Best Tour of Northern Vietnam and Angkor Wat

Welcome to Hanoi! Upon arrival at Noi Bai International Airport (HAN), your private driver and tour guide will meet you at the arrivals hall and transfer you directly to your hotel in the city center.
After checking in, enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. You can rest after your flight, take a stroll around the Old Quarter, or sample some of Hanoi’s famous street food if you feel like exploring. Overnight in Hanoi.

Start your day at the Ho Chi Minh Complex, visiting Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, the Stilt House, the Presidential Palace, and One Pillar Pagoda. Continue to Tran Quoc Pagoda on the shore of West Lake before stopping for lunch at a carefully selected Vietnamese restaurant.
In the afternoon, visit the Temple of Literature and the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology to learn about Vietnam’s history and ethnic groups. Return to the Old Quarter for a one-hour cyclo ride through its narrow streets and old shop houses, followed by a traditional Water Puppet Show.
In the evening, you will have free time for dinner. At around 20:30, your private driver will transfer you to Hanoi Railway Station to catch the overnight sleeper train to Lao Cai, departing around 21:00. Overnight on the train in a shared 4-berth soft sleeper cabin.

Hanoi Capital City

Restaurants in Hanoi

Hanoi West Lake

Arrive at Lao Cai Railway Station (05:30) on the overnight SP1 train and meet your private driver for the transfer to Sapa. After breakfast, meet your trekking guide and head into the Muong Hoa Valley.
Begin your trek at Lao Chai Village, home to the Black H’mong people. Follow the trail through terraced rice fields and along the valley, with views of the surrounding mountains and the Muong Hoa River. Continue on foot to Ta Van Village, where the Day people live, and stop for lunch at a local family home.
After lunch, continue trekking through the valley toward Giang Ta Chai, a village of the Red Dao people. Along the way, pass rice terraces, small streams and mountain paths while seeing more of daily life in the villages.
Around 15:00, meet your driver at the agreed pick-up point and return to Sapa. The rest of the day is free to relax at your hotel or explore Sapa town. Overnight in Sapa.

After breakfast, transfer to the cable car station to board the cable car to Fansipan Peak (3,143m), the highest mountain in Indochina. From the summit complex, enjoy panoramic views of the Hoang Lien Son mountain range and Muong Hoa Valley.
Return to Sapa town, check out of your hotel, and enjoy some free time for lunch on your own.
At 14:00, board a comfortable limousine bus for the drive back to Hanoi via the highway. Arrive at your hotel in central Hanoi around 19:30 and enjoy a free evening. Overnight in Hanoi.

After breakfast, leave Hanoi at around 8:00 and drive to Ninh Binh. Around 10:00, visit Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam, and explore the temples dedicated to King Dinh Tien Hoang and King Le Dai Hanh, who ruled Vietnam in the 10th century.
Continue to Tam Coc and check in to your hotel. After lunch, take a traditional sampan boat trip through the Tam Coc landscape, often known as the “Dry Halong Bay,” passing limestone karst mountains, rice fields and caves along the Ngo Dong River.
After the boat trip, enjoy a leisurely cycling ride around the Tam Coc countryside. Follow quiet village roads and paths through rice fields, passing local homes, gardens and farms while taking in the surrounding karst scenery. Return to your hotel in the late afternoon and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. Overnight in Ninh Binh.

After breakfast, leave Ninh Binh at 08:30 for the drive to Halong City. Arrive at Tuan Chau Marina around 12:00, take a short break, and transfer by tender boat to your cruise ship.
At 12:30, board the cruise, enjoy a welcome drink, and attend a brief safety briefing with the cruise manager before checking in to your cabin. Lunch featuring fresh seafood and Vietnamese dishes will be served as the vessel sails into Halong Bay.
In the afternoon, around 15:30, arrive at the Dark and Bright Cave area near Cat Ba National Park. Enjoy kayaking through the karst landscape and caves, or take a swim in the bay waters. Return to the main ship around 17:30 as the cruise reaches its overnight anchorage.
At 18:00, enjoy a sunset party on the sundeck with drinks and some time to relax. Dinner is served at 19:00 with a set menu. In the evening, you can join board games, play cards, or try squid fishing from the boat. Overnight on board in Halong Bay.

