Asia & the Orient

Asia has always been among the most coveted destinations for culturally engaged travelers, and AIMS Travel's programs across the continent were designed to reveal its staggering diversity of history, landscape, religion, and cuisine. From the ancient imperial heartlands of China to the Mughal grandeur of northern India, from the French-inflected streets of Hanoi to the gilded temples of Chiang Mai, these programs offered carefully paced immersion in some of the world's oldest and most sophisticated civilizations. Small group sizes ensured access to sites and experiences that larger tour buses could not reach.

China & Yangtze River Cruise

13 days — Beijing, Xi'an, Yangtze River Cruise, Shanghai

China's scale and historical depth demand a carefully constructed itinerary, and AIMS Travel's thirteen-day program struck the ideal balance between the country's most iconic landmarks and the texture of everyday Chinese life. The tour opens in Beijing, China's imperial capital, where travelers explore the vast expanse of Tiananmen Square, the extraordinary Forbidden City — the world's largest palace complex — and the Summer Palace before making the excursion to the Great Wall at Mutianyu, a section that retains its dramatic, forest-covered grandeur without the crowds of more popular stretches.

From Beijing the group flies west to Xi'an, once the terminus of the ancient Silk Road and home to one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the twentieth century: the Terracotta Warriors of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. More than eight thousand life-size clay soldiers, horses, and chariots guard the tomb of China's first emperor, and a visit to the excavation pits leaves a lasting impression of the ancient world's ambitions. The program then journeys to the Yangtze River for a multi-day cruise through the dramatic Three Gorges — limestone cliffs rising directly from the water, ancient hanging temples clinging to the rock face — before concluding in Shanghai, China's most cosmopolitan city, where Art Deco Bund architecture faces a futuristic skyline across the Huangpu River.

Spectacular India

12 days + optional Kathmandu extension — Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Mumbai

India is an overwhelming destination for the uninitiated traveler, and AIMS Travel's program was precisely designed to reveal its wonders in a manageable, deeply enriching sequence. The classic Golden Triangle — Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur — forms the spine of the twelve-day itinerary. In Delhi, travelers move between the Mughal grandeur of Old Delhi (the Red Fort, Jama Masjid mosque, Chandni Chowk bazaar) and the wide, British-planned boulevards of New Delhi. Agra is dominated by the Taj Mahal, the world's most celebrated monument to love, best experienced at sunrise when the white marble shifts through a progression of rose and amber and gold. Nearby, the abandoned Mughal city of Fatehpur Sikri offers a haunting excursion into sixteenth-century court life.

Jaipur, the Pink City, dazzles with its amber fort, palace of winds (Hawa Mahal), and vibrant bazaars selling textiles, jewelry, and handicrafts that have been traded here for centuries. The tour concludes in Mumbai, India's financial and cultural capital, where travelers explore the colonial-era Gateway of India, the chaotic energy of Crawford Market, the Dharavi neighborhood, and the elegant seafront of Marine Drive. An optional Kathmandu extension adds five days in Nepal, combining the UNESCO World Heritage temples of the Kathmandu Valley with an optional mountain flight for Himalayan views.

Vietnam & Cambodia

14 days — Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hue, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City, Angkor Wat

Southeast Asia's most culturally rich itinerary moves the length of Vietnam before crossing into Cambodia to witness the greatest achievement of Khmer civilization. The program opens in Hanoi, Vietnam's ancient capital, where travelers explore the Old Quarter's 36 guild streets, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, and the atmospheric Temple of Literature before boarding an overnight cruise through Halong Bay — a UNESCO-listed seascape of nearly two thousand limestone karst islands rising from emerald water. Moving south, the program visits the former imperial capital of Hue, whose citadel, royal tombs, and imperial cuisine represent Vietnam at its most historically layered, before arriving at Hoi An, perhaps Vietnam's most charming town: a beautifully preserved trading port of lantern-lit streets, tailors, and riverside cafes.

The southern section of the program covers Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), including the Cu Chi tunnels — the extraordinary wartime network that shaped modern Vietnamese history. The tour concludes in Siem Reap, Cambodia, with two full days at the Angkor Archaeological Park. The temples of Angkor — Angkor Wat, the Bayon, Ta Prohm, and dozens of others — represent the high-water mark of Khmer architecture and spiritual art, and AIMS Travel's expert guides brought the iconography and history to life in a way that transformed a visit into a genuine scholarly encounter.

Thailand

12 days — Bangkok temples, Chiang Mai, beach

Thailand's extraordinary combination of spiritual heritage, culinary culture, and natural beauty makes it one of Southeast Asia's most rewarding destinations for group travel. The AIMS Travel Thailand program opens in Bangkok, where travelers spend three days exploring the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaeo (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), the serene grounds of Wat Pho with its massive reclining Buddha, the floating markets of Damnoen Saduak, and the street food culture of Yaowarat (Chinatown). From Bangkok the group travels north to Chiang Mai, Thailand's cultural heartland, where ancient walled temples, elephant sanctuaries, hill tribe villages, and Thai cooking classes fill four absorbing days. The final segment of the tour moves to the coast — the Gulf of Thailand or Andaman Sea, depending on season — for a few days of rest, snorkeling, and Thai island scenery.