13 Days Private Tour to Cambodia, Angkor Wat and Vietnam

Cambodia and Vietnam in one sweep. This 13-day private tour packs Phnom Penh, Angkor, Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hoi An, Hue, Ho Chi Minh City, and the Mekong Delta into one carefully arranged trip. I like the private guides and drivers, which remove much of the stress from airports, transfers, and busy historic sites. I also like the strong mix of grand monuments and ordinary life, from Angkor Wat and Hue’s imperial tombs to a floating village, an ox-cart ride, and a Mekong sampan.

The tradeoff is pace. You change hotels often, take four flights, and cover a great deal of ground in less than two weeks. The $4,360 per-person price is substantial, but it includes quality hotels, meals, guides, private transport, entrance fees, cruises, and domestic flights, making it easier to judge as a full-service package rather than a simple sightseeing tour.

Key points at a glance

• Angkor gets two full sightseeing days: You see Angkor Thom, Bayon, Ta Prohm, Angkor Wat, Banteay Srei, and Preah Khan rather than stopping for one rushed temple visit.
• The trip handles difficult logistics: Airport pickups, private vehicles, English-speaking guides, and internal flights are arranged across two countries.
• History is presented from several viewpoints: Phnom Penh’s genocide museums, Hanoi’s Hoa Lo Prison, the Cu Chi Tunnels, the War Remnants Museum, and the Reunification Palace all bring difficult chapters into focus.
• Water is a recurring theme: You cruise Tonle Sap near Siem Reap, spend a night on Halong Bay, ride the Perfume River in Hue, and take the Cai Be Princess Sampan in the Mekong Delta.
• The hotel plan leans upscale: Lodging includes Golden Temple Hotel, La Siesta properties, Azerai La Residence Hue, and Mai House Saigon, or similar replacements.
• It works best for comfort-focused couples and small private groups: The tour has a private format, group discounts, and a recommended rating of 100 percent from 13 listed reviews.

Phnom Penh begins with palaces and painful history

Your first full day in Phnom Penh covers both the city’s royal face and its darkest past. The Royal Palace, built in 1866 under King Norodom, offers pagoda-style buildings and formal gardens. The Silver Pagoda is the highlight, with its royal religious setting and carefully maintained interior.

The nearby National Museum gives useful context before you reach Angkor. Its traditional architecture houses Khmer art and sculpture, so your guide can connect the pieces you see here with the temples later in the trip. Wat Phnom, the small hilltop pagoda that gave Phnom Penh its name, adds a quieter stop and a bit of local legend.

After a Khmer lunch, the mood changes sharply at Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and Choeung Ek, also called the Killing Fields. Tuol Sleng occupies a former high school taken over by Pol Pot’s security forces in 1975. Choeung Ek, about 16 kilometers south of the city, is linked to the detention and murder of around 17,000 people from 1975 to 1978.

I appreciate that the schedule does not treat Cambodia as only temples and tropical scenery. These sites are emotionally heavy, and the time allotted is fairly short, especially at Tuol Sleng. Still, including both places gives you a clearer understanding of modern Cambodia before you move into its ancient past.

That evening, you fly from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, with the listed flight running from 6:15 to 7:10 p.m. The airport pickup and onward hotel transfer are included, which is helpful after a difficult day.

Two days around Angkor, from Bayon faces to pink sandstone

Siem Reap is the heart of the Cambodian portion. Day three begins at Angkor Thom, the enormous walled capital associated with the 12th century. At the South Gate, you get your first grand approach to the temple complex, then continue to Bayon at the center of the old city.

Bayon is famous for its serene stone faces. Give yourself time to look up and around, since the carvings can feel crowded and confusing without a guide. The nearby Baphuon, Phimeanakas, Terrace of the Elephants, and Terrace of the Leper King fill out the royal center of Angkor Thom. Each stop is fairly short, so your guide matters here. Without explanation, these ruins can blur together.

Ta Prohm supplies a different mood. Built by Jayavarman VII as a monastery connected with his mother, it is known for its atmospheric courtyards and trees growing through the stonework. It is one of the most memorable stops on the route, though the one-and-a-half-hour visit may feel brief if you want time for careful photographs.

After lunch, you reach Angkor Wat for a three-hour visit. This is the right way to handle the site. The temple is vast, and the bas-reliefs and guardian figures deserve more than a quick walk to the central towers. Expect plenty of walking and uneven surfaces. The schedule is full, but the afternoon timing offers a useful break between the morning circuit and Angkor Wat.

Day four moves farther from the central temple group. Banteay Srei is smaller than Angkor Wat, but its pink sandstone carvings are exceptionally detailed. The journey north takes time, yet this temple earns its place because the scale feels more intimate and the decoration is unusually fine.

Preah Khan follows. Built by Jayavarman VII and meaning Sacred Sword, it resembles Ta Prohm but is in better condition. The contrast is worthwhile: Ta Prohm gives you tangled atmosphere, while Preah Khan allows you to read more of the original structure.

