The grand Indochina loop

Who it is for

For anyone with two to three weeks who wants temples, street food and cities that stay open late.

Not for anyone with only a week, since there are five stops and two borders.

The strategy

The itinerary starts in Bangkok and continues to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. Siem Reap in Cambodia follows, then Vietnam from south to north, from Saigon to Hanoi. Allow time in Siem Reap to choose your Angkor routes and check access, flights and connections between the five bases; a sunrise visit needs transport and admission arranged.

What you will see

• Grande Palácio, Bangkok. A 218,000 m² complex built starting in 1782, a royal residence until 1925 and the venue for state ceremonies.
• Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai. A reliquary temple founded in 1383 under King Kue Na, at about 1,070 m on the mountain to the west, 15 km from the city and 30 to 40 minutes by car.
• Angkor Wat, Siem Reap. The largest religious monument in the world by area: 162 walled hectares, a moat about 190 m wide, and a central tower 65 m high.
• Dinh Độc Lập, Ho Chi Minh City. Seat of the South Vietnamese government, designed by architect Ngô Viết Thụ and completed in 1966 over the ruins of the Norodom Palace.
• Hoàn Kiếm Lake and Ngọc Sơn Temple, Hanoi. A 12-hectare lake in the center, with the Turtle Tower on a small island and the 19th-century Ngọc Sơn Temple, reached by the red Thê Húc bridge.

Day by day

Bangkok

1. 1
   Day 1: Rattanakosin and the river

   1. 2Wat PhoUp to half an hourEssential
   2. 3Wat ArunUp to half an hourEssential
2. 2
   Day 2: Jim Thompson, the Saen Saep canal and Siam

   1. 6Jim Thompson HouseUp to half an hourWorth a visit
   2. 9Erawan ShrineUp to half an hourIf there is time
   3. 8Lumphini ParkWorth a visit
3. 3
   Day 3: The west bank and markets

   
4. 4
   Day 4: Ayutthaya (day trip) · if you have more time

   

Chiang Mai

1. 5
   Day 5: Inside the moat

   1. 4Wat Chiang ManWorth a visit
   2. 2Wat Chedi LuangUp to half an hourEssential
   3. 3Wat Phra SinghUp to half an hourEssential
2. 6
   Day 6: The mountain and the river

   1. 1Wat Phra That Doi SuthepEssential
   2. 6Wat UmongUp to half an hourWorth a visit
   3. 7Warorot Market (Kad Luang)Worth a visit
3. 7
   Day 7: Workshops, cuisine and fair · if you have more time

Siem Reap

1. 8
   Day 8: Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, and the small circuit

   1. 1Angkor WatEssential
   2. 2Angkor Thom and the BayonEssential
   3. 3Ta ProhmEssential
2. 9
   Day 9: Banteay Srei, Kbal Spean, and the museum

   1. 4Banteay SreiEssential
   2. 6Angkor National MuseumUp to half an hourWorth a visit
3. 10
   Day 10: Tonlé Sap, workshops, and the Khmer city

   1. 8Artisans Angkor and Phare, the Cambodian CircusWorth a visit
   2. 7Tonlé Sap: Kampong Phluk and Kampong KhleangWorth a visit

Ho Chi Minh City

1. 11
   Day 11: The colonial center and the war
2. 12
   Day 12: Chợ Lớn and the river

   1. 9Landmark 81 and BitexcoIf there is time
3. 13
   Day 13: Tunnels, market, and farewell · if you have more time

   

Hanoi

1. 14
   Day 14: The lake, the Old Quarter and the bia hơi corner

   
2. 15
   Day 15: Ba Đình, the citadel and official history

   1. 4Imperial Citadel of Thăng LongWorth a visit
   2. 3Temple of LiteratureEssential
   3. 6Hỏa Lò PrisonUp to half an hourWorth a visit
3. 16
   Day 16: West Lake, the river and a slower day · if you have more time

   1. 9Vietnam Museum of EthnologyOne to two hoursIf there is time
   2. 8Long Biên BridgeUp to half an hourIf there is time