Day 1: FLIGHT FROM FRANKFURT AND ARRIVAL IN HANOI
Scheduled flight from Frankfurt to Hanoi.

Day 2: HANOI
Arrival in Hanoi. Welcome at the airport and hotel transfer (rooms are ready from 2 pm). Next, you'll head into the city and explore the thousand-year-old Temple of Literature, also known as Vietnam's first university. The temple was built in 1070 by emperor Ly Thanh Tong. From 1076, it served as a university reserved exclusively for princes and children of the nobility, as well as mandarins. In 1802, Emperor Gia Long transferred the National University to Hue, now the capital of Vietnam. Stroll along the shady paths of Van Mieu Park and enjoy the architecture of this historic site, as well as 82 of the 116 original steles used to immortalize the names of the graduates. In the afternoon, you'll have the opportunity to discover Hanoi life in the 1950s with a 45-minute cyclo-pousse ride through the old quarter. Discover the lively streets of the "Quartier des 36 Voies", a place of unique charm and endless activity: artists, pewter founders, jewelers, calligraphers, carpenters and many other craftsmen flock to sell their wares. You'll then take a stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake, translated as "Sword Lake", and visit the magnificent Ngoc Son temple on a small island in the middle of the lake, accessible via a red wooden bridge. Immerse yourself in this legendary place steeped in history and secrets.

Day 3: HANOI - HALONG (APPROXIMATELY 165 KM)
In the morning, you leave Hanoi for Halong Bay. Enjoy a boat trip on a traditional wooden junk and explore the emerald-green waters. Admire the unique natural spectacle of towering limestone cliffs covered in tropical forest. Did you know that the bay's name translates as "the bay of the submerged dragon"? Enjoy the breathtaking scenery while savoring a delicious lunch and dinner of excellent seafood freshly caught in the bay. Overnight on board.

Day 4: HALONG - HANOI (approx. 200 KM)
Sleep well? After breakfast, you'll sail past the spectacular sandstone formations of Halong. Discover the mystical Halong Bay and its unique islands. Return to Hanoi. Keep your eyes peeled: much of the newly-built road passes through impressive rice paddies in the Red River delta. When you book the excursion package, you'll have the chance to sample a wide range of Vietnamese specialties on a gastronomic street tour of Hanoi's old quarter. You start with Bánh cuốn - steamed and rolled rice pancakes. After this initial tasting experience, you'll stop off at a famous local restaurant on Hang Dieu Street and sample Vietnamese noodles prepared in southern style. These are incredibly popular with locals and travelers alike. You'll then head to a "hidden" corner of Hanoi and stroll along a "graffiti wall" - an ideal spot for cafés offering superb views of Hanoi's bustling streets. Enjoy your drink and feel the rhythm of nightlife in this magical capital.

Day 5: HANOI - LUANG PRABANG (ABOUT 40 KM).
In the morning, visit the exterior of Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum. We continue to a traditional house on stilts and the revered one-pillar pagoda. You will then be transferred to the airport for your flight to Luang Prabang. Your tour guide will meet you at Luang Prabang airport and transfer you to your hotel.

Day 6: LUANG PRABANG - PAK OR GROTTES - LUANG PRABANG (ABOUT 60 KM)
Early in the morning, head to a temple with your guide to witness the Tak Bath ceremony. During this celebration, the people of Luang Prabang kneel devoutly on the sidewalks, holding food in their hands to offer to passing monks. Let yourself be drawn into this culturally significant moment, which unfolds peacefully and respectfully. Then off to the local market. Let yourself be carried away by the hustle and bustle of the early morning. In the morning, you'll take a tuk tuk tour. You'll visit the National Museum located in the former Royal Palace, which features a collection of personal effects from the royal family. In the afternoon, you'll take a boat trip on the Mekong River. Upstream you'll discover the Pak Ou caves, home to countless Buddha figures in the Tham Ting and Tham Theung caves. Then stop off at Ban Xang Hai, where you'll discover the production process of the famous rice wine: "Lao". Feel free to try a glass too. On the way back to Luang Prabang, enjoy a breathtaking sunset. Overnight at your hotel.

