“Discover authentic Vietnam in comfort and safety”
14 Day Private Vietnam Culinary Tour in Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hoi An, Hue, and Ho Chi Minh City
Hanoi, Vietnam
Authentic Vietnamese Culinary Vacation
Taking cooking classes in Hanoi, Hoi An, and Ho Chi Minh City, relaxing in a spa and massage treatment, cruising Ha Long Bay, relaxing in a wellness beach resort, cruising on a Vespa scooter in the crowded Saigon streets, spending the night on boat among the Mekong delta. Is that all you wish for a culinary and wellness vacation? Join us in this Vietnam adventure!
Highlights
- Starts in Hanoi, ends in Ho Chi Minh City
- Street food tour
- Cooking classes in Hanoi, Hoi An, and Hue
- Crusing on a scooter in the crowded Saigon streets
- Visit local markets and go shopping for ingredients you will use
- Overnight cruises in Ha Long Bay and Mekong Delta
- 13 nights accommodation
7 days with instruction
Airport transfer included:
Noi Bai International Airport
Accommodation
You have three options for the hotels: Mid-range (similar to 3*), Superior (similar to 4*), and Deluxe (similar to 5*). There are also First Class and Luxury standards that will be advised upon request. All the hotels are in nice selection, small or medium sizes with boutique or traditional styles, good locations and services, and convenient for clients to stroll around, experience the daily life of local people, shop, tasting street food in their free time.
Hotel list for Deluxe standard:
- Hanoi: Hotel de l’Opera Hanoi (****Conveniently located in the city centre, just a step away from Hanoi's Opera House, the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake – L’Opera Deluxe)
- Ha Long Bay: Dragon Legend Cruise (Traditional style, Deluxe quality boat modelled on Imperial Court vessels)
- Hoi An: La Siesta Hoi An Resort & Spa (***** special new resort hotel with traditional architecture – Junior Suite Balcony room – Club Wing)
- Hue: Indochine Palace Hotel (***** high-rise building hotel in the heart of Hue - Palace Studio)
- Ho Chi Minh City: Caravelle Hotel (*****large high-rise building famous as the chosen hotel of international correspondents during the war, good city and river views, well-located in the heart of the city overlooking the Opera House – Deluxe room)
Hotel list for Superior standard:
- Hanoi: Hanoi La Siesta Classic Hotel (**** an exclusive oasis in the Hanoi Old Quarter, just a short walk to the legendary Hoan Kiem Lake – Deluxe room)
- Ha Long Bay: Dragon Legend Cruise (Traditional style, Deluxe quality boat modelled on Imperial Court vessels)
- Hoi An: Lasenta Boutique Hotel (**** located in a quiet part of town overlooking the verdant rice fields, only 5 minute drive from Hoi An Ancient town – Deluxe Rice Field view room)
- Hue: Eldora hotel (****Located in the heart of the city within walking distance to many tourist attractions, exquisite style, spacious room – Deluxe City View room)
- Ho Chi Minh City: EdenStar Saigon hotel (**** city centre location, nice rooftop swimming pool – Premium Deluxe room)
Hotel list for Mid-range standard:
- Hanoi: Golden Silk Boutique Hotel (**** Good location in the Old Quarter, 5-minute walk to the legendary Hoan Kiem Lake – Luxury room)
- Ha Long Bay: Dragon’s Pearl Junk (Traditional junk, Superior quality wooden junks modelled on Imperial Court vessels)
- Hoi An: Mulberry Collection Silk Eco Hotel (**** a tranquil and green oasis in the heart of Hoi An Ancient town – Deluxe City View room)
- Hue: Emm Hotel Hue (*** Located in the city center with spacious rooms and a nice swimming pool - Superior room)
- Ho Chi Minh City: Sanouva Saigon Hotel (*** well-appointed in the city centre, walking distance to Ben Thanh market– Premier Deluxe room)
Please note that Vietnam hotels do not recognise provisional reservations, so specific hotels cannot be guaranteed until you have booked your chosen tour. As many of the better hotels are often full during the October to April peak season, early booking is advisable.
Program
Day 1: Arrival in Hanoi (guide pick-up)
Arriving at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi, you’ll be welcomed by your 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
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 the Women’s Museum – small, but fascinating narrative of the role of women in Vietnam, particularly during the war. Your next stop will be the Temple of Literature, the first university in Vietnam dating back to the 11th century.
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.
