffic can lengthen the drive.
Pay in Vietnamese dong. Declare cash on entry or exit only if you carry more than 15 million dong or 5,000 US dollars.
For any free-time movement, use a metered taxi from a larger firm or the Grab app, and check the vehicle and driver match the booking.
Do not hail an unmarked street taxi or accept a motorbike-taxi ride. Motorbike accidents in Vietnam are common and have killed and injured British nationals.
Bag-snatching by thieves on motorcycles is common. Hold your bag in front of you or on the side away from traffic.
A dine-in-darkness set-menu concept that trains and employs blind and visually impaired staff, a distinctive first-evening option a short ride from District 1 hotels.
A plant-forward, family-style Vietnamese kitchen built on an eat-green philosophy, with home-made tofu, pickles and soya sauce, for an easy sit-down first night.
A guided city day taking in Reunification Palace and the war-history museums of District 1.
Reunification (Independence) Palace opens daily, including holidays and Tet, from 07:00 to 18:00. On this package your guide takes you in and entry is pre-paid. The preserved 1970s state rooms and command bunker mark the fall of Saigon in 1975. An early start beats the midday heat.
Reunification Palace opens 07:00–18:00 every day, including holidays and Tet.
Palace and museum entries are arranged and paid by the tour; you do not need to buy tickets yourself.
Reunification Palace opens at 07:00, so an early guided slot avoids both the coach crowds and the hottest part of the day.
The War Remnants Museum's own site is JavaScript-rendered and does not reliably show hours or price; do not rely on a screenshot of times. On this package the visit is scheduled for you.
The preserved seat of South Vietnam's government, frozen at 1975, and a core stop your guide arranges and pays for.
A staple, unflinching account of the war years and a standard stop on the guided HCMC day.
A guided half-day to the Cu Chi Tunnels, the war-history site outside the city.
The Cu Chi Tunnels open daily 07:00 to 17:00, with ticket counters closing at 16:00. The drive from the city is roughly an hour to ninety minutes each way, which is why tours leave early. Your operator runs the coach and a site guide is compulsory, so you cannot go through the tunnels alone.
Cu Chi Tunnels open daily 07:00 to 17:00, with ticket counters closing around 16:00; check for holiday closures before a visit, as operations can change on Vietnamese public holidays.
The drive is roughly 1 to 1.5 hours each way, so guided tours typically depart around 07:30–08:00.
A site guide is compulsory and included in the entry; you cannot go through the tunnels independently, so stay with your group at the tunnel mouths.
The optional live-fire shooting range is a heavily marketed add-on at a war-memorial site, paid out of pocket. Many visitors find firing rifles here uncomfortable, and the constant gunfire disrupts the reflective mood; treat it as skippable, not a highlight.
The single most significant war-history site near the city, reached and guided by the operator; a mandatory official site guide is included in the entry.
A full guided day into the Mekong Delta by coach and boat, with a village lunch.
A full guided day into the Mekong Delta around My Tho and Ben Tre: a motorboat cruise, a sampan through the palm channels, a coconut-candy workshop and a Vietnamese lunch. Typical door-to-door days run about nine to ten hours. On this package the day is included and operator-run, so transport and lunch are handled.
A full Mekong Delta day is around 9–10 hours door-to-door, typically leaving the city about 08:00 and returning early evening.
The delta day is long and hot; the boat and sampan legs are the point, so pace yourself and keep water to hand.
If any optional free-time delta add-on centres on animals used for entertainment, such as crocodile-farm feeding or snake or monkey performances, steer away; these are welfare red flags. The included touring is scenery and village led.
A standard, well-run delta day of boat cruising, sampan channels and a workshop lunch, included and guided by the operator.
A domestic flight north to Hanoi, the second base, with an evening in the Old Quarter.
A domestic flight, roughly two hours in the air, carries you north to Hanoi. The operator handles the airport transfers and lobby call. Hanoi in the northern winter is cooler than the south, so pack a layer. With the flight done, the Old Quarter around Hoan Kiem Lake is walkable for a first evening.
The Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi leg is a domestic flight of roughly two hours in the air, provided in the package with operator-run transfers.
The Old Quarter around Hoan Kiem Lake is fully walkable, with Ngoc Son Temple, the red Huc Bridge and the guild streets close together; on Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday the lake streets close to traffic and become a pedestrian zone.
