Throughout Vietnam Cooking Tour 12 Days

Day 1: Arrival – Saigon

Welcome at Tan Son Nhat Airport and transfer to Saigon center. After you’ve checked in the hotel, we start 12-day Vietnam tour package by enjoying a walk around the city center. Ngon Restaurant is the first culinary stop to enjoy the Vietnamese traditional food in Saigon.

• Meal: Only dinner
• Accommodation: Hotel in Saigon

Day 2: Saigon Cooking Course and City Tour

Morning: Join a cooking class run by Vietnam Cookery Center.

• Before the class time: visit the famous Ben Thanh Market for around 1 hour.
• The market tour informs you of the Vietnamese ingredients like meat, seafood, fruit, and vegetables. Expect to learn how to distinguish some different ingredients which are later used for cooking practices.
• Head back to the Vietnam Cookery Center to be ready for the learning time!
• After a few hours, you can even bring out the “talent chefs” in you. Besides being about to cook the delectable dishes, you will also learn more about Vietnamese Cuisine Art and get the hands-on experiences for the later practice at home.
• The popular menu includes a local soup, braised fish or pork.
• After the class, it’s time to taste your self-cooked food plus some dishes prepared by the restaurant.

Afternoon: Begin a city tour to China Town. Spend time doing homage in Thien Hau Pagoda – the local revered religious venue where people come to pray for health and wealth. Remarkably, on the first edition of Lonely Planet of Vietnam, there was the photo of incense burners right in this pagoda.
The next minutes are used for sightseeing the extraordinary local cafeterias on the street where the movie “The Lover” had been recorded. Take your time savoring a cup of coffee there. The city tour goes on to some local shops which sell various colorful decorative objects made from paper. Then, you might expect to see the largest wholesale market in the town, Binh Tay Market where to find almost every product. The Binh Tay was erected by Quach Dam, the rich Chinese merchant in the year of 1930. His statue and his tomb are put in the center of the market. The visitors mostly find it interesting to view both the bustling market vibe and the ancient Chinese architecture. At the end of the day tour, have dinner at Indochine Restaurant.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
• Accommodation: Hotel in Saigon

Day 3: Saigon – Da Nang – Hoi An

Morning: You’re at leisure before the departure flight to Da Nang City to continue the Vietnam cooking tour. When arriving at Da Nang Airport, the first destination to see is Cham Museum to witness the historical objects of the Cham culture and history. Then, have lunch at Apsara Restaurant. After lunch, enjoy the trip to Hoi An, one of the most bustling trading centers of the Southeast Asia in the 16th century that preserves the old houses and shops for tourists.

Afternoon: You will a nice afternoon in Hoi An Old Town via walking. For discovering the authentic local handicraft, come to see Thang Loi Handicraft workshop located at Phan Chau Trinh Street to touch the valuable pieces of wood carving, lantern, mat carving, silkworm raising, embroidery picture, etc. The majority of locals’ income comes from selling these handicrafts to the travelers, which helps enhance the local living standard. Walking around Hoi An Ancient Town, you go through the small alleys from Phan Chau Trinh to Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Streets. This route showers you with the interesting ambiance of the old town. Along the route is the famous Tan Ky Old House, one of the musts to see in Hoi An. Then, walking toward Nguyen Thai Hoc Street to reach the local market and the Phuc Kien Congressional Assembly Hall which functions as the venue for Chinese communities and the worshipping temple to Thien Hau (the Goddess who protects people on the sea that holds the great significance on the Chinese merchants’ and fishermen’s belief). The next minutes are your free time to go shopping at the preferred shops in the town.
Evening: Have dinner with Hoi An Chicken Rice, the very well-known dish which makes Hoi An Culinary Tour attractive to the foodies worldwide. Also, take your opportunity to taste the delicious Vietnamese sandwiches at Banh My Phuong – the reputable address for the best “Banh Mi” in the old town recommended by the celebrated chef Anthony Bourdain.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
• Accommodation: Hotel in Hoi An

Day 4: Hoi An Cooking Class with Ms.Vy at The Market Restaurant

Morning: Get ready to visit the local fish market to buy the fresh fish which later becomes the major ingredients for the cooking session. The nice chefs will teach you the uses of some different kinds of noodles, the ways to select and buy the fresh fish as well as some herbs, and the effects of spices in Vietnamese recipes which might relate to some medicinal benefits. What’s more, it’s good to know about the local rice, grains, and fruits.

