My 21-day Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia route · map not to scale
At a glance
- Nights
- 20 nights
- Hotel changes
- 6
- Travel
- Private car and guide in each country; two domestic and two regional flights, quoted separately
- Best for
- Couples, older travellers and families with teens who have three full weeks
- Budget
- From 2,940 USD per person (21 days × 140, 2 travellers, 4★)
The short answer
My private Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia tour takes 21 days: about thirteen days in Vietnam from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi and Lan Ha Bay, four nights in Luang Prabang and three at Angkor. It costs from 140 USD per person per day for two travellers at 4★, so from 2,940 USD per person, confirmed in your written quote. Flights are quoted separately.
This page is for travellers who have a full three weeks and want to see the three countries of the old Indochina in one private trip: Vietnam from south to north, Luang Prabang in Laos, and Angkor in Cambodia. It suits couples, older travellers who like a slow rhythm and families with teenagers who can take a few early mornings.
I say yes to three countries in three weeks only when every stop gets at least two nights and Laos is treated as a rest, not a sightseeing sprint. With fewer than about eighteen days on the ground, I usually recommend two countries instead. Here is the 21-day route I would build, the price at the approved rates, and how I would change it for you.
My sample 21-day Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia tour route
I run this route south to north through Vietnam, so the trip finishes its Vietnamese part in Hanoi, where Metta Voyage itineraries take the flight to Luang Prabang. From Luang Prabang we fly to Siem Reap and end the journey at Angkor.
| Day | Where | What we do | Overnight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ho Chi Minh City | Arrive, private transfer, rest | Ho Chi Minh City |
| 2 | Ho Chi Minh City | Reunification Palace, the old Post Office and the War Remnants Museum, with a long lunch in between | Ho Chi Minh City |
| 3 | Mekong Delta | Day trip to Ben Tre: rowing sampan through the small canals, fruit, a local lunch | Ho Chi Minh City |
| 4 | Hoi An | Fly to Da Nang, drive to Hoi An, evening walk by the river | Hoi An |
| 5 | Hoi An | Old town at opening time, lantern-making workshop | Hoi An |
| 6 | Hoi An | Bicycle and boat through the Cam Thanh water-coconut village | Hoi An |
| 7 | Hoi An | Free day, or a half day at My Son sanctuary | Hoi An |
| 8 | Hue | Private car via Marble Mountains and the Hai Van Pass | Hue |
| 9 | Hue | Perfume River boat, Thien Mu Pagoda, the Citadel, one royal tomb | Hue |
| 10 | Hanoi | Fly north, afternoon in the Old Quarter | Hanoi |
| 11 | Hanoi | Temple of Literature, Ho Chi Minh complex, water puppets in the evening | Hanoi |
| 12 | Lan Ha Bay | Private car to the coast, board a small ship | Ship |
| 13 | Lan Ha Bay | Full day on the water: Viet Hai village by bicycle, kayaking, a slow afternoon | Ship |
| 14 | Luang Prabang | Back to shore, private car to Hanoi airport, flight to Luang Prabang | Luang Prabang |
| 15 | Luang Prabang | Royal Palace Museum, Wat Xieng Thong, boat upstream to the Pak Ou Caves | Luang Prabang |
| 16 | Luang Prabang | Morning alms giving watched quietly, Kuang Si Falls in the afternoon | Luang Prabang |
| 17 | Luang Prabang | A free day: weaving centre, a nap, a Mekong sunset | Luang Prabang |
| 18 | Siem Reap | Fly to Siem Reap, check in, no temples today | Siem Reap |
| 19 | Angkor | Angkor Wat early, Angkor Thom and the Bayon, midday rest, Ta Prohm late | Siem Reap |
| 20 | Angkor and Tonle Sap | Banteay Srei in the morning, a boat on the Tonle Sap lake | Siem Reap |
| 21 | Siem Reap | Free morning, transfer to the airport | — |
The shape is about thirteen days in Vietnam, four nights in Luang Prabang and three nights at Angkor. Four nights in Luang Prabang sounds generous until you see how the town works: it is small, quiet and best at dawn and dusk. I explain the reasoning in why I slow the pace in Laos. For the wider question of whether three countries is too much, read when I say yes to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, and when I say no.
The two nights on Lan Ha Bay are deliberate. With one night you spend almost half the cruise boarding and leaving; with two you get a full day on the water. Our guides also like that the second morning on board is unhurried before the flight to Laos.
