Travel Style
Culinary
Destinations
Hue
Highlights Itinerary Accommodation Inclusions/Exclusions
Vietnam Culinary tours package of 12 days offers sightseeings to the most highlighted spots in Vietnam with special add-on of cuising experience in the journey. Excursing Vietnam, you will unveil the typical cuisine of three main regions bearing different ingredients combination and tastes in gastronomy. A food on foot tour in Hanoi and another cooking class organized at Hanoian's house bring a plenitude experiences of culninary in the Red River delta. Authentic Vietnamese culinary tour experiences are input in your Vietnam travel package such as interacting and joining cooking with locals, you can observe the unique dining etiquette, buying and selling rituals and also feel the hospitable and welcome from them. In central Vietnam, the eatery of lunch at serene garden house in Hue and cooking class in a rural village in Hoi An accomplish your understand about the places. The peacefully tranquil ambience have yours authentic and pleasant stay while enjoying the acitivites. Move on to a more vibrant and glorious Ho Chi Minh City, you will have a savory of sumptuous food on Saigon River dinner cruise and participate in cooking class setting at organic garden not so far from Cu Chi Tunnels. All these experiences on Vietnamese cuisine and cooking combined with sightseeing makes a unique travel Vietnam.
Welcome to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam which is one of the most enticing Asian cities with culture richness, vibrant street life and impressive cuisine. Touring the city, you will see the tourist attractions and relics of Hanoi; the Vietnamese Cuisine Packag also presents a taste on all ranges of dishes in Hanoi with street food on the pavements, beguiling dishes in high-end restaurants and variable types of drinks.
Upon your arrival at airport in Hanoi, you will be greeted by your local tour guide and travel to hotel for check-in.
Late in the evening, you will delve into the Hanoi local street food tour. Following your local guide, you will sample popular food and let them melt in your mouth. While walking to explore Hanoi Old Quarter, you will stop time to time to taste the Noodle soup, Vietnamese baguette, steamed rolls stuffed with ear-mushroom and minced pork, Vietnamese spring rolls in deep fried and fresh style, local beer at beer hub or a Vietnamese coffee. Finish cuising tasting journey, you will get back to hotel and have relaxing time on your own.
In the morning, move to the outer of Hanoi center, you will have a fun hanoi cooking class tour beginning with a stroll to local market buying fresh cooking ingredients. Morning is the busiest and most energetic time of the day; also, it’s the moment all stalls are filled up in colorfully and abundantly. You can observe the local buying and selling rituals; and learn of the main cooking style as well as regularly used ingredients and combinations. When having everything ready, you will hand on the cooking class and prepare traditional dishes of Vietnam. The host is happy to escort and share the cooking experience with you. Finishing the cooking with authentic experience on Vietnamese culinary, you’ll enjoy your lunch there and return to city center afterward. On the way back, have a coffee break at Serein Café & Lounge with view over streets, city’s impressive pottery mosaic wall and the Long Bien historical bridge designed by Gustave Eiffel which is in use for the trains, pedestrians and primitive vehicles. You then can have a walk on the bridge to cast up-close vision over Red River before returning to your city center.
You will gain a deeper understanding of the city by visiting the iconic tourist attractions of Hanoi. Arriving at the Ho Chi Minh Complex, you will pay visit to Ho Chi Minh President's Mausoleum preserving his embalmed body after he passed away in 1969. When tread around, you also catch the sight of Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh President's houses and the One Pillar Pagoda constructed like a lotus flower on the pond. Next, visit the Temple of Literature renown as the first university of Vietnam since 1070 and a Confucius Temple. Though the premise of this educational sanctuary was shrunk down, the temple protected by surrounding walls still preserve the studious sprits, the cultural architectures and inspiring relics. This makes Temple of Literature one of the most significant cultural place to Vietnamese students.
You will have lunch with scrumptious dishes at a high-end restaurant. Afterward, pay a visit to a passionate artisan who will privately show you his traditional job of performing waterpuppet at his own house.
Lately, get to the heart of Hanoi with Hoan Kiem Lake of verdant green water and trees. From there, you will take a traditional cyclo ride and see the other side of Hanoi with Colonial architecture buildings like the Hanoi Opera House, Metropole Legend Hotel, the State Bank, Trang Tien Bridge, etc.
Around 9am this morning, you will check-out hotel and leave Hanoi for Halong Bay one of the must-to-see in Vietnam. Arriving the bay at noon, you will embark the oriental style Halong Bay cruise, have lunch while the boat sailing among towering karst peaks. There are nearly 2,000 islands and islets scatter over the bay some of which dotted with huge caves and grottos. Beside enjoying pleasant time over the serene natures, you can participate in outdoor activities according to cruise schedules like kayaking in water lagoons, sunset break, cooking demonstration hiking to the Halong Bay cave and go swimming. After having a lavish dinner on boat, you can chill-out on your own or try the luck on squid fishing.
Early risers will find the freshness and quietness on the bay and capture the sunrise on Halong Bay and do Tai Chi class exercise with instructor on top deck. After breakfast, the cruise’s anchor will be lifted up and carry on the sail for you to contemplate the landscape and join activities to explore Ha Long Bay. Early noon, the boat returns to the shore. You will disembark the cruise after your brunch and see your driver for the transfer to airport in Hanoi and catch the flight to Hue.
