Family Adventure Travel in Vietnam & Cambodia

This country is on the move. Tourists are discovering this beautiful land of green rice paddy fields, perfect beaches, soaring mountains, bustling, exciting cities, and people so friendly and welcoming you’ll be thinking of your next Vietnam family vacation soon after you arrive.
Download Sample Itinerary

Destination Highlights

Vietnam

From Hanoi, the capital where medieval and modern Asia meet, to the stunning hill country of Sapa, to spectacular Halong Bay, a family tour through Vietnam will take your breath away again and again. Hoi An is the region’s culinary capital and home to our fantastic cooking lessons, while the Mai Chau Valley is perfect for village to village hiking.

Cambodia and Laos

Don’t forget Cambodia and Laos, both emerging as destinations in their own right. Cambodia’s incredible Angkor Wat, set deep in the jungle and where all you need to feel like Indiana Jones is a hat! And in Laos, don’t miss majestic Luang Prabang and memorable Mekong cruises in a land still virtually untouched by time.

Active Adventures

Take an overnight boat on the emerald waters of Halong Bay, dubbed the eighth natural wonder of the world. Kayak, swim and take in spectacular vistas all around you.

Spend some time in the capital, Hanoi. Wander the street markets of the Old Quarter, learn some history, taste the amazing food, and experience a city where old and new coexist.

Take a trip up the Mekong Delta. Drift along narrow canals, visit floating markets, go to idyllic Phu Quoc Island and witness every facet of Vietnamese life.

Culture

Visit the incredible Cu Chi tunnels used by the Viet Cong in the Vietnamese War and get a taste of what it felt like to be a soldier in the war. Or for a complete change of pace, visit Nha Trang and chill out on a glorious beach.

See Angkor Wat, a sight equal to the Taj Mahal or Machu Picchu, and feel like an explorer running wild in the jungle on a travel adventure.

Go to World Heritage Luang Prabang, the fabled Laotian riverside town, full of historic temples, rich culture and set spectacularly against a majestic mountain backdrop.

Vietnam & Cambodia Sample Itinerary

Day 1
On arrival in Hanoi, you’ll be met and given VIP service through Passport Control. Then you’ll have a private transfer to your hotel in the center of the Old Quarter where local life teems on your doorstep!

Day 2
Today is a full day in the city with one of our fabulous guides. This day will include some of the city’s most iconic sights (including the “Hanoi Hilton” where John McCain was imprisoned and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum), lunch at a VERY local restaurant (only 1 dish, grilled fish is served and you’ll most likely be the only tourists), navigating the wonderfully busy market filled streets of the Old Quarter, walking around Hoan Kiem Lake (the pulse of the city), tasting local coffee, ice cream, and a cyclo tour of different areas! And tonight we’ll go street food walking. A great day!

Days 3
Today you’ll go out to rural Hanoi to the Tay Phuong Pagoda, one of the most beautiful in North Vietnam. Then you will visit the ancient village of Duong Lam. You’ll go biking gently around the village ending up at the home of the village elder for lunch and walk around the village tasting tea and local rice candy.

Day 4/5/6
Spend two nights and 3 days on a 5-star boat on Halong Bay. You’ll kayak and swim off the boat and from beaches, visit a traditional fishing village, explore caves, have cooking demonstrations and enjoy one of the most spectacular regions in the world. All meals on board the boat are included. It’s one of the loveliest couple of days one can have! Once you disembark you will transfer to Hanoi airport from where you’ll fly to Siem Reap. On arrival, you will transfer to your hotel, one of the most beautiful boutique hotels in town. Tonight enjoy dinner in one of our favorite restaurants in town.

Day 7
This morning you will set out for Angkor. You start at the mighty Angkor Thom city, still standing strong after 1000 years. One of the highlights is Ta Prohm where the giant jungle trees have over time smashed through the temple walls creating a fantastic spectacle. After touring the sight you will return to Siem Reap and spend the afternoon doing a fantastic ATV ride around more rural areas of the town. A lot of fun! This evening your guide will take you on a street food walking tour.

Day 8
This morning you’ll go hiking at Phnom Kulen Mountain where you can also swim in the mountain waterfalls and pools. After a picnic lunch you’ll go on the back of motorbikes (you don’t drive!) to a bat cave and Elephant Pond – an area filled with stone carved animals. This evening your guide will host you for dinner in his home before you go to possibly one of the unlikeliest great spectacles of Siem Reap, the Phare Circus, a unique show where all the performers have been rescued from the streets of Cambodia and lives of hardship and poverty. It’s a great show and after the show you can meet some of the stars.

Day 9
Start by visiting a local school. You can bring school supplies to share with the kids or go shopping with your guide for supplies if you wish. You can also do some teaching as well. Then you will take an oxcart ride through local villages. In the afternoon you will bike to Angkor Wat itself – the massive temple structure for which the whole 50 square mile site is named.

Day 10
Relaxing day until it’s time for your flight out.

Vietnam & Cambodia Destination FAQ's

What time of year is best for family travel to Vietnam & Cambodia?

Vietnam and Cambodia are great to visit all year round. In Vietnam, winters can be quite chilly in the North but it will still be warm in the south, and even in the rainy season between April and September, much of the central coast remains free of rain. Cambodia is a small, warm country that can easily be visited all year.

Is travel to Vietnam & Cambodia a good idea for a family vacation?

Amazing! People are so friendly and warm, the cities are fascinating, and the beaches are wonderful.  Food is a highlight!

What can a family do in Vietnam & Cambodia ?

Sleep on a houseboat, crawl through Vietnam-war era tunnels, hike along rice terraces, go biking, snorkel off picture perfect beaches, learn to cook like a gourmet chef, and explore the Indiana Jones-like temples of Angkor in Cambodia.

What is the food like in Vietnam & Cambodia?

Vietnamese food is mouth wateringly good. Rice and noodles are the staples, and Pho is the famous soup which has made Vietnamese food so familiar all over the world. The Khmer food of Cambodia is absolutely delicious. !

What is travel accommodation like in Vietnam & Cambodia?

Accommodation ranges from midrange to ultra deluxe. You will find the major international chains as well as beautiful local boutique hotels. Almost all hotels have great swimming pools.

Is family travel to Vietnam & Cambodia expensive?

No. You generally get wonderful value for money at all budget levels.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT

Vietnam & Cambodia

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