Treasures & Temples of Vietnam & Cambodia

Xin Chao and welcome to Hanoi! On arrival, you will be met by your Emerald Waterways representative and transferred to your hotel situated in downtown Hanoi. Relax at the hotel, explore the city or wander Hanoi’s romantic West Lake. This evening, meet your Tour Director for your welcome briefing. 

Meals Included: Dinner

Today you will enjoy a full-day city tour of Hanoi. Including the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the final resting place of the revolutionary leader, the small but iconic One Pillar Pagoda and the Temple of Literature. After your EmeraldPLUS lunch at KOTO Restaurant, continue with a visit to Hanoi’s Old Quarter also known as the ‘36 streets’. Take a walking tour through charming Hang Be Market and around Hoan Kiem Lake, stopping at Ngoc Son Temple. This bustling area of narrow streets and alleys is home to literally thousands of small businesses and shopkeepers. It is a great place to explore with plenty of photo opportunities. Later, attend a traditional performance from the famous water puppets, a unique Vietnamese art form depicting scenes from rural life and episodes of historical significance. 

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, leave Hanoi and travel to the stunning emerald waters of Halong Bay to board a traditional style junk boat. Cruise through the bays and islets enjoying the breath-taking scenery of this magnificent region. Learn more about the main livelihood of the locals in the area or relax on board. Towards the end of the day the boat sets anchor for the night among the karst formations and dinner is served on board.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today, you will be transferred to your day trip boat tour with private crew and cruise to the bay’s most untouched areas. Enjoy swimming on quiet beaches, visiting water tunnels, fishing villages or kayaking. Lunch is served onboard of the boat by your private chef. Return in the evening hours after a full day of exploration to your traditional junk boat.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Enjoy the morning in the middle of the bay while having breakfast and cruising through the magnificent rock formations, back towards port. Bid farewell as you transfer to Hanoi airport, with a stop en-route for a light lunch at a local restaurant. Fly to Ho Chi Minh City for your included two-night stay and, once you arrive, you’ll have time to stroll through the Colonial Quarter, experiencing every-day life. Admire the beautiful architecture of the Opera House, City Hall and the Old Saigon Post Office, and hear stories of French Indochina and how the era continues to influence aspects of modern Vietnamese culture.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Drive away from Ho Chi Minh City, through rice paddies and villages. Explore Cu Chi’s rugged grounds with a local guide and hear how the military constructed an intricate, underground network of tunnels during the French and American Wars. Once above ground, see other ingenious items used for defence, such as bamboo traps and camouflaged pits. Upon your return to Ho Chi Minh City, you will have an orientation drive, starting with a visit to the city’s most iconic building, Reunification Palace, formerly the Presidential Palace.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Today, transfer from your hotel to your Emerald Waterways Star-Ship, Emerald Harmony, where you will be welcomed on board by your captain and crew. Set sail to My Tho, the gateway to the Mekong Delta, with its floating markets and homes. This evening, enjoy your first dinner on board with your fellow travellers. Your Cruise Director will conduct a port talk to review the activities and itinerary for the days ahead.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning you will be taken to the village of Ðat Dua, where you will watch a coconut candy and fruit workshop. Then travel to the Tan Long Pagoda and return to Emerald Harmony to sail onwards to Sa Dec, a hidden gem on the Mekong Delta.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Start your day with a visit to the Chinese Congregational House in Kien An Cung. Afterwards, visit the home of Mr. Huynh Thuy Le, then take a walk through the Central Market and peruse its many stalls. Return to Emerald Harmony and sail to My An Hung village. Recognised as a cultural and historical destination, this small village in rural Vietnam produces a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, specialising in red-hot chilli and peppers.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning is yours to explore on your own or, if you prefer, you can take part in a DiscoverMORE optional excursion to the Ramsar Bird Sanctuary. In the afternoon, embark on a journey to Long Khanh Island and visit a local family to learn about scarf-weaving. Then, visit the Hoa Hao Buddhist Pagoda and a grapefruit garden. Return to Emerald Harmony this evening and you’ll be delighted by a traditional Lion Dance performance on board.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

As part of EmeraldPLUS, visit a unique family-owned Lanh My A silk producing factory. The silk product is created with dyes made from the mac nua fruit, a kind of wood tree, which originally came from Tan Chau silk village about 100 years ago. Here, you will learn more about the long-complicated silk making process and have a chance to touch the real Lanh My A silk. Continue the visit, embark one of our sampans to Evergreen island for a walk through a local village to get a glimpse into the lives of the local farming community. Re-board your luxury star-ship and cruise to the border between Vietnam and Cambodia.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Wake up in Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh. The city was once known as the “Pearl of Asia”, but it was almost entirely evacuated by the Khmer Rouge in 1975. This morning, we learn more about the Khmer Rouge and the darkest days of Cambodian history. A short drive will take you to the Killing Fields at Choeung Ek. Where you will have the opportunity to walk through the fields, visit the small museum and learn about this sad chapter in history. This afternoon, you will visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (also known as S-21). This is a former school that was converted to the main prison and torture headquarters of the Khmer Rouge. In the afternoon, you will have the opportunity to visit the majestic Royal Palace with its gardens and Central Market located in the heart of the city. In the evening, you will have a chance to experience an evening tuk-tuk ride through Phnom Penh ending on a rooftop terrace, where you will enjoy a beverage and take in the great views of the city as part of EmeraldPLUS.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Start your day with a visit to Wat Kampong Tralach and the Oudong Temples. Located North of Phnom Penh, Oudong is the former royal capital of Cambodia up until it moved to Phnom Penh in the 1800s. Important remnants on the temple sight include the burial sites of Khmer kings as well as religious artefacts dating back more than a hundred years. In one of the Oudong Temple there was a known large Buddha statue which was damaged during skirmishes with the Khmer Rouge which had the hill as one of their last strongholds. Receive a traditional Buddhist Blessing from the temple resident monks as part of your EmeraldPLUS. The afternoon is yours to continue exploring or simply relax on board of your Star-Ship.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Bid farewell to your Emerald Harmony Star-Ship in the morning and continue by road to Siem Reap for your included three night hotel stay. 
This evening, witness the Cambodian Circus, Phare, a spectacle of acrobatics, theatre, dance and music.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Today, start with a visit to Angkor Thom. The last capital of the Khmer Empire, it was a fortified city, home to priests, officials of the palace and military, as well as buildings for administering the kingdom. After the tour, visit the sacred Temple of Ta Prohm, which is overgrown by jungle trees and has been the backdrop to Hollywood movies. 

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Rise early and embark on a fascinating journey to Angkor Wat. This UNESCO World Heritage-listed site is known for its elaborate decorations and intricate carvings throughout. Later this evening enjoy your farewell dinner accompanied by Chayyom dancers. 

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

After breakfast this morning, you will be transferred to the airport to catch your onward or homebound flight.

This itinerary is a guide only and may be amended for operational reasons such as high and low water. As such, the cruise may operate altered from that stated above.

Meals Included: Breakfast