Vietnam Culinary Vacation

Upon arrival Ho Chi Minh City, you will be welcomed by Vietsense Travel’s tour guide and car driver at the airport then transfer to the hotel in city centre. Check in and stay overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Meals: None

Today begins with a cooking class held at Ho Chi Minh City’s Cookery Centre. First visit a local market to investigate the local produce and how to purchase ingredients, followed by an introduction to Vietnamese culinary culture. There is a whole range of menus from which to choose: each has been developed to ensure an all-round essence of Vietnamese cuisine. Taste the results of your efforts in the form of lunch.

In the afternoon, enjoy some time at leisure. There’s plenty to see and do in the city. A popular route to visit including the Unification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Old Saigon Post Office and Cholon, the city’s lively Chinatown. Alternatively, go to the huge Ben Thanh market, one of the liveliest areas of Ho Chi Minh City, you will find it packed with every conceivable commodity then wander to discover the street food in the evening.

Meals: Breakfast

After escaping from Ho Chi Minh City’s urban sprawl, you will travel to Vinh Long where a Mekong River cruise will take you to visit the fruit orchards, a traditional family-run brick kiln, and some long-established cottage industries. You’ll drive further into the Mekong Delta to Can Tho. Upon arrival, call in at the Munir Ansay – an ancient Khmer style pagoda, renowned for its unique structural decorations. Constructed in 1948 and modelled on Cambodia’s famous Angkor Wat complex, the’ Three Treasures’ tower, the Munir Ansay pagoda has many intricate statues and pillars. Today, approximately a million Khmer people live in Vietnam, mostly in the Mekong Delta provinces. After visiting, drive to Can Tho for overnight.

Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast and a boat cruise, visit Cai Rang floating market on the Mekong Delta. Both the journey and the market provide insights into the rural Mekong Delta lifestyle. On your return to Ho Chi Minh City, you’ll visit the beautiful and ancient Vinh Trang pagoda, three kilometers from the centre of My Tho. Then arrive in Ho Chi Minh City in the late afternoon with time to freshen up at the Hotel.

Meals: Breakfast

Following breakfast, transfer to Tan Son Nhat airport for the flight to Hue. Upon arrival, check in hotel and go to visit the Imperial Citadel of Hue and the Dong Ba market. In the evening, enjoy the dinner in the pleasant surroundings and a comfortable atmosphere of romantic restaurant with traditional meal based on the distinctive characteristics of classic Hue cuisine.

Meals: Breakfast

Today head south-east to the outskirts of Hue for a visit to Thuan An market, followed by a short visit Tam Giang lagoon by boat. From there, a country road takes you to a small village where villagers continue the simple process of drying fish naturally (weather allowing). Then, take a visit to the Thien Mu Pagoda and the Emperor Minh Mang’s Tomb. Each Royal Mausoleum reflects the personality of the Emperor it commemorates. The most majestic is that of Emperor Minh Mang, a staunch follower of Confucianism with many wives, concubines and a small army of children. Planned by the Emperor and built shortly after his death in formal Chinese style, it’s opulent and exotic, and a good example of classic Sino-Vietnamese architecture. Overnight in Hue.

Meals: Breakfast

Today, drive through Danang and climb over the Pass of Ocean Clouds and drop down to the wonderfully photogenic fishing village of Lang Co before visiting the Cham Museum, which contains the finest collection of Cham sculptures in the world. Arrive Hoi An, check in hotel and enjoy a guided walking tour of the ancient town Centre, including the 400 year old Japanese covered bridge and the colorful local market area of this unique city, which has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The rest of afternoon is free before dinner at the famous White Lantern restaurant for a five-course meal featuring Hoi An’s unique cuisine.

Meals: Breakfast

This morning visiting the local produce market before cruising along the Thu Bon River to join in the Cooking class. Here you will tour the school’s herb gardens and enjoy an informal cooking lesson. Your chef will explain the secrets of popular Hoi An specialties. The town is famous for dishes like Cao Lau, a medley of a yellow noodles, pork slices and pickled hot peppers, and Mi Quang, a noodle dish featuring boiled quail’s eggs and chunks of baked rice cakes.

Spend the afternoon lazing on the beach or getting that last minute fitting at the tailor!

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Following breakfast, transfer to the Danang airport for a flight to Hanoi. Take a visit the serene Tran Quoc Pagoda, the oldest in Hanoi, on the banks of Hanoi’s Ho Tay (West) Lake. The Centre of Hanoi, including Hoan Kiem Lake, the Ngoc Son temple and Hang Be (or Dong Xuan) market, a local market in the city’s Centre and the bustling Old Quarter, is a magnet for visitors – it’s noisy and hectic, but definitely a ‘must-see’ attraction.

Walking tour involves tasting and exploring Hanoi’s typical street food and snacks. Popular light meals include Banh Cuon (fresh rice pancake cooked on site wrapped with mushroom and meat), Bun Cha (fresh rice noodle with grilled pork belly) and/or Sinh To (mixed tropical fruit). As the day begins to wane, you may like to visit a small local café tucked away in a small alley in the Old Quarter. It’s a popular venue for its view over the Hoan Kiem Lake and its type of Vietnamese coffee.

Meals: Breakfast

Following breakfast, leave for Ha Long Bay, one of the most spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Areas and the world’s largest marine limestone ‘karst’ landscape. Board a wooden junk to take you through karst rock formation on Bay. Then ship docks in the dotted area for swimming or kayaking though a hidden lagoon. The route is designed to avoid the busy areas and includes a very quiet location for your overnight stay.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Wake to the fresh air of the bay with a swim or you can relax on the sundeck. After breakfast, continue your cruise to visit a fishing village where you’ll have an opportunity to explore the amazing caves, enjoy the village and the hidden lagoon in a rustic rowing boat. Then get back to the board for cooking class to make typical food. Cruise back to the dock around noon where you will be picked up to return to Hanoi. The remainder of the day will be your own and overnight in Hanoi.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Depending the flight time, take some rest or further exploration Hanoi until transfer to the airport for your onward flight.

Meals: Breakfast