Hue is a unique city of Vietnam located in the middle of the country and was the former capital where the last feudal dynasty of Vietnam existed. Apart from tranquil landscape of river, city, and rural villages, Hue is impressed by the Imperial heritances on architecture, history, skillful handicrafts and sophisticated cuisine. Arriving at Hue airport, you will meet with your local tour guide and travel to hotel in Hue for check-in. Rest of the day will be at your own leisure.
Begin the nice day in Hue with Imperial Citadel for a brief on histories of Nguyen Dynasty, royal rituals and stunning ornate carvings. Afterward, visit Thien Mu Pagoda on a hill facing the Perfume still river. Here, you will find the iconic seven-story pagoda and historical stories of Buddhism during the war time. You then visit exquisite Tha Om garden house, a fascinating traditional house in geomancy rules with greensish gardens and ancient style construction. Touring around the house and admire its serenity and have a cup of tea with the host to hear more stories of his house. Then enjoy scrumptious meal at Tha Om Restaurant.
In the afternoon, travel to Tu Duc Tomb nestled on luxuriant hill and designed by himself before his death. The tomb showcases impressive Vietnamese arts and scenic views over the pavilion on lotus lake and winding paths on the hills. Then on, head to Chuon Lagoon distanced around 11km from Hue center. Meet up with a local people, you’ll hop on local wooden boat and sail to the endless lagoon of fisheries to enjoy the striking sunset. You also can observe and experience local fishing styles. Learn more about the life of fishermen and enjoy snacks with a local beer in Hue.
This morning is at your leisure. At noon, have unique journey lunch of Royal dish Rice with Salt with Mrs. Nhu Huy, a famous Vietnamese and Hue gastronomy artisan. She will introduce the dish, the special combination and the stories of each dish. It requires perfect combination and time to create those dishes in order to bring high quality flavors of salts. After lunch, leave Hue for Hoi An in nearly 3-hour drive passing by the pristine Lang Co Beach and over Hai Van Pass. Have a break on the coastal mountain pass, overlook to the bay with panoramic view. Arriving in Hoi An late afternoon, you will check-in hotel in Hoi An and relax till rest of the day.
This morning, you will meet with the chef of the Red Bridge cooking school; together stroll to Hoi An central market to get fresh ingredients for your cooking lesson. Like the local tradition is influenced by other cultures, Hoi An gastronomy also unique in it own style that makes Vietnamese cuise more diversified. Then board the boat crossing Hoi An River to a herb garden to begin your cooking class with a lunch of hoi an ancient town food.
Afternoon, get back to center, you will ramble around Hoi An Ancient Town a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The old houses of 2 or 3 floors are attached to each other designed in unique architectures of the combinations between Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese and French styles. Stop at the Japanese pagoda bridge, the Fujian communal house, Chinese houses, Pottery museums, etc. you will find the details and reveal the development of the port town. Hoi An ancient town Vietnam is the place for you to go back to the old dates and enjoy pleasurable moments.
This morning is on your own leisure to chill out at hotel or take a bicycle and traverse to the countryside of Hoi An or pristine beaches. Hoi An shopping is also interesting as you will find nice handiscraft souvenirs, buy high quality tailor made suits and leather products done by skillful craftman.
After check-out, travel to airport in Da Nang for the flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon your arrival in Ho Chi Minh City, the most developed city in Vietnam, you will see your local tour guide and have transfer from airport to Ho Chi Minh City center.
In the morning, embark on a city tour of Ho Chi Minh City, formerly called Saigon, a city with strong influence of colonial and Chinese cultures. Pay a visit to main attractions of the city like the central post office, one of architecture designs of Gustave Eiffel, the Notre-Dame Cathedral, Reunification Palace, Ben Thanh market and walking street of Dong Khoi.
This afternoon, you will visit the Chinatown of Saigon since 1778. During Vietnam War, this area became black market for US soldiers to trade some of supplies. You will stop to see the Thien Hau Pagoda and Binh Tay Market by Chinese community in Vietnam.
For dinner, enjoy chilling time on the Bonsai Cruise with opening kitchen and interactive dining stations. After welcoming cocktail , you will sample the rustic Indochina delicacies on on Saigon River dinner cruise while enjoy traditional shows.
In the morning, travel around one hour to an organic garden in vegetable village. The host will welcome and introduce to you their large gardens with variable organic vegetable types. Then, start your cooking class making three dishes and enjoy lunch. After dining, travel to nearby Cu Chi Tunnels. Dug by the Viet Minh resistance force during Indochina war, Cu Chi Tunnels is comprised of underground tunnels network which was then extended larger during Vietnam War up to total length of 200km and around 3-4m deep. Under there, you can find full necessary equipment like meeting room, kitchen, weapon stores, offices, clinic, etc. Before experience the tunnels, you will watch a documentary about the tunnels and the war during 60s – 70s. You then will drive by land back to Ho Chi Minh City in around 1.5 hours.
Have free & easy time after breakfast at hotel till good time, you will see your tour guide and take private transfer from Ho Chi Minh City to the airport.
Inclusions:
Accommodation in double/twin sharing basic
Daily breakfast at hotel and meals as indicated in the program
Private air-conditioned transfer
Excellent English-speaking guide (other language on request)
Cooking classes and street food tours as mentioned in the program
Entrance fee, boat trip, cycling for sightseeing as mentioned
2 bottles of water per person per day
Exclusions:
International and domestic flights
Vietnam Visa
Tips and gratuities for guide, driver, etc.
Personal expenses and services not mentioned
Remark: The price is applied for group of 4 guests. Please contact us if you are at different group size
BOOK THIS TRIP
18 days 17 nights
6 days 5 nights