The afternoon combines countryside with water. At Kampong Phluk, you see a floating village area around Tonle Sap and then take an ox-cart ride through villages and rice fields. A fresh coconut with a local family is included. This is one of the tour’s more personal touches, though conditions in rural areas and on the lake can vary with the season. Later, you fly from Siem Reap to Hanoi, listed at about one hour and 50 minutes.

Hanoi combines scholarship, war history, and street life

Hanoi’s first full day moves quickly through political, cultural, and colonial landmarks. At Ba Dinh Square, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex is an important pilgrimage site for many Vietnamese people. The visit is more about national memory and public ceremony than architecture alone.

The Temple of Literature offers a calmer hour. Founded in 1070 and dedicated to Confucius, it also housed Vietnam’s first national university. The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology then broadens the view, with photographs, objects, and displays about the country’s many cultural groups.

After lunch, the route passes the Hanoi Opera House and continues to Hoa Lo Prison. Known to American audiences as the Hanoi Hilton, the prison held Senator John McCain and Douglas Pete Wilson. The site presents a difficult and politically charged part of the 20th century. You should expect a short visit, not a full afternoon of study.

Tran Quoc Pagoda, on an island in West Lake, gives the day some breathing room. Then a cyclo ride takes you through Hanoi’s Old Quarter, a maze of narrow streets and old shop houses often called the 36 Streets. This is a good use of private touring: you can watch daily activity without spending energy on navigation.

The evening water-puppet performance is a smart finishing touch. This North Vietnamese art form uses a water stage to present rural scenes and folklore. It is short, visual, and easy to enjoy even after a busy sightseeing day.

One night on Halong Bay, with little time to spare

Day six sends you northeast from Hanoi to Halong Bay, a UNESCO natural World Heritage site. The overnight Dragon Legend Cruise, in a deluxe cabin or similar accommodation, gives you a chance to see the limestone formations from the water rather than only from a roadside viewpoint.

The cruise is a highlight, but the schedule is tight. You spend roughly one night aboard and continue the next day. The morning includes tea or coffee with views of the bay, breakfast outdoors, and a rustic rowboat visit to Vung Vieng fishing village. You meet local people and pass through the water village before returning for the next transfer.

This is enough for a taste, not a slow cruise. If you want several days at sea, this itinerary will feel too brief. If you prefer a single overnight with your hotel, meals, and transport handled, it fits well.

That afternoon, you fly from Hanoi to Danang, arriving in the evening. The change from a boat cabin to Hoi An accommodation makes day seven a long travel day, so keep your expectations modest after arrival.

Hoi An offers the trip’s most relaxed old-town hours

Hoi An is one of the best places on this route for slowing down. The former trading port developed between the 15th and 19th centuries, and its old center preserves a mixture of Vietnamese, Chinese, and Japanese influences.

The Japanese Covered Bridge is the obvious starting point. From there, a cyclo ride reaches the Old House of Phung Hung, a more than century-old home. The Fukian Assembly Hall shows Chinese architectural influence, while the Tan Ky House remains a small family residence laid out to show how people lived in the old quarter.

A boat ride on the Thu Bon River changes your view of the town and includes a visit to a boat-building village. After lunch, you receive free time, which is important here. Hoi An rewards wandering, browsing, and sitting down for a drink more than racing from one ticketed stop to another.

The evening Hoi An Memories Show adds a large-scale cultural performance. It may appeal to you if you enjoy staged history and production design. If you prefer quiet streets and local restaurants, it is also the most commercial-feeling evening of the trip.

The included two-night stay at La Siesta Hoi An Resort & Spa, or a similar property, gives you a little more comfort than a one-night stop would. That extra night is welcome.

Hue turns imperial architecture into a slower chapter

The road to Hue takes you along the Vietnamese coast and into a city known for its imperial monuments. The Tomb of Tu Duc is set in a garden-like royal compound and reflects the emperor’s use of the site during his lifetime. Khai Dinh’s tomb is more compact and ornate, combining Western and Eastern design elements.

After lunch, you explore Hue’s Citadel by private cyclo. The complex once contained the Imperial City, used for official functions, and the Forbidden Purple City, reserved for the emperor’s private life. Two hours is enough for the main story, though anyone fascinated by palace layouts and restoration work may want more time.

Day ten begins with Thien Mu Pagoda, whose seven-story octagonal tower overlooks the Perfume River. The boat ride adds a pleasant change of pace and connects the pagoda with Hue’s setting along the water.

Minh Mang’s royal tomb sits by the river amid pine-covered grounds and is considered one of the most beautiful imperial mausoleums. The two tomb visits work well together because Tu Duc feels personal and garden-like, while Minh Mang presents a more formal design.

The Azerai La Residence Hue, or similar hotel, is among the tour’s more polished lodging choices. The listed superior river-view room makes particular sense here, since the river is part of the city’s character.

Ho Chi Minh City brings the war story into the present

After a flight from Hue to Ho Chi Minh City, day eleven begins outside the center at the Cu Chi Tunnels. The Ben Duoc site reveals underground chambers and passageways built several levels below ground. The visit is practical and physical, so wear comfortable clothes and shoes.

Back in the city, the route covers French colonial buildings and modern Vietnamese history. Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office sit across from one another, making this an efficient pair of stops. The cathedral’s exterior is especially important here, since access and restoration conditions can affect what you see.

