Journeys: Discover Southeast Asia

Upon arrival at the airport, head to the arrival hall and go to gate number 4 near the airport information counter. Look for a driver holding a G Adventures sign with your name, who'll take you to your hotel so you can check in and start exploring.

Included arrival transfer.

The adventure begins tonight. Feel free to explore before your welcome meeting, but make sure you’re back in time to meet the group. Check for the meeting time on the welcome note at the hotel. After introductions, your CEO will review the details of your tour. Please note that normal check-in times apply at our start hotels, but you can usually store your luggage for the day if you arrive early.

Travel by longtail boat on the busy Chao Phraya River and through the small canals of western Bangkok's Thonburi district. Observe colourful scenes of everyday life along the river banks.

Visit the King’s official residence (made up of many buildings, halls, lawns, gardens, and courtyards) on the banks of the Chao Phraya River and see the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Please note the cost of this optional activity does not include the entrance fee.

Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

Transfers to/from airports is in private vans (30-45 mins).

Pick out the best ingredients at a local market and learn how to make delicious Thai dishes.

Visit a Buddhist temple in Chiang Mai’s Suthep district. Sit down with young monks to discuss daily life and Buddhism, and leave feeling spiritually refreshed. Monk Chats are informal discussions at a round table with a prepschool age Monk, usually accompanied by their teacher.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Visit Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, a golden Buddhist temple outside of Chiang Mai on the Mt Doi Suthep. Climb 300 steps to reach the temple and be rewarded with an unforgettable view. Admire the many Buddhist relics at this sacred temple and visit the white elephant shrine. Legend has it that the location of the temple was chosen after a white elephant carried a relic to the mountain and trumpeted three times before dying on the spot. Also, with a little luck, you may witness the chanting of the monks.

Opt to visit local handicraft workshops and the bustling Chiang Mai night market.

Visit a village outside Chiang Mai and sit down to an authentic Khantoke dinner in the home of a local family. Dishes typically include sticky rice, hang-le curry, and crispy pork with chilli paste. Over tea, learn about life in rural Thailand and visit the family garden to learn about herbs and spices popular in local cooking.

Your CEO will assist with the arrangements for your Laos visa at the start of your trip. Please have 3 passport pictures and approx. $50 USD ready.

Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

Enjoy a brief walk with your CEO. He/she will give you some tips on finding things like supermarkets, main squares, and ATMs. For more specific or in-depth information, an official guided tour is recommended.

The ornate rooms of this royal palace-turned-museum house the country’s crown jewels, many religious artifacts, and a 50kg (110 lb) Buddha, cast of gold, silver and bronze. Gifts from visiting heads of state are on display, as are the beautiful silk screens crafted by the Queen.

Once a royal temple where Kings were crowned, the importance of this 16th-century Buddhist temple as a religious monastery is not lost on visitors. Wat Xieng Thong stands resplendent among shrines, pavilions, chapels, towers and gardens, and its gilded wooden doors, mosaics, and ceiling displays are representative of typical Laos art and craft.

Climb aboard and get your float on.

Visit these dramatic caves considered an important spiritual site by many Lao people. See thousands of Buddha statues and images that line the limestone walls.

Climb aboard and get your float on.

Visit centuries-old temples, the historic centre, nearby parks and waterfalls. Don’t miss the chance to witness an alms giving ceremony.

Enjoy a delicious meal with the local Baan Ou Community. Learn about Laotian cuisine and life in Luang Prabang. Start the visit with a welcome drink and a brief introduction to the village before a Baci Welcome ceremony. Then walk through the village and visit the noodle house and weaving house. Sit down for a lunch prepared by a group of women in the community.

Journey to this magnificent tiered waterfall, where relaxing is highly recommended. Opt for a dip in the turquoise waters and explore multiple picture-perfect pools, framed by the jungle landscape.

Get out and explore this picturesque city with some free time.

Visas for Vietnam need to be arranged ahead of time (BEFORE your trip) as the processing time varies and they are not available at the borders. We enter Vietnam on day 8 of the trip. Please ensure your visa "valid from date' is on or before day 8 of the trip. Some nationalities don't require a Visa for Vietnam for shorter stays - please contact your Foreign Ministry for up to date entry/exit requirements.

Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

Once we arrive in Hanoi, we will be transferred to our hotel in a private van (approx 45 min).

Take a guided tour of the mausoleum where Ho Chi Minh’s embalmed body is housed in a glass case. During seasonal closures (see below), visit the Presidential Palace grounds for a short guided tour. Note: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is open until 11:00am and closed on Monday and Friday. Entry is dependent on what time the group arrives in Hanoi. The mausoleum will be close for 2 months every year for maintenance. It's usually from June 16th - August 16th every year, but this can vary.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Cruise through stunning and secluded Bai Tu Long Bay, a less visited section of Ha Long Bay. Relax on board our comfortable traditional wooden junk boat. Enjoy your time afloat eating fresh seafood, admiring the magnificent karst formations, and exploring Me Cung Cave. Spend a peaceful night anchored in the bay under the stars.

