FROM THE MEKONG DELTA TO THE ANGKOR TEMPLES, THE IMPERIAL CITIES, HANOI, AND HALONG BAY

Meet at the Lamblot restaurant between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Lunch. In the afternoon, guided tour of the capital, visiting the outside of the historic Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh's humble stilt house behind the mausoleum, and the unique One Pillar Pagoda Buddhist temple. We’ll visit the Temple of Literature, built in 1070 and dedicated to Confucius. Enjoy a pedi-cab ride to see the local “Embassy Row” with its French colonial-style architecture. This evening, we’ll watch a traditional water puppetry show. We’ll have dinner and spend the night at a four-star hotel.

We’ll leave early in the morning for Halong Bay (approx. 3.5 hours travel time). We’ll stop off at the Dinh Bang communal hall. We’ll be welcomed aboard a junk, enjoy a cocktail, and have lunch on board. Our cruise begins by discovering the thousands of various limestone islands dotting the emerald-colored bay. We’ll enjoy dinner on board this evening. Our ship will remain anchored overnight.

Rise early with us this morning and participate in a Tai Chi class on deck. We’ll continue our cruise through the bay, discovering more of its extraordinary scenery and visiting one of the largest caves. Brunch will be served before you disembark at 11:00 a.m. and begin your trip back to Hanoi. You’ll take a flight to Hue. On arrival, you’ll be transferred to your hotel for check-in. We’ll have dinner and spend the night at the hotel.

Join us for a Tai Chi lesson on deck this morning at 8:00 a.m. We'll continue our sail across the bay, taking in more of the breathtaking landscape and stopping by one of the caves. Brunch will be served before you board and begin your journey back to Hanoi at 11:00 a.m. You'll board a plane to Hue. You will be taken to your hotel for check-in when you arrive. We're going to the hotel for supper and the night.

You’ll be transferred by boat on the Perfume River to the Pagoda of the Celestial Lady, instantly recognizable by its seven octagonal tiers. We’ll also visit the village of Kim Long. After lunch, we’ll leave for Da Nang and a visit to the Museum of Cham Sculpture, which has the largest collection of Cham art in the world. On our way back, we’ll stop off at Vietnam’s most picturesque beach, China Beach, named by American troops who visited during the Vietnam War for a little R&R. Once we arrive in Hoi An, we’ll have dinner and spend the night at a four-star hotel.

We’ll visit My Son, a cluster of abandoned and partially ruined Hindu temples constructed between the 4th and 14th century AD. After our tour, we’ll return to Hoi An for lunch and a visit of the city. The Ancient Town is exceptionally well-preserved and its buildings and street plan reflect the influences that have combined to produce this unique heritage site. Enjoy a tour on foot of the Fujian Assembly Hall, the Chuc Thanh Pagoda, and the Japanese bridge. We’ll have dinner and spend the night at the hotel.

We’ll leave by coach for the Cu Chi tunnels, an immense network of underground tunnels that were the location of several military campaigns during the Vietnam War. After lunch, join us for a visit to the Museum of Vietnamese History. Our ship will begin to cruise toward the splendid Cho Gao canal. We’ll spend the night on board.

During our passage through the Cho Gao Canal, you’ll discover the daily life in Vietnam—organized around fishing, farming, and transport. In My Tho, we'll visit a bee farm and enjoy some honey tea and exotic fruit. We'll then take a ride in small sampans along the canal lined with mangrove palms. We’ll enjoy lunch on board. Vinh Long is located in the middle of the Delta region, between two of the Mekong’s distributaries. We’ll discover a brick and pottery factory, a fruit-tree nursery, puffed riced, rice-paper wrappers, and rice alcohol.* We’ll spend the night on board.

After our excursion, enjoy some free time in Sa Dec. We’ll return on board and cast off as you sit down to lunch. Our ship will begin to cruise to Cambodia. We’ll spend the night on bo

We’ll have dinner on board and remain in port overnight.

We’ll enjoy a tour of the fabulous Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda, which is inlaid with more than 5,000 silver tiles. After, join us for a visit to the National Museum of Cambodia. We’ll have lunch in the city. In the afternoon, you can pay a visit to the Tuol Svay Prey School, a former detention, torture, and execution center run by the Khmer Rouge during the civil war. Afterwards, enjoy some free time at the market. We’ll return to the ship and enjoy a performance of classical Khmer dancing and music. We’ll have dinner on board and remain in port overnight. The rest of the evening is yours to do as you please.

Once we arrive in Koh Chen, you can explore this small village where craftspeople specialize in silver and copper work. After lunch on board, we’ll head to Kampong Tralach to visit the beautiful Vihara at the Wat Kampong Tralach Leu pagoda. To access the pagoda, we need to cross the village of Kampong Tralach in ox carts, moving along a small road that runs perpendicular to the river in the middle of magnificent rice fields. Our ship will remain anchored overnight.

We’ll visit Kampong Chhnang, one of the largest fishing ports on Tonle Sap Lake. Fish farming is abundant here. The region is also known for its traditional pottery combining ancient knowledge with modern techniques—Chhnang itself means "pot." We'll also enjoy a tasting of regional products. After lunch on board, we’ll cruise to Tonle Sap Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. Tonight, we’ll have our farewell cocktail and dinner. Our ship will remain anchored overnight.

We’ll spend the morning cruising the river before disembarking and having lunch on shore. After, we'll visit the Angkor Wat temple: the epitome of Khmer architectural art and the most famous and imposing of all the monuments in Angkor. Dinner and overnight in hotel (Accommodations will be at either a 4-star or 5-star hotel according to the cruise you choose).

The temple was built in the 12th century and used the same floor plan as Angkor Wat. We’ll have lunch in the city. We’ll visit the Senteurs, a local business with a diverse collection of silk and carvings, as well as a superb range of traditional beauty products and spices, all made locally. We’ll also visit a silk farm to learn about the complex process of creating the luxurious fabric. 

We’ll leave for a visit of Banteay Srei, a 10th-century Cambodian temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva—widely praised as the “Jewel of Khmer Art.” Rediscovered among the vines of the forest in 1914, it is the only temple carved in hard pink sandstone in the Angkor region. We’ll also visit the Cambodian Landmine Museum, run by Aki Ra, a former conscripted child soldier who has devoted his life to removing landmines. We’ll have lunch in the city before visiting the Angkor National Museum, dedicated to providing information and education about art and culture of Khmer civilization. Enjoy some free time before returning to the ship. Tonight, we will celebrate Christmas with a gala dinner. We’ll spend the night at the hotel.

This morning, we’ll tour Ta Prohm and Angkor Thom. Stroll through the grounds of the former Royal Palace, and discover the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King. Lunch will be served at the hotel. We’ll bid you farewell at approximately 2:00 p.m. Please do not book your flight before 5:00 p.m.