Best of Vietnam and Cambodia with GSCC

Continue your flight to Hanoi. Relax, recline, and enjoy inflight meals and services onboard.
Overnight Onboard the Flight

Welcome to Hanoi! Upon arrival at the Hanoi International Airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel for check-in. While it may be the modern-day capital of Vietnam, Hanoi continues to retain its mystery and charm from past centuries. Narrow lanes and traditional shophouses invite visitors to explore the city, while many of its beautiful public spaces; lakes, parks, tree-lined boulevards, and monuments give the city an air of elegance and harmony with nature that is unique among Asian capitals.
Overnight in Hanoi

Start your day with a one-hour CYCLO RIDE to explore the capital city. This city blends long-established traditions with the modern imprints of Western colonization. Tree-lined boulevards and colonial buildings give the city a touch of Western elegance, while crowded blocks of tiny old houses and narrow lanes bear the charm of past centuries. Afterwards, visit the vast Ho Chi Minh Memorial Complex, a lovely park setting home to Ho Chi Minh's final resting place, as well as a museum and other memorials. Visit the HO CHI MINH MAUSOLEUM (closed on Mondays & Fridays) where one can pay their respects to the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh. Continue through the park to Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House, the simple two-room dwelling where Ho Chi Minh lived from 1958 until his final days in 1969. Preserved in the same condition as it was throughout his life, it may be seen through windows only. Visit the miniature One Pillar Pagoda dating from the 11th century which was rebuilt after being destroyed by the French in 1954. Today it stands near the vast Ho Chi Minh Memorial Complex. Then you will visit the TEMPLE OF LITERATURE, a peaceful series of walled courtyards and graceful gateways, and one of the finest examples of traditional Vietnamese architecture. Founded in 1070 and dedicated to Confucius, this was also the site of Vietnam's first university. In the afternoon you will visit HOAN KIEM LAKE which means "Lake of the Returned”, a lake in the historical center of the capital of Hanoi. The lake serves as a focal point for locals. Legend has it that King Le Loi handed over a magic sword called Heaven's Will which brought him victory in his revolt against the Chinese Ming Dynasty back to the Golden Turtle God in the lake. The Tortoise Tower (Thap Rua), standing on a small island near the center of the lake, is linked to the legend. Then, you will visit the NGOC Son Temple and the Rising Sun Bridge. The temple was built in the 18th century. It honors the 13th-century military leader Tran Hung Dao who distinguished himself in the fight against the Yuan (Mongol invaders), Van Xuong, a scholar and Nguyen Van Sieu, a Confucian master and famous writer in charge of repairs made to the temple in 1864. Jade Island is connected to the shore by the wooden red-painted Huc Bridge (The Huc, which means Morning Sunlight Bridge). Visit THE NEO-GOTHIC ST. JOSEPH'S CATHEDRAL, inaugurated in 1886. Visiting this cathedral is like being instantly transported to medieval Europe. The cathedral is noteworthy for its square towers, elaborate altar, and stained-glass windows. The first Catholic mission in Hanoi was founded in 1679. Visit the TRAN QUOC PAGODA, one of the oldest pagodas in Vietnam, located on West Lake. The pagoda is quite beautiful and done in a traditional Vietnamese style. An 11-floor Buddhist tower makes this pagoda a sacred spot for pilgrims from all over the country. Then visit the Museum of Fine Arts (Bao Tang My Thuat); housed in a colonial building the museum displays traditional Vietnamese  ne arts, ranging from sculpture and painting to lacquerware and ceramics. Afterwards, visit the HOA LO PRISON MUSEUM, more famously known by American prisoners of war as the Hanoi Hilton.
Overnight in Hanoi

With this tour, you will see an engaging and colorful spectacle of a traditional water puppet show. You will be able to learn about and discover authentic Vietnamese traditions. Gain some humorous insight into the local culture, customs, and folklore as you watch the puppets. The show will be performed in a pool using the water surface as the stage. Get ready for a unique look into rural Vietnamese life — folklore, and an important part of Vietnamese culture.

