12-Day Private Tour of Vietnam and Cambodia from Hanoi
This private luxury tour features the historic, cultural, and culinary highlights of Vietnam and Cambodia.
Begin in Hanoi, Vietnam's fascinating capital and intellectual center. During private touring, visit the city's most important historical attractions.
Next, travel to Halong Bay for an overnight cruise on a luxurious, traditional junk-style boat. Sail among beautiful limestone islands.
Continue to Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam.
Next, visit Hoi An, an atmospheric port town and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Explore the colorful backstreets, and tour well-preserved historic homes.
Fly to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's most dynamic city. With your private guide and driver, take an excursion to the Cu Chi Tunnels. One day, visit the Mekong Delta. Cruise by private sampan through the canals.
Finally, fly to Siem Reap, Cambodia, to explore incredible Angkor, the wondrous ruins of the ancient Khmer empire with your private guide.
ItineraryDay 1: Welcome to HanoiStop At: Hanoi, Hanoi
Fly to Hanoi, VIETNAM
Welcome to Vietnam. Upon arrival in Hanoi, obtain your Vietnam visa, and then clear Immigration and Customs. After collecting your baggage, exit the airport to meet outside a local Guide of Global Travel & Tours Asia. He/she will be holding a sign with your names on it.
Private transfer: You will be privately transferred between the airport and your hotel by a professional driver and an English-speaking guide. Vietnam’s capital city. Hanoi, originally named Thang Long or “City of the Ascending Dragon” was the first capital of Vietnam in A.D. 1010. Situated in the Centre North of Vietnam, the city is known as one of the most attractive and interesting places for visitors.
Settle in and enjoy the afternoon and evening at your leisure.
Duration: 3 hours
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Stay tonight at the Hanoi La Siesta Hotel (Deluxe Room)
Day 2: Full Day Private Tour History in HanoiStop At: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, 2 Hung Vuong Ba Dinh Square, Hanoi 100000 Vietnam
This morning you'll head out with your guide and begins with a visit the Ho Chi Minh Complex and Ba Dinh Square, an important point of pilgrimage for many Vietnamese. The area surrounding the complex is a traffic-free zone filled with botanical gardens, monuments, memorials and pagodas, and includes the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (outside), Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House, the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh Museum and the One Pillar Pagoda. Travel back in time to the nearby simple cottage on stilts where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked during his humble beginnings as a revolutionary. Walk a few blocks out of the Ho Chi Minh Complex to the 11th century Buddhist One Pillar Pagoda, an elegant construction rising from the center of a square-shaped lotus pond on a solitary pillar.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Temple of Literature & National University, Quoc Tu Giam Street Dong Da District, Hanoi 100000 Vietnam
Next, visit Temple of Literature is a temple dedicated to Confucius in Hanoi, northern Vietnam. The temple also hosts the Imperial Academy, Vietnam's first national university. The temple was built in 1070 at the time of Emperor Lý Thánh Tông. It is one of several temples in Vietnam which is dedicated to Confucius, sages and scholars.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, Nguyen Van Huyen Street, Cau Giay, Hanoi 100000 Vietnam
You'll then, continue to visit the Museum of Ethnology, where we'll learn about the fascinating cultural diversity of this ancient land.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Hanoi Opera House, 01 Trang Tien - Phan Chu Trinh Old Quarter, Hanoi 100000 Vietnam
After lunch at a favorite local restaurant, drive through Colonial Hanoi, seeing the Hanoi Opera House, or the Grand Opera House is an opera house in central Hanoi, Vietnam. It was erected by the French colonial administration between 1901 and 1911.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Hoa Lo Prison, 1 Hoa Lo St Hoan Kiem, Hanoi 10000 Vietnam
Go inside infamous Hoa Lo Prison (“Hanoi Hilton”), where Senator John McCain and Douglas “Pete” Wilson were once imprisoned.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Hanoi Old Quarter Culture Exchange Center, 50 Dao Duy Tu Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi 10000 Vietnam
Take a cyclo ride through the Hanoi’s Old Quarter, a network of narrow alleys and shop houses also known as “The 36 Streets.” This is a wonderful place to watch the local life, and peruse items from fabrics to crafts to exotic medicines.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Thang Long Water Puppet, 57B Dinh Tien Hoang - Hoan Kiem - Ha Noi, Hanoi 10000 Vietnam
Enjoy a traditional Vietnamese water puppet performance, a uniquely North Vietnamese art form celebrating rural life and folklore for over 1,000 years, this evening.
