Vietnam and Cambodia Tour

Explore the fascinating culture and history of Vietnam and Cambodia on this small group 15-day tour especially designed for Friends of Te Papa
20 April – 4 May 2026

Join our unforgettable small group guided tour through the heart of Southeast Asia! Explore the vibrant streets of Hanoi, cruise the emerald waters of Ha Long Bay, and wander the charming lanes of Hoi An. Discover the pulse of Saigon, cruise the tranquil Mekong Delta, and uncover the rich history of Phnom Penh. End your adventure in the awe-inspiring temples of Siem Reap, including the magnificent Angkor Wat, a UNESCO World Heritage site. With expert local guides, a tour leader from New Zealand, and a carefully crafted itinerary, this is the perfect journey for those seeking authentic cultural experiences and hidden gems while staying in comfortable 4-star hotels. Limited spots available—book your adventure today!

Itinerary:

Day 1: 20 April: Arrival Hanoi – Welcome Dinner:

Upon your arrival at Hanoi airport look for our driver who will be waiting for you with a sign bearing your name. The journey from the airport to your hotel will take approximately one hour and is an entertaining experience full of chaotic traffic, hectic architecture and overloaded motorbikes. Arrival at the hotel, check in and relax.  Hanoi is a window to a world from long ago that has been dragged into the present. Motorbikes whizz around, ladies haggle over the price of bread being sold from a bicycle, business deals are struck over a cup of green tea, whilst sitting on little plastic stools by the side of the road. Prepare to be amazed by this frantic, yet incredibly charming slice of real Asia.

6.30 pm: Dinner at a nice local restaurant.

Hotel: May de Ville Luxury hotel Room Type: Deluxe City View
Inclusions: Transfer from airport to hotel with guide: 11:25 am. Welcome Dinner: 6.30pm

Day 2: 21 April: Hanoi City Full Day Tour:

08:00: our tour guide will meet you at the hotel and we will begin our day by visiting :

• Hoa Lo Prison – was a prison used by the French colonists in Vietnam for political prisoners, and later by North Vietnam for U.S. Prisoners of War during the Vietnam War.
• Uncle Ho Mausoleum, learning about his great life at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Presidential Palace, and his residential place and One Pillar Pagoda.
• Temple of Literature – the site of Vietnam’s first University, built in the twelfth century, to teach the royals the Confucius theory. Here we will also have a chance to see a traditional music performance, if available.

 

Lunch at KOTO restaurant. After lunch, back to the hotel and relax.

16.00: Gather at hotel’s lobby and we will join an hour cyclo tour around the Hanoi Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake, Opera House….then stop at the theater, sit down and watch the Water Puppet show. After that, free time at your leisure to explore the Old Quarter or back to the hotel and relax.

Hotel: May de Ville Luxury hotel Room Type: Deluxe City View
Inclusions: Hanoi City tour full day with guide, driver, entrance fees, cyclo, breakfast, lunch, water puppet tickets Pick up time: 8.00am

 

Day 3: 22 April: Hanoi – Halong Bay – Lan Ha Bay:

08:20 – 08:50: Our bus picks you up at your hotel in the old quarter.

12:00: The crew members of Peony Cruise will welcome you at Tuan Chau International Marina Station, lot 16. You will be taken aboard our support vessel and travel from the wharf via the bay to board our luxurious craft, Peony Cruises. You will be welcomed aboard and greeted with a complimentary drink. Our friendly and professional crew will conduct a compulsory safety procedure session and then you are free to check into your cabin and freshen up. We encourage you to explore our luxuriously appointed ship then watch the magical landscape cruise past.

12:45: A special lunch of fresh food and an assortment of appetizing delicacies will be served. You will be enchanted when decadently dining on our luxury junk, our lavish interpretation of a traditional Vietnamese boat. Life just doesn’t get better than this! We then set sail for Lan Ha Bay.

