Cambodia Laos Highlights Tour

The capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh lies near the confluence of the Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers. This riverside town still maintains considerable charm despite its recent turbulent history. We begin our city tour with the Royal Palace. The private quarters of the palace are now home to the royal family and are therefore very close to the public. At the northern area of the palace grounds is Silver Pagoda, the most sacred temple in the country. We follow it with a walk up to a small hill for an interesting visit to the legendary Wat Phnom and a fantastic view over the surrounding areas. O/N in Phnom Penh.

The painful bloody rule of the Khmer Rouge still can be seen at the Tuol Sleng Prison Museum and the notorious ‘Killing Fields’ of Choeung Ek. We include these infamous sites in a morning tour before continuing to the National Museum, exclusively dedicated to Khmer art and sculpture. The majority of the exhibits are from the Angkor period from 9th to 15th centuries, but some date from as early as the 4th century. The next stop is Psar Toul Tom Pong, also called the “Russian Market”, where anything and everything is for sales! Overnight Hotel in Phnom Penh.

Have breakfast at hotel and board the high quality tourist bus to Siem Reap departing at 8:45am. The bus journey will go along the local towns and countrysides. There are some stops on the way to relax and to have your own lunch. After 6 hours, reaching Siem Reap and checking in hotel.
The tranquil Siem Reap Town is our base for visiting the world famous temples of the ancient city Angkor, which was the capital of the powerful Khmer Empire from 802 AD to 1350 AD.
Rest of the day is free to relax, enjoy hotel pool, explore the downtown, night market, enjoy street foods, etc, on your own. Overnight in Siem Reap. 

After having your breakfast at the hotel, we will explore to visit the South Gate of Angkor Thom which is famous for its series of colossal human faces carved in stone, the impressive Bayon Temple, the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace, and the Terrace of the Leper King.
Next, we explore the well-known Ta Prohm and some nearby temples including Banteay Kdei, Sra Srong, Ta Keo, Thommanon and Chau Say Tevado.

Afternoon, continue your trip with the visit to Thommanon, Chaosay, Ta Keo and the center religious beliefs of Cambodia, Angkor Wat, one of the “Seven Wonders’ of the world”. We stroll around this massive monument, exploring the many galleries with columns, libraries, pavilions, courtyards and ponds full of water reflecting the towering temple. 
At the end of the day, you will climb to the top Bakheng Mountain or Pre Rup Temple to watch the extraordinary sunset. Overnight at hotel in Siem Reap.

After breakfast, transfer to take the Tonlé Sap for a cruise on the lake with the visiting to a floating village to explore the fishman’s life. 

Afternoon you will be transferred to Siem Reap airport for a short flight to Laos in late noon. On arrival at Luang Prabang airport you are met by our guide and transferred to hotel. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

The royal capital of the former Lane Xang Kingdom, Luang Prabang with its gleaming temple roofs, fading colonial architecture and stunning mountain backdrop, retains a unique charm rarely found in all Asia. 
Monring, we take the seeing this charming town with the famous Wat Xieng Thong, which nestles at the meeting of the Mekong and the Nam Khan River. The temple structures are decorated in various ways with gilded stuccoes, doorways and marvelous tree life mosaic pattern on an outer wall, representing the ancient temple architecture of Luang Prabang. Visit the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun, the Srilankalese styled temple of That Marko, the shrine of Wat Aham and the five tiered roof Wat Mai.

Afternoon, we board a boat for a leisurely trip on the Mekong River to the mysterious Pak Ou Caves. They are crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes, all brought there by devout villagers. We explore these famous grottos and cruise back to Luang Prabang Town. On arrival we catch a short drive to Ban Phanom, a well known weaving village of the Tai Lue people who used to make royal silk weaving textiles for the Lao former royal family. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

The mountainous areas around Luang Prabang town are also home of many ethnic groups and various stunning waterfalls dispersed in secluded jungle. Today we catch a drive southwards to Phosi Market that sells a wide array of local goods and handicrafts. Upon leaving this lively market we make our way through the verdant and rugged scenery to Ban Thapene, Ban Xom and Ban Namai which are conquered by the Lao Loum, Khmu and Hmong people. They are very poor but have interesting culture and colorful history. These tribal groups have originally settled in mountain side therefore it may involve some short walks to visit their villages. We arrives at Khouang Si Waterfalls and spend the time relaxing in marvellous setting of waterfall and lush forest. The waterfall tumbles over multi tiered limestone formations into the cool and clear pools ideal for anyone seeking an enjoyable escape.
Return to the town and  embark on a climb up to Phousi Hill for a beautiful panorama view from the town center and the mighty Mekong River. There are 329 steps leading us on zigzag way past various temples to the sacred, gilded stupa of Wat Phousi at the summit. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

The exploration of Luang Prabang Town would not be complete without a visit to the National museum at the former Royal Palace. This interesting structure displays a lovely collection of treasures and artifacts reflecting the richness of Lao culture dating from the days of the early kings right through the last sovereign. We spend our time to see this museum and enjoy a walk around the nearby old quarter streets or simply relax at riverside bar. 
Afternoon, you will take a short fast train (1 hour 50 minutes) over the mountainous region to Vientiane. On arrival, you are met and transferred to the hotel. Overnight in Vientiane.  

Today we spend a full day in Vientiane, seeing Wat Sisaket, the oldest temple still standing in Vientiane. This amazing structure features remarkable frescoes and Buddha statues. Close to this masterwork is the former royal temple of Haw Pha Kaew which previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. We see these sites before continuing to Patouxai. This imposing monument standing in Lane Xang Avenue, is well known as Vientiane’s own Arc de Triomphe and provides stunning views of the city. We also visit the great sacred masterpiece and symbol of Laos, That Luang Stupa before we head out of town to see the giant Friendship Bridge and the impressive Buddha Park. This landmark represents a blend of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures created by mystical monk on a parkland located by the Mekong River. The perfect way to round off our day is to watch the spectacular sunset over the Mekong River from one of riverside bars. Overnight in Vientiane.