Package Price Includes:

Package Price: $8,495 - Total Combined Cruise and Land Tour Package*

*Per person cash discount price, based on double occupancy. Does not include international airfare, visas and tips.

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1 March 15: Fly
Today you will fly from your home to Los Angeles (LAX) where you will board the Singapore Airlines Jet. Your flight will take you to Singapore, where we will a layover and then fly to Chiang Mai, Thailand.  If you are doing your own airfare, you must get your airfare all the way to Chiang Mai.

Day 2 March 16: Flying
Cross the International Date Line and lose a day.

Day 3 March 17: Chiang Mai, Thailand
Today we will arrive into Chiang Mai.  After arrival, if there is time we will do a short city tour before heading to our hotel.  (Transfers are included if you booked our group airfare or your flight arrives on or before and departs on or after our group flights.)

Day 4 March 18: Chiang Mai, Thailand
Today will be a fantastic highlight day that you will never forget.  We start with a visit to the Tiger Kingdom. Here you will be able to see many tigers, and if you would like, you will have an opportunity to play with baby tigers or pet the larger ones.  From there, we head to see the elephants, where you’ll see them perform a fantastic show, then we will ride them thru the jungles of Thailand.  Then we will have a visit to the Long Neck Village.   As seen in National Geographic, the women of the Long Neck Tribe put multiple metal rings around their necks to stretch them.  The rings weigh over 20 pounds.  We return to Chiang Mai to overnight.

Day 5 March 19: Hanoi
Today we will fly to Hanoi. If there is time we will do a short city tour before transferring to our hotel.

Day 6 March 20: Hanoi- Halong Bay – Hanoi
Today will be a full-day tour to Halong Bay with a boat trip. According to legends, Halong Bay was formed by dragons who used their tails to gouge out valleys and crevices and spat out jewels that turned into islands. This is truly one of the most beautiful places on this earth. On a traditional wooden “junk” (boat), we’ll drift through a fairyland of sheer limestone islands that rise from the emerald water. We will pass by unique rock formations and discover caves in the rocks. At the end of a fantastic day, we will return to our hotel in Hanoi.

Day 7 March 21: Hanoi
Our tour of Hanoi will include the mystery and charm of past centuries narrow lanes and traditional shophouses on our walking tour. We also include the Ho Chi Minh Memorial Complex, the Temple of Literature, and the highlight, the Old Town. The Old Town is best seen on foot. The maze of narrow streets dates back to the 13th century. We will also visit the famous Hanoi Hilton (prison).

Day 8 March 22: Ho Chi Minh City
This morning we will transfer to the Hanoi airport and fly to Ho Chi Minh City.  After our arrival, we will head to the Cu Chi Tunnels, an important Vietcong base during the Vietnam War. Stretching over 120 miles, this incredible underground network, dug by hand out of hard laterite, connected command posts, hospitals, shelters, and weapons factories. We will also tour Ho Chi Min (Saigon). The tour will include Notre Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office, and the Reunification Palace. Overnight Ho Chi Minh.

Day 9 March 23: Ho Chi Minh City – AmaWaterways Cruise Ship
This morning we will finish touring Ho Chi Min (Saigon).  We will then drive to meet our ship this afternoon. (B, D)

Day 10 March 24: CAI BE – SA DEC
Take a local boat to Cai Be. You will have an opportunity to visit candy and rice paper-making workshops, as well as the historic Kiet Old House. Later in the day, journey to Sa Dec, a sprawling town on the Mekong Delta, where French writer Marguerite Duras spent part of her youth. You will visit the colorful market, Cao Dai Temple, and the house of Mr. Huynh Thuy Le, Duras’ Chinese paramour, which her prize-winning novel, “The Lover,” is said to be based on. (B,L,D)

Day 11 March 25: TAN CHAU – BORDER CROSSING
Enjoy a visit to Tan Chau, a small Mekong River town unspoiled by tourism. Be treated to an authentic experience on a traditional “xe-loi” (trishaw) ride around the town, with stops at silk-making and rattan mat workshops, followed by a boat ride through the narrow channels of the Mekong River to “Evergreen Island.” Alternatively, take a boat ride to Evergreen Island and return to Tan Chau, where you will visit a rattan mat workshop. Later in the day, cruise from Vietnam to the Cambodian border en route to Phnom Penh. (B,L,D)