Your last stop will be Long Bien Bridge, a magnificent structure built over a hundred years ago that spans the Red River and connects the Hoan Kiem and Long Bien districts, and provides shelter to locals living on boats underneath. Your evening will be free at your leisure and you will spend the night in Hanoi.
Included: Breakfast, street food, guide service
Day 3: Morning cooking class at a traditional house in Hanoi
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 to the shopping habits of Vietnamese people around the market and a briefing about the schedule of the cooking class.
In the market, you will visit the shopping area for live 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 the option of visiting some relics of the village (Temples of Hero Ly Thuong Kiet; Buddhism pagoda and the temple of Vietnamese traditional belief for “natural mothers“) or visiting and learning about the herbs, and vegetables in a family garden nearby.
You will then end at the traditional Vietnamese house of the chef, where you’ll learn to cook some dishes of traditional Vietnamese dishes 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 and 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.
Included: Breakfast, lunch, guide service
Day 4: Hanoi - Ha Long - Bai Tu Long Bay
After breakfast, you’ll leave for Bai Tu Long Bay, which is every bit as beautiful as its famous neighbor, Halong Bay; or actually more stunning as many travelers' feedback. There you’ll board a wooden junk to take you through the Bai Tu Long Bay area and admire the fascinating limestone karsts on the way.
After lunch, you will cruise to visit Thien Canh Son cave in the 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 a mineral seawater pool, fitness room, or spa and massage services (spa and massage services are excluded) before dinner. The route is designed to avoid busy areas and includes a very quiet location in the 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.
Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, guide service
Day 5: Bai Tu Long Bay - Ha Long - Hanoi - fly to Danang - Hoi An
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 rowboat, meet the local people and pass through the floating school and fish farms. You will check out of the cabin and cruise towards the harbor while a buffet lunch is served.
You’ll arrive back at 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.
Included: Breakfast, lunch, guide service
Day 6: Hoi An private cooking class with a visit to Tra Que vegetable village / ancient town exploration
After breakfast, your driver will arrive at your hotel to pick you up for 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 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 favorable 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 a reasonable cost.
Included: Breakfast, lunch, guide service
Days 7: Hoi An free days
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 a complimentary bicycle for you to explore Hoi An on your own (subject to availability).
Included: Breakfast
Day 8: Hoi An - Hue foodie tour
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 in Hue, you will be transferred to the city center. You will hop on your personal cyclo, powered by an experienced driver, and cross over the historical Trang Tien Bridge to visit the colorful 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 discs topped with shrimp), Banh Uot (Hue wet rice paper), 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 cruise along the Perfume River to the Hue city center. It’s time to sit back and cap off your busy day with a beautiful sunset over the river. You will then be transferred to your hotel and spend the night in Hue.
Included: Breakfast, street food, guide service
Day 9: Thuy Bieu village - Hue’s Ancient Citadel
After breakfast, you’ll drive 7 km from the city center 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.
You will then stop at a silk painting family to see the 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 enthusiastic 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.
Included: Breakfast, lunch, guide service
Day 10: Hue - fly to Ho Chi Minh City - Saigon nightlife on a scooter (join-in)
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 your guide and transferred to your hotel in the city center.
In the evening at 18.00, you’ll start exploring Saigon on a back of a scooter and enjoying the local food of Ho Chi Minh City. Accompanied by 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, and 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 crackers. Then, hop on the scooter and have a wonderful ride for around 30 minutes through alleyways and see cloth shops on fashion streets, food vendors, and a walking park where locals do exercise at night.
After a great view from the scooter, you will stop at a local food place for Pho (Beef Noodle Soup) and Banh My (the most famous street food in Vietnam). After the meal, we will take you to the Nguyen Thien Thuat area, one of the most famous street food areas in Saigon with considerable diversity in the style of the cuisine and local culture. This place is the integrated one that has lots of 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 favorite drinking spot for some beer and soft drinks. Sit on a small table and chair, have a great chat with our tour guide, and get to know more ingredients of the cuisine and local life.
You’ll be back at your hotel around 10 p.m. You will spend the night in Ho Chi Minh City.
Note: The tour will be through busy streets and alleys to see the nightlife of locals and enjoy street seafood and cold drinks, places where foreigners won't be found. After enjoying as much street food as you can, you’ll enjoy the music and the bars the way the Saigon people do. Vegetarian food can be arranged.
Included: Breakfast, dinner, driver pickup in Hoi An, guide service in Ho Chi Minh City
Day 11: Ho Chi Minh City - Cu Chi - Ho Chi Minh City Orientation
After breakfast, your guide will take you to visit the famous Cu Chi tunnels, a Byzantine maze of underground passages, chambers, rooms, and booby traps used by both the Vietminh and the Viet Cong to suddenly materialize as if from nowhere, launch a lightning ambush, and vanish equally rapidly.
