We arrive in the Vietnamese capital and transfer to our hotel.

Our tour of this French-accented city begins at the serene Temple of Literature (c. 1070); and Hoa Lo Prison, the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” of the Vietnam War. Then we explore Hanoi’s Ancient Quarter, a dense warren of street vendors, where tonight we enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.

We depart this morning on a full-day excursion to Ha Long Bay, a breathtaking waterway in the Gulf of Tonkin dotted with 2,000 islands and islets and surrounded by jagged limestone cliffs and hidden caves. Here we board a traditional “junk” for lunch and an afternoon cruise through this fairytale seascape of an UNESCO site.

This morning we tour Ba Dinh Square, the national landmark complex of cultural and historic sites. We visit the revered Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the French colonial Presidential Palace, and thousand-year-old One Pillar Pagoda, a Buddhist retreat. This afternoon we travel by coach to Ninh Binh, capital of Vietnam’s Red River Delta and UNESCO site known for its majestic landscapes. After settling in at our resort, we take a sunset walking tour through the peaceful countryside.

Our day begins with a traditional sampan ride through Tam Coc, marveling at the stunning limestone mountains and vivid green rice paddies as we pass through secret grottos. We then coach to the citadel of Hoa Lu, Vietnam’s ancient capital, where we visit the two temples here.

A travel day today as we return to Hanoi for this afternoon’s flight to Da Nang. Then we coach to the ancient trading port of Hoi An. Tonight, we enjoy dinner in the colorful Old Town.

A leisurely boat ride on the Thu Bon River brings us to Hoi An’s lively and cacophonous central market, selling everything from produce to clothing to souvenirs. We tour the market then stroll through the shop- and gallery-lined back streets and alleyways of the pedestrian Old Town. Tonight we enjoy a small group highlight: an interactive Vietnamese cooking class, followed by dinner.

We see local life up close as we take a walking tour of a nearby farming settlement. Later we visit the acclaimed Cham Museum, then transfer to the airport for the flight to Siem Reap.

We make our first visit to the temples at the Angkor Wat complex, a small-scale city built between the 9^th and 13^th centuries and now a UNESCO site. This morning, we explore stunning 12^th-century Angkor Wat itself, considered the world’s largest religious structure. After lunch, we travel via tuk-tuks (auto rickshaws) to Ta Prohm, the mystical, decaying Buddhist shrine where the giant roots and limbs of banyan trees have overtaken the labyrinth of ruins here; and Angkor Thom, site of Bayon Temple, an imposing stone edifice of 54 towers each carved with four enigmatic faces.

Today’s highlights include the restored 12^th-century temple complex at Preah Khan; and 10^th-century Banteay Srei, the “citadel of women” dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva and known for its delicately carved pink sandstone.

After a morning at leisure, we visit Satcha Handicrafts, a development project for young adults to learn traditional Cambodian crafts. From here we head to the airport for our late afternoon flight to Luang Prabang.

Our day begins early with a time-honored tradition: the “tak-bat,” where hundreds of saffron-robed monks collect alms from their fellow Buddhists. Then we embark on a half-day cruise along the Mekong, lifeblood of Southeast Asia. We visit the Pak Ou Buddha Caves, housing hundreds of Buddhist icons, then enjoy lunch on board before stopping at a village that produces traditional Lao-Lao whiskey.

This morning we visit an elephant sanctuary in the scenic Nam Khan River valley. Then we learn about the lives of local farmers as we travel to a communal rice farm, where we enjoy lunch before joining in farm-based activities.

We set out on a walking tour of this ancient royal city this morning, beginning with the Old City, a UNESCO site, where we tour the beautiful 16^th-century Wat Xient Thong temple complex, and the National Museum, set in the former royal palace. Later, we board the new Boten-Vientiane highspeed railway from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng, an eco-tourism center and home to a wide range of ethnic tribal villages.

We encounter two of Laos’ 160 ethnic groups on today’s visit to a Hmong village, where we learn about traditional basket weaving; and to a Khmu village, where we’re introduced to rice wine brewing. Then we help to prepare our lunch at a Lao cooking class at a farm-to-table restaurant. This afternoon we travel to the Lao capital of Vientiane for the flight to Bangkok.

We discover the vibrant Thai capital on today’s tour that features the Grand Palace complex with the revered Emerald Buddha; Wat Pho Temple, home of the gold-leafed Reclining Buddha, and the colorful Flower Market.

This morning’s visit to the Jim Thompson House reveals the prized Southeast Asian art collection of the American who revived the Thai silk industry. Tonight we celebrate our Southeast Asia odyssey at a farewell dinner.

Today we transfer to the airport for our return flights to the U.S.