Leave London Heathrow in the afternoon by Thai Airways International via Bangkok.

Arrive in the morning where you will be met by our representative and transferred to the Sofitel Plaza Hotel. Later this afternoon you will have a short orientation tour of the town by cyclo.

Morning city tour to include the Temple of Literature (1070 AD), Hoan Kime Lake (Lake of the Restored Sword), Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Museum (closed on Monday and during October and November), the old part of the city often referred to as “36 Streets” and the infamous “Hanoi Hilton”, Hanoi’s former central prison and now partly a museum. The afternoon is free.

In the morning you will be transferred to Halong Bay to board the Halong Ginger for your overnight cruise in Halong Bay (please note on some dates the sister ship, Halong Jasmine may be offered). Halong means, “Where the dragon descends into the sea” and legend has it that the 3,000 islands rising from the clear waters of Halong Bay were created by a great dragon who formed the visible rock outcrops with its flailing tail. The one night cruise provides views of stunning mountain scenery and floating villages as well as opportunities to explore the natural wonders of the bay such as Surprise Cave and Titop Island. The cruise departs Halong Bay around midday.

After breakfast disembark and return by road to Hanoi. After lunch at a local restaurant you will be transferred to the airport for the flight to Danang. Transfer to nearby Hoi An for two nights at the Hoi An Riverside Hotel.

Morning walking tour of this picturesque town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Places of interest include the Old Merchant House, Hoi An Museum, the Chinese Assembly Hall and the Japanese Covered Bridge. Afternoon optional excursion to My Son, Vietnam’s most important Cham site, recently recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. A number of the 70 towers dotted around this remarkable complex were damaged during the Vietnam War, but it still remains an important testimony to a unique culture.

Leave Hoi An for the scenic drive north to Hue via the Hai Van Pass. The journey time is approximately 6 hours with a stop en-route at the Marble Mountains and China Beach and the interesting Cham Museum. Two nights at the Accommodation at the Morin Hotel.

Hue served as the capital of Vietnam under the powerful Nguyen Dynasty from 1802 until 1945. Your full day sightseeing will include a boat trip on the Perfume River to the lovely Thien Mu Pagoda and also to the impressive Minh Mang’s Tomb. In the afternoon visit further Imperial Tombs, including that of the Nguyen Emperor Tu Duc, set amidst frangipani trees and a grove of pines. Visit the moated Citadel and Imperial City, including the Forbidden Purple City reserved for the private life of the Emperor. Time permitting, visit further Imperial Tombs, including that of the Nguyen Emperor Tu Duc, set amidst frangipani trees and a grove of pines.

Fly to Saigon, where in the afternoon a city tour of Saigon includes a visit to the Presidential Palace, the History Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral as well as a lacquer factory and Saigon’s bustling waterfront. Stay at the Majestic Hotel.

At leisure in Saigon. An optional visit to the notorious Cu Chi Tunnels is available. Please note that the tunnels are low and narrow and although they can be claustrophobic, there are plenty of other things of interest for those who choose not to enter the tunnels. Optional evening cruise on the Saigon River.

Journey into the lush setting of the Mekong Delta to the riverside town of Cai Be where you board your Bassac boat for a fascinating cruise through a timeless landscape of traditional houses and floating markets. Lunch is served as you set sail towards Cho Lach on the Tien Giang river. Sail through the Cho Lach canal through the traffic of sand and rice barges, in a scenery of fruit drying facilities and wooden ship building yards. Visit of a village on the banks of river Mang Thit, an opportunity to appreciate the way of life and hospitality of the local inhabitants. Visit of the orchard or rice fields nearby. Returning to the Bassac, enjoy the spectacular sunset before a delicious dinner is served and the anchor is dropped for overnight.

Waking before dawn, head up on deck to observe Tra On floating market as the sun rises. As breakfast is served, sail towards Cai Rang floating market, one of the largest and most vibrant in the Mekong Delta. Transfer to small local boat to visit the floating market, weaving in between the trading boats. Returning to Can Tho we visit the esplanade and the Mekong Delta Museum before continuing to Chau Doc on the Cambodian border (113 KM/approximately 3½ hours), where we visit the nearby Nui Sam Mountain. Overnight at the Victoria Hotel.

Our Mekong journey continues along the Mekong and across the border into Cambodia towards the French colonial charm of Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital (130 KM/approximately 4½ hours). This afternoon there is an optional tour to the Teul Sleng Genocide Museum and the ‘Killing Fields’ of Choeung Ek, memorials to the horrors of Pol Pot’s tyrannical regime. Overnight at the Sunway Hotel.

A morning tour of this most charming of cities includes a visit to the National Museum with its impressive collection of Angkor sculptures and the Royal Palace, where we have the opportunity to view the remarkable Silver Pagoda. An afternoon flight brings you to Siem Reap and the remarkable temple complex of Angkor. In Siem Reap stay at the Victoria Angkor Hotel.

We have a full day exploring the spectacular temples and jungle ruins around Siem Reap, without doubt one of the highlights of our epic journey and surely one of the most breathtaking and magical sites in the whole of the Indo-China region.

Further exploration of the temples this morning and this afternoon take to the expansive and rich waters of Lake Tonle Sap to explore something of life along the shores of the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia. A UNESCO Reserve and of vital importance to the local communities, the lake covers nearly 15 per cent of Cambodia’s land mass.

Fly to Bangkok this morning and connect with the onward Thai Airways International flight to London Heathrow arriving in the evening.