Vietnam and Cambodia Tour: 8 Days with Qatar Airways

We meet at Istanbul Airport and depart for Doha on Qatar Airways flight QR 240 at 13:50. After a short layover we fly on to Bangkok on flight QR 838 at 20:05. We rest on board through the overnight journey.

We land at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) at 06:40 in the morning. After passport and baggage procedures we transfer to our private bus. We navigate the morning traffic and head out of Bangkok, taking a short panoramic route through the Thai countryside. After leaving Suvarnabhumi we head towards Don Mueang Airport (DMK), stopping along the way for a late breakfast, a break of about an hour to an hour and a half that lets us rest and prepare for the next flight. After breakfast we arrive at Don Mueang Airport and complete check-in. Thai AirAsia flight FD 614 departs Don Mueang at 15:00, landing at Siem Reap Angkor Airport at 15:55. After landing we complete passport procedures, are met by our guide, and transfer to our hotel by private vehicle. Once we have checked in, the rest of the time is free to relax and explore the surroundings. Accommodation: a 4-star hotel in Siem Reap.

After breakfast at the hotel we set off to explore the Angkor Archaeological Park, a world heritage treasure of Cambodia. Throughout the day we experience both the classic Angkor heritage and the mystical atmosphere within the surrounding tropical forest. Our first stop is Angkor Wat, the greatest masterpiece of Khmer civilisation. With our guide we explore the temple's reliefs, galleries, lotus towers, water moats and the main complex, home to its universal symbols. Walking through galleries lined with more than 3,000 relief figures, the architectural narrative of the temple unfolds. We then move on to Angkor Thom, once the capital of the Khmer Empire. Our first stop here is Bayon Temple, known for its hundreds of stone faces, each bearing a different expression. With giant face sculptures atop dozens of towers and narrow passages, Bayon is one of the most impressive structures in the entire Angkor region. After Bayon we get a panoramic view of the area, passing the Royal Square, the Terrace of the Elephants, the Terrace of the Leper King and the ancient city walls.

After breakfast we check out and head to Tonle Sap Lake, the largest freshwater ecosystem in Southeast Asia. South of Siem Reap, this vast lake shapes the region's way of life directly, its water level rising and falling by 6 to 8 metres with the seasons. At the lakeside we board traditional wooden boats for a calm journey among the floating villages, taking in the wooden stilt houses rising above the water, floating schools and churches, the daily life of local fishermen, and small market boats and children travelling by canoe. Our guide shares the ecological significance of Tonle Sap and the local culture of living with water. After the boat tour we return to Siem Reap and transfer to our private bus for the journey to Phnom Penh, about five to six hours through Cambodia's countryside. The route passes wide rice fields, palm trees, small villages and rural markets, giving a feel for the country's authentic atmosphere. We reach the capital, Phnom Penh, in the late afternoon. With its colonial character and riverside setting on the Mekong, Phnom Penh has a livelier, more cosmopolitan atmosphere than Siem Reap. After checking in, the evening is free.

After breakfast at the hotel we begin our city tour of Phnom Penh, Cambodia's historic, cultural and political centre. Set at the confluence of the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers, this capital blends French colonial architecture with Khmer tradition. Our first stop is the Royal Palace and the adjacent Silver Pagoda. The palace, the official residence of the royal family, is known for its gilded roofs, spacious courtyards and elegant Khmer architecture. The Silver Pagoda features more than 5,000 silver floor tiles and Buddha statues adorned with precious stones. Our guide explains Cambodia's monarchy tradition and religious rituals here. We continue on a panoramic route past the French colonial-era post office building, wide boulevards and colonial mansions, then visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21), an important site for understanding Cambodia's recent history. Converted from a school during the Khmer Rouge era, it offers a powerful testimony to the country's tragic past.

After breakfast at the hotel we check out and leave Phnom Penh with our luggage, travelling by road to Ho Chi Minh City, known as Saigon, Vietnam's largest metropolis. Leaving Phnom Penh we follow the Mekong basin, passing wide rice fields, water buffalo, palm trees and rural markets that show Cambodia's true rhythm of life. By midday we reach the Cambodia-Vietnam border crossing. After passport and border formalities we cross into Vietnam, continuing through lush deltas that immediately signal the country's tropical climate on the way to Ho Chi Minh City. On arrival in Saigon in the afternoon, the city's atmosphere changes entirely: colonial French buildings, street vendors, motorbike traffic and modern high-rises together define Vietnam's commercial hub. We take a short panoramic city tour: the iconic red-brick Notre Dame Cathedral (viewed from outside), the Central Post Office, designed by students of Gustave Eiffel, the Reunification Palace, the former Presidential Palace (a photo stop from outside), and a pass by Ben Thanh Market, considered the heart of the city. After the tour we transfer to our hotel and check in.

After breakfast at the hotel we head out of the city to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels, one of the most striking legacies of the Vietnam War. Travelling through rice fields, rubber plantations and small villages in Saigon's rural surroundings, we reach the Cu Chi area after about an hour and a half. With our guide we explore this historic tunnel network, once used by Viet Cong guerrillas and stretching more than 250 kilometres, learning about the narrow escape corridors, hiding rooms, kitchen systems, wartime trap mechanisms, and how the tunnels were dug and turned into living spaces. Those who wish can briefly enter the widened sections of the tunnels. After the Cu Chi visit we have lunch at a local restaurant, then turn towards the Mekong Delta, reaching the region through rural areas lined with tropical trees. At the Mekong we take a traditional boat along the river's branches, visiting delta-specific stops such as tropical fruit orchards, coconut processing workshops, small islets and riverside village life. A sampan journey into the smaller canals is one of the delta's most authentic experiences. In the late afternoon we head back to Saigon.

Very early in the morning we check out and transfer to Saigon Tan Son Nhat Airport (SGN). After passport and baggage procedures, Qatar Airways flight QR 975 departs for Doha at 08:55. We land in Doha at 12:55, and after a short layover continue to Istanbul on Qatar Airways flight QR 245 at 14:05. After a journey of about five hours we land at Istanbul Airport at 18:40 the same day. After passport and baggage procedures our tour comes to an end.