Start your day with breakfast served on board. Around 07:50, visit one of the bay’s natural limestone caves and learn about its unique geological features with your guide.
Return to the cruise at around 09:00 to freshen up, pack your luggage, and check out of your cabin.
At 10:15, join a cooking demonstration to learn how to make traditional Vietnamese fried spring rolls. Brunch will be served at around 10:45 as the cruise sails back toward the harbor.
Disembark at around 12:00 and leave Tuan Chau Marina for the drive back to Hanoi. Arrive at your hotel in central Hanoi around 15:00 and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. Overnight in Hanoi.

After breakfast, your private driver will transfer you to Noi Bai International Airport (HAN) for your morning flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Upon arrival at Siem Reap International Airport (SAI), meet your Cambodian guide and driver for the transfer to your hotel.
In the afternoon, begin your exploration of the Angkor region along the Grand Circuit. Visit Preah Khan Temple, known for its ancient stone ruins intertwined with large trees, and learn about the temple’s history and ongoing conservation efforts supported by the World Monuments Fund. Continue to Neak Pean, a unique island temple set within a historic reservoir, followed by Eastern Mebon, known for its large stone elephant statues.
In the evening, enjoy dinner accompanied by a traditional Apsara dance performance before returning to your hotel. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Angkor Complex

Restaurants in Siem Reap

Siem Reap Province

After breakfast, head into the countryside north of Siem Reap to visit Banteay Srei, a 10th-century temple built from pink sandstone and known for its finely detailed carvings. The smaller scale of the temple and the quality of its decorative work make it one of the most distinctive temples in the Angkor area.
Continue to the Roluos Group, one of the earliest major temple complexes of the Angkor period. Visit Preah Ko, dedicated to Shiva and known for its carved sandstone lintels, followed by Bakong, one of the earliest temple mountains built by the Khmer rulers.
Stop at a local restaurant for lunch before returning toward Siem Reap.
In the afternoon, drive to the edge of Tonle Sap Lake and board a traditional longtail boat to Kompong Phluk, a Khmer community built around houses on tall stilts. Cruise through the village and surrounding waterways to see the stilt houses, fishing boats and daily life along the lake. Depending on the season and water level, the boat may also pass through flooded forest.
Return to Siem Reap in the late afternoon and enjoy the rest of the evening at leisure. Overnight in Siem Reap.

After breakfast, meet your private guide and driver and head to Angkor Thom, the fortified royal city built by King Jayavarman VII in the late 12th century following the Cham invasion of Angkor.
Enter through the South Gate and continue to Bayon Temple, located at the heart of Angkor Thom and known for its towers carved with large stone faces. Continue to Phimeanakas, a pyramid-shaped temple that once stood within the royal palace complex, followed by the Terrace of the Leper King and the Terrace of the Elephants, which was used as a viewing platform for royal ceremonies and processions.
Stop for lunch at a local restaurant before continuing to Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world and one of the finest examples of Khmer architecture. Explore its galleries, courtyards and detailed bas-reliefs with your guide while learning about the history and religious significance of this remarkable temple.
Return to your hotel in the late afternoon and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Enjoy some free time in the morning to relax or explore Siem Reap before your departure.  
At the scheduled time, your private driver will transfer you to Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI) for your departure flight.  
Thank you for traveling with WaytoVietnam Travel. We hope you have enjoyed your time in Vietnam and Cambodia and made many wonderful memories along the way. It has been a pleasure to be part of your trip, and we look forward to welcoming you again in the future. Safe travels and see you next time!