12 Days in Vietnam and Cambodia: Travel Guide and Suggested Itineraries

Combining these two neighbors is the most natural pairing in Southeast Asia, and 12 days in Vietnam and Cambodia is the shortest duration that does both justice. The route logic writes itself: Vietnam flows north to south, ending in Ho Chi Minh City, and Cambodia’s temples of Angkor sit one short flight or an easy overland crossing beyond. This guide lays out three ways to structure the trip, with day-by-day plans, the rules for both borders (including Angkor Pass prices and Cambodia’s new airports), verified restaurants, and honest advice about what to cut when twelve days feels tight.

How to Combine Vietnam and Cambodia in 12 Days

The standard architecture gives Vietnam eight to nine days and Cambodia three to four, and there is a good reason for the imbalance: Vietnam is a linear country of many stops, while Cambodia’s essential experience concentrates powerfully around Siem Reap and the Angkor temples, with Phnom Penh as a meaningful but optional stop between.

Three connections make the combination easy:

• Flights: Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap’s Angkor International Airport (SAI) takes about an hour; Phnom Penh’s new Techo International Airport (KTI) is equally connected
• Overland: The Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh bus takes 6-7 hours on good highways with a straightforward border stop at Moc Bai/Bavet
• The river: Boats from Chau Doc in the Mekong Delta run to Phnom Penh, turning the border crossing itself into a highlight

3 Best Itineraries for 12 Days in Vietnam and Cambodia

Itinerary 1: The Full Line (North Vietnam to Angkor)

Halong Bay Cruise

Route: Hanoi (2 nights) → Ha Long Bay cruise (1 night) → Hoi An (2 nights) → Ho Chi Minh City (2 nights) → Phnom Penh (1 night) → Siem Reap (3 nights)

Best for: First-time visitors who want both countries’ essentials in one sweep

Strengths: Ha Long Bay and Angkor Wat, the region’s two great UNESCO icons, bookend the trip; every leg moves in one direction

Weaknesses: Six bases in 12 days is brisk; Phnom Penh gets one packed day

Day-by-day overview:

• Day 1: Arrive in Hanoi; Old Quarter evening, street food dinner
• Day 2: Hanoi: mausoleum complex, Temple of Literature, Train Street, water puppets
• Day 3: Ha Long Bay overnight cruise: kayaking, caves, sunset on deck
• Day 4: Morning on the bay; fly Hanoi to Da Nang, drive to Hoi An
• Day 5: Hoi An: Ancient Town, cooking class or beach, lantern night
• Day 6: Fly Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City; War Remnants Museum, rooftop evening
• Day 7: Cu Chi Tunnels morning, Ben Thanh and Chinatown afternoon
• Day 8: Bus or short flight to Phnom Penh; Royal Palace and the riverside at dusk
• Day 9: Morning at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and Choeung Ek (heavy, essential history); afternoon flight or evening bus to Siem Reap
• Day 10: Angkor sunrise: Angkor Wat at 5:30 AM, then Ta Prohm’s tree-clasped ruins and the faces of the Bayon
• Day 11: The grand circuit: Preah Khan, Neak Pean, and Banteay Srei’s pink sandstone carvings; Phare circus or night market evening
• Day 12: Final temple sunrise or a lazy morning; fly home from Siem Reap

>>> Ready-made versions of this line, with the border legs handled, live on our Vietnam Cambodia tours page. Or send your dates through Create My Holiday.

