Vietnam & Cambodia Road Through Border Tour
Arrive at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, welcome by our guide and transfer to your hotel. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly named Saigon, is the largest city and economic center of Vietnam, always bustling with activities of modern life. It is where businesses converge and shoppers indulge themselves into unlimited choices. However the city also carries with it a rich historical legacy in contrast with its dazzling glamor.
Accommodation: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh
Morning, drive to visit Cu Chi Tunnels, 75 km Northwest of downtown Ho Chi Minh City, which were once a major underground hideout and resistance base of Viet Cong forces during the two wars against the French and later on Americans. The tunnels, entirely hand-dug, formed a highly intricate network of interlinked multilevel passageways at times stretched as far as the Cambodian border and totaling over 120 km in length. Its complexity was beyond imagination, containing meeting rooms, kitchens, wells, clinics, schools, depots, trenches and emergency exits all aimed for guerrilla warfare. The tunnels were deep and strong enough to withstand destructive bombings and self-contained enough to outlast prolonged sieges.
Afternoon, take a city tour to visit War Remnants Museum which features a comprehensive collection of the machinery, weapons, photos, and documentation of Vietnam War with the both the French and Americans, Reunification Palace which was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until end of April 1975, Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica, a neo-Roman cathedral as a French-built neo-Roman cathedral, the Saigon Central Post Office, former US Embassy, Cho Lon or the city’s ChinaTown including the Quan Am Pagoda and the Jade Emperor Temple (Phuoc Hai), a rare Taoist structure in Vietnam built in 1909.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh
Free at leisure until transfer to the bus station to take the bus to Phnom Penh (Approximately 6 hours driving). You will have an opportunity to view the quiet landscape through the way from Hochiminh to Phnom Penh
Arrival at Moc Bai border, check in then continue to transfer to Phnom Penh city.
Arrival Phnom Penh, check in your hotel for refresh
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Phnom Penh
Morning visit to the Apsara Arts Association, a local non-governmental organization whose aim is to see Cambodian arts and culture become more valued and popular in Cambodia after having been destroyed by the ravages of war. The Royal Palace, which was built in 1866 and comprises numerous structures, one of which is the popular Silver Pagoda. Constructed with over 5,000 silver tiles, this building also houses a life-sized gold Maitreya Buddha that is decorated with 9584 diamonds and is one of Cambodia’s national treasures. Continue to visit the National Museum, A Khmer temple inspired building that houses the world’s largest collection of Khmer art sculptures, ceramics and bronzes. Although the emphasis is on Angkorian artifacts, there is also a good collection of pieces from later periods, including a special exhibition on post-Angkorian Buddha figures.
Afternoon, continue to visit the ToulSleng Genocide Museum, which is essential for first time visitors to Cambodia. During the Pol Pot regime, ToulSleng, formerly a high school, was converted to a detention center known for interrogation and torture of prisoners before being transferred to the “Killing Fields.” Enjoy a bit of local shopping at the Toul Tom Pong Market, before visiting the fields at Choeung Ek. Today, the site is a memorial for Cambodians and visitors to pay their respect for those lost. A memorial stupa has been erected and displays over 5,000 human skulls, bones and clothes of the victims. The visit is a profoundly moving, but depressing experience.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Phnom Penh
Breakfast then transfer to the bus station to depart for Siem Reap (Approximately 6 hours driving).
Arrival Siem reap, our guide and car pick you up at the bus station then transfer to the hotel for check in.
Afternoon, take a half day tour to visit Tonle Sap Lake which is the largest freshwater lake in SouthEast Asia. It is the heart of the Cambodian fishing industry and the lifeblood for millions of Khmers living on and around it. You will board a comfortable boat to see the true way of life in one of the floating villages of the Tonle Sap. Here you can see how Khmers and Vietnamese live and work side by side years later.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap
Morning visit to Angkor Wat with your private guide. It is unlike all the other Khmer temples in that it faces west and is inspired by 12th Century Hinduism. Its symmetrical towers are stylized on the modern Cambodian flag. Intricate bas-reliefs surround Angkor Wat on four sides, each telling a story, but the most celebrated of these is the Churning of the Sea Milk, which is located on the east wing – your guide will explain the mystical tale behind it.
Afternoon, Angkor Thom with your private guide. You will visit the sprawling Elephant Terrace, the Terrace of the Leper King and the enchanting Bayon. This 12th century masterpiece lies at the very center of Angkor Thom City and is an archaeological wonder of symmetry and grandeur. The exterior gallery walls have extensive bas-reliefs, but the main features are the towers each with 3 or 4 gently smiling faces, over 200 in total. Dinner at local restaurant with Apsara dance show
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap
Free at leisure until transfer to airport for departure flight.
- Accommodation in a double or twin room with daily breakfast
- Services of a driver and private air-conditioned vehicle during all tours and transfers
- Public Bus tickets from Ho Chi Minh to Phnom Penh & Phnom Penh to Siem Reap
- Experienced English-speaking guide during all tours and transfers
- Entrance fees for all visits as mentioned in the itinerary
- Lunch or dinner as specified in the itinerary
- International & Domestic flight tickets
- Vietnam visa stamping fee at the airport
- Meals, if not specified in the itinerary
- Travel insurance (we highly recommend that you purchase adequate insurance)
- Gratuities for guides and drivers
- Personal expenses, such as laundry, telephone, drinks, etc.
- All other services not specified in the itinerary