Today you fly towards Southeast Asia.

On arrival in Phnom Penh, your Cambodian tour guide welcomes you and takes you to the hotel. Depending on your flight time, an early check-in is recommended so that you can move straight into your room and freshen up at your leisure (optional, bookable in advance). The rest of the day is at your disposal. You can already explore the area around the hotel and Phnom Penh on your own during an orientation walk. 1 night in Phnom Penh. (Distance: approx. 25 km; driving time: approx. 1 hr)

1 night · Double room · With breakfast In Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital, the modern and stylishly designed Patio Urban Hotel awaits you. It is located directly behind the Independence Monument, and several parks are not far away. From here you can reach all the important sights on foot.

This morning is dedicated to a short exploration of Phnom Penh. On an orientation walk, you take a look at some of the sights of this lively city and then visit the Royal Palace with its magnificent Silver Pagoda. At the appropriate time, you transfer to the airport and fly on to Siem Reap, the gateway to the monumental temple complex of Angkor (UNESCO World Cultural Heritage). You are met at the airport and taken to your hotel. 3 nights in Siem Reap. (B) (Distance: approx. 70 km; driving time: approx. 2 hrs)

3 nights · Double room · With breakfast Araya Angkor Residence is ideally located in Siem Reap, not far from the world-famous temples of Angkor. This stylish hotel offers you a successful combination of comfort and luxury for your stay in Cambodia. In the first-class restaurant you are spoiled with a selection of delicious international and Cambodian dishes. Relax by the outdoor pool or enjoy a refreshing drink at the bar. The standard rooms offer a cosy ambience with modern amenities that make your stay even more pleasant.

After breakfast at the hotel, you set off by tuk-tuk on your discovery tour of the fascinating temples of Angkor, among the most important archaeological sites in Southeast Asia. The vast complex covers more than 200 km² and comprises a multitude of different temples, such as the famous Angkor Wat from the first half of the 12th century. Among other things, you visit the South Gate of the royal city of Angkor Thom and the smiling faces of the Bayon temple: more than 200 faces, some of them several metres high, carved out of stone, gaze in all directions and show just one aspect of Angkor Thom’s impressive architecture. Afterwards, the temple of Ta Prohm lies seemingly untouched and overgrown by roots and trees amid the lush jungle vegetation – breathtakingly beautiful, which is why it has already served as a backdrop for various Hollywood productions. In the afternoon, you visit the most famous Khmer temple, Angkor Wat, and can marvel at this important archaeological site at your leisure. Before returning to Siem Reap, you visit another temple, where you take part in a Baci ceremony and are blessed with good wishes and prayers – a spiritual and inspiring experience. After a short break at the hotel, you take a walk around Siem Reap’s night market, where you can sample the varied street food. You end the eventful day with a drink on lively Pub Street. Afterwards, your tour guide accompanies you back to the hotel – or you can spend a little more time in the city’s pubs as you please. (B)

You begin your second day in Angkor with a visit to the Roluos group of temples. These are among the earliest temples of Angkor and probably date from the late 9th century. In the afternoon, you drive further out of town along a newly paved road through the village of Preah Dak to visit the well-preserved Banteay Srei temple, whose delicate reliefs round off your impressions of this imposing site. Finally, you visit the temples of Banteay Samre and Pre Rup before ending your last evening in Angkor at a relaxed pace. (B) (Distance: approx. 70 km; driving time: approx. 1.5–2 hrs)

Until your onward journey, the day in Siem Reap is at your disposal. Depending on your flight time, you have another chance to stroll leisurely through Siem Reap and browse for souvenirs. Or you can join an optional excursion to Tonle Sap Lake (bookable locally; the price depends on the number of participants, approx. USD 45 per person for 4 people). At the appropriate time, you transfer to the airport and fly on to Hanoi, Vietnam’s charming capital on the Red River. With a friendly “Xin chào” – welcome – your tour guide greets you at the airport and takes you to your city hotel in Hanoi. 2 nights in Hanoi. (B) (Distance: approx. 80 km; driving time: approx. 2 hrs)

2 nights · Double room · With breakfast Just a few minutes’ walk from the historic city gate, the MK Premier Boutique Hotel welcomes you in the heart of Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Its central location is an ideal base for exploring the famous 36 streets of the Old Quarter as well as numerous restaurants, cafés and sights with ease. The 65 modern rooms are equipped with TV, minibar, air conditioning, safe and private bathroom and offer pleasant comfort. Room sizes correspond to the usual standard in Hanoi’s historic Old Quarter. Rooms with large windows or a balcony are also available. Size, layout and view may vary from room to room. Due to the construction and dense development, some rooms have windows that cannot be opened. The in-house restaurant serves local specialities. The rooftop bar invites you to end the day with a drink while enjoying the view over the rooftops and lanes of the Old Quarter.

