Day 1 Depart Canada
Begin your adventure; depart from your hometown to Phnom Penh. En route, you will cross the International Dateline.
Day 2 Arrive Phnom Penh
Arrival in Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia. Then transfer to hotel. Overnight in Phnom Penh.
Hotel: Pacific Hotel Phnom Penh or similar
Day 3 Phnom Penh (Meals: B)
Today, you will start your tour at WAT PHNOM, the birthplace of the capital; Afterwards, see the splendor of Cambodia’s royal heritage by visiting the ROYAL PALACE, SILVER PAGODA and NATIONAL MUSEUM. In the afternoon, past at the TUOL SLENG MUSEUM (Museum of Genocide),the interrogation and torture facility for the Khmer Rouge regime.Finally, visiting one of Phnom Penh’s two great markets, the CENTRAL MARKET OR the sprawling RUSSIAN MARKET.Overnight in Phnom Penh.
Day 4 Phnom Penh (Meals: B)
Just outside Phnom Penh, in a peaceful rural setting, the KILLING FIELDS OF CHOEUNG EK provide a stark reminder of the atrocities under the Pol Pot regime. Thousands of people were killed here between the years of 1975 and 1978 and buried in mass graves. Afternoon at leisure. Overnight in Phnom Penh.
Day 5 Saigon by air (Meals: B)
Today, you will take a flight from Phnom Penh to Saigon. Arrival in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). Then transfer to hotel. Then you will visit the REUNIFICATION PALACE. Continue to the harrowing WAR REMNANTS MUSEUM, which comprehensively documents the travails of the long Vietnam- American War. Afterwards driving to the historic center to visit EMPEROR OF JADE PAGODA. Proceed to pay a quick visit to the neo-Romanesque NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL and the CENTRAL POST OFFICE. Pass by the classic European-style landmarks such as the ornate CITY HALL (HOTEL DE VILLE), the old OPERA HOUSE. Finally, end up at the central BEN THANH MARKET, where vendors display a vast array of goods and handicrafts, appealing to every taste. Overnight in Saigon.
Hotel: Elios Hotel or similar
Day 6 Saigon (Meals: B)
Today. you will be transfered from Saigon, drive to TAY NINH, the birthplace of the unique CAO DAI religion. Every day at noon, worshippers garbed in colorful robes flock to the CAO DAI GREAT TEMPLE to participate in the daily prayer sessions, which visitors may respectfully observe from the upper balconies. (Note: shortly before and during the annual TET festival (Vietnamese New Year) the daily ceremony of the priests in Tay Ninh may be cancelled without prior notice). Afterwards, continue to the CU CHI TUNNELS. Return to Saigon in the late afternoon. Overnight in Saigon.
Day 7 Saigon - Boat Trip (Meals: B)
Today, you will take a boat trip on Mekong River to Vam Xep canal in Ben Tre, where local handicrafts and coconut sweets are produced. Enjoy fresh seasonal fruits, a performance of traditional songs, and observe the local life. Take a short ride on a horse carriage to a typical local house to taste some homemade honey-tea. Proceed by sampan through the small canals to observe the daily life of local people along the riverbanks with some stops for a leisurely stroll. Overnight in Saigon.
Day 8 Hanoi by air (Meals: B)
Today, you will take a flight from Saigon to Hanoi. Then transfer to hotel. Head to HOAN KIEM LAKE and Ngoc Son Temple, located in heart of Hanoi, which contains an islet with the tiny TORTOISE PAGODA. From there, walking to explore the OLD QUARTER. This fascinating network of narrow alleys and shophouses is also known as The 36 Streets, each street being named after the merchandise traditionally sold there, ranging from fabrics to crafts to medicines to tombstones. Afterwards, visit the MUSEUM OF ETHNOLOGY (closed on Monday & Vietnamese New Year), which brings to life the astonishing ethnic diversity in Vietnam, with art and artifacts from the 54 different ethnic groups that inhabit the country. Visit the Temple of Literature: a peaceful series of walled courtyards and graceful gateways, this momument is one of the best-preserved examples of traditional Vietnamese architecture. Overnight in Hanoi.
Hotel: Ha Long Hotel Hanoi or similar
Day 9 Hanoi (Meals: B/ L: Seafood Lunch on Boat Trip)
Today, you depart from Hanoi in the morning for scenic Halong Bay. Arriving at the pier around noon, begin cruising on a traditional wooden boat among the emerald waters and craggy limestone cliffs of Halong Bay, stopping at different islands to explore some of the many caves in this area. Sail past floating villages, fishermen casting their nets and pearl fisheries and observe the rhythms of daily life on the bay. Disembark at Halong pier at approximately 16.30 pm and return to Hanoi by vehicle. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 10 Hanoi - Canada (Meals: B)
After breakfast, transfer to airport and depart for your hometown. It is the same day when you arrive home as you will re-cross the International Dateline.