Itinerary 2: The Fast Track (Skip Phnom Penh)

Siem Reap becomes even more enchanting during the rainy season, with lush green landscapes and serene temple views

Route: Hanoi (2 nights) → Ha Long Bay cruise (1 night) → Hoi An (3 nights) → Ho Chi Minh City (2 nights) + Mekong day → fly direct to Siem Reap (3 nights)

Best for: Travelers who prioritize depth at fewer stops

Strengths: The direct Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap flight (about 1 hour) trades Phnom Penh for a third Hoi An night and a Mekong Delta day; five bases instead of six

Weaknesses: Skipping Phnom Penh means skipping Cambodia’s modern history, which shapes everything you will see; read up before the temples regardless

Day-by-day overview:

• Days 1-4: As Itinerary 1 through the cruise and arrival in Hoi An
• Day 5: Hoi An: My Son Sanctuary at sunrise, An Bang Beach afternoon
• Day 6: Hoi An free day: tailor, cafes, one more lantern night
• Day 7: Fly to Ho Chi Minh City; city highlights
• Day 8: Mekong Delta day trip (My Tho and Ben Tre sampans)
• Day 9: Fly Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap; sunset at Angkor Wat’s moat with a next-day pass (tickets issued after 4:45 PM are valid the following day)
• Days 10-11: Two full Angkor days: sunrise circuit, Ta Prohm, Bayon, Banteay Srei, Tonle Sap floating villages at golden hour
• Day 12: Fly home from Siem Reap

Itinerary 3: The Reverse Arc (Angkor First)

Angkor Wat temple

Route: Siem Reap (3 nights) → Phnom Penh (1 night) → Ho Chi Minh City (2 nights) → Hoi An (2 nights) → Ha Long Bay cruise (1 night) → Hanoi (2 nights)

Best for: Travelers with better inbound fares to Siem Reap or who want the trip’s biggest sight first, with fresh legs and jetlag-friendly sunrises

Strengths: Jetlag works for you at Angkor (5:00 AM feels easy in week one); ends in Hanoi, a gentle city to leave from

Weaknesses: Some feel the trip peaks early; the reverse flow suits October to December weather less well than the southbound version

Day-by-day overview: mirror Itinerary 1 in reverse, with the Angkor days first while energy is highest.

Top Things to Do in Vietnam and Cambodia in 12 Days

• Angkor Wat at sunrise: Gates open at 5:00 AM; stand left of the reflection pond and wait. The UNESCO-listed Angkor Archaeological Park spans 90+ temples on one pass.
• The Angkor Pass: $37 for 1 day, $62 for 3 days (used within a week), $72 for 7 days; children under 12 free with passport proof.
• An overnight Ha Long Bay cruise: $120-200 per person mid-range, and the trip’s other unmissable sunrise.
• Ta Prohm and the Bayon: The tree-strangled “Tomb Raider” temple and the 200 stone faces; both on the small circuit.
• Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek (Phnom Penh): The Khmer Rouge’s prison and killing field, presented with unflinching honesty. Not easy, and not skippable if you are in the city.
• Hoi An by lantern light and a Mekong sampan: Vietnam’s two gentlest icons, both included in every route above.

Best Restaurants Along the Route

All verified operating with strong review records:

Hanoi: Bun Cha Huong Lien (the Obama-Bourdain combo, ~120,000 VND, ~$4.60); Pho Gia Truyen, 49 Bat Dan for benchmark pho.

Hoi An: Banh Mi Phuong (25,000-40,000 VND, ~$0.96-1.54); Morning Glory Original for cao lau.

Ho Chi Minh City: Pho Le (District 5, since 1970); more in our best restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City guide.

Phnom Penh

• Malis (Norodom Boulevard): Celebrity chef Luu Meng’s flagship, the standard-bearer for revived Khmer cuisine; book dinner ahead. Mains roughly $8-25.
• Romdeng (Street 174): Traditional Khmer dishes in a restored French villa, run as a training restaurant that funds programs for former street youth; the fish amok and, for the brave, the crispy tarantula are the famous orders.

Siem Reap

• Cuisine Wat Damnak (Wat Damnak village): Chef Joannès Rivière’s tasting menus of Khmer flavors with French technique, the first Cambodian restaurant ever listed among Asia’s 50 Best; dinner Tuesday to Saturday, reserve well ahead (menus around $45-65).
• Malis Siem Reap (Pokambor Avenue, riverside): The sister house, open daily 6:30 AM to 11:00 PM; its Khmer breakfast is the strongest pre-temple fuel in town.
• Jomno (Wat Damnak area): Modern Khmer plates from local farm produce, open daily 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM; a mid-priced bridge between street food and fine dining.

