13 Days Private Tour to Cambodia, Angkor Wat and Vietnam

Angkor Wat is only one piece of this trip. You also move through Cambodia’s royal capital, the painful sites of the Khmer Rouge era, Hanoi’s old streets, Halong Bay, Hoi An, imperial Hue, and the Mekong Delta. The private format gives you your own guide, driver, and vehicle in each destination, rather than asking you to fit into a large coach group.

I like the way the tour combines major sights with local-scale experiences, including a cyclo ride in Hanoi, an ox-cart outing near Siem Reap, a traditional water-puppet show, and river trips in Hue and the Mekong Delta. I also like the hotel plan, which includes stylish properties such as La Siesta Hoi An Resort and Spa, Azerai La Residence Hue, and Mai House Saigon.

The tradeoff is pace. You cover nine cities and several long travel days in 13 days, with four flights and an overnight Halong Bay cruise. If you want time for slow mornings and unscheduled wandering, this itinerary may feel crowded. If you want a carefully managed first look at Cambodia and Vietnam, its structure is a major advantage.

Key Points at a Glance

• Angkor in depth: Bayon, Ta Prohm, Angkor Wat, Banteay Srei, and Preah Khan give you more than a quick temple stop.
• Private transport throughout: You travel by air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking guide and driver in each area.
• Strong hotel selection: Boutique and upscale properties are used in Siem Reap, Hoi An, Hue, and Ho Chi Minh City.
• Major water experiences: You cruise Halong Bay, the Perfume River, Tonle Sap area near Siem Reap, and the Mekong Delta.
• Serious modern history: Tuol Sleng, Choeung Ek, the Cu Chi Tunnels, Reunification Palace, and the War Remnants Museum require thoughtful attention.
• Good airport support: Pickups, internal flights, and the final airport transfer are arranged, reducing the strain of a complicated route.

What $4,360 Buys You Over 13 Days

At $4,360 per person, this is not a budget tour. The price makes more sense when you count what is handled for you: accommodation, daily breakfast, six lunches, four internal flights, private vehicles, guides, entrance fees, specified boats, airport transfers, taxes, and three bottles of water per person each day.

You are paying for convenience as much as sightseeing. The route crosses two countries and includes several points where a missed connection or poorly timed transfer could cost you a day. Having someone meet you at airports, arrange the next vehicle, and keep the schedule moving has real value.

The hotel plan also pushes the price upward. You spend two nights at Golden Temple Hotel in Siem Reap, two nights at La Siesta Hotel in Hanoi, two nights at La Siesta Hoi An Resort and Spa, one night at Azerai La Residence Hue, and three nights at Mai House Saigon. Cambodia includes one night at iRoHa Garden Hotel in Phnom Penh and one night on Dragon Legend Cruise in Halong Bay.

Six lunches are included, along with dinner, though the details of the dinner are not fully specified. Drinks, other meals, insurance, personal purchases, and tips are extra. Ask for a clear meal schedule before booking so you know where you will have free dining time.

The private setup is especially useful if you are traveling as a couple, family, or small group with shared interests. Group discounts are offered, but the amount is not stated, so you will need to request the current rate. The tour is also mobile-ticket enabled, which makes access to booking details easier while moving between destinations.

Phnom Penh: Royal Splendor and Difficult Memory

Your arrival at Phnom Penh International Airport begins with immigration, customs, baggage collection, and the Cambodia visa process. A pickup is arranged, so you are not left to solve your first transfer alone.

The next day gives you a useful, if demanding, introduction to the capital. At the Royal Palace, you see the pagoda-style compound built in 1866 by King Norodom, including the Silver Pagoda and its garden setting. The National Museum follows, with Khmer art and sculpture in a traditional building from 1917.

Wat Phnom is a shorter stop, but it helps explain the city’s name and religious life. The pagoda dates to 1373 and is linked to Buddhist relics said to have washed ashore nearby.

The afternoon changes tone. Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum occupies the former school taken over by Pol Pot’s security forces in 1975. Choeung Ek, known as the Killing Fields, is about 16 kilometers south of Phnom Penh and commemorates the people held and killed during the Khmer Rouge period.

I appreciate that these sites are included rather than skipped in favor of lighter sightseeing. You should also know that this is emotionally heavy material. A private guide can adjust the pace and explain context, but you still need the energy to take it in.

After lunch, you fly to Siem Reap, with the listed flight taking about 50 minutes. The airport transfer and hotel check-in make this a long day, so do not expect much free time that evening.

Siem Reap: Three Days Around Angkor

The Angkor portion is the heart of the trip, and it receives enough time to avoid reducing the complex to one hurried visit. You begin at Angkor Thom, the immense walled capital associated with the 12th century.

Bayon is the unforgettable centerpiece, with carved faces looking out from its towers. Baphuon, the Terrace of the Elephants, the Terrace of the Leper King, and Phimeanakas add scale to the ancient royal center. Because each stop is relatively short, your guide’s explanations matter. The benefit of a private tour is that you can ask for more detail at the places that catch your attention.