After breakfast, you start the day with an orientation walk that gives you an overview of the Old Quarter. You visit Hoan Kiem Lake with the beautiful Ngoc Son Temple and then stroll into the lively, charming Old Quarter. You wander through the narrow, bustling lanes, most of which are named after the crafts or goods originally sold here – from fabrics and medicine to gravestones. Along the way, you visit St Joseph’s Cathedral, a Catholic church in neo-Gothic style, and stroll across a local market offering all kinds of exotic fruit and local delicacies. Over lunch together in a local restaurant, you get your first taste of Vietnamese cuisine – a welcome break. Try the Vietnamese classic pho, a hearty soup with rice noodles, beef and plenty of fresh herbs. Afterwards, you explore some of Hanoi’s most important sights. Look forward to the house and mausoleum of the revolutionary Ho Chi Minh, still greatly revered in Vietnam (exterior view), and the unusual architecture of the One Pillar Pagoda. In the late afternoon, you are taken to West Lake, where, like the people of Hanoi, you enjoy a local beer on the street. Soak up the atmosphere, get to know your fellow travellers and your guide better and toast the journey ahead together. (B/L)

After breakfast, you drive out of the city to a nearby village. You explore the village on a walk and experience an authentic water puppet performance, an art form with a long tradition here. You then return to Hanoi and visit the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first national academy. You then continue your Vietnam tour towards Halong Bay. You travel part of the way by train. 1 night in Halong. (B) (Distance: approx. 200 km; driving time: approx. 4 hrs)

1 night · Double room · With breakfast Your hotel, the “D’Lecia Ha Long”, is located in Halong’s popular Bai Chay district. Just a few minutes’ walk from the hotel you will find various hotspots of the city, such as the Cai Dam seafood market, the Sun World amusement park and picturesque Bai Chay Beach, which stands out above all for its turquoise water. Your hotel has everything you need for a perfect stay: in the D’Lusso Lounge you can enjoy a refreshing cocktail or a delicious coffee in a cosy, relaxed atmosphere. In the hotel’s “Chopsticks Restaurant”, you can enjoy various Vietnamese specialities prepared at live cooking stations. The rooms are cosily furnished and impress with beautiful wood tones. Room facilities include air conditioning, a smart TV and free Wi-Fi.

Early in the morning, you go on board a ship and it’s “cast off”! Glide through the legendary landscape of Halong Bay with its mighty islands and rock formations rising up to 330 metres into the sky. Relax during the cruise and enjoy the breathtaking sight of the unique limestone landscape from on board. Since 1994, the area with more than 1,000 rocks, grottoes and islands has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Along the way, the ship anchors so that you can visit individual caves (subject to change). During the cruise of just under 4 to 5 hours, lunch is also served on board. In the afternoon, you return to Halong. After disembarking, you head to the airport in Hanoi, from where you fly in the evening to the old imperial city of Hue. Once at your hotel, you can round off this eventful day at your leisure. 2 nights in Hue. (B/L) (Distance: approx. 200 km; driving time: approx. 3.5–4 hrs)

2 nights · Double room · With breakfast The Cherish Hue Hotel is a charming, modern hotel in the heart of Hue! It is ideally located near the Perfume River and the famous Citadel and is the perfect base for exploring the historic city. In the spa you can treat yourself to massages and spa treatments, or work out in the fitness centre, which has all the equipment you need. There is also a pool to cool off in. The restaurant serves Vietnamese and international dishes, and in the wine bar you can round off the evening with a delicious drink. The Cherish Hue Hotel offers first-class comfort and warm hospitality. The standard rooms are stylish and cosy and offer the ideal retreat after an eventful day. They have a private bath or shower/WC.

