After all the preparation, the wait is finally over! You depart Sydney for Hanoi, arriving in the evening. Upon arrival you will be met by your World Expeditions Schools Guide and transferred to the group hotel. Due to your evening arrival time (around 8.15pm), you will check-in directly upon arrival. A light supper will be arranged before heading to bed to enjoy a good night of sleep, ready for your full day tomorrow. Overnight hotel in Hanoi.

Meals:  Nil

This morning you will meet your Guide for a full trip and safety briefing. Your guide will run through an overview of the local Vietnamese language and important phrases that you can learn and practice through your journey. You will then head out into Hanoi to explore different facets of Vietnam’s culture and periods of history with visits to the Ho Chi Minh complex, Temple of Literature and the first university of Vietnam where the Mandarins of the Emperors were educated and instructed. In the early afternoon you will depart for your flight to Hue. On arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel to freshen up before heading out to a local restaurant for dinner. Overnight hotel in Hue.

Meals:  B,L,D

Hue was Vietnam’s last feudal capital, and today you will get an insider’s point of view to the highlights of this nostalgic city. Your first stop is a visit to Tu Duc Tomb, which is located near the quiet Thuy Bieu Village, 6.5-km from the city centre. It’s a sprawling compound centred on the lake and several waterways, and includes numerous memorials connected by attractive walkways. Next, you’ll visit a local garden house where your host will welcome you with hand-made ginger jam and tea. Veer off the common path and enjoy an easy bicycle ride around the village to explore the daily local life in the peaceful countryside, before enjoying some traditional dishes of Hue. After the delicious home hosted lunch, take a leisurely boat ride across the Perfume River then transfer to Imperial Citadel, the best-preserved remnant of the vast citadel and royal quarters that once existed on the site. Here you can see the ravages of time and war on what was the carefully designed capital of the Nguyen Dynasty. Built in the early 19th century by armies of conscripted labourers under Emperor Gia Long, the citadel was surrounded by a 10-kilometre moat while earthen walls formed the outer perimeter. Transfer back to your hotel. Dinner at local restaurant

Meals:  B,L,D

This morning you will enjoy breakfast at hotel, and then lead to the South, where you pass by Lang Co bay and will stop at the top of the Hai Van Pass. In the afternoon, walk the ancient streets of Hoi An, lined with Chinese traders’ homes and wooden houses reincarnated as restaurants, cafés, and outlets for local artists, craftsmen and tailors. Hoi An's unique architecture is well displayed in what is arguably Vietnam's most tourist-friendly town. Explore the beautiful 16th century Japanese Bridge. A symbol of Hoi An and a testament to its fascinating history, the Japanese Bridge was constructed around the early 17th century, though the exact date is unknown. The bridge, also known as the Pagoda Bridge (Chua Cau), was built by Japanese craftsmen who were part of a larger community of foreign merchants active in Hoi An. Overnight Hoi An

Meals:  B,L,D

You will be picked up at the hotel this morning to follow a local chef on an exciting cookery experience. You first visit the market and purchase necessary ingredients while the chef points out the different herbs and spices that shape Vietnamese food’s flavours. You then transfer by boat to a beautiful villa set on the banks on Thu Bon River. Enjoy a hands-on cooking lesson and culinary experience. Dine on the courses you’ve prepared. After that, you are dropped off at your hotel. In the afternoon, you will cycle on small roads and across narrow bridges to an island of the Thu Bon River located about 15kms from the hotel. You will then meet with a local youth collective that acts for a more sustainable future. They will introduce the group to the current coastal erosion situation, explain the challenges, the risks and the possible answers to this. Then you will help restore the ecosystem by planting trees and supporting the natural protection against floods. Overnight Hoi An with dinner at local restaurant

Meals:  B,L,D

In the mid-morning, the group is transferred to Danang airport to take a flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival in Ho Chi Minh City, the group is greeted at the airport and transferred to a local restaurant for lunch. The lunch is one of the local specialties: broken rice. After lunch, you'll first visit the Reunification Palace, the former residence of the President of South Vietnam. You can visit the “War Room” from where the South Vietnamese forces were controlled, and the room where the North Vietnamese army finally took control in the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975. You will also visit the War Remnants Museum. Time permitting you continue with a walk to other iconic colonial landmarks including the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office. The final visit will be to the “Ao dai” Museum. Rest and refresh before dinner at a local restaurant.

Meals:  B,L,D

In the morning you transfer to the Mekong Delta region, in the Ben Tre district. Upon arrival you visit a Cao Dai temple, then hop on a private sampan. The morning is dedicated to cruising the river and stopping at various workshops to learn about the local industries. You will reach Cu Lao Tam Hiep island for lunch in the gardens of a local guesthouse. In the afternoon, you will take a cycling tour across the island and visit a farm producing the plants used to make the sam jelly. The group will try making some jelly and taste the results. Mid-afternoon return to Saigon.

