All the flavours of Vietnam – 10 Days

Some call it the world’s first real fusion kitchen, others are simply won over by its simplicity and originality. Whichever way you look at it, there is no denying the French culinary influences that have shaped the Vietnamese cuisine into what it is today. This tour will make exactly clear why Vietnam is often referred to as the ‘Kitchen of the World’ and offers you the very best that Vietnamese cookery has to offer on an amazing culinary journey through North and South Vietnam.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Discover the exciting flavors of Hanoi’s Street Food
• Experience a cooking class in Hoi An
• Savour the “Imperial Cuisine” at a traditional house “Nha Vuon” in Hue
• Sit down with local people, drink Bia Hoi in Saigon and get to know Vietnam’s culture through the food
• A once-in-a-lifetime private overnight luxury Mekong River Cruise

ITINERARY

Day 1:  Hanoi Arrival
Day 2:  Hanoi Street Food Tour
Day 3:  Hanoi – Halong Bay
Day 4:  Halong Bay – Hanoi/Fly to Hue – Hue City Tour
Day 5:  Hue Dong Ba Market – Transfer to Hoi An
Day 6:  Hoi An Walking Tour – Cooking Class at Red Bridge School
Day 7:  Hoi An – Danang/Fly to Ho Chi Minh City
Day 8:  Cao Dai Temple – Cu Chi Tunnels
Day 9:  Ho Chi Minh City – Mekong Delta – Bassac Cruise
Day 10: Can Tho – Ho Chi Minh City Departure

DAY 1:        HANOI ARRIVAL (D)

Upon arrival in Hanoi, you will be picked up from the airport and transferred to a hotel in Hanoi for relaxing and your welcome dinner.

Overnight in Hanoi.

DAY 2:        HANOI STREET FOOD TOUR (B, L, D)

Enjoy a morning tour with a difference, this time the focus is solely on the food. Drive to Chợ Hôm market to learn about and taste some of the ingredients used in the local cuisine. Here you can watch the buying and selling rituals of a Vietnamese market.  Afterwards, enjoy a Vietnamese coffee at one of many sidewalk cafes in the Old Quarter. Continue to Truc Bach Lake for a snack of Pho Cuon, a grilled beef and rice noodle roll with fresh herbs.

Lunch at one of Hanoi’s best Cha Ca long establishment named Cha Ca La Vong. It is a dish with fish grill on your table with turmeric and dill, served with cold noodles and peanuts. The antiquated atmosphere in the restaurant is legendary, and its rickety floors, overcrowded tables and gruff wait staff live up to the billing. Head straight upstairs for the full-on experience, and leave behind all expectations of a relaxed midday repast.

Your afternoon is at leisure.

In the evening we have dinner at Anh Tuyet Restaurant, 25 Ma May street, in the middle of the historic Old Quarter. Anh Tuyet, a famous chef in Hanoi is known to many people for her delicious dish of “grilled honey chicken”. Anh Tuyet’s cuisine is more the refined cuisine of Vietnam; delicate and well balanced flavours leave you with an unforgettable taste of Vietnamese traditional cooking. Her place was made famous by a New York television program. In 2002, Anthony Bourdain, a well-known cook and food-writer from New York, visited Ms Tuyet’s for his TV show. “Ms Tuyet’s restaurant and her delicate dishes are part of Viet Nam’s cultural heritage. The old quarter, ancient homes, traditional dishes and a friendly atmosphere all make Ms Tuyet’s a place that cannot be found anywhere else,” Bourdain said.

Overnight in Hanoi.

DAY 3:        HANOI – HALONG BAY (B, L, D)

In the morning we leave the breakfast at the restaurant and head out for a bowl of the famous noodle soup Pho. Gaining international popularity, a steaming bowl of flavorsome Pho is one of Vietnam’s most celebrated dishes. This noodle soup usually features clear noodles in a broth with beef or chicken and some vegetables and herbs.

After breakfast, transferred to Halong Bay. Arrive Halong City at noon and proceed with check-in formalities. After your welcome onboard, a lunch will be served while cruising towards the bay itself. A truly memorable experience awaits you as you cruise the delightful Bay. In the afternoon, enjoy some visits and/or activities depending on each boat’s itinerary or just spend some time relaxing on board.

Towards the end of the day the boat sets anchor for the night among the karst formations. Dinner is served on board.

Overnight onboard Halong Bay.

DAY 4:        HALONG BAY – HANOI/FLY TO HUE (BRUNCH)

Start your day with calming Tai Chi, enjoy the sunrise over the Bay and continue cruising. Enjoy the brunch on the way back to port, transfer to Hanoi. En route visit Thanh Chuong Palace, the home and studio of Thanh Chuong, of the most celebrated painters in Vietnam. More a living space than a museum, the Palace is an architectural gem showcasing Vietnamese traditional cultural objects, exquisite antiques and remarkable structures.

Continue driving to Hanoi Airport, then take a short flight to Hue

DAY 5:        HUE – HOI AN (B, L)

After breakfast, we visit the tomb of the former emperor Minh Mang which is located in a tranquil setting of gardens and ponds. Journey on to Khai Dinh’s Tomb which is traditional Vietnamese in design with a European touch making it unique from the other tombs in Hue.

Before heading to Hoi An, take time to stroll around Dong Ba Market, a great place to catch a glimpse of everyday life and enjoy trying some local specialties for lunch such as grilled pork on sugarcane skewers (nem lụi), tiny clams prepared with chili and lemongrass and served with sesame rice crackers (hến xúc bánh tráng).

Transfer to Hue via the Hai Van Pass and through the picturesque fishing village of Lang Co. Drive through Danang and visit the Cham museum which contains the finest collection of Cham sculptures in the world. Arrive Hoi An, check in hotel.

Overnight in Hoi An.

DAY 6:        HOI AN – COOKING CLASS (B, L)

This morning we make the short journey out to the Tra Que Organic Village, time is spent walking through the market gardens before visiting the village market itself. Having picked the days ingredients continue to the beautifully set Red Bridge Cooking School where you will meet with one of the schools tutors and resident chef. Throughout the day you will learn traditional ways of preparing and cooking Vietnamese food from scratch. It’s a fun day and you get to ‘enjoy’ your efforts in the restaurant for lunch.

In the afternoon, enjoy a walking tour around Hoi An ancient town and explore its treasures: the Japanese Bridge, Phuc Kien Pagoda, Phung Hung Old Merchant House, and Quang Dong Assembly Hall.

Overnight in Hoi An.

DAY 7:        HOI AN – DANANG – FLY TO HO CHI MINH CITY (B, D)

After breakfast, drive to Danang to take the morning flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to hotel, check in. 

In the afternoon, visit the Former Presidential Palace, the town’s center with the Notre Dame Cathedral, the City Hall, the Municipal Theater, Quan Am Pagoda, Cho Lon and China town.  Finish the afternoon in fine style by heading up the Bitexco Tower, which is the city’s tallest building. Your guide will be happy to wait for a short while whilst you enjoy a stylish sundowner with breath-taking skyline views.

Continue to dinner in a traditional Bia Hoi for dinner and drinks, to sample Ho Chi Minh City’s best authentic street food.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

DAY 8:        CAO DAI TEMPLE – CU CHI TUNNELS (B, L)

Depart Ho Chi Minh City in the morning for the drive to Tay Ninh visit the Cao Dai Temple, a syncretistic, home-grown Vietnamese religion which incorporates aspects of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and Catholicism. Construction of the Cao Dai Holy See began in 1933. It has a unique architectural style which reflect the roots of its blended traditions.

After lunch in a local restaurant visit the famous Cu Chi, an incredible underground tunnel network constructed by Vietnamese resistance fighters during the long struggle for independence. The tunnels, over 250km in length and up to three levels deep in places, played a huge part in the Viet Cong’s victory over the Americans, allowing them to control a large rural area surrounding Ho Chi Minh City.

In the late afternoon journey back to Ho Chi Minh City

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

DAY 9:        HO CHI MINH CITY – CAN THO – BASSAC CRUISE (B, L, D)

This morning, leave the hustle and bustle of the big city behind as the scenery is gradually replaced with rice paddies and rural villages on your drive to Can Tho. As you board ‘The Bassac’ and depart downstream of the Hau River. Lunch is served on board while en-route.

Along the way, visit a local village, fruit orchard, and rice field where you can learn more about the way of life here in the Delta. As the sun sets, sit back, watch the scenery, and enjoy a cocktail before dinner.

Overnight aboard the Bassac.

DAY 10:        CAN THO – HO CHI MINH CITY DEPARTURE (B, L)

In the early morning depart towards Cai Be. Having breakfast while enjoying the scenery on the river banks. The Bassac crosses Co Chien river then branches into Cho Lach canal for 30 minutes through the traffic of sand and rice barges, in a scenery of fruit drying facilities and wooden ship building yards. Arrive near Cai Be, check-out and transfer to a rowing boat for a quiet visit through a small canal, then to shore for a visit Cai Be’s handicraft village.

Drive to Ho Chi Minh City. Free time at leisure until transfer to airport for your departure flight.

SERVICE INCLUDED

• Shared accommodation in twin/double room with daily breakfast
• Tours as per itinerary with local speaking guide (NO guide on board Halong Bay)
• All transfers and transportation with air-con vehicles
• All entrance fees as program
• Train ticket: Hanoi-Dong Hoi/Nhatrang-Ho Chi Minh City (soft sleeper bed, share cabin)
• Private boat trips in Mekong Delta
• Meals (B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner) as indicated in the program
• A bottle of mineral water per day tour

 
SERVICE EXCLUDED

• Drinks
• Mineral water beyond that supplied
• Tips
• Personal expenses and tips
• Visa to Vietnam
• Airfares (international and domestic)
• Meals (other than mentioned in the program)
• Airport taxes  
• Early check in or late check out
• Insurances
• Optional excursions and activities
• Additional transfer required due to any emergency situation
• Items of a personal nature (Phone calls, laundry, beverages…)
• Peak season surcharges if any
• All not mentioned above