Do not assume a screenshot of a bun cha spot's hours or a Combo Obama price is reliable; Bun Cha Huong Lien has no working official site, so treat it as a cash walk-in and confirm on the day.
A refined sit-down kitchen of Hanoi and Vietnamese specialities, an easy first-evening choice near the Old Quarter.
The casual bun cha spot where Barack Obama and Anthony Bourdain ate, a cash-friendly walk-in for a plain, local lunch.
A guided Hanoi day around Hoan Kiem Lake, the Old Quarter and Hoa Lo Prison.
Hoa Lo Prison, the so-called Hanoi Hilton, opens every day including festivals and holidays, 08:00 to 17:00. The exhibits cover French-colonial detention and the later American-pilot years. The surrounding Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake are walkable, so free time here needs no transport.
Hoa Lo Prison opens every day, including festivals and holidays, 08:00–17:00.
The Old Quarter is easily done on foot, with the temple, bridge, tower and cathedral all within short walking distance, so use free time here to walk rather than ride.
Do not accept a passing motorbike-taxi to cover the Old Quarter; it is walkable, and bag-snatching by riders is the main street risk. Hold your bag on the side away from traffic.
A core Hanoi tour stop preserving the colonial-era prison and its wartime history, open daily with no siesta closure.
The best free-time activity in Hanoi, with Ngoc Son Temple, the Huc Bridge, Turtle Tower and the 36 guild streets within a short walk and no cost.
The Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre, on the eastern bank of Hoan Kiem Lake, runs several performances every day of the year and holds the Asia record for continuous daily water puppetry. If the show is part of your evening, the operator books it; otherwise it is a short walk from Old Quarter hotels.
The theatre runs several shows every day of the year, but does not publish show times or prices on its site; booking is via its Book Tickets link or hotline. On this package it is arranged if included.
The theatre sits on the eastern bank of Hoan Kiem Lake, so pair the show with an evening walk around the lake, which closes to traffic Friday to Sunday.
Do not rely on a fixed show time or seat price seen on a third-party site; the official page does not publish them, so confirm through your guide or the theatre rather than turning up on a guess.
A daily traditional water-puppetry show a short walk from Old Quarter hotels, and a frequent Hanoi evening inclusion.
A guided scenic day south to the Ninh Binh landscapes of Trang An, Tam Coc and Hoa Lu.
A guided day south to Ninh Binh, roughly ninety minutes to two hours from Hanoi, taking in the karst rivers of Trang An or Tam Coc, the old capital at Hoa Lu, and often the Mua Cave viewpoint. It is a strong single-day scenic choice for an inland itinerary.
Ninh Binh is about 100 km southeast of Hanoi, a comfortable scenic day trip of roughly 1.5 to 2 hours each way by expressway.
For an inland, land-based itinerary, Ninh Binh works well as a single day trip; Ha Long Bay rewards an overnight cruise more than a rushed day dash.
Do not try to bolt a self-organised Ha Long Bay day trip onto Hanoi. It is about 3 hours each way, giving only 5 to 6 hours on the water in a rushed, crowded day; Ha Long rewards an overnight cruise, not a day dash.
Limestone karst and river valleys with the old capital of Hoa Lu, a scenic guided day that keeps road time within a single easy leg.
A lighter Hanoi day with free time in the Old Quarter before the cross-border leg.
A lighter day with free time in Hanoi. The Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake are walkable, so the best use of the day is on foot, with the guild streets, St. Joseph's Cathedral and the lake temples close together. Keep cash small, in dong, for market food and drinks.
Spend free time on foot: the Old Quarter's guild streets, cathedral and lake temples are all within short walking distance, so no ride-hailing is needed.
For market food and drinks, pay in Vietnamese dong; USD is sometimes accepted but at a poor rate.
Do not book a Hanoi day trip that depends on animals used for entertainment; the strong free-time options here are the walkable Old Quarter and the scenic Ninh Binh landscapes, not animal acts.
A modern Vietnamese fine-dining kitchen whose name means family, with an active reservation system, for a premium free-evening meal.
The trade-named streets of the Old Quarter, a zero-cost, zero-transport way to spend free time on foot.
