Vietnam Food Tour 10 days: Vietnamese Cuisine Experience

Warmly welcome you on arrival at Noi Bai international airport. We transfer you with a comfortable vehicle to the city center of Hanoi to check-in your hotel. This day is scheduled to take some rest after your long flight. You have the opportunity to get some first impressions of the city by yourself and of course our tour guide is always available at your request.
In the evening, we take you to have a dinner at a local restaurant or even an option to taste Pho Cocktail – such a special drink conquering the most fastidious customers.
Accommodation        : At the hotel in Hanoi
Meals                      : Dinner

Today morning, we start a full day tour with activities regarding to culinary.
At the sunrise, we take a walk around Hoan Kiem Lake where many elders have a daily morning exercise such as aerobics, yoga or TaiChi... We then sit on a restaurant to have a Vietnamese traditional breakfast – Pho noodles. If you tried Pho cocktail in the previous night, you must be impressed with its taste.
After breakfast, we continue walk to Dong Xuan Market learning about Vietnamese fruits and vegetables. You can touch them or even taste them to know those ingredients thoroughly.
We then head to visit the mausoleum of the nation’s founder Ho Chi Minh. Located in the center of Ba Dinh Square, this is the most important monument of Vietnam in which Ho Chi Minh’s body is preserved. This site only opens on Tuesday to Thursday and weekends from 08:00 – 11:00.
We also visit Presidential Palace and the Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts. The Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house was completed on May 19th, 1958 as a birthday present for uncle Ho and becomes a symbol of his simple life.
 
Close to this complex is the One Pillar Pagoda. The pagoda looks like a lotus blossoming from the square pond. It was constructed in 1049 by King Ly Thai Tong based on his dream of Goddess of Mercy seating on a lotus flower and giving him a boy. In 1954, it was destroyed by the French and then restored in 1955.
Our destination in the afternoon is Thuong Tra Teahouse. Coming to this shop, you not only enjoy the most exquisite Vietnamese teas, hand-made themselves the delicious teapot by carefully selected tea tools; but you can also feel nostalgic emanating from things that passed through the years. In the busy, crowded streets, sometimes it is enough to find a quiet stop like this.
Late afternoon, we come to a cooking trained school for disabled children called KOTO. Here, you will have an opportunity to learn how to make Vietnamese spring rolls, various seafood cuisine and dessert as well. Enjoy feasting on the fruits of your labor before going to the last destination today: a local coffee house to taste a unique experience: “egg coffee”.
Accommodation        : At the hotel in Hanoi
Meals                      : Breakfast, Dinner

Breakfast served at hotel and then starts a 4-hour driving through the rich farmlands of the Red River Delta to Ha Long City.
Declared as a World Heritage site by the UNESCO in 1994, Ha Long Bay is one of Vietnam’s most spectacular natural attractions. Nearly 200 km far from Hanoi, the bay is dotted with 1600 limestone islands, capturing visitors’ attention. 
Arrive in Ha Long Bay, we get on a cruise enjoying a trip through the limestone cliffs and emerald waters of Ha Long Bay, giving us the chance to take in the stunning scenery of this World Heritage Site. While on board we will be served a sumptuous fresh, local seafood lunch followed by a swim and exploring some of the limestone caves in this area. When the sun comes down we drop anchor for the night nearby a remote island.  Dinner served on board.
Accommodation        : On Ha Long Bay Cruise
Meals                      : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Rising to the tranquil beauty of the bay we have time for an early morning dip with joys and emotions for watching sunrise on sea followed by breakfast. This morning we continue to move around the bay to find more secluded areas. The junk will be near us at all times serving as a back-up vessel for those that require it. At around midday we will return to the main harbor before transferring to our awaiting vehicle for a 4-hour journey to Noi Bai airport for a flight to Da Nang.
Arrival in Da Nang, we continue proceeding to Hoi An for overnight. It was a busy international commercial port for foreign merchants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Today, Hoian is popular for its peaceful beauty, eclectic architecture, tailors and cafes.
Accommodation        : On Ha Long Bay Cruise
Meals                      : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today morning, we walk to have our first glimpse of this beautiful boutique town recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site. The tranquil and charm of  with its low tiled houses of Chinese appearance, Japanese covered bridge, make it one of Vietnam’s most delightful places.
We stop at the restaurant for a local lunch with specialties of Hoi An.
We then take a boat trip on Thu Bon River to visit Thach Ha, the ceramic and pottery village. Learn how to make the beautiful jars and bow.
 