Ta Prohm brings a different mood. Its stone corridors and vegetation-covered ruins are often the most atmospheric part of Angkor. Then comes Angkor Wat, where you have about three hours to see the towers, bas-reliefs, and guardian figures. A local lunch separates the morning temples from the main afternoon visit, which is sensible in the heat.

The following day takes you farther from the central complex. Banteay Srei is known for its pink sandstone and fine carving, while Preah Khan has a more spacious feel and is in better condition than Ta Prohm. These sites add variety and help you understand that Angkor is a large urban and religious area, not one isolated temple.

The afternoon turns toward rural life. You visit Kampong Phluk Floating Village and take an ox-cart ride through villages and rice fields, ending with a coconut drink with a local family. Conditions around the lake vary with the season, so the appearance of the village and water route can change.

This is one place where the schedule could feel full. You have temple walking, vehicle time, lunch, village visits, and an evening flight to Hanoi. Wear practical shoes, carry the supplied water, and keep your day bag light.

Hanoi in One Full Day

Hanoi receives one packed sightseeing day before you head to Halong Bay. You begin around Ba Dinh Square and the Ho Chi Minh Complex, an important national site. The Temple of Literature provides a calmer setting and introduces Vietnam’s Confucian and academic traditions.

At the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, displays include thousands of objects, artifacts, and photographs relating to Vietnam’s many cultural groups. This stop gives you information that temple visits alone cannot provide.

The afternoon covers French colonial Hanoi, including the Opera House, followed by Hoa Lo Prison. The prison, often called the Hanoi Hilton, connects the city’s colonial past with the imprisonment of American pilots during the Vietnam War.

Tran Quoc Pagoda sits beside West Lake, and the visit offers a change of pace from central Hanoi. Later, you ride a cyclo through the Old Quarter, a district of narrow streets and shop houses traditionally associated with the 36 streets. You finish with a Thang Long water-puppet performance, a North Vietnamese art form based on rural stories and folklore.

This is an ambitious day. The strength is variety, but you will have little time for independent exploration. The two nights at La Siesta Hotel give you a comfortable base, yet the main value here is the guide’s ability to connect political, religious, artistic, and everyday Hanoi.

Halong Bay by Traditional Cruise

You travel northeast from Hanoi to Halong Bay, a UNESCO natural site, and spend one night aboard Dragon Legend Cruise in a Deluxe Cabin. The overnight format is important. A short day boat can show you the limestone islands, but sleeping on the water gives you a slower view of the bay.

The schedule includes open-air morning views with tea or coffee, breakfast, and a visit to Vung Vieng fishing village by rustic rowboat. You pass through the water and meet local people before returning to the ship.

The cruise lasts roughly 20 hours across two days, then you fly from Hanoi to Danang in the late afternoon. That combination gives you a memorable water stop but leaves another travel-heavy transition. If you are sensitive to motion or want a quieter trip, ask about cabin location and the exact cruise schedule before paying.

Hoi An: Historic Streets and a Big Evening Show

You arrive in Danang and transfer to Hoi An, where two nights are planned at La Siesta Hoi An Resort and Spa. Hoi An’s old town grew as an international trading port between the 15th and 19th centuries, and the sightseeing focuses on surviving buildings rather than grand monuments.

The Japanese Covered Bridge is the best-known stop. You also visit Phung Hung Old House, the Fukien Assembly Hall, and Tan Ky House, a five-generation family home from the late 19th century. Together, these places show how Vietnamese, Chinese, and Japanese influences shaped the town.

A boat on the Thu Bon River takes you past the town from another angle and includes a visit to a boat-building village. You then receive free time after lunch, which is welcome after several guided stops.

That evening brings the Hoi An Memories Show, a large cultural production built around the city’s past. It is a polished performance rather than a small local theater event, so your enjoyment will depend on how you feel about staged presentations. It does provide a different way to understand Hoi An’s development.

Hue: Imperial Tombs and the Perfume River

The drive from Hoi An toward Hue gives you a change of scenery before the imperial sites. You visit the Tomb of Tu Duc, a large royal complex connected to one of the Nguyen emperors, and the Tomb of Khai Dinh, built between 1920 and 1931.

Khai Dinh is especially notable for its mixture of Western and Eastern design. Tu Duc offers a different sense of scale and setting, and seeing both helps you compare the choices made by different rulers.

In Hue, a private cyclo takes you through the Citadel, which once contained the Imperial City and the Forbidden Purple City. This is one of the strongest cultural sections of the trip, but restoration and wartime damage mean that some areas are more complete than others.

The next morning includes Thien Mu Pagoda, with its seven-story octagonal tower beside the Perfume River, followed by a river cruise and the Tomb of Minh Mang. The route then continues by air to Ho Chi Minh City.

