Day 1 - Hanoi

Fly to Hanoi, former capital of French Indochina, then transfer to your hotel.* Check in for a 2-night stay, then relax or take a walk to stretch your legs and begin getting acquainted with the city.

Day 2 - Hanoi

After breakfast, take a tour of this unique, thousand-year-old Asian capital where old and new combine in a lush setting of parks and lakes. Visit the Temple of Literature, a maze of courtyards and graceful gateways, an excellent example of traditional Vietnamese architecture. See the vast Ho Chi Minh Memorial, a complex dedicated to Vietnam’s 20th-century Communist leader, and tour the notorious “Hanoi Hilton,” the facility where American POWs were held captive during the Vietnam War. Later, spend some time in the excellent Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, where you learn about the cultural heritage of this multicultural country’s 50+ ethnic groups. Relax this afternoon before dinner at a local restaurant. (B, D)

Day 3 - Hanoi & Siem Reap

This morning, check out of your hotel and proceed to Hanoi’s old town area. Here, you will explore the “36 Streets” by cyclo, the ubiquitous passenger bicycles of Southeast Asia. You will see charming French colonial mansions and boulevards, the bustling street life, and countless market stalls where you can buy anything from silk garments to gravestones. Ride through the streets—each with its specialty—and watch the locals practicing tai chi in the parks and on the lake shores.

Enjoy some free time for additional exploration before taking a short afternoon flight to Siem Reap in Cambodia. Check in to your hotel for a 3-night stay; tonight’s dinner is accompanied by a traditional Apsara dance show. (B, D)

Day 4 - Angkor Wat & Siem Reap

Siem Reap is the gateway to Angkor, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important archeological sites in the world. Begin your day with a visit to one of Angkor’s largest Khmer temples, Angkor Wat, built for King Suryavarman II in the 12th century A.D. With its beautiful proportions and extensive, intricate bas-relief stone carvings, it is one of the most spectacular sights in Southeast Asia. You also visit the mysterious Bayon Temple, known for its giant, stone carved faces with their enigmatic smiles. Later today, encounter present-day Siem Reap; visit a training center where young people learn the traditional crafts of stone sculpture, woodcarving and painting. You will also mingle with Cambodian locals as you stroll through one of Siem Reap’s open air markets. (B, D)

Day 5 - Siem Reap

Today, continue your exploration of the temple ruins left behind by the mighty Khmer Empire, which ruled Cambodia from the early 9th century for some 400 years. Its founder, King Jayavarman II, was a contemporary of Charlemagne, and his dreams of empire were equally grandiose. At its zenith, the Khmer Empire covered most of the Indochinese Peninsula. This afternoon, enjoy your afternoon at leisure exploring the streets of Siem Reap. (B, D)

Day 6 - Kampong Thom & Kampong Cham

After breakfast, check out of your Siem Reap hotel. A coach tour through central Cambodia brings you to your ship in Kampong Cham, via the provincial capital of Kampong Thom. Due to its central location, this area is rapidly becoming an important hub for fishing and agriculture; it also has a rich archeological heritage, to which the 200 temples—some of which predate the Khmer empire—attest. This afternoon, board your ship, the RV Tonle; after you get settled in, meet the ship’s officers over a welcome cocktail. (B, L, D)

Day 7 - Kampong Cham

You will visit the hilltop temple of Wat Hanchey this morning, which affords stunning views of the Mekong River. The temple itself dates back to the 8th century and it is surrounded by smaller religious monuments dotting the hillsides. After lunch, visit the twin holy mountains of Phnom Pros and Phnom Srey with their many temples and pagodas, still used during traditional Khmer festivals. Return to Kampong Cham to visit an orphanage sponsored by Pandaw. (B, L, D)

Day 8 - Tonle Sap & Kampong Chhnang

Cruise downriver and turn into the Tonle Sap River to reach the eponymous lake. During the wet season, the current in this tributary of the Mekong reverses its flow, and the Tonle Sap Lake fills up with the floodwaters of the great river, acting like a natural safety valve protecting the delta area from flooding. The fertile wetlands here are teeming with life—its rich fishing grounds providing for birds, mammals and humans alike. The Tonle Sap area is perhaps the most important inland fishing area in the world. Disembark and explore the river banks around Kampong Chhnang in smaller vessels. (B, L, D)

