Vietnam Heritage and Culinary Discovery Group Tour – 14 Days

Itinerary

Day 1 – Hanoi Arrival

Arriving at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi, you’ll be welcomed by our guide and driven to your hotel. You’ll have time to relax after your journey. You’ll spend the night in Hanoi.

Day 2 – Hanoi city tour by motorbike and street food (B, Street food, G)

You’ll have the whole day to explore Vietnam’s capital city on the back of a motorbike. Your guide will first take you to Ngoc Ha Market to stroll around this huge, bustling place taking in the vibrant atmosphere that typifies Ha Noi. Next, you will visit Hoa Lo Prison, where Vietnamese, American and French prisoners were kept in different periods.

Returning to the Old Quarter, the day will include a ‘Street Life’ experience, also on the back of a motorbike. You’ll spend a couple of hours wandering around the back streets in and nearby the Old Quarter.

A street food brunch is included – take your pick from traditional Hanoi Pho (beef noodle soup), Nom (green papaya salad with seasoned beef), Banh Goi (pillow-shaped rice pastry with minced pork and mushroom), to Banh Cuon (hot rice paper with pork and fried onion) or Bun Cha (fresh noodle with grilled pork). If you’re hungry, try two or three varieties until you feel full. You will also visit a traditional coffee shop for a taste of Vietnam’s local iced coffee, ‘Ca phe sua da’. If you’re up for it, you can also try the ‘Egg coffee’.

Your last stop will be the St. Joseph Cathedral, a French gothic building constructed in 1886. This area is also a popular place for young locals to gather and chit chat on stools along the sidewalks, while enjoying tra chanh (lemon tea) and snacks like com (young rice) or sunflower seeds. The tour will finish, in true local style, at a Bia Hoi where you can enjoy some local draft beer. You will spend the night in Hanoi.

Day 3 –  Morning Cooking Class at traditional house in Hanoi (B, L, G)

In the morning, at 8.30 you’ll be picked up from your hotel crossing the river to Ngoc Thuy market – a vibrant and authentic local wet market. You will meet your chef here and have an introduction of shopping habit of Vietnamese people around the market and briefing about schedule of the cooking class. In the market, you will visit shopping area of alive chicken; fish and buy all ingredients for the cooking class menu. Guests are free to taste some local breakfast (Banh cuon, Pho bo, Fruits). Then you can choose between option of visiting some relics of village (Temples of Hero Ly Thuong Kiet; Buddhism pagoda and temple of Vietnamese traditional belief for “natural mothers“) or visiting and learning about the herbs, vegetable in a family garden nearby.

You will then end at the traditional Vietnamese house of the chef, where you’ll learn to cook some traditional dishes of representing the north of Vietnam. The cooking class begins with an introduction to Vietnamese culinary culture. Following this cultural mise-en-bouche, guests get busy in the kitchen under the careful supervision of a Vietnamese cook. Once you’ve prepared your lunch, you can sit down then eat dishes that you’ve cooked with the chef and/or with the homestay owner. You will then return to your hotel around 14.00 and your time will be your own. You will spend the night in Hanoi.

Day 4 – Hanoi/Ha Long/Bai Tu Long Bay (B, L, D, G)

After breakfast, you’ll leave for Bai Tu Long Bay, which is every bit as beautiful as its famous neighbour, Halong Bay, or actually more stunning as per most traveller’s feedback. There you’ll board a wooden junk to take you through Bai Tu Long Bay area, admire the fascinating limestone karsts on the way. After lunch, you will cruise to visit Thien Canh Son cave in Cong Do area. You will then enjoy relaxing on a white sandy beach at Hon Co Island, swimming or kayaking. The Dragon Legend Cruise will then head to Tra San while refreshing yourself in Mineral Seawater Pool, Fitness Room or the Spa and Massage Services (Spa and Massage services are excluded) before dinner. The route is designed to avoid the busy areas and includes a very quiet location in Tra San area for your overnight stay.

Bai Tu Long Bay, located a little further east of Halong Bay, is the most remote area of your voyage. The exceptional scale and variety of the geological rock formations in this area are sure to make this a future destination for cruising in the Gulf of Tonkin.

While cruising the bay, you will enjoy a curated selection of traditional Vietnamese dishes that showcase the rich culinary heritage of Halong Bay. Halong Bay, known for its abundant seafood thanks to the thriving marine life, features prominently in the cuisine, with local fishing communities deeply connected to these flavours. Seafood such as squid, fish, and prawns are commonly served, accompanied by classic Vietnamese dipping sauces—fish sauce (nuoc mam) mixed with lime, garlic, and chili.

