Vietnam Culinary Discovery

08.00: After breakfast at the hotel, meet your guide, then you will take a full-day city tour of Hanoi

You will start with a visit to the Ho Chi Minh Complex, where you can see the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, which houses the corpse of our Uncle Ho. Keep touring to the Presidential Palace – a nice French architectural building in the garden, and visit Ho Chi Minh House on stilts. Visiting the relic will help you learn more about the simple life of Ho Chi Minh, the first president and the founder of the new Vietnam. You will finish this area with the One Pillar Pagoda – one of the most popular attractions in Hanoi, with its unique architecture. Continue the tour to the Temple of Literature – a Confucius temple, and it was the first university in Vietnam. After that, let’s explore Hanoi by traveling through the Old Quarter with 36 ancient streets in a traditional cyclo. This slow – speed tour will give your great chance to fully enjoy the classic and modern sights of the capital.

Have lunch at a local restaurant, then drive back to the hotel for a rest.

15.30: Your guide will take you to a great private cooking class in Hanoi. The class lasts 3 hours, starting with a visit to the local market, where you can learn about the main ingredients in Vietnamese cuisine; you can have a clearer overview of Vietnamese food, and an insight into Vietnamese herbs and spices (herbs and spices are important in Asian dishes). You will get to know some useful Vietnamese words to buy and bargain for the necessary ingredients yourself, which is very useful for you to bargain for anything you want to buy afterward during your Vietnam trip.

After buying the necessary ingredients for cooking, you will come back to our class kitchen and listen to the principles and general methods, then learn how to prepare the food.

After that, you can cook for yourself and enjoy your Masterpiece!!!

Go back to your hotel. Free at your leisure to relax or stroll around Hanoi.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Meet your guide and driver, then depart for Halong Bay – a World Natural Heritage recognized by UNESCO twice. Upon arrival, embark on the cruise and enjoy a welcome drink while having the tour briefing and safety instructions. A seafood lunch will be served on board while the ship sails out to the Bay, with time to admire its dramatic karst formations.

Take a rest at your leisure on the sundeck or relax in your cabin. In the afternoon, decide whether to swim in the warm, calm water or get on kayaks to discover the wonders. Our expert and experienced guides will surely instruct you on the basics of paddling before leading you to explore the extraordinary beauty of Halong Bay. After 01 hour exploring the bay, you will embark on the cruise again before attending a cooking class in the late afternoon.

Enjoy the superb dinner and stay overnight on board.

Note: The detailed itinerary of the cruise will be provided upon confirmation. The program may be subject to change depending on the weather or management.

Enjoying Halong Bay in the early morning with a Tai Chi Class on the sun deck is a must-do that you should not miss on an overnight cruise. Then relax on the upper deck, enjoy the best sightseeing, and take photos of the magnificent beauty of the rocky islands rising from the emerald water.

After breakfast, you will explore Sung Sot cave – one of the finest and widest grottoes in Halong Bay.  Go back to the boat and keep cruising through the fishing village, and witness its unique way of life.

10.30: The boat cruises back to the jetty. Enjoy your last time on the bay before having a traditional Vietnamese lunch.

11: 30: Disembark the cruise, get ashore, meet your guide and driver, and transfer to the airport for your flight to Hue. Take your opportunity to visit the rice fields and villages on the way if the flight time permits.

Upon arriving in Hue, you will be welcomed and transferred to the hotel by your tour guide and driver.

Overnight in Hue.

08.30: Start the day tour with a visit to Hue Old Citadel and the Forbidden Purple City – an amazing historic landmark in Hue – a definite must-see sight to learn more about the history and architecture that visitors should not miss when travelling to that peaceful area. Then, the charming Lady Pagoda (Thien Mu Pagoda) will be the next stop, set at the convergence of the beautiful Perfume River.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

After lunch, you will drive to visit King Minh Mang’s tomb.

16.30: The chef will pick you up from your hotel for a cooking class in Hue. Firstly, again, go to the local market where you can see all the fresh herbs, seafood area, butchers, and fresh fruits. There are many tasty Hue street foods at the market that you might want to try. It’s time to take pictures and learn about Hue’s food, culture, and history.

After walking around the market and getting the ingredients for your cooking class, you will head to the kitchen to prepare for cooking Hue’s local food. The chef will help you with cooking some typical dishes of Hue, such as green mango salad with shrimp, Fried chicken with lemongrass and chili, Nem Lui (pork on lemongrass skewer), and Hue peanut dipping sauce.

Have an amazing time and bring back home memorable experiences. Enjoy dinner with great plates that you have made yourself. Go back to your hotel. Time for you to relax.

Overnight in Hue.

After breakfast, your guide will pick you up and drive to Hoi An. Take the time to delight in the spectacular views of the sky and sea as you pass through the Hai Van Pass.

Arrive in Hoi An, do hotel check-in.

In the afternoon, explore the charming ancient town of Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its well-preserved architecture and rich cultural heritage. Stroll through the picturesque streets and visit iconic landmarks such as the Japanese Covered Bridge, the Chinese Assembly Halls, a 200-year-old traditional house, and historic temples. Immerse yourself in the vibrant atmosphere of the Central Market, where you can experience the local way of life and browse an array of handicrafts and fresh produce. After that, enjoy a street food tour for your dinner in Hoi An.

Return to your hotel.