Duration: 1 hour
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Stay tonight at the Hanoi La Siesta Hotel (Deluxe Room)
Day 3: Hanoi - Cruising on Ha Long BayStop At: Halong Bay, Halong Bay, Quang Ninh Province
Watch rural Vietnamese daily life unfold as you pass water buffalo, ancient temples and local farmers at work in the rice paddies en route to Ha Long Bay. Called the “Bay of the Descending Dragons,” legend has it that dragons sent by the gods to help defend the land against ancient invaders spat out jewels and jade that became the many emerald-green islands and islets that dot the bay today. Board the Dragon Legend Cruise, combining traditional oriental design and modern amenities, for an overnight cruise among the thousands of limestone islands. After lunch onboard ship and more sightseeing on the bay. Cruise to Cong Do area to explore the well- hidden Thien Canh Son Cave, enjoy some free time to go swimming or kayaking, and have dinner onboard this evening.
Duration: 1 day
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Stay tonight onboard the Dragon Legend Cruise (Deluxe Cabin)
Day 4: From the bay to Hoi An via Da Nang Stop At: Halong Bay, Halong Bay, Quang Ninh Province
After spending part of the morning cruising on Ha Long Bay, disembark the Dragon Legend Cruise and return to Hanoi to catch your flight to the city of Da Nang on the South China Sea.
Later this afternoon board a flight from Hanoi with direct service to Danang. Approximate flight time is one hour and 15 minutes.
Duration: 4 hours
Stop At: Hoi An Ancient Town, Hoi An 560000 Vietnam
Fly Hanoi to Da Nang, departing 17:05, arriving 18:20
From there, you'll travel a short distance to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hoi An, where you'll spend the next two nights.
Hoi An, known to early Western merchants, was one of the major trading centre of Southeast Asia in the 16th century. Hoi An has a distinctive Chinese atmosphere with low, tiled-roof houses and narrow streets; the original structure of some of these streets is still virtually intact. Many of the houses were constructed of rare timbers and decorated with lacquer panels engraved with Chinese characters and pillars carved with ornamental designs.
Settle in and enjoy the evening at your leisure.
Duration: 3 hours
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Stay tonight at the La Siesta Resort & Spa (Deluxe Balcony Room)
Day 5: The past preserved in centuries-old Hoi An Stop At: Japanese Covered Bridge, Tran Phu Street At the West end of Tran Phu St., Hoi An 560000 Vietnam
Today, discover how the traditions of the past are treasured in the present in Hoi An on the Thu Bon River, a key international trading port between the 15th and 19th centuries – now a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its well-preserved, centuries-old streets, dwellings, temples and pagodas, touring Hoi An's historic highlights via cyclo with your guide. Highlights of your walking tour through its charming streets, visit 17th century Japanese Covered Bridge, construction on this covered bridge began in the Year of the Monkey (1593) and was finished in the Year of the Dog (1595), hence the monkey and dog sculptures at either end.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: The Old House of Phun Hung, 4 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai St., Hoi An Vietnam
Next, your cyclo will ride to Phung Hung old house was built over 100 years ago during the development of the city of Hoi An. the owner named the house Phung Hung which means.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: Fukian Assembly Hall (Phuc Kien), 46 Tran Phu St, Hoi An Vietnam
Continue to visit the Fukian Assembly Hall (Phuc Kien), Hoi An was established in the year 1697. It is a great example of the Chinese architecture. The Chinese merchants of the Fukian Province are believed to build this huge assembly hall. However, some changes have been made to this Fukian Assembly Hall (Phuc Kien) in the course of time.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Old House of Tan Ky, 101 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Hoi An 100000 Vietnam
The Tan Ky House is a small unrestored five generation family home in the old quarters. It was built in the late 1890's and is laid out to show you what living.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Hoi An Riverside, Hoi An 560000 Vietnam
Then climb aboard a riverboat along the Thu Bon River to see the city from a different vantage point and visit a quaint boat-building village.