Today you take a tour of the imperial city of Hue (UNESCO World Cultural Heritage) and experience the glorious past of the Nguyen dynasty. Around 40% of all Vietnamese still bear this family name today. After breakfast, you visit the Citadel with the Imperial Palace, which was built on the model of the “Forbidden City” in Beijing. You then visit an old mandarin house built in Hue’s traditional style. During a short tea break with snacks, you meet the hosts and hear many interesting stories about the culture and life of the people of Hue. Now sit back and let the atmosphere of the city wash over you on a cyclo ride. On the way to Thien Mu Pagoda, you then enjoy the charming, hilly landscape around Hue. The famous seven-storey pagoda, one of Hue’s landmarks, stands on a small hill and is dedicated to the Celestial Lady. To round off the day, you visit the tomb of Emperor Khai Dinh and enjoy the evening mood at sunset. (B)

In the morning, you visit the Tu Hieu Pagoda, set in a secluded forest, and the tomb of Emperor Tu Duc. You then continue your journey towards Hoi An. During an extended break at Lang Co Lagoon, you can stretch your legs on the beach and enjoy a lunch of fresh seafood. Through picturesque landscapes, you next reach the Hai Van Pass (Cloud Pass), the natural border between northern and southern Vietnam, and in the Marble Mountains you visit some natural grottoes in which Buddhist sanctuaries have been built over the centuries. Finally, you reach today’s destination, enchanting Hoi An. 2 nights there. (B/L) (Distance: approx. 150 km; driving time: approx. 3.5 hrs)

2 nights · Double room · With breakfast The Ancient House Resort is located in the picturesque port town of Hoi An and offers you an authentic stay, as the hotel has been family-run for five generations. It is also located on the doorstep of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the historic centre of Hoi An. The combination of traditional Vietnamese and modern style makes this hotel particularly unique. The traditional rooms have a private balcony overlooking the garden or the pool, free Wi-Fi and toiletries. The outdoor pool is available for relaxation.

This morning, on a walking tour, you discover the diversity of the historic town of Hoi An (UNESCO World Cultural Heritage) and have the unique opportunity to gain an insight into the local craft of lantern making. In a lantern workshop, you learn how the colourful lanterns are made and can make your own lantern as a unique souvenir. Around midday, you take an excursion to a herb village outside the town that is known for its organic farming methods. Villages like this in the area are usually non-profit farming cooperatives whose members receive land free of charge as long as they farm it organically. Learn about the herbs native to the area, which also play an important role in medicine. Look forward to a freshly prepared lunch of local specialities, which you can help to prepare, followed by a relaxing herbal foot massage. The beach is not far from here, so you make a short detour and enjoy a refreshing coconut at a lovely beach café overlooking the sea. This is the life! Back in Hoi An, you can spend the evening entirely as you wish. For example, explore more of the Old Town when, at nightfall, countless colourful lanterns light up the narrow lanes, try the culinary delights of the local restaurants or simply relax at the hotel. (B/L)

Today a transfer takes you to the airport in Danang and you continue your tour: you fly to Vietnam’s vibrant economic centre – Saigon! You are met at the airport and taken to your hotel in the city. First, arrive at your leisure in dynamic Ho Chi Minh City, as Saigon is officially called, and let the impressions of the bustling metropolis sink in. Then, together with your guide, you dive into the colourful hustle and bustle of Cholon, the city’s Chinatown. Among other places, you visit Binh Tay Market Hall, where you can haggle to your heart’s content for the best souvenirs, and Thien Hau Temple, where mainly local women make offerings to various goddesses. You also see the old church of St Francis Xavier and the “medicine street” before heading back towards the centre. In the evening, you set out to explore the modern part of Saigon. In a trendy rooftop bar you enjoy a sundowner and feel the pulsating metropolis around you and at your feet, high above the rooftops of the city. 2 nights in Saigon. (B) (Distance: approx. 40 km; driving time: approx. 1.5 hrs)

2 nights · Double room · With breakfast The Happy Life Grand Hotel is centrally located in the heart of Saigon, just a few minutes’ walk from the city’s main sights. Besides its prime location, the hotel impresses with its modern and elegant architecture. Every room has a private bathroom, a flat-screen TV and free Wi-Fi. Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of this 4-star hotel, whose large outdoor pool, rooftop bar and fitness centre contribute to your well-being. Treat yourself to culinary delights at the in-house restaurant, which offers a selection of international dishes and local specialities. The hotel offers you the perfect balance between exploring and relaxing.

