This Cambodia and Vietnam cultural tour 16 days offers a continuous cultural journey shaped by ancient civilizations and shared histories. Along the way, everyday life unfolds across Southeast Asia’s historic routes. From the sacred temples of Angkor to lively river cities and historic trading ports, the journey shows how cultures evolved and influenced one another.
As the journey continues, you move naturally between spiritual spaces, royal capitals, and modern cities. You explore Angkor’s stone temples and Phnom Penh’s layered history. Then, you experience southern Vietnam’s vibrant urban life. Later, the atmosphere softens in Hoi An and Hue, where heritage and tradition remain strong. In the north, walking tours in Hanoi and an overnight cruise in Halong Bay slow the pace and invite reflection.
Finally, flexible free days and optional excursions create a balanced rhythm. As a result, this journey suits travelers who value cultural depth, human stories, and meaningful connections across borders.
Explore the Angkor temple complex while choosing optional visits to remote and lesser-known sites.
Discover Phnom Penh’s royal landmarks and confront Cambodia’s recent history through optional visits.
Experience modern Vietnam through Ho Chi Minh City and the historic Cu Chi Tunnels.
Balance city exploration with free days and optional Mekong Delta excursions.
Walk through Hoi An’s ancient trading port and enjoy unstructured time to relax.
Travel across the Hai Van Pass and explore Hue’s imperial heritage by river and road.
Discover Hanoi through walking tours, cyclo rides, and local street life.
End the journey with an overnight cruise among Halong Bay’s limestone islands.
Your journey begins in Siem Reap, the gateway to the ancient world of Angkor. Upon arrival, you are welcomed and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is left open to rest and gently adjust to the pace of Cambodia.
Siem Reap feels relaxed and welcoming, with tree-lined streets, small cafés, and a calm atmosphere that contrasts with the grandeur awaiting in the coming days.
Tour guide: English-speaking guide
Meals: N/A
Today, Angkor reveals itself as more than a famous archaeological site. It unfolds as a sacred landscape where belief, power, and nature are carefully connected. Walking through ancient gates, the scale feels impressive yet deeply human.
You explore Angkor Thom and the Bayon, where stone faces quietly observe the passing centuries. At Ta Prohm, massive tree roots and temple walls remain intertwined, creating a powerful sense of time standing still.
In the afternoon, Angkor Wat appears in perfect balance and symmetry. Its carvings suggest stories of gods, kings, and everyday life, leaving space for reflection rather than explanation.
Tour guide: English-speaking guide
Meals: Breakfast
Today is free to shape your experience. You may relax at the hotel or explore Siem Reap at your own pace, enjoying its calm atmosphere and local cafés.
Optional excursions lead beyond the main temple circuit to reveal different faces of Cambodia. Beng Mealea offers a raw, jungle-covered ruin where nature and stone remain largely untouched. Banteay Srei stands out for its delicate pink sandstone carvings and refined scale. Visits to rural villages offer a glimpse into everyday life in the countryside, featuring simple homes, rice fields, and slow rhythms shaped by tradition.
These options allow you to choose between archaeology, art, or local life, depending on your personal interests.
Tour guide: English-speaking guide (optional tours)
Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast, you fly to Phnom Penh. In the afternoon, you begin discovering Cambodia’s capital through its royal and spiritual heart, set along the riverside where the Mekong and Tonle Sap meet.
The Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda introduce living traditions of monarchy and Buddhism, with golden roofs, manicured gardens, and ceremonial spaces still in use today. Wide boulevards, colonial façades, and quiet pagodas add later historical layers, presenting a city shaped by continuity, dignity, and quiet resilience rather than spectacle.
Tour guide: English-speaking guide
Meals: Breakfast
Today is free for rest or personal exploration. You may enjoy riverside cafés or quietly observe daily life along the Mekong, offering a softer rhythm to the day.
For those who wish to explore further, optional visits to the S21 Prison and the Killing Fields provide a thoughtful introduction to Cambodia’s recent past. S21, once a school turned detention center, reveals personal stories through preserved rooms and photographs. The Killing Fields offer a quiet, open landscape designed for reflection and remembrance, focusing on dignity, memory, and human resilience rather than shock.
Tour guide: English-speaking guide for optional tours
Meals: Breakfast
You fly to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s most energetic metropolis. Upon arrival, you transfer to your hotel and enjoy free time. The city immediately feels dynamic and alive, offering a contrast to the quieter rhythm of Cambodia. Evening is free to explore or relax.