Duration: 45 minutes
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Stay tonight at the La Siesta Resort & Spa (Deluxe Balcony Room)
Day 6: World Heritage Site of Hué Stop At: Tomb of Tu Duc, Tay Nhat Hamlet, An Cuu Village, Hue 530000 Vietnam
No Vietnam travel experience would be complete without a visit to Hué, Vietnam’s most beautiful city, and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This morning drive in the scenery along the Vietnamese coast and Hai Van Mountain during a drive to Hue via Da Nang and the 18-mile-long "China Beach" – made famous by the 1980s TV show of the same name and now a popular Vietnam travel destination. Upon arrival, visit the tomb of 19th-century emperor Tu Duc, surrounded by vast, well-tended botanical gardens and beautiful open-air pavilions. Some emperors were so concerned about their graves being violated that, upon completion of the tomb, all of the thousands of workers who built them were put to death so as not to divulge the exact location of the body.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Tomb of Khai Dinh, Khai Dinh, 530000 Vietnam
Next, continue to the Tomb of Khai Dinh, hidden in Chau Chu Mountain. Built for the Nguyen emperor Khai Dinh between 1920-31, it is an impressive structure combining western and eastern architecture, guarded by statues of soldiers and animals.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Hue Imperial City (The Citadel), Hue Vietnam
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.
Duration: 3 hours
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Stay tonight at the Azerai La Residence (Superior River View Room)
Day 7: Hue to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Stop At: Thien Mu Pagoda, Kim Long Road Huong Long Village, Hue 532761 Vietnam
This morning explore Hué’s tranquil setting as you admire Thien Mu Pagoda (“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.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Tomb of Minh Mang, Huong Tho, Hurong Tra, Hue 530000 Vietnam
Next, you’ll visit Minh Mang Royal tomb, set amidst a lush pine hill by the river and considered to be one of the most beautiful mausoleums. Each ruler of the Imperial City built his own tomb during his reign.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City
Later this afternoon, you'll be transferred to the airport in time for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City.
Board a flight from Hue with direct service to Ho Chi Minh City. Approximate flight time is one hour and 30 minutes.
Fly Hue to Ho Chi Minh City, departing 13:45, arriving 15:15
Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival at the Airport. After collecting your baggage, exit the airport to meet outside a local Guide. He/she will be holding a sign with your names on it.
From the airport, you will be privately transferred to your hotel. Formerly known as Saigon, today’s Ho Chi Minh City is the bustling and vibrating economic centre of the South. Over the past few centuries, Saigon was called the “Pearl of the Far East” and was an important trading centre for Chinese, Japanese and Western merchants who travelled along the Saigon River.
Settle in and enjoy the afternoon and evening at your leisure.
Duration: 3 hours
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Stay tonight at the Hotel des Arts Saigon MGallery (Deluxe Room)
Day 8: Discover Saigon & Cu Chi TunnelsStop At: Cu Chi Tunnels, Phu Hiep TL15 Phu Hiep, Ho Chi Minh City 700000 Vietnam
Today's Ho Chi Minh City – once known as Saigon – bustles with forward-looking energy in glittering skyscapes, street vendors and open-air cafés. After breakfast, head to the Cu Chi Tunnels in Ben Duoc for a close-up look at the Vietnam War. Stretching out in a 120-mile underground network of meeting rooms, triage centers and kitchens, this vast complex allowed North Vietnamese combatants to evade discovery as they moved freely throughout the area, and offers a unique look at life in wartime Vietnam.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, 01 Cong xa Paris Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City 700000 Vietnam
After lunch at a favorite local restaurant, continue to discover Saigon's historic landmarks including Notre Dame Cathedral.
Duration: 35 minutes
Stop At: Central Post Office, 125 Hai Ba Trung, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City 70000 Vietnam
Next, visit Saigon Central Post Office, is a post office in the downtown Ho Chi Minh City, near Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica, the city's cathedral. The building was constructed when Vietnam was part of French Indochina in the late 19th century.
Duration: 35 minutes
Stop At: The Independence Palace, 106 Nguyen Du District 1, Ho Chi Minh City 700000 Vietnam
Next, continue to visit Reunification Hall, historically known as Independence Palace, the former nerve center of the war for South Vietnam. Still largely maintaining its 1970s décor, the palace rooms are surprisingly spartan. The dank, reinforced basement has large-scale maps, communications equipment and tunnels.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: War Remnants Museum, 28 Vo Van Tan Ward 6, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City 700000 Vietnam
Lastly, explore the touching War Remnants Museum, containing poignant reminders of the war.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Ben Thanh Market, Le Loi, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City 700000 Vietnam
End the day with a visit to the colorful Ben Thanh Market.
