Our Southeast Asia tour offers a captivating journey through Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, with overnight stays in Bangkok, Siem Reap, and Ho Chi Minh City. Guests will experience the rich history, vibrant cultures, and fascinating traditions of three of Southeast Asia’s most remarkable destinations.

The itinerary includes visits to iconic landmarks and cultural sites, from Bangkok’s magnificent temples and colorful markets to the extraordinary temples of Angkor in Cambodia and the historic and cultural highlights of Ho Chi Minh City. Throughout the journey, guests will enjoy wonderful local cuisine and take part in special cultural experiences, including a private longboat tour through Bangkok’s canals, visits to local markets, and opportunities to experience the distinctive traditions and daily life of each destination.

Guests will enjoy comfortable stays at carefully selected hotels throughout the journey. Free time is woven throughout the itinerary for personal exploration, shopping, relaxing at the hotels, or simply soaking in the local atmosphere.

Bangkok is one of Southeast Asia’s easiest cities to fly into. After clearing immigration and collecting their luggage, guests will be greeted by our driver in the arrivals hall and transferred to the hotel.

Flights from America usually arrive in Bangkok in the evening, local time.

Our hotel will be the five-star Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort, located along the banks of the Chao Phraya River.

Meet at the hotel’s riverside restaurant for dinner. We will be joined by local alumni this evening.

Meet in the lobby and depart, alongside our local guide, for a walking tour of Bangkok.

After visiting the Reclining Buddha, continue exploring the beautiful Wat Pho temple complex, including its peaceful courtyards, colorful chedis, and historic temple buildings.

Enjoy lunch at the wonderful restaurant “Sala Rattanakosin Eatery & Bar”. This high-ranking restaurant features a great view of the Chao Phraya River and the temple of Wat Arun.

Because this is our first full day in Asia, we will cut the touring short, and depart for our hotel.

Return to the Anantara Riverside Resort. Guests will have free time to enjoy the hotel’s amenities.

Take a ferry across the Chao Phraya River to tour the world-famous Mandarin Oriental Hotel, including its beautiful Author's Lounge.

Enjoy dinner at the Mandarin Oriental’s riverside Italian restaurant.

After dinner, we will return to the hotel by ferry across the Chao Phraya River.

Meet in the hotel lobby and walk to the resort's private pier. Board a private longboat for a scenic one-hour cruise through Bangkok's historic canal system.

Continue to Bangkok's largest flower market, where we will explore its vibrant stalls and the surrounding neighborhood.

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant

• Return to the hotel for free time

• Visit and tour the famous Jim Thompson House

Whoever goes to the Jim Thompson House, will return to the hotel around 4 p.m.

Before or after our tour of the Jim Thompson House, there will be an opportunity to shop for silk products in its high-end store (Jim Thompson, among other things, was noted for the wonderful silk products that his company produced).

Everyone who went to the Jim Thompson House will return to the hotel for free time.

Guests will be on their own for dinner this evening. JST recommends SEEN Restaurant at the neighboring Avani Hotel.

Meet in lobby, with bags packed, and depart with local guide, via vans, for Bangkok’s international airport, BKK.

Bangkok Airways # 905

• Departs Bangkok at 11:20 a.m.

• Arrives at Siem Reap at 12:40 p.m.

We will meet a local guide, Pheng, after arriving and take vans into the city.

Check into our five-star hotel, The Sofitel.

Enjoy a family-style dinner at the hotel’s lovely restaurant.

Meet a local guide in the hotel’s lobby and depart on vans for a tour of Angkor Thom, the ancient capital of the Khmer Empire.

We will first briefly stop at the famous bridge going into Angkor Thom, and then briefly tour Bayon Temple.

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant

Enjoy a tour of the magnificent Ta Prohm Temple, known for its dramatic fusion of nature and architecture. This ancient Khmer temple, built in the 12th century, is famous for the massive tree roots intertwining with the stone structures, creating an enchanting and mystical atmosphere.  

Relax for the rest of the day, or continue exploring the area independently.

Meet in the lobby and depart on vans for dinner at the lovely French/Cambodian restaurant, Malis.

Guests may either take a van back to our hotel or explore Siem Reap’s famous Pub Street with their guides.

Meet in the hotel lobby. Take vans with a local guide to Angkor Wat.

Enjoy an extensive, guided tour of the extraordinary Angkor Wat, which is considered to be one of the World’s Wonders. Enjoy all that Angkor Wat has to offer, including exploration of rooms and chambers that few tourists know about.

After Angkor Wat, we will briefly stop by a small “Killing Fields” memorial, dedicated to the victims of the Khmer Rouge regime.