One standout dish is Nem Cua Be (Crab Spring Rolls), which reflects the bay’s plentiful crab resources. These crispy, deep-fried spring rolls are stuffed with fresh crab meat and vegetables, offering a delicious blend of textures and a direct connection to the local fishing industry.

Gỏi, a traditional Vietnamese salad, adds a refreshing touch to the menu. Typical of Halong Bay, Gỏi combines fresh herbs and shredded vegetables like green papaya, carrots, or mango with proteins such as shrimp or squid. The salad is dressed in a light fish sauce-based vinaigrette, harmonizing the salty, sour, and sweet flavours key to Vietnamese cuisine, while showcasing the bay’s seafood bounty.

In addition to savoury dishes, seasonal fruit served may include mango, dragon fruit, and lychee, many of which are cultivated in the northern regions of the country, offering a sweet conclusion to their meals.

Day 5 – Bai Tu Long Bay/Ha Long/Hanoi/Fly to Danang/Hoi An (B, L, G)

You’ll wake in the fresh air of the bay for a Taichi session on the large sundeck (beginners welcome!). After breakfast, you’ll continue your cruise to visit Vung Vieng fishing village by a rustic row-boat, meet the local people and pass through the floating school and fish farms. You will check out of the cabin and cruise towards the harbour while a buffet lunch is served.

You’ll arrive back the dock around noon whereupon you’ll be picked up to return to Hanoi. You will be dropped off at Noi Bai Airport for your flight to Danang. Upon arriving at Danang airport, you will be picked up and transferred to your hotel in Hoi An. You will spend the night in Hoi An.

Day 6 – Hoi An Private Cooking Class with a visit to Tra Que vegetable village/Ancient Town exploration (B, L, G)

After breakfast, your driver will arrive at your hotel to pick you up to your cooking class. Upon arrival, you will be welcomed by your guide then take a bike ride to Tra Que Vegetable Farm, enjoying the beauty of rice paddies and gardens as well as to taking in the lives of the local farmers.

You will then return to the restaurant to rest and pick up your conical hat and bag before exploring the Hoi An market. At the market, you can meet the local merchants and buy ingredients for the cooking class.

After, you will head back to the restaurant to begin your lesson guided by our professional chefs. They will instruct you every step of the way and when you are done, you can enjoy the meal you have prepared.

After lunch, your guide will meet you to show you the Ancient Town and explain its considerable significance in the history of Vietnam. You’ll spend the night in Hoi An.

Hoi An town is a UNESCO World Heritage area. An ancient trading port, once the largest in Indochina, Hoi An was a meeting point for many cultures that left their mark in the different architectural features of its wooden buildings. The original traditional street pattern still exists, as does the quay that once welcomed ships from all over East Asia and beyond. Many remained there for months at a time, waiting for favourable trade winds to carry them home.

There are plenty of good restaurants offering a variety of cuisines and price levels. The town is also a good place for shopping for silk. You can have your clothes tailor-made within a day or two at reasonable cost.

Day 7 –Hoi An free (B) 

The day will be free for strolling in the town, lazing on the beach, or whatever takes your fancy. You’ll spend the night in Hoi An.

* The hotel offers complimentary bicycle for you to explore Hoi An on your own (subject to availability).

Day 8 – Hoi An/Hue foodie tour/Sunset on Tam Giang Lagoon (B, street food, D, G)

In the morning, your car will arrive to drive you to Hue. On the way, you’ll cross the high mountain pass of Hai Van. The views from the top are excellent – you should be able to see Lang Co beach and village, and the lagoon far below, with Hue spread out before you to the north.

Upon arrival to Hue, you will be transferred to the city centre. You will hop on your personal cyclo, powered by an experienced driver, and cross over the historical Trang Tien Bridge to visit the colourful Dong Ba Market where you can see many of the ingredients for making local Hue food.  During the tour, stop at many famous street food stalls to sample Hue local street food dishes such as: Banh Khoai (Hue pancake), Bun Bo Hue (Hue beef vermicelli soup), Banh Beo (Steamed rice flour dish topped with shrimp), Banh Uot (Hue rice flour sheet accompanied with variety of toppings such as Vietnamese sausage, grilled pork or shrimps), Nem Lui (Grilled chopped meat) and so much more. You are free to sample as much as you wish.

