Do we need visas for Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand?

Each country has its own rules, so check every one on your route. For Vietnam, citizens of the United Kingdom and of most western European countries enter without a visa for up to 45 days, while citizens of the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand need an e-visa, applied for online through the Vietnamese immigration authorities, which allows up to 90 days with multiple entries. For Thailand, most travellers from Europe, North America and Australia enter without a visa, but the rules changed on 15 September 2026 and the visa-free stay is now 30 days rather than 60. For Cambodia, all of these nationalities need a visa, either on arrival at 30 USD for a 30-day stay or in advance at evisa.gov.kh, and separately everyone must also submit the free e-Arrival card at arrival.gov.kh within seven days before arrival, which is not a visa and does not replace one. For Laos, all of these nationalities also need a visa, available on arrival or in advance at laoevisa.gov.la, allowing 30 days with fees that depend on your nationality. We help with these procedures when you book, but entry rules change, so please confirm the current position for your own passport before booking flights. Last checked: September 2026.

How many days do you need for a multi-country trip across the region?

Fourteen days is the practical minimum for three countries, and at that length each stop is short. Eighteen to twenty-one days is the length most travellers choose: enough for Vietnam from north to south, the Angkor temples, and Bangkok with either the northern hills around Chiang Mai or a few nights on a southern island. Adding Laos as a fourth country needs three weeks or more, because Luang Prabang deserves at least three nights and the flights between countries take up time of their own. Below two weeks we would normally suggest dropping a country rather than compressing them all.

When is the best time to travel across these four countries?

November to March is the window that works across all four. Cambodia, Laos and Thailand share a broadly similar pattern, with a dry season running from about November to April and rains from May to September or October. Vietnam is the complication, because it runs north to south through several climate zones and the regions do not share a season: October to November and mid-March to May are usually the most comfortable overall there. Travel in the rainy months still works, since showers are normally short and fall in the afternoon, and you will find greener landscapes, lower prices and fewer people at the main sites.

How do you travel between the countries, and what about baggage on internal flights?

Between countries we normally fly, because the distances are long and the overland crossings eat into your time. Within Vietnam we use Vietnam Airlines or Bamboo Airways and avoid low-cost carriers, so that the service and the baggage rules are predictable. Allowances differ by airline and route, but typically run from 7 to 12 kg of hand luggage and 20 to 23 kg checked, with excess charged per kilo at check-in. The exact carriers, routings and allowances for your trip are confirmed with your final itinerary.

Do all of these tours include Laos?

No, and it is worth checking the itinerary before you choose. Some of the trips on this page cover all four countries, while others combine Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand without Laos. The destination list under each tour shows exactly where it goes. If you want Laos included and the itinerary you like does not have it, we can add Luang Prabang or Vientiane to the route, which usually means three or four extra days.

Can the itinerary be customised?

Yes. Every trip we run is private, so the itineraries on this page are starting points rather than fixed departures. You can change the order of the countries, swap destinations, lengthen or shorten any part of the route, and choose the standard of hotels. A travel consultant works through it with you until the plan fits your dates, your interests and your budget.

How is the price calculated and what does it include?

Quoted prices are based on a group of four travellers staying in standard hotels, and they do not include international flights. Because the trips are private, the final price depends on when you travel, the category of hotels you choose and above all the number of people in your group: the same itinerary costs less per person for a group of six than for a couple. On a route crossing three or four countries the internal flights make up a large share of the total, so the dates and the order of the countries affect the price more than on a single-country trip.