Overnight in Hoi An

Meet your guide at the hotel and travel to the banks of the Co Co River, where today’s authentic countryside adventure begins.

Board a local boat and cruise along the peaceful waterways while discovering the daily life of the fishing communities that have lived here for generations. Meet local fishermen, learn about their traditional techniques, and try lifting a large fishing net or casting the unique Ro fishing net, an age-old method still used today.

Continue to the Coconut Forest, where local fishermen welcome you aboard a traditional Vietnamese basket boat. Learn how to paddle this unique round boat through the maze of water coconut palms, enjoy a fun basket boat demonstration, and try catching the small purple crabs that inhabit the mangrove forest.

Enjoy a refreshing break at a traditional bamboo-and-water-coconut house, where you can relax with a cup of Vietnamese tea before continuing to the next experience.

A short drive brings you to the peaceful Tra Que Organic Vegetable Village, a farming community that has supplied fresh herbs and vegetables to Hoi An for more than 400 years. After a refreshing welcome drink, take a guided walk through the gardens to learn about the village’s history and the traditional organic farming methods that have been preserved for generations.

Join local farmers in preparing the soil, planting vegetables, watering the gardens using traditional shoulder yokes, and harvesting fresh herbs. Discover how river seaweed is still used as a natural fertilizer and learn why Tra Que’s produce is renowned throughout central Vietnam.

After your farming experience, relax with a traditional herbal foot soak and massage, a simple yet enjoyable local wellness ritual.

Continue to your host family’s home for a hands-on cooking session. Using the fresh herbs and vegetables you have just harvested, learn to prepare local specialties such as Tam Huu (Hoi An fresh spring rolls) and the famous Vietnamese crispy pancake (Banh Xeo).

Sit down to enjoy the delicious meal you have prepared before returning to your hotel in the afternoon.

Overnight in Hoi An.

After breakfast, take your free time to walk around Hoi An ancient town, go shopping, admire the ancient architecture, or relax at the beach.

About 03 hours before the flight, get a transfer to the airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City.

Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City – one of the most modern cities in Vietnam, which gives you a fascinating insight into the rich culture and history. Arrive at the airport, and you will be taken to your hotel to check in. Free to discover the city.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

After breakfast at the hotel, meet your guide at your hotel lobby. After about one and a half hours of driving, you will arrive at the Cu Chi Tunnels, where you will start a discovery to enrich and experience a web-like tunnel system of more than 200km in length, which used to be the shelters of guerrillas during the Vietnam War. After visiting Cu Chi Tunnels, you will be transferred back to your hotel.

18:00: Nighttime excursion, street food adventure.  You will be picked up at the hotel and driven to the first stop, Café Zoom, to “watch the world go by” and enjoy a cocktail and appetizer before adventuring into a favorite local eating spot.  Experience the nightlife of Saigon, the real deals of the locals… all from the back of a vintage Vespa.

The adventure will continue with a ride to Chinatown and then head to District 4 through busy streets and alleys to see the nightlife of locals, enjoy street seafood and cold drinks in the hidden places that foreigners never reach.

Leaving District 4 for District 3, keep touring to pass through downtown District 1 to take in the sights on the way to Banh Xeo – the specialty of Saigon and southern cuisine. Then, continue to a hidden Vietnamese-style coffee shop to have a taste of Vietnamese live music like a local. After that, the scooters will bring you to a lively music venue to enjoy drinks with live music.

Go back to the hotel around 22.00

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Note: Vespa tour by night is a join-in tour. If you would like to have a private tour, please kindly let us know, and we will arrange it to your specific needs.

07.30: After breakfast, your guide will take you on the trip to Cai Be pier (86km) from HCMC by car or van via the Trung Luong Freeway.

Upon arrival, begin your exploration with a visit to the vibrant Cai Be Floating Market, where local traders exchange fresh produce and goods directly from their boats. Continue cruising to Tan Phong Island, where you may enjoy a leisurely bike ride or walk along peaceful village paths to observe daily local life, including orchards, schools, churches, pagodas, and traditional homes. Along the way, visit local artisans who make rice paper, weave coconut leaves for cottage roofs, and make handmade craft products from dried water hyacinth, such as baskets, bags, hats, wallets, and shoes.

Then the rowboat will take you deeper into the countryside along smaller canals to enjoy a peaceful time. Lunch is served in a local home

Back to the boat to go across one of the longest rivers in the world, the Mekong River, to come to An Binh Island. Check in at Ut Trinh homestay

Have a fresh shower before cooking with the local family, enjoy dinner & overnight in a homestay.

Have breakfast and check out, then go for a walk through the village to enjoy the fresh morning air, and arrive at the local workshop to learn how to make rice paper, coconut candy, and pop rice… Enjoy some local specialties with a cup of hot tea. Take a boat trip to visit the brick kilns, where you can see how the local people create beautiful pottery from clay. Keep boating along the floating village, and you will see how the fishmen farm catfish on the Mekong River. Also, we can visit the Vinh Long market in the town. This is the best choice for taking pictures of fish, shrimp, prawns, crabs, snakes, rice-field rats, tropical fruits, and vegetables…Transfer back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Lunch en route at a local restaurant.

Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City, check in the hotel, and have free time at your leisure.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Free time at your leisure, sightseeing, shopping, buying souvenirs, and taking photos until you are transferred to the airport for your onward flight (03 hours before your flight time). Thank you and see you again!