Follow the Mekong – Thailand, Cambodia & Vietnam for Solo Travellers

Day 1

Begin your holiday with an overnight flight to Bangkok via Singapore.

Day 2

Arrive in Bangkok, meet your Tour Manager and transfer to your hotel. Spend your afternoon relaxing and enjoying the hotel's facilities, or head out to begin exploring the city. This evening, round off your day by getting to know your fellow travellers at a traditional Thai dinner. Watch a performance of typical Thai dancing as you enjoy your meal, and celebrate the first of your three nights in the city.

Day 3

Immerse yourself in Thai culture, today, on a full-day sightseeing tour. Your first stop will be the colourful floating markets at Damnoen Saduak. Watch as the locals buy fresh produce from the traders on the boats, then head back into Bangkok for a guided tour. See the Royal Island, where the Grand Palace adjoins the Wat Phra Kaew temple with its Emerald Buddha, as well as the less formal Wat Pho temple, home to the gigantic Reclining Buddha, and the five-and-a-half-ton Golden Buddha at Chinatown’s Wat Traimit.

Day 4

Relax in Bangkok, or perhaps join today's optional River Kwai and the Death Railway excursion. Travel by train, through a fascinating landscape of rice fields and sugar-cane plantations and into the Thai jungle, to Nam Tok Sai Yok Noi. Enjoy lunch, and visit Kanchanaburi's beautifully-tended war cemeteries as well as the various museums connected with this area's tragic WWII history, the construction of the Death Railway and the infamous Bridge over the River Kwai.

Day 5

An early start sees you journey, through a stunning rural landscape barely changed in centuries, to the border at Aranyaprathet-Poipet, where you'll cross into Cambodia. Formalities completed, you'll begin the second part of your adventure with the short journey to the elegant French colonial city of Battambang.

Day 6

Today you travel to the village of Ksach Poy, on the banks of the Sangker River, which is home to some delightful traditional wooden Khmer stilt-houses. After time to explore, we'll head to the colourful market town of Siem Reap, home to the archaeological Angkor National Museum, and gateway to the incredible temple complex of Angkor Thom. This evening, you'll get your first taste of traditional Cambodian culture at an included dinner and dance show.

Day 7

Discover the four vast stone heads and countless carved faces of the Bayon, which stands in the heart of the 'lost city' of Angkor Thom, today. Angkor Thom was the greatest citadel of the Khmer Empire that ruled half of South East Asia for nearly 600 years, and its ruined boulevards and gateways cover a vast area to the north of Siem Reap. And yet it is not the highlight of this landscape littered with great ruins. That title goes to Angkor Wat. The world's largest religious building, with its five great towers and 1000-metre-long carved bas-relief, is dazzling and unforgettable. Expect to return to your hotel awed and amazed by everything you've seen.

Day 8

This morning, you'll journey across Tonle Sap, South East Asia's Great Lake, and see the villages built entirely on stilts that are home to the floating communities whose livelihoods depend on the lake's waters. An afternoon visit to the Angkor National Museum, to see its collection of sculptures, stonework and other priceless artefacts, rounds of a fascinating day.

Day 9

Travel to the Cambodian capital. Phnom Penh, a French colonial treasure-chest on the banks of the Mekong River. It's a city of dusty, faded glory, except in its stupendous Royal Palace and its Silver Pagoda of priceless Buddhist artefacts. This evening, enjoy dinner at the famous, riverside Foreign Correspondents' Club.

Day 10

Spend a thought-provoking morning at the Tuol Sleng Museum, which chronicles the Pol Pot years and the reign of the Khmer Rouge. Afterwards, you'll have the opportunity to take a good look around the National Museum of Cambodia, the country's largest cultural, historical and archaeological museum. You'll then board the fast boat along the Mekong River to feel the wind on your face on a thrilling boat ride into Vietnam.

Day 11

Your day begins with a visit to the holy mountain of Nui Sam. Studded with pagodas and temples, the mountain offers visitors stunning views over the Mekong Delta, which awaits you today. You'll stay overnight in the university town of Can Tho, with its colourful floating markets, busy working harbour and sacred Khmer pagoda, Muniwangsyaram.

Day 12

Enjoy another journey through the Mekong landscape of rice paddies, flat-bottomed boats, fruit trees and bougainvillea, peopled by farmers in conical hats and dotted with floating markets. Take a fascinating boat ride to the floating markets of Cai Rang and Cai Be, and visit the delta town of Vinh Long, before arriving in Ho Chi Minh City, this evening, for a two-night stay.

Day 13

The remarkable Cu Chi tunnel complex provides a poignant reminder of the country's recent history. This 200 km underground labyrinth was used by the Viet Cong as a base, and now serves as a national memorial for those who lost their lives in the conflict. Back in Ho Chi Minh City a guided tour will reveal its fascinating mix of French colonial history and modern Vietnamese life. Highlights include the grand General Post Office, the Reunification Hall on the site of the former President's Palace, the Xa Loi Pagoda with its bronze Buddha, and (time permitting) the War Remnants Museum. Your day ends with a celebratory Farewell Dinner: the perfect opportunity to look back on your holiday and relive the many highlights.

Day 14

Spend your final day relaxing poolside or exploring Ho Chi Minh City a little further, before you transfer to the airport, in the afternoon, for your flight back to the UK via Singapore.

Day 15

You'll touch down in the UK, today, after an overnight flight and an unforgettable tour of South East Asia.