You will then drive to visit the famous Thien Mu Pagoda. Leaving the serene pagoda, you will head to Tam Giang Lagoon, where you will board a local boat. Enjoy the sunset moment on the lagoon and the boat will take us around to understand more about the daily life of local fishermen. You can also try your hands in fishing. After fishing time, it’s time for a seafood dinner in a cottage along the Tam Giang lagoon. Not only rich in fish, but Tam Giang lagoon is also rich in other marine aquaculture sources such as prawns, crabs, and other seafood. This is a great chance to enjoy the local seafood harvested by hard-working fishermen from the mixture of seawater and freshwater from the Perfume River.

You will then be transferred to your hotel and spend the night in Hue.

Day 9 – Thuy Bieu village/Hue’s Ancient Citadel (B, L, G)

After breakfast, you’ll drive 7km from the city centre to Thuy Bieu village, an old village surrounded by rivers and green rice fields. The village is also famous for Thanh Tra – the fruit that once served the royal. Upon arriving at Thuy Bieu, you will cycle around the village to visit an ancient garden house which is one hundred years old and is a model house in the local.

Optional en-route visit to a silk painting family to see countryside painting art of the young local artists. The paintings here mainly reflect an aspiration for a peaceful, happy and prosperous life and often depict the animals in people’s lives.

After that, you will learn how to cook three local dishes or Hue specialties cakes by Ms Lien who is a good cook and an enthusiasm host. Continue to know how to make pomelo skin jam under the guidance of the house owner. Then you can do it by yourself and enjoy what you make. You will also have a pack of pomelo jam to bring home as a gift from the host. After the cooking class, you will enjoy a local meal in the garden. Dishes are made from local fresh ingredients by skillful women.

After your lunch, relax your feet with 30 minutes of herbal foot bath.

In the afternoon, your guide will take you on a tour of Hue’s Ancient Citadel, once the seat of the powerful Nguyen Dynasty Emperors that ruled Vietnam from approximately 1800 to 1945. You’ll begin with a stroll around the area between the Citadel’s massive walls and the defensive moat, now filled with lotus flowers. You’ll then enter via the Noon Gate to wander around the Thai Hoa Palace, the Pavilion housing, the Nine Urns of the Nguyen rulers, and the remains of the Royal Palaces. You will then be transferred back to your hotel to spend the night.

Day 10 – Hue/Fly to Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon nightlife on a scooter (Join-in) (B, D, DP in Hoi An, G in Ho Chi Minh City)

After breakfast, you will be free until your private car and driver arrive to take you to Hue Airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival at Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, you will be welcomed by our guide and transferred to your hotel in the city centre.

In the evening at 18.00, you’ll start exploring the Saigon on a back of a Scooter and enjoying the local food of Ho Chi Minh City. Accompanied with a local Vietnamese rider, your venture will take you to the narrow streets and alleys of Saigon which are in different districts and hidden corners of Saigon. You’ll ride to Chinatown, visit an evening local market before heading to Ho Thi Ky wholesale flower market. You will take a walk in the market and sit down to learn how to make Crispy banana cracker.

Then, hop on the scooter and have a wonderful ride around 30 minutes through alleyways and see cloth shops on fashion streets, food vendors and walking park when locals do exercise at night.

After a great view from the scooter, you will stop at a local food place for Southern Vietnamese Pho (Beef Noodle Soup) and Banh My (the most famous street food in Vietnam). After the meal, we will take you to Nguyen Thien Thuat area, one of the most famous street food areas in Saigon with the considerable diversity in the style of the cuisine and local culture.

This place is the integrated one which has lots of the residents from many parts of Vietnam to come here and live for a long time, that’s the reason why its cuisine is really fascinating and diverse.

Last but not least, you will be taken to a local’s favourite drinking spot for some beer and soft drink. Sit on a small table and chair, have a great chat with our tour guide, get to know more ingredient of our cuisine and local life.

You’ll be back to your hotel around 22.00pm. You will spend the night in Ho Chi Minh City.

The tour will be through busy streets and alleys to see the night life of locals and enjoy street sea- food and cold drinks, places that foreigner won’t be found. After having enjoyed as much street food as you can, you’ll enjoy the music and the Bars like the way the Saigon’s people do. Vegetarian food can be arranged.

Day 11 – The Rhythm of Saigon (B, Street food, G)

This morning, our guide will meet and take you to a coffee place which is in a small alley, nice decoration with retro atmosphere. After a warmly welcome, the host – a young and inspiration barista- will firstly introduce you the culture of the Vietnamese coffee, provide a series of samples to let us learn for ourselves and being lectured. We will have time to chit chat for to know the insights and many untold stories of Saigon’s people.

To Saigonese, the coffee or “cà phê” is not just a drink but it’s a culture. We can find many kind of coffee in Saigon and its popular to everyone: from poor to rich people, from the handy worker to businessman.

