APRIL 5: DEPART THE U.S. FOR HO CHI MINH CITY
APRIL 6: HO CHI MINH CITY
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- Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, and transfer to the centrally-located Caravelle Hotel.
- This evening gather with fellow travelers for a festive welcome reception at the hotel’s iconic roof-top bar, which was a popular spot amongst journalists in the 1960’s. Enjoy dinner at Reflections.
APRIL 7: HO CHI MINH CITY
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- After breakfast, meet with Dr. Biu Tran Phuon, former president of Hoa Sen University. The discussion will focus on Vietnam’s lengthy and tenuous history with China, as well as cultural changes since the conclusion of the war.
- Depart on a short walking tour and see the former Opera House, the Notre Dame Cathedral and the City Post office.
- Enjoy a traditional Pho lunch at Pho Binh restaurant. This humble noodle shop is of great historical significance as it was the former secret headquarters of the elite Viet Cong unit and from where the Saigon chapter of the infamous TET Offensive was planned.
- After lunch, visit the War Remnants Museum. The museum offers a chilling account of the Vietnam War, known in Vietnam as the American War.
- This evening walk to the delightful Hoa Tuc restaurant, located in a former opium refinery.
APRIL 8: HO CHI MINH CITY
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- Spend a full day exploring the Mekong Delta. Drive to the beautiful Ben Tre Province. Known as “Coconut Island,” many of its people still rely on tradition and centuries old methods of production. Our program focuses on the Giong Trom and Phong Nam districts, areas relatively untouched by commercial tourism. We’ll meet with locals to learn about the villages they call home and the peaceful rivers they use as a part of their daily lives.
- Upon arrival in Ben Tre, take a Xe loi (cycle rickshaw) ride through the local village of Huu Dinh to enjoy the green fields and gardens. Continue with a short walk to Huu Phuoc Bridge, where we will meet our private boat for a sail through small canals with beautiful tropical scenery.
- Visit a family-owned coconut processing business, where we will learn the hundreds of uses for the coconut. Return to our boat and cruise across the water to a brick making factory, where centuries-old traditional methods are used to make bricks by hand.
- Enjoy a short cycling trip to visit a local rice noodle factory which produces Hu Tieu noodles, one of the most popular dishes in the region.
- Return to Ho Chi Minh City in the late afternoon and enjoy dinner at leisure.
APRIL 9: HUE
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- For those who would like a traditional, and very local, Vietnamese breakfast, rise early and join the morning rush for a cup of Vietnamese black coffee, or condensed milk coffee and a Vietnamese baguette. It’s a great chance to see how the city wakes up and the crazy Vietnamese morning traffic made up of cars, cyclos and bicycles.
- Meet with a journalist to learn more about critical issues in Vietnam.
- Visit the Reunification Palace where the first Communist tanks, which arrived in Saigon on April 30, 1975, parked.
- Enjoy lunch at Trung Nuyen restaurant.
- Take a late afternoon flight to Hue. Upon arrival check-in to the Silk Path Grand Hue, where Premium Classic River View rooms have been reserved.
- Dinner is at one of Hue’s wonderful garden restaurants.
APRIL 10: HUE
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- This morning begin exploring Hue, which served as Vietnam’s political capital from 1802 to 1945 under the 13 emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty. This 19th century capital of regal pavilions has preserved its air of gracious reserve and faded glamour.
- Visit the Tomb of King Dong Khanh, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which has just been restored and opened. Because of its relative seclusion, it has remained a lesser-known destination. King Dong Khanh was installed on the throne by French colonists in 1885 and reigned for four years until he died.
- Stop at the Imperial Citadel. The complex contains the palace that housed the imperial family, as well as shrines, gardens and villas for mandarins, and today is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- After lunch, visit the Le Ba Dang Memory Space. This magnificent contemporary art museum showcases the work of Lebadang, a Vietnamese-born French artist, in a unique, state-of-the-art facility.
- Dinner this evening is at a local restaurant.
APRIL 11: HUE
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- Depart early this morning and drive about one hour and a half to Dong Ha where we will meet with staff from Project RENEW. Project RENEW was cofounded by Chuck Searcy in August 2001 as an effort to reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused by cluster bombs and other munitions remaining in Vietnam since the war ended in 1975.
- After a vegetarian lunch, drive about an hour and a half to Khe Sanh, where we will visit infamous battle sites along with former bases. The Battle of Khe Sanh began on January 21, 1968, when forces from the People’s Army of North Vietnam (PAVN) carried out a massive artillery bombardment on the U.S. Marine garrison at Khe Sanh. For the next 77 days, U.S. Marines and their South Vietnamese allies fought off an intense siege of the garrison, one of the longest and bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War.
- On the return to Hue, stop at a Bru-Van Kieu minority village. Ethnic minorities make up approximately 8% of the Vietnamese population and there are estimated to be just over 40,000 Bru Van Kieu in this area.
- Enjoy dinner at leisure.
