Southeast Asia Itineraries: 2, 3 and 4 Week Routes

Back to the Southeast Asia travel guide

These routes link the four countries in this guide in the order that makes geographic sense, with realistic travel time between stops. Each one names the tours that fit, so you can open the links and price the whole trip in an evening. If you would rather start from a blank page, JetlyGo can generate a day-by-day trip plan for any length and budget.

Two weeks: Vietnam north to south

The classic first trip. Fly into Hanoi and out of Ho Chi Minh City (or the reverse).

Days Where Highlight
1 to 2 Hanoi Old Quarter, street food
3 to 4 Ha Long or Lan Ha Bay Overnight bay cruise
5 to 6 Phong Nha Phong Nha cave tours
7 Hue Imperial Citadel
8 to 11 Hoi An and Da Nang Hoi An day trips, Ba Na Hills
12 to 14 Ho Chi Minh City Cu Chi tunnels, Mekong Delta

Prefer it all organised? The Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh 13 day tour covers almost exactly this route. More detail in the Vietnam tours guide.

Three weeks: Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand

This adds Angkor and Bangkok to the Vietnam route, and it is the most popular three-country loop in the region.

  1. Days 1 to 11. Hanoi to Hoi An as above, then fly to Ho Chi Minh City.
  2. Days 12 to 14. Fly or bus to Siem Reap. Three days for Angkor, with a sunset ATV ride through the rice fields. See the Cambodia tours guide.
  3. Days 15 to 17. Fly to Bangkok. Spend a morning on a Bangkok green lung bike tour and a day in Ayutthaya.
  4. Days 18 to 21. Fly north to Chiang Mai for an elephant sanctuary visit, rafting and the night markets. More in the Thailand tours guide.

Three weeks: Thailand beaches and Indonesian islands

For travellers who want sea more than cities.

  1. Days 1 to 3. Bangkok.
  2. Days 4 to 9. Phuket and Khao Sok. Island hop by speedboat, then spend two nights on Cheow Lan Lake with the Khao Sok jungle and lake tour.
  3. Days 10 to 14. Fly to Bali. Surf lessons in Kuta and Seminyak, a day on Nusa Lembongan, and the east coast for diving.
  4. Days 15 to 18. Fly to Labuan Bajo for a Komodo open trip by boat to see the dragons and Padar Island.
  5. Days 19 to 21. Back to Bali, or across to the Gili Islands. More in the Indonesia tours guide.

Four weeks: the full loop

Combine the Vietnam to Thailand route above with a final week in Indonesia. Bangkok to Bali is around four and a half hours direct. Divers should swap the Bali week for a Raja Ampat liveaboard, provided the trip falls between October and April.

Tips for linking countries