Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand

Tour begins: 6:00 PM, Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi. Welcome to Hanoi! A transfer is included from Noi Bai International Airport to the landmark Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, your home for the next two nights, close to the historic Old Quarter and other notable attractions in Vietnam's capital city. Meet your Tauck Director and your fellow adventurers at our welcome cocktail reception and dinner at Le Beaulieu this evening.

Begin your Vietnam tour with a day including a memorable buggy ride through the back streets of Old Hanoi; a visit to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum; the colonial Presidential Palace that Ho Chi Minh refused to live in, along with his "house on stilts"; the famous One-Pillar Pagoda, constructed in 1049 to resemble a lotus blossom; and a visit to the infamous Hoa Lo Prison, known as the "Hanoi Hilton" during the Vietnam War. Sample Vietnamese specialties for lunch, then spend the afternoon as you wish. An art form that is unique to Vietnam and popular since the 18th century entertains you this evening during an enchanting water puppet performance. Please note: the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex is closed each year for annual renovations from September to December; Ho Chi Minh's stilt house and the One-Pillar Pagoda are still open for viewing.

No Vietnam travel experience would be complete without a visit to Hué, one of Vietnam's most beautiful cities, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; you'll arrive this morning following a flight to Da Nang. Upon arrival, visit the tomb of 19th-century emperor Tu Duc. After lunch, ride your private, pedal-powered cyclo to explore Hué's Citadel – which housed the Imperial City for the emperor's official functions, and the Forbidden Purple City for his personal time – then settle in to your riverfront accommodations along the Perfume River.

This morning, explore Hué's tranquil setting as you admire Thien Mu ("Heavenly Lady") Pagoda, a seven-story octagonal tower built in 1844, and cruise along the Perfume River; view the boats that continue to serve as complete family homes for many residents of Hué. Then take in the scenery along the Vietnamese coast and Hai Van Mountain during a drive to Da Nang and the 18-mile-long "China Beach" – made famous by the 1980s TV show of the same name and now a popular destination. You'll spend the next two nights at one of the most prestigious beachfront resorts in Vietnam, the Furama Resort Da Nang, set right on the shores of the South China Sea.

Meeting the locals is one of the best ways to connect with a destination and promises a close-up look at daily life in Vietnam. Pay a delightful visit to a local kindergarten in Da Nang this morning, then continue your Vietnam travel by journeying to historic Hoi An, a key South China Sea trading port in the 15th through 19th centuries, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Explore its shop-lined streets via cyclo and tour the 200-year-old "Phung Hung" house, noted for its unique architecture. What you'll see there will reveal much about the lives of Hoi An merchants long ago. Enjoy some time on your own in the afternoon, and have dinner at your leisure tonight.

Take a morning flight to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon), Vietnam's second-largest city; set off to the battlefield memorial site of Ben Duoc, northwest of the city, where you'll explore an underground world of tunnels and chambers three stories deep at Cu Chi Tunnels with your local guides. Used during the Vietnam War, the 120-mile tunnel network housed kitchens, dormitories, munitions factories, hospitals, and schoolrooms. Dine at the hotel this evening in a restaurant of your choosing.

Explore Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) with your local expert today, visiting the Ben Thanh Market and the former Presidential Palace, now called Reunification Hall (after negotiations rejoined the North and South in 1975). See the former U.S. Embassy, the Saigon River, 19th-century Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, and the stately Central Post Office designed by Paris' Gustave Eiffel. Enjoy the afternoon and evening as you please.

This morning, your journey continues on to Cambodia as you fly to Siem Reap for a two-night stay at the Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor, the closest hotel to the treasures of the fabled archaeological site at Angkor, covering an area twice the size of Manhattan. You'll be dazzled by what you see this afternoon at the vast, 12th-century Angkor Wat temple; the bas-reliefs and many devatas (guardian spirits) that cover its walls inspire awe and admiration. This example of classical Khmer architecture has been a significant religious center for Hindus and then Buddhists through the ages. Tonight's dinner is à la carte at your hotel.

Enveloped by jungle roots, fascinating Ta Prohm Temple almost seems to be a part of the dense rainforest that surrounds it. A legacy of Cambodia's Khmer civilization dating from 1186, it was originally built as a Buddhist university and monastery and continues to captivate today, as you'll see on your visit. The last capital of the Khmer empire, the walled city of Angkor Thom is
home to the richly decorated Bayon Temple, known for its eerily smiling carved faces; see the Elephant Terrace in Angkor Thom, which was the foundation of the pavilion in which the king held audiences. Later this afternoon, if you wish, join us for a cruise on Tonle Sap Lake, revealing fascinating floating villages with a return to the hotel via tuk-tuk. Dinner is at your leisure at your choice of restaurant in Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor.

Fly via Bangkok to charming Chiang Mai, Thailand, the "Rose of the North," established in the 13th century, and known for its artistic and cultural heritage. Enter another world when you arrive at the luxurious Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai, where your richly appointed accommodations feature a Lanna-style sala (pavilion) looking out over gardens, terraced rice paddies, and mountains. Take a scenic drive to Doi Suthep National Park, home to Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep – a temple perched at the top of a peak more than 3,500 feet above sea level – before enjoying dinner at your choice of restaurants back at the resort.

Elephants – Thailand's national animal – are an integral part of Chiang Mai's economy and culture. Visit an elephant camp today to see how these marvelous animals are trained to work in a teak forest; you'll have a chance to feed them bananas and sugar cane, watch them demonstrate various skills, and view baby elephants in the nursery before you return to your Mae Rim Valley resort. The remainder of the day is spent as you please.

Take an unforgettable excursion to the hill tribe villages of Chiang Mai today to meet the people of the Palong, Padong and Karen tribes, who live peacefully there as small farmers, observing and honoring their traditional ways of life. They'll share their crafts and folkways with you... you'll even get to try on the traditional neck rings worn by members of the "long-necked" Karen tribe. Return to your resort midday; the remainder of the day is free to spend as you please, with dinner à la carte this evening.

A morning flight takes you to Thailand's capital city of Bangkok for a three-night stay at Rosewood Bangkok; arrive in time for lunch at the hotel. The remainder of the day is free to explore as you please.

An express boat whisks you from the hotel to the Maharaj Pier for a morning of sightseeing in Bangkok, an intriguing mix of ancient and modern. Walk to Wat Pho, the oldest and largest temple in the city, to see the giant Reclining Buddha, then travel to the 18th-century Grand Palace for an "audience" with the Emerald Buddha and a visit to the Flower Market. Following a traditional Thai lunch, a motorboat ride returns you to your hotel for an evening at leisure in Bangkok.

Cruise up the Chao Phraya River and through a network of canals, called klongs, which lace the city. These often-bustling "city streets," lined with homes and small businesses, are where much of life in Bangkok is found; stop at Wat Arun (the Temple of Dawn) along the way. Then journey from the riverside to the Jim Thompson House & Museum, where you'll join a local guide to tour the art- and artifact-filled Bangkok home of the expatriate American architect, OSS officer and postwar Thai silk entrepreneur who mysteriously disappeared in the 1960s. Return to the hotel by the Skytrain for a free afternoon. Join us this evening for a farewell reception and dinner at your beautiful hotel.

Tour ends: Bangkok. A transfer from Rosewood Bangkok to Bangkok International Airport is included. Please allow 3 hours for your flight check-in.