5-Week Southeast Asia Itinerary: 3 Options (2024/2025)

With 5 weeks in Southeast Asia, you could either visit the highlights of 4–5 countries or delve deeply into the most representative three countries.

In this article, we introduce three hand-picked itineraries based on the most popular destinations of Southeast Asia. They are fully-customizable and have been welcomed by our clients as the basis for many a tour. These suggestions will help you optimize your time and create your dream trip.

Which Countries Would Be Best for Your 5-Week SE Asia Trip?

When planning a 5-week trip to Southeast Asia, you're suggested to limit your travels to 3–5 countries to save costs in transportation and to avoid travel fatigue.

If you want a more relaxing tour pace, focus on three countries: Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam are recommended. They are the top combo among all the popular itineraries for Southeast Asia, particularly for first-timers. Meanwhile, with five weeks you could have many more in-depth travel experiences.

If you would prefer to use your time to travel more widely, you could combine the above three with two other countries for a wider variety of experiences: Myanmar-Laos or Singapore-Bali. Myanmar and Laos are more recommended for people who are keen on in-depth cultural experiences, while Singapore and Indonesia (Bali) are best for leisurely relaxation opportunities.

Below are the countries recommended above with their recommended travel durations and destination areas.

• Thailand: 8 days to 3 weeks. Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and islands like Phuket and Koh Samui are the top highlights.
• Vietnam: 10 days to 2 weeks. Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hoi An, Ho Chi Min City, and the Mekong Delta are must-sees.
• Myanmar: 1–2 weeks. Mandalay, Bagan, and Yangon are three of its best destinations.
• Cambodia: 3 days to 1 week. Siem Reap, home to Angkor Wat, tops the bucket list for most Cambodia trips.
• Laos: 1 week. Luang Prabang is the main tourist city.
• Singapore (3 days) and Bali (7–10 days) usually work as a unique pair: rich culinary experiences and shopping paradise in Singapore plus laid-back island exploring in Bali.

China Highlights, Asia Highlights, and Global Highlights collaborate to provide families and couples with personalized and stress-free experiences in diverse destinations.

Seeing Bangkok with ease In Bangkok, our tour guide, Ying, was wonderful. She navigated all the sights with ease, gave us interesting tidbits on Thai culture and history, helped us pick the right food at all the restaurants, and was just a pleasure to be around. We had a great time, and it was so nice to not have to worry about any of the details. More Diane Elkins, Nov 2023

Thailand -insights, no stress and amazing team My husband and my Thailand trip was fantastic, stress-free and educational thanks to the amazing team coordinated by Albee at Asia Highlights. The whole team was incredibly accessible, responsive, sensitive to our needs and lovely to work with. End-to-end, the trip was truly remarkable and the knowledgeable and dynamic tour guides and drivers made it especially memorable! More AndrewsFamily, Oct 2023

Informative & Thorough / Thanks Sharon! Sharon the advisor that helped me was so thorough & informative and explained the details of the tour including questions about visas and what is included vs what is not included in the tour packages. I would recommend them to explain tour packages that would fit the schedule of your pending travels. More Chris, Sep 2023

Easy, fast responses I worked directly with Monica in Asia Highlights. She was incredibly helpful and answered all of my questions quickly. Working with her made the whole process easy and we are so excited for our trip! More Diana B, Sep 2023

Stress free Thailand Alisa has organised our 14 day Thailand holiday for 2024 for my family & I. She has been very accommodating & super quick with all of our requests & we cannot wait for a stress free holiday! Thank you Alisa! More Alana Mitchell, Sep 2023

Family Trip to Thailand-Cambodia All of our guides were very nice and knowledgeable, but we have a special mention to our guide in Cambodia, Chan, he was very kind with us and it was very amusing. He went the extra mile for us. We really enjoyed our holidays! More José Antonio Carrillo de la Pl, Sep 2023

Asia Highlights and Sharon Asia Highlights, specifically Sharon, has been wonderfully helpful as we get ready for a 2024 excursion to Thailand. We are beyond excited, and much of that has to do with the personalized attention that we have experienced with Sharon. She has been extremely responsive, obliging, and focused as she helped us design a tailor made itinerary. All of our questions have been addressed, our needs have been met, and the path has now been set for a very exciting trip.... thanks to Sharon. More Marcy Hoenig, Sep 2023

