11 Day Foodie & Gourmet Vietnam

Enjoy your hearty breakfast at hotel and this morning is spent with a half day city orientation to visit historic landmarks of the city: Notre Dame Cathedral, Post Office, Presidential Palace and sacred Thien Hau Temple. Enjoy tasty PHO 2000 and challenge your bargain skills and shopping around Ben Thanh market. At 06:00 pm, join in our interesting Saigon after dark foodie tour on scooter. You will have great chances to sample and savor the most amazing dishes that Vietnam has to offer. Our drivers and guides will take you to different parts of the city that locals offer different Vietnamese foodies from South up to North. Back to the hotel at around 10:00 pm. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh city.

After breakfast, you will be escorted by a local host and chef and taken to a local vegetable market, strolling through a lively market to show you the fresh, regional ingredients on offer. Here at the market, you’ll see how the Saigonese haggle and stock up on provisions for the day. Then, head back to your host’s house (restaurant), where you’ll learn how to cook some popular Vietnamese dishes. Choose your favorite dishes from a menu; when you’re done, sit down to enjoy your home-cooked lunch! Return to hotel, in time to relax. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh city.

Breakfast at hotel and this morning you will check out and leave Saigon for Mekong Delta. Soak up the Mekong Delta’s pristine natural scenery aboard a traditional sailing vessel in southwestern Vietnam. Explore the region’s meandering tributaries, discovering breathtaking landscapes and getting a glimpse into what life is like along the river during this unforgettable private excursion. Return to the city, in time to take an evening flight to Danang. Met by a local representative and you will be transferred to your accommodation in Hoi An. Rest of evening will be at leisure. Overnight in Hoi An.

Breakfast at your hotel and your morning at leisure. Be charmed by Hoi An, an ancient town, now a UNESCO World Heritage site is one of Vietnam’s most picturesque and atmospheric towns that you have ever seen. This afternoon is spent with a half-day walking city tour with a first stop to bustling and colorful market – a visually stunning place where you can see locals selling and buying staples for their daily meals. Get immersed in the area if you are interested in photo shooting, you will surely capture the ones that you love. Then we will come back to the town, walking along Thu Bon river to visit Japanese Covered Bridge – This symbolic icon of Hoi An was built by the Japanese almost 500 years ago. It is notable for its statues of monkeys and dogs, reflective of sacred Japanese emblems. Continue to a Chinese communal hall, a colourful mélange of bright gates, dragon statues and elaborate rooftops. Get an introduction to ancestor worship while visiting the family altar and watching local devotees making offerings. Next stop to visit Thanh Ha pottery village, a traditional village famed for pottery products. Watch how unique pieces are created. Spend your free time to go shopping at Hoi An’s famous handicraft shops, art galleries. Hoi An is a shopping paradise and the town is also famous for its large number of tailor shops, so if you want to have a new wardrobe made up, this is the time to do it. Transfer back to the hotel. 

Breakfast at your hotel and you will be taken to Vy Market restaurant in the town. Take a boat trip from there to Hoi An’s colourful central market. Tour of the market with an English speaking guide followed by an interesting and informative tour of Vy’s Market Restaurant, watching live cooking demonstrations with actual involvement and many food tastings. Two hour hands-on cooking class, lunch, recipes a Vietnamese cooking utensil to take home. Rest of time at your leisure, or you will make your own exploration to the town for shopping. Overnight in Hoi An.

Breakfast and spend your full day at leisure. No activity today. Overnight in Hoi An.

Breakfast at your hotel and you will be taken by your driver to the airpot to catch a short flight to Hanoi city. Met by a local representative on arrival and you will be transfer to your hotel. Checking in to your accomodation and you will spend at rest of morning at leisure. In early afternoon, you will visit a traditional market to try regional specialities and learn a little about how the delicious dishes are made. Cooking demonstration and have dinner with a Hanoian host. Return to hotel after dinner. Overnight in Hanoi city.

Breakfast at the hotel and then today you will enjoy a comprehensive orientation city tour of Hanoi. Hanoi is the country’s cultural heart, bearing traces of centuries of changing dynasties. You will visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Presidential Palace and the historic complex including Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house, One Pillar Pagoda. Also visit the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” prison, where American prisoners of war were once confined; the Temple of Literature and the Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts or History Museum at your choice. Break time for lunch at a local restaurant and then later, travel by cyclo as a local would through the Old Quarters. You will enjoy an interesting traditional water puppetry performance by local artisans before transferring you back to the hotel. Evening is free at leisure. Overnight in Hanoi city.

Breakfast at the hotel. Today you will visit Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Drive from Hanoi to the emerald waters, limestone outcrops and echoing caves of this serene spot. On arrival Halong city, you’ll board the beautiful junk boat/cruise for your overnight stay on the bay. In the evening, enjoy a freshly made seafood meal as you watch the sunset over the dramatic seascape.