15:30: We will visit the Dark and Bright cave famous for its pristine natural beauty and poetic, attractive seascape of Lan Ha Bay. Here you can take some photos of the romantic, lyrical local sights. This is also the best time for tourists to enjoy bamboo boats and swimming – which is an interesting activity to discover the truest beauty of the limestone mountains and the blue sky of Lan Ha Bay. Afterwards, visitors immerse themselves in the emerald green water of Lan Ha Bay with exciting swimming activities.

17:30: Get to the top deck where you can admire the magnificent sunset over the Gulf of Tonkin and enjoy a complimentary sunset party. It is an ideal time for photography enthusiasts to capture the stunning moment of sunset at Lan Ha Bay.

19:00: Enjoy delicious local food prepared and served for you by our wonderful onboard catering staff. This is a delightful meal in an intimate romantic setting.

21:00-24:00: It is now time to relax with an exotic cocktail and drink in the evening landscape. Our bar offers a wide range of wine, beer and liqueurs and is always a welcome sight for guests after a day sailing on the Bay. You can order an indulgent spa service, watch movies, go squid fishing or simply relax on our roof top deck under the cover of a brightly illuminated sky.

Overnight on board.

Notes: For the Halong Bay trip, bring your swimsuit, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, toiletries, change of clothes, something warm for the winter months and a book or journal, etc. And don’t forget your camera, passport. Check out of your hotel, pay all your bills and bring all your luggage with you.

Hotel: Peony Cruise Room Type: Deluxe Balcony
Inclusions: Private transfer Hanoi–Halong with guide. Day tour with local guide on boat. Pick up time: 08.10 – 08.20. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Day 4: 23 April: Halong Bay – Hanoi. Flight to Da Nang:

06:00: Begin the day full of energy with the Tai Chi session and enjoy the sun just rising up beyond the horizon.

06:45 – 07:15: Breakfast is served while cruising back to Gia Luan jetty. (Breakfast time maybe adjusted to follow the real itinerary)

07:30 – 09:00: You will join the tour of Cat Ba World Biosphere by boat transfer. It takes 30 minutes to transfer from Gia Luan to Trung Trang – one of the most impressive caves in Cat Ba island, Vietnam. The limestone cave has thousands of stalactites in various shapes, offering geological values with a typical cave ecosystem.

09:30: Return to the main boat from the cave and the guests will do the cabin check out. Luggage is placed outside of the cabin.

Lunch is served at the restaurant. Settle the bar bill by the desk at the restaurant (if any).

10:30 – 11:00: Disembark the Peony Cruises and transfer back to Block #34, Big Bay group terminal, Tuan Chau Marina. Relax and wait for the luggage.

11:30 – 12:00: Get on the bus and you will be transferred to Hanoi airport for a short flight to Da Nang.

Time TBC: Flight Hanoi – Da Nang.

Time TBC: Arrival Da Nang, you will be picked up and transferred to your hotel in Hoi An, check in and relax.

Notes: Due to cruising conditions, itineraries may change without prior notice. Wi-Fi is available in the restaurant/bar area, but internet connectivity is limited due to the geography of Halong Bay. Thank you for your understanding.

Hotel: Palm Garden resort Room Type: Superior Garden view
Inclusions: Day tour with local guide on boat. Transfers in Halong – Hanoi & Da Nang (with guides). Flight tickets Hanoi – Da Nang. Breakfast, Lunch.

Day 5: 24 April: Free Morning – Hoi An Walking Tour with Dinner:

Free time in the morning.

15.00: Our tour guide will meet you at the lobby and we will move to Hoi An Ancient town for starting an afternoon walking tour by electric cart.

We will visit a local market close by. Local markets always have 2 parts: one sells daily necessities like clothes, household items and the other sells foodstuff. The foodstuff part is what we would like you to see.

The next stop is Phuc Kien Assembly Hall. The Phuc Kien (Fukien) Assembly Hall at 46 Tran Phu St is dedicated to Thien Hau, goddess of the sea.

