Hmong women on rice terraces in Sapa, Vietnam

Heritage and History Tour of Vietnam and Thailand

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Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist

Countries Visited

Thailand, Vietnam

Places Visited

Hanoi, One Pillar Pagoda, Sapa, Hoang Lien...

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Suggested Duration

21 Days

Imperial cities, ancient temples, superlative landscapes, and tribal villages. This is just the start of your heritage and highlights exploration of Vietnam and Thailand. Expect to see monkeys, enigmatic cities, war histories, and mysterious river caves. Spanning 3,000 years and over a dozen unique destinations, this three-week tour celebrates the famous and unknown wonders of two remarkable nations. It’s handcrafted for those who want to crave exploring the past and present history of these countries....

Customizable Itinerary

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Trip Highlights

  • Spend days cruising through the karst landscape of Halong Bay, a serene and surreal introduction to your three weeks in Southeast Asia
  • Feast your eyes on the ancient ruins of Ban Prasat, before admiring a temple complex in Thailand from the Khmer period
  • Spend two days amid Vietnamese hill tribes and rice paddies, Sapa a base for two days of mountain exploration
  • Lounge around Chiang Mai and its nearby national parks, finishing the vacation with hot air ballooning, elephants, night markets and incense-filled temples
  • Compare the histories of two major cities, Bangkok, and Ho Chi Minh City so diverse yet both so full of energy
  • Lounge around the historical cities of Hue and Hoi An, where imperial and colonial legacies present a faded grandeur
  • Explore an ancient world of temples and chedis with a day in Sukhothai
  • Visit Vietnam’s DMZ and crawl into the tunnels where villagers lived during the war
  • Helicopter above Khao Yai, take a seaplane over Halong Bay, and hot air balloon above Chiang Mai
  • Discover Hanoi’s Old Quarter, feel the atmosphere of a Lanna temple, and go searching for wild monkeys and gibbons 

Detailed Description

Vietnam and Thailand are experiential countries. You don’t go sightseeing, you breathe in the history and join locals in spiritual places. Rather than ticking off the postcards you travel deep into the mysteries of history. The superlative landscapes aren’t for admiring from a distance; they are places for exploring, in boats and balloons, perhaps even next to elephants. These are also countries where the experiences change every day: vibrant cities, peaceful nature, rural tribes, and ancient history leading to imperial and colonial times. Every day is different, and the experience is most memorable because of the people you get to meet. With such an appeal, it’s hard to only spend a few days in Vietnam and Thailand. So much is packed into these two countries. Which is why you need three weeks to experience them in depth.

This tour has been handcrafted for those who like to explore. There are 11 days in Vietnam, starting in northern Hanoi and traveling all the way to Ho Chi Minh City in the south (formerly Saigon). Ease into the experience by cruising around Halong Bay, plus a seaplane flight over the world wonder. Escape to the mountainous north, where rice paddies and local tribes define the experience. Spend days in the heart of Vietnam, Hoi An, and Hue both historical cities with great stories to tell. With these as a comfortable base you can discover the DMZ, Vinh Moc tunnels, Phong Nha Cave and other experiential highlights. Then fly to Ho Chi Minh City, where District 1 completes the first half of your adventure.

Fly to Bangkok, Thailand’s capital that is full of energy and enigmatic sights. Spend two days here, watching performances, discovering the old temples, living the history and shaking your head at the contrasts. Fly by helicopter to Khao Yai then explore beneath the thick forest canopy. You will go to places where few visitors venture: Khmer ruins, ancient cities, temples from the past that remain in everyday use. Chaing Mai is the relaxed place to finish. After some busy days hopping between destinations, you have four nights in Thailand’s charming northern capital. Find elephants in the national parks, meet monks on hilltop temples, lounge around the old town and balloon above the northern landscapes. It’s a fitting way to end these weeks, part tranquility, part local experience, part exotic adventure in Southeast Asia.

To gain more ideas for your perfect Thailand and Vietnam vacation, take a look at our Thailand and Vietnam page for more itineraries and tours.

Starting Price

$5,455 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

  • Accommodations
  • In-country transportation
  • Some or all activities and tours
  • Expert trip planning
  • 24x7 support during your trip

Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.

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