Foodie Tour Cambodia and Vietnam - 16 Days

Welcome to Siem Reap, the provincial capital and gateway to the ancient Angkor temples. Recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the Angkor Archaeological Park encompasses dozens of temple ruins including Bayon, Angkor Thom and the legendary Angkor Wat. Upon arrival, our driver and a tour guide will welcome you at the airport and take you to the hotel to check in.

Afterward, meet your guide at the hotel lobby for the short tour briefing followed by the orientation tour by tuk tuk – the typical local means of transportation. You will be driven along the main bustling streets, channel, passing by Preh Prohm Roath pagoda, Wat Bo or Wat Damnak. Disembark at the Psar Chass – a kind of bazaar, where you will walk around and learn the local art of how to bargain when purchasing items and enjoy some delicious street foods. Proceed further to the most exiting pub street for welcome drink before heading back to your home away from home.

Meals: N/A.
Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap.

Wake up early to be transferred for picking up the most beautiful, haunting and spiritual moment to visit magnificent Angkor Wat at dawn. This special activity is designed also to help you see “the Temple reflex on the water” when it’s much cooler and less crowded. Angkor Wat, the UNESCO World Heritage Site, which was constructed by Suryavarman II who reigned Cambodia from 1113 to 1152 and built the five towers in the 12th century and dedicated them to the Hindu God Vishnu. The plan of the pyramidal conception of the temple combined with spaces, alleys and ditches is an ancient masterpiece of architectural design and construction.

Back to your hotel for breakfast or enjoy breakfast box from hotel. Then our journey continues with visiting South Gate of Angkor Thom, with its majestic doors and artifacts. Then we visit to monumental temple of Bayon which is the heart of Angkor Thom. Later, visit the Elephant Terrace, Terrace of the Leper King and Takeo “Jewel of Crystal”, which is dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva and was erected at the end of the 10th century. Leaving Angkor Thom by the North Gate, you travel to Preah Khan (Sacred Sword), one of Angkor’s largest temples, constructed in the 12th century by Jayavarman VII. You should not miss Ta Prohm Temple, which is a wonderful combination of human genius and natural beauty with its giant trees that have grown there for centuries.

In the evening, enjoy Khmer cuisine while watching Apsara Dance Show at one of the finest restaurants in town.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner.
Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap.

This is the day of discovering the secrets of authentic Khmer cuisine in a half-day cooking class. Begin with a walk and talk along local market where you will learn about Cambodian vegetables, herbs, and other ingredients before returning to the classroom for a hands-on culinary experience.

After dining on your creations, enjoy a boat ride, in a traditional wooden boat, on the Tonle Sap. This is the largest permanent fresh-water lake in South Asia and flows into Tonle Sap River, joining the Mekong in Phnom Penh. We will see a “floating village” – boats have been converted to look like houses and the “village” move from place to place following water levels. Enjoy beautiful sunset on the lake before driving back to the town.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch.
Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap.

Today we travel by car to Battambang, Cambodia’s second largest city. Upon arrival, check into your hotel and have a short relaxation. In the afternoon, you will take a slow 30 minute ride on the bamboo train before visiting Phnom Sampov – an important religious site known throughout all Cambodia. During the Khmer Rouge period the mountain was used as a place to kill “enemies” of the regime and in what are known as the “killing caves” there is a memorial to these victims. Every evening at nightfall thousands of bats make their way out of caves in the hillside to feed before returning at dawn. 

Conclude your day with the drive to Phnom Bannon with its five sandstone towers on top of a hill and enjoy a magnificent view until sunset.

Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Battambang. 

This morning, you will join a morning cooking class. The lesson will start with a guided trip to the local market where you will be taught how to choose your traditional organic elements. Classes are taught in English and are very fun while professional and instructive. And of course you get to eat what you’ve cooked, so pay attention to guide’s instructions!

Afternoon, we drive from Battambang to Cambodia’s capital city, Phnom Penh. Get a taste for Cambodia’s rural life along the way. Arrive in Phnom Penh in the late afternoon and check in to your hotel. Enjoy the rest of time at your leisure.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch.
Accommodation: Hotel in Phnom Penh.

Phnom Penh was founded in the 14th century and has long been a vital trading hub at the confluence of three rivers: the Mekong, Tonle Sap, and Bassac. Start the day learning about the Khmer Rouge and Cambodia’s recent history on a guided tour of the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the notorious Choeung Ek “Killing Fields”. Our cultural tour continues as we visit the National Museum – a journey into ancient Khmer art and civilization and the Royal Palace, home to the royal family and the opulent silver pagoda. Enjoy some free time to rest and freshen up before driving to the dock to catch a sunset cruise along the Mekong River. Savor a BBQ dinner on board as you watch the sunset over the shimmering lights of Phnom Penh.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner.
Accommodation: Hotel in Phnom Penh.

