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Discover Southeast Asia

18 days, Bangkok to Siem Reap

Two monks reflecting over the ancient Angkor Wat temple

Immerse yourself in the natural and cultural heritage of Indochina, from tranquil Buddhist temples to shimmering palaces, legendary jungle cities to colourful, chaotic markets. Cruise the serene waters of otherworldly Ha Long Bay and wander amid the vine-covered courtyards of Angkor. Learn the secrets of Thai cuisine with a local chef, witness a Laotian almsgiving tradition, and soak up Southeast Asia’s heady blend of old and new at every step of the journey.

18 days - Bangkok to Siem Reap

From$3919USD
was $4899
Valid on May 18 2024
Trip Code: ATING

Need a flight? We can help.

Call us to book your flights! We'll find you the best option!

Immerse yourself in the natural and cultural heritage of Indochina, from tranquil Buddhist temples to shimmering palaces, legendary jungle cities to colourful, chaotic markets. Cruise the serene waters of otherworldly Ha Long Bay and wander amid the vine-covered courtyards of Angkor. Learn the secrets of Thai cuisine with a local chef, witness a Laotian almsgiving tradition, and soak up Southeast Asia’s heady blend of old and new at every step of the journey.

Is this tour for me?

Travel Style: National Geographic Journeys

Greater exploration, insider access, and the freedom to roam – all without sacrificing comfort.

Service Level: Upgraded

Quality accommodations and more inclusions than on other G Adventures tours, like meals, private transport, and activities.

Physical Rating: 2 - Light

Light walking and hiking suitable for most fitness levels. Nothing too challenging.

Trip Type: Small Group

Small group experience; Max 16, Avg 10.

Age requirement: 12+

All travellers under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Check Your Visa Requirements

Before booking, use our handy entry requirements tool so you know which documents you need to enter and travel through the countries on your trip.

View our Entry Requirements tool

18 days - Bangkok to Siem Reap

From$3919USD
was $4899
Valid on May 18 2024
Trip Code: ATING

Need a flight? We can help.

Call us to book your flights! We'll find you the best option!

See how your trip uplifts communities

In a number of impactful ways, your adventure directly benefits the local people and places we visit.

Trees for Days

Help us spread love around the world — with trees! Together with Planeterra, we'll plant one tree in your name for every travel day.

Trees planted for this trip: 18

Ripple Score

Want to create ripples that change lives? The higher the Ripple Score percentage, the more money stays in the local communities you visit.

Ripple Score for this trip: 89

My visit was transcendent, the water surrounding the temple [Angkor Wat] as smooth as glass. I mused: How can a place so on-the-beaten-track make me feel like I am the first one to ever see it?” Annie Fitzsimmons, “Still A Wonder: Angkor Wat" National Geographic Travel

Itinerary Notes

There are new Health & Safety Protocols for National Geographic Journeys tours. Please see here for full details and up-to-date requirements as they may change.

Itinerary

Day 1Bangkok

Arrive at any time. Arrival transfer is included.

Day 2Bangkok/Chiang Mai

Set out to explore the Thai capital. Board a traditional klong boat for a ride along the city’s winding canals, gliding past quaint temples, modern skyscrapers, and houses perched above the water. Then explore the gardens, and courtyards of the dazzling Grand Palace, once the official residence of the Thai royal family, and gaze upon the sacred statue of the Emerald Buddha at Wat Phra Kaew. Later, catch a flight to Chiang Mai.

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 3Chiang Mai

Delve into the bustle of Chiang Mai’s morning markets with a local chef, and learn about colourful fruits and fragrant herbs as you select ingredients for a Thai cooking class. Enjoy your creation for lunch, then set out to visit a historic temple. Sit down with one of the resident monks to discuss daily life and the tenets of Buddhism. Later, clear your mind to the chanting of monks at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, one of the most spectacular gilded temples in Thailand.

Exclusive Inclusions:

Your Foodie Moment Cooking Class| Your Journeys Highlight Moment Meet with Monks

Meals included:

Breakfast | Lunch

Day 4Chiang Mai

Spend a full day exploring Chiang Mai’s temples and forested hills on your own, or choose between a variety of optional activities. Opt to take a cycling tour through verdant rice paddies and the elegant historic district. This evening, visit a village outside of the city for a khantok-style dinner, served on low pedestal trays, and chat with your hosts about life in rural Thailand. Later, choose to visit Chiang Mai’s vibrant night market.