If you wish to see how the locals rise and shine in the morning, wake up early to join an exciting scene of hundreds of locals, passionately attentive in their morning exercises of Tai Chi Quan, jogging, martial arts, classical dance, and so forth. After breakfast, depart for Halong Bay, a Natural World Heritage Site designated by UNESCO in 1994. En route, you will pass by the Red River Delta with many rural villages, fascinating towns, and paddy fields. Upon arrival at the Halong Bay Tuan Chau International Marina, a boat will take you to the Halong Cruise. A refreshing welcome drink will be served followed by check-in into your cabin. Enjoy lunch. A delicious set menu lunch will be served in the restaurant while you can enjoy the incredible scenery. Cruise amongst the hundreds of islands as you head to Bai Tu Long Bay, passing by the towns of Hon Gai and Cam Pha, the Oan Lagoon, Mat Quy (Monster Head), Am Tich (Teapot) Islets, and the Vung Vieng fishing village. Visit a traditional fishing village by a local rowboat (1-hour trip) before you return to the vessel for free time or to join one of the following optional activities (price not included): Kayak into the village or swim near the boat. Then take a trip to an isolated pristine beach for swimming. In the early evening, enjoy a traditional Vietnamese cooking demonstration. Dinner will be served with local seafood. After dinner, you may choose to spend time on the top deck or try squid fishing before retiring to your cabin.
Overnight Onboard the Cruise

Take in the morning views of the breathtaking landscape with a warm cup of coffee or tea. You will visit the impressive Cave of Halong Bay — the Surprising Cave (Sung Sot) with your tour guide as you head on an incredible cave experience. As the boat starts cruising back to the harbor, see more of the breathtaking views of Halong Bay such as Fighting Cock Island (a symbol of Halong Bay), the Incense Burner, and the Stone Dogs Islands. After disembarkation, you will then be transferred back to Hanoi to catch your flight to Danang where you will be met and transferred to Hoi An. The exquisitely preserved merchant town of Hoi An was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. Its colorful shophouses and temples reflect a diverse heritage, dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries when it served as a major port for Western, Chinese, and Japanese traders. Today, it stands as a thriving center of traditional crafts and a shopper’s paradise which is best explored by foot.
Overnight in Hoi An

Wander through the cobblestone streets, low tile-roofed buildings, the bustling central market, and the small harbor where colorfuly painted boats are moored. This walking tour will feature visits to a private house, where members of the same family have lived continuously for centuries in a traditional setting, to one of the family chapels built by prominent merchants or official families as centers for ancestor worship, and a typical Chinese-style pagoda. Continue your journey to the Sa Huynh Museum, located in proximity to the Japanese covered bridge with exhibitions from the earliest period of the history of Hoi An. Discover handicraft workshops in Hoi An, where local products are made. Finally, your journey will take you to the famous Japanese covered bridge pagoda, first constructed in 1593 by the Japanese community of Hoi An to link the town with the Chinese quarters across the stream.
Overnight in Hoi An

Board a boat that will take you to the Thu Bon River to visit the Kim Bong wood carving village, followed by an excursion to the Tra Que vegetable village, by a quiet and peaceful stream. The Tra Que village is known for its fine quality and variety of vegetables and herbs in Vietnam, grown using a special method of organic farming. Explore the gardens with a local farmer, who will give you explanations of the different plants. Join the farmers in preparing the land and fertilizing it with algae from the local lake. Continue getting to know the local way of life by assisting with activities such as raking the ground, sowing seeds, watering greens, picking vegetables, and many other gardening activities. Return to the farmer's house to learn how to prepare special dishes with the local family. After lunch, you will return to Hoi An by bus.