The practices are done at The Market Restaurant. On the return from the local market to the restaurant, you can expect to see lots of attractive street food carts, offering the live cooking performances, and remember to taste some dishes namely the newly made Vietnamese sandwiches. The other fascinating street food in Hoi An are the rice crepes, rice paper, and dumpling served with Hoi An chili sauce. Furthermore, make sure you know how great the authentic Cao Lau dish (a kind of noodle that is very famous in its homeland). The discovery goes on excitingly with various offers of Vietnamese tea, homemade cupcakes, sweet treats, etc. Then, you arrive at the Restaurant for the cooking class which takes around 2.5 hours. The class starts with the chef’s demonstrations on how to cook each Hoi An dish. After that, it’s time for your hands-on experiences in preparing the food on your own. Once you’re finished, enjoy the self-cooked dishes and have fun. You can bring home a copy of the recipe and a Vietnamese cooking utensil.

The popular recipe includes:

1. Broth of shrimp mousse packed with cabbage leaves
2. BBQ chicken served with lime leaves
3. Mango salad with prawns.
4. Crunchy pancakes with prawn, pork, and bean sprouts.

Afternoon: It’s time for relaxing at Tra Que Herb Village where gains fame for the organic herbs. The friendly farmers there will introduce a variety of herbs and how the herbs can be grown to you. Take time savoring a cup of organic herbs and refresh! The next activity is the unforgettable cyclo trip to Cam Nam Village, passing by the Cam Nam Bridge. When the view of Thu Bon River is before the eyes, take the photo opportunities to capture the picturesque moments of the local activities and river sceneries. The panorama of the Thu Bon is best for sightseeing from its river bank – the flattering photo shop. The cyclo runs along the stunning riverside and through the idyllic villages, giving you the nice experience. Expect to meet some hospitable residents, view their daily activities, the designs of their houses, and take pictures, of course! The stop point for the cyclo trip is the little canal covered by lots of coconut trees. There you begin a boat trip to Thu Bon River and enjoy sightseeing the captivating sceneries along the river, and local life activities like fishing, catching clam, and more. Around sunset, head back to Hoi An.
Evening: Eat dinner at Ba Le Well where offers some specialties such as spring roll, grilled pork, shrimp paste, pancake, and so forth.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
• Accommodation: Hotel in Hoi An

Day 5: Hoi An – Hue

Morning: Be ready for a drive from Hoi An to Hue. Upon your arrival at the romantic and idyllic city of Vietnam, check in the hotel and eat lunch at Y Thao Restaurant – the family-run eatery serving the royal cuisine of Hue.

Afternoon: Experience the exciting cyclo trip to the nice Trang Tien Bridge and age-old Dong Ba Market. Sitting on the cyclo, it seems you’re enjoying the slow-paced journey through some antique streets and shops toward the Hue Citadel. The cyclo ends at the Noon Gate of the Imperial Citadel where you begin walking to discover the interior of the heritage. Expect to learn some facts about the Nguyen Dynasty (1802 – 1945), the Flag Towers, Nine Dynastic Urns, Thai Hoa Palace, Forbidden Purple City, Nine Holy Cannons, etc. The citadel exploration makes your afternoon truly enjoyable.

Evening: Eat at the local restaurant which serves Hue cakes namely Banh Beo, Banh Loc, and Banh Nam (all are the popular steamed rice cakes for the top Hue Food Tours).

