Classic Southeast Asia Triangle
The first-timer's Southeast Asia loop - Bangkok, the temples of Angkor at Siem Reap, Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh, and Vietnam's two great cities, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Three headline countries, one overland-and-hop triangle, in two to three weeks.
12–21 days · Point-to-point
When to go
- VisaCambodia e-visa + Vietnam e-visa — apply ~1 week ahead; Thailand is visa-exempt for most nationalities
- WeatherSE-Asia monsoon (May - Oct) — the wet season brings afternoon downpours and flight-disrupting storms - Nov - Feb is the dry, cooler sweet spot
- WeatherMarch - April burning season (Mar - Apr) — agricultural haze can grey out northern Thailand and the Mekong; heat also peaks near 40°C before the rains
This is the trip almost every first big Southeast Asia journey is built around - the classic triangle of Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. You fly into Bangkok, cross east to the temples of Angkor at Siem Reap, drop down to Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh, then push into Vietnam at Ho Chi Minh City before the long hop north to Hanoi and Halong Bay. Three headline countries, five great cities, and a mix of short flights and overland borders that a smart friend would actually book. It rewards two weeks; with three you can add central Vietnam and slow down.
This route's vibe
What you get across the whole trip, blended from each stop's strengths.
Stop by stop
The route
Adjust trip length, budget, and travel style — the stops, transport, and cost update to match.
- 1
Bangkok
3 nightsThe gateway everyone flies into: the Grand Palace and Wat Pho, canal-side markets, a river dinner cruise and the best street food of the trip - plus a day to shake off jet lag before the border push east.
Skip / overrated: Skip the tuk-tuk drivers who offer a 'cheap city tour' from outside the Grand Palace - it's a gem-shop and tailor commission loop. Meter taxis, the BTS Skytrain and the river ferries get you everywhere for a fraction.
View Bangkok guide→Getting there· ~364 kmBorder crossingFlightRecommendedThe painless way: ~1h15m direct hops several times a day; you clear the border at the airport, not at a land crossing. Book ahead for the best fares.
Book: airline / Skyscanner — budget carriers charge steeply for checked bags booked at the airport - add luggage online in advance
BusThe classic backpacker overland via the Poipet border, ~8-9h all in. Doable but slow, and the crossing has a reputation for petty visa-fee overcharging.
Book: 12Go / Bookaway — at Poipet, ignore anyone steering you to a 'visa office' - get the Cambodia e-visa online before you go and pay only the posted fee at the actual immigration window
Book buses - 2
Siem Reap
3 nightsAngkor Wat at sunrise and the jungle-swallowed Ta Prohm are the reason most people build this trip. Buy the multi-day Angkor pass, hire a tuk-tuk driver for the temple loops, and keep evenings for Pub Street and the night markets.
Skip / overrated: The sunrise crowd at Angkor Wat's reflecting pool is a scrum - many find the quieter sunrise at Srah Srang or a late-afternoon Bayon far more rewarding. A three-day pass beats the one-day dash.
View Siem Reap guide→Getting there· ~233 kmBusRecommendedThe standard link: comfortable ~6h express coaches (Giant Ibis is the traveler favourite) on a good sealed road. The easy, cheap, scenic choice.
Book: 12Go / operator direct — book the reputable operator by name - cheaper unmarked minibuses oversell seats and make endless pickups
Book busesFlightShort domestic hop ~45m, but with airport transfers and waits it barely beats the bus door-to-door and costs far more.
Book: airline
BoatA slow, seasonal Tonle Sap river ferry runs in the high-water months - a memorable ride, but unreliable and long in the dry season when levels drop.
Book ferries - 3
Phnom Penh
2 nightsCambodia's riverside capital: the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, a moving morning at the Tuol Sleng genocide museum and the Killing Fields, then Mekong-front bars come dusk. A sobering, essential counterweight to Angkor.
Skip / overrated: Tuol Sleng and the Killing Fields are heavy - do them in one focused morning, with the audio guide, rather than spreading grief across the visit. Two nights is plenty for most.