In the morning you will travel back to the domestic airport in Danang for your flight to Saigon. Upon arrival, you will be met and head on a tour of the vibrant metropolis. Saigon teems with energy, activity, and motion. Everywhere you look, you will see the cohesion of the traditional and modern ways of life. The emerging modern skyline stands cheek by cheek with colonial buildings and traditional temples. Outside on the streets, young professionals zip by on motorcycles and chatting on cell phones. Inside the courtyards of the quiet temple, worshippers pray amidst clouds of incense. Begin your tour of this exhilarating city by exploring the historic center, strolling along Dong Khoi Street, formerly known as the Rue Catinat, the main shopping thoroughfare and heart of old colonial Saigon. Pass by classic European-style landmarks such as the ornate City Hall (Hotel De Ville) and the old Opera House (both may only be seen from the outside) and pay a quick visit to the neo-Romanesque Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office. Afterwards, dive into modern history with a tour of the Reunification Palace. Formerly the Independence Palace of the South Vietnamese president, this 60s style building was famously stormed by tanks on April 30th, 1975, signifying the fall of South Vietnam. It has been preserved in its original state, and the original tanks continue to be on display near the entrance gates. End the tour at the central Ben Thanh Market, where vendors display a wide range of goods and handicrafts.
Overnight in Saigon

Today enjoy full day tour to Cu Chi Tunnels and Tay Ninh. From the breathtaking city of Saigon, you will drive to the Cu Chi Tunnels. Never discovered by American forces, these tunnels served as an important Vietcong base during the American War. Stretching over 200 km in length, this incredible underground network, dug by hand out of hard laterite, connected command posts, hospitals, shelters, and weapon factories. Today, you will walk through the area and learn about the day-to-day life of the VC and see the cleverly disguised entrances, elaborate booby-traps, and even the inside of the tunnels, some of which have been modified to accommodate tourists. Afterwards, go to Tay Ninh, the birthplace of the Cao Dai religion, a fusion of Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Christianity, Islam, and native Vietnamese spiritual beliefs. Every day at noon, worshipers garbed in colorful robes flock to the Cao Dai Great Temple to participate in the daily prayer sessions, which visitors may respectfully watch from the upper balconies [Note: shortly before and during the annual TET festival (Vietnamese New Year), the daily ceremony of the priests in Tay Ninh may be canceled without prior notice)]. Later, you will return to Saigon.
Overnight in Saigon
Note: shortly before and during the annual TET festival (Vietnamese New Year), the daily ceremony of the priests in Tay Ninh may be canceled without prior notice.

Escape the bustle of the city and cruise along the waters of the Saigon River on a traditional wooden barge. Dine on an extensive selection of Asian and Western cuisine and enjoy a mix of live western jazz, classical, and traditional Vietnamese music along with a dance performance.

This morning you will be transferred to the Ho Chi Minh International Airport for your flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Upon arrival at the Siem Reap International Airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel.
Overnight in Siem Reap

Today, you will head on a tour of the Angkor Wat. This extraordinary complex is the crowning jewel of Khmer architecture, the national symbol of Cambodia, and the highlight of any visit to this breathtaking country. As the largest, best-preserved, and most religiously significant of the Angkor temples, Angkor Wat wows visitors by its sheer scale and beautifully proportioned layout, as well as the delicate artistry of its carvings. To approach the temple, first, you will cross the vast moat, continuing along a broad causeway lined with naga balustrades. As you enter the main building, make your way through a series of galleries and the courtyard before you reach the central sanctuary, which boasts breathtaking views over the causeway and across the surrounding countryside. On the way, stop to see the intricate stone carvings adorning nearly every surface, with some 1,700 Apsaras, or celestial dancers, sculpted into the walls. Along the outer gallery walls, runs the longest continuous bas-relief in the world, which narrates ancient stories from Hindu mythology, such as the famous Churning of the Ocean of Milk. From there, you will visit Angkor Thom — a fortified city that covers an area of 10 square kilometers! Enclosed by a magnificent wall and wide moats, this city boasts many of the most popular sights in Angkor. Enter by the monumental South Gate over a causeway lined by statues of demons and gods on either side, each carrying a giant naga. Continue to the Terrace of The Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper Kings, former spaces for public ceremonies, both adorned with dramatic bas reliefs. Visit the ruined Baphuon, the Royal Enclosure, and the Phimeanakas before continuing your tour to the mysterious Bayon Temple. In this temple, one of the most popular and compelling that Angkor has to offer, you explore the galleries of the wonderfully preserved bas reliefs and ascend narrow stairs to reach the central sanctuary, where you will see giant stone faces smiling enigmatically down at you from every angle.
Overnight in Siem Reap

Today you will be transferred back to the airport for your flight back home.