10-Day Southeast Asia Itinerary

Quick answer: This 10-day Southeast Asia itinerary covers the must-see highlights without rushing, with detailed day-by-day plans, restaurant recommendations, and budget guidance.

Best for: First-time visitors who want to maximize sightseeing while still tasting local culture.

Day 1 — Land in Bangkok

Fly into Bangkok Suvarnabhumi and take the Airport Rail Link to Phaya Thai (about 45 baht, roughly $1.30) rather than a metered taxi in rush-hour gridlock. Base yourself in Silom or riverside Bang Rak for easy transit. Shake off the flight with a slow evening on Charoen Krung Road, Bangkok’s oldest paved street, now dotted with galleries and coffee bars. For dinner, hunt down a bowl of boat noodles (kuaitiao ruea) — the small, intensely savory portions run about 20–30 baht (under $1) each, so order several. Insider tip: buy a Rabbit Card for the BTS Skytrain on arrival; it saves fumbling for coins at every turnstile and the elevated line is the fastest way across the city. Sleep early — tomorrow starts at the temples before the heat and crowds build.

Day 2 — Temples & River

Beat the crowds at the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaeo (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) at the 8:30am opening; the combined ticket is about 500 baht (roughly $14). Dress modestly — shoulders and knees covered, or you’ll be turned away. Walk ten minutes to Wat Pho for the 46-meter Reclining Buddha (about 300 baht, near $8), then cross the Chao Phraya on the tiny local ferry (about 5 baht) to Wat Arun, the porcelain-studded riverside spire. In the afternoon, hop the Chao Phraya Express Boat orange-flag line (around 16 baht) up to Tha Maharaj pier. Insider tip: skip strangers offering a ‘temple is closed today, take my tuk-tuk’ story — it’s a well-worn gem-shop scam. End with dinner and skyline views from a rooftop in Silom.

Day 3 — Bangkok to Ayutthaya

Ride the north-bound train or a minivan to Ayutthaya, the ruined former Siamese capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, about 80km north. Ordinary trains from Hua Lamphong / Krung Thep Aphiwat are cheap (roughly 20–65 baht, under $2) and take around 90 minutes to two hours. Rent a bicycle near the station (about 50 baht) to loop the temple island. Don’t miss Wat Mahathat, where a sandstone Buddha head is famously cradled in strangler-fig roots, and the three restored chedis of Wat Phra Si Sanphet; the historical park charges a small per-temple fee (about 50 baht each). Insider tip: try boat noodles or grilled river prawn at a riverside stall before the afternoon heat. Return to Bangkok by early evening; pack tonight, because tomorrow you cross into Cambodia by air.

Day 4 — Fly to Siem Reap

Fly Bangkok to Siem Reap — a short hop of roughly 1 hour 20 minutes on Bangkok Airways or Thai carriers, with several daily departures. The gleaming new Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport sits about 45km east of town, so budget 60–90 minutes by road; a private taxi runs roughly $25–30 and a tuk-tuk about $15–18 from the new airport (it sits about 40km from town). Check in near the Old Market (Psar Chas) and spend the afternoon easing in: browse the market, then walk the riverside to Pub Street for an early dinner of fish amok, the coconut-and-lemongrass curry steamed in banana leaf (about $4–6 at a casual spot). Buy your Angkor Pass online or at the official Angkor Enterprise office before 5pm — the one-day ticket is $37. Insider tip: arrange a tuk-tuk driver for tomorrow’s sunrise tonight (about $18–25 for the day) and turn in early.

Day 5 — Angkor Sunrise

Leave in the dark, around 5am, to catch sunrise over Angkor Wat reflected in its lotus ponds — the single most iconic view in Southeast Asia. Explore the main temple’s bas-reliefs before the tour buses arrive, then move to Angkor Thom and the enigmatic stone faces of the Bayon. Save mid-morning for Ta Prohm, the jungle temple laced with silk-cotton tree roots made famous by film. Bring water, sunscreen and a scarf for shoulders (some inner sanctuaries require covered knees). Insider tip: retreat to your hotel for the brutal midday heat, then return for a quieter late-afternoon visit to Pre Rup or Phnom Bakheng for sunset. Expect to tip your driver a few dollars beyond the agreed fare for the long, dusty day. Dinner back in town — try lok lak, peppery stir-fried beef over rice, roughly $4–6.

