Vietnam Culinary Delights

Arrive at Noi Bai International Airport, meet your driver for an airport transfer with a private vehicle and English speaking guide. The driving distance is approximately 45 minutes.

Your visa should be pre-arranged, or be sure that your visa-on-arrival letter is in your carry-on luggage. Please go to custom desk as your first point of entry into the country and present these documents for visa upon arrival.

Afternoon, start a city tour beginning with the Ho Chi Minh Complex which features the life of Ho Chi Minh, the nation’s founder. At the complex, visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where the nation’s founder’s body is preserved (closed on Monday, Friday and through October - November), the colonial Presidential Palace, originally the French Governor Office and a fine example of French architecture in Hanoi, and the rural style Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked. Stop by one of Hanoi’s icons, the One Pillar Pagoda, built in the 11th Century in dedication to Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara or Buddha of Compassion and reminiscent of a lotus blossom rising from a pond. Continue to the Temple of Literature, known as the first university of Vietnam built in 1070 by the Ly Dynasty to honor Confucius, sages and outstanding Vietnamese scholars. Dinner at a local restaurant 

Full day free at leisure or take our optional tour. Car and guide are available at your disposal.

OPTION TOUR: ½ DAY STREET FOOD WITH AMERICAN CHEF DANIEL HOYER   

PRICE: US$ 88 per person (min 2pax) based on Seat and Coach tour (SIC)

PRICE: US$ 140 per person (min 2pax) based on private tour  

Hit the streets of Hanoi for a full day street food tour with American chef and culinary instructor and food writer, Daniel Hoyer. A Hanoi resident and author of five cookbooks, Daniel leads gastronomic adventure tours in Latin America and Southeast Asia. He will have much insight to share with you about Vietnam’s food, culture and daily life during the tour.

At 8:30 AM, Daniel and your private driver will pick you up at your hotel. Start the tour with a typical Vietnamese breakfast either with the famous beef or chicken and rice noodle soup also commonly known as “Pho” or another popular breakfast dish of sticky rice with savory toppings known as “Xoi”. Next, drive a local market to learn about some ingredients used in local cuisine and observe Vietnamese buying and selling practices. Mid-morning, enjoy a Vietnamese coffee or tea with locals at one of Daniel’s favorite sidewalk cafes, in the historic French Quarter. Proceed by car or on foot to Truc Bach Lake for a snack of Pho Cuon, rice paper rolls containing grilled beef and fresh herbs and served with fish sauce. Lunch with Daniel at one of Hanoi’s popular restaurants serving traditional Hanoian specialties of grilled pork with round rice noodles “Bún Chả” and crispy fried spring rolls “Nem Rán”.

End the street food tour at a local beer bar which serve fresh draft beer “Bia Hơi” and snacks. Bars as such are favorite socializing spots for city people during afternoon throughout evening. Sit at low-slung, plastic tables on small stools among locals and taste some Vietnamese beer with accompanying snacks if you still have room for it and talk about your day. While relaxing here, Daniel will give you some recommendations as to eating around Hanoi and the rest of the country. (Another traditional café can be opted instead of beer bar depending on guest preference).

Back to your hotel around 03:45 PM before visiting the peaceful Hoan Kiem Lake (Returned Sword Lake whose name originated from a legend of a sacred sword) with Ngoc Son Temple right on the lake. 

Note: Tour to be confirmed based on Daniel’s availability

Notes:

Tuesday and Friday will be available for combined group bookings at a lower price than private bookings. (single bookings are allowed but there is a 2 pax minimum to run the tour) These are daytime tours beginning at 10 am.

• Combined group bookings will be limited to a maximum total of 8 pax to ensure an intimate, personal experience for the guests.