Exclusive Inclusions:

Your Journeys Highlight Moment Traditional Thai Home Dinner

Meals included:

Breakfast | Dinner

Day 5Chiang Mai/Luang Prabang

Fly to Luang Prabang, a leafy Laotian city nestled at the meeting point of the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers. Take an orientation walk of the beautiful, UNESCO World Heritage-listed town, strolling past traditional wooden Buddhist temples and elegant French colonial buildings.

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 6Luang Prabang

Rise at dawn to observe the daily almsgiving ritual, when Buddhist monks walk through the streets collecting offerings of food from the local residents in exchange for blessings. Then visit the National Museum—formerly the Royal Palace—to see the golden Phra Bang Buddha statue for which the city is named; and explore the resplendent Wat Xieng Thong, one of Luang Pragang’s largest and most historic temples. Later, hop on a boat and float down the Mekong to the caves of Pak Ou, a religious site that harbours thousands of Buddha sculptures within its limestone chambers.

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 7Luang Prabang

Spend the morning at leisure in this enchanting town. Opt to visit the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre, which exhibits handicrafts and cultural artifacts from around the country, or enjoy a drink in one of the town’s laid-back cafés. In the afternoon, venture into the lush countryside to visit the magical Kuang Si Waterfall. Relax by the waterfall’s tiered limestone pools and take a refreshing dip in the turquoise waters. Later this evening, opt to visit Luang Prabang’s bustling night market.

Exclusive Inclusions:

Your Discover Moment

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 8Luang Prabang/Hanoi

Enjoy some free time in Luang Prabang before catching a late afternoon flight to Hanoi, Vietnam.

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 9HANOI/HA LONG BAY

Begin the day with a visit to the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, one of Vietnam’s most influential political leaders. Afterward, transfer to Ha Long Bay, where thousands of sculpted limestone islands rise from serene, turquoise waters. Settle into your cabin on a traditional-style wooden boat or junk, where we’ll spend the night, and embark on a cruise of Bai Tu Long Bay, a more secluded section of this UNESCO World Heritage site. Continue to glide around the bay’s stunning karst formations, and explore the fascinating Me Cung cave with our local guide.

Meals included:

Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

Day 10HA LONG BAY/HANOI

Return to land and head back to Hanoi. Enjoy lunch at Hoa Sua, a non-profit training restaurant for underprivileged Hanoi youth, and meet with one of the organizers to learn about the positive impact of the project. Then set out to discover Hanoi’s lively Old Quarter on a cyclo, a three-wheel bicycle taxi, whizzing past vendors hawking all manner of trinkets and roadside chefs cooking up sizzling street eats.

Exclusive Inclusions:

Your Journeys Highlight Moment Lunch at Hoa Sua

Meals included:

Breakfast | Lunch

Day 11Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City

Fly to Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, and absorb the sights, sounds, and smells of this bustling metropolis on a cyclo tour. Later, opt to delve into the colourful aisles of Ben Thanh Market, known for an abundance of food stalls as well as shops selling handicrafts, textiles, jewelry, and electronics; and try your hand at bargaining.

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 12Ho Chi Minh City

Venture to the legendary Cu Chi tunnels, a network of underground passageways that provided a base for Viet Cong soldiers during the Vietnam War. Visit underground hospitals and ammunition stores, and learn about the vital role that the tunnels played in the eventual victory of the North. Later, visit the War Remnants Museum, a powerful reminder of the atrocities committed during the Vietnam War. Choose to take a tour of the Reunification Palace, the site which marked the end of the war.

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 13Ho Chi Minh City/Phnom Penh

Fly to Phnom Penh and explore the eclectic Cambodian capital on a cyclo tour. Pedal along the tree-lined riverfront past some of the city’s main sights, including the French colonial post office and the gleaming Royal Palace, where the king of Cambodia still resides. Then opt to visit the famous Foreign Correspondents' Club for sunset drinks.

