Tour of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, Spring 2027

Departure from Sofia Airport on a Turkish Airlines flight at 10:05. Arrival at Istanbul airport at 12:35 local time. Departure from Istanbul on a direct Turkish Airlines flight at 18:15.

Arrival at Hanoi airport at 07:15 local time. Transfer to the Thang Long Opera Hotel 4* in Hanoi for early check-in and breakfast. You will have time to freshen up and rest before the tour begins.

In the afternoon we set off on a panoramic tour of charming Hanoi, which has been the political centre of Vietnam in various periods of its history, and on 2 July 1976 was officially declared the country's capital. The tour takes us to Ba Dinh Square and the Ho Chi Minh complex, home to the Governor's Palace, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the museum bearing his name, which traces the history of Vietnam's struggle for independence. We will see the small wooden house where the leader lived simply and modestly, having devoted his whole life to his people. This is followed by a visit to the One Pillar Pagoda - a temple built by Emperor Ly Thai To in the 11th century - and the Temple of Literature - a Confucian temple and Vietnam's first university, where members of the royal family were educated. The university has five courtyards symbolising the five basic natural elements - water, wood, fire, earth and metal. The stone stelae on the backs of turtles, inscribed with the names of former graduates, are especially interesting.

Dinner in a local restaurant. Return to the hotel. Overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel and departure at 8:30 for Ha Long Bay - the pride of the Gulf of Tonkin, where we will spend the night on the Indochine Lan Ha Cruise 5* cruise ship.

Ha Long Bay is one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994 and 2006. Its name means “descending dragon”. Our route passes through the Red River Delta with green rice paddies and villages, where hard-working farmers are busy with their farm work. On arrival in Ha Long you will discover the magnificent beauty of this bay, formed by thousands of strangely shaped limestone rocks and karst caves. After lunch on board we can visit the caves, stop for a swim or kayaking, pass floating houses and approach some islets to enjoy their beauty up close. We will return to the cruise ship for a cooking show before dinner. Free time. In the evening you can join various activities on board or simply relax. Overnight stay on the cruise ship.

You need to wake up early if you want to enjoy the sunrise over the sea - a truly unique experience. After breakfast our ship continues to cruise through wonderful areas where almost every islet has its own name, inspired by its shape, such as “Butterfly Rock” or “Turtle Islet”. Brunch on board. Disembarkation and transfer back to Hanoi.

We will arrive in Hanoi at around 15h. In the afternoon we will enjoy a cyclo (rickshaw) ride through Hanoi's Old Quarter. We will pass Hoan Kiem Lake (“Lake of the Returned Sword”), known for the legend of the giant turtle that in the 15th century gave the Vietnamese leader Le Loi a magic sword, with which he freed the country from the rule of the Ming dynasty. When he had won, the turtle surfaced and asked for the weapon back for safekeeping, and Le Loi dutifully returned it. Then we will try the famous egg coffee on Hanoi Train Street - a unique, aromatic drink that wins over locals and visitors alike. This sweet, creamy mixture of coffee and whipped egg is a must for every coffee lover travelling in Hanoi. Drinking a cup of coffee a few metres from the railway line and watching life flow around it is one of the most memorable experiences, attracting visitors from all over the world.

Check-in at the Thang Long Opera Hotel 4*. Free time for dinner. Overnight stay.

Breakfast. Check-out. Transfer to the airport for the 12:55 flight to Luang Prabang. Arrival in Laos at 14:00 local time. Transfer and check-in at the Villa Santi Resort 4*.

Nestled among dense mountain forests at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, Luang Prabang (the old capital of Laos) radiates tranquillity and a unique atmosphere. The European influence, evident in the preserved French architecture and street layout, blends with the many Buddhist temples, which earned the town a place on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995.

Dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for the Kuang Si Falls (30 km from Luang Prabang) - one of the places you must visit here. We will pass through a dense bamboo forest along a winding path and wooden bridges, which is an experience in itself. The beauty of the waterfall is incredible. In fact it is a single waterfall that splits into three. It starts from a shallow pool, then the water tumbles down beautiful cascades, the highest of which is 60 metres, and finally flows into a turquoise pool below. The distinctive milky-green colour of the water comes from the limestone it flows over and creates a surreal feeling. We will have the chance to bathe in the cool waters of the natural pool, a favourite place of relaxation for the people of the area.

Lunch in a local restaurant. Return to Luang Prabang. Free time to rest and stroll on your own. You can watch the sunset from the top of Phou Si hill, reached by 355 steps, which offers a 360-degree view of the town and its surroundings.

Return to the hotel. Overnight stay.

At sunrise, if you wish, you can watch the Tak Bat procession of hundreds of monks walking through the town to collect alms. In Buddhist philosophy, monks may not work and receive their food as a gift from the local people. We will visit the morning fruit and vegetable market and start the day with typical Lao coffee. Return to the hotel for breakfast.

A full-day tour of the famous Pak Ou Caves, which hold over 4000 statues and images of Buddha collected by the local people over hundreds of years. The place is sacred to believers, and the Lao people continue this tradition to this day. The statues range in size from 10 cm to 3 metres. The view of the limestone cliffs with reclining figures and statues of Buddha is unique from the point where the two rivers - the Mekong and the Ou - meet. Lunch in a local restaurant with typical Lao cuisine.

