How long should I spend
in Southeast Asia?
So, how long should you spend in Southeast Asia? Quality over quantity should certainly become your mantra. Although there’s no point whizzing from country to country ticking off temples as you go, it is possible to take a shortish tour of two weeks or even nine days that allows you to understand where you are and what you're experiencing. There are also three and four week tours that will give you a richer experience of the region, leaving you eagerly anticipating coming back for more.
Our Indochina Vacations
Indochina vacation adventure
Laos and Cambodia; Luang Prabang, the Plain of Jars & Angkor
Indochina tours
An awesome adventure Cambodia Laos Thailand & Vietnam
Indochina overland tour, Saigon to Angkor
Vietnam and Cambodia: the Mekong Delta to Angkor Wat
Mekong Adventure in Laos & Cambodia
From World Heritage Luang Prabang to the 4,000 Islands
Indochina tailor made vacation
Southeast Asia tour of Thailand, Laos, Cambodia & Vietnam
Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City
Thailand to Southern Vietnam via Angkor Wat
Indochina vacation, Hanoi to Bangkok via Angkor
Awesome adventure through Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand
Cambodia and Vietnam vacation
A magnificent journey of discovery
Cycling vacation to Indochina and Angkor Wat
Cross three countries with contrasting recent histories
Thai Indo China vacation
An unusual journey across southern Indochina
Thailand, Vietnam & Laos vacation
Some of Asia’s most remote but spectacular regions
Indochina tour, small group
Experience the diversity of Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
South East Asia family adventure vacation
A journey across Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand
Cambodia and Vietnam small group tour
Explore the exotic landscapes food & culture of Indochina
Small group vacation to Indochina
Amazing value overland journey across South Indochina
Indochina 4 week tour
Comprehensive trip through Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia
Family tour to Cambodia and Thailand
Ruined Cities, Tropical Islands, 2-week private family tour
South East Asia tour, 38 days
An epic trip showcasing the best of South East Asia
Thailand, Laos and Cambodia vacation
Explore rarely visited parts of Thailand, Laos and Cambodia
Bangkok to Saigon cycling vacation
Explore the highlights of South East Asia by bike
Vietnam to Thailand, small group vacation
A fascinating journey through Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand
Laos, Cambodia and Thailand overland truck tour
Overland through this stunning part of South East Asia
Vietnam and Cambodia vacation, Hanoi to Siem Reap
16 day adventure across Vietnam and Cambodia
Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam vacations
An authentic and exciting vacation in Indochina
Laos and Cambodia tailor made tour
Historical and cultural adventure through Laos and Cambodia
South East Asia food vacation, private departure
15 day private culinary tour of Thailand, Laos & Cambodia
Indochina vacation, private departure
Discover the charms and landscapes of South-East Asia!
Indochina vacations, tailor made
A diverse combination of three fascinating Asian countries
Northern Thailand and Laos cultural vacation
Overland tour from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang
South Laos vacation, Mekong adventure
Follow the mighty Mekong through Laos and northern Cambodia
A week
A week is a wee bit too short if you're looking to visit more than one country in Southeast Asia. To be fair, it's not really responsible to fly all that way and stay for just a few days in only one country. Once you've got over the jet lag and counted the costs of the carbon air miles you'll be heading home again. Anyone making the long haul flight from Europe to Southeast Asia should certainly think twice about environmental impact.We recommend spending at least nine days on the ground in Southeast Asia if you're traveling direct from Europe. This sort of duration gives you an instant and exciting sense of culture shock, as well as time to relax and take it all in. Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, for instance, can be visited overland in nine days with the route from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam to Bangkok in Thailand via Cambodia’s Angkor Wat achievable as part of an organised small group tour.
Two weeks
Now, a two week vacation in Southeast Asia will give you much more Bang(kok) for your buck, although most vacations of this length stick to just two countries, rather than three or four – Cambodia and Vietnam, say, or Northern Thailand and Laos. Two week breaks are generally small group tours, and offer an authentic and insightful experience without too much packing and unpacking and whizzing from place to place. You can also pick a tailor-made tour, designed specifically for families, that explores Cambodia before relaxing on a Thai island, with biking and river boats, swimming and snorkelling.Although it can be tempting to tick off the temples and fly from country to country, we think it's much more preferable to make the most of one country at a time before moving on to the next. Comparing and contrasting two or more different cultures on one trip is fascinating and far more stimulating than just ticking off sights.
Three weeks
In three weeks you can dip your toe into each of the four Indochina countries (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam), traveling from Bangkok to Vientiane and Luang Prabang, on to Angkor Wat and the Mekong River, before exploring Vietnam via Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An and Hanoi. Tailor made tours tend to include a private driver, but three weeks in Southeast Asia is easily enough time to get around using public transport, and it’s often incorporated into a small group tour. Traveling by overnight trains and public buses lets you watch the world go by as tranquil countryside scenes become replaced with exciting urban alternatives.
Our top Indochina Vacation
Indochina vacation adventure
Laos and Cambodia; Luang Prabang, the Plain of Jars & Angkor
2021: 17 Apr, 17 May, 19 Jun, 19 Jul, 17 Aug, 18 Sep, 18 Oct, 14 Nov, 20 Dec
2022: 18 Jan, 15 Feb, 15 Mar
A month
Making the most of a month in Southeast Asia as part of a group will also provide more opportunities to get to know your traveling companions. Bonds are always going to form over this sort of time frame and solo travelers will often discover they're far from alone just after a few short days into a trip.
Although a month might seem like a long time, it tends to fly by and it’s definitely worth taking the time, if you can afford to, for the breadth of what you will see once on the ground. At Responsible Travel, we’re advocating taking fewer but longer vacations, to cut down on our personal carbon footprint until aviation cleans up its act. Longer trips of course carry a higher price tag, with the fast paced and affordable trips designed for younger travelers, aged from 18 to 30 years.
Just remember…
Whatever length of time you spend in Southeast Asia, make sure you choose a trip that's right for you. Shorter trips – nine days or so – are a great taste of the region, but you simply won’t have time to cram everything into one. They offer an exciting overview, perfect if you’re new to the region and short on time.Longer trips – over two weeks – are likely to include at least a couple of days in each location. This gives you more time to unwind in between traveling as well as more opportunities to do some optional activities like cooking classes, Thai massage or just watching the world wander by while you sip an ice cool glass of Chang. Southeast Asia has been around for a while and it will, hopefully, be around for many more years to come. Make sure you visit each country and meet different people with respect and with open eyes rather than blurring and merging everything into one mind blowing Captain Willard-style mission up the Mekong.