Day 7: LUANG PRABANG - KUANG SI CASCADE - LUANG PRABANG (APPROXIMATELY 75 KM)
Your morning will be wet. You'll make your way to the Kuang Si waterfall, 35 km away, where you can take a dip under the cascade. Refreshing, isn't it? You can also visit some local villages along the way. After freshening up, you return to Luang Prabang and visit the village of Ban Xangkhong, known for its silk weaving and special jute paper production. Next, explore Wat Xieng Thong, the temple of the royal city. Did you know that this richly decorated temple, located at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, was founded by King Setthathirath around 1560? The name means Thong City Monastery. In the evening, you'll attend a traditional Baci (Soukhouan) ceremony. This is one of the most popular traditions in Laos and plays an important role in all of life's important events, such as weddings, funerals, births, illnesses, travels, etc. The ceremony usually takes place in the presence of just a few people, one or two in all. Recipients", "Officiants" and a few "Assistants". However, on special occasions such as weddings, dozens of people may gather. During the ceremony, the officiant remembers your souls (according to Laotian belief, each person possesses 32 souls) in order to attract positive influences for you. She receives a cotton thread wrapped around her wrist, meant to symbolize the wishes made for her. Then it's the turn of the "assistants" - your fellow travelers - who also tie a cotton thread around the leader's wrist. This solemn moment will help you better understand the faith in Laos. Dinner with the local family.

Day 8: LUANG PRABANG - SIEM REAP (ABOUT 20 KM)
The day is free. Transfer to the airport for your flight to Siem Reap. Meet your tour guide at the airport and transfer to your hotel.

Day 9: SIEM REAP - ANGKOR - SIEM REAP (APPROXIMATELY 80 KM)
In the morning, you'll travel by tuk tuk along a road lined with immense century-old trees. This leads you to a majestic stone gateway, the entrance to Angkor Thom, also known as "the great city". See the curiously smiling faces carved in stone? They belong to the Bayon temple, built around the 12th and 13th centuries. After visiting the Bayon temple, head for Baphuon, an 11th-century temple mount whose restoration was recently completed by French architects. Next, marvel at the 350 m-long Elephant Terrace. This was once used for royal audiences and public ceremonies. Your tour continues to the Terrace of the Leper King, built in the 12th century and dotted with magnificent Aspara sculptures. Another highlight of your trip is today's visit to Angkor's temple complexes! Discover Angkor Wat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with Angkor since 1972. Climb the three-tiered pyramid for a breathtaking view of the entire complex. Your tour ends with a visit to Ta Prohm, a temple victim of tropical nature.

Day 10: SIEM REAP - KAMPONG KHLEANG - SIEM REAP (APPROXIMATELY 100 KM)
Welcome aboard a small local boat, led by a village captain. You cross a vast area of Lake Tonlé Sap at a moderate pace and get a special glimpse of the small floating villages. At the end of the canal, can you see the immense dimensions of the lake? During the dry season (November - April), it's best to walk with the locals. Enjoy a picnic lunch on board. If you book the optional excursion package, you'll be treated to an evening Cambodian circus show, giving you a real insight into Cambodian history and culture. The NGO Phare Ponleu Selpak was founded in 1194 to provide artistic training for young and poor Cambodians. Immerse yourself in the depths of Khmer history during the show!

Day 11: SIEM REAP - DANANG - HOI AN (APPROXIMATELY 60 KM)
The day is free until your transfer to the airport. Have you booked the optional excursion package? Then, in the morning, immerse yourself in local village life in Cambodia before continuing your journey to Vietnam. Discover the different phases of rice noodle production with a local family. Then enjoy a traditional breakfast of your own creation! We continue on to the next village, specializing in the production of bamboo glutinous rice and the harvesting of coconuts. Along the way, you'll see various sugarcane stands. The villagers will explain how they process the fruit in different ways. At your last stop, you'll discover how the locals make handicrafts from palm leaves. Create your own work of art as a personal souvenir for your home! Then fly from Siem Reap to Danang. Welcome at the airport and transfer to your hotel in Hoi An for the night.

Day 12: HOI AN
In the morning, enjoy the charm of the Duy Vinh landscape on foot or by bike. From the pier in Hoi An's old town, take a local boat to Cam Kim Island. Once there, you'll visit Mr. Huynh Suong's workshop in the village of Kim Bong, where the famous sculptor will talk to you about his art. Then we continue by bike to the weaving village of Duy Vinh. Enjoy the scenery of rice paddies and bamboo fields along the 13 km route. In the village, you'll discover the traditions and special skills handed down from generation to generation. Later, you cross a small dam and reach a fishing village. Afterwards, climb back aboard the boat to enjoy a delicious meal, then return to Hoi An. In the afternoon, you'll take a city tour through the UNESCO-protected old town. You'll see the covered Japanese bridge, built by the Japanese community in the 16th century for commercial purposes. You'll also take a look at the Chinese temple, built in honor of General Quan Cong, and the Phung Hung trading house. Built almost entirely of wood, the building is an excellent example of sophisticated 18th-century architecture, with Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese influences.

