15-day Vietnam Culinary and Culture Tour

Brief information

Tour type: Private, cooking

Hotel options: 2-star; 3-star; 4-star

Duration: 15 days

Departure/end: Ho Chi Minh City/Hanoi or vice-versa

Highlights: Cooking classes in Hanoi, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City. Cu Chi tunnels, Mekong river cruise, Hoi An old town, My Son Holly land, Hue Imperial citadel, Hanoi, Halong Bay - a World Natural Heritage Site.

Features:
- Various means of transportation: car, airplane, boat.
- Different accommodation type: hotel, on boat.
- Cooking classes in different regions.
- Combination of activities, landscape, life style, climate in different parts in Vietnam.

Price: From US$1099

Brief itinerary and service:

Itinerary

Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City arrival
You are welcome by your guide at the airport and transferred by private car to your hotel. Have free time to relax to recover from jetlag. Overnight at hotel in Ho Chi Minh city.

Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City tour
After your breakfast at hotel, you will be escorted by your English speaking guide to visit main attractions in the city including Reunification Palace, War Remnants museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, Jade Emperor temple, Thien Hau pagoda, China Town and many French styled colonial buildings along the way such as centre Post Office, City Hall (Hotel De Ville)... Stay overnight at hotel in HCMC.

Day 3: Cooking class and Cu Chi tunnels
Car pick up at your hotel and transfer to HCM agriculture village. Here you will visit different areas for cow, buffalo, chicken, duck, prawn, fish, then areas for herbs, vegetables and mushroom, visit rice field. Challenge yourself on the garden to become real Vietnamese peasant, put on conical hat and start picking up a lot of herbs, spices, vegetables and mushroom to use for the lesson later. The cooking class starts right after the garden time, you will have hands on experience on three main dishes and 1 desert then have lunch with the foods you have done. After the lesson, you will get the recipes and some souvenir to bring home as well as some tips for healthy cooking from chef.

In the afternoon, proceed to Cu Chi to visit the tunnels built during the War with America. Before entering the tunnels for a real experience, you will view a short video film and presentation about the construction of the tunnels and how it was built. After that travelers can try delicious manioc which is the main food in Cu Chi during the war. For those interested there is an opportunity to fire off rounds from an AK47 or MK16 at the nearby rifle range. Back to the city centre; free in the evening and stay overnight at hotel in HCMC.

Day 4: Ho Chi Minh City - Mekong river cruise with Le Cochinchine
Pick up from your hotel and proceed to Cai Be harbor. Upon arrival, get on a motor boat to explore the lively Cai Be floating market. Stop at Mekong lodge, a green area on the bank of Tien river. Walking around the area to see local people doing their daily activities and preparing lunch for their families. Time to embark Le Cochinchine boat, enjoy welcome drink then check in cabin. Have lunch on board while cruising along Mekong river. Proceed to My Tho via Ngu Hiep island. Stop at Ngu Hiep island, disembark the boat for leisurely walking or cycling to visit local village. Return to your cruise and enjoying beautiful scenery and peaceful moment of sunset on Mekong river. Dinner and overnight on board.

Day 5: My Tho - Disembark - HCMC
Observe the daily life of local people inhabiting the two sides of the river in the morning when you wake up. Have breakfast on board while the boat proceed to My Tho. Upon arrival, visit an island with orchard gardens, family workshops and talk to local people. Then take a brief sampan ride through palm-shaded creeks.

Disembark the cruise and return to HCMC by car. Stay overnight at hotel in HCMC.

Day 6: Ho Chi Minh City - Hoi An - My Son
After breakfast at hotel, car transfer to the airport for departure flight to Hoi An. Upon arrival, your guide and driver will transfer you to your hotel. After that, have lunch and proceed to My Son to visit the ruined temple complex, a World Heritage Site of UNESCO. My Son Sanctuary is a remarkable architectural ensemble that developed over a period of ten centuries. It presents a vivid picture of spiritual and political life in an important phase of the history of South-East Asia. The monuments are unique and without equal in Southeast Asia. Let follow your guide to discover this ancient temple complex from outside to inside and listen to his explanation about its history, architectural styles and cultural significance.

Back to Hoi An, get your free time to visit this charming old town with small quiet streets, ancient houses, Japanese covered bridge, handicraft shops and so on. Stay overnight at hotel in Hoi An.

Day 7: Hoi An cooking class
Your local guide will meet you at your hotel at 08:00 and you’ll take a cyclo ride to the center of Hoi An to visit the colorful market. At the market you’ll have the opportunity to interact with local sellers and learn about the fresh ingredients you’ll be using during your cooking lesson later in the day. This is a great chance to take some photos as well, so be sure to have your camera ready!
After visiting the market, you’ll take a ride to Tra Que vegetable village. You’ll enjoy a welcome drink and then walk through the vegetable gardens where local farmers work in their fields following the methods that have been in use for hundreds of years.
Next you’ll having a cooking lesson with a chef to learn the traditional ways of preparing and cooking Vietnamese food. After the lesson, you’ll have a chance to enjoy what you’ve cooked!
At around 14:00, you’ll bid farewell to your host family before riding back to Hoi An and your hotel..
Recipes: 
• Tra Que vegetable salad Tam Huu dish
• Banh Xeo (Vietnamese Pancake)
• Hoi An spring rolls

Day 8: Hoi An - Hue
Say goodbye to Hoi An, we leave for Hue via Da Nang. On the way, we will stop at Cham museum and Marble Mountain for short visits. Then continue the trip through Hai Van Pass, the highest and one of the most scenic hillside road in Vietnam. On nice days, you can enjoy the whole vista of Da Nang city, the Tien Sa sea port, Son Tra peninsula, Cham island and long sandy beaches from the pass.