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
• Accommodation: Hotel in Hue

Day 6: Hue City Tour and Cooking Course

Morning: Have a good morning at Dong Ba Market, the largest-scope wholesale market in Hue to buy food, vegetable, spices, fruits, and herbs. The morning market gives you the authentic experiences in how the residents live in a dynamic way. After minutes, head back to the hotel to have breakfast. Then, proceed to the well-known Thien Mu Pagoda which is the local symbol. Do homage in the pagoda and appreciate its nice architecture as well as mystic tales. Next, come to explore Kim Long Village on foot. The village gives you the warm welcome to experience the local lifestyle which has been preserved for centuries. The next hours are invested in visiting Tu Duc Tomb whose architecture is beautiful and extraordinary and listening to some stories about this great King.

Afternoon: Gather at the other recognizable religious venue – Dong Thien Pagoda where to have a vegetarian lunch. The pagoda visit gives the contribution to the kindergarten herein that helps educate the needy children. The hospitable nuns will share with you some intriguing stories about the pagoda. After a short rest at the hotel, be excited for the cooking class in Tha Om Restaurant. The 1-hour cooking practice lets you know the how to cook the royal-style menus including lantern-formed meat rolls and rice steamed cake. Once you’re done, enjoy the feast prepared by yourself as well as the restaurant.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
• Accommodation: Hotel in Hue

Day 7: Hue – Hanoi

Morning: Transfer by car to Phu Bai Airport to get the departure flight to Hanoi. Arriving at the capital of Vietnam, the first attraction for the city tour is Ethnology Museum. After minutes, it’s time for lunch in the Season of Hanoi Restaurant. Once the stomach is full with the Hanoi delicious dishes, go on visiting the revered Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the renowned Temple of Literature. Then, check in the hotel and have a rest.

Afternoon & Evening: Go to the Water Puppet Show to enjoy an exceptional art of Hanoi. Have dinner at Cha Ca La Vong to evaluate the famous fish sausage of the land. You might find yourself mouth-watering when savoring the rice noodle served with grilled fish.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
• Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Day 8: Hanoi City Tour and Cooking Session

Morning: Walk to the local food market to enjoy the bustling vibe in the morning filled with local activities and fresh ingredients. Continue your walking trip toward the Hanoi Old Quarter to appreciate some of the antique corners of the land where the residents might have breakfast on the pavement, the houses look antique, and the narrow alleys remain peaceful. As you’re in Hanoi, it’s a must to try “Pho Bo” (noodle with beef) at the reliable addresses like Pho Bat Dab or Pho Bo Hang Dong. In the top places for the best “Pho” in Hanoi, be patient to wait in line to get the delectable bowls as they usually get crowded by the patrons. After the delightful breakfast, you are reenergized to discover the Old Quarter more and might love to try some local dishes like “Banh Cuon” (a kind of steamed rice cake rolled with mushroom and minced pork), local coffee, and “Bun Cha” (vermicelli served with grilled pork).

Afternoon: Take part in the cooking session at Anh Tuyet Restaurant, and gain the hands-on cooking experiences in the 3 Hanoi traditional dishes namely “Nem” (fried meat rolls), “Nom” (mixed salad), and “Ca Hap” (steamed fish).
Before the practices, you enjoy a 1-hour market tour to get to know some Vietnamese ingredients and how to pick up the fresh bits. Then, listen to the short talk of the Hanoi gastronomy, herbs, and spices, their usages, etc. The interest goes on with cooking and cutting techniques in the Vietnamese style. Later, eat supper at the restaurant.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
• Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Day 9: Hanoi – Mai Chau

Morning: Take a route from Hanoi to Mai Chau. It must be a scenic and peaceful drive to the west of the capital, offering numerous photo moments. Raise your camera to capture the stunning views of mountains, rice fields, and ethnic houses. When you are in Mai Chau, enjoy a family lunch at the Thai-style house in Pom Coong Village and interact with the chummy ethnic people.

