Luxury Vietnam and Cambodia holidays pair two very different countries in one trip. A typical route runs from Hanoi and Ha Long Bay through Hoi An or Hue to Ho Chi Minh City, then crosses to the temples of Angkor. This guide concentrates on the questions a two-country trip raises: which way round, how to split the nights, two sets of entry rules and two climates. For each Vietnamese city in more depth, see our luxury Vietnam holidays guide.
Quick answer
A Vietnam and Cambodia holiday from the UK runs 13 or 14 nights. Every route covers Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Ho Chi Minh City and Angkor, and three of the four add Hoi An, Hue or the beach at Mui Ne. Packages start from £1,999pp in Economy with return flights from the UK, ATOL protected under licence 10713. April is the one month that suits every region on the route.
- Flight time from London
- About 12 hours nonstop from Heathrow to Hanoi and about 12 hours 45 minutes to Ho Chi Minh City
- Getting to Siem Reap
- No nonstop UK flights. Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI) has scheduled services from Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok and Singapore, and sits about 50km east of Siem Reap town.
- Time difference
- Both countries are 7 hours ahead of the UK in winter and 6 hours ahead during British Summer Time
Luxury Vietnam and Cambodia holidays 2026: which itinerary?
SuperDestinations runs four Vietnam and Cambodia holiday packages. They share Ha Long Bay and Angkor but differ in direction, in the central Vietnam stop and in how much is guided. Prices are per person for the cheapest future month.
| Tour | Nights | Route | What sets it apart | From (Economy) | From (Business) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angkor to Ha Long Bay in 13 nights | 13 | Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hanoi. | Starts in Cambodia and is the only one with Phnom Penh. | £1,999pp (Nov 2026) | Economy only |
| Vietnam and Cambodia with Hoi An | 14 | Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City, Siem Reap. | Five nights in Hoi An, the most time in central Vietnam of the four. | £2,289pp (Oct 2026) | £5,479pp (Oct 2026) |
| Vietnam, Cambodia and Mui Ne beach | 14 | Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Siem Reap, Ho Chi Minh City, Mui Ne, Ho Chi Minh City. | Five nights on the beach at Mui Ne in place of a central Vietnam stop. | £2,349pp (Nov 2026) | Economy only |
| Vietnam and Cambodia with Hue | 14 | Ho Chi Minh City, Siem Reap, Hoi An, Hue, Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hanoi. | The only one with Hue, including Tu Duc’s tomb and a cooking class. | £3,219pp (Oct 2026) | £5,339pp (Oct 2026) |
Choosing between them comes down to how much you want planned. The 13-night tour leaves evenings on land unplanned. The Hoi An version schedules guided excursions on four days and leaves the rest free. The Mui Ne tour has only four guided outings in total. The Hue itinerary is the most arranged, with private guides in Ho Chi Minh City and at Angkor and an activity on most days.
The Essential Vietnam and Cambodia Itinerary: 14 Nights
A fortnight is enough for the classic highlights of both countries if you accept one rule: fly the long distances. Vietnam is a long, narrow country, and road journeys between the main stops eat whole days. Here is how 14 nights usually divide, and why.
Hanoi (2 to 3 nights)
Two nights covers the Old Quarter, the Temple of Literature and a street-food evening. A third night helps if you arrive jet-lagged, and it is the first night to drop if the trip is tight. On the Hue and 13-night tours, Hanoi also brackets the Ha Long cruise, with a last night in the city before the flight home.
Ha Long Bay (1 night on board)
Every one of the four tours includes an overnight cruise among the limestone islands of Ha Long Bay. What fills the time depends on the boat. On the Hoi An and Mui Ne tours the boat programme lists Tai Chi on deck and a limestone grotto the next morning, and the Hue tour’s cruise includes kayaking. A second night reaches quieter parts of the bay, but it costs a night elsewhere on a two-week trip.
Hoi An or Hue (2 to 5 nights)
The centre of Vietnam is where itineraries differ most. Hoi An is a riverside trading town of lantern-lit streets, tailors and cycling routes through rice fields. Hue, further north along the coast, was the seat of the Nguyen emperors and has the Citadel and royal tombs along the Perfume River. Pick Hoi An for pace and Hue for history. Check the central Vietnam weather row in the best-time table before choosing a month.
Ho Chi Minh City (1 to 2 nights)
Saigon is the practical hinge of the route, with scheduled flights to Siem Reap. One or two nights allows the War Remnants Museum, the Reunification Palace and the Cu Chi tunnels, which take half a day. The Mui Ne tour returns here for its last two nights, with a guided half-day, so the city sights can wait until the end.
Siem Reap and Angkor (3 nights)
Three nights is the sensible minimum for Angkor, and it is what all four tours allow. It gives two full days at the temples plus a spare half-day for Siem Reap’s markets or the floating villages on the Tonle Sap lake. The Angkor section explains how to use those days.
Which way round: Cambodia first or Vietnam first?
There is no single right answer, but each direction has a clear logic, and it turns on where the connecting flight falls. Starting in Vietnam lets you land in Hanoi, recover in the city and finish at Angkor as the climax. The cost is a connection home through a hub such as Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok or Singapore.
Starting in Cambodia puts the connection at the beginning, when you are already travelling, and ends the trip in Hanoi. The Angkor to Ha Long Bay tour works this way and adds Phnom Penh before flying on to Ho Chi Minh City.
A third pattern places Cambodia in the middle. The Hue itinerary flies from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap and then on to Da Nang, so it enters Vietnam twice. That is straightforward under the visa-free arrangement for UK passports, provided each stay is within the permitted length.
All four packages cross between the two countries by air. Allow for the road transfer from Siem Reap’s airport to your hotel, since the new airport is well outside town.