• There is a site that you cannot miss in Hoi An, it is the Japanese Covered Bridge. The covered bridge, also known as the Pagoda Bridge (Chua Cau), was built by Japanese craftsmen who were part of a larger community of Japanese merchants active in Hoi An.
• The last visit of our tour is Tan Ky ancient house. The house is not the oldest in Hoi An but its architecture is among one of the most typical.
• We will take a boat cruise along the river, and light candles on the river.
• Then we enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.
• Back to the hotel and relax.

Hotel: Palm Garden resort Room Type: Superior Garden view
Inclusions: Hoi An Walking tour with local guide, entrance fee, breakfast, dinner Pick up time: 15.00pm.

Day 6: 25 April: Hoi An Free Day:

Free day at your leisure.

Hotel: Palm Garden resort Room Type: Superior Garden view
Inclusions: Breakfast.

Day 7: 26 April: Flight Da Nang – Saigon. Saigon City Tour Half Day with Lunch:

Free time until our driver will meet you at the hotel and transfer you to Da Nang airport for a short flight to Saigon.

Time TBC: Flight Da Nang – Saigon
Time TBC: Arrival Saigon, you will be picked up and transferred to a local restaurant for lunch.

After lunch, we start an afternoon Saigon City tour. With over eight million inhabitants and four million motorbikes, Saigon is truly a city that never sleeps. Despite its modernity, Saigon maintains a strong link to the past and our city tour takes in some of Saigon’s most historic landmarks including the Notre Dame Cathedral – a red brick edifice with twin spires constructed from materials imported from France (entrance is only permitted when no services are being performed).

Then head across the square to the Central Post Office, completed in 1891.

A short drive away is the former Presidential Palace, the headquarters of the Saigon Government during the American War.

Continue to the War Remnants Museum for a vivid perspective of the American War through the eyes of the Vietnamese. (Please note that some of the displays are very graphic.)

Then back to hotel and relax.

Hotel: Liberty Central Saigon Riverside hotel Room Type: Premier River View
Inclusions: Breakfast. Airport transfer in Da Nang & Saiogn (with guides). Flight tickets Da Nang – Saigon. Saigon City tour half day with lunch, tour guide, driver, entrance fee Pick up time: TBC

Day 8: 27 April: Cu Chi Tunnels Half Day Tour:

08.30am: Pick up from your hotel for the journey west from Ho Chi Minh City to Cu Chi – a must see in Vietnam. This is where guerilla warfare was optimized and exemplified, even with B-52 bombers dropping 30-ton loads of explosive, turning the jungle into a pockmarked moonscape, 30 thousand American troops failed to conquer the area!

•  You’ll learn the clever design of the tunnels and the strategic use of trap doors.
•  You’ll have a chance to crawl around a portion of the 121 km long, multiple-layered tunnel.
• You’ll learn how thousands of guerillas managed to stay underground many days at a time, also their great technique to conceal smoke from their cooking.
• There is a lot more to enjoy, even a chance to fire real AK bullets.
• Then back to the hotel to relax.

Hotel: Liberty Central Saigon Riverside hotel Room Type: Premier River View
Inclusions: Breakfast. Cu Chi half day tour with local guide, driver, entrance fee Pick up time: 8.00am

Day 9: 28 April: Saigon – Mekong Delta Full Day Tour:

08:00: Pick up at the hotel, leaving a busy city and start the trip to Ben Tre.On arrival in Ham Luong Pier (Ben Tre town), take a boat on Ben Tre River – one of tributaries of the Mekong River, watch lively activities along river such as fishing, water transferring

• Stop at the brickworks to see how to make bricks in handy traditional style by printing and baking.
• Visit one of the plenty of coconut processing workshops located along the canal.
• Turn on natural scissors creeks where they look smaller and smaller to go to a village.
• Take a walk to a family workshop making sleep mats and enjoying some fruits and tea.
• Take a biking trip (or motorized cart) on shady paths, pass by green rice fields and vegetable plains to be able to touch on real life and find out about tropical culture from locals.
• Lunch at a local restaurant.
• In the afternoon, take a row-boat along water palm creek and boat back to Hung Vuong Pier.
• Back to Saigon.