Meals:  B,L,D

This morning you depart Ho Chi Minh City and head to the Cu Chi Tunnels. Our first stop is to visit a family producing rice paper, an opportunity to learn how this essential ingredient of Vietnamese gastronomy is made and to exchange a few stories with locals. We continue and reach Cu Chi Tunnels. After an introductory video, viewing various mantraps, the remains of an American tank, and numerous bomb craters, you have the opportunity to explore some of the expansive underground system. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant. We return to Ho Chi Minh and this afternoon, you will take a flight to Phnom Penh. Upon arrival to Phnom Penh, you will be picked up and transferred to your hotel to freshen up before transferring to a local restaurant for dinner. Overnight in Phnom Penh.

Meals:  B,L,D

After breakfast at our hotel you will head out for a very special day. You will drive to Phnom Tamao to the Free the Bears wildlife sanctuary to join their “keeper for a day program” This is a wonderful opportunity for students to get behind the scenes at one of the best wildlife centers in South East Asia as they join the Free the Bears education program. Late this afternoon you will return to Phnom Penh and enjoy a dinner. Overnight in Phnom Penh.

Meals:  B,L,D

This morning is a very important but also confronting part of our journey as you visit the Toul Sleng Museum of Genocide Crimes and the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek. Both sites will provide an insight into the recent Cambodia history and in particular the Pol Pot era. In the afternoon you will drive to Siem Reap with a stop at Skeun Village along the way. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Meals:  B,L,D

Today, you will explore the amazing temple complex and spend most of the day in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Angkor. After a safety briefing and issue of your bikes, you cycle to the Ta Prohm, which, unlike most other Angkor temples, has been left just it was when rediscovered: a photogenic and atmospheric maze of trees growing out of temple ruins amidst jungle surroundings, making it one of Angkor's most popular temples with visitors. You continue to Ta Keo, Thommanom and ancient city of Angkor Thom, surrounded by an 8m high wall. Angkor Thom was the last capital of the Great Khmer Empire under the reign of Jayavarman VII. You continue to Bayon, in the exact centre of the city. This 12th century masterpiece is a study in grandeur, its exterior gallery walls featuring extensive, superb bas-reliefs, particularly the East and South Galleries. Explore Angkor Wat, easily the most famous and best-preserved of all temples within the Angkor complex. It is a massive three-tiered structure crowned by five lotus-like towers rising 65m from ground level. This evening you enjoy a special treat with a performance from PHARE. The Cambodian Circus has long been famous for their performances, and this NGO teaching streetkids to become circus artists is a regular at international circus conventions worldwide. Enjoy their interpretations of modern life and issues in Cambodian society. Overnight in Siem Reap. Cycling distance: approx. 40km

Meals:  B,L,D

Today offers a nice blend of temples, cultural sites and outdoors. You depart your hotel early, and head to Banteay Srei temple, located about 1-hour drive away from the town. Easily recognizable as made of pink sandstone, the "Citadel of Women" is reputed to be the most beautiful and best preserved of all Angkor temples. Marvel at the sophistication of its intricate bas reliefs before continuing the journey further north to Kbal Spean. This is one of Cambodia's earliest Hindu sites and refreshingly different from the other Khmer monuments. Take a 3km walk through the jungle to appreciate the scope and beauty of Kbal Spean. The walk ends at the 'River of 1000 Lingas', a riverbed featuring stone carvings of Hindu gods, animals and symbols. Learn about the history of Hinduism in Cambodia while exploring this unique river. After a local lunch, you will visit the Angkor Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity (ACCB), the first nature conservation project in Cambodia. A knowledgeable staff member will explain about the threats to Cambodia's wildlife and the efforts of ACCB to protect the environment and promote wildlife through education. Last stop on our drive back to Siem Reap will be the Landmine Museum. This is a private museum founded by Aki Ra who was a Khmer Rouge child soldier before he switched sides after seeing the truth. After the war was over, he decided to clear the landmines off the fields of Cambodia and devoted his life to help the victims of landmines. Finally, enjoy a rural sunset over the paddy fields and the beautiful countryside from the pyramidal Pre Rup temple.

Meals:  B,L,D

After breakfast, you start the day with a visit to Kompong Phluck where you will embark on an interesting boat trip on the Tonlé Sap Lake, where you will have the opportunity to learn about life on the lake. The Tonlé Sap Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia and officially designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, covering an area of around 250,000 hectares in the dry season. Due to a unique phenomenon, when the monsoon begins the swollen waters of the Mekong River force the Tonlé Sap River to reverse its flow northwards, feeding the Great Lake and spreading over the surrounding floodplain. Board a local boat and visit Kompong Phluck, a village where you will see houses on stilts that are submerged when Tonlé Sap Lake expands. On the way, you will pass floating houses and impressive flooded forests, portraying life on the water. We return to the dock and transfer to a local restaurant for lunch before transferring to Siem Reap airport for your onward flight.

Meals:  B,L

You arrive in Sydney today where a warm welcome awaits!

Meals:  Nil