Expedition Details

Itinerary - 15 Days

Day 1 — Bangkok, Thailand

Meet fellow travelers and the expedition staff at a gala welcome dinner at our hotel in Bangkok. Please note that travelers from the United States will need to depart on April 3 in order to arrive in time for the expedition. (This flight crosses the international date line, and travelers will lose a day en route.)
The Peninsula Bangkok (D)

Days 2 & 3 — Yogyakarta and Borobudur, Indonesia

Fly by private jet to Java and visit Borobudur, a 1,200-year-old temple made of lava rock. Perched high on a hill, the massive temple is built like a stepped pyramid, with its stupa encircled by terraces brimming with Buddha statues. The next day, awaken early for a sunrise visit to Prambanan, an enormous Hindu temple whose main shrine soars 154 feet high above the scattered ruins of 244 temples. In the evening, sample Indonesian cuisine at a festive night market.
Hyatt Regency Yogyakarta (B,L,D daily)
(Accommodation upgrades are available at Amanjiwo.)

Option: Visit the Sultan’s Palace and take in a traditional Javanese music performance in the sultan’s courtyard. Or explore the Water Castle—the sultan’s pleasure complex of swimming pools, water gardens, and ornamental lakes—and meet a local Javanese family in the surrounding village. Enjoy time at leisure to browse the local markets or attend a batik demonstration.

Days 4 & 5 — Cambodia’s Angkor Wat

Arrive in Siem Reap, our base for explorations into Angkor, the heart of the Khmer Empire. Angkor was built between the 9th and 12th centuries, and remains one of the world’s greatest architectural triumphs. All but abandoned when the capital was moved to Phnom Penh in 1432, Angkor was largely forgotten until French explorers rediscovered the city in the 1860s. Survey Angkor Wat’s massive towers, carved murals, colonnades, and courtyards. Visit the royal quarters of Angkor Thom, featuring the extraordinary Bayon temple, considered to be the model of the Buddhist universe. Venture into the ancient site of Ta Prohm, still engulfed by thick banyan trees as it was found more than a century ago.
Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor, Siem Reap (B,L,D daily)

Alternate: Instead of Angkor Wat, explore the lost jungle temple of Beng Mea Lea and the ninth-century Rolous temple complex, which includes Preah Ko, the first temple built at this ancient site. Visit the Bakong temple; and the multitowered Lolei, once an island temple in the center of a great reservoir. Take part in a tea ceremony with a resident monk at a pagoda and learn about monastic life here. Meet with artisans at a local nonprofit ceramic workshop and try your hand at traditional Khmer-style ceramics. Later, watch craftspeople produce other traditional textiles at nearby workshops. Please note that this excursion is limited to a small number of travelers.

Days 6 & 7 — Hanoi and Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

Fly by private jet to Hanoi and explore this beautiful 1,000-year-old city filled with lakes and parks. Visit Ho Chi Minh’s wooden house on stilts and the curiously shaped One Pillar Pagoda, originally built in 1049. Enjoy a cyclo ride through the old town, and visit Ngoc Son Temple at the lovely Hoàn Kiem Lake.

Then travel to the spectacular seascape of Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Ha Long means “descending dragon,” a reference to the myth after which the bay was named. Legend has it that during an onslaught by foreign invaders, the gods sent a dragon family to help defend the land. The dragons began spitting out jewels and jade, which turned into wondrous islands and karst formations, creating a wall against the invaders. Set out on a cruise among the breathtaking limestone islands that tower above the waters. Observe dramatic rock formations and caves up close, and see the many grotto altars where local fishermen whisper their prayers for a good catch.
Intercontinental Westlake Hanoi (B,L,D daily)

Days 8 & 9 — Kunming or Lijiang, Yunnan Province, China

Continue by private jet to Kunming and transfer by local air to Lijiang, the home of the Naxi people. Once an important stop on the Silk Road, Lijiang dates back 800 years and is incredibly well preserved. Take a walk in the Old Quarter, an enchanting network of ancient wooden homes and spring-fed canals that wend their way along the narrow streets. Observe local sorcerers presiding over Dongba religious ceremonies in ancestral halls. Meet a Naxi family in their home, and stop by a teahouse for a sampling of the fine local varieties. Then venture beyond town to enjoy a truly unforgettable Naxi dance performance in the open air against the spectacular backdrop of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.