Hotel: Liberty Central Saigon Riverside hotel Room Type: Premier River View
Inclusions: Breakfast. Mekong Delta full day with local guide, driver, boat, sampan, tuk tuk, lunch. Pick up time: 8.00am

Day 10: 29 April: Flight Saigon – Phnom Penh:

Free time until our driver meets you at the hotel and transfers you to Saigon airport for a short flight to Phnom Penh.

Time TBC: Flight ticket Saigon – Phnom Penh.

Known as the “Pearl of Asia” Phnom Penh was considered one of the loveliest French-built cities in Indochina in the 1920s. Located at the confluence of the Mekong, Bassac and Tonlé Sap rivers, Cambodia’s fascinating and colorful capital has an engaging mix of ancient traditions, colonial charm and bustling markets. This evening perhaps indulge in a massage or take a leisurely walk along the riverside before sunset cocktails and dinner at the Foreign Correspondents Club or you may wish to take an evening stroll along the river front to see how the locals enjoy the cool night climate.

Your driver and Local Guide will be waiting at the airport with a Wide-Eyed Tours sign bearing your name ready to transfer you to the hotel. Check in and relax.

Hotel: Baitong Phnom Penh hotel Room Type: Superior City View

Inclusions: Breakfast. Airport transfer in Saigon & Phnom Penh with guides. Flight tickets Saigon – Phnom Penh. Pick up time: TBC

Day 11: 30 April: Phnom Penh City Full Day Tour:

In the morning visit the infamous Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and as you tour the museum, you’ll discover the brutality of the Khmer Rouge documented in the photos and memorabilia, including torture instruments and will have the opportunity to meet one the few survivors of the regime.
Continue to Choeung Ek Killing Fields, the final destination for prisoners from Tuol Sleng. A large stupa (shrine) filled with over 8,000 human skulls acts as a memorial and grim reminder of the atrocities.

Lunch at local restaurant.

• After lunch, tour around the Royal Palace, home to the Silver Pagoda, named for the over 5,000 heavy silver tiles that cover its floors, where you can marvel at the collection of Buddha’s in gold, silver, crystal, and bronze.
• Next visit Wat Phnom the legend of how the city got its name.

Hotel: Baitong Phnom Penh hotel Room Type: Superior City View
Inclusions: Breakfast. Day tour with local guide, driver, entrance fee, lunch Pick up time: 8.00am

Day 12: 1 May: Transfer Phnom Penh – Siem Reap:

Venture out of Phnom Penh and travel through the Cambodian countryside stopping at Skuon market, for the adventurous try the ‘ch’ngain’ (deep fried Tarantula), a local specialty.

• Resume the journey to Kampong Thom where you can enjoy a local lunch (own cost) before continuing to Siem Reap, stopping en route near Kampong Kdei at the 12th century Angkorian era ‘Spean Praptos’ bridge, marvel at this architectural feat as you take a walk in the past across its ancient arches.
• Arrival Siem Reap, check in and relax. Siem Reap is a bustling little town, bursting with a vast range of delicious restaurants to suit every taste, boutique shops and day and night markets, a true shoppers’ paradise and a surprising party town that really heats up later in the lively bars and clubs around the famous and suitably named Pub Street.

Hotel: Somadevie Angkor Boutique hotel Room Type: Executive Deluxe
Inclusions: Breakfast. Private transfer Phnom Penh – Siem Reap with local guide Pick up time: 8.00am

Day 13: 2 May: Siem Reap – Angkor Temple Tour:

After breakfast at the hotel start your temple exploration of the UNESCO world heritage complex inside the stunning walled city of Angkor Thom with gates, flanked by the stone statues of gods and demons, you find yourself in an ancient world of massive stone faces and evocatively striking temples. We’ll take in the enigmatic Bayon, the mighty Baphoun Temple, Phimeanakas and the royal Palace enclosure, the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King.

Next stop is Ta Prohm, easily the most atmospheric and a highlight for anyone visiting Angkor, a haven for any photography enthusiasts. A temple where you will love to linger, swallowed by the jungle looks very much in the same state as when the French explorers stumbled upon it more than a century ago.