Return to Luang Prabang by traditional wooden boat, visiting a local fishing village on the way. Free time. Overnight stay.

Breakfast and check-out. We then head for the old town to see its sights: the Wat Xieng Thong temple with its unique mosaic of the tree of life, and the National Museum, a former palace holding many personal artefacts of the former royal family.

Transfer to the airport for the 14:45 flight to Siem Reap. Arrival at 16:10 local time. Transfer and check-in at the Somadevi Angkor Resort 4*.

Set-menu dinner with an Apsara dance show, included in the price. We will enjoy wonderful Cambodian cuisine while being entertained by a traditional Khmer dance show. Return to the hotel. Overnight stay.

After breakfast we will explore the South Gate of Angkor Thom, known as Great Angkor. It is a 3 km2 royal city enclosed by walls and a moat, the last capital of the Angkor Empire. We will see the famous Bayon temple - the only Buddhist temple in the ancient capital; the Terrace of the Elephants - an imposing two and a half metre high, 300 metre long terraced wall decorated with carved elephants; the Baphuon - a huge temple mountain in the heart of Angkor Thom; the Royal Palace area and Phimeanakas - a small laterite Hindu temple in the shape of a triple pyramid. The Terrace of the Leper King is at the northern end of the Terrace of the Elephants. Finally we will visit the Ta Prohm temple, a wonderful combination of human genius and natural beauty, where giant trees have been growing for centuries.

Lunch in a local restaurant. In the afternoon we will visit the Angkor Wat temple. Cambodia's ancient temple is one of the wonders of the Oriental world - the most beautiful creation of Khmer art, with its concentric walls, perfect proportions and wealth of sculpture. According to Hindu mythology, the Angkor Wat temple is a replica of the universe. We will also climb Phnom Bakheng hill, from where we will enjoy an amazing sunset over the ancient city of Angkor.

Return to the hotel. Overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel. Free time or, optionally: a half-day tour to Lake Tonle Sap.

After breakfast we will visit a floating village. We will take a traditional wooden boat on Tonle Sap - the largest freshwater lake in the Kingdom of Cambodia and all of South-East Asia. Here we will see many examples of the Khmer way of life.

In the afternoon - transfer to the airport for the 16:00 flight to Saigon. Arrival at 17:20 local time. Transfer and check-in at the Royal Hotel Saigon 4*.

Dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel. In the morning we set off on a tour of impressive Ho Chi Minh City. The city is better known by its old name, Saigon, from the time when it was the capital of the Republic of South Vietnam. In 1975, after the reunification of North and South Vietnam, the city was renamed after the leader of the Vietnamese Communist Party and President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh. To this day Saigon is the largest economic, commercial and cultural centre of Vietnam. On the tour we will visit the Independence Palace (seen from the outside only), partly destroyed during the war but still a magnificent example of 60s architecture; Notre-Dame Cathedral (seen from the outside only), rising majestically in the government quarter in the city centre; the Central Post Office - one of Saigon's historic buildings from the late 19th century, designed by Gustave Eiffel himself; and the Opera House (seen from the outside only), with its richly ornamented façade modelled on the Petit Palais in Paris. Then we will go up the Landmark 81 Saigon Skyview - the tallest building in Vietnam and the tallest completed building in South-East Asia - where we will enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of Ho Chi Minh City from a height of 390 m.

Lunch in a local restaurant. We then head for the Cu Chi Tunnels - an underground network of over 200 km that played a key role during the war. At their peak these tunnels functioned as underground cities, with traps, purpose-built living quarters, stores, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centres and kitchens. After watching a short film about how the tunnels were built, you can go through a short section to feel how narrow and winding they are inside.

In the evening we set off on a wonderful dinner cruise on the Saigon River (included in the price). During the unforgettable two-hour cruise on the Indochina Queen Cruise we will enjoy lively Ho Chi Minh City by night. On board one of the most authentic vessels on the Saigon River, you will taste amazing culinary delights, watch a special performance and admire the unique scenery along the riverbanks.

Return to the hotel. Overnight stay.

*Please note: Notre-Dame Cathedral is under renovation. The visit will be from the outside.

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for Ben Tre - the heart of the Mekong Delta.

After arriving at the Ham Luong pier in town or the Chet Say pier (5 km from the centre), we will begin our boat trip on the Ben Tre River - one of the tributaries of the Mekong. We will sail past mangrove trees growing on the bank. We will witness the busy activity of the town market on land and goods being transferred on the water into fishing boats and coconut cargo boats. We will see local handicraft workshops in the village of Nhon Thanh. The boat trip continues to a traditional brickworks, where we will see how bricks are made by hand. We will also visit a workshop making handmade coconut sweets and taste them. We will stop for lunch at a local restaurant by the river.

Return to the hotel and overnight stay.

Check-out. Transfer to the airport for the Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul at 06:35 local time. Arrival at Istanbul airport at 13:50 local time. Departure for Sofia on a Turkish Airlines flight at 20:30. Arrival at Sofia Airport at 20:50 on the same day.