Arrive in Hue, check in hotel and have your free time to relax or explore a bit the city by yourself. Stay overnight at hotel in Hue.

Day 9: Hue city tour
Breakfast at your hotel. Then our guide and car will transfer you to the dock for a nice boat cruise on Perfume river. The boat will stop in front of Thien Mu pagoda, a historic architecture that is considered the symbol of Hue. Take your time to make a visit into the pagoda then continue by car to discover Imperial Citadel from where the Nguyen’s Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945 including Flag Tower, Noon Gate, Nine Dynastic Urns, Nine Holy Cannons, Thai Hoa Palace, and Forbidden Purple City. After lunch at local restaurant, we will visit royal tombs of Emperor Tu Duc or Khai Dinh, given a deep understanding about King’s philosophy of geomancy and how this affected royal life. On the way to go back Hue city centre, stop at some handicraft villages for a short visit. Stay overnight at hotel in Hue.

Day 10: Hue - Hanoi
Free for your own activities till pick-up time for airport transfer for departure flight to Hanoi. Upon arrival, check in hotel and enjoy your free day in Hanoi.

Day 11: Hanoi city tour
After breakfast, your tour guide will greet you at hotel lobby and take you for a full day city tour of Hanoi. We will visit Tran Quoc pagoda, the oldest one in Hanoi, located on a semi island in West lake. Then heading to Ho Chi Minh mausoleum complex, visit his stilt house and museum telling you about his life and revolutionary cause. The next stop is One Pillar pagoda, located right within the mausoleum complex area, one of the most iconic pagoda in Vietnam. The morning tour ends with a visit to the Literature Temple, the first university of Vietnam, built in 1070 at the time of King Ly Thanh Tong. This ancient site offers a lake of literature, the Well of Heavenly Clarity, turtle steles, pavilions, courtyards and passageways that were once used by royalty.

After lunch at local restaurant, we continue to visit Vietnam museum of ethnology where introduce lifestyles and cultures of 54 Vietnamese ethnic groups. Beside the indoor exhibition, the museum also has out-door area displaying number of houses modeling after the traditional architecture of ethnic minorities which makes the museum stand out from others. Optionally, we visit Hoa Lo prison, built by French colonist to keep Vietnamese political prisoners and later for American pilots. After this visit, have some time hanging around until the Water Puppet show being started. You are free in the evening for dinning and relaxing. Stay overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

Day 12: Hanoi cooking class
Pick up at your hotel and transfer to Hanoi Cooking Centre (HCC). Upon arrival, you will be welcome with Vietnamese special "La Han" tea. Then you will listen to a brief introduction of Vietnamese cuisine, highlighting the contents of traditional meal. Next, we will take a short walk to the Chau Long market, enjoy the market tour highlighting the "wet", unusual fruits, livestock, silk worms with Tracy Lister - founder of the centre and/or HCC chef. After that, return to HCC and commence cooking class with HCC chef. Finally, enjoy the foods that you have done with free flow of beer, wine or lime juice. Before leaving the class, spend time to chat with th chef - the co-founder and visit HCC shop with Vietnamese culinary tools, books, spices etc ... available for purchase.

Free in the afternoon, stay overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

Day 13: Hanoi - Halong
You are picked up at the hotel at around 8.00am to depart for Halong Bay. Upon arrival, board our traditional wooden junk boat, have a brief introduction about your trip with welcome drink before checking in. Feast on a delicious lunch as you cruise among hundreds of islets (Dinh Huong islet, Ga Choi – Fighting Cock islet, Dog islet, Finger islet, etc.) to discover untouched pockets of Halong Bay; and visit Sung Sot cave, one of the most imposing grottos of the Bay. You will then go kayaking from the Soi Sim beach to Luon Cave to enjoy the quiet atmosphere of the bay. When the night comes, enjoy dinner on boat with seafood, then attend squid fishing or just relax with your friends or family. Stay overnight on board.

Day 14: Halong - Hanoi
Enjoy Sunrise with light breakfast served on board. Continue to explore the amazing beauty of the Bay when sailing past through numerous rock formations such as: Man’s Head islet, Tortoise islet, Butterfly cave, Lion islet, Bai Tho Mountain. Arrange your luggage and do the check out onboard at around 9.00 am. Enjoy a wholesome brunch as your boat weaves through strange-shaped limestone rock formations.
At about 11.45am, arrive back at Halong city for disembarkation where your driver waits to take you back to your Hanoi, on the way call on a ceramic village to see craftsmen do their works. Arrive in Hanoi in late afternoon and have free time for dinner (at your own cost). Stay overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

Day 15: Hanoi departure
You are free for your own activities or leisure until pick-up time to get to the airport for departure flight.

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