One night is planned at Azerai La Residence Hue, with a Superior River View room. It is a short stay, but the location and hotel style fit the city’s imperial atmosphere.

Ho Chi Minh City and the War’s Last Chapters

Ho Chi Minh City receives three nights at Mai House Saigon Hotel, giving you more breathing room than Hanoi. The first full day begins at the Cu Chi Tunnels, where you explore the Ben Duoc battlefield memorial site and underground passages and chambers said to extend three levels below ground.

This stop is physical and historical. The tunnels are narrow, and the visit helps explain how the war was fought beyond the official city centers. You then return to central Saigon for Notre Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office, and Reunification Palace.

The palace was the former residence of the president of South Vietnam and became associated with the end of the war in April 1975. The War Remnants Museum follows, with military equipment, weapons, and exhibits intended as a warning against future conflict.

I would allow time to process this sequence. The material at the museum is direct and upsetting, while the palace is more architectural and political. Ben Thanh Market then offers a lighter stop for shopping, followed by Ho Chi Minh Square and its French colonial buildings.

The private vehicle matters here because the day crosses several parts of a large city. You also have a guide to explain the political names and changing interpretations, rather than relying only on labels in a museum.

The Mekong Delta by Sampan

The final full day moves southwest toward My Tho and Cai Be. You board the Cai Be Princess Sampan at the jetty, where cold towels and a drink are provided. The cruise is designed for a smaller-scale view of the Mekong waterways.

The boat journey lasts about two hours, and lunch is served at Le Longanier Restaurant, a colonial-style villa in a tropical garden beside the river. This meal is included and gives the day a distinct sense of place without requiring a long expedition into the delta.

You return to Ho Chi Minh City for the final night. On day 13, a transfer from Mai House Saigon Hotel to the international airport is included. Allow three hours for airport formalities, as the tour advises.

What the Service Is Like

The strongest practical feature is coordination. Airport pickups, internal flights, hotel transfers, guides, drivers, and tickets are arranged across several different destinations. The service notes identify Mr Ann as a named coordinator, and direct communication is presented as part of the company’s approach.

The vehicles are modern and air-conditioned, and each destination uses a professional English-speaking guide. You should expect different local guides rather than one person following you for all 13 days.

Previous service details emphasize punctual pickups, help at airports, polished hotels, and high-end local restaurants. The food plan here includes selected lunches, but not every meal, so you retain some freedom and should budget for drinks, dinners not listed, and gratuities.

Who Should Book This Tour?

Book it if you want Cambodia and Vietnam in one carefully connected trip, especially if you value comfort, private transport, and guided context. It suits first-time visitors who would rather not organize multiple flights, hotels, boats, and airport transfers themselves.

It also suits couples and small private groups. The itinerary includes major cultural sites, difficult modern history, rural encounters, and several water experiences, so you get a broad picture rather than a temple-only holiday.

Think twice if you prefer slow travel. The schedule has early starts, long sightseeing days, four flights, and several one-night stays. You also need to be comfortable with the emotional weight of Tuol Sleng, Choeung Ek, Cu Chi, and the War Remnants Museum.

Cancellation terms are strict close to departure. A full refund requires cancellation at least six full days before the start time, while cancellations two to six days ahead receive 50 percent. Later cancellations are nonrefundable.

Should You Book It?

I would choose this tour for a first, high-comfort visit to both countries when time is limited. The best value comes from the private logistics, strong hotel choices, included flights, and the depth of the Angkor and Hue programs.

I would not choose it for a relaxed beach holiday or an independent city break. The route is demanding, but it gives you Phnom Penh, Angkor, Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hoi An, Hue, Saigon, and the Mekong Delta in a single well-supported journey. Ask about the current group discount, meal details, flight times, and who will coordinate your trip before you book.

FAQ

How long is the private Cambodia and Vietnam tour?

The tour lasts approximately 13 days, beginning at Phnom Penh International Airport and ending with a transfer to Ho Chi Minh City International Airport.

What countries does the itinerary visit?

It visits Cambodia and Vietnam, including Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Hanoi, Halong Bay, Danang, Hoi An, Hue, Ho Chi Minh City, the Cu Chi Tunnels, and the Mekong Delta.

Are domestic flights included?

Yes. The package includes flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, Siem Reap to Hanoi, Hanoi to Danang, and Hue to Ho Chi Minh City.

Are hotels included?

Yes. Accommodation includes listed hotels in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Hanoi, Hoi An, Hue, and Ho Chi Minh City, plus one night aboard Dragon Legend Cruise in Halong Bay.

Are meals included?

Daily breakfast is included, along with six lunches and one dinner. Other meals, drinks, and personal expenses are not included.

Is this a private tour?

Yes. Only your group participates, with private transportation, a professional English-speaking guide, and a driver.

What is the cancellation policy?

You can receive a full refund if you cancel at least six full days before the start time. Cancellation two to six days ahead receives a 50 percent refund, while cancellation less than two days ahead is nonrefundable.