Day 13: HOI AN - HUE (approx. 150 KM)
In the morning, we head for Hue via the Hai Van Pass. The pass represents the natural border and meteorological divide between north and south and is often referred to as the "cloud pass". From the top, you have a magnificent view of the Vietnamese coast. Once in Hue, visit the Tu Duc emperor's tomb, the Thien Mu pagoda. You'll then return to your hotel for the night.

Day 14: HUE - HO CHI MINH CITY (ABOUT 25 KM)
In the morning, you'll visit one of the city's main attractions, the Royal Citadel. The former imperial city was built in the early 19th century on the model of Beijing's Forbidden City. Afterwards, we visit a "garden house", as often seen in Hué. Transfer to the airport and flight to Ho Chi Minh City. On arrival, your guide will be waiting for you and you'll begin a city tour of ancient Saigon. The city was once built on the site of an ancient Khmer city and was considered a sparsely populated area until the 17th century. Today, this can only be guessed at, as the southern metropolis has become one of the country's largest cities, along with Hanoi. You can see the main post office, probably the most beautiful colonial building of the 19th century. Also worth seeing are Notre-Dame Cathedral and Dong Khoi Street. If you have booked the optional excursion package, visit one of Ho Chi Minh City's most famous rooftop bars in the late afternoon and enjoy a drink at sunset with a magnificent view.

DAY 15 - HO CHI MINH CITY - BEN TRE - HO CHI MINH CITY (APPROX. 170 KM)
In the morning, we continue to Ben Tre, the province of coconuts. Your first stop is at the Phong Nam brick kiln, where bricks are still carefully handmade. From here, you'll board the boat and travel along the Chet Say, where you'll get a better insight into the life of the local population. Stop for a moment now and then to observe the hustle and bustle along the river. Have you ever seen how charcoal is made from coconut shells and how carpets are made from straw on a high-temperature handloom? Try it for yourself! You'll then take a motorized rickshaw, called Xe Loi, or a bicycle through vast rice fields and beautiful scenery before having lunch with a local family. In the afternoon, you'll return in a traditional sampan boat through the narrow arms of the river. Return to Ho Chi Minh City.

DAY 16 - HO CHI MINH CITY - CU CHI - HO CHI MINH CITY (APPROX. 120 KM)
Today you'll head to Cu Chi and visit the famous tunnel system that served as the Viet Cong's underground operating area during the Indochina wars. It stretches 200 km underground and houses hospitals, command posts, shelters and weapons factories. The Viet Cong cleverly managed their lives in the tunnel system, which was never discovered by the Americans. Your tour begins with a documentary on the tunnel and warfare in the 60s and 70s. You then have the opportunity to access various rooms via narrow underground channels. At the end of the tour, enjoy "Khoai my Luoc", Cu Chi's specialty. A Vietnamese dish eaten daily during the war. After your visit, return to Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 17: HO CHI MINH CITY - DEPARTURE
Spend your last hours in Vietnam before heading home! Rooms are available until 12 noon. Have you booked the optional excursion package? Then set off on your last sightseeing tour! In the morning, explore Ho Chi Minh City from a different angle. You'll board a "water bus". This public transport system takes you leisurely from the city center along the Saigon River. Your route takes you past some of Saigon's most famous buildings, including the Landmark 81 skyscraper. On arrival at Thanh Da station, disembark the waterbus and begin your stroll along the peninsula, filled with ancient dwellings and peaceful local life. During your walk, you'll discover Thanh Da market and finish with a drink with a view in a riverside café. Next, you'll explore Cholon, the city's Chinatown, home to the Binh Tay international market and the Thien Hau pagoda. Then say goodbye to an eventful trip! Transfer to the airport and return flight to Germany.

Day 18: ARRIVAL IN FRANKFURT

Program subject to change!

(We recommend that you take out foreign health and cancellation insurance).

Good to know:  After booking, you'll receive detailed information about your trip. This includes the complete program, travel formalities and everything you'll need to make the most of your stay. Your travel documents will be sent to you before you leave! We're delighted that you'd like to discover UGANDA with Berge & Meer (Organization and responsibility).

Please note that due to flight schedules, arrival in Frankfurt will be one day later.