Private tour bookings are available on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturdays (Daniel Hoyer will no longer accept single bookings for private tours, 2 pax minimum)

Morning pickup at 8:00 AM from your hotel for transfer to Ha Long Bay, which is about 160 km or 3 hour drive away. On the way, you will see some rural areas of the Red River Delta with plenty of chances to take photos of Vietnamese farmers working in paddy fields. Stop half way to visit a handicraft workshop of fine clothes and embroidered paintings.

Arrive in Ha Long City at 11:30 AM and check in aboard the booked junk when your journey across Ha Long Bay starts. Ha Long Bay meaning Descending Dragon Bay in Vietnamese as legend has it that it was where a holly dragon landed down from sky. The bay, famous as one of the world’s wonders and heritage sites whose formation dates back 500 million years, consists of around 2,000 karst islands and islets scattered over an area of 1,553 km2.

After the welcome drink is served, start cruising while having lunch on board and enjoy the mighty bay view. Ha Long Bay meaning Descending Dragon Bay in Vietnamese as legend has it that it was where a holly dragon landed down from sky. The bay, famous as one of the world’s wonders and heritage sites whose formation dates back 500 million years, consists of around 2,000 karst islands and islets scattered over an area of 1,553 km2. The bay cruise will continue with up close sighting of Dinh Huong Island, Ga Choi Island, Dog Island, Sail Island, a visit to Sung Sot Cave and swimming stop at Titov Beach. Relax to enjoy the bay view at sunset, have dinner after, go fishing at 09:00 PM and spend a night on board.

Early risers can enjoy the splendid yet tranquil view of the bay at the crack of dawn. Breathe the sea’s fresh air, feel the morning breeze and hear the sounds of birds above. Have breakfast and cruise to visit Human head shaped island and Tortoise Island. Continue to cruise into Bai Tu Long Bay to discover the adjacent bay of “The Little Dragon Bowing to His Mother” as it is named. Check out and have lunch on board while heading to shore. Disembark and transfer back to Noi Bai International Airport for domestic flight to Hue. En route, stop to visit But Thap Pagoda in Bac Ninh province whose architecture and sculpture works are rated as the finest of Vietnam’s classical Buddhist art back in 17th Century.

Arrive in Hue after a 1 hour and 15 minutes flight, welcome by our guide and transfer to your hotel.  

Hue, the former Imperial Capital of Vietnam for the 1802-1945, is the last refuge of Vietnamese feudalism. It is known as a city of poetic beauty that blends a scenic landscape characterized by the Perfume River and surrounding mountains with an extremely rich historical legacy typified by numerous relics such as citadel, tombs and pagodas.

Morning, take full day tour of Hue City, the former Imperial Capital of Vietnam for the 1802-1945 period and the last refuge of Vietnamese feudalism. The city’s beauty is characterized by a natural scenic landscape and an extensive variety of historical relics. Begin with Hue Citadel, a well-known UNESCO-recognized World Heritage Site which is a 520 ha fortress-like grand complex built in the early 1800s and featuring three enclosures separated by heavy ramparts namely Kinh Thanh Hue (Civic City) as the outer, Hoang Thanh (Royal City) as the middle and Tu Cam Thanh (Forbidden City) as the inner. Continue to Khai Dinh Tomb, the burial site of Vietnam’s second-to-last king, and the most elaborate compared to other kings’ tombs. The tomb shows a vivid European influence in architecture despite its Asian style. Next, visit Tu Duc Tomb, one of the Nguyen Dynasty’s finest architectural works nested in a pine forest where the 4th emperor of the Nguyen family was laid to rest. Lunch at local restaurant

Afternoon, transfer South to Hoi An via Hai Van Pass (Ocean Cloud Pass). Enjoy a stunning headland-and-bay panoramic view from the pass, which for miles hugs the mountainside along the shoreline and overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Stop en route in Da Nang City to visit the Museum of Cham Sculpture, China Beach and Marble Mountains, whose peaks represent the five basic elements of the universe. Arrive in Hoi An, welcome by our guide and check in your hotel. Once a bustling maritime commercial port of Asia between 15th and 19th centuries, Hoi An is now a peaceful town of exceptionally well-preserved architecture, lifestyles and traditions. The town, being a UNESCO-recognized World Heritage Site, exemplifies a fascinating fusion of cultures between Vietnam and the outside world including China, Japan, Thailand and the Philippines.