We will enjoy lunch at Changkran Khmer Restaurant, which trains street children to enter the restaurant industry.

Relax for the rest of the day, or continue exploring the area independently.

Because we are going to a special performance tonight, we will need to have an early dinner.

Meet in the hotel lobby and depart for Butterfly Pea Restaurant, a wonderful local restaurant.

Take vans to Phare, The Cambodian Circus (this is more of a Cirque du Soleil than a traditional circus). We will all have good seats for this dynamic performance.

Depart the hotel and drive about 45 minutes through the Cambodia countryside to the lovely temple of Banteay Srei, sometimes referred to as “The Women’s Temple". Enjoy a thoughtful tour of this small, pink sandstone temple.

After visiting Banteay Srei, we will make a 30-minute stop at the Cambodia Landmine Museum, a moving site dedicated to educating both locals and international visitors about the devastating impact of landmines in Cambodia.

Enjoy lunch at Haven Restaurant, another great NGO that trains street children to become waiters, cooks, and restaurant professionals. 

Return to the hotel and enjoy some free time to relax and refresh before the evening activities.

Guests may visit a high-end store near our hotel to look at, and perhaps purchase, Cambodian art.

Enjoy an a la carte dinner at Sokkhak River Lounge.

Depart the hotel for a special countryside visit with the founder of Aqua Share, a wonderful organization dedicated to providing clean water wells to underserved communities throughout Cambodia. We will visit a rural village and join local residents for the special moment when a newly installed water well is opened for the first time. The well, purchased by John Shors Travel from some of the proceeds from this tour, will bear the inscription “Donated by the alumni of Grinnell College".

Meet in the lobby, with bags packed. Take vans to Siem Reap International Airport.

Vietnam Airways # 812

• Departs Siem Reap at 6:30 p.m.

• Arrives HCMC at 7:45 p.m.

Meet our local guide at the airport, and take a private bus to our 4.5-star hotel.

Our hotel will be The Hotel Majestic Saigon, an old French luxury hotel in the best part of town. The Hotel Majestic Saigon is located on the famous Dong Khoi Street, which is close to the Saigon River.

Because of our late arrival in Vietnam, guests will have dinner on their own this evening. Guests may choose to dine at the hotel’s rooftop restaurant or order room service at their convenience.

Leave in vans, with a local guide, for a tour of the impressive Independence Palace.

Enjoy some free time on the nearby “Book Street”, a vibrant pedestrian area lined with bookshops, cafes, and cultural spaces.

Take vans to the Central Post office, as well as Notre Dame Cathedral.

Enjoy lunch at RuNam d’Or Restaurant.

The group will split into different directions to explore. Guests will have several options to choose from this afternoon, including:

• Visiting the War Remnants Museum (please note that many of this museum’s exhibits are graphic and potentially upsetting).

  • Approximate return to hotel: 4 p.m.

• Visiting the Ben Thanh Market for an unforgettable shopping experience.

  • Approximate return to hotel: 4 p.m.

• Shopping on Don Khoi Street, which is near our hotel.

• Returning to our hotel.

Meet in the hotel lobby and walk to a nearby restaurant.

Meet in the hotel lobby and depart for a cooking class. We will make our own multi-course meal, which we will then enjoy for lunch.

For a glimpse of modern-day HCMC, we will go to the top of Landmark 81 Tower, where we will enjoy coffee and/or ice cream.

After coming down from the tower, we will explore a nearby park.

Relax for the rest of the day, or continue exploring the area independently.

Meet at the hotel lobby and enjoy a farewell dinner at the Residence Eleven, located at the top of the nearby Hilton Hotel.

Transportation provided for all guests to Ho Chi Minh City International Airport.

PRICE OF TOUR

• $8,995 USD per person, based on double occupancy

• $11,195 USD per person, based on single occupancy

PRICE INCLUDES:

• Accommodations at high-end hotels 

• All transportation, including flights, within SE Asia

• All meals except for two lunches and two dinners

• All non-alcoholic drinks

• Fees (temples, tours, guides, etc.)

• Excursions (cooking class, museums, etc.)

• All tips

PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE:

• International airfare to Bangkok and returning from Ho Chi Minh City

• Alcoholic drinks

• Two lunches and two dinners

• Activities during free times such as golf, spa, etc.

• Hotel incidentals such as room service, mini bar, phone charges, laundry, etc.

• Visa to Vietnam (it’s inexpensive, but guests will order online)

• Charges incurred if guests arrive a day early or decide to remain in Asia after the tour ends

This trip includes walks of up to one mile, and over uneven terrain.

We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance for your trip. For your convenience, you can explore options from our trusted travel insurance partner here.