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 14Phnom Penh

Today, we spend time learning about Cambodia’s tragic 20th-century past, visiting sites that commemorate the “killing fields” of the Khmer Rouge—a brutal regime that ruled the country from 1975 to 1979. Pay your respects to victims of the Cambodian genocide at the haunting Choeung Ek Memorial; and visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a former high-security prison where nearly 17,000 people were tortured and incarcerated during the Khmer Rouge’s years in power.

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 15Phnom Penh/Siem Reap

Drive to Siem Reap—the gateway to mystical Angkor. Take an orientation walk through the entertainment district and visit one of the city’s exciting night markets, an open-air maze of neon-lit stalls selling a kaleidoscopic array of products.

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 16Siem Reap

Spend the day exploring the ruins of Angkor, the magnificent 12th-century capital of the Khmer Empire. Wake early to watch the sunrise over the spires of Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument ever built, and wander through the city’s mystical courtyards and jungle-covered temples with an expert local guide. Stop for a typical Khmer lunch at the New Hope Cambodia vocational training restaurant, a G Adventures–supported initiative that provides hospitality training to unemployed youth. This evening, we’ll enjoy a performance at a Cambodian circus, another social enterprise aimed at uplifting underprivileged young adults.

Exclusive Inclusions:

Your G for Good Moment New Hope Vocational Training Restaurant| Your Journeys Highlight Moment Cambodian Circus Performance and Talk

Meals included:

Breakfast | Lunch

Day 17Siem Reap

Continue to discover the archaeological wonders of UNESCO World Heritage-listed Angkor with our local guide. Opt to visit the Angkor National Museum, browsing its interactive galleries and stunning collections of relics; or choose to tour the floating villages of Tonle Sap lake, encountering lively communities complete with markets, clinics, and schools.

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 18Siem Reap

Depart at any time.

Meals included:

Breakfast
View full itinerary

What's Included

  • Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Meet with Monks, Chiang Mai
  • Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Traditional Thai Home Dinner, Chiang Mai
  • Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Lunch at Hoa Sua, Hanoi
  • Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Cambodian Circus Performance and Talk, Siem Reap
  • Your G for Good Moment: New Hope Vocational Training Restaurant, Siem Reap
  • Your Foodie Moment: Cooking Class, Chiang Mai
  • Your Discover Moment: Luang Prabang
  • Arrival transfer
  • Tour of Bangkok including boat ride on the klong (canals)
  • Visit the temple at Doi Suthep
  • Orientation walk of Chiang Mai night market
  • Tour of Luang Prabang
  • Boat tour to Pak Ou cave temples
  • Kuang Sii waterfall excursion
  • Hanoi old town cyclo tour
  • Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum visit
  • Halong Bay overnight cruise
  • Ho Chi Minh City cyclo tour
  • Cu Chi tunnels tour
  • War Remnants Museum visit
  • Phnom Penh cyclo tour
  • Tuol Sleng Prison Museum tour and Choeung Ek memorial (the "killing fields") tour
  • Siem Reap orientation walk and night market
  • Two-day guided tour of Angkor Wat
  • Internal flights
  • All transport between destinations and to/from included activities

Accommodations

Hotels (16 nts), junk boat (1 nt).

Meals

17 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 2 dinners
Allow USD235-305 for meals not included.

Transportation

Private vehicle, boat, Songthaew (local truck), plane, cyclo, walking.

Staff & experts

CEO (Chief Experience Officer) throughout, local guides.

Available extras (Add these to your tour when you book)

Hanoi Foodie Culture Tour - From $25.00

Indulge your inner foodie with a street food tour through bustling Hanoi. Follow your guide through the back streets and markets of the city’s old quarter, sampling local fare along the way. Mingle with city natives and experienced street food artists alike, as you taste a variety of Hanoi faves like “nem ran” and “banh goi.” Stop at a streetside bar to savour a draught beer like Hanoians do. Cap off the tour at the Hanoi Food Culture restaurant, a G Values Fund Project, and try the city’s signature specialty coffee.

My Own Room - From $1199.00

If you're travelling solo and would prefer to have your own private room throughout your trip, select this option during the online booking process.

Make it a private tour

Book this tour as a private departure, with your own CEO and all the benefits of a G Adventures group tour.

Discover Southeast Asia

| 18 days - Bangkok to Siem Reap - from $3919 USD