Morning meet our guide at your hotel and transfer out to a local market. A guide from the local cooking school will take you on a tour through the market to learn about the ingredients to be used in your recipes. After the market, board a boat to ride along Hoi An river for about 25 minutes, watching local fishermen casting nets as part of their daily routine. Arrive at a small township and walk to the cooking school. The class starts in an open-air pavilion by the river under the instruction of an experienced chef. Observe, practice, sample and bring out a good lunch cooked the local style to your own taste. Enjoy it yourself.

Afternoon, take a town tour of Hoi An to see its beauty up close. Included for your sightseeing will be the town’s iconic 400-year-old Covered Bridge with a small temple attached to one side as a prominent example of Japanese architecture, the Museum of Trade Ceramics which is an elegant Vietnamese style wooden house built in 1858 showcasing antique ceramic artifacts, the 200-year-old Tan Ky House typifying an ancient Chinese merchant residence, the Ong Temple built in 1653 by Chinese settlers to worship Guan Yu, an ancient Chinese general whose character stands for loyalty, bravery and justice. Enjoy strolling the small streets of antique low tile-roofed houses, which reflect the town’s multi-cultural past.

Full day At leisure. 

OPTION: FISHING LIFE & WATERWAYS: US$ 45/ Pax (min 2pax)

This short eco-tour is designed for you to learn about the Vietnamese fishermen’s daily life with a hands-on experience. Arrive at a local dock and board a fishing boat. Cruise down the river toward the estuary for a predetermined fishing spot. Stop and start fishing with a popular local daily fishing tool, the round fishing net. A local fisherman will teach you how to cast and retrieve the net. Next, learn how to paddle the unique Vietnamese round bamboo basket boat and join in a boat race. Explore the tranquil coconut-flanked waterways and help to clean up garbage from some coconut groves. 

Morning, free at leisure until transfer to Da Nang airport for flight to Ho Chi Minh City
Flight time is approximately 1.5 hours.

Meet your driver for an airport transfer with a private vehicle and guide. The transfer distance is approximately 30 minutes

Afternoon, we start the tour with a visit to the War Remnants Museum which features a comprehensive collection of the machinery, weapons, photos, and documentation of Vietnam War with the both the French and Americans and the Reunification Palace which was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until end of April 1975. Last, stop for shopping at the French-built Ben Thanh Market which dates back to 1870 and whose main entrance clock tower has become a city’s symbol.

Dinner aboard a boat cruising Saigon River while enjoying a traditional music show. 

Morning, meet your guide and transfer about 75 km North-west of downtown Ho Chi Minh City. Discover the famous Cu Chi Tunnels, which were once a major underground hideout and resistance base of Viet Cong forces during the two wars against the French and the Americans. The tunnels, entirely hand-dug, formed a highly intricate network of interlinked multilevel passageways at times stretched as far as the Cambodian border and totaling over 120 km in length. Its complexity was beyond imagination containing meeting rooms, kitchens, wells, clinics, schools, depots, trenches and emergency exits all aimed for guerrilla warfare. The tunnels were deep and strong enough to withstand destructive bombings and self-contained enough to outlast prolonged sieges.  

Proceed to a small village in Hoc Mon District, which is well known for betel and areca tree growing. Ride a horse-pulled carriage for about 20 minutes to a traditional house. Enjoy a home-hosted lunch at the house and chat with the warm-hearted host about the traditions and life of Saigon suburban people. Transfer back in town of Ho Chi Minh City. Rest of the day is At leisure. 

Leisure time until transfer to airport for flight departure.