My 15-day Vietnam and Cambodia route · map not to scale
At a glance
- Nights
- 14 nights
- Hotel changes
- 5
- Travel
- Private car and guide; two domestic flights and one flight to Siem Reap, quoted separately
- Best for
- Couples, older travellers and families with teens on a first visit
- Budget
- From 2,100 USD per person (15 days × 140, 2 travellers, 4★)
The short answer
My private Vietnam and Cambodia tour runs 15 days: Hanoi, one night on Lan Ha Bay, four nights in Hoi An, Hue, Ho Chi Minh City with the Mekong Delta, then three nights at Angkor. It costs from 140 USD per person per day for two travellers at 4★, so from 2,100 USD per person, confirmed in your written quote. Flights are quoted separately.
This page is for couples and families who want Vietnam from north to south and a proper look at Angkor in one trip, without a hotel change every night. It suits first visits to the region, travellers in their sixties and seventies, and families with teenagers who can manage early starts at the temples.
My view is simple: Cambodia is worth adding only when it gets three nights at Angkor, and Vietnam keeps enough days to breathe. Fifteen days is where that starts to work. Below is the route I would give my own guests, what it costs at the approved rates, where I would stay and how I would change it for you.
My sample 15-day Vietnam and Cambodia tour route
The route runs north to south, then crosses to Siem Reap at the end. Travelling in this direction means the busiest part of the trip comes first, while you are fresh, and the temples come last, with nothing to rush for afterwards.
| Day | Where | What we do | Overnight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hanoi | Arrive, private transfer, a short walk by Hoan Kiem Lake, early night | Hanoi |
| 2 | Hanoi | Old Quarter on foot before the heat, Temple of Literature, water puppets in the evening | Hanoi |
| 3 | Lan Ha Bay | Private car to the coast, board a small ship, kayaking and a cave by rowing boat | Ship |
| 4 | Hanoi to Hoi An | Tai chi on deck, back to shore, afternoon flight from Hanoi to Da Nang, drive to Hoi An | Hoi An |
| 5 | Hoi An | Old town walk at opening time, lantern-making workshop, free afternoon | Hoi An |
| 6 | Hoi An | Bicycle and boat through the Cam Thanh water-coconut village, lunch locally | Hoi An |
| 7 | Hoi An | A day with nothing fixed: pool, tailor, or a half day at My Son | Hoi An |
| 8 | Hue | Private car over the Hai Van Pass to Hue, quiet afternoon | Hue |
| 9 | Hue | Perfume River boat, Thien Mu Pagoda, the Citadel and one royal tomb | Hue |
| 10 | Ho Chi Minh City | Fly south, afternoon at the Reunification Palace and the old Post Office | Ho Chi Minh City |
| 11 | Mekong Delta | Day trip to Ben Tre: sampan on the small canals, fruit and a local lunch | Ho Chi Minh City |
| 12 | Siem Reap | Short flight to Siem Reap, check in and rest, no temples today | Siem Reap |
| 13 | Angkor | Angkor Wat early, Angkor Thom and the Bayon, rest at midday, Ta Prohm late afternoon | Siem Reap |
| 14 | Angkor and Tonle Sap | Banteay Srei in the morning, a boat on the Tonle Sap lake in the afternoon | Siem Reap |
| 15 | Siem Reap | Free morning, transfer to the airport | — |
Notice what is not here. There is no night train, no one-night stop and no day with two flights. Hoi An gets four nights because it is the point where the trip slows down; I explain why in why I give Hoi An four nights. Hue gets two, which in our experience is the right amount for most guests, as I set out in how long to spend in Hue.
At Angkor our guides run the temples in two halves each day: early morning, a long break at the hotel through the hottest hours, then a late afternoon visit. It is the single best defence against what I call temple fatigue, covered in how to avoid temple fatigue at Angkor.
Price from
A private Vietnam and Cambodia tour at 4★ level starts from 140 USD per person per day for two travellers sharing, with your own guide and driver in each country. These are from-prices, confirmed in your written quote.
| Trip | Rate per person per day | From, per person |
|---|---|---|
| 15 days, 2 travellers, 4★ | from 140 USD | from 2,100 USD |
| 15 days, group of 4 (−5%) | from 133 USD | from 1,995 USD |
| 15 days, group of 6 (−8%) | from 128.80 USD | from 1,932 USD |
| Luxury tier (for example Amansara at Angkor) | from 350 USD | quoted individually |
Domestic flights are not included and are quoted separately; this route has two inside Vietnam and one short regional flight to Siem Reap. To confirm the trip we take a 30% deposit and a non-refundable 100 USD per traveller holding fee (kept even if you cancel early), separate from the 30% deposit; your quote shows how it is applied to the final invoice. The balance is due 45 days before arrival, and card payments carry a 3.5% fee. If you are travelling as four or six, the discount is explained in how the group-of-four and group-of-six discount works.
