Imperial Southeast Asia Tour of Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand (12 Days)

What the Streets Show

After breakfast you are met by your guide at your hotel ready to venture out into the streets of the city to witness the splendor of culture, rich from an expansive history. Hanoi’s Old Quarter is situated near charming Hoan Kiem Lake, where French Colonial architecture continues to line the wide, tree-lined streets, and where the Opera House has shined like a pearl since the early 1900s. The gothic themes around the doors and domes are reinforced with pillars within the classical French architecture; it is also the largest theater in the country.

Reaching deeper into the city’s past, you will find the One Pillar Pagoda rising gracefully from a lotus pond. The temple was constructed in the 11th century and has become one of Vietnam’s most iconic images, made from wood and crafted to look like a lotus blossom. Stone steps lead to the entrance terrace that emanates a scent of spice from burning incense that is both welcoming and captivating. In the evening you can indulge in an authentic taste of the city at Bun Cha named after the traditional dish of grilled pork and noodles that will offer you the tenderness of the meat, the noodles, and the culture.

What’s Included: breakfast, tour, accommodation

Around Imperial 

After breakfast you will once again be met and taken to the airport for your brief flight to the old Imperial City of Hue. The ancient city was once the capital of the Nguyen Dynasty in the 19th century and continues to mesmerize locals and visitors alike in its connection with the past and the architectures’ continued beauty. Soon you will step onto a dragon boat and drift down the Perfume River. The colors of the dragon are bright, helping to ward off spirits and to bring good fortune for those who step aboard.

The sweet breeze brings you to the banks of the seven-story Thien Mu Pagoda that rises in concentric hexagons. Built in the 19th century and displaying a golden Buddha image within the interior, you can walk through the pillars that stand atop the tiered stairs framing the tower at the top. The gardens are manicured in a way that brings a serene ambience to the riverbanks and the temple itself which has become a monument for its beauty and history among local monks.

What’s Included: breakfast, transfer, tour, accommodation

The Once Southern Capital

After breakfast you will be taken from your hotel to the airport by a private transfer for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon. The city contains a more modern touch in its neighborhoods and the skyline, spreading along the banks of the Saigon River. The atmosphere is different than Hanoi or Hue, where the commercial capital of the country can be felt in the energetic streets. Within the surrounding palm trees and manicured grass, raining fountain and block architecture, is the Reunification Palace most commonly associated with the fall of the city in 1975.

The building is now a time capsule commemorating the contemporary history that continues to mark parts of the country’s modern evolution. The original palace was built in the 19th century, while the current building’s construction was completed in the 1966. Once you enter the varied rooms of the palace you will soon come to the basement. Here you will find a fabulous display of telecommunications, from transmitters to telephones, situated in a way that demarcates the entire conflict, from the placement of maps to the old fans that continue to whirl through the air.

What’s Included: breakfast, tour, transfer, accommodation

Capitals of the Past

When the morning rises over the city you can see the shadow of the skyline drifting along the edges of the riverbanks. Today you will be taken to the airport by private transfer for your flight to Siem Reap. The city sits at the edges of the Angkor complex, home to the Khmer imperial capital that has captivated people from around the world. Siem Reap itself sits between rice paddies and the river that was once a collection of villages united under the French. The scent of fresh baguettes fills the late morning air as you settle into your comfortable accommodation. In the afternoon you will follow your guide for a tour of the famous temple complex that has stood for millennia watching over the landscape; some of the landscape even grows through it. 

Your visit begins with the unique temple of Ta Prohm whose construction dates back to the 12th century. The iconic image of the temple comes from the wide oak tree standing along the temple’s porticos, with vines cleaving to massive stones and spilling over the ramparts. Thirty-nine towers are connected by a number of galleries within an exterior wall that wraps almost 1,200 feet around the entire structure. In the warm afternoon the light is filtered by the leaves and brings a greenish hue to the day. Whether within the natural growth of the jungle or in the intricately carved reliefs within the halls, the sensational feeling of the remaining empire has only just begun.

What’s Included: breakfast, transfer, tour, accommodation

Ancient Cities to Modern Palace 

You watch the morning shine through the stretch of trees that line the riverbank before you enjoy a sweet cup of delicious coffee. After breakfast you are taken to the airport to catch your flight to Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand where the non-stop energy brings with it modern luxuries draping over the lavish history. Remnants of the skyline can be seen touching the edges of the Chao Phraya River, the oldest highway in the city, while the bustling nature of the streets is subsided by the hidden treasures of calmer neighborhoods where the traditions of shady tree-lined walkways still persist.

On Soi Rambuttri you will feel the calm atmosphere of the cobblestone pathway under the swaying shade of the leafy canopy. The horseshoe shaped road is as colorful during the daytime as it is in the evening, emanating phad thai and coconut milk, along with ginger and chili. The golden roof of Wat Chana Songkhram rises over the buildings glistening in the light. When night begins to fall you can watch the street shine by paper lantern. Your first day in Bangkok shares the brimming present and hidden past all along the lavishness of the surrounding neighborhoods. 

What’s Included: breakfast, transfer, accommodation

A Personal Palace

The new day brings a new adventure that will take you far from the ancient empires that once ruled the landscape of Southeast Asia. After breakfast your private transfer will take you to the airport to begin your return journey. You have seen karsts and rivers, temples and caves, tunnels and palaces. The welcoming aromas of ginger and lemon grass soon dissipate. As your plane begins to soar en route towards home you can’t help but think of the grandeur that you are leaving behind but also of the comfort that awaits.

What’s Included: breakfast, transfer