Quick answer
This is one of our Vietnam and Cambodia tour packages: 13 nights from Angkor at Siem Reap to Hanoi, via Phnom Penh, Ho Chi Minh City and a Ha Long Bay cruise. UK flights, two internal flights and three guided days are included. Prices are per person based on two sharing and vary by month. November 2026 is the lowest-priced month. ATOL 10713 protected.
The trip moves at an uneven pace by design. Guided sightseeing days alternate with travel days and days with no programme, so the long temple day and each city tour have slack around them. The first half, in Cambodia and southern Vietnam, is the gentlest. The last five days, in northern Vietnam, are the busiest, with something planned on each one.
It suits couples and friends who want the flights, hotels and transfers arranged but like to explore cities on their own terms, with a guide where the sights need explaining. Evenings on land are unplanned, which leaves time for the street food of Phnom Penh, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.
Why You'll Love It
Included
Not included
Day by Day
Your flight from Heathrow lands in Siem Reap, where you are met for a private transfer to HARI Residence & Spa. On day 2 an English-speaking local guide takes you through the Angkor Wat temple complex, ending at a sunset viewpoint over the temples. Carry water, sun protection and clothing that covers shoulders and knees. Day 3 is free: the Angkor National Museum, the riverside cafés or a second look at the temples all fit.
After breakfast you leave Siem Reap for Cambodia’s capital and check in at Ohana Phnom Penh Palace Hotel, with the rest of the day free. Wat Phnom, the hilltop temple that gives the city its name, is a short tuk-tuk ride away. On day 5 your guide shows you the Royal Palace, including the Silver Pagoda, and the Khmer art of the National Museum. The afternoon is free, with time for the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum.
A private transfer takes you to the airport for the flight to Ho Chi Minh City, where you are driven to Northern Charm Hotel. Nguyen Hue walking street, lit up in the evenings, makes an easy first outing. Days 7 and 8 have no fixed programme. The Central Post Office, the Opera House, Ben Thanh Market and the War Remnants Museum are all close by, and mornings are the coolest time to explore.
You fly north to Hanoi and transfer to Lestar Hotel Hanoi. Hoan Kiem Lake is the natural first evening walk. On day 10 an English-speaking local guide takes you to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and through the Old Quarter. The Mausoleum has a strict dress code and closes on some days, so your guide may change the order of visits.
After breakfast you travel from Hanoi to the coast and board your Swan Cruises boat for the night on the bay. A small overnight bag is easier to manage on board than full luggage. After a last morning on the water you disembark, travel back to Hanoi and check in again at Lestar Hotel Hanoi for your final night.
After breakfast a private transfer takes you to Hanoi airport for your return flight to London Heathrow. On a late flight, ask the hotel to hold your luggage after check-out and use the morning for a final walk.
Where You'll Stay
4-star hotel
HARI Residence & Spa stands on BBU Road in the Old Market area of central Siem Reap. It has 61 rooms and suites, a swimming pool and a spa. Pub Street, the Night Market and Wat Damnak pagoda are all within walking distance, so evenings in town need no transport. It is a quiet base to return to after the long temple day.
4-star hotel
Ohana Phnom Penh Palace Hotel is a nine-storey hotel on Street 148, beside Kandal Market and about 50 metres from the Mekong riverside promenade. The Royal Palace and the National Museum are both within walking distance. There is a ground-floor pool, and the rooftop has jacuzzis plus a restaurant and bar looking out over the river.
4-star hotel
Northern Charm Hotel stands at 12 Ly Tu Trong Street in Saigon ward, the old District 1 centre of Ho Chi Minh City. It has 125 rooms, and its standout is the 16th floor, where a rooftop pool, bar and restaurant look out over the city. There is also a fitness centre.
4-star hotel
Lestar Hotel Hanoi is a 32-room boutique hotel at 59 Hang Than Street, on the northern edge of Hanoi’s Old Quarter. The Old Quarter streets are within walking distance, as is Long Bien Bridge, the steel bridge over the Red River that opened in 1902. There is an on-site restaurant.
4-star hotel
Swan Cruises operates on Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh province, north-east Vietnam. The bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site: a seascape of limestone islands and islets rising from the water, many with caves carved into them by wind and water. It is the one stay on this trip where the view, rather than the street outside, is the reason to be there.
All prices are per person based on two adults sharing. Includes return flights and accommodation. Click any month to enquire.
| ✈ Flights | Return flights from UK included |
| 🧳 Baggage | 23kg checked baggage |
| 🏛 Hotel | 13 nights accommodation |
| 🚌 Transfers | Private airport transfers |
| ✈ Airport Taxes | All airport taxes included |
| 💳 Deposit | 30% per person to secure booking |
Starting in Cambodia puts the most physical day first. The temple day is spent largely on foot in tropical heat, and it is easier while you are fresh. Going one way also means no leg is covered twice.
It is shorter than the two weeks or more that most combined tours of Vietnam and Cambodia take. For visas, budgets and the wider picture, read our guide to planning a Vietnam and Cambodia trip from the UK.
The route crosses three climates, and no single month suits all of them. November to February is the most reliable overall.
| Months | Cambodia | Ho Chi Minh City | Hanoi and Ha Long | Price level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov to Feb | Dry season | Dry from December | Clear in November, cool from December | Low Nov–Dec 2026. High Jan–Feb 2027 and Nov–Dec 2027. |
| Mar to May | Hot and dry, April hottest | Dry until April, rains start in May | Mild, best from April | Mid. |
| Jun to Aug | Rainy season, mostly afternoon showers | Wet season | Hot and at its wettest | Low in June, high in July and August. |
| Sep to Oct | Rainy season continues | Wet season | Warm, with a mix of sun and cloud | Low in October 2026, mid in September 2027, high in October 2027. |
The Foreign Office warns that Vietnam’s tropical storm season runs from May to November and can cause serious travel disruption. On this route, the night on Ha Long Bay is the part most exposed to the weather.
There is no non-stop flight from the UK to Cambodia, so the outbound connects en route, and you fly home from Hanoi.
Both Cambodian airports on the route are new. Siem Reap–Angkor International opened in October 2023, about 50 km east of town, and Phnom Penh flights moved to Techo International on 9 September 2025.
This route leaves out central Vietnam and Laos. If either matters to you, three of our other routes include them:
The simplest changes are extra nights: one more in Phnom Penh for the riverside and markets, or in Hanoi before the flight home. For a Vietnam-only trip, see our luxury Vietnam holidays.
Hand-picked luxury holiday packages
Free, no-obligation quote
Tell us what you have in mind. A UK travel specialist will come back with tailored options and live prices.
Thank you, your enquiry is with us
A travel specialist will contact you within 2 working hours. We've also emailed you a confirmation.