Afternoon: Enjoy a peaceful walking around the enthralling valley and stop by some ethnic villages. The greenness of the terraced rice field can definitely win your praises. For tasting some local food, just visit Mai Chau Market. Also, you can buy the ingredients for cooking during your homestay in the Thai’s long house. The night entertainment is enjoyable with the ethnic music show in which the performers are the Thai people.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
• Accommodation: Stay overnight at the Thai’s long house.

Day 10:Mai Chau – Hanoi

Morning: Transfer by car to Xa Linh where to begin the 2-hour trekking through the dense jungle to reach the pristine village of Muong ethnic group. On the picturesque plateau of Hoa Binh Reservoir, the untouched village appears highly friendly to the guests so that you find it comfortable to interact with the villagers and cherish the primitive scenes.

Afternoon & Evening: Drive back to Mai Chau area to have lunch at the stilted houses of the Thai hosts. Then, bid a farewell to the nice Thai family and head back to Hanoi. Have supper at Season of Hanoi Restaurant.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
• Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Day 11: Hanoi – Halong Bay

Morning: Drive to Halong Bay through the scenic Red River Delta. Upon your arrival, board the luxury Indochina Sails. Expect the welcome drink as well as the quick talk about boat safety and orientation with the detailed itinerary. After that, check in your cabins and have leisure.

Afternoon: Have lunch onboard with the multi-course Vietnamese & Western menus. If you have any dietary needs, feel free to address to be served adequately. Meanwhile, the cruise will run toward the fascinating Bai Tu Long Bay, pass by various beautiful and tranquil corners, and visit the poetic Cua Van Floating Village – one of the best highlights of the UNESCO Bay. Cua Van offers the marvelous settings of 150 floating houses filled with many friendly residents. Around the area, you can enjoy kayaking or use the bamboo boats. Before the cooking session onboard, enjoy your leisure of 1 hour and a half or more. Then, the Chefs will start the Cooking Class for all passengers to learn how to cook Vietnamese traditional food. After the class time, enjoy the happy feast.

Evening: The joy is also big with the first Happy Hour program (18:00 – 19:00) when you buy one and get one free drink. The dinner is often served at 19:30 and in the type of buffet including lots of seafood, salad, meat choices, seasonal fruits, and desserts. The night recreational onboard goes on in the dining room, lounge, upper deck, and the second Happy Hour (21:00 – 22:00). Also, relax more with the great board games, cards, massage service, and night squid fishing.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
• Accommodation: Stay overnight on the Cruise

Day 12: Halong Bay – Hanoi – Departure

Morning: Start a nice day with morning coffee, tea, and pastries which are available from 6:45. Then, at 7:00, join the Tai Chi practice for positive health effects. After that, be ready for the walking trip to the bewitching Ti Top Island. Around one hour is dedicated to climbing the steps to reach the summit for the 360-degree panorama of the wonderful Bay. What’s more, the happy day tour keeps up by swimming and playing water sports on the beach. After some dynamic activities to start the day, head back to the cruise for breakfast buffet, and “Pho” is included. Next, you’re at leisure to rest on the deck or feast the eyes with the natural beauty. Around 11:00, it’s time for disembarkation.

Afternoon & Evening: On the return to Hanoi, stop by Tho Ha Village which is famous for terracotta products even before the 20th century. The local ferry will bring you to the idyllic village where to witness how the rice paper is made right in Mr. Viet’s house. Enjoy the engaging talk with the host who used to be NVA (Northern Vietnamese Army). Say goodbye to the friendly host, you continue visiting the 400-year-old pagoda whose architecture is original and praiseworthy while the religious values are revered and peaceful with the Buddha statues. Tho Ha Village also offers the zigzag alleys filled with old houses erected from the broken sections of terracotta for your contemplation. A walk from the village to the dike allows you enjoy the panoramic village from a far over the stunning lake. Leave the village and drive to Hanoi.
Transfer to Noi Bai Airport to catch the departure flight to your next destination or home. The 12-day Vietnam Cooking Tour ends.

• Meal: Breakfast / Brunch