Day 12 March 26: PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA
This morning’s excursion takes you to Cambodia’s infamous Killing Fields and the Khmer Rouge’s grim Tuol Sleng S21 detention center (Genocide Museum). Alternatively, you may wish to shop for unique treasures at the bustling yellow-colored Central Market. After lunch on board, you will explore the highlights of the city, followed by a visit to the Royal Palace, the spectacular Silver Pagoda, and the National Museum, which has an outstanding collection of Khmer crafts. (B,L,D)

Day 13 March 27: OUDONG – KAMPONG TRALACH – PHNOM PENH
Visit Oudong, Cambodia’s former royal capital from the early 17th century until 1866. Today, Oudong is a place of pilgrimage for Cambodians. While here, be treated to a memorable Buddhist Blessing Ceremony at a monastery. You may walk around Oudong’s monastery or take an active walking tour to see panoramic views of the Oudong plain. Later in the day, experience Phnom Penh via a tuk ride and be enchanted by the city’s French Colonial architecture and tree-lined boulevards set amidst monumental Angkorian (B,L,D)

Day 14 March 28: OKNHATEY – ANGKOR BAN
In the morning, set sail for Oknhatey Village. Oknhatey is the “Silk Island,” located on the lush banks of the Mekong River and known for its rich tradition of silk weaving. While here, you will visit a local elementary school and observe traditional silk weaving, an art that has been preserved for centuries. Your cruise continues to sail to Angkor Ban. (B,L,D)

Day 15 March 29: ANGKOR BAN – KAMPONG CHAM
Go on a walking tour of Angkor Ban, one of the few villages in Cambodia that was not destroyed under the Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s. Here people still live in their traditional wooden abodes and keep their old cultural traditions alive. Hundreds of wooden houses stand intact on stilts, shaded with banana trees, among the hustle and bustle of the daily agricultural ongoing of the local villagers. After visiting here, the ship sets sail for Kampong Cham. Cap the day off with a festive Farewell Dinner on board. (B,L,D)

Day 16 March 30: Disembarkation – Transfer via motorcoach to Siem Reap (Angkor Wat)
Today we say goodbye to our beautiful Amawaterways River cruise ship and drive to Siem Reap.  Upon arrival into Siem Reap, we will check into our Luxury 5-Star Hotel.

Day 17 March 31: Angkor Wat – Siem Reap
Visit Angkor Wat: Today will be a fantastic highlight day! The crowning jewel of Khmer architecture, ANGKOR WAT is the national symbol and a favorite of Cambodia. The largest, best-preserved, and most religiously significant of the Angkor temples. Angkor impresses visitors both by its sheer scale and beautifully proportioned layout, as well as the delicate artistry of its carvings. To approach the temple, you must cross the vast moat, continuing along a broad causeway lined with naga balustrades. As you enter the main building, you will ascend through a series of galleries and courtyards before reaching the central sanctuary, which offers beautiful views back over the causeway and across the surrounding countryside. On the way, we stop to enjoy the intricate stone carvings that adorn nearly every surface, with some 1,700 Apsaras, or celestial dancers, sculpted into the walls. Along with the outer gallery, walls run the longest continuous bas-relief in the world, which narrates stories from Hindu mythology, including the famous Churning of the Ocean of Milk. Angkor Wat is stunning at any time of the day.
Visit Angkor Thom: The fortified city of ANGKOR THOM covers an area of 10 square km. Enclosed by a wall and wide moats, the city includes many of Angkor’s most popular sights. Enter by the monumental SOUTH GATE over a causeway lined on either side by statues of demons and gods, each carrying a giant naga. Continue to the TERRACE OF THE ELEPHANTS and the TERRACE OF THE LEPER KINGS, former spaces for public ceremonies, both adorned with dramatic bas-reliefs. We will visit the ruined BAPHUON, ROYAL ENCLOSURE, and PHIMEANAKAS.
Visit TA PROHM: One of the most popular attractions of Angkor. Much of the jungle has not been cleared, and it looks very much as most of the Angkor monuments would have appeared when European explorers first stumbled across them. Overnight Siem Reap.