Day 9 - Phnom Penh

Dock along the lovely waterfront of Cambodia’s capital and explore the city in style, in a cyclo. This mode of transportation provides many Cambodians with a source of income and visitors with a speedy and enjoyable way to move around. See the magnificent Royal Palace with the Silver Pagoda, built in the 19th century by the French but inspired by the centuries-old architecture of the Khmer. The National Museum of Cambodia houses treasures of Khmer art and craftsmanship and also displays art that predates the mighty empire. This afternoon, join an excursion to the sobering memorial in the Tuol Sleng detention center, a former high school in which thousands of victims of the murderous Khmer Rouge regime died, and the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, or explore the city’s maze of small alleys, markets and busy streets on your own if you prefer. Tonight’s dinner is accompanied by a folkloric performance. (B, L, D)

Day 10 - Mekong River Scenic Cruising

Sail down the Mekong, one of the world’s great rivers, toward the Vietnamese border. The Mekong is truly the Mother River of Southeast Asia, sustaining civilizations through the centuries. Pass by some of the Mekong rice fields—the Khmer empire was founded on a rice surplus and rice is still the main staple of Vietnam’s present-day cuisine. (B, L, D)

Day 11 - Châu Ðôc & Cu Lao Gien

This morning, board a small boat to visit a Cham tribal village. Descended from an ancient Malay-Polynesian empire that arrived in Southeast Asia during the 1st and 2nd centuries B.C., the Champa people competed with the Khmer for dominance of the area. Observe village life and visit a catfish farm. Later, see the busy riverside port of Châu Ðôc riding a trishaw. In the afternoon, visit Cu Lao Gien Island where you see the monastery of St. Paul of Chartres, built in 1875 and later known as “la Providence.” Once a thriving mission with an orphanage, a hospital to treat leprosy victims, a school and a hospice, it serves today as a retreat for some 180 retired nuns. This evening, enjoy a screening of the film l’Amant (the Lover) which will prepare you for tomorrow’s visit to Sa Dec. (B, L, D)

Day 12 - Sa Dec & Cái Bè

In Sa Dec, you will see the house of Mr. Huynh Thuy Le, the protagonist in Marguerite Duras’s beloved autobiographical novel, l’Amant (The Lover). Duras, who grew up in what was then French Indochina, is one of France’s best-selling authors. Later today, board a sampan boat to explore the backwaters and canals of the Delta. Small factories line the river channels here; see local workers producing rice noodles, coconut candy and a host of other handmade products. Then, visit the colorful floating market of Cái Bè. This evening, attend an onboard screening of the 2002 film The Quiet American, based on Graham Greene’s novel set in 1952 Saigon. (B, L, D)

Day 13 - My Tho & Ho Chi Minh City

Bid farewell to the RV Tonle this morning as your cruise through Cambodia and Vietnam comes to an end. Disembark in My Tho, a busy river port not far from the capital of Southern Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon. Check in to your hotel for a 2-night stay, then spend the rest of the day at leisure, getting acquainted with this lively city at your own pace—see some of the historic French colonial architecture and soak up some of the city’s youthful energy. Tonight’s dinner is in a local restaurant. (B, D)

Day 14 - Ho Chi Minh City

Begin your tour of this bustling metropolis with a visit to its historic center. Take a stroll along Dong Khoi Street, the main shopping boulevard in the old colonial heart. See the grand city hall, the old opera house with its soaring arched entryway, the double-spired Notre-Dame Basilica and the impeccably restored central post office. Walk through the magnificent Emperor Jade Pagoda, fragrant with incense and filled with carved figures. For a perspective on modern-day Vietnam, visit the Reunification Palace and the War Remnants Museum, which provides a stark picture of the Vietnam war, from a decidedly partisan point of view. This afternoon, visit Cholon, the city’s Chinatown, with its colorful markets, temples and pagodas; this evening your festive final dinner is accompanied by a traditional Vietnamese wedding ceremony. (B, D)

Day 15 - Ho Chi Minh City

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and proceed to the airport for your return flight.* Or, continue your Southeast Asia adventure with a 3-night stay in Bangkok, Thailand’s astounding capital. (B)

*Transfers are not included. Let us know if you would like help arranging your airport transfers.

The following meals are included:

B = Breakfast; L = Lunch; D = Dinner

Cruise ship operating this itinerary:
Viking Emerald