The cross-border flight into Cambodia and the move to your Siem Reap base.
A cross-border flight takes you into Cambodia and Siem Reap, the base for the Angkor temples. Cambodia needs a visa and an e-Arrival Card submitted before arrival; on an escorted package the operator normally arranges the visa, so confirm this with them. From here, temples are a short drive, all operator-run.
The Hanoi to Siem Reap leg is a cross-border flight provided in the package, with operator-run airport transfers.
All air arrivals into Cambodia must submit a free electronic e-Arrival Card within 7 days before arrival. A tourist visa is required; on an escorted package the operator normally arranges it, but confirm with them.
The US dollar is widely used in Cambodia. Travellers have reported fake dollar bills given as change, and torn notes are often refused, so carry clean, unmarked bills and inspect all change.
Haven closes on Mondays and around late August to mid-September (29 Aug, then 30 Aug–21 Sep) for graduation and new-student training; do not route a free-time meal there on those dates.
Do not travel by moto-dop motorcycle taxi in Cambodia; it is dangerous, with poorly maintained vehicles and low driving standards. Use a tuk-tuk for free-time trips.
A social-enterprise training restaurant serving Asian and international dishes with vegetarian and vegan options, funding hospitality training for vulnerable young adults.
A Friends-International training restaurant supporting young Cambodians; confirm current hours and menu with your guide or hotel, as its former official site no longer resolves.
A sunrise-to-morning temple day at Angkor Wat, the Bayon and the walled city of Angkor Thom.
Angkor Wat opens at 05:00 for sunrise. The main entrance is only about five to six kilometres from town, a short operator-run transfer, which is why the lobby call is early. On this package the Angkor Pass, otherwise 37 US dollars for a day, is bought and paid by the tour. Cover shoulders and knees.
Angkor Wat and Phnom Bakheng open 05:00 for sunrise; most temples run 07:30–17:30. The park is open every day of the year.
The Angkor Pass would otherwise cost 37 US dollars for one day, 62 for three days or 72 for seven; on this package it is arranged and paid by the tour, so it is background, not a to-do.
Shoulders and knees must be covered. The upper level of Angkor Wat, the Bakan, applies the strictest check and turns visitors away at the top; a scarf alone is widely reported not to satisfy it, so wear a proper top and long trousers or a long skirt.
The Bakan upper level closes to visitors from 13:00 on the 14th and 28th of every month for conservation, so if your visit falls on those dates the climb must be done in the morning.
Do not climb the Bakan in shorts or a bare-shoulder top expecting to cover up with a scarf at the top; visitors have been refused after climbing all the way up regardless of holding a valid pass.
The core of the Siem Reap leg, best at sunrise before the heat and coaches, with your Angkor Pass and guide provided by the tour.
After Angkor Wat, the walled city of Angkor Thom and its Bayon of stone faces. Bayon is busiest mid-morning as coaches arrive after breakfast, so your guide's timing matters. Midday heat here is punishing in the dry season, which is why temple days start at dawn and taper before the worst of it.
Bayon and Ta Prohm are busiest mid-morning as coaches arrive after breakfast; before 08:00 or in the early afternoon is markedly quieter.
Midday is punishingly hot; the early lobby calls exist to get the main temples done before the worst heat, so pace water and shade around midday.
Do not plan independent evening temple returns by road. In Cambodia, travel after dark significantly increases the risk of accidents, so keep evening movement limited and by tuk-tuk.
The face-towers at the centre of the old walled capital, a standard second stop after Angkor Wat on the guided temple day.
A second Angkor day at Ta Prohm and the outer temples, timed around the heat.
A second Angkor day centred on Ta Prohm, the temple laced with strangler-fig roots, plus other outer temples in the park. Most temples run 07:30 to 17:30. Your guide and the Angkor Pass are provided, and the same dress rule applies: shoulders and knees covered at every temple, not just Angkor Wat.
Most Angkor temples run 07:30–17:30, with Pre Rup opening from 07:00; the park is open every day with no annual closure.
The dress code applies across the park, not just at Angkor Wat: keep shoulders and knees covered at every temple to avoid being refused entry.
Ta Prohm is quieter before 08:00 or around early afternoon; the mid-morning slot is when the coach groups converge, so let your guide time it around the crowds.