Alternate: Or you may choose to remain in Kunming to see the spectacular Stone Forest. This natural wonder is an extensive outcropping of limestone pillars, many of which inspired local legends because they bear remarkable resemblance to animals, humans, and plants. Visit a flower market, a traditional teahouse, Green Lake Park, the Golden Horse and Phoenix Memorial Archway, and the bustling markets of Nanping Street.
Banyan Tree Hotel, Lijiang or Kunming Bank Hotel (B,L,D daily)

Days 10 & 11 — Pagodas and Palaces of South Korea’s Great Shilla Kingdom or Historic Hiroshima and the Inland Sea, Japan

Depart Lijiang by local air to Kunming, where we board our private jet for the flight to South Korea. Land in Busan and transfer to Gyeongju. Explore the enormous tombs of the Shilla kings, a series of grass-covered hills that dominate Gyeongju’s townscape. The countless treasures discovered in the tombs are now housed in the Gyeongju National Museum, which we will also visit. View paintings; metalwork; earthenware; carved jade; weapons; and sculptures made from gold, granite, and bronze, including an exquisite golden crown with jade tiger claws. Also on display is one of the world’s largest and oldest bells, the Sacred Bell of the Great King Seongdeok. Visit the Bulguk-sa Buddhist Temple, the most famous temple in the country, and a splendid example of classic Shilla architecture. Just beyond the temple, wander through the eighth-century Seokguram Grotto, a major Buddhist pilgrimage site dominated by a monumental statue of the Sakyamuni Buddha. See one of South Korea’s oldest surviving structures, Cheomseongdae, the seventh-century astronomical observatory. Here, Shilla geomancers attempted to divine the future for local noblemen. In Busan, stop by the famous Jagalchi Fish Market, a lively gathering place where local fishermen bring in the morning’s catch.
Hyundai Hotel Gyeongju (B,L,D daily)

Option: Join monks of the Golgulsa temple in a meditative session and a traditional meal, and spend the night in the sacred halls of their temple. The ancient martial art, Seonmundo, a precursor to tae kwon do, originated at this temple.
Golgulsa Temple

Alternate: Instead of exploring South Korea, you may go to Japan early to spend more time there. Visit Hiroshima, a thriving city that is a powerful testament to Japan’s postwar recovery. Explore this fascinating city’s historic places, including the Peace Memorial Museum and park, and Shukkeien Garden, one of Japan’s finest. Then enjoy a scenic ferry ride on the Inland Sea to Miyajima Island’s Itsukushima Shrine, which features an iconic red gate that appears to float upon the surrounding waters (at high tide), greeting visitors with an enchanting view of a truly outstanding example of Heian-period architecture. Please note that this excursion is limited to a small number of travelers.

Days 12, 13, & 14 — Cultural Treasures of Kyōto and Nara, Japan

Explore historic Kyōto, Japan’s imperial capital for nearly 1,000 years. Stroll the tree-lined streets by the Kamo River where traditional shops, theaters, and teahouses abound. See geisha and watch a demonstration of the ritual of dressing in a kimono. Kyōto brims with UNESCO World Heritage sites that reflect the serene traditions of Zen Buddhism. Visit the resplendent Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) and Sanjusangendo, a wooden temple that houses 1,001 statues in honor of Kannon, the goddess of mercy. Explore Nijo Castle, the home of the 16th-century shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. Later, gather for a traditional Japanese feast, and enjoy a rare opportunity to meet a geisha and learn about her unique lifestyle.

The next day, explore the well-preserved treasures of ancient Nara, Japan’s first imperial capital. Step into the glorious Todai-ji temple—the world’s largest wooden building, guarded by two exquisite Nio figures and featuring the enormous bronze Daibutsu Buddha that weighs some 550 tons. Stroll past more than 3,000 stone and bronze lanterns along the enchanting path to Kasuga Shrine. Enter the headquarters of the Hosso School of Japanese Buddhism at the Yakushi-ji temple and gaze up at a statue of “The Medicine Buddha,” a Buddhist deity who arrived from China in A.D. 680.
Kyōto Hotel Okura (B,L,D daily)

Option: In Kyōto, you may take a class in a traditional Japanese art—such as calligraphy or ikebana flower arrangement—in the home of an experienced instructor.

Alternate Accommodation: Instead of staying all three nights at the Kyōto Hotel Okura, spend one night at a traditional Japanese inn. Please note that this excursion is offered at an additional cost and is limited to a small number of travelers.
Hiiragiya Ryokan, Kyōto

Day 15 — Osaka/Homeward

Connect with individual commercial flights to your home city from Osaka, Japan. Or continue on to The Ancient Silk Road expedition.
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