I was planning a trip to Thailand to… I was planning a trip to Thailand to especially see the Lantern Festival this year for our birthdays!! It’s been on our bucket list, but we were completely lost on how to go about planning for our trip. We’ve never really booked tours before but Alisa was extremely helpful, knowledgeable, flexible and efficient in providing all the information we needed to make our decision on the best tours and tickets to purchase. Thank you so much!! More https://www.trustpilot.com/reviews/64d9a5a4657e4b39f768a21e, Aug 2023

I would definitely recommend Asia… All of our guides were wonderful (Mr. Bank - Bangkok and Ms. Kai in Phuket & Khao Sok plus antoher guide who assisted in Koh Samui). Sharon took care of tours, private drivers, flights and hotels within Thailand and our trip went off without a hitch. The hotels were great and the transportation always arrived on time and with a clean, More Guinevere Provance, Aug 2023

Great Experience WOW! I’ve traveled Asia some & I must say Sharon & Asia Highlights made this trip so much more enjoyable and easy More Stephen Hollis, Aug 2023

Alisa has has been great to work with Alisa with Asia Highlights has has been great to work with. Very friendly and responsive. More Ana Rausch, Aug 2023

Using Sharon right now to book our… Using Sharon right now to book our upcoming trip to Thailand. She has booked everything that we asked for. Has answered all of my inquiries, which has been many! Looking forward to having a great girls trip in Thailand More Tracy, Aug 2023

Thailand, Singapore, Bali In Thailand, Tanny and Nori(Suparp), were both incredible! They were both fun, funny, and full of knowledge and made sure we got the full experience. They went the extra mile and always made sure we had cold bottled water and towels to cleanse our hands. In Singapore, Nicole was an absolute gem. She was so kind and knowledgeable and guided us in the right direction to make our day as enjoyable as possible. She helped us choose a top notch local lunch and coffee spot in China Town and taught us so much about the country! In Bali, Emon was an absolute joy. He was very knowledgeable and kind and absolutely made sure we were feeling comfortable and was willing to be flexible with us. He was fun to converse with and made our time traveling between destinations so enjoyable! I cannot recommend Asia Highlights enough! Accommodations, travel arrangements and guided tours were all a breeze. More Cassi Thunker, Jul 2023

Very supportive Very supportive ! I have received eticket for Sky Lattern Festival very fast More Chi?n Nguy?n Ng?c, Jul 2023

My experience in Chang Mai with Asia Highlights I greatly enjoyed my experience with Asia Highlights for a trip I booked to Thailand.All of my interests were catered too. My guide in Chang Mai Gemma was excellent.I truly felt the soul of Thailand culture and Buddhism. More Richard, Jul 2023

A pleasure to plan with Well, this has been a painless and pleasurable process to find such a wonderful company. I had specific dates and places to be and Sharon worked with me diligently to refine the schedule and costs to suit my travel needs and budget. She informed me of a special tour on the dates I am to be in Thailand and I added that to my previous plans. More Chris Williams, Jul 2023

Large multi-generational holiday in Thailand The holiday was wonderful. Our guides, Mr Monchai (Bangkok), and Ms Tipagorn (Tippy) (Chiang Mai) were exceptional. Travelling in a large multigenerational group with many children requires patience and our guides truly understood that. Mr Monchai and Ms Tippy shared their extensive knowledge of the many wonderful places we visited, and were flexible to take us to additional places along the way based on discussions. While everyday was busy, having them greet us with patience and a smile truly made this a memorable holiday. The hotels we stayed at were equally wonderful and went above and beyond to celebrate not only my parents 50th anniversary but also celebrate 2 milestone birthdays that occurred. We will cherish this holiday for many years to come. We hope to use Asia Highlights again. More CL, Jul 2023