After breakfast enjoy your last minutes in Phnom Penh. You will check out from hotel for the speedboat trip along Mekong River down the way to Vietnam. Visa formalities could take about 45 minutes at the border. You will continue by river to small town of Chau Doc, where you will meet with our local tour guide and driver, then transfer to a local hotel in town center.

In the rest of the day, if there will be enough time, we will take the walk around hotel area until late afternoon.

Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Chau Doc.

After breakfast, leave the hotel early in the morning for further drive to Mekong Delta.
The program will start with a visit of Vinh Long market in the town. This is the best choice for you to take pictures of fish, shrimps, prawns, crabs, snakes, rice-field rats, tropical fruits, vegetable. Our boat will go along the floating village, where we will learn how to farm catfish on Mekong river.
Take a break to enjoy lunch at local garden setting. Then, have a cup of tea when enjoying the traditional music.

Check in local homestay where you will spend your overnight stay in Mekong area. In the afternoon, stroll along the village to the local workshops where you can see how to make rice paper, coconut candy and pop-rice, pop-corn.

Come back homestay for a fresh shower and help your host to prepare and cook some local dishes. We enjoy dinner & overnight at local house.

Meals: Breakfast – Lunch and Dinner.
Accommodation: Homestay.

Have a simple breakfast at homestay. Check-out before having a boat trip to Cai Be floating market. Then, we will come to Tan Phong island for a biking/ walking on village paths will be so amazing to see the local farms, houses, real life and have an opportunity to see farmers picking up their fruits on the ancestral ways in Mekong Delta, where we can also see how they make rice-net for spring-rolls, sew coconut-leaves for cottage roof and specially see how they wave the dried water-hyacinth to make many products: baskets, bags, hats, wallets, shoes.

The rowing boat will take you deeper into the countryside on smaller canals and to enjoy the peaceful time. It is so interesting to see traditional houses made of wood and palm tree leaves and see some activities of the local farmers with an opportunity to make contacts with them and see how they catch fish.

The cruise will end at Cai Be town. Our driver waits for you at the dock and drive 2 hours to Saigon. On arrival, check in your hotel and free at your leisure.

Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Saigon.

After breakfast at hotel, you travel outside of Saigon to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels. The Cu Chi Tunnels are an underground labyrinth of passageways, used by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War (or ‘American War’ as it’s referred to here) as protection against American air raids. Those inclined are invited to crawl through selections of the tunnels to better understand what life was like for the Vietnamese soldiers during wartime.

Back to Saigon in time for lunch then set out on a guided city tour. Yet within this teeming metropolis are 300 years of timeless traditions and the beauty of an ancient culture. Visit the War Remnants Museum, learn about Vietnam’s recent history at Reunification Palace, visit the nearby neo-Romanesque Notre Dame Cathedral and the City’s Centre Post Office before passing by the ornate Opera Theatre and the City Hall. Finally, end up at the Ben Thanh Market, where vendors display a vast array of goods and handicrafts, appealing to every taste.

Enjoy some free time at hotel before taking part in Vespa Tour to explore Saigon street food after dark. Experience Saigon nightlife the way locals do, all from the back of a vintage Vespa scooter. Throughout the night, try a variety of food and drinks at some local restaurants and samplings of Saigon’s best authentic local food. Zoom past the famous must-see sights of Ho Chi Minh City while in the bustling traffic. We will also go to a Vietnamese-style coffee shop with special live music, and then wrap up the evening at an exciting music bar where the new generation of Vietnamese unwind and flaunt their unique styles. Guests ride pillion behind our drivers to enjoy and experience the Vietnamese nightlife with friends. This tour includes free flowing drinks and all you can eat, so come with an appetite!
Back to your hotel in the late evening.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner.
Accommodation: Hotel in Saigon.

After breakfast, you are transferred to the airport for your internal flight to Danang. Your guide and driver will meet you at the airport and take you on the short drive to the sleepy riverside town, Hoian. Take a half-day walking tour through the narrow winding streets of the ancient quarter, visiting Chua Ong Pagoda, the Chinese Assembly Hall, the 200-year old Tam Ky ancestral house and the famous Japanese Bridge.

Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Hoian.

After breakfast, our driver and guide will meet you and join in the tour Bike and Bite Street Food Tour. This is interesting tour for those who love cycling and sampling local cuisine. This is a great way to take you off the beaten path to get a unique glimpse into daily life of this lovely city. This easy 10 km ride is perfect blend of great food, easy exercise and sightseeing. This tour focuses on street food in Hoian. During the five hours cycling tour, you will enjoy generous samples of 9 local dishes. This foodie excursion aims to show you how real Vietnamese people live, work and eat!