The Reunification Palace was the former residence of South Vietnam’s president. It is closely linked with the end of the Vietnam War in April 1975, and its rooms and command areas help make that political transition concrete.

The War Remnants Museum presents machinery, weapons, and photographs with an explicit call for peace. Its viewpoint is Vietnamese, and the material can be upsetting. I would not schedule it immediately before a rushed dinner or airport transfer. Here, it follows several other historical sites, so you have time to process the day.

Ben Thanh Market supplies a lighter finish, with souvenirs and everyday commerce. Ho Chi Minh Square, near City Hall and the Rex Hotel, gives you a final walk through the city center.

Three nights at Mai House Saigon Hotel, or a similar hotel, is generous for this itinerary. It lets you recover from the constant movement and enjoy the city without changing rooms again.

The Mekong Delta closes the trip on the water

The final full day travels toward My Tho and Cai Be, where the Mekong spreads into its delta. The Cai Be Princess Sampan is a more polished boat experience than the rustic rowboat at Halong Bay or the riverboat in Hoi An.

The crew welcomes you with cold towels and a drink before the leisurely cruise begins. The route gives you a water-level look at delta life and the river’s importance to Vietnam and its neighbors.

Lunch at Le Longanier Restaurant takes place in a colonial-style villa surrounded by tropical gardens and fruit trees. It is a graceful end to a trip that has otherwise emphasized temples, museums, and war sites. The cruise and lunch are listed as included, which improves the day’s value.

On day thirteen, a transfer from Mai House Saigon Hotel to the international airport is included. Allow three hours for airport formalities, as advised in the tour details.

What the $4,360 price really covers

At $4,360 per person, this is not a budget tour. The value comes from what is bundled: hotel stays, daily breakfast, six lunches, dinner, private air-conditioned transport, English-speaking guides, entrance fees, boat trips, four listed flights, airport pickups, mineral water, taxes, and service charges.

The hotels are a major part of the cost. The plan includes one night at iRoHa Garden Hotel in Phnom Penh, two nights at Golden Temple Hotel in Siem Reap, La Siesta in Hanoi and Hoi An, the Dragon Legend Cruise, Azerai La Residence Hue, and Mai House Saigon, or similar replacements.

You still pay for unlisted meals, drinks, personal expenses, insurance, and tips. Those extras matter, especially across 13 days. But comparing this package with separate hotel, flight, guide, driver, ticket, and cruise bookings is the fair way to judge it.

The private format is particularly useful because the itinerary contains several long transfer days. Guides and drivers can meet you at airports, help with arrival procedures, and keep the schedule moving. One highly praised coordinator is Mr. Ann, who is described as checking in every few days and overseeing the trip closely. That level of contact can be valuable when the route changes countries and local teams.

Who should book this private Southeast Asia trip?

I would recommend it for couples, families, and small groups who want comfort and structure without joining a large coach tour. It suits you if you want major sights covered efficiently, prefer private transport, and do not want to arrange multiple flights and hotels yourself.

It is less suitable if you want long stays in each city, spontaneous travel, nightlife, or a low daily cost. The itinerary is physically and mentally full, with early starts, temple walking, museums about genocide and war, and several flights.

The strongest praise centers on organization, hotel quality, airport pickups, and the professionalism of the guides and drivers. That matches the tour’s real strength: not one single attraction, but the relief of having the complicated pieces managed across Cambodia and Vietnam.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want a polished first visit to both countries and value expert help more than independence. You will see an impressive range of Southeast Asia, from Angkor Wat and Halong Bay to the Mekong Delta, while staying in upscale properties.

Before paying, confirm visa requirements for your nationality, the exact replacement hotels if a listed property is unavailable, and the final domestic flight times. Also ask yourself if you can handle the pace. If the answer is yes, the tour offers strong practical value for a private, full-service trip. If you prefer fewer stops and more free time, choose a slower itinerary focused on one country.

FAQ

How long is the Cambodia and Vietnam tour?

The tour lasts approximately 13 days, beginning at Phnom Penh Airport and ending with a transfer from Mai House Saigon Hotel to Ho Chi Minh City International Airport.

Is this a private tour?

Yes. Only your group participates in the private tour or activity.

Which flights are included?

The listed flights include Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, Siem Reap to Hanoi, Hanoi to Danang, and Hue to Ho Chi Minh City. Economy-class tickets are included.

Are hotels included?

Yes. The package includes stays in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hoi An, Hue, and Ho Chi Minh City. The listed hotels may be replaced by similar properties.

Are meals included?

Daily breakfast is included, along with six lunches and one dinner. Other meals, drinks, and personal expenses are not included.

What is included during sightseeing?

Entrance fees for the listed attractions, private air-conditioned transportation, an English-speaking licensed guide, specified boat cruises, airport pickups, taxes, service charges, and three bottles of mineral water per person per day are included.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

You can receive a full refund if you cancel at least six full days before the experience start time. Cancellations made two to six full days before departure qualify for a 50 percent refund, while cancellations less than two full days before departure are not refunded.