Hanoi → Lan Ha Bay → Hue → Hoi An → Ho Chi Minh City → Vientiane → Luang Prabang → Siem Reap · map not to scale
At a glance
- Nights
- 20 nights, 8 stops
- Hotel changes
- 7 (including the night on board)
- Travel
- 5 flights within the trip, quoted separately; every other move by private car or boat
- Best for
- Travellers with three weeks who accept two border flights
- Budget
- From 2,940 USD per person (21 days × 140, 2 travellers, 4★); 5★ upgrades quoted individually
The short answer
Three countries in three weeks works if you really have 21 days on the ground: about twelve days in Vietnam, four nights in Luang Prabang as a mid-trip rest and three nights at Angkor. With eighteen days or fewer, or if stairs and heat are hard for someone in the group, I usually recommend two countries instead.
Three countries in three weeks sounds like the efficient way to see Indochina. Sometimes it is. Sometimes it is a trip spent in airports, with Vietnam cut to its highlights and Laos reduced to a single night. Before I agree to build one, I want to know whether the travellers will enjoy the third country or just collect it.
This is how I decide, what I say when the answer is no, and the route our team builds when it is yes.
Is Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos too much in three weeks?
Not if the days are really 21 and the pace is planned around rest. My working numbers: about twelve days for Vietnam, four nights in Luang Prabang and three nights at Angkor. Below that, something gives. With eighteen days or fewer I usually suggest two countries instead, or a faster fourteen-day programme only for travellers who are happy to move often.
The deciding factor is rarely the map. It is how many hotel changes and flights the group can take before the trip stops being a pleasure.
When I say yes to three countries
- You have a full three weeks on the ground, not three weeks including the long-haul flights.
- You are happy with one flight every few days and two regional border crossings by air.
- Luang Prabang appeals as a rest, not as another list of sights. It is a small town where you can walk to most temples, and it gives the middle of the trip a slower week.
- Angkor is a priority and you are fine with steps and heat on two half-days.
- Everyone in the group travels at a similar pace. Teenagers and fit parents in their sixties usually do well on this route.
When I say no, and what I suggest instead
- Under eighteen days with all three countries on the wish list. I suggest Vietnam and Cambodia, and Laos on a later trip. Our post on adding Cambodia to Vietnam explains that choice.
- A traveller who finds stairs or heat hard. Phousi Hill and parts of Angkor have steep steps. Three weeks in Vietnam alone, with resort nights, is often the kinder trip; see why I build long trips around rest days.
- The real wish is a beach ending. Three countries plus a beach in 21 days means too many short stays.
- Your only dates are in the hottest months and Angkor is the main reason for going.
The three-week Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos route I build when the answer is yes
This route is based on Metta Voyage’s 20-day Indochina Revealed programme, with an extra night where guests need it. Vietnam comes first because it has the most transfers; Laos sits in the middle as the rest; Angkor is the finale. Every day is private, with your own guide and driver in each country.
| Day | Where | What we do | Overnight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hanoi | Arrival; rest, then a welcome dinner | Hanoi |
| 2 | Hanoi | Temple of Literature, Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple; cyclo ride in the Old Quarter; water puppet show | Hanoi |
| 3 | Lan Ha Bay | Private car to Tuan Chau, board your ship, kayaking or a swim | On board |
| 4 | Lan Ha Bay | A full day on the water: cycling through Viet Hai village, spa or deck time | On board |
| 5 | Bay – Hue | Kayaking at Frog Lake, back to the marina; car to Hanoi airport for the flight to Hue | Hue |
| 6 | Hue | Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda, the royal tombs; after a midday rest, the Citadel | Hue |
| 7 | Hue – Hoi An | Over the Hai Van Pass, with the Cham Museum and Marble Mountains in Da Nang | Hoi An |
| 8 | Hoi An | Early walk in the old town; a lantern workshop | Hoi An |
| 9 | Hoi An | Basket boats in the water-coconut forest at Cam Thanh, a bamboo craftsman’s house | Hoi An |
| 10 | Da Nang – Ho Chi Minh City | Flight south; Reunification Palace, the Old Post Office, the War Remnants Museum | Ho Chi Minh City |
| 11 | Mekong Delta | Ben Tre by boat, fruit with a farming family, a rowing sampan through small canals | Ho Chi Minh City |
| 12 | Tay Ninh and Cu Chi | Cao Dai Temple and the Cu Chi Tunnels, or a free day | Ho Chi Minh City |
| 13 | Ho Chi Minh City – Vientiane | Free morning, afternoon flight to Laos | Vientiane |
| 14 | Vientiane – Luang Prabang | That Luang, Patuxay, Wat Sisaket; flight or the Laos–China railway to Luang Prabang | Luang Prabang |
| 15 | Luang Prabang | Royal Palace Museum, Wat Xiengthong; boat to the Pak Ou Caves | Luang Prabang |
| 16 | Luang Prabang | Dawn alms giving, Phousi Hill, Kuang Si Waterfall, Ock Pop Tok Living Craft Centre | Luang Prabang |
| 17 | Luang Prabang | A free day; a Baci ceremony with a local family in the late afternoon | Luang Prabang |
| 18 | Luang Prabang – Siem Reap | Direct flight to Cambodia; Ta Prohm in the late afternoon | Siem Reap |
| 19 | Angkor | Optional sunrise at Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and the Bayon; rest at midday | Siem Reap |
| 20 | Angkor | Banteay Srei and Pre Rup; afternoon on the Tonle Sap Lake or at leisure | Siem Reap |
| 21 | Siem Reap | Free morning, transfer to the airport | — |
How I pace three countries in three weeks
- Two nights minimum, three or four where it counts. Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City, Luang Prabang and Siem Reap all have three or more.
