Vietnam Culinary 12 Days

After your breakfast, pay a visit to Vietnam’s first university, the Temple of Literature. Founded in 1076 Quoc Tu Giam was established within a temple to educate Vietnam's royalty, mandarins and members of the elite. The university functioned for an incredible 700 years and its gardens and well-preserved architecture offer a fascinating glimpse into Vietnam’s past.

Continue to the nearby mausoleum of the historic figure and father of modern Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh (viewed from outside), and visit the former president’s house on stilts where he lived from 1958 to 1969. Then pay a visit the small but iconic One Pillar Pagoda before visiting Hanoi Old Quarter, a place where Hanoians buy everything from noodles to light fixtures to Buddha statues. The quarter’s 36 streets were named for the products that were sold from their shops. Today, vendors on Tin and Bamboo Streets still sell the same wares. After exploring the old quarter’s shady alleyways, sip a strong Vietnamese coffee in a café overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake - an important symbol in Vietnamese folklore. Snap a photograph of the downtown skyline before returning to your hotel. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel 

After your breakfast, we will head to Halong Bay, a Natural World Heritage as designated by UNESCO since 1994 and 2006, and check-in our overnight boat. Enjoy a trip on Halong with stops to visit caves or to swim and enjoy the sunset on the sea. Private BBQ dinner with fresh seafood on the sundeck! Overnight onboard.

The Vietnamese call the “East Sea” by a point-oriented name “Eastern Sea”, so you may guess how miraculous it is seeing the sunrise over the islets of the Bay. The boat will take us to go about marvelous areas, where almost each islet has its own name, adopting its shape or reminiscent, including the Fisherman’s Head, Turtle, the Sail, the Incense Burner Rock, the cute Sea Dog Rock or Cock Fighting Rocks and so on. Overland to Hanoi Airport where you take onward flight to Hue. 

Being recognized by UNESCO as the 1st Cultural World Heritage for Vietnam, Hue is highlighted by the old royal architectural works and the most traditional Vietnamese lifestyle. We will discover the charm of the city from the Royal Citadel, Forbidden City, Hue Royal Museum. Wrap up the morning with a visit to Tha Om garden house typical of Hue city, which was built according to precise rules of geomancy. Experience the serene and pleasant feelings such a place might bring you and have lunch there.

In the afternoon pay a visit to 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 flare, making it entirely unique from the other tombs in Hue. Dinner is on your own. Overnight at the hotel. 

After breakfast, drive to the ancient port town of Hoi An. Despite the passing of 200 years and the ravages of weather and war, the centre of the ancient city remains wholly untouched. Passing through Danang, visit its notable Cham Museum, before climbing over the ‘Pass of Ocean Clouds’. Arrive in Hoi An  late in the afternoon and transfer to hotel. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel. 

Meet with a local foodie for a visit to a local market in Hoi An to enjoy the tantalizing sights, smells and flavors of local produce. Then walk through zigzagging alleys to savor real street food as the local people do. Gather at a local restaurant and meet with the culinary expert, Neville Dean, chat with him to understand his passion for food and experience the local culture through the eyes of an expatriate. Taste some more traditional central dishes and learn more about this fascinating region.

Then heading off for a wander around the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hoi An Ancient Town. A former trading port that welcomed Chinese, Ditch, French, Japanese, Portuguese and Arab merchants from the 16th to the 18th centuries, it’s one of the country’s most fascinating cultural melting pots. Hoi An is also home to some of the country’s most beautiful ancient architecture inspired by Portuguese, Chinese and Japanese culture.

The tour ends with a cup of coffee or tea at Reaching Out – a special teashop where all the waiters and waitresses are hearing impaired staff who are given a chance to have a self–reliant life and integrate into the community with training to enable them to work there confidently and professionally. A peaceful time for you to enjoy the silence and taste of coffee. 

Free day at leisure

Free at your leisure till transfer to Danang Airport to take the midday flight to Saigon. You will be welcomed at the Tan Son Nhat airport and transfer to the hotel to check-in.  . Spend the rest of the day free at your leisure. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel. 

Morning visit Saigon’s highlight includes the Reunification Palace, the Post Office and Notre Dame Cathedral, War Museum

In the early evening, you will be picked up at the hotel by private car before heading off to street vendor stalls. This tour will take you through many parts of the city that are off the general tourist map. You’ll have a chance to experience the typical nightlife of Saigon – just exactly the way that local people often do. The tour will start with a ride to a section of China Town and then heading to District 4 through busy streets and alleys buzzing with locals seated at seafood street stalls and sipping on icy cold drinks. Leaving District 4 to District 3 the tour passes through downtown District 1 taking in the sights, sounds and smells of Saigon city with  opportunities for stopping along the way whenever it takes your fancy. Then the tour will continue to a well hidden Vietnamese-coffee shop to enjoy the sounds of local Vietnamese live music. After this very exhilarating nightlife tour of Saigon, you will then be driven back to the hotel. Lunch on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

Start Ho Chi Minh City at 8:00 AM to HCM Agricultural Villages at 8:45 AM with local guide

Visit HCM Agricultural Villages from 8:45 AM – 10:00 AM 

Visiting cow areas 

Visiting buffalo areas 

Visiting rice fields 

Visiting fish, prawn, chicken, duck areas 

Visiting big herbs, spices, vegetables and mushrooms areas 

Become a real Vietnamese Farmer for a day by donning on Vietnamese Traditional Hat and harvest herbs ,spices, vegetables and mushrooms from the garden.

Enjoy Cooking class 

Hands on cooking class with three dishes and 1 dessert and enjoy what they have done 

Enjoy Great Healthy Cooking Tips 

Leave with nice certificate, recipes, souvenirs

Collect email and receive updates of nice healthy recipes monthly

Visit Cu Chi Tunnels 

Watching a presentation video

Getting to see the tunnels and discover how these tunnels were constructed and how its inhabitants combat two forces: the invading troops and the tunnels itself.

Visiting Hoang Cam's smoke-less store, secret hide-outs, fighting bunkers, and many dangerous booby traps.

Trying gun shooting with real bullets (fees not included)

Tasting boiled tapioca, drinking hot tea

The trip will end at 05:00 PM, and guests will be sent back to their hotels in HCM City. Join this tour to enjoy great, unique experiences about Vietnamese culture, cuisine and history!

There is no activity planned for today so you are free to enjoy your free time souvenir shopping until transfer to the airport for your onward flight.