APRIL 12: HOI AN
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- This morning drive to Danang. Upon arrival visit the Cham Museum, which houses the finest collection of Cham sculpture in the world.
- Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.
- After lunch meet with Dr. Quach Thi Xuan of the Da Nang Institute for Socio-Economic Development for a discussion on the impact of climate change on Vietnam.
- Depart for Hoi An in the late afternoon and check-in to the Little Allegro hotel.
- Dinner at the Relic restaurant this evening.
APRIL 13: HOI AN
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- This morning explore the old town of Hoi An accompanied by Frederico Barocco, an Italian archaeologist who has been working in Southeast Asia for many years. Hoi An is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which was once one of South-East Asia’s major ports. Today parts of Hoi An look exactly as they did a century ago. More than perhaps any other place in Vietnam, Hoi An retains the feel of centuries past. Explore the Japanese Covered bridge and the Tan Ky House which was built almost two hundred years ago as the home of a well-to-do Vietnamese merchant.
- At lunch meet with Kieu Maily, a researcher, artist, poet, writer and expert on Cham culture.
- After lunch drive about an hour to My Son, considered to be one of Vietnam’s most impressive Cham sites. Monuments are set in a verdant valley surrounded by hills and overlooked by Hon Quap Mountain. This site of 70 redbrick temple towers, dedicated to Hindu deities, represents the height of Cham spiritual and artistic expression.
- Dinner tonight is at leisure.
APRIL 14: HANOI
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- Take a morning flight Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, a charming city with pleasant lakes, shaded boulevards and verdant public parks. The city center is an architectural museum piece; its blocks of ochre buildings retain the air of a provincial French town of the 1930’s.
- Drive to the Temple of Literature which was erected in 1070 under the Emperor Ly Thanh Tong during the construction of the royal city. The temple is home to two very important institutions, the shrine to Confucius as well as the site of the first university. The cluster of well-preserved buildings is considered to be an example of traditional Vietnamese architecture.
- After viewing the temple enjoy lunch at KOTO (Know One, Teach One). This stunning restaurant overlooking the Temple of Literature is a restaurant/ training facility that works with street kids. The food is excellent and each trainee is paired with a mentor.
- This afternoon meet with George Black, author of The Long Reckoning, the moving story of how a small group of people—including two Vietnam veterans— forced the U.S. government to take responsibility for the ongoing horrors—agent orange and unexploded munitions—inflicted on the Vietnamese. Mr. Black is the author of seven previous books on subjects including India, China, and foreign policy; his writing on Vietnam has appeared for decades in The Nation and many other publications.
- Check into the Silk Path Luxury Hanoi where premium executive rooms have been reserved.
- Dinner at Luk Lak restaurant.
APRIL 15: HANOI
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- This morning visit Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum complex. Built in 1975, this is the final resting place of the Marxist-Leninist revolutionary, revered father of modern Vietnam, and liberator from French colonialism, who died in 1969.
- Close by is the One Pillar Pagoda. Built of wood on a single stone pillar, the pagoda is designed to resemble a lotus blossom, the symbol of purity, rising out of a sea of sorrow.
- Continue on to Hang Da Market. Hanoi’s street food has been recognized as one of the best in the world and this morning we will stroll through the bustling market and learn about the traditions and intricacies of Vietnamese food and culture. During the walk purchase ingredients for our lunch, which you will later learn to prepare when we stop at Anatolia, a restaurant and art space in a garden house.
- In the afternoon enjoy a walking tour of the Old Quarter, the city’s beating heart of commerce, as old as the city itself. Beneath a canopy of banyan trees dripping with Spanish moss, the pavements are full of people washing clothes, men welding metal, and makeshift barber shops. Narrow streets, each named after the produce that it sells or used to sell, create an intricate web of activity and color. Every narrow street has a designated purpose, the legacy of the 13th-century guildsmen who divided up the Old Quarter into 36 areas, so the prefix “Hang” on street signs means “merchandise."
- Enjoy dinner at leisure.
APRIL 16: SIEM REAP
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- This morning visit Hoan Kiem Lake, in Old Hanoi. Legend claims, in the mid-15th century Heaven sent Emperor Ly Thai To a magical sword which he used to drive the Chinese from Vietnam. After the war, a giant golden turtle grabbed the sword and disappeared into the depths of this lake to restore the sword to its divine owners, inspiring the name of the lake which translates to Lake of the Restored Sword.
- Continue on an art-focused tour which takes a closer look at Vietnam through the eyes of artists. Based on the personal experiences of artists who studied, fought, witnessed and documented major changes in 20th and 21st century Vietnam, this experience will give you a deeper understanding of Vietnam’s modern and contemporary history.
- Enjoy lunch at Uu Dam Chay restaurant.
- Take a late afternoon flight to Siem Reap and transfer to Treeline Angkor Hotel.
- Dinner at the hotel.