- Two nights on the bay. With one night, almost half the cruise is boarding and disembarking. See what I check before booking a ship.
- A free day in each country: Day 12 in Saigon, Day 17 in Luang Prabang and the last morning at Angkor.
- One flight a day at most, and a new guide and driver waiting at each arrival, so you never carry bags through a terminal alone.
In our experience, tiredness shows in the second week. If a group is flagging by Luang Prabang, our guides drop a sight rather than push on.
Mistakes I see most often
- One night in Luang Prabang. It is the stop that resets the trip; rushed, it becomes another transfer.
- Zig-zagging. Flights that backtrack waste half-days. Ho Chi Minh City to Vientiane and Luang Prabang to Siem Reap keep the line clean.
- Forgetting three sets of entry rules. Each country has its own visa decision, and passports need blank pages for three entries.
- Counting the long-haul flights inside the 21 days. Then the real trip is eighteen days, and I would plan it differently.
- Filling every free day. The free days are what make the third country enjoyable.
Where to stay
- Hanoi: Fairmont Hanoi. Opened in February 2026 a short walk from Hoan Kiem Lake, with a wellness floor and a 20-metre lap pool.
- Lan Ha Bay: Heritage Line Ylang. A two-night ship with ten suites, each with a balcony, and a gentle wellness programme. Larger families often prefer Capella Cruise, with two family suites for five.
- Hue, Ho Chi Minh City and Vientiane. We choose a central 4–5★ hotel and name it in your quote.
- Hoi An: NHAAN Resort & Spa Hoi An, with craft workshops and connecting rooms, or Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai on Ha My beach.
- Luang Prabang: Amantaka. Twenty-four suites on a historic garden estate in the old town, ten minutes from the airport. Rosewood Luang Prabang, built around a waterfall in the Nahm Dong valley, suits those who want nature, with free transfers into town.
- Siem Reap: Amansara. Twenty-four suites ten minutes from Angkor Wat, with a daily guided temple excursion included.
How I choose between these is in what I check before booking a 4–5★ hotel.
What it costs
A private trip through Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos at 4★ level is from 140 USD per person per day, based on two travellers sharing, with a private guide and driver in each country, confirmed in your private quote. Over 21 days that is from 2,940 USD per person. A group of four receives 5% off (from 133 USD per person per day); a group of six receives 8% off. Amantaka, Rosewood or Amansara move the trip to our top tier, from 350 USD per person per day, quoted individually.
Domestic and regional flights are quoted separately. To confirm, we take a 30% deposit, with the balance 45 days before arrival, and a non-refundable 100 USD per traveller holding fee (kept even if you cancel early), which is separate from the 30% deposit. Card payments carry a 3.5% fee. See how I price a long private trip.
For a ready-made version and its current from-price, see Metta Voyage’s 20-day Indochina Revealed tour. If you are happy to move faster, the 14-day Like a Local in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos and the 14-day Indochina Highlights cover the same countries in two weeks.
Visas, health and respect
- Vietnam: check whether your nationality is exempt; if not, apply through evisa.gov.vn.
- Laos: the Lao e-visa from laoevisa.gov.la can be used at Wattay International Airport in Vientiane and Luang Prabang International Airport, among other listed entry points; processing is usually three working days.
- Cambodia: the e-visa is issued through evisa.gov.kh.
- Health: read the CDC pages for each country, bring enough medication for three weeks and carry insurance that covers all three countries.
- Alms giving: in Luang Prabang, watch quietly from a distance or kneel if you take part, and never use flash. We recommend craft centres such as Ock Pop Tok and family-run workshops over anything staged.
For timing, see how I choose the month; for older travellers, my checklist for parents in their seventies.
Metta Voyage has handled more than 2,000 bookings for over 10,100 travellers. Send us your dates, and we will tell you whether three countries fit or whether two would serve you better.
Sources
Lao e-visa, processing time and entry points: laoevisa.gov.la. Vietnam e-visa: evisa.gov.vn. Cambodia e-visa: evisa.gov.kh. Travel and season information: vietnam.travel, tourismlaos.org, tourismcambodia.org. Health: CDC Vietnam, CDC Laos, CDC Cambodia, WHO travel and health.
Questions we are often asked
Is Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos too much for three weeks?
Not if you have a full 21 days on the ground and keep at least two nights per stop. We plan about twelve days in Vietnam, four nights in Luang Prabang and three at Angkor.
How many days do I need for Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos?
We recommend three weeks for an unhurried pace. Fourteen-day versions exist, but they suit travellers who are happy to move every day or two.
Which order is best for the three countries?
We usually go Vietnam, then Laos, then Cambodia, so the busiest part comes first, Luang Prabang works as a mid-trip rest and Angkor is the finale. The reverse also works.
How do you travel between Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia?
By short regional flights, Ho Chi Minh City to Vientiane and Luang Prabang to Siem Reap. Between Vientiane and Luang Prabang you can fly or take the Laos–China railway. Flights are quoted separately.
How much does a private three-week Indochina trip cost?
From 140 USD per person per day at 4★ level, based on two travellers sharing, which is from 2,940 USD per person for 21 days, confirmed in your private quote. Domestic and regional flights are quoted separately.
David — for The Metta Voyage team. Checked against our itineraries and the sources above on 11 November 2026.