In the morning, experience the modern metropolis of Saigon waking up and watch the armies of mopeds and cyclos that are everywhere in Ho Chi Minh City, as Saigon is officially called. Worshippers pray in quiet backyards, young people meet in noodle restaurants and many locals relax with walks and exercise in one of the city’s many parks. Marvel at the city’s architectural diversity as you explore it past modern skyscrapers, colonial buildings and traditional temples. Sights such as the Reunification Palace, Notre-Dame Cathedral, the City Hall, the Opera House (all exterior visits) and the Post Office are on the programme. In between, you take a short break at one of your tour guide’s favourite cafés and try a local coffee speciality. Whether “egg coffee”, Hanoi’s speciality, the latest trendy drink “salted coffee” or the classic Vietnamese “drip coffee” with sweetened condensed milk – you are sure to broaden your coffee horizons here. The afternoon is at your disposal. Explore more of the multifaceted business metropolis, enjoy a tasty noodle soup at one of the countless food stalls or join an optional excursion to the Cu Chi Tunnels (bookable locally; the price depends on the number of participants, approx. USD 38 per person for 4 people). The tunnel system, more than 200 km long, was used very successfully by the Viet Minh as an underground area of operations against the French during the Indochina War and also played a major role in the Vietnam War. The ingenious system, which in places housed entire complexes with schools, field hospitals and sleeping quarters, was ideally suited to the partisans’ guerrilla tactics and was considered virtually impregnable. (B)

Today you leave the city behind and immerse yourself in Vietnam’s unique nature, as your tour takes you into the mighty river delta of the Mekong. Also known as Vietnam’s “rice bowl”, several million tonnes of rice are produced here every year. The flat land you cross is dotted with green rice fields, and gradually you cross more and more bridges over the branches of the Mekong. Around midday, you board your river cruise ship in Cai Be. Enjoy lunch on board as the ship slowly gets under way. Sit back and take in the lush greenery, the small canals and the everyday life of the people in the Mekong Delta. During a stop, you walk with your guide through orchards and rice fields and learn more about local products and how they are made when visiting traditional craft workshops and small factories. Back on board, you can round off the day with a drink at the bar and enjoy the magnificent backdrop of the sun setting over the Mekong. You spend the night on board your floating hotel in the middle of the Mekong Delta. 1 night on board. (B/L/D) (Distance: approx. 95 km; driving time: approx. 2 hrs)

When your ship casts off in the morning, you can watch the delta slowly come to life. In Cai Rang, you switch to a small boat and visit the floating market with its abundance of tropical fruit, vegetables and regional handicrafts. Early in the morning you experience the hustle and bustle here: from boats of all sizes, the people of the region sell countless goods. The floating markets in the Mekong Delta are not tourist markets but wholesale markets for fruit and vegetables from the delta – so the number of trading boats varies with the harvest season and demand. During the day, you also visit a rice noodle workshop before arriving in Can Tho. Here you get a special insight into a mandarin house and round off the programme with a short walk along the riverside promenade. Over a refreshing drink, you toast your journey together and enjoy a few small snacks and fresh fruit that your guide bought at the market in the morning. The rest of the day is at your disposal. 1 night in Can Tho. (B) (Distance: approx. 120 km; driving time: approx. 2–3 hrs)

1 night · Double room · With breakfast You stay at the 3-star-plus TTC Hotel Premium, located on the banks of the Hau River in the centre of Can Tho. The hotel is about 500 m from the Ong Pagoda, the night market and Can Tho’s stadium. The 107 rooms are spread over 10 floors and offer panoramic views over the river and the city centre.

In the morning, you leave Can Tho and head for Rach Gia. There you say goodbye to your guide and take the ferry to the popular Vietnamese island of Phu Quoc. On the island, your private hotel transfer (without guide) picks you up and takes you to your hotel. The rest of the day is at your disposal. 3 nights on Phu Quoc. (B) (Distance: approx. 135 km; driving time: approx. 3 hrs; ferry crossing Rach Gia – Phu Quoc: approx. 2.5 hrs)

3 nights · Double room · With breakfast The Crowne Plaza Phu Quoc Starbay welcomes you right on the beach in the north-west of Phu Quoc island. Surrounded by tropical vegetation and the fine sand of Bai Dai Beach, the resort offers ideal conditions for a relaxing seaside stay. The extensive grounds feature several outdoor pools, a fitness centre and the resort’s own Hoa Sim Spa. Direct access to the beach invites you to spend restful hours by the water, making the resort an ideal place to enjoy the island’s natural beauty. The hotel restaurant offers a selection of Vietnamese, Asian and international dishes. In the morning, a varied breakfast buffet awaits you, while at lunchtime and in the evening various culinary options provide moments of enjoyment. The modern and tastefully furnished rooms offer a pleasant retreat after an eventful day. They feature a private bathroom, air conditioning, TV, minibar and a balcony or terrace. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel.

Enjoy the day on the island’s dreamlike beaches or relax by your hotel pool and let the eventful days of your tour through Cambodia and Vietnam pass before your mind’s eye. (B)

Today, too, you can spend the day just as you like! (B)

At the appropriate time, you transfer to the airport on Phu Quoc for your return flight home. (B) Day 21: You land back in your home country with lots of wonderful memories.