Vietnam – Taste of Vietnam 10 Days

Today’s program is designed to give you an overview of Hanoi city and your private guide will pace the day according to your wishes, departing and returning to the hotel, shopping, stopping for meals, and visiting sights and areas on the schedule that you work out with them.

Some of the attractions we recommend today include Hoa Lo Prison, the Museum of Ethnology, the Vietnamese Women’s Museum, the Temple of Literature, and/or the pagodas by the lake…

The city tour is combined with street food walking tour (or on the back of a motorbike if interested) to discover the unique flavors of Vietnamese cuisine. This is your opportunity to encounter Hanoi’s local specialties. Begin your tour at a local Hanoi market to see the wide range of beautiful produce available. Then proceed into the Old Quarter to sample some different types of cuisine, eventually concluding your tour when your taste buds are well and truly sated.

Remark: The city tour program is flexible. Our guide would be more than happy to adjust the tour itinerary at your needs. You can skip one site or add another if you so wish.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Breakfast at hotel before heading out to Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In Ha Long you will board your an overnight cruise amongst the more than 3,000 limestone islands rising majestically out of the turquoise bay. You pass grand rock formations and quaint fishing towns, and sample a delicious lunch of freshly caught fish and seafood.

In the afternoon you can choose from several interesting activities: a cooking demonstration with chef on board, an optional traditional massage, kayaking or a refreshing swim.

Remark: Cruise itineraries and schedules are slightly different among different cruise companies and subject to change due to weather, tide levels and operating conditions. Swimming or kayaking excursions may be cancelled due to poor weather.

Overnight on board in Ha Long.

Start the day with calming Tai Chi, often accompanied by an amazing sunrise and the quiet breath-taking beauty of the bay’s landscape. The cruise passes beautiful spots or visit a cave before having buffet brunch on board.

Back at the dock, where you will be met and transferred to Hanoi for your short flight to Hue. Upon arrival, be greeted at the airport and transferred to your hotel for check-in.

Overnight in Hue.

Early morning, enjoy photogenic Hue in the early morning light. Meet with your guide and walk through the city’s park, a chance to witness the early morning of Hue, participate in exercises with local people. Enjoy breakfast with Bun Bo Hue (beef noodle) – the unique dish of Hue cuisine at a local restaurant.

Next, start the day by enjoying a boat cruise on the Perfume River upstream to visit Thien Mu Pagoda, the most religious monument of Hue. Then, visit An Hien garden house. An Hien garden house has been described as a fine, sharp, and unique work by many writers. Apart from the serene garden and classic traditional architecture, the owner grows a wide range of indigenous fruit trees from all over the country.

Continue visiting the spacious Imperial Citadel, from where the Nguyen Emperors once ruled Vietnam.

In the afternoon, after a trip to the market to purchase ingredients, you’ll be guided by the celebrated gastronomy artisan Ms. Nhu Huy – a professor, author of cookbooks, food television presenter in Vietnam and Europe, and the recipient of several prestigious talent awards in Vietnam. Then, get to her home for a private hands-on cooking class of 02 Hue dishes, typical for Vietnamese gastronomy requires propriety, sophistication and meticulous attention to every detail. Share her life and experiences, and enjoy what dishes you have made.

Overnight in Hue.

After breakfast, check out of hotel and drive to Hoi An via Hai Van Pass (about 3hrs), where a spectacular panorama of the central coastline can be viewed from the summit. Upon arrival in Danang, have a stop to visit the Cham Museum and East Sea Beach before heading to Hoi An.

In the afternoon, walk the ancient streets of Hoi An, lined with Chinese traders’ homes and wooden houses reincarnated as restaurants, cafés, and outlets for local artists, craftsmen and tailors. Explore the beautiful 16th century Japanese Bridge. Hoi An’s unique fusion of Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese architecture is well displayed here, in what is arguably Vietnam’s most tourist-friendly town.

Overnight in Hoi An.

This morning, you’ll be transferred to visit Tra Que organic herb growing village – located on the banks of a lagoon with fertile soil known for harvesting the country’s best vegetables. On the way, you enjoy the beautiful countryside views such as seeing water buffalos, rice paddle, birds. Here you will get a brief introduction to the history of the village, the cultivation of the vegetables as well as discover the use of vegetables in traditional Vietnamese medicine. Continue your visit to Thanh Ha pottery making village with an opportunity to interact with the local villagers see how they preserve the traditional craft over generations.

Afternoon is free at leisure to explore the town on your own.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Spend the morning at leisure until the transfer to the airport to the flight to Saigon.

In the afternoon, you will begin our city tour of this bustling city. The city tour brings you to visit some of Old Saigon’s most notable landmarks, including the Cathedral of Notre Dame, the Central Post Office, the Reunification Conference Hall, and the former Republic of South Vietnam palace.

This evening tour features the unique flavors of Saigonese street cuisine while providing different looks of Saigon from past to present. Meet and mingle with the locals while enjoying locally brewed beer and snacking on gourmet tapas. Enjoy the beer while a representative at each brewery venue shares knowledge, stories and the actual brewing process with unique ingredients to understand and appreciate the taste of their creations. Drop off at your hotel or extend your time here to explore more of Saigon’s nightlife activities.

Overnight in Saigon.

Depart Saigon and head south to Ben Tre, famous for its coconut production and quiet, peaceful waterways. On arrival, take a Xeloi (a kind of motorized rickshaw) riding through a local village and see the green fields and gardens. Continue with a short walk to Huu Phuoc Bridge and embark on a boat for a cruise to a Coconut processing family-owned business where you will learn what Ben Tre is known for and the hundreds of uses of each single coconut.
Afterwards, take your cruise to visit a brick making factory where the locals still use centuries-old traditional methods to make the bricks by hand. Then visit a local rice noodle factory which produces Hu Tieu (noodles), one of the most popular dishes in the region. Visit a local family where they live on fishing, shrimp and fruit orchards. Enjoy fresh fruits and tea and then board a rowing sampan taking you through a lush narrow canal, displaying the tranquil nature of the region. Stop at a riverside restaurant for a delicious and filling lunch.

After lunch, it’s time to relax and walk around the lush garden before ride a bike to My Long village and stop to visit a local family to learn about the making of rice paper. Take the boat back to Ben Tre local pier where your car/van is waiting to transfer you back to Saigon.

Overnight in Saigon.

Today is the last day of your Taste of Vietnam Trip. Your time will be at leisure before checking out and be met by the guide and driver and transferred to the airport for the onward departure flight.