Coffee Experience (08.00-10.00):

– Enjoy welcome Vietnamese home-made cakes

– Experience tasting coffee like a professional through a coffee cupping session featuring 5 different types of coffee. Each coffee’s quality will be explained in detail, giving you insights into Vietnamese coffee development.

– Get an overview about the coffee history.

– Make Vietnamese traditional coffee.

After a couple hours here, we will then troll to visit: Tan Dinh church (outside, or known as Pinky church) to see its remarkable colour, it is one of the city’s oldest and most important Roman Catholic institutions.

Then, we walk to Tan Dinh market to get in touch with Vietnamese culture and mingle with the locals, you can visit Tan Dinh – one of the oldest markets in the city. Built by the French colonial government in 1926, Tan Dinh Market serves as one of the city’s historic landmarks, as well as a well-known shopping location for locals.

After which, it’s time sample some local dishes in Saigon to fill up your stomach (you can choose from many options from either a “broken rice” dish, or a “bowl of Noodle Soup” or perhaps “Banh Mi” – a popular and very local of Saigon and so on).

In the afternoon, we will then visit People’s Committee building, Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral (outside) and the Old Central Post Office before returning back to your hotel for a rest. Your accommodation will be in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 12 – Ho Chi Minh City/Ben Tre on Deluxe Mango cruise/Can Tho (B, L, G)

This morning you will head south from Ho Chi Minh City on a 2-hour drive to Ben Tre Province, famous for coconut production and quiet, peaceful waterways. Passing Rach Mieu Bridge before reaching Huu Dinh hamlet, where you will ride a tri-motor cycle (xe loi) to enjoy the lush surroundings of rice paddies and fruit farms alongside the narrow village roads.

Arrive at the waterfront, you will board the charming Mango Cruise, where you will begin your boat trip through small canals drenched in beautiful tropical scenery. On board the Mango cruise boat, enjoy a welcome drink of fresh coconut juice and tropical fruits. At your first stop, you will have a visit at the coconut processing, then back to your cruise and the cruise will stop at a brick making shop where locals still use centuries-old traditional methods to make bricks by hand.

Then you will start a cycling trip around Phong Nam village (about 4km), through gardens and stop at a rice noodles factory “hu tieu”, one of most popular breakfast dishes in the region. You will then visit Mrs. Huong’s home, a local household where three generations under one roof make a living on fishing, shrimp and fruit orchards. Enjoy fresh fruits and tea before moving on to take the rowing sampan, be paddled by a personalized rower trip to discover the maze of small canals.

Then rowing you back to your mango boat and head to Mango home restaurant, enjoy your 5-course lunch and freshen up before switch to a bicycle and ride about 500m then take a 7–10-minute walk on village roads passing green gardens and local houses to another local house of Mr Sau Tuong, a former Vietcong soldier who survived two years fighting the Khmer Rouge in Phnom Penh. He and his wife now live on making rice paper, the specialty of My Long village. Chat with him and enjoy crispy rice paper made by his wife, after seeing how it is made.

After the visit, your boat will be waiting for you at the nearby pier to bring you back to Ben Tre city where your car will transfer you further to Can Tho, the Capital of Mekong Delta. After check in your hotel, you’ll be free and spend the night in Can Tho.

Day 13 – Cai Rang floating market/Ho Chi Minh City (B, L, G)

In the early morning, you’ll board a boat to Cai Rang floating market on the Mekong Delta. Both the journey and the market provide insights into the rural Mekong Delta lifestyle and their food trade. You will then return to your homestay for breakfast and some rest before check-out.

On your way back to Ho Chi Minh City, you’ll stop by the beautiful and ancient Vinh Trang Pagoda, 3 km from My Tho centre.  You’ll arrive in Ho Chi Minh City in the late afternoon with time to freshen up in your hotel before the evening.

Vinh Trang Pagoda is renowned for its architectural mixture of Chinese, Vietnamese and Angkor styles. Located on a 2-hectare block with 5 buildings, 2 ornamental yards, 178 pillars and many valuable statues (especially the 18 arahants, wooden statues carved in 1907), the pagoda will give you a deeper look into the relationship between Vietnamese art and Buddhist beliefs.

Day 14 – Ho Chi Minh City departure (B, DP)

Your day will be free until your private car and driver arrive to take you to Tan Son Nhat Airport for your international departure flight.

Key:

B = Breakfast

L = Lunch

D = Dinner

G = English-speaking tour guide

GP = English-speaking guided pick up

DP = Driver pick up