Where I’d stay
Hanoi. Fairmont Hanoi opened in February 2026 a short walk from Hoan Kiem Lake, with 241 rooms and a 3,500 m² wellness floor. For the first two nights after a long flight, being able to walk to the lake in the morning matters more than any facility.
Lan Ha Bay. For a one-night stay I like Heritage Line Ginger: twelve suites, each with a private balcony, and a pool on the terrace deck. Its programme fits a village cycle, a cooking class and morning kayaking into 24 hours, and the car can wait at the pier for an afternoon flight south. If you want a larger ship, see how the Heritage Line ships compare.
Hoi An. Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai is an all-villa resort on a kilometre of Ha My beach, about 30 minutes from Da Nang airport, and works well as a beach-and-old-town base. NHAAN Resort & Spa Hoi An, in Cam Thanh village, has nineteen pairs of connecting rooms, which helps families.
Hue and Ho Chi Minh City. We choose a central 4–5★ hotel and name it in your quote.
Siem Reap. At the 4★ rate, a central 4–5★ hotel named in your quote. At the top tier, Amansara is 24 suites in a 1962 royal villa, ten minutes from Angkor Wat, with a daily guided temple excursion included. Three nights is the usual stay, which matches this route exactly.
Why private, and how I’d adjust it
A private trip lets us move the day around you rather than around a coach. If someone sleeps badly, the morning starts later. If the heat is strong, the midday break gets longer. Our guides are used to changing the order of a day on the spot, and that flexibility is what you pay for.
- Shorter, 12 days: drop Hue and one Hoi An night. For a ten-day version that stays in the south and goes overland by the Mekong to Phnom Penh, see Metta Voyage’s published 10-day Vietnam and Cambodia tour.
- Longer, 18 days: add two nights in Phnom Penh after Angkor, or a second night on the bay.
- By river: replace the flight with a Mekong cruise. Heritage Line The Jahan sails seven nights between Saigon and Siem Reap, with three- and four-night sections sold separately. This moves the trip into the luxury tier and is quoted individually.
- Families with teenagers: Metta Voyage’s 14-day Vietnam and Cambodia family tour is a published itinerary along similar lines; we can add a cooking class and swap a museum for a cycling morning.
- Older travellers: we recommend asking for ground-floor or lift-served rooms, and keeping the second Angkor day to half a day.
- Season: central Vietnam is often wet in October and November, so in those months I shorten Hoi An and add a night at Angkor. Read how I choose the month for a long trip before you fix dates.
If you are still deciding whether Cambodia belongs in your trip at all, start with the questions I ask before adding Cambodia. If you have three weeks, Laos can come in too: see my Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia route, or stay longer in Cambodia with my Cambodia tours page.
Mistakes I see most often
- Two nights at Angkor. After the arrival day you get one rushed temple day. Three nights is my minimum.
- Booking the international flight home from Hanoi. This route ends in Siem Reap. Check that your return ticket leaves from there, or from a hub you can reach easily, before you pay for it.
- Trying to see every temple. Five or six well-chosen sites, seen slowly, stay with people far longer than fifteen seen at speed.
- Forgetting the second visa. Vietnam and Cambodia have separate entry rules. Check both for your passport well before you travel.
Sources
Vietnam e-visa: evisa.gov.vn. Cambodia travel information: tourismcambodia.org. Vietnam regions and seasons: vietnam.travel.
Checked and updated 11 November 2026. — David, for The Metta Voyage team.
Questions about this trip
How much does a private Vietnam and Cambodia tour cost?
From 140 USD per person per day for two travellers sharing at 4★, so a 15-day trip starts from 2,100 USD per person, confirmed in your written quote. Groups of four save 5% and groups of six save 8%; domestic and regional flights are quoted separately.
How many days do I need for Vietnam and Cambodia?
We recommend at least 14 to 15 days, so Angkor gets three nights and Vietnam still has room for Hoi An. With ten days, keep to southern Vietnam and Cambodia.
What is the best month for a Vietnam and Cambodia tour?
For this north-to-south route, many guests choose the cooler, drier months around December to March. Central Vietnam is often wet in October and November, so we adjust the nights if you travel then.
Are flights included in the tour price?
No. Domestic flights in Vietnam and the regional flight to Siem Reap are not included and are quoted separately, at the fares available when you book.
Can I change the route or travel by river instead?
Yes. Every trip is private, so we can shorten it, add Phnom Penh or replace the flight with a Mekong cruise such as Heritage Line The Jahan, which is quoted individually.
