Fourteen days is the practical minimum, and each stop is short: roughly a week in Vietnam, then three days for the Angkor temples and three for Luang Prabang, as on our 14-day tour. Three weeks lets the trip breathe, with time for Vietnam from north to south, Phnom Penh as well as Siem Reap, and Vientiane alongside Luang Prabang, as on our 3-week tour. Below two weeks we would normally suggest dropping one country rather than compressing all three.

The two countries have separate rules, so check both. For Vietnam, citizens of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and several other countries enter without a visa for up to 45 days, while citizens of the United States, Canada and Australia need an e-visa. For Thailand, citizens of 60 countries and territories, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, enter without a visa for up to 30 days, and every traveller must complete the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card online within three days before each arrival. We help with these procedures, but entry rules change, so please confirm the position for your own passport before booking flights.

Yes. Every trip is private, so there are no fixed departures: you can set the dates that suit you or give the best flight prices, start in Vietnam or in Thailand, and ask us to adjust the route, hotels and pace until it fits. Both directions appear on this page, and a few itineraries enter one country twice, so tell us when you book and we will check that your visa and arrival card cover it. Most of our clients book four to six months ahead, because internal flights and the better-regarded hotels in both countries fill up first.

Quoted prices are “from” prices for four travellers staying in standard hotels, and they do not include international flights or travel insurance. Because the trips are private, the final price depends on when you travel, the category of hotels you choose and above all the size of your group: the same itinerary costs less per person for six than for two. Insurance is worth arranging with your own insurer, since the trip crosses two countries and includes internal flights. Send us your dates and group size and we will put together a detailed quote.

Almost always by air: a direct flight from Hanoi to Bangkok takes about two hours, and from Ho Chi Minh City roughly an hour and a half. From Bangkok we continue to Chiang Mai or the islands by domestic flight. The only overland route crosses Laos or Cambodia and takes days, so we suggest it only when it fits the rest of the route. Schedules and airlines change by season, so we confirm the flights when we finalise your itinerary.

Twelve days is the practical minimum: it means choosing one part of Vietnam, usually Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Ha Long Bay, plus Bangkok and one Thai region, as on our 12-day Thailand and Vietnam tour. 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.

November to March suits both countries, and March is the best single month for Vietnam while Thailand is still dry. In Vietnam, March and April offer the most balanced weather from north to south, while October and November can bring heavy rain to central Vietnam (best time to visit Vietnam). In Thailand, the north is at its best from November to February and the Andaman coast (Phuket, Krabi) is dry from November to March; from April to August the Gulf islands such as Koh Samui usually have better weather (best time to visit Thailand).

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.

The best time is from November to April. Cambodia’s dry season runs roughly from November to April and its climate is close to southern Vietnam’s, while March and April are the most balanced months across Vietnam, with the north warming up and the centre dry. October and November also suit the north and south, but central Vietnam can see heavy rain and storms. July and August are hot, around 30 to 35 degrees, but greener and quieter. Our guide to the best month to visit Vietnam and Cambodia has more detail by region.

It depends on the itinerary, and we use all three options. Flying is the quickest: a direct flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh takes about an hour, and from Hanoi to Siem Reap around an hour and three quarters to two hours. The most interesting option is by river, a fast boat from Chau Doc to Phnom Penh of about five hours, which makes the border crossing part of the trip. Overland drives are long, so we suggest them only when they fit the route. Schedules change by season, so we confirm flights and boats when we finalise your itinerary.

Fifteen days covers both countries without rushing: about ten to eleven days in Vietnam from north to south, then three or four in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, as on our 15-day itinerary from Ha Long Bay to Angkor. Ten days works if you focus on southern Vietnam, the Mekong Delta and Cambodia. With three weeks there is room to add the northern mountains or a few nights on the coast.

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.

Luang Prabang is the anchor of most trips: a UNESCO World Heritage town of temples and colonial streets between two rivers. Vang Vieng sits among limestone karsts on the Nam Song river and is where the outdoor activities are. Vientiane, the capital, is quieter than most Southeast Asian capitals and mixes temples with French colonial architecture. In the south, Pakse is the gateway to the Bolaven Plateau with its coffee farms and waterfalls, and further down the Mekong the 4000 Islands are where people slow down for a few days.

It means the itinerary is written for your group rather than chosen from a fixed catalogue. You tell us your dates, how long you have, what you want to see and what you want to spend, and a travel consultant based in the region builds the route, picks the hotels and adjusts the pace with you until it fits. Nothing is shared with other travellers.