Best Food to Try in Vietnam and Cambodia

The two cuisines share the Mekong but not much else, which makes eating across the border its own itinerary:

• Vietnam: pho, bun cha, cao lau, banh mi, fresh spring rolls, ca phe sua da
  

  Bun Cha – an iconic food of Hanoi

• Cambodia: fish amok (the coconut fish curry steamed in banana leaf, the national dish), beef lok lak with lime-pepper dip, num banh chok (morning rice noodles with fish gravy), Khmer BBQ, and Kampot-pepper anything
  

  Num Banh Chok

The comparison our guides offer: Vietnamese food is brighter and herb-driven; Khmer food is rounder, richer, and built on prahok (fermented fish) depth. Order amok on your first Cambodian night and calibrate from there.

Travel Tips for 12 Days in Vietnam and Cambodia

• Vietnam visa: 45 days visa-free for 24 nationalities (UK, most of Western Europe, Japan, South Korea); others use the $25 e-visa at the official evisa.gov.vn. Important for Itinerary 3 and any Vietnam re-entry: choose the $50 multiple-entry e-visa.
• Cambodia visa: Tourist visa on arrival costs $30 (bring a passport photo and USD cash), or apply for the e-visa (about $36 including processing, roughly 3 business days) at the official evisa.gov.kh. Cambodia also requires the online e-Arrival card before landing; complete it in the days before your flight.
• Airports changed recently: Siem Reap flights now use Angkor International (SAI), about 40 km east of town, and Phnom Penh’s international flights use the new Techo International Airport (KTI). Budget 45-60 minutes into either city.
• Dollars and riel: Cambodia runs on US dollars for anything over a dollar or two, with Cambodian riel (about 4,000 KHR to $1) as small change. Bring crisp USD notes; torn bills get refused.
• The overland option: Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh by comfortable coach takes 6-7 hours for around $25-35, with visas handled at the Moc Bai/Bavet border. Slower than flying, better for watching the countryside change.
• Angkor pacing: Two temple days beats one; the 3-day pass ($62) costs $25 more than the 1-day and roughly triples the experience. Temple at dawn, pool at noon, temple at four is the formula that survives the heat, which runs 30-35°C (86-95°F) most of the year.
• Best season: November to February for both countries: dry, relatively cool, peak crowds. March and April in Cambodia are seriously hot, 35°C+ (95°F+).

Estimated Cost: 12 Days in Vietnam and Cambodia

Prices are in USD per person, based on rates, excluding intercontinental flights.

Note: Figures are estimates and subject to change. A private tuk-tuk with driver for a full Angkor day costs around $20-35 and remains one of travel’s great bargains.

Plan Your 12 Days in Vietnam and Cambodia with Us

We have been running this border for years, and the version of the trip you get depends heavily on details invisible from abroad: which cruise pairs with which flight, whether your dates hit Khmer New Year, which Angkor mornings your guide can keep ahead of the crowds. Browse our Vietnam Cambodia tours for frameworks, or tell us your dates and we will design your 12 days in Vietnam and Cambodia around them, border legs included.

Wrapping Up

Twelve days in Vietnam and Cambodia delivers the region’s two defining images, Ha Long Bay’s karsts and Angkor’s towers, connected by a country’s worth of food, lanterns, and history in between. Run the full line if you want everything, the fast track if depth beats coverage, the reverse arc if flights or jetlag say so. Whichever version you pick, guard the Angkor sunrise and one empty Hoi An evening. Those two hours are what the whole route is secretly for. Contact us!

Read More:

• 13 Days in Vietnam and Cambodia: The Full Itinerary
• 8 Days in Cambodia: Best Itinerary, Costs & Tips
• 10 Days in Vietnam: The Best Itineraries