Duration: 35 minutes
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Stay tonight at the Hotel des Arts Saigon MGallery (Deluxe Room)
Day 9: Saigon - Mekong Delta – Siem Reap, CAMBODIAStop At: Cai Be, Cai Be, Tien Giang Province, Mekong Delta
This morning, meet your guide and transfer to the Cai Be jetty together. Your crew welcome Cai Be Princess sampan sets off for its leisurely cruise on the busy waterways. On the river, boat traffic is endless and the activity never ceases. From the comfort of your sampan observe life as it plays out on the riverbanks - the people, the stunning landscapes – while your attentive crew serves you tea and seasonal fruit. We’ll make stops along the way to provide glimpses of local microidustries: coconut candy and puffed rice (the local equivalent of popcorn), products that provide a living for the river people. Your cruise ends at Le Longanier Restaurant. Lunch is served in this exquisite colonial-style villa set in a lush tropical garden by the river, surrounded by fruit trees, giving you a sense of life during Indochinese times. After lunch, take a short walk along the nearby canal system towards the Ba Bon Bridge where your personal vehicle awaits to drive you back to Ho Chi Minh City.
Duration: 6 hours
Stop At: Siem Reap, Siem Reap, Siem Reap Province
Your journey continues on to Cambodia as you fly to Siem Reap. You will be privately transferred between the airport and your hotel by a professional driver and an English-speaking guide for a three-night stay at the Shinta Mani Shack, the closest hotel to the treasures of the fabled archaeological site at Angkor.
Settle in and enjoy the evening at your leisure.
Duration: 3 hours
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Stay tonight at the Golden Temple Hotel (Deluxe Room)
Day 10: The wonders of AngkorStop At: Angkor Thom South Gate, National Road #6 Angkor Archaeological Park, Siem Reap 17252 Cambodia
Spend the early morning visit the ancient capital of Angkor Thom (12th century). This huge walled complex was the centre of the world’s largest city in 1200. Following the occupation of Angkor by the Chams from 1177 to 1181, the King Jayavarman VII decided to build an impregnable fortress at the heart of his empire. The scale is simply staggering and we are immediately overwhelmed by the audacity of Jayavarman on arrival at the city’s gates. The causeway is lined by an intricate bridge depicting the Churning of the Ocean of Milk from Hindu mythology in which the devas (gods) and asuras (devils) play tug of war with a naga (seven-headed serpent) to obtain the elixir of immortality. Its vast walls, some 6m wide, 8m high and 13km in length contain many monuments.
Duration: 35 minutes
Stop At: Bayon Temple, Angkor Thom, Siem Reap Cambodia
Next, visit Bayon temple surrounded by faces on all sides, visitors never forget the enigmatic and enchanting temple of the Bayon. At the exact centre of Angkor Thom, this is an eccentric expression of the creative genius and inflated ego of Cambodia’s most celebrated king. Its 54 towers are each topped off with the four faces of Avalokiteshvara (Buddha of Compassion), which bear more than a passing resemblance to the king himself. These colossal heads stare down from every side, exuding power and control with a hint of compassion, just the mix required to keep a hold on such a vast empire.
Unlike his predecessors who had worshipped the Hindu deities of Shiva and Vishnu, Jayavarman VII adopted Mahayana Buddhism as the fount of royal divinity. This sets the Bayon apart from many other Angkorian monuments. The bas-reliefs here depict intricate scenes of ancient battles against the Chams and offer a wonderful snapshot of daily life during the Angkor period.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Baphuon Temple, Angkor Tom Angkor Archaeological Park, Siem Reap 17252 Cambodia
Continue to visit Baphuon. It is located in Angkor Thom, northwest of the Bayon. Built in the mid-11th century, it is a three-tiered temple mountain built as the state temple of Udayadityavarman II dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva.
Duration: 35 minutes
Stop At: Terrace of the Elephants, Angkor Thom Angkor Archaeological Park, Siem Reap 17252 Cambodia
Stroll to the Terrace of the Elephants is part of the walled city of Angkor Thom. The terrace was used by Angkor's king Jayavarman VII as a platform from which to view his victorious returning army. It was attached to the palace of Phimeanakas, of which only a few ruins remain.
Duration: 35 minutes
Stop At: Terrace of the Leper King, Angkor Thom Angkor Archaeological Park, Siem Reap 17252 Cambodia
We also visit, Terrace of the Leper King is located in the northwest corner of the Royal Square of Angkor Thom, Cambodia. It was built in the Bayon style under Jayavarman VII, though its modern name derives from a 15th-century sculpture discovered at the site. The statue depicts the Hindu god Yama, the god of death.
Duration: 35 minutes
Stop At: Phimeanakas, Angkor Wat Angkor Archaeological Park, Siem Reap 17252 Cambodia
Visit, Phimeanakas or Vimeanakas, is a Hindu temple in the Khleang style, built at the end of the 10th century, during the reign of Rajendravarman, then completed by Suryavarman I in the shape of a three tier pyramid as a Hindu temple.