Return to Hoi An and the time is on your own to explore such a lovely town yourself. Hiring a bicycle to wander around is also a good option.
Accommodation        : At the hotel in Hoi An
Meals                      : Breakfast, Lunch

Morning, you will cycle to Tra Que Vegetable Village. Your cycling trip takes you on narrow roads to visit a place of display farming and fishing tools of the local farmers and fishermen. In this place, you will participate in daily activities of the local residents in the old time such as bailing out water with long handles buckets, pounding rice, lifting fishing nets, etc. Especially, you will savor boiled sweet potatoes dipping them into ground salty roasted peanut, drink lotus tea gathered from Tra Que lotus lagoon and listen to folk songs about Quang Nam native country, Hoi An Old Town as well as Tra Que Vegetable Village.  
After that you will keep going the tour to a house of a local resident to hear about history of the village foundation and the development of this village. Then local farmers will take you to see vegetable gardens and instruct you the techniques of planting and cultivating many kinds of vegetables planted in the gardens. You have a chance to join hand in cutting, tying in bundles, and reaping the vegetables to bring home for processing food. Back to Tra Que’s family house, you will enjoy yourself with "foot massage" before working together with our family chef to learn the traditional ways of preparing and cooking Vietnamese food. Then, sit down and savor the dishes you have just prepared. In the afternoon, say goodbye to your host family and ride back to Hoian, on the way, visit Nhat tomb and Ba Le well.
Accommodation        : At the hotel in Hoi An
Meals                      : Breakfast, Lunch

Today morning, we transfer back to Da Nang taking a flight to Saigon.
Upon arrival, we pass the now-demolished wartime War Remnants Museum before we visit the Reunification Palace. 
War Remnants Museum primarily contains exhibits relating to the American phase of the Vietnam War. War Remnants Museum comprises a series of themed rooms in several buildings, with period military equipment placed within a walled yard.
Reunification Palace is a unique construction designed for the President of South Vietnam during Vietnam War. When entering, visitors can not only admire its architectural beauty but also enjoy fresh atmosphere created by trees and grasses around.
We then move to some French colonial structures including the Old Sai Gon Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral.
Notre Dame Cathedral is one of the most famous architectural monuments influenced by European architecture. Both its exterior and interior are impressive with bright red color of bricks, stained glass panels and carved tiles, attracting many tourists.
The final destination of a city tour is Ben Thanh Market. Developed from informal markets created by early 17th century street vendors gathering together near the Saigon River, Ben Thanh Market is the earliest surviving structure and an important symbol of Saigon. It is also a good place to by handicrafts, textiles, souvenirs and local cuisines.
In the evening, we dive into local life in a bustling alley packed with food vendors who have spent decades perfecting their special dishes. While sampling a variety of simple street food, you’ll hear stories about this local neighborhood and how history has influenced the Saigon’s culinary scene.
Some dishes you’ll try will have a little taste of France, the former colonial rulers of Vietnam. Some dishes contain flavors from China, which ruled Vietnam for 1,000 years. Some nights you might even get a hint of Korean undertones.
Our Street Food 101 tour usually includes four stops, including Vietnamese dessert-in-a-glass at a local market on the way back to your hotel.
We’ll take you to and from our favorite foodie neighborhood by motorbike taxis or scardey-cat option of taking a taxi. This requires a slightly earlier pickup (to navigate the peak hour traffic) and a small surcharge.
Once in our foodie alley, we’ll walk from place to place, in amongst the everyday chaos of motorbikes, bicycles, kids, grandmas, street soccer, hairdressers and drink stations.
Accommodation        : At the hotel in Saigon
Meals                      : Breakfast, Dinner

Today we make a ride to Cai Be, joining a local boat trip passing through floating market, viewing the people of Mekong Delta are doing business on the water, gliding through the lush green vegetation of the canals, reach to an orchard for a delicious local lunch with completely tropical fruits.  After lunch we keep on cruising along river to see peaceful tranquil life of villagers, admire marvelous natural setting of Mekong Delta region. About 03:00PM, the boat wills arrival at Vinh Long town, walking around to explore local market of Vinh Long.
Vinh Long is a province located in the Mekong River Delta of southern Vietnam. It is the islands in the Mekong River rather than the town itself that is the highlight of a trip to Vinh Long. Traveling by water is a common practice here for such mundane tasks as grocery shopping as well as getting to restaurants and tourist attractions located on small islets accessible only by boat. Most of the islands are given over to fruit orchards and the narrow canals are often straddled by flimsy-looking wooden bridges made from the trunks of coconut palms or bamboo and known as monkey bridges.
We then back to Saigon for overnight.
Accommodation        : At the hotel in Saigon
Meals                      : Breakfast, Lunch

Today we depart for visiting agricultural villages combining with cooking class. Not only will they teach you how to cook, but you will learn how to use food as medicine and discover Vietnamese food culture. The class is held in the most beautiful agricultural village where to see Vietnamese Medicine Garden with many different kinds of herbs, spices and vegetables. You also learn how to grow many kinds of mushrooms in Mushroom House and experience what it is like to be a Vietnamese farmer.
We then hand on a cooking class with three dishes and 1 dessert, and enjoy feasting on the fruits of your labor before we back to Saigon.
If you desire, we can take an optional tour to from the skydeck of Bitexco Financial Tower.
Accommodation        : At the hotel in Saigon
Meals                      : Breakfast, Lunch

The time is on your own until we transfer to the airport, taking a flight back to your country.
Accommodation        : Not available
Meals                      : Breakfast