Price from
A private Vietnam, Laos 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 21 days, 2 travellers, 4★ | from 140 USD | from 2,940 USD |
| 21 days, group of 4 (−5%) | from 133 USD | from 2,793 USD |
| 21 days, group of 6 (−8%) | from 128.80 USD | from 2,705 USD |
| Luxury tier (for example Amantaka, Rosewood Luang Prabang, Amansara) | from 350 USD | quoted individually |
Domestic flights are not included and are quoted separately; this route has two flights inside Vietnam and two regional flights, Hanoi to Luang Prabang and Luang Prabang 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. For a line-by-line view of what a quote like this contains, see how to read a private tour quote.
Where I’d stay
Ho Chi Minh City, Hue. We choose a central 4–5★ hotel and name it in your quote.
Hoi An. Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai has 100 villas on a kilometre of Ha My beach, about 30 minutes from Da Nang airport, with an adults-only quiet pool. NHAAN Resort & Spa Hoi An, in Cam Thanh village, runs pottery and lantern workshops on site. I compare the two in The Nam Hai or NHAAN.
Hanoi. Fairmont Hanoi opened in February 2026 a short walk from Hoan Kiem Lake, with a 3,500 m² wellness floor.
Lan Ha Bay. Heritage Line Ylang is a two-night ship with ten suites and at most 20 guests, and a programme of tai chi, spa and gentle shore outings, including cycling through Viet Hai village.
Luang Prabang. Amantaka has 24 suites on a historic garden estate inside the old town, ten minutes from the airport, so you can walk to the temples. Rosewood Luang Prabang is 23 rooms, villas and hilltop tents around a waterfall outside town, with free on-demand transfers into town. I set out how I choose between them in Amantaka or Rosewood.
Siem Reap. At the 4★ rate, a central 4–5★ hotel named in your quote. At the top tier, Amansara is ten minutes from Angkor Wat and includes a daily guided temple excursion.
Why private, and how I’d adjust it
Three countries means three sets of guides, drivers and border formalities. On a private trip our team hands you from one country to the next, so someone meets you at every arrival and nobody has to work out a transfer alone. In our experience that matters more on this route than on any single-country trip.
- Shorter, 14 days: possible, but it becomes a highlights trip. Metta Voyage’s published 14-day Indochina highlights tour shows that shape; I would only suggest it for travellers who are happy to move every two days.
- Longer, 23–24 days: add Vientiane and two nights in Phnom Penh, as in the published 20-day Indochina Revealed tour.
- Two countries instead: if the days are tight, my 15-day Vietnam and Cambodia route keeps the pace calm. To give Laos more time, see my Laos tours page.
- Older travellers: we recommend asking for rooms near the lift or on the ground floor, and keeping Kuang Si Falls to the lower pools.
- Families with teenagers: swap one museum for a cooking class in Hoi An, and give the Bayon a late-afternoon visit when the light is softer.
- Season: check the weather for all three countries before choosing your month; central Vietnam is often wet in October and November, and I adjust the Hoi An nights then.
Mistakes I see most often
- One night in Luang Prabang. You arrive, sleep and leave. Two nights is a minimum; four is what I would choose.
- Putting Angkor in the middle. Ending at the temples means there is nothing left to rush for. Starting with them means arriving in Vietnam already tired.
- Not checking three sets of entry rules. Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia each have their own visa process, and the rules depend on your passport.
- Adding a one-night stop to “fit something in”. Every extra hotel change costs half a day. If something has to go, I would rather cut a city than squeeze it.
Sources
Vietnam e-visa: evisa.gov.vn. Laos e-visa: laoevisa.gov.la. Travel information: vietnam.travel, tourismlaos.org, tourismcambodia.org.
Checked and updated 11 November 2026. — David, for The Metta Voyage team.
Questions about this trip
How much does a private Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia tour cost?
From 140 USD per person per day for two travellers sharing at 4★, so 21 days starts from 2,940 USD per person, confirmed in your written quote. Groups of four save 5%, groups of six save 8%, and flights are quoted separately.
How long should a Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia tour be?
We recommend three weeks. That gives about thirteen days in Vietnam, four nights in Luang Prabang and three at Angkor without one-night stops.
What is the best month for an Indochina tour?
Many guests choose the cooler, drier months around December to March for all three countries. If you travel in October or November, we shorten the stay in central Vietnam, which is often wet then.
Are the flights between countries included?
No. Domestic flights in Vietnam and the regional flights to Luang Prabang and Siem Reap are not included and are quoted separately.
Can I change the order or add Phnom Penh?
Yes. The trip is private, so we can reverse the direction, add Vientiane or two nights in Phnom Penh, or drop a country if the days are tight.