Do not book a free-time captive-elephant, crocodile-feeding or caged-animal sanctuary add-on around Siem Reap; these are welfare red flags. The included touring is temple and heritage led.
The root-wrapped temple that defines the outer Angkor circuit, quieter before 08:00 or in the early afternoon than at the mid-morning coach peak.
A lighter Siem Reap day with free time in town and a social-enterprise dinner.
A lighter day in Siem Reap town after the temple mornings. Free time is best kept close, with market browsing and a social-enterprise meal. Cambodia's dry-season heat peaks in the middle of the day, so an afternoon pace with shade and water suits it. Carry clean US dollars and small riel for change.
For market and street food, pay in clean, unmarked US dollars and take riel as small change; inspect all change for fake or torn notes, which are frequently refused.
Keep free time close to town in the heat, and use a tuk-tuk rather than a moto-dop for any short hops; ideally choose a tuk-tuk with a metal grille against bag-snatching.
Do not carry your bag on the road-side shoulder on foot or in a tuk-tuk. Thieves on motorbikes cut straps and snatch bags and phones, often causing injury; keep bags away from the traffic side.
A training restaurant with vegetarian and vegan options that funds hospitality employment for vulnerable young adults, a good free-evening choice.
Cash walk-up market and street food for a low-key free afternoon, paid in clean US dollars with riel small change.
A guided day among the wider Angkor sites and the countryside around town.
A final guided morning among the wider Angkor sites, timed early to beat the heat and coaches. The park is open every day of the year, and the whole leg is short-transfer touring with the main entrance only a few kilometres from town. Keep the temple dress rule in mind at every stop.
The Angkor entrance is only about 5 to 6 km from town, roughly 15 to 20 minutes by road, so temple days are short-transfer, operator-run touring.
An early guided start beats both the heat and the coach groups that arrive right after breakfast; the same shoulders-and-knees dress rule applies across the whole park.
Do not hand your passport to a rental shop as a deposit or take a self-drive motorbike here; Cambodia has one of south-east Asia's highest road-accident rates. All your touring transport is provided.
The wider spread of Angkor's temples beyond the headline sites, reached on short operator-run transfers with your pass and guide included.
A relaxed last full day in Siem Reap before the journey home.
A relaxed final full day in Siem Reap. Keep it close and simple: town, market and a last social-enterprise meal. Check your passport is undamaged and valid at least six months, and that your dates leave no overstay risk, since Cambodian overstay fines have no upper limit. Settle any tips in clean small notes.
Check your passport is undamaged, complete and valid at least 6 months, and that your dates leave no overstay; overstaying a Cambodian visa carries fines with no upper limit, plus detention and deportation.
Keep clean, small US dollar notes for tips and last purchases; damaged or torn notes are frequently refused, and fake bills are sometimes given as change.
Tipping the guide and driver is customary on escorted Asia tours; carry small clean notes for it, as no official set amount exists to quote.
Do not quote a fixed price or set of hours for Marum from a third-party listing; its former official site no longer resolves, so confirm details through your guide or hotel rather than a stale online figure.
A Friends-International training restaurant for a purpose-led last dinner; confirm current hours and menu with your guide or hotel, as its former official site no longer resolves.
A final cash walk-up for souvenirs and street food, paid in clean US dollars with riel change.
Transfer to Siem Reap airport and the flights home.
Your homeward flights begin from Siem Reap, with the operator running the transfer. Count back from your departure to time breakfast and packing, and keep your passport and any final small notes to hand. Check your departure details, since the day reads differently for a morning start than a late one.
The operator runs your transfer to Siem Reap airport for the homeward flights; count back from your departure to set breakfast and packing time.
Spend down or keep clean US dollar notes for any last tips or purchases; torn or damaged notes may be refused.
For any last independent hop before the operator transfer, use a tuk-tuk rather than a moto-dop, and keep bags away from the traffic side against snatch-theft.
Do not leave your Cambodia passport check to the last minute; British nationals have been refused entry and exit over passport damage, so confirm it is intact and valid well before the transfer.
A simple last coffee before the operator transfer, paid in clean US dollars with riel change.
Practical details verified 21 July 2026. Prices and opening hours change — we re-check them monthly, but confirm anything critical before you travel.
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