Day 18 April 1: Bangkok, Thailand
This morning we will fly to Bangkok. Upon arrival, we will visit THE ROYAL GRAND PALACE, the nation’s landmark, and the most praised royal monument. This is the former royal residence of the Chakri Kings. The palace is a perfect example of an ancient Siamese court. Built in 1782 by King Rama I, it was the center of power for over 150 years.  Today, the Palace is Bangkok’s major landmark and most popular tourist attraction.  WAT PHRA KAEW, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, is located right next to the Grand Palace and together form perhaps the greatest spectacle for the visitor to Bangkok.  It consists of over 100 brightly colored buildings, golden spires, and glittering mosaics, and dates back to 1782 when Bangkok was founded.  When you enter the compound, you first see Wat Phra Kaew and the nearby attractions and then move on to the Grand Palace. Photography is permitted in the Royal Palace Grounds and in the compounds of the Emerald Buddha Temple, but not inside the buildings. At the end of today’s tour, we will transfer to our hotel where we overnight.

Day 19 April 2: Osaka, Japan
Today we have a morning flight to Osaka, Japan; with the time zone changes, we will arrive in the evening time. Upon arrival, we will transfer to our hotel. (This flight is not included in our tour package.  It will be priced around 6 months prior to departure.)

Day 20 April 3: Osaka – Himeji Castle
Himeji Castle, also known as White Heron Castle due to its elegant, white appearance, is widely considered Japan’s most spectacular castle for its imposing size, beauty, and its well-preserved complex castle grounds. It is also a World Heritage Site. We will then visit the Osaka Castle Park, which is beautiful during the Cherry Blossom Season. We will also visit the lively Shinsaibashi Walking Street and Dotonbori, the most lively areas in Osaka.

Day 21 April 4: Osaka – Hiroshima – Osaka
We will depart early for the train station. You have heard about Japan’s high-speed bullet trains that can travel up to 200 miles an hour; today, you’re going to experience it going to and returning from Hiroshima. It is around 1.5 hours to Hiroshima by bullet train. Upon arrival, we will take a ferry to see the Itsukushima Shrine (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Enjoy the beautiful landscape of the Red Torii Gate floating in the sea before heading to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum. Then return by train to Osaka.

Day 22 April 5: Osaka – Kyoto – Osaka
Today will be another huge highlight day. Kyoto, on most lists, is considered the #1 place to visit in Japan. We will visit the Golden Pavilion and its gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Then we will visit Nijo Castle, built in 1603 and at times used as a Royal Palace; it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We will also visit the Kyoto Imperial Palace, used as the residence of Japan’s Imperial Family until 1868, when the emperor and capital were moved from Kyoto to Tokyo. The Kiyomizudera Temple (also a UNESCO World Heritage Site) is one of the most celebrated temples in Japan. Near Kiyomizudera Temple is the ancient unspoiled historical streets of Ninenzaka that you will be able to explore.

Day 23 April 6: Mt. Fuji – Overnight Tokyo
This morning we head to Mt. Fuji by bullet train, getting off at Odawara station. We will then travel by bus to Hakone, where we will take a cruise to enjoy Lake Ashi, where we can have a view of Mt. Fuji. We will then travel by cable car on the Hakone Rope Way to Owakudani Volcanic Valley. At the end of the day, we continue by bus to Tokyo.

Day 24 April 7: Tour Tokyo – Fly to LAX and on home
Today’s tour will also include the Emperor Palace and other important sites in Tokyo. Mid-afternoon, we will transfer to the Narita Airport for an evening flight on Singapore Airlines. You will arrive on the same day, around noon into Los Angeles.  (Transfers are included if you booked our group airfare or your flight arrives on or before and departs on or after our group flights.)