Meals: Breakfast
The morning introduces Ho Chi Minh City through its streets, architecture, and everyday movement. Colonial landmarks and local neighborhoods exist side by side, reflecting a city shaped by constant transformation.
Later, you visit the Cu Chi Tunnels outside the city. Narrow passages and reconstructed spaces reveal how daily life continued underground, highlighting resilience and adaptation rather than conflict alone.
Tour guide: English-speaking guide
Meals: Breakfast
Today remains flexible. You may explore the city independently or join an optional full-day Mekong Delta excursion.
The Mekong reveals a slower rhythm, shaped by waterways, agriculture, and village life. It offers a strong contrast to urban Vietnam and deepens understanding of the country’s southern identity.
Tour guide: English-speaking guide for optional tours
Meals: Breakfast
You fly to central Vietnam and continue to Hoi An. In the afternoon, a guided walk introduces this former trading port.
Merchant houses, assembly halls, and temples reflect centuries of cultural exchange between Asia and Europe. The atmosphere feels intimate and unhurried, inviting slow exploration rather than structured sightseeing.
Tour guide: English-speaking guide
Meals: Breakfast
Today is entirely free. You may relax at the beach, enjoy tailoring services, or simply wander through lantern-lit streets.
Hoi An encourages unplanned moments and personal discovery. Time here feels calm, warm, and gently nostalgic.
Meals: Breakfast
Travel north via the Hai Van Pass, one of Vietnam’s most scenic coastal routes, where mountains drop toward the sea and views change with every curve. This drive is not just a transfer, but a memorable part of the journey.
In Hue, a dragon boat cruise on the Perfume River introduces the city’s calm, poetic rhythm. The visit to Tu Duc’s Tomb offers insight into Nguyen Dynasty philosophy, where imperial power was expressed through balance, reflection, and harmony with nature rather than grandeur alone.
Tour guide: English-speaking guide
Meals: Breakfast
Today is free to enjoy Hue at your own pace. You may explore the Imperial Citadel, visit local villages, or relax beside the river.
Hue feels calm and introspective, offering space to absorb Vietnam’s imperial past without rushing.
Tour guide: English-speaking guide for optional tours
Meals: Breakfast
You fly to Hanoi, Vietnam’s cultural capital. In the afternoon, a walking tour explores the Old Quarter, where streets still follow ancient trade patterns.
Religious sites, family homes, and street food stalls share the same space. A cyclo ride offers a slower perspective on daily life shaped by tradition and movement.
Tour guide: English-speaking guide
Meals: Breakfast
Leaving Hanoi behind, the landscape opens as you approach Halong Bay. Limestone islands rise gently from calm waters, creating a setting that feels timeless.
After boarding your cruise, lunch is served while sailing among the islands. The afternoon is unhurried, allowing you to enjoy the bay’s quiet beauty.
Tour guide: English-speaking guide (cruise)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Morning unfolds slowly on the bay, with light activities and relaxed cruising. Brunch is served before disembarkation.
You return to Hanoi in the afternoon. The rest of the day is free for final moments in the city.
Tour guide: English-speaking guide
Meals: Breakfast, Brunch
After breakfast, you are transferred to the airport for your departure. The journey ends with continuity rather than separation, leaving a lasting cultural impression across borders.
Meals: Breakfast
This private package tour starts at USD1,995 per person.
Note:
– The price above is for reference only and can be adjusted based on your custom itinerary.
– This tour features comfort-level accommodations. If you’d like to upgrade to premium hotels or customize your itinerary for your 2026 Vietnam visit or beyond, we’re happy to tailor an experience to suit your preferences.
– All prices are listed in US dollars. For quotes in EUR or other currencies, please contact us via this form or email [email protected].
Below are our suggested accommodations at a comfort level. As we offer private tours, your hotel can be selected to match your travel interests. Share with our travel expert your preferences to get the quote within 12 hours by filling out the form below.
| Cities | Hotel category |
| Hanoi |
San Boutique Hotel Hanoi |
| Halong Bay |
Garden Bay Legend Cruise |
| Hue |
Scarlett Hue Boutique Hotel |
| Hoi An |
Garden Bay Legend Cruise |
| Ho Chi Minh City |
Roseland Corp Hotel |
| Phnom Penh |
iRoHa Garden Hotel & Resort |
| Siem Reap |
Pavillon Indochine Hotel |
TRIP INCLUSIVE
TRIP EXCLUSIVE