I never used a travel agent in my life I never used a travel agent in my life, but Sharon for Asia Highlights did a phenomenal job helping planning and coordination a family vacation. The best part of working with Sharon was that she maintained an open line of communication and provided answers to my question well within 12-24 hours. Additionally, Sharon was flexible and customized our vacation to my families needs. Overall great experience. More Antione Barry, Jul 2023

Great company to plan a trip to Southeast Asia! Sharon Haung has been wonderful to work with! Very patient and accommodating. Responds immediately given time change and is prepared, prompt, and professional. More Debi Hinerfeld, Jul 2023

We took a 15 days trip (10 days Vietnam and 5 days Thailand … It was an amazing experience the guides and drivers were there awaiting for us at each airoport for a transfer to the hotels also on time for all the tours all the guides were so lovely , very experienced and spoke very good English , one of the days on tour in Thailand I lost my phone in a temple in Bangkok mr chai went out of his way in a middle of thousands of visitors and managed to find an bring it back to me I found that amazing , also while on a trip I contacted Jason li out tour organizer few time via whatup and he replied and helped on the spot I recommend asiahilights 150% The quality of the service hotels the guides the drivers outstanding From start to finish ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT ???? More SIMO el ghobar, Jun 2023

1. A Classic 5-Week Grand Indochina Tour: Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Laos

This tour shows you the multiple facets of Southeast Asia at a comfortable pace. Besides the most-popular Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia, you'd explore Southeast Asia beyond the beaten path in Myanmar and Laos.

With us, you'd not only see the iconic attractions in each country but also have the chance to explore their cultures deeper with our exclusive experiences.

Check out this brief itinerary and description for inspiration:

8 Days in Myanmar

• Days 1–2 in Mandalay (city tour with temples, witness thousands of monks dining, watch the sunset over U Bein Bridge)
• Days 3–4 in Bagan (underground monastery, local markets, and sunset balloon ride over 2,000 pagodas)
• Days 5–6 at Inle Lake (floating villages, floating markets, stunning lake view, and traditional fishing)
• Days 7–8 in Yangon (an interesting local train ride, museums, and Shwedagon Pagoda at sunset)

In Myanmar, temples and pagodas are the top highlights, while Inle Lake presents rustic and authentic floating village life for you to discover. Bagan is best for romantic celebrations, milestone trips in particular. What could be more romantic than holding your partner and seeing the sun set over 2,000 pagodas from a hot air balloon?

17-Day Private tour to Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos Unique Private Indochina Tour

10 Days in Vietnam

• Days 9–10 in Ho Chi Minh City (city tour with coffee experience, the Cu Chi Tunnels)
• Days 11–13 in Hoi An (lantern-making, sunset boat ride, an evening foodie tour, plus a free day)
• Days 14–15 in Hanoi (Old Quarter walking tour, museums, water puppet show)
• Days 16–18 in Ha Long Bay (Trung Trang Cave, squid fishing, cooking class, biking around a rustic village near Ha Long Bay)

In Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City presents bustling modern city life and tragic war history in the Cu Chi Tunnels. Hoi An balances old town architecture with laid-back rustic life.

A Ha Long Bay cruise is a perfect combo of outdoor fun and laid-back activities. We suggest a 3-day cruise to escape the big tour groups and enjoy kayaking, swimming, and tranquil private hours in the unspoiled and less-visited coves. Want more private experiences? Contact us for a private junk just for the two of you.

14-Day Classic Vietnam and Thailand Tour Specially Designed for the First Asia Trip for 2 Weeks

4 Days in Laos

• Days 19–22 in Luang Prabang (offering alms to monks in the early morning, temples, Royal Palace, waterfall, sunset long-tail boat ride)

Featuring serenity, Luang Prabang is an ideal place to refresh after 2 weeks of travel. Don't miss the awe-inspiring traditional ritual: morning almsgiving. You and your partner could relax in your boutique hotel with swim-up pool rooms and quality massages during your free days.

3 Days in Cambodia

• Days 23–25 in Siem Reap (Angkor Wat, Apsara Dance Show, 1-hour sunset quad bike ride, sunset cocktail on Tonle Sap Lake)

In Siem Reap, Angkor Wat is the big draw. A sunset quad bike ride and sunset cocktail on Tonle Sap Lake would enhance your trip with special moments.