Climb aboard and make friends with your seatmate en route to the next stop.

Savour a meal of Western (mainly French) and Vietnamese cuisine at this restaurant while supporting a training program that prepares local disadvantaged youth for careers in the culinary arts. After 19 years of operation the Hoa Sua School has trained more than 7,000 young people giving them the skills to overcome poverty, many of them going on to have very successful careers. Meet with one of the organizers to learn more about this successful organization.

Take a seat on a cyclo for a tour of Hanoi’s lively Old Quarter. Let the driver navigate through the bustling streets and start taking some photos or just use the tour to help get familiar with the area.

Head to dynamic Hang Gai Street or the night market for some evening shopping.

Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

Take a city tour on a cyclo (cycle rickshaw) – a great way to absorb the sights, sounds, and smells of Ho Chi Minh City while keeping your hands free for that camera action.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Take a guided tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels, a complex network of tunnels that the Viet Cong lived in to protect themselves from opposing forces during the Vietnam War. Try crawling through some of the tunnels (if you’re not claustrophobic). These tunnels stored ammunition, had underground hospitals, and served as a hidden base for attacking allied forces.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Visit the War Remnants Museum, a gut-wrenching but worthwhile experience that includes three storeys of exhibits and military hardware. Learn about the devastation that occurred in Saigon during the Vietnam War, a period that greatly contrasts the joy and liveliness of the Vietnamese people today.

Shop at the Ben Thanh Market, tour the city by cyclo, or boat down the Saigon river.

Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

Settle in a traditional cyclo and depart from Wat Phnom. Tour busy streets to soak up the real vibe of the city. Pass the post office and Van's restaurant, both stunning colonial buildings, and make your way to the Royal Palace and National Museum. Go along the riverside road and take in the atmospheric cafes that line the street.

Learn about the dark history and devastation that occurred at Security Prison 21 (S-21); the prison, used by the Khmer Rouge regime, is now Tuol Sleng Museum. Take a guided tour to hear the stories behind the sombre photos lining the museum walls.

Learn more about the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge visiting the killing fields of Choeung Ek; the grounds now stand as a powerful memorial filled with victims’ skulls and mass graves. Tour this sombre, yet serene, site with a guide.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Enjoy a brief walk with your CEO. He/she will give you some tips on finding things like supermarkets, main squares, and ATMs. For more specific or in-depth information, an official guided tour is recommended.

A neighbourhood unto itself, Siem Reap’s night market is lively with shoppers exploring more than 240 hut shops selling souvenirs, artwork, and clothing. Opt for a Dr. Fish massage—small fish nibbling dead skin off your feet—or a visit to the tropical Brick House Bar.

Enjoy a tour of the impressive ancient ruins with a local guide. Explore magnificent Angkor Wat temple--Visit the enigmatic faces of Bayon within the walled city of Angkor Thom, and tour Ta Prohm (aka the "Tomb Raider" temple), which is slowly being swallowed by the jungle.

Scoot quickly around the big cities inside a three-wheeled mini-taxi.

Enjoy a traditional meal of Khmer food at the New Hope Vocational Training Restaurant, an initiative kickstarted by G Adventures. Providing skill-building opportunities to marginalized community members, the project also funds the adjacent free community school and health centre. Visit the restaurant run by locals and see how the New Hope project has supported positive change in the community.

Take some time to explore this lively town on your own. This evening, opt to enjoy a Cambodian Circus show.

Enjoy a performance at Phare, the Cambodian Circus and meet with one of the organizers who gives an overview of the history of this incredible organization and circus arts in Cambodia. Phare Performing Social Enterprise provides training and gainful employment to at risk Cambodian youth from difficult social and economic backgrounds. The shows are outstanding and based in storytelling, inspired by the real-life experiences of the circus's creators and performers, dealing with themes such as war, discrimination, relationships, and poverty. Performances combine theatre, dance, original live music, and modern circus arts to tell uniquely Cambodian stories, both traditional and contemporary.

Enjoy a tour of the impressive ancient ruins with a local guide. Explore magnificent Angkor Wat temple--Visit the enigmatic faces of Bayon within the walled city of Angkor Thom, and tour Ta Prohm (aka the "Tomb Raider" temple), which is slowly being swallowed by the jungle.

Scoot quickly around the big cities inside a three-wheeled mini-taxi.

In your free time opt to shop, or visit the museum or floating village.

Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.