Central Vietnam to Angkor Wat 7 Day

Welcome to Vietnam’s capital of the coast – glorious Da Nang. Once arrived here, the driver will take you about 30km south of the city to Hoi An, the vibrant and historic port town of central Vietnam.

Here we will find your hotel, where you can check in and take whatever is left of the day as free time. Explore the endearing architecture at your will or simply relax with a Vietnamese coffee.

Take breakfast in your hotel and await the arrival of the guide. The immense beauty and charm of Hoi An’s Ancient Town awaits, accessible via a pass that grants us access to some of the 21 cultural attractions here.

We can choose which sites we would like to visit and can listen to the guide’s in-depth description of each one. Each of these sites contributed something to the long and eventful history of Hoi An, which was frequented by sailors from all over the world as they passed along the maritime silk road to China.

A morning of exploration and picture-taking will come to an end with lunch, which will be served at a local restaurant and will give you an introduction to the distinct food of central Vietnam.

After this comes the drive to My Son Sanctuary, located about 45km to the southwest of Hoi An. This is the ancient site of Hindu worship for the Champa Kingdom, who ruled the lands of modern-day central and southern Vietnam for about 1000 years before their near-total demise. Here, we can see exquisite Hindu temples eroded by time and war, but still with prominent features and a powerful history to tell.

On the way back to town, we make a quick stop-off at the Sa Huynh Champa Culture Museum to finalise everything you have learnt about this strong civilisation before it fell to the Vietnamese. We arrive at your hotel after this for you to enjoy the evening.

Breakfast will be served in your hotel to start the day, after which the guide will arrive with bicycles for our day of total serenity.

We begin by cycling across the Thu Bon River and ending in Kim Bong, a village specialising in ornate woodwork. A look around the workshops here will reveal the artisan talent with which the workers saw, sand and shape the wood into furniture and art. A humble shipbuilding yard will show us the techniques necessary to create a coracle boat, one of the round-bottomed vessels traditionally used for fishing in Hoi An.

Onwards we cycle through fabulous scenery, stopping every so often to take pictures of the long plateaus of rice and the coconut trees that shoot vertically out of the ground around them. We stop next in Tra Nhieu, a village specialising in the art of mat-weaving and a site of conflict during the Vietnam War. We cycle through the village and end up in a forest of coconut trees and wild nipa palm, creating a gorgeous scene for us to explore.

We head back to Tra Nhieu to learn of how locals make mats from the reeds of the river, before pressing onto Tra Que village, known for its organic approach to farming. Here we meet Mr. Minh, who will introduce us to the village and his house within it, where we can relax before heading out to his farm and having a go at sowing, watering and harvesting the fresh produce grown here.

Lunch will consist of these fresh vegetables, along with other local ingredients. Choose to relax with a footbath or help Mr. Minh with the cooking, which will end with a meal of many central Vietnamese specialities such as tam hữu (spring rolls) and bánh xeo (crispy shrimp pancakes).

Take the drive back to Hoi An and enjoy the rest of your day here as free time. You could spend this exploring more of the town, heading to the beach or by getting something tailor-made from the wealth of cheap and professional tailor shops.

Breakfast can be taken at a time that suits you, as much of today can be enjoyed as free time in Hoi An. If you are looking for paradise, then a trip to the Cham Islands off the coast of Hoi An might be the ticket, while a half-day exploration of the canals in Bay Mau forest would also be a great option for nature lovers.

The driver will arrive at your hotel about three hours before your flight, ready to take you to Da Nang airport for your international flight to Siem Reap.

Land in Siem Reap and take the transfer with the new driver to your hotel. Enjoy the spectacular nightlife and street food of Siem Reap at your will.

After breakfast, we will take the early drive to Angkor Wat to start our full-day tour of the stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We arrive first at Ta Prohm, also known as the ‘Tomb Raider Temple’ for its famous movie cameo in 2001. A walk around the site will show us why it was picked for the set of perfect temple ruins, as the intrusive roots of the banyan tree have, with time, crawled through the stone temple and left it in a state of ruin. This only adds to the beautiful and mystical appearance of Ta Prohm, which is one of the most picturesque temples throughout the complex.

A visit to the awe-inspiring main temple of Angkor Wat comes after this, where the typical majesty of the Angkor Kingdom’s architecture is shown at the peak of its brilliance. We walk around the red laterite buildings, faded beautifully with time but still standing as a strong reminder of the kingdom’s past splendour. Walking around the corridors, towers and the bridge over the lotus pond will transport us back to an ancient civilisation with powerful religious beliefs.

We stop at a local restaurant for lunch and a breather, before continuing onto more temples throughout the afternoon.

We find these temples in the old capital of the Angkor Kingdom, Angkor Thom, surrounded by a moat and featuring highly intricate art across its bas-reliefs. Here, we spend the afternoon exploring the many temples that made up the former capital, including the Royal Palace, Bayan Temple, the Terrace and the Leper King and many more.

The tour finishes at the last of these temples and we take the car back to Siem Reap. Make the most of the evening by relaxing or having a few drinks.

Breakfast is served once again in the hotel in Siem Reap, after which the driver and guide will turn up to take you south of the town.

We reach the shores of Tonle Sap Lake, a vast and flat expanse of water that extends to the horizon. We board the motorised boat here and head out onto the lake, finding a peaceful serenity in its many wide-open spaces.

After a while cruising, we get to Me Chrey village, one of the floating communes of fishing families that have lived here for many, many years. We cruise around and observe the local way of life here, which takes place around the central pagoda and outside wonderful stilt houses. The atmosphere here is incredibly laidback due to the idyllic surroundings and carefree lifestyle of the locals. 

Back on the shore, we take the drive back to Siem Reap, where we have lunch together and you can spend the rest of the day as free time. This would be a great chance to go shopping around the many markets of the region, or simply relax at the spa before the end of the tour.

This will be your last breakfast of the tour, so savour it while taking in the outdoor majesty of Siem Reap. You will have the time before your flight as free time, which ends once the driver comes to your hotel and takes you to the airport.

At the airport, you can wave goodbye to the driver and board the flight to your next destination.

We hope that you had a magnificent time discovering central Vietnam and Angkor Wat. We thank you for your interest with us and we wish you well for your future travels in Southeast Asia!