Day 1: Bangkok Arrival
Arrive in Bangkok, you will be met and transferred to hotel. Overnight in Bangkok.
Day 2: Bangkok – Jim Thompson & Siam Square
Enjoy morning at leisure. Your guide will meet you and take you to Jim Thompson’s House. Now a museum this traditional teakwood house is just as Jim Thompson left it before he mysteriously disappeared in the Cameron Highlands of Western Malaysia. Lunch at restaurant. Head into Siam Square, the commercial capital of Bangkok. This amazing shopping hub has everything from roadside vendors to Dolce and Gabbana. Walk thru the malls and stop for a Cha Yen, traditional thai iced tea. Spend as much or as little time as you like exploring and your guide will then show you the skytrain, a great rail system high above the traffic and congestion Bangkok is known for. Return to hotel with your guide via skytrain in the evening! Dinner on your own. Overnight in Bangkok. (B,L)
Day 3: Bangkok – Public Transport Tour
Morning transfer to the Skytrain. Enjoy an elevated view of central Bangkok before boarding a river express boat to the Flower Market. Enjoy the sights and smells before taking an exciting tuk tuk ride to Wat Pho to see the famous Reclining Buddha. Enjoy a thirty minute massage from the temple’s near by traditional Thai massage school Have lunch at a local restaurant. Then head to the pride of Thailand, the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew housing the Emerald Buddha. Take a stroll down the street to a local Buddhist amulet market before boarding a river express boat to the Skytrain station and return to hotel. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Bangkok. (B,L)
Day 4: Chiang Mai – Doi Suthep & City Tour
Transfer to Bangkok Airport for the flight to Chiang Mai. Arrive at Chiang Mai Airport, meet and transfer to hotel. Then visit Doi Suthep, the most important Wat in Chiang Mai. Perched high above the city, it offers wonderful views of the city and countryside below. Have lunch at a local restaurant. Visit some of the more famous Wats, within the city walls of Chiang Mai, Your guide will discuss Buddhism and the role it plays in everyday life as well as showing you the many details of each temple. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Chiang Mai. (B,L)
Day 5: Chiang Mai – Working with the Elephants
Visit the Elephant Nature Park, a wonderful organization dedicated to conserving and promoting elephants. Spend the day learning to bath, feed and command these amazing beasts of burden. Please bring a change of clothes or a swimsuit as you will get wet giving the elephants their daily bath. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Chiang Mai. (B,L)
Day 6: Chiang Mai – Flight of the Gibbon
Morning drive to Ban Mae Kampong to start tour. Your guide will take you on a short jungle trek to the start of the “Flight of the Gibbon” – a 3 hour, 2km air trek high up in the rainforest canopy using zip lines and sky bridges taking in the glory and majesty of old growth, high altitude pristine rainforest. Lunch is served on your return; lastly there is a spectacular trek up beside the impressively beautiful Mae Kampong Falls. We will serve you by herbal juice before you return to the city of Chiang Mai there is an afternoon snack with locally grown organic Arabica coffee. Then it is into the VIP minivan and back to civilization. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Chiang Mai. (B,L)
Day 7: Chiang Mai – Doi Inthanon National Park
After breakfast, set off for Doi Inthanon National Park where you will reach the summit of the highest mountain in Thailand. Enjoy beautiful scenery on the way to the national park. Visit a Karen Village and then stop at the peak of the mountain, 8,514 feet above sea level. Take a walk out into the jungle and look for bird life before returning back down, stopping at a beautiful waterfall on the way. You will have lunch on the mountain and return to your hotel. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Chiang Mai. (B,L)
Day 8: Chiang Mai – Siem Reap
Leave from hotel to Baan King Kaew Orphanage, the first charitable foundation in Chiang Mai province. It dedicate itself to the care of needy children, for children ages birth to 5years. You will spend the time for learning about the kids and donate the goods to children. Your guide will be there to help translate. Then, bid everyone farewell. Transfer to Chiang Mai Airport for the flight to Siem Reap. Arrive at Siem Reap airport, meet and transfer to hotel. Overnight in Siem Reap. (B)
Day 9: Siem Reap – Angkor Wat
Morning head to Angkor Wat in an air conditioned car with your guide. Explore this majestic temple throughout the morning while it is still cool and has fewer tourists. Have lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon head to Angkor Thom, the famous walled city and see the many temples within its borders, including the fascinating Bayon temple with its many magnificent faces smiling out. Watch the sun set from the tethered balloon ride. Head into town to enjoy a traditional buffet dinner and dance show in the evening. Overnight in Siem Reap. (B,L,D)
Day 10: Siem Reap – Banteay Srei and Ta Prohm
After breakfast, set off with your guide to Banteay Srei, the intricately carved temple just 30 km beyond Angkor Wat. Then head back to the temples where you will visit Ta Prohm, one of the prettiest temples in the complex. Lunch at a local restaurant. Time at leisure. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Siem Reap. (B,L)
Day 11: Siem Reap – Village Tour
