Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand

Tour begins: 6:00 PM, Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi. Welcome to Hanoi! A transfer is included from Noi Bai International Airport to the landmark Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, your home for the next two nights, close to the historic Old Quarter and other notable attractions in Vietnam's capital city. Meet your Tauck Director and your fellow adventurers at our welcome cocktail reception and dinner at Le Beaulieu this evening.

Begin your Vietnam tour with a day including a memorable buggy ride through the back streets of Old Hanoi; a visit to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum; the colonial Presidential Palace that Ho Chi Minh refused to live in, along with his "house on stilts"; the famous One-Pillar Pagoda, constructed in 1049 to resemble a lotus blossom; and a visit to the infamous Hoa Lo Prison, known as the "Hanoi Hilton" during the Vietnam War. Sample Vietnamese specialties for lunch, then spend the afternoon as you wish. An art form that is unique to Vietnam and popular since the 18th century entertains you this evening during an enchanting water puppet performance. Please Note: the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex is closed each year for annual renovations from September to December; Ho Chi Minh's stilt house and the One-Pillar Pagoda are still open for viewing.

No Vietnam travel experience would be complete without a visit to Hué, one of Vietnam's most beautiful cities, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; you'll arrive this morning after a short flight. Upon arrival, visit the tomb of 19th-century emperor Tu Duc before heading off to your hotel, Azerai La Residence, Hue, for lunch. Later this afternoon, enjoy a ride aboard a private, pedal-powered cyclo on an exploration of explore Hué's Citadel – which housed the Imperial City for the emperor's official functions, and the Forbidden Purple City for his personal time.

This morning, explore Hué's tranquil setting as you admire Thien Mu ("Heavenly Lady") Pagoda, a seven-story octagonal tower built in 1844, and cruise along the Perfume River; view the boats that continue to serve as complete family homes for many residents of Hué. Then take in the scenery along the Vietnamese coast and Hai Van Mountain during a drive to Da Nang and the 18-mile-long "China Beach" – made famous by the 1980s TV show of the same name and now a popular destination. You'll spend the next two nights at one of the most prestigious beachfront resorts in Vietnam, the Furama Resort Da Nang, set right on the shores of the South China Sea.

Meeting the locals is one of the best ways to connect with a destination and promises a close-up look at daily life in Vietnam. Morning visits to a local village (including a visit to the home of a former mayor) makes good on that promise. Continue your Vietnam travel by journeying to historic Hoi An, a key South China Sea trading port in the 15th through 19th centuries, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Explore its shop-lined streets via cyclo and tour the 200-year-old "Phung Hung" house, noted for its unique architecture. What you'll see there will reveal much about the lives of Hoi An merchants long ago. Enjoy some time on your own in the afternoon, and have dinner at your leisure tonight.

Take a morning flight to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon), Vietnam's second-largest city; set off to the battlefield memorial site of Ben Duoc, northwest of the city, where you'll explore an underground world of tunnels and chambers three stories deep at Cu Chi Tunnels with your local guides. Used during the Vietnam War, the 120-mile tunnel network housed kitchens, dormitories, munitions factories, hospitals, and schoolrooms. Dine at the hotel this evening in a restaurant of your choosing.

Explore Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) with your local expert today, visiting the Ben Thanh Market and the former Presidential Palace, now called Reunification Hall (after negotiations rejoined the North and South in 1975). See the former U.S. Embassy, the Saigon River, 19th-century Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, and the stately Central Post Office designed by Paris' Gustave Eiffel. Enjoy the afternoon and evening as you please. Tonight, see the city of Ho Chi Minh, after dark, on a Vespa tour.

This morning, your journey continues on to Cambodia as you fly to Siem Reap for a two-night stay at the Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor, the closest hotel to the treasures of the fabled archaeological site at Angkor, covering an area twice the size of Manhattan. Your arrival in Siem Reap is highlighted with a visit to Angkor Wat, a Hindu-Buddhist temple complex and the largest religious structure in the world (according to Guinness World Records). Originally built in the 12th century by King Sryavarman II of the Khmer Empire, Angkor Wat was designed to represent Mount Meru, home of the devas in Hindu mythology. Over the centuries, the temple fell into disarray before being restored in the 20th century. Today, the Angkor area has been desiginated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is regarded as one of the best examples of Khmer architecture as well as a national symbol for Cambodia. Following your visit, return to your hotel and join us for a Tauck exclusive Cambodian Apsara dance performance and dinner.

Enveloped by jungle roots, fascinating Ta Prohm Temple almost seems to be a part of the dense rainforest that surrounds it. A legacy of Cambodia's Khmer civilization dating from 1186, it was originally built as a Buddhist university and monastery and continues to captivate today, as you'll see on your visit. The last capital of the Khmer empire, the walled city of Angkor Thom is
home to the richly decorated Bayon Temple, known for its eerily smiling carved faces; see the Elephant Terrace in Angkor Thom, which was the foundation of the pavilion in which the king held audiences. Following lunch at a local restaurant, you'll have a choice of activities. You may either join us for a cruise on Tonle Sap Lake, revealing its fascinating floating villages, before returning to your hotel. Or, return to your hotel for free time to explore as you wish. Regardless of your choice, you'll have free time to do as you wish. Tonight, dinner is at your leisure at your choice of restaurant in Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor.

Fly via Bangkok to charming Chiang Mai, Thailand, the "Rose of the North," established in the 13th century, and known for its artistic and cultural heritage. Enter another world when you arrive at the luxurious Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai, where your richly appointed accommodations feature a Lanna-style sala (pavilion) looking out over gardens, terraced rice paddies, and mountains. Tonight, dine at your choice of restaurants at the resort.

Elephants – Thailand's national animal – are an integral part of Chiang Mai's economy and culture; today you'll learn more about them. A picnic lunch at the sanctuary precedes a visit to hill tribe villages of Chiang Mai to meet the people who live peacefully there as small farmers, observing and honoring their traditional ways of life. The remainder of the day is spent as you please. Dinner tonight is at the hotel.

Depart your hotel this morning to Doi Suthep National Park for a visit to Chiang Mai's most famous temple - Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. Commonly referred to as "Doi Suthep," this is actually a misnomer, "Doi Suthep" is the name of the mountain where it is located. En route to the temple, your tour director will provide a guided tour of Chiang Mai's old walled city. Arrive at your hotel this afternoon, early enough to offer you free time to enjoy the amenities of the hotel as you wish. Dinner tonight is at the hotel.

A morning flight takes you to Thailand's capital city of Bangkok for a three-night stay at Rosewood Bangkok; arrive in time for lunch. Late afternoon, return by Sky Train to your hotel.

Cruise up the Chao Phraya River and through a network of canals, called klongs, which lace the city. These often-bustling "city streets," lined with homes and small businesses, are where much of life in Bangkok is found; stop at Wat Arun (the Temple of Dawn) along the way. Have lunch at a local Thai restaurant, then return to the hotel and spend the remainder of the day as you please.

An express boat whisks you from the hotel to the Maharaj Pier for a morning of sightseeing in Bangkok (both on foot and by tuk-tuk), an intriguing mix of ancient and modern. Walk to Wat Pho, the oldest and largest temple in the city, to see the giant Reclining Buddha, then travel to the 18th-century Grand Palace for an "audience" with the Emerald Buddha. Join us this evening for a farewell reception and dinner at your hotel.

Tour ends: Bangkok. A transfer from Rosewood Bangkok to Bangkok International Airport is included. Please allow 3 hours for your flight check-in.