19-Day In-Depth Tour of Southeast Asia: Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam

10 Days in Thailand

• Days 26–27 in Bangkok (Grand Palace, temples, railway market, and a dinner cruise on the Chao Phraya River)
• Days 28–30 in Chiang Mai (foodie tour, flower market visit, elephant sanctuary)
• Days 31–35 on Phuket (5 days of beach time, your choice of activities)

Yi Peng Festival in Chiang Mai

In Thailand, one of the highlight areas is Chiang Mai. Your trip would not be complete without an elephant sanctuary and local flower market visits. Around November, you'd have chances to celebrate the 2-day Yi Peng Festival (November 27–28, 2023). Travel with us to have a premium experience (only sold by us): release your own lanterns into the sky and capture enchanting moments with thousands of floating lanterns.

This itinerary also includes the island of Phuket, which is easily accessible and rich in water activities. If you're looking for a more romantic vibe and private times, Koh Samui is suggested for more high-end boutique hotels and fine dining.

32-Day Grand Southeast Asia Expedition: Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, and Indonesia Tour

2. A 5-Week In-Depth Exploration with a Luxury Mekong River Cruise: Thailand–Cambodia–Vietnam

If you would prefer an in-depth experience at a slow pace, this itinerary is best for you. For first-timers, the classic combo of Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam perfectly shows you the best of Southeast Asia: awe-inspiring temples, rustic life, amazing food, as well as mesmerizing islands.

During your 5 weeks' travel, you'd explore the iconic sights, but also some offbeat areas, like Chiang Rai and the Mekong River.

Here is a brief summary of the itinerary for your inspiration:

10 Days in Vietnam

• Days 1–2 in Hanoi (1-hour cyclo tour around the Old Quarter, water puppet show)
• Days 3–5 in Ha Long Bay (Trung Trang Cave, squid fishing, cooking class, biking around a rustic village near Ha Long Bay)
• Days 6–8 in Hoi An (biking around the countryside, basket boat tour, sunset riverside dinner)
• Days 9–10 in Ho Chi Minh City (city tour with coffee experience, Cu Chi tunnels)

Read more itinerary options about 10 days in Vietnam>>>

8-Day Mekong River Cruise

Mekong River cruise

• Days 11–13 on the Mekong Cruise — Vietnam section (floating markets, countryside visit by motor trishaw)
• Days 14–18 on the Mekong Cruise — the Cambodia section (cyclo tour in Phnom Penh, blessing ceremony by local monks in Angkor Ban)

A week-long Mekong River cruise offers interesting activities onboard and ashore, such as sunset cocktails, a sampan trip to a floating market, and an exotic blessing ceremony by local monks. Without frequent hotel changes, you would conveniently indulge in the hidden beauty and rustic life along the Mekong. Our carefully-selected cruise just has just 14 rooms, so you'd be away from chaotic tour groups and could enjoy more quality time alone. See more details on our Mekong Cruise tour>>>

2-Week Vietnam-Cambodia Tour with a Luxurious Mekong Cruise

4 Days in Cambodia

• Days 19–22 in Siem Reap (Angkor Wat walking tour with a Khmer scholar, 1-hour sunset quad bike ride, Tonle Sap Lake)

13 Days in Thailand

Our client is interacting with lovely elephants in Thailand.

• Days 23–24 in Bangkok (city tour with iconic temples, long-tail boat ride, Railway Market, foodie tour)
• Days 25–26 in Chiang Rai (temples, the Golden Triangle, hill tribe villages)
• Days 27–29 Chiang Mai (elephant sanctuary, morning flower market visit, Doi Suthep walking tour, floating lantern making)
• Days 30–35 Koh Samui (your choice of beach time activities)

To create lifelong memories, we also have customizable and exclusive experiences in each destination:

In Vietnam, the cyclo tour in Hanoi would help you to unveil real life in the Old Quarter comfortably. A unique basket-boat ride in Hoi An would bring you closer to traditional fishermen's local life.

In Cambodia, taking a sunset quad bike ride would add something thrilling, and would allow you to see more of the idyllic rural scenery.