View Phnom Penh guide→Getting there· ~203 kmBorder crossingBusRecommendedThe well-worn Mekong overland: ~6-7h direct coaches through the Bavet - Moc Bai border, where the bus staff walk you through both immigration posts. The most popular way to enter Vietnam here.
Book: 12Go / operator direct — have your Vietnam e-visa printed - the land border does not reliably issue visas on arrival, and being turned back at Moc Bai wrecks the day
Book busesFlightDirect ~1h flights avoid the border queues entirely and suit anyone short on time or wary of the overland crossing.
Book: airline / Skyscanner
BoatA scenic multi-day Mekong Delta river route via Chau Doc is possible with a fast-boat leg, but it's a detour, not a straight transfer - treat it as an add-on, not the main link.
Book ferries - 4
Ho Chi Minh City
3 nightsSaigon's motorbike roar, the War Remnants Museum, the Cu Chi tunnels day trip and Vietnam's best coffee culture. The energetic southern anchor before the long hop north.
Skip / overrated: The Cu Chi tunnels are worth it but the closer Ben Dinh site is a tour-bus conveyor - the further Ben Duoc site is quieter and more authentic if your driver will go. Skip the overpriced rooftop 'sky bars' for a street-side bia hoi.
View Ho Chi Minh City guide→Getting there· ~1138 kmFlightRecommendedThe only sensible way to cover this 1,100km+ leg on a triangle: ~2h direct flights run all day between Vietnam's two biggest cities. Book a week or two out for the good fares.
Book: airline / Skyscanner — the two Saigon-Hanoi airports are busy - build a real buffer, and re-check your terminal, as some carriers use the older domestic terminal
TrainThe Reunification Express is a great journey but a ~32h+ haul end-to-end - a wonderful experience if you break it in Da Nang/Hue, an itinerary-killer if you don't have the days on a tight triangle.
Book: Vietnam Railways / 12Go — book a soft-sleeper berth early in season; hard seats for that duration are punishing
Book trains - 5
Hanoi
4 nightsThe atmospheric north: the tangled Old Quarter, lake-side temples, egg coffee, water-puppet theatre and a base for the Halong Bay overnight cruise that closes the triangle. A slower, cooler, more old-world finish.
Skip / overrated: Don't try to also cram in Sapa and Ninh Binh on a tight triangle - pick one day-trip or the Halong overnight. The 'Halong Bay budget cruise' race-to-the-bottom often means a rusty boat; a mid-tier operator on Bai Tu Long Bay dodges the armada.
View Hanoi guide→
Lodging + daily spend only — excludes flights & intercity transport.
What to skip
Resist the urge to bolt on Laos, the Thai islands or Vietnam's far north on this loop - each turns the tidy triangle into a marathon of transit days. Save them for a dedicated add-on trip; the three-country triangle is already a full two to three weeks.
Practical tips
Sort your Cambodia and Vietnam e-visas online before you fly and carry printouts for the land borders. Bring a stash of US dollars - Cambodia runs on them alongside the riel. Fly the two border legs and the 1,100km Saigon - Hanoi hop; overland only where it's genuinely easy (Siem Reap - Phnom Penh). Keep one buffer day for a delayed flight or a slow crossing.
Best for
Common questions
How many days do I need for the Southeast Asia triangle?
Two weeks is the comfortable minimum for the five core stops; twelve days works if you fly every leg. With three weeks you can add central Vietnam (Hoi An) and a Halong Bay overnight.
Should I do the borders overland or fly?
Siem Reap to Phnom Penh is an easy, scenic bus and worth doing overland. For Bangkok - Siem Reap and Phnom Penh - Ho Chi Minh City, most travelers now fly to skip the border hassle - the overland routes are cheaper but slow and scam-prone at the crossings.
Which direction should I travel the triangle?
Bangkok first is the usual play - it has the cheapest long-haul flights in and the smoothest onward connections. Ending in Hanoi lets you finish on Halong Bay and fly home from the north, an open-jaw ticket that saves backtracking.