No. Travel insurance is not included and you need to arrange it yourself. Most of our travellers take a policy with a large international insurer or with a company in their own country. Cover is not expensive and is worth having on a trip that crosses two countries and includes internal flights.
Twelve days is the practical minimum, and it means choosing one part of Vietnam rather than the whole country, usually the north with Hanoi and Ha Long Bay, plus Bangkok and one Thai region. Fifteen to eighteen days is the comfortable length: enough for Vietnam from north to south and for Bangkok with either the northern hills around Chiang Mai or a few nights on a southern island. Three weeks lets you do both without leaving anything out.
The two countries have separate rules, so check both.
Last checked: September 2026.
November to April suits both countries.
Vietnam runs 2,000 km from north to south and the regions do not share a season, so October to November and mid-March to May are usually the most comfortable overall, while July and August are hot at 30 to 35 degrees though Ha Long Bay is often sunny and the northern rice terraces are at their greenest.
Thailand's dry season runs from November to February, which is also its busiest and most expensive period. Thailand's rains fall from mid-May to mid-October and are heaviest in August and September: if you are travelling then, the Gulf islands such as Koh Samui and Koh Phangan usually have better weather than Phuket and Krabi.
Yes. You can begin in Phnom Penh or Siem Reap and end in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, or run the route the other way round. Because the trips are private there are no fixed departures, so the direction is usually decided by which flights suit you best.
Yes. Both countries border the region and can be added by air or overland, from Cambodia or from Vietnam. Allow at least five to seven extra days: less than that and the new country becomes a stopover rather than a proper part of the trip.
October to April is the most reliable window for a trip covering both countries. Vietnam runs 2,000 km from north to south and the regions do not share a season, so there is rarely a month when everywhere is at its best: October to November and mid-March to May are usually the most comfortable overall. Cambodia has a clearer pattern, with a dry season from mid-October to April. Its climate is close to that of southern Vietnam, so a trip planned around Cambodia's dry season normally suits the south of Vietnam as well. July and August are hot, around 30 to 35 degrees, but Ha Long Bay is often sunny and the rice terraces in the north are green.
There are three ways and we use all of them depending on the itinerary. Flying is the quickest: about an hour from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or Da Nang to Siem Reap or Phnom Penh. The most interesting option is by river, taking a boat up the Mekong from the far south of Vietnam to Phnom Penh, which turns the border crossing into part of the trip. Travelling overland is possible but the drives are long, so we usually suggest it only when it fits the rest of the route.
Fifteen days is the length that covers both countries without rushing: roughly ten to eleven days in Vietnam from north to south, then three or four for Phnom Penh and the Angkor temples. Ten days works if you concentrate on southern Vietnam, the Mekong Delta and Cambodia rather than trying to include Hanoi and Ha Long Bay. With an extra week you can add the northern mountains of Vietnam or a few nights on the coast at either end.
The two countries have different rules, so check both.
The e-Arrival card is not a visa and does not replace one. We help with these procedures when you book, but entry rules change, so please confirm the current position for your own nationality before you travel. Last checked: September 2026.
The local currency is the Lao kip. Cards such as Visa and Mastercard are accepted in hotels and larger restaurants and shops in Luang Prabang and Vientiane, but outside the main towns you should expect to pay in cash. ATMs are available in the larger towns. It is worth carrying small notes for markets, local transport and village stops, where change for large notes can be hard to find.
Once you are happy with the itinerary your consultant has proposed, you confirm by email. We then send a booking form to complete, together with a copy of your passport, and an invoice for a deposit of 25 percent of the total price. The booking is confirmed once the completed form and the deposit have reached us, and we send a travel contract setting out the dates, duration and amounts. The deposit can be paid by bank transfer or by card, and card payments carry an additional bank fee of 3 percent for Visa and Mastercard and 4 percent for American Express. The balance is due before the trip begins.
Late October to early March is the most comfortable window across the whole country: this is the cool dry season, with clear skies and manageable temperatures. April and May are the hot dry months. The rains run from June to the end of September, and travel is still perfectly possible then: showers usually fall at night or in the late afternoon, the landscape is green, prices are lower and there are far fewer visitors.
Three to six days is enough for the main highlights, usually Luang Prabang with Vang Vieng or Vientiane. Ten to fifteen days lets you travel from north to south and reach the Bolaven Plateau and the 4000 Islands, which are a long way from Luang Prabang. Many travellers combine Laos with Vietnam, Cambodia or Thailand, and in that case five to seven days in Laos fits comfortably into a wider trip.
Yes. Every trip we run is private and written for your group, so the itineraries on this page are starting points rather than fixed departures. You tell us your dates, how long you have, what you want to see and what you want to spend, and a travel consultant adjusts the route, the hotels and the pace with you until it fits.