Day 6 — Cross to Saigon

Fly onward from Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City (still widely called Saigon) — a direct hop of about 1 hour 20 minutes on Vietnam Airlines or Air Cambodia. US, UK, EU and many other passport-holders can enter Vietnam via the official e-visa or an approved short-stay exemption — check current rules and apply online in advance. From Tan Son Nhat Airport, a Grab (rideshare) into central District 1 costs roughly 150,000–200,000 VND (about $6–8). Settle in, then walk the colonial core: the Notre-Dame Cathedral (under restoration in recent years), the ornate Central Post Office designed in the Eiffel era, and pedestrianized Nguyen Hue Walking Street. Insider tip: your first banh mi from a busy street cart — crackly baguette, pate and pickled veg — should cost only about 25,000–40,000 VND (roughly $1–1.60). Cap the night with egg coffee or a rooftop bar overlooking the Saigon River.

Day 7 — Cu Chi & History

Devote the morning to the Cu Chi Tunnels, the vast underground network used during the war, about 1.5 hours northwest of the city. A guided half-day tour runs roughly $18–35 including transport and the guide, with the site entrance around 125,000 VND (about $5) on top if you go independently. You can crawl through a widened section of tunnel — not for the claustrophobic — and see the ingenious traps and hidden entrances. Back in town by early afternoon, visit the sobering War Remnants Museum (admission about 40,000 VND, under $2) for essential context. Insider tip: the museum is heavy going, so pace yourself and finish somewhere gentler. Wind down with a bowl of pho — the northern-style beef noodle soup is a Saigon staple at about 50,000–80,000 VND (roughly $2–3.20). Book tomorrow’s Mekong Delta tour tonight if you haven’t already.

Day 8 — Mekong Delta Day

Take a full-day trip to the Mekong Delta, Vietnam’s fertile ‘rice bowl’, usually centered on My Tho and Ben Tre about two hours south. Group day tours run roughly $20–40 including the coach, boat and lunch. You’ll cruise the brown river channels, transfer to a hand-paddled sampan through narrow coconut-palm canals, and stop at cottage workshops making coconut candy and rice paper. Sample tropical fruit and, if offered, elephant-ear fish wrapped in rice paper with herbs. Insider tip: for a calmer, less packaged day, base further out in Can Tho and rise before dawn for the Cai Rang floating market, where wholesalers hang produce from poles to advertise their wares — though that works best as an overnight rather than a day-return from Saigon. Back in the city by evening; keep it light with street-side com tam (broken-rice pork), about 40,000–60,000 VND.

Day 9 — Cholon & Cafes

Slow the pace with a morning in Cholon, Saigon’s historic Chinatown in District 5. Visit the incense-wreathed Thien Hau Temple, dedicated to the sea goddess Mazu (free, donations welcome), and wander the sprawling Binh Tay Market for spices, dried goods and kitchenware. Grab a Grab bike or taxi back toward the center for lunch. Spend the afternoon on Saigon’s cafe culture: seek out the tucked-away ‘apartment cafe’ block at 42 Nguyen Hue, a vintage building stacked with independent coffee shops and boutiques, and order a ca phe sua da (iced coffee with condensed milk), about 35,000–60,000 VND (roughly $1.40–2.40). Insider tip: do a little souvenir shopping now — Vietnamese coffee, lacquerware and silk — rather than rushing at the airport. Enjoy a final proper dinner; a mid-range restaurant meal with a drink runs about 250,000–400,000 VND ($10–16).

Day 10 — Last Bites, Fly Out

Use your last morning for anything you missed — perhaps the elegant Reunification Palace (admission about 65,000 VND, near $2.60), frozen in its 1975 state, or a final bowl of hu tieu noodle soup at a neighborhood stall. Pick up more banh mi or fresh spring rolls (goi cuon) for the journey. Leave plenty of buffer for the ride to Tan Son Nhat Airport: it sits close to the center but Saigon traffic is unpredictable, so allow at least 45–60 minutes plus generous check-in time for an international departure. A Grab to the airport is roughly 150,000–200,000 VND (about $6–8). Insider tip: spend down your remaining Vietnamese dong before security — it’s hard to exchange once you’re home. Fly out having threaded three countries, two short flights and one classic overland corridor into a single, well-paced ten days across mainland Southeast Asia.