Angkor: how to plan your days at the temples
Angkor Archaeological Park holds dozens of temples spread across the countryside north of Siem Reap. Trying to see them all is a mistake. Two full days, split into early mornings and late afternoons, beats three rushed ones.
Tickets are sold by Angkor Enterprise, the official agency, at its ticket office and online. The options are:
- 1-day pass: US$37.
- 3-day pass: US$62, used on any three days within a week.
- 7-day pass: US$72, used on any seven days within a month.
With two temple days to fill, the 3-day pass lets you return at sunrise without paying twice.
A good two-day plan runs like this:
- Day one, dawn: sunrise over the towers of Angkor Wat, then the main temple itself before the heat builds.
- Day one, late morning: the walled city of Angkor Thom, with the Bayon’s carved stone faces and the Terrace of the Elephants.
- Day one, afternoon: Ta Prohm, where tree roots have split the stonework apart. It is busiest mid-morning, so go later.
- Day two: Banteay Srei, further out, for its fine pink sandstone carving, returning via smaller temples such as Preah Khan.
The four tours handle Angkor differently. The 13-night tour includes a guided day ending at a sunset viewpoint, and the Mui Ne tour a full guided day. The Hoi An tour includes a traditional blessing ritual by a local monk. These three include entrance fees on their guided days. The Hue tour adds an Apsara dance dinner, and its inclusions do not list the Angkor pass, so confirm it in your quote. On any of them, extra temple days can be arranged with a guide.
Luxury Hotels in Vietnam and Cambodia: Full Recommendations
The packaged tours use comfortable, well-located hotels rather than the most expensive names. The 13-night tour is built on 4-star hotels. By tour, the stays are:
- Angkor to Ha Long Bay: HARI Residence & Spa, Ohana Phnom Penh Palace, Northern Charm Hotel, Lestar Hotel Hanoi and a Swan Cruises boat on Ha Long Bay.
- Hoi An: The Q Hotel, Shining Riverside Hoi An Boutique & Spa, Harmony Saigon Hotel & Spa, Metta Residence & Spa and an Indochine Cruise boat.
- Mui Ne: The Q Hotel, Hotel Somadevi Angkor Resort & Spa, Pandanus Resort and an Indochine Cruise boat.
- Hue: La Siesta Saigon, Borei Angkor Resort & Spa, Boutique Hoi An Resort, Silk Path Grand Hue Hotel, Peridot Grand Hotel and an Indochine Cruise boat.
Any of these can be upgraded on a tailor-made quote, priced for your dates. Well-known upgrade options include:
- Amansara, Siem Reap: 24 suites, many with private plunge pools, close to the temples.
- Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor, Siem Reap: opened in 1932, the classic colonial-era address in town.
- Sofitel Legend Metropole, Hanoi: Hanoi’s best-known colonial-era hotel.
- Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai, Hoi An: beachfront pool villas within reach of Hoi An.
- Park Hyatt Saigon: in the centre of Ho Chi Minh City, a short walk from the colonial-era landmarks.
Upgrading every stop is rarely necessary. Spending more on the stays with free days, where you rest between outings, changes the trip most.
How Much Does a Luxury Vietnam and Cambodia Tour Cost from the UK?
The comparison table shows each tour’s from-price. The 13-night tour flies Economy from London Heathrow, with internal flights included.
Three things move the price most:
- Month of travel. Peak season costs more. The Hoi An tour is £1,100pp dearer in January 2027 than in October 2026, and the Hue tour is on request for January and February 2027.
- Cabin. Business class adds roughly £2,100pp to £3,200pp over Economy for the same month on the two tours that offer it.
- Hotel upgrades. Swapping even one or two stays for the names above changes the total noticeably.
Budget separately for the Cambodian visa, meals not listed in the itinerary, tips for guides and drivers, and travel insurance. Prices are per person, and your date, departure airport and room type set the final figure, which a UK specialist confirms.
When is the best time for a Vietnam and Cambodia holiday?
The north, the centre and the south of Vietnam have different seasons, and Cambodia follows its own pattern, so the best month depends on the route.
| Region | Best months | Wettest or least settled |
|---|---|---|
| North Vietnam (Hanoi, Ha Long Bay) | April and May, September to November | June to August wet. December to March cool and often grey. |
| Central Vietnam (Hoi An, Hue) | March to August, with March a favourite for Hoi An. | September to February, with storms and flooding most likely September to November. |
| South Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City, Mui Ne) | December to April | May to November |
| Cambodia (Siem Reap, Phnom Penh) | November to April | May to October, usually wettest around September. |
April is the only month in the best column for all four regions. March runs it close, with Hanoi still cool and grey. November to February suits the south and Angkor but falls in central Vietnam’s wet season, which is when the 13-night route, with no Hoi An or Hue, makes sense.
The FCDO notes that the tropical storm season runs from May to November and can seriously disrupt travel. Tet, the Lunar New Year, falls on 6 February 2027. Many businesses close for about a week around it and domestic flights fill early.
Entry requirements for UK passport holders
Vietnam. British passport holders can visit without a visa for up to 45 days. For a longer stay, an e-visa allows up to 90 days with multiple entries and is applied for through the official portal linked from FCDO advice. Carry a passport that is undamaged, has two blank pages and stays valid for six months beyond your arrival date. A digital arrival card at Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City has been encouraged since 15 April 2026 but is not compulsory. The FCDO also says that from 1 July travellers may be asked for a health declaration, which can include proof of vaccinations.
Cambodia. A visa is required. The tourist visa lasts 30 days and can be bought as an e-visa at least four days before travel, or on arrival with a passport photo and payment in US dollars. Air passengers must also complete a free e-Arrival card within seven days before flying in. The same six-month passport validity rule applies.
Rules change, so check the FCDO travel advice for both countries shortly before you go.