• In front of the magnificent Angkor Wat is perfect for lunch or a break during your day trip to Temples, refresh with fresh fruits juice and shakes, and savor some delicious Khmer, Asian or International dishes.
• As you enter the main causeway of Angkor Wat and start the long walk to the main temple, feast your eyes on the sight of this imposing structure. Discover its many galleries, libraries, pavilions, courtyards and ponds full of water, carved bas-reliefs that tell the ancient Hindu legends of Ramayana and victorious Khmer battles. Climb to the holiest sanctuary at the summit of the temple, where you are rewarded with fantastic views across the entire complex and beyond.
• The temple tour itinerary is flexible and may be adjusted by your local guide after consultation with you. Weather, festivals, your interests and energy levels all have a bearing on which temples to visit and in what order.

Notes: Please keep your Angkor Entry Pass and don’t forget to have your knees and shoulders covered at all times when visiting the temples.

Hotel: Somadevie Angkor Boutique hotel Room Type: Executive Deluxe
Inclusions: Breakfast. Day tour with local guide, driver, Angkor Pass, lunch Pick up time: 8.00am

Day 14: 3 May: Siem Reap – Phare Circus Show with Dinner:

Free day at your leisure.

18:00: For a unique experience this evening your driver will pick you up from the hotel and take you to the dinner at Phare Café.
19:30: Arrive at the Big Top in Siem Reap to see a performance of the Phare Cambodian Circus from the best seat in the house from 8:00 – 9:00 pm.  Theater, story, dance, high-energy music and circus acts tell uniquely Cambodian stories.  These circus artists will astonish you with their energy, emotion, enthusiasm and talent.  Please note there are NO ANIMALS in the performance.

Hotel: Somadevie Angkor Boutique hotel Room Type: Executive Deluxe
Inclusions: Breakfast. Phare Circus with transfers, guide & dinner Pick up time: 6.00pm

Day 15: 4 May: Siem Reap – Departure:

Free time at your leisure until our driver meets you at the hotel and transfer you to Siem Reap airport for your flight home. Trip ends.

Inclusions: Breakfast. Airport transfer (no guide).

 

Accommodation Summary (availability subject to change):

• Hanoi: May de Ville Luxury Hotel, 4 star, Deluxe City view – maydevillelakesidehotel.com
• Halong Bay: Peony Cruise, 4 star, Deluxe Balcony – peonycruises.com
• Hoi An: Palm Garden Resort, 4 star, Superior Garden view – palmgardenresort.com.vn
• Saigon: Liberty Central Saigon Riverside Hote,l 4 star, Premier River view – libertycentralsaigonriverside.com
• Phnom Penh: Bationg Phnom Penh hotel, 4 star, Superior City View – baitonghotel.asia
• Siem Reap: Somadevi Angkor Boutique hotel, 4 star, Executive Deluxe – somadeviangkorboutique.com

Inclusions:

Accommodation as listed above.

• Tour leader from NZ
• Meals as listed in the itinerary
• English speaking local guide from airport to airport in each destination
• Tours and transfers as mentioned by private air-conditioned vehicles
• Entrance fees for all visits as mentioned in the itinerary
•  Flight tickets: Economy class
  o Hanoi – Da Nang
  o Da Nang – Saigon
  o Saigon – Phnom Penh

 

Exclusions:

Travel insurance (compulsory)

• Visa
• Spending money
• Tips & gratuities
• Activities not listed
• Meals not listed
• All drinks
• International departure taxes
• International flights

Price:

$6,490 per person twin/double share
$8,530 per person in a single room

Plus international flights, 1 night at Crown Plaza Singapore airport and travel insurance. Please contact Claudia for a quote.

(Based on min. 12 and max. 15 participants).

Payment Deadlines:

To secure your space on this tour, a non-refundable deposit payment of $500 per person is due at time of booking (but no later than 15 January 2026) The balance of tour costs is due by 20 February 2026.

To book please contact:

Claudia Moir, NZ Travel Brokers
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 09-4315899 or 021-431589