12D A Taste of Vietnam
Culinary Adventure through Vietnam
Vietnam is a culinary delight, with regional dishes varying throughout the country and fresh ingredients being sold on every street corner, it is a tapestry of color, texture and smell! This trip is designed for the visitor with limited time and an unlimited appetite for culinary adventure!
It features Vietnam’s most popular destinations, with many special opportunities to discover and savor the surprisingly varied tastes of this fascinating land. From North to South we’ll delight in a medley of elegant foods prepared to please the eye as well as the palate, our tour is well planned and we save precious time by flying or traveling by overnight train. Highlights include the wonders of Ha Long Bay as well as Hanoi with its alluring Old Quarter. We’ll also visit Hue, the Imperial City of the 18th and 19th centuries, the picturesque port town of Hoi An and the ever-vibrant Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 01 / Arrival Hanoi (-/-/D)
Transfer to hotel. After lunch, we’ll explore the Hom Market with its aromatic and visually stunning offerings of spices and herbs. This evening, our guide will escort you to dinner at The Indochine.
Day 02 / Hanoi (B/L/D)
This morning we will explore Hanoi’s old quarter with a morning cyclo ride. We then visit Kim Lien pagoda for a truly unique vegetarian lunch with local monks. We have a free afternoon before a Dinner and Wine tasting session at the infamous Press Club.
Day 03 / Hanoi - Ha Long Bay (B/L/D)
After breakfast we take a 3 hour drive to Halong Bay. With more than a thousand limestone peaks rising up from its crystalline emerald waters this area is rightly viewed as one of the natural wonders of Vietnam and is one of five World Heritage-listed sites. Here we will enjoy a sumptuous seafood lunch before relaxing on the tanning deck, swim in the clear aqua blue waters and enjoy the best cuisine available in the bay. Drive back to Hanoi late afternoon.
Day 04 / Hanoi (B/L/-)
Let the cooking begin. Today we have a half day cooking lesson, beginning with a morning market tour to Hang Be market. Here our guide will talk us through the produce and ingredients required for today’s cooking lesson. We then head to Highway 4 – an institution in Hanoi for excellent traditional recipes. This half day tour gives you a hands-on lesson on how to shop and cook authentic Vietnamese food. At 10Am we start our cooking class. A professional chef’s jacket and hat is provided – to give you added confidence. The class is held in small groups to enhance interactivity with the head chef and you will have your own cooking station for your hands-on lesson.
Late evening we’ll board the Reunification Express for an overnight train to the ancient imperial capital of Hue.
Day 05 / Hue
Regarded by many as the culinary capital of Vietnam, Hue takes its cues from its royal heritage. After lunch we explore the Citadel and the Imperial City. (D)
Day 06 / Hue (B/L/-)
The morning begins with a hands-on cooking class at Tinh Gia Vien restaurant, highlighting the regal flavors of Hue cuisine as we prepare our own midday meal. After lunch, we’ll take a cruise along the romantic Perfume River. In the evening you may wish to stay at your hotel and attend an imperial dinner, wearing the traditional clothes of the emperors.
Day 07 / Hue - Hoi An (B/-/D)
We continue south by road towards the riverside town of Hoi An. In the afternoon we take a walking tour around this once-thriving port and visit the famed old quarter. Come evening, we’ll dine at the Café des Amis along the river.
Day 08 / Hoi An (B/-/D)
Free morning until meeting for lunch at the Pho Cu restaurant. We’ll shop at Hoi An’s riverside market, always a hive of activity, for our dinner ingredients before spending the morning in a cooking demonstration with Miss Vi of the White Lantern restaurant. Here we will dine, followed by an after-dinner stroll and nightcap at one of Hoi An’s many lively bars.
Day 09 / Hoi An – Mekong Delta (B/L/D)
This morning we’ll head for Danang to take our one-hour flight to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon),where we transfer directly to the Mekong Delta. We’ll stop in My Tho for coffee, and there, we’ll have our first taste of life in this amazing Delta. Arrive in Can Tho in the afternoon and visit a popular nearby pagoda. In the evening we can enjoy a Vietnamese dinner especially prepared for us by the Victoria chef.
Day 10 / Mekong Delta to Ho Chi Minh City (B/-/-)
We’ll depart the Victoria Hotel at 6:30 this morning from the jetty of the hotel. We’ll enjoy a delectable breakfast buffet onboard the Lady Hau as we cruise the Mekong to visit the floating market of Cai Rang. We follow this with a cooking demonstration. In the afternoon we return to Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 11 / Ho Chi Minh City (B/-/D)
This morning we have a half day city tour including Cholon, the War Remnants Museum, and the Reunification Palace. Cholon, home to Saigon’s substantial Chinese population, is also the site of the largest market in Vietnam, the Binh Tay market. Free afternoon, before a deluxe farewell dinner at the Mandarine restaurant. A culinary delight in Ho Chi Minh city.
Day 12 / Depart Ho Chi Minh City (B)
Today you’ll be transferred to the airport for your flight home.
Tour Cost Includes
- All ground transportation and transfers in air conditioned vehicles
- French or English-speaking guide (other language guides available on request at additional cost)
- All accommodation based on twin share basis with daily breakfast
- Additional Meals as indicated in the itinerary
- Domestic flights, Danang – HCMC
- Admission fees when on guided tours
Tour Cost Excludes
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International flights and departure tax
- Personal expenses such as shopping; telephone, laundry and bar bills etc.
- Tips and gratuities
Admission fees during free time
Visas and visa fees
Travel insurance
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