APRIL 17: SIEM REAP
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- This morning begin at the most famous of all Angkor monuments – Angkor Wat. You will be immersed in this inspired melding of sacred geometry, architecture, and adornment. Built by Suryavarman I in the first half of the 12th century, this temple complex is unsurpassed in the artistic accomplishment of its myriad sculptures and the bas-relief friezes that line its galleries and narrate stories of great significance to Khmer (Indianderived) mythology and history. Angkor’s iconic five towers – four organized around a central fifth – have come to represent the Khmer cultural heritage and the country of Cambodia.
- Close by is the Bayon Temple, which was built by Jayavarman VII in the exact center of the city of Angkor Thom. It is decorated with 1,200 meters of extraordinary bas-reliefs incorporating over 11,000 figures. The famous carvings on the outer wall of the first level depict vivid scenes of everyday life in 12th-century Cambodia
- Enjoy lunch at the Angkor Botanic Garden.
- After lunch visit the site of Ta Prohm. Built as a Buddhist monastery during the 12th century and under King Jayavarman VII, 18 high priests and 2,740 ordinary priests lived here.
- End the day at the Angkor Hospital for Children (AHC), founded by Kenro Izu, a renowned Japaneseborn photographer based in the United States. Between 1993 and 1996, Izu made a series of trips to Cambodia to capture images for his photographic series, Light Over Ancient Angkor. He was deeply moved by his encounters with the ill, maimed, and malnourished children of the war-torn country. As a way of giving something back to Cambodia in return for the many images he captured there, and as a symbol of gratitude for the inspiration he gained from Cambodia’s ancient monuments, Izu dedicated himself to building a pediatric hospital near the temples. Meet with staff to earn more about the facility.
- Dinner at leisure.
APRIL 18: PHNOM PENH
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- Morning visit to Banteay Srei, an architectural jewel located about 16 miles north of Angkor Thom. This large monument, considered by many to be the most perfect Khmer temple, is famous for its exquisite pink sandstone carvings.
- Drive to the airport stopping at the Institute for Khmer Traditional Textiles (IKTT). This area, once barren scrub land, is now a village surrounded by forest and fields. Learn about the “Wisdom from Forest” project which seeks to regenerate the landscape and village living conditions that once produced the beautiful fibers and dyes of Khmer textiles.
- Mid-morning flight to Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital city.
- After lunch begin exploring the current political climate of the country which has become considerably more repressive in the last few years. Key figures in the opposition party have been arrested or been forced to flee and Hun Sen’s crackdown is becoming a real threat to democracy in the country. Meet with staff at the Cambodian Center for Independent Media who work for the promotion of independent media, press freedom, freedom of expression, access to information and democratic governance.
- A few minutes away is the Cambodian Center for Human Rights. The Government’s failure to systematically respect and promote human rights has led to widespread violations, which continue to hinder the development of true democracy in the country. The CCHR works to address these issues through monitoring human rights violations and the democratic process, advocating for policy and legislative changes necessary to the promotion of human rights, and through empowering activists and communities to advocate for their rights. We have requested a meeting with Chak Sopheap, the organization’s Executive Director to learn more about the challenges the group faces.
- Overnight at the Palace Gate Hotel, in royal deluxe rooms. Enjoy a lovely swimming pool and a rooftop bar surrounded by the greenery of a unique organic herb and vegetable garden.
- Enjoy dinner at leisure.
APRIL 19: PHNOM PENH
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- After breakfast visit to National Museum of Arts, which contain an impressive collection of Khmer art.
- Meet with the team at Mother Nature Cambodia, who work to protect Cambodia’s once-pristine natural environment.
- This evening enjoy a farewell dinner in the hotel’s restaurant located in a lovingly restored French colonial villa –formerly the seat of power of the French colonial government.
APRIL 20: PHNOM PENH
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- Depart for return flights home after breakfast.
Trip Price
Per person double occupancy: $7,990 + $620 on-tour airfare
Single supplement: $1480
Included
- Accommodation, based on double occupancy, in hotels as listed in the itinerary
- Individual arrival and departure transfers on the group arrival and departure dates only
- Meals as listed in the itinerary including bottled water and wine at the welcome and farewell dinner
- Water on the bus at all times
- All sightseeing and excursions in a private airconditioned bus
- All private events and speakers as listed
- All entrance fees listed
- Services of an English-speaking local guide in each country
- Services of a Distant Horizons tour manager who will accompany the group throughout
- Basic gratuity to tour manager/guides and bus driver
- Whisper devices to facilitate hearing guides on-site
Not Included
- International airfare to Ho Chi Min City and from Phnom Penh
- On-tour airfare: Ho Chi Minh City/Hue, Hoi An/ Hanoi, Hanoi/Siem Reap, Siem Reap/Phnom Penh: $620 (as of July 2025. Subject to change. These flights will be booked for the group)
- Drinks with meals
- Passport fees
- Visa fees
- Excess luggage charges
- Travel Insurance
- Items of a purely personal nature
- Any item not listed as included