After food tour, continue your journey over the 500m-high Hai Van pass to Hue. Enjoy a stop at the scenic Lang Co Beach for a drink before continuing on to Hue – a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Vietnam’s former capital. Spend the rest of time to relax on your own leisure.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch.
Accommodation: Hotel in Hue.

Begin your day with a gentle activity by boarding the local traditional boat cruising along the peaceful Perfume River toward Thien Mu pagoda, the symbol of Hue city. Continue to the Imperial Citadel for the walking tour within its inner area where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945 including Flag Tower, Noon Gate, Nine Dynastic Urns, Nine Holy Cannons, Thai Hoa Palace, and Forbidden Purple City.

Today’s highlight is the visit to Dong Thuyen Pagoda. Located on top of a hill, the pagoda is very green, peaceful and quiet with a great view. On arrival, take a walk around and visit the main hall of the pagoda with its beautiful collection of Buddha statues. Visit the kitchen and get familiar with the nuns who will prepare your lunch on a wood burning stove. Then, sit down and experience this special vegetarian meal in the atmosphere of peace where the time seems to be much slower. After lunch, you can enjoy some dessert and interact with the nuns to know more about their lives in the pagoda, the practice of Buddhism, and how they became nuns.

In the afternoon, transfer to the tomb of Emperor Khai Dinh to admire the unusual combination of architecture that blends a traditional Chinese past with a modern Western future. Then, visit Thuy Xuan incense village, one of the last villages preserving the traditional profession, the elegant beauty of the Old Capital.

Later, our guide takes you to Phu Bai airport to catch your in-country flight to Hanoi, Vietnam’s bustling colonial capital. Your driver and guide will meet you outside the baggage claim of Noi Bai Airport and take you to your hotel in the city center.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch.
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi.

This day tour is carefully designed for you to have a deep insight into the city’s culture. The tour includes not only all the city’s key sites but also the places where the others don’t come. First, you’ll be picked up by our expert guide and driver from your hotel to Ngoc Ha village. Originally formed long ago as a flower village for the city daily consumption, it is now just like an oasis surrounded by the high- risers due to the urbanization. Herein, the circle walk starts from the village communal house and ends by the Hữu Tiệp Lake where is the wreckage of a B52 that was shot down in the famous Christmas bombing of 1972. The village shows a great contrast between now & past. Additionally, when you take a walk through the village you’ll have a chance to view and experience the local life and interact frequently.

Then, the trip will continue with a visit to the historical Ba Dinh Square that is a perfect place to review the Vietnam’s modern history. You will walk just outside the Mausoleum to the Uncle Ho’s House, the Presidential Palace and the One Pillar Pagoda – all “must see” landmarks.
Have lunch at a local restaurant at your own account.

In the afternoon, proceed to the famous Temple of Literature that was built in 1070 and best known as the First National University. Next, visit another key site of the Hanoi Hilton where the POW’s were formerly imprisoned.

Around 3:00pm, experience a market visit and get insight of real cooking class at a local house. Enjoy the warm welcome of the local hosts and taste your effort.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner.
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi.

* The following Halong Bay itinerary is a sample for our standard service on a 3 star junk/ cruise. Different programs are available through our luxury cruise itineraries (Please contact us for more details) 

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, before setting out on a 3 to 4 hour drive to the UNESCO World Heritage Site: Halong Bay. Spend 24 hours on a traditional Junk Cruise in the amazing bay: a natural wonderland composed of jutting limestone islands and sparkling turquoise waters.

Savor a gourmet lunch of fresh seafood onboard as you sail out into the mystical bay. In the afternoon, cruise around some of Halong’s numerous islands. Along the way visit one of the bay’s 3 largest caves (Thien Cung, Dau Go or Sung Sot). Stop at an island cove with a sheltered white sanded beach and take a dip in the warm waters of the Gulf of Tonkin (if the weather will be suitable). Pass the night on your junk, lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking of calm waters.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Accommodation: Cruise on Halong Bay.

Awake early and participate in Tai Chi on the top deck or simply relax watching the sunrise over the bay’s towering islands. Enjoy a morning cup of coffee or tea, before setting out to explore the nearby islands by rowboat. Return to the junk for brunch then take advantage of the sundeck and admire the amazing rock formations of Bai Tu Long Bay as you navigate back to Halong City, where your driver will meet you at the dock and take you to Noi Bai Airport to catch your departure flight home.

Goodbye & Safe Travel!

Meals: Brunch.
Accommodation: N/A.