Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia Cultural Walking Adventure

DAY 1 – SAIGON
We meet in Saigon (1 night) and we start our time here with a visit to the countryside. Southern Vietnam is a lush, classic landscape, carpeted with rice fields and brightly dressed workers in conical straw hats. From Cai Lay, a small town on the Mekong River, we take a long-tail boat to the start of an ultra-leisurely bike ride into the heart of the Mekong Delta. We see no tourists on narrow country roads that curve past fruit gardens and sleepy villages. Tonight, dinner is at one of the city’s finest French restaurants. Tomorrow go exploring by bike-powered rickshaw. Just outside the city, we visit the Cu Chi Tunnels, the underground refuge for thousands of Viet Cong during the war.

DAYS 2-3 – DANANG
An evening flight takes us to Danang (2 nights) where our resort sits on pristine China Beach. From here, we visit Hoi An for a glimpse of a Vietnam that exists almost nowhere else with Chinese, Japanese and European architecture and a riverfront where boats brim with people and wares. In the afternoon, our guide leads us along footpaths to Hoa Chau, a village in the endless rice fields, for a special insight into the everyday life.

In Hoi An, we stroll through the backstreets of this seaport, imagining what it was like in the 18th century, when it was one of the busiest ports in Asia. With a hand from our guide, you’ll get a chance to shop the local market where the wares range from incense to flowers to betel nuts.

DAYS 4-5 – HANOI
An afternoon flight takes us to Hanoi (2 nights). In the countryside, we walk from a pagoda through bamboo groves to a small village where we visit a local school to interact with the children and their teacher. Back in Hanoi, we’ll stroll in the lovely Old Quarter before dinner at the Press Club, a true local institution.

DAY 6 – HALONG BAY
Halong Bay (1 night) is considered Vietnam’s eighth wonder of the world, and it’s easy to see why. Three thousand chalk and limestone islands sweep like a dragon’s tail across the emerald green bay. From our luxury junk boat, we see local fishermen glide by, selling their catch. On deck, you can join in a cooking demonstration and discover the tasty secrets of spring rolls.

DAYS 7-8 – LUANG PRABANG
Next day, a late afternoon flight leads to Luang Prabang (2 nights) in Laos. From our glamorous colonial-style hotel, we venture into the town’s night market, known for fine ethnic handicrafts. Early risers will witness a moving ritual as lines of barefoot monks walk silently along the streets on their morning alms rounds. Then we visit a 2,000-acre elephant sanctuary in the unspoiled Nam Khan River valley. Spend the afternoon walking along scenic riverside farms and taking a narrow boat back to Luang Prabang, or take our vehicle back to the hotel to relax poolside or even take advantage of the excellent optional spa treatments.

DAYS 9-10 – SIEM REAP
For the week’s grand finale, we fly to Siem Reap (1 night) in Cambodia for a stay at the Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor, one of Indochina’s finest properties. You’ll meet our good friend Roath, one of the country’s first and most experienced guides. Sleep in if you like, but it’s worth rising before the sun to see Angkor Wat at daybreak. After breakfast, we all return for an in-depth walking tour of the world’s largest temple. Later, you’ll have time to explore more on your own. We’ll also take in the monastic complex of Preah Khan (The Sacred Sword). Late afternoon, you catch your flight back home.

We believe in creating authentic connections by immersing you into the history and culture of a people and place. So we find the most well-connected local guides who share their relationships and knowledge with us. And with them, we handcraft walking tours in cinematic settings that allow you to see the world on foot and at eye level.

It’s why Travel + Leisure magazine has named Classic Journeys as the #1 World’s Best Tour Operator multiple times, and the editors of T+L say, "Classic Journeys provides unbeatable access to experiences around the globe." Here’s what that access means for you every time you travel with us.

• Experience the world on foot and at eye level. Each day, join your guide on the most cinematic footpaths in the region.
• Exceptional full-time local guides who become your well-connected friend. Our amazing guides are with you throughout each day of the tour, share their lifelong connections as well as engaging anecdotes about the history and culture of the region.
• Small groups that provide you unrivaled access. An average of fewer than 10 guests per departure means we can offer you special access to sites like Stonehenge so you experience the stone circle when it’s closed to the general public, a guided visit to Zion Narrows that other companies cannot arrange because of larger group sizes, and vineyard walks with a count and countess in Tuscany.
• Award-winning hotels are waiting for you at the end of every day. Luxuriate in the finest and most distinctive accommodations in the region you’re exploring, including rainforest lodges, 16th century villas, and award-winning properties that show up on World’s Best and Gold lists.
• Eat like (and with) the locals. Food is a foolproof way into the hearts, homes and history of the places you visit with us. From gourmet picnics to coveted local restaurants, our meals offer you opportunities to explore native food traditions and fine dining.
• Handcrafted itineraries with all activities included. With our long-term friendships, we know our walking tour regions more personally than anyone else. So you get thoughtfully curated itineraries that combine explorations of the villages, organic farms, archeological sites and the people who know them best.
• Sustainable travel that supports the places you’re visiting. We put our local currency into the pockets of the people who live where we travel. It’s your guarantee that you’ll have authentic, up-close experiences on your trip. Best of all, our person-to-person approach helps sustain their ways of life.