After lunch, you’ll return to Ho Chi Minh City and your guide will show you around the city. You’ll visit the Reunification Hall – an early colonial masterpiece constructed to accommodate the Governor-general of Indochina. The Binh Tay market and China Town are worth a stroll to explore the local daily life and the cultural mix.
You’ll also call in at the Jade Emperor Temple. It’s one of the best Taoist temples in Vietnam, with superb effigies, remarkable carved panels of the descent to Hell, and somewhat incongruous terrapin and tortoise sanctuaries. You’ll spend the night in Ho Chi Minh City.
Included: Breakfast, lunch, guide service
Day 12: Ho Chi Minh City / Cai Be – Experience lifestyle with local people in Mekong Delta / Ho Chi Minh City
After escaping from Ho Chi Minh City’s urban sprawl, you’ll travel to Cai Be. After approx. 2.5 hours’ drive, you’ll arrive at Cai Be pier. You’ll take a boat trip to visit the Cai Be floating market. The boat cruise will also take you to visit some of the handicraft industries' cottages on the bank of the river like coconut candy, rice crackers, and a honey bee farm.
After leaving these places you will be straight to Tan Phong Island where you’ll visit many fruit orchards like durian, rambutan, Longan, Plum, and Jackfruit (seasonal), you can pick and taste some of the fruits as you wish. Continuing to Mr. Nam On, where you’ll learn of the traditional instruments and enjoy the traditional folk song show performance by the local artists on the island.
Farewell Mr. Nam On, you’ll take a small sampan to the zig-zag small canal to a lodge where you’ll have lunch with some of the traditional typical dishes of the Mekong area, including the Deep Fried Elephant's Ear Fish.
You’ll have a short break then you will take the bicycles to start exploring and taking part in some activities with the local people such as learning how to knit water hyacinth, making rice paper cake, and nail polish tools from bamboo. You can try your hand at any process as you wish. Farewell to these villagers’ houses, and you’ll return to Ho Chi Minh City for your overnight accommodation.
Included: Breakfast, lunch, guide service
Day 13: Cai Rang floating market/Ho Chi Minh City
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. 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.
Included: Breakfast, lunch, guide service
Day 14: Ho Chi Minh City departure
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. Tour ends!
Included excursions
Hoi An city tour
Overnight cruise in Ben Tre, Mekong Delta
Overnight cruise in Ha Long Bay
Quy Nhon Free and Easy
Saigon street food and nightlife by Vespa
Location
Food
The package includes daily breakfast at the hotels, as well as lunches / dinners as specified in the itinerary.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation
What's included
- Breakfast
- 13 nights accommodation sharing a twin or double room
- Pick-ups and transfers by private air-conditioned vehicle as specified in the itinerary above (Please note: pick-ups will be by a guide and driver or, where a guide is not necessary, a driver only. All unaccompanied drivers will be briefed in advance, and will carry a mobile phone to ensure smooth transfer arrangements)
- Domestic flight tickets: Hanoi – Danang and Hue - Ho Chi Minh City, including domestic airport taxes
- Boat cruises as specified in the program. All Ha Long Bay boats will be fully licensed and comply with current safety regulations
- Travel in an appropriate private air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced safe driver.
- The services of experienced English-speaking guides as indicated in the itinerary (please note: guides will be on hand from pick-up until guests return to their hotel or reach their destination). Free days or part days will not include the services of a guide unless requested and included in the final itinerary
- Where necessary, entry fees for all visits as mentioned in the program
- Lunches and dinners (as specified in the itinerary) in the best local restaurants, or picnics where no suitable restaurant is available
- VAT and other taxes
What's not included
- International flight tickets and airport tax
- Visas
- Dinners, except as specified above
- Drinks, gratuities, and personal expenses
- Surcharges for Peak seasons (if any)
- Compulsory dinner (if any)
- Insurance
How to get there
Recommended Airports
HAN
Noi Bai International Airport
20 km
Transfer included
Airport information
This trip starts from Hanoi and ends in Ho Chi Minh City. Clients will fly in Noi Bai airport (45-min drive from city center) and out from Tan Son Nhat airport (30-min drive from city center).
Airport: Noi Bai International Airport
Airport transfer included: Noi Bai International Airport
No additional charges. You can request this in the next step.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 14% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through Tripaneer.com. All major credit cards supported.
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