You will be met at your hotel in the late morning, our team will drive you to Chợ Hôm or Chợ Chau Long market to learn about and taste some of the ingredients used in the local cuisine. You will get familiar to some of the vendors, explain the ingredients for sale and assist with the purchasing of any items they may wish to take home.

Enjoy a Vietnamese cà phê (coffee) or trà (tea) with the locals, Cafe Thọ - one of the many sidewalk cafes in the historic French Quarter. We will offer you an overview of the Vietnamese food scene, particularly in Hanoi.

Continue to Truc Bach Lake to sample phở cuốn, a grilled beef and rice noodle roll with fresh herbs, along with several other local snacks.

Lunch at one of Hanoi’s best bún chả establishments. Situated down a narrow lane, guests will sit on tiny stools at low plastic tables along with the regular crowd of bún chả aficionados and enjoy traditional grilled pork and rice vermicelli noodles with fresh herbs and greens like true Hanoians. Very few foreigners ever find this eatery so it is a very special treat.

The rest of the day is to visit the city highlights which including Vietnam Women’s Museum – the museum is located near Hoan Kiem Lake and offers wonderful insight into the lives of Vietnamese women.  Displays highlight Vietnam’s vast cultural diversity and educate on the significant role Vietnamese women play in Vietnamese society. Learn historic and modern-day traditions centered around births, weddings, motherhood, spirituality and more; the Temple of Literature - in 1076 Quoc Tu Giam - Vietnam's first university also referred to as Van Mieu, was established within a temple to educate Vietnam's royalty, mandarins and members of the elite. The university functioned for an incredible 700 years and its gardens and well-preserved architecture offer a fascinating glimpse into Vietnam’s past. Continue to the nearby mausoleum of the historic figure and father of modern Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh (viewed from outside), and visit the former president’s house on stilts where he lived from 1958 to 1969. His former home illustrates the modesty of this Vietnamese revolutionary. Visit the small but iconic One Pillar pagoda before heading back to your hotel.

Overnight       : Hanoi
Meal(s)           : Breakfast | Lunch (local food)

Hanoi – Halong: 3-hour drive

After an early breakfast it’s a three-hour drive from the city to Halong Bay, passing through a number of typical North Vietnamese towns and villages. Upon arrival you will be welcomed aboard your traditional junk; the same style that have sailed the bay for 100’s of years.

Lunch is served as you depart port. You will soon leave the mainland far behind, navigating amongst the jagged limestone islands and karsts emerging from the emerald waters. Whilst some islands are no more than large rocks others are far more substantial in size.

During your cruise there will be opportunities to disembark, often using smaller boats, or possibly kayaks, to venture into hidden grottos and caves. You will also make stops to explore points of interest such as floating fishing villages and picturesque lookout points.

Noted:

The cuisine throughout your cruise is both plentiful and of a very high standard. Each junk operates a different itinerary and on-board facilities vary. Your consultant will be very happy to discuss each option with you.

Overnight       : Halong
Meal(s)         : Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

In the early morning many of the islands are alive with the sound of various sea birds nesting in the thick green vegetation that engulf the limestone karsts. Early risers may wish to start the day with a Tai Chi class on the top deck as the sun rises over the bay. Enjoy brunch on board whilst your junk slowly turns back in the direction of the mainland, passing points of interest such as Sung Sot Cave. ……Arrive back in port in the late morning. Disembark and transfer to Hanoi in time for your flight to Danang. Meet our team and drive for 30minutes to Hoian town. Check in and the evening is free on your own.

Hội An is a city on Vietnam’s central coast known for its well-preserved Ancient Town, cut through with canals. The former port city’s melting-pot history is reflected in its architecture, a mix of eras and styles from wooden Chinese shophouses and temples to colorful French colonial buildings, ornate Vietnamese tube houses and the iconic Japanese Covered Bridge with its pagoda.

Overnight       : Hoi An
Meal(s)           : Breakfast | Brunch

Discover the ancient town during our walking tour, this is a place oozing with charm, and having largely escaped the destruction of successive wars, its streets and architecture are a delight to explore. Stroll past the many Chinese Assembly Halls, from the Cantonese Chinese Congregation with its impressive main altar, to the Hainan Chinese Congregation, which serves as a memorial to 107 merchants from Hainan Island who were mistaken for pirates and killed during the reign of Emperor Tu Duc. Stop by the Japanese Covered Bridge, which was constructed in the 1590s by the town’s Japanