Follow the Mekong – Thailand, Cambodia & Vietnam 2028/2029

Depart the UK this evening on an overnight flight to Bangkok, flying with Emirates via Dubai.

Arrive in Bangkok, meet your tour manager and transfer to your hotel. Spend your afternoon relaxing and enjoying the hotel's facilities or head out to begin exploring the city. 

Immerse yourself in Thai culture today, after breakfast, on a full-day sightseeing tour. Your first stop is the colourful floating markets at Damnoen Saduak, where you'll watch locals buying fresh produce from the traders on the boats. Then it's back into Bangkok for a guided tour, with a lunch stop en route. See the Royal Island, where the Grand Palace adjoins the Wat Phra Kaew temple with its Emerald Buddha, as well as the less formal Wat Pho temple, home to the gigantic Reclining Buddha.

Following breakfast, relax in Bangkok, or perhaps join today's optional River Kwai and the Death Railway excursion. Travel by train, through a fascinating landscape of rice fields and sugar-cane plantations and into the Thai jungle, to Nam Tok Sai Yok Noi. Enjoy lunch and visit Kanchanaburi's war cemeteries as well as the various museums connected with this area's tragic WWII history, the construction of the Death Railway and the infamous Bridge over the River Kwai. 

An early start sees your tour manager collecting you from the hotel before travelling to the airport for a flight to Siem Reap. On arrival, you’ll be met by your Cambodian guide after immigration formalities, then you’ll head into Siem Reap town for lunch. Afterwards, you’ll be dropped at your hotel, with the rest of the day free at leisure, once you’ve checked in.

After breakfast, you’ll be driven to the Kok Sangke community to visit the home of a local family who’ll make you several traditional Khmer desserts. You’ll then learn about the village’s sustainable farming techniques, visit a community centre, which teaches local farmers about eco-friendly farming methods, see some nearby farms, and have lunch before travelling to Wat Luang Proleung and the village of Kampong Khleang. 

Once you've had breakfast, discover the Bayon, its towers carved with around 200 serene stone faces, built under King Jayavarman VII as the heart of his new capital, Angkor Thom, the greatest citadel of the Khmer Empire, which ruled half of Southeast Asia for nearly 600 years. Its ruined boulevards and gateways cover a vast area to the north of Siem Reap. 

Break for lunch at a local restaurant, then continue to Angkor Wat, the undisputed highlight of this landscape littered with great ruins. The world's largest religious building, ringed by a moat more than five kilometres around, its five great towers and 1,000-metre-long carved bas-relief are a truly spectacular sight. Its silhouette has appeared on Cambodia's national flag since 1863. 

Return to the hotel later in the evening. 

Following breakfast, board the coach for Battambang, a historic and culturally rich city in northwestern Cambodia, known for its colonial architecture, art scene and agricultural importance. 

In the afternoon, visit Wat Ek Phnom, a pre-Angkor period temple on the banks of the Sangker River, then the Cambodia Peace Gallery, where you'll learn about Cambodia's journey from war towards peace and reconciliation.  

The rest of the afternoon is free at leisure, with dinner served at the hotel this evening. 

When you’ve had breakfast, you’ll journey to Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital and a French colonial treasure chest on the banks of the Mekong River, stopping for lunch en route. 

On arrival, check into your hotel, with the rest of the afternoon free to relax at your own pace. Dinner is served at your hotel's rooftop restaurant this evening. 

This morning, visit the majestic Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda complex after breakfast. Admire the elaborately constructed palace buildings, some of the 5,000 silver floor tiles that give the Silver Pagoda its name, and the spectacular gold and bejewelled Buddha statues considered national treasures. 

Later, spend time at the thought-provoking Tuol Sleng Museum, which chronicles the Pol Pot years and the reign of the Khmer Rouge, before an optional visit to Wat Phnom Temple. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, then the rest of the afternoon is free at your own leisure.

After breakfast, board an exhilarating fast boat for the journey along the Mekong River, crossing into Vietnam as you enjoy the breeze and scenic river landscapes. 

On arrival, savour a delicious lunch of authentic Vietnamese cuisine before checking into your hotel. Later in the afternoon, visit the holy mountain of Nui Sam, studded with pagodas and temples, for spectacular views over the Mekong Delta. 

Dinner will be enjoyed at a local restaurant this evening

Enjoy a free morning to relax or explore at your own pace and have breakfast before travelling to Can Tho. You'll stay overnight in this university town, known for its colourful floating markets, busy working harbour, and the sacred Khmer pagoda, Muniwangsyaram. Lunch will be take place at a local restaurant on the way to Can Tho.  

Relax this evening at the hotel before dinner.

Check out of the hotel and have breakfast, then journey on the coach through the Mekong landscape of rice paddies, flat-bottomed boats, fruit trees, and bougainvillaea.  

Then, take a fascinating boat ride to the floating markets of Cai Rang and visit the delta town of Cai Be where you’ll have lunch, before arriving in Ho Chi Minh City this evening. 

This morning, take breakfast at the hotel before boarding the coach for a scenic drive north past traditional rice paddies to the rural outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City.  

Here, you'll find the remarkable Cu Chi tunnel complex, which provides a poignant reminder of the country's recent history. Enjoy an introductory talk, outlining the wartime experience of the Vietnamese people, and settle in for up-close demonstrations of the cunning traps created by the Viet Cong. 

If you're feeling adventurous, you'll have the opportunity to delve beneath the surface for a crawl through a section of this 200 km tunnel network. Formerly used as a base of operations for the Viet Cong's guerrilla campaign, this underground complex now serves as a national memorial for those who lost their lives in the conflict. Take a break for lunch before returning to the hotel.  

The day will end with a celebratory farewell dinner, the perfect time to look back on your holiday and relive the many highlights.

Have breakfast at your hotel, then set out on a guided tour revealing Ho Chi Minh City's mix of French colonial history and modern Vietnamese life. 

A highlight includes the grand General Post Office, which was built between 1886 and 1891 in Gothic and Renaissance styles, and is still a working post office today. Then, continue to the Reunification Palace, constructed for South Vietnam's president and famous as the spot where North Vietnamese tanks crashed through the gates in 1975, ending the Vietnam War.  

You'll also see the Xa Loi Pagoda, home to sacred Buddha relics and closely linked to the Buddhist crisis of 1963, and the War Remnants Museum, one of the city's most visited sites, with a collection of wartime photography, documents and military hardware. Later, pass Notre Dame Cathedral, the striking 19th-century basilica that's been under restoration since 2017, extended most recently to 2027, and currently viewable from the outside only. 

In the evening, travel to the airport for your flight back to the UK via Dubai. 

You'll touch down in the UK today after an overnight flight and an unforgettable tour of Southeast Asia.