Duration: 35 minutes
Stop At: Ta Prohm, National Road #6 Angkor Archaeological Park, Siem Reap 17252 Cambodia
Next, you’ll continue to Ta Phrom this temple is perhaps the most atmospheric of all Angkor’s treasures. The temple was a monastery built by Jayavarman VII as a residence for his mother. Ta Prohm has been left to the destructive power of nature by archaeologists to demonstrate the awesome power of nature.
It has been largely consumed by the jungle and as you climb through the dilapidated stone structures you see many giant trees growing out of the top of the temple itself. At every turn you expect to see Indiana Jones or Lara Croft step out from behind a fallen pillar. It is one of the most regularly visited temples, with visitors often arriving during the middle of the day to take advantage of the protective forest canopy above the ruined temple. Ta Prohm looks as many of the monuments did when European explorers first laid eyes on them. This was one of the settings for Lara Croft’s adventures in “Tomb Raider”.
Afterwards, enjoy your lunch at a delicious local restaurant.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Stop At: Angkor Wat, Sangkat Nokor Thum, Siem Reap Cambodia
Take a break for lunch at local restaurant and afterwards, 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.
Duration: 3 hours
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Stay tonight at the Golden Temple Hotel (Deluxe Room)
Day 11: Khmer temples & a Tonle Sap Lake cruiseStop At: Banteay Srei, Siem Reap Cambodia
This morning, journey north to visit Banteay Srei. This jewel of Angkor was built by a Brahman in the 10th Century and dedicated to Shiva. The famous pink sandstone structure bears a series of exquisite sculptures, lintels and friezes. These, it is said, must have been carved by women as the detail is too fine for the hands of a man. This gives the origin of the Khmer name, Fortress of the Women. While it may be a small temple complex, the beauty of Banteay Srei is found not in the scale, but the detail. Many believe the intricate carving is the best example of Khmer classical art in existence. Stop at a local village to visit families who are producing palm sugar.
Duration: 3 hours
Stop At: Preah Khan, Angkor Wat Angkor Archaelogical Park, Siem Reap 17252 Cambodia
Next, continue to visit Preah Khan, built in the same style as Ta Prohm, Preah Khan is a much better state of preservation. Meaning The Sacred Sword, this temple was also built by Jayavarman VII and is famous for its immensely long cruciform corridors and delicate carvings, including the spectacular hall of dancers. Look out for the curious two-storey structure that is almost Grecian in inspiration. This is one of the few temples originally dedicated to both Buddhism and Hinduism. The original eastern entrance was for Mahayana Buddhists, while the other cardinal points represented the Hindu trinity of Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma.
Afterwards, enjoy your lunch at a delicious local restaurant in town.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Kampong Phluk Floating Village, Siem Reap Cambodia
After lunch, you’ll continue for a tour of the surrounding countryside and take an ox-cart ride through the villages and the rice fields. At the end of your ride, have a fresh coconut drink with the family and do not hesitate to talk with the local people to get to know more about their lives. Later, you may wish to join us for drive to the fishing village of Kompong Pluk near Siem Reap and board a private boat. Visit Kompong Pluk village with its houses standing on stilts and board a pirogue to discover the seasonally flooded forest. Visit the floating village and discover the centuries-old lifestyle of the inhabitants of the lake.
Duration: 2 hours
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Stay tonight at the Golden Temple Hotel (Deluxe Room)
Day 12: Homeward boundStop At: Siem Reap, Siem Reap, Siem Reap Province
Tour ends: Siem Reap. A transfer from Borei Angkor Resort & Spa to Siem Reap International Airport is included. Please allow 3 hours for airport check-in formalities. We wish you a safe and pleasant journey home.
Duration: 3 hours
Meals included:
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No accommodation included on this day.
Informacion Adicional
"Not wheelchair accessible"
"Stroller accessible"
"Infants must sit on laps"
"Not recommended for travelers with back problems"
"Not recommended for pregnant travelers"
"No heart problems or other serious medical conditions"
"Most travelers can participate"
"This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate"
"Confirmation will be received at time of booking"
Duración: 12 Days
Lugar de comienzo: Traveler pickup is offered
Airports- Noibai Airport, Hanoi Vietnam
Cancelaciones y devoluciones:
If you cancel at least 7 day(s) in advance of the scheduled departure, there is no cancellation fee.
If you cancel between 3 and 6 day(s) in advance of the scheduled departure, there is a 50 percent cancellation fee.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, there is a 100 percent cancellation fee.
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