Set out for Village Tour. Our village guide will take you to his village showing you rice paddies and typical homes along the way. At his village enjoy a fresh coconut drink and meet his family and neighbors. Walk from here to West Baray Lake where you can take a local boat to an island with some picturesque ancient Khmer ruins. Return to shore where your car will be waiting for you. From here head to Pua District and visit the Artisans de Angkor silk farm where many local women are trained in the art of silk weaving. Time at leisure. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Siem Reap. (B,L)
Day 12: Siem Reap – Hanoi
Take a walk around the Old Market where the locals and tourists shop side by side. Then pay a visit to Artisans de Angkor to see their workshop in town. Here you will be taken on a short tour to see the students learning the skills needed to produce works of art in a variety of different materials before visiting their beautifully displayed shop. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant And then transfer to the airport in time to catch the flight to Hanoi. Arrive at Noibai airport, meet and transfer to hotel. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Hanoi. (B,L)
Day 13: Hanoi – City Tour all day
Morning sightseeing tour to visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and his House on stilt, One Pillar Pagoda, Quan Thanh Temple, Tran Quoc Pagoda. Lunch at restaurant. Afternoon, Visit Vietnam Ethnic Minority Group Museum, Fine Art Museum and Temple of Literature. In the evening, Water Puppets Show. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Hanoi. (B,L)
Day 14: Halong Bay with Kayaking
Morning drive to Halong Bay, board the Huong Hai Junk. After checking in enjoy lunch on board, including a complimentary glass of wine. Start your cruise through Halong Bay enjoying the stunning scenery of this amazing World Heritage Site. After a cruise the boat will stop and you can paddle from Titov Beach to Luon Cave after which you can enjoy a well deserved dinner on board. In the evening enjoy an optional night paddle, fishing or partake in some Vietnamese wine. Spend the night onboard. (B,L,D)
Day 15: Halong Bay with Kayaking
After an early breakfast on the boat continue kayaking in this incredible area from Luon Cave towards the islands of Man’s Head and Tortoise Islands. Return to the boat after your morning paddle to rinse off and enjoy your last lunch aboard as you make your way back to Halong City. Return to Hanoi in a private car, stopping en-route at Dong Trieu Pottery. Transfer to Noibai airport for the flight to Danang. Arrive at Danang airport, meet and transfer to HoiAn. Dinner on your own. Overnight in HoiAn. (B,L)
Day 16: HoiAn – Day at Leisure
Today you are free to explore HoiAn on your own. Overnight in HoiAn. (B)
Day 17: HoiAn- Bike ride through countryside
You will head out from your hotel by bicycle stopping to see some of the highlights throughout Old Town HoiAn. You will then head out of town into the countryside. After exploring all morning you will enjoy lunch with the guide’s family and have traditional food with them, feel free to ask questions and relax, they love to have guests and if you bring some photos from home they would love to hear about your lives as well. Then head back to HoiAn. Dinner on your own. Overnight in HoiAn. (B,L)
Day 18: HoiAn – Day at Leisure
Today you are free to explore HoiAn on your own. Overnight in HoiAn. (B)
Day 19: Saigon – Arrival
Drive to Danang where you will transfer to the airport for the flight to Saigon. Arrive in Saigon, meet and transfer to hotel. Overnight in Saigon. (B)
Day 20: Saigon – City Tour all day
Breakfast in hotel, half- day city tour to Saigon’s historic landmarks: former President Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, Thien Hau Pagoda, Old Saigon Office and bustling Chinatown. Have lunch at restaurant. PM free go sightseeing and shopping. Have dinner on your own. Overnight in Saigon (B,L)
Day 21: Saigon – Cu Chi Tunnels / Meet with Vets
Take a full day excursion to the Cu Chi Tunnels. On the way to the tunnels, visit Tay Ninh Cao Dai Great Temple, a unique religion worshiping Jesus, Confucius and Buddha! Lunch at restaurant in Tay Ninh. Arrive and descend into the Cu Chi tunnels where the guerilla fighters constructed an amazing underground base and meet a veteran of the Vietnamese/American war who will give you a private tour of the tunnels and recount his experiences as a tunnel rat. Finally, to end our trip, we will be taken to the private home of Mr. Nam where we will have dinner with him and his family. Overnight in Saigon. (B,L,D)
Day 22: Saigon – Day at Leisure
Today you are free to explore Saigon on your own. Overnight in Saigon. (B)
Day 23: Bangkok – Weekend Market
Transfer to Tan Son Nhat airport for the flight to Bangkok. Arrive in Bangkok, meet and transfer to hotel. After an early breakfast, head with your guide to the Chatuchak Weekend Market before it gets hot and crowded. Get there by public transport and shop where the locals do. This market is one of the largest in the world and offers variety beyond compare and great prices too. Roam through the thousands of stalls selling clothing, books, wood carvings, house decorations, gifts, art, antiques, plants, live animals and so much more! Enjoy the company of your guide to explain some of the Thai crafts and culture and answer any questions you may have. Around noon you may return to your hotel with your guide or continue shopping on your own. Overnight in Bangkok. (B)
Day 24: Bangkok – Departure
You will be met and transferred to Bangkok Airport for your flight.