In Thailand, a foodie tour would add fun to your Bangkok trip: go through streets by tuk-tuk, stroll through local hidden neighborhoods and sample authentic Thai street foods.

24-Day Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand Tour

3. A 5-Week Relaxation Tour with Bali Beaches: Vietnam–Thailand–Singapore–Bali

This itinerary delivers the distinctive cultures and best islands of Southeast Asia on a leisurely journey of discovery and destressing.

With this itinerary, you'd experience the unique colonial style of Vietnam, rich Buddhist culture in Thailand, distinctive Hinduism in Bali, and a diverse melting pot of cultures in Singapore.

After every week of cultural and outdoorsy travel, what could be better than refreshing yourselves on a stunning tropical island for 4–6 days? We have picked three islands for you: Phu Quoc Island for tranquil experiences, Phuket for various water activities, and Bali for artistic beauty, yoga, and culture.

During your 5 weeks' travel, you'd stay at various character-filled boutique hotels: elegant 1920s-style hotels, floating houses, jungle hotels, tree houses, and cliff hotels with infinity pools... all of them embrace tranquility and unique experiences, perfect for quality time alone.

The best time to visit these three islands is March, April, and October, because the dry seasons of Phuket and Phu Quoc Island is November to April while that of Bali is April to October.

19-Day Vietnam, Thailand, and Bali Tour: Best For Slow-Pacers

Check out the following itinerary, hand-picked for rich experiences and tropical relaxation:

10 Days in Vietnam

• Days 1–2 in Hanoi (Old Quarter walking tour, museums, water puppet show)
• Days 3–4 in Ha Long Bay (sunset + sunrise over the Bay, water activities on the Bay)
• Days 5–6 in Hoi An (lantern-making, sunset boat ride, evening foodie tour)
• Days 7–10 on Phu Quoc Island (your choice of beach time activities)

14 Days in Thailand

• Days 11–12 in Bangkok (city tour with iconic temples, long-tail boat ride, Railway Market, floating market, foodie tour)
• Days 13–15 in Kanchanaburi (bridge over the River Kwai, Erawan Falls, overnight stay at a floating house)
• Days 16–18 in Chiang Mai (elephant sanctuary, morning flower market visit, Doi Suthep walking tour, floating lantern making)
• Days 19–24 on Phuket (your choice of beach time activities)

3 Days in Singapore and 8 Days in Bali

Bali

• Days 25–27 in Singapore (multicultural city sightseeing, special skylines, food hunting tour)
• Days 28–35 on Bali (jungle adventure, rice terraces, yoga class, your choice of beach time activities)

For more details on this 5-week itinerary, see our Vietnam Exploration with Beach Free Days, Thailand Holiday & Singapore and Bali Journey of Discovery. Or you could get your personalized one by

21-Day Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Singapore Tour: Best for Slow-Pacers

Costs for a 5-Week Southeast Asia Tour

Alms giving in Laos

Compared with developed countries, a private tour in Southeast Asia is affordable, exclusive, and hassle-free — ideal for your milestone trip.

Usually, you would need around US$200–250 per day per person for quality 4/5-star hotels, nice meals, convenient transport, and private, tailored touring.

So, apart from the international flights from/to your country, you would need to spend around US$14,000–17,500 on a 5-week private trip for a couple.

Southeast Asia's prices depend on the seasons as well. You'd better prepare for the highest prices in the dry season (mostly November to April). The lowest costs arrive in the rainy season (mostly May to October), which typically brings short-lived 1–2-hour afternoon rainfall.

If you prefer to enjoy the best weather without exceeding your budget, consider inviting your friends or wider family to share costs and create unforgettable memories together.

21-Day China, Laos, and Thailand Discovery From Beijing to Luang Prabang and Bangkok: An Epic Journey across Asia

Personalizing Your Southeast Asia Trips With Us

You are warmly welcomed to have us customize your own trip based on your group size, interests, and other needs. Sit back and use our Create My Trip service.

In addition to the above itineraries, we also have other itineraries you may be interested in:

• 15-Day Best of Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam Tour
• 19-Day Highlights of Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam
• 28-Day Grand Indochina Tour
• More Southeast Asia Tours