Endlessly charming beauty of Vietnam Cambodia itinerary | 7 days 6 nights

On arrival at Tan San Nhat Airport, you are met and transferred to hotel. Kick off 7 day itinerary Vietnam Cambodia.

Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by many locals, is a center of commerce, finance, culture and tourism in Vietnam. This bustling metropolis ,contradiction of its northern counterpart, is crowded with bikes and motorbikes, excited by numerous shopping area and sidewalk cafe. ( If time permits) we stroll around the down town to explore the different local ways of life.

Lunch in a local restaurant.
 

Drive to discover a busy Saigon: enjoy a tour in the Old Colonial Residential Quarter and visit the City’s old Hotel, a palace built by the French architect Paul Gardès of 1902-19081 in the center of Saigon in Indochina at the time.

The Opera House, inspired by the architecture of the Opera Garnier in Paris, which was built in 1900. The facade of the opera is a replica of the Petit Palais in Paris.

Notre-Dame Cathedral, The famous central Saigon Cathedral, built in 1877, is one of HCMC's architectural marvels, built with materials imported from France.

Post Office signed by Gustave Eiffel.

After seeing the Jade Emperor Pagoda. Come back to your hotel.

Dinner in a local restaurant. O/N in Ho Chi Minh.

8h30: Departure from HCM city, heading to Cai Be river wharf (110km- 2h30’ by car)

Upon arriving, our  tour guide will welcome and take you to Mekong lodge by boat. Check in your private bungalows in the Mekong Lodge.

12h00: Enjoy lunch in the restaurant with a delicious planned menu.

In the afternoon, at 3pm, we will keep our private walking or bicycle tour Vietnam Cambodia to discover the nearby village around the Lodge. We will go through off road paths that are free of any traffic, and enjoying beautiful rice terraces along the way.

Sampan trip in an arroyo, visit local orchards and taste some freshly picked fruit.
 

18h30: Getting some hands on culinary experience by joining a "Vietnamese cooking demo", and enjoy the dishes that you have prepared.

Note: The bar at the Lodge opens from 7h to 12h, located at the end of the big swimming pool.

Overnight at the Mekong Lodge (authentic | swimming pool | nice garden).

07:10: Breakfast in the restaurant

08:00: Getting on our rowed sampan to visit Cai Be floating and ground market.

We will visit families making rice cake, coconut candy, caramen souffle cake to see the traditional production of goods in Mekong Delta. Tasting some local honey tea.

Come back to the Lodge.

Check out around 11am. Our boat will transfer you back to Cai Be harbor. Heat to Chau Doc by crossing Sa Dec.
 

Arrive at the Huynh Thuy Le ancient house. This wonderfully atmospheric 18th century house on the riverfront was once the residence of Huynh Thuy Le, the 27-year-old son of the most reputable family in Dong Thap. This house was also named the house of the lovers, for it had witnessed the affair between Le and the 15 year old French writter Marguerite Duras. Insipired by this romance, she wrote The Lover in 1984, which was eventually made into a film in 1992 by Jean Jacques Annaud.

Lunch at Huynh Thuy Le ancient house.

Then Vietnam Cambodia itinerary 7 days continues to visit Kien An Cung pagoda, Trung Vuong school where Marguerite Duras enrolled primary school.

Head to Chau Doc. Check in your hotel.

Overnight at Chau Doc.

After breakfast we board an express board for a trip along the Mekong River crossing into Cambodia and continuing on to its capital.

Phnom Penh was once considered the loveliest city of Indochina. Despite its recent turbulent history, it still maintains considerable charm.

The private quarters of the Royal Palace are now home to the royal family and are therefore very close to the public. At the northern area of the palace grounds is Silver Pagoda, the most sacred shrine in the country.

We keep 7 day tour of Vietnam and Cambodia by visiting both structures as well as the legendary temple of Wat Phnom which recites the history of Phnompenh's name.

Dinner on your own. O/N in Phnom Penh.

 

An early morning transfer to Phnom Penh Pier. Kick off the fifth day of Vietnam Cambodia itinerary 7 days by embarking on express boat and make our way up the Tonle Sap River and into the lake of the same name. The shallow Tonle Sap is the largest of Southeast Asia's lake.

Depending on the season, our boat journey takes us anything from 4 to 6 hours to reach Siem Reap. This town is our base for visiting the world famous temples of the ancient city Angkor, which was the capital of the powerful Khmer Empire from 802 AD to 1350 AD.

After checking into hotel, free time to discover this very nice city.

Dinner on your own. O/N in Siem Reap.
 

After breakfast, you will take a tour of Angkor Thom, starting at the South Gate entrance. Visit the main temple of Bayon (4-Faced Temple) to see the last great temple to be built at the Angkor complex.

Experience up-close where the Khmer rulers watched their returning armies from the Terrace of the Elephants, and see the stunning 3-tiered temple of Baphoun, where a 51-year restoration project has finally been completed. Experience the steamy environment of the jungle where the blockbuster movie “Tomb Raider” was shot.
 

After lunch, guests of Vietnam Cambodia tour 7 days continue your temple tour at Angkor Wat, the most legendary of the temples of the Khmer kingdom, and its former capital. Admire exquisite carvings and bas reliefs dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, and see scenes depicting Hindu mythology.

Back in Siem Reap, enjoy a buffet dinner at a local restaurant, and watch a traditional Apsara dance, evoking classical myths..

Dinner on your own. O/N in Siem Reap.

This morning, explore the temples of the Roluos group from the early Angkor period (802-1431).

You will go to Preah Ko, the first temple to be built in the ancient and now defunct city of Hariharalaya. Preah Ko (Sacred Bull) derives its name from the 3 sandstone statues facing the temple's central towers, representing Nandi, the white bull that served as the mount of Shiva.
 

The last temple on your Roluos tour is Lolei, the last of the 3 temples of Hariharalaya, best known for its beautiful carved lintels and false doors.

Come back to your hotel in Siem Reap for check out.

Free time untill the transfer to the airport for your departure flight.

Dinner on your own. End of 7 day itinerary Vietnam Cambodia !