Taste of Vietnam

12 days - 11 nights

  • Welcome to Hanoi: Vietnam’s bustling colonial capital. Your driver and guide will meet you outside the baggage claim of Noi Bai Airport and take you to your hotel in the city center. In the afternoon enjoy a cyclo tour through the Old Quarter’s narrow streets lined with French colonial buildings – followed by a traditional Water Puppet Performance – a unique Vietnamese art form hailing from Southeast Asia’s wet-rice culture. Savor a welcome dinner at one of Hanoi’s finest restaurants. Overnight in Hanoi.

  • This morning, your tour guide will take you to the cooking class. Discover a local market and learn about ingredients, flavors and see how the local prepare for meals. Next is a short talk on the art of Hanoian gastronomy, vegetables, herbs & spices & learn how to prepare & use them. The Chef will share to you her pride of Vietnamese cuisines and the secrets how to make it good. Enjoy the local food in Hanoi style.

    In the afternoon you will explore Vietnam’s charming capital. With its wide tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture, peaceful lakes and ancient oriental pagodas, Hanoi is an eclectic mix that offers something for everyone. Your city tour will take you to Hanoi’s key sites: the Temple of Literature; Hoa Loa Prison, West Lake including the sedate Tran Quoc Pagoda & Quan Thanh Temple. Overnight in Hanoi.

  • Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, before setting out on a 3 to 4 hour drive to the UNESCO World Heritage Site: Halong Bay. Spend 24 hours on a traditional Junk Cruise in the amazing bay: a natural wonderland composed of jutting limestone islands and sparkling turquoise waters.  Savor a gourmet lunch of fresh seafood onboard as you sail out into the mystical bay. In the afternoon, cruise around some of Halong’s numerous islands. Along the way visit one of the bay’s 3 largest caves (Thien Cung, Dau Go or Sung Sot). Stop at an island cove with a sheltered white sanded beach and take a dip in the warm waters of the Gulf of Tonkin (if the weather will be suitable). Pass the night on your junk, lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking of calm waters.

  • Awake early and participate in Tai Chi on the top deck or simply relax watching the sunrise over the bay’s towering islands. Enjoy a morning cup of coffee or tea, before setting out to explore the nearby islands by rowboat. Return to the junk for brunch then take advantage of the sundeck and admire the amazing rock formations of Bai Tu Long Bay as you navigate back to Halong City, where your driver will meet you at the dock and take you to Noi Bai Airport to catch your short flight to Hue. Your tour guide and driver will transfer you to hotel for check in. Overnight in Hue.

  • Spend an entire day touring Vietnam’s former ancient capital. Start the day with a visit to the Imperial Citadel, home to the Imperial City and Forbidden Purple City – once the Emperor's private residence. The Imperial City was created in the 19th century and modeled on the Forbidden City in Beijing. The Imperial Enclosure houses many palaces and temples within its walls. In the afternoon, continue on your tour stopping at the Imperial Museum, Tu Hieu Pagoda and the vibrant Dong Ba riverside market. Enjoy cooking class at royal family house. Overnight in Hue.

  • Breakfast at hotel. Drive along the coast and via mountain passes to Hoi An with a stop en route at the photogenic village of Lang Co Beach. Visit the Cham Museum in Danang which houses the world’s finest collection of Cham artworks before proceeding to Hoi An. Visit Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, the 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge and the vibrant riverside market The rest of the day is at your leisure to explore the town. Overnight in Hoi An.

  • Breakfast at hotel. Then we will take a bike trip to Tra Que Vegetable Village. Here, you will enjoy glasses of herbal tea and take a short tour around the vegetable gardens to see many different kinds of vegetables planted in the gardens. Back inside the local house for 15 minutes foot massage. Continue riding bicycle along village path to see daily activities of local farmers, capture natural view of country side, riding Buffalo. Cooking class will be taught by professional chef how to make 2 dishes Banh Xeo and Tra Que Spring Rolls. Enjoy Vietnamese Lunch at the vegatalbe village. Transfer to airport for flight to Saigon. Pick up in Saigon, check in. Overnight in Saigon.

  • Tour start from 7:30am to organic farm for visiting Cow areas, Buffalo Areas, Rice Field. You will have a change to become a real Vietnamese Farmer on Vietnamese Traditional hat and pick up a lot of herbs, spices, vegetables and mushrooms on the garden before you start for the cooking class. Enjoy lunch and chat chit with local farmers.

    After lunch, just 15 minutes drive to Cu Chi Tunnels, where you will visit the vast underground network of tunnels built first as a defense against the French, and later expanded during the American war. See secret trapdoors, underground kitchens, living areas and meeting rooms. Those inclined are invited to crawl through selections of the tunnels to better understand what life was like for the Vietnamese soldiers during wartime. Back to hotel for rest. Overnight in Saigon.

  • Breakfast at hotel. We start this day tour by a visit to The Reunification Palace. This is one of the most important buildings in the city. Continue to The Post Office Center for the best examples of classical French colonial architecture in Saigon, Notre Dame Cathedral  and War Remnants Museum, which formerly known as the Museum of American War Crimes. Lunch at local restaurant. In the afternoon, we will go to Thien Hau Pagoda, and Binh Tay Market. Come back to your hotel around 5:00 pm. Explore Saigon by night on bike. Overnight in Saigon.

  • 8:00 am, pick up at hotel in Saigon and transfer to Ben Tre. 10:00 On arrival in Hàm Luông Pier (Bến Tre Town). Take a boat on Bến Tre river – one of tributaries of Mekong river, observe lively activities along the river as fishing, water transferring. Stop at brick workshop to see how to make bricks manually with traditional style, how they form and bake bricks. 

    Visit one of plenty of coconut processing workshops located along canal. Take a walk to a family workshop making sleeping-mats and enjoy some fruits and tea. Take a motor cart (xe lôi) or cycle riding under tree shades, pass by green rice fields and vegetable plains to see real farmer life and find out  about tropical culture. Lunch at Hai Hồ family. After lunch, visit Mr. Sau khanh’s  House – seeing ancient porcelains  collecting set.

    2:45 pm, depart to Lộc Thuận Village for checking in Homestay (30km, 45minutes) – a very comfort homestay. Upon arrival you are welcomed by very friendly house-owner with fresh coconut juice. Check in and take a good rest. You will join with family to pick up ingredient from organic vegetable garden and prepare dinner. You will learn how to cook Vietnamese pancake and join dinner together with family with folk music by house-owner. Overnight at Ba Thanh Homestay.

  • Breakfast at Ba Thanh Homestay. Take a bike trip to local market or local school (*Mon – Fri), you can talk and take photo with local people and try some local food. Visit Cao Dai Temple and An Loc Pagoda. Back to Ba Thanh Homestay for check out. Have lunch on the back to Saigon. Check in hotel and rest. Overnight in Saigon.

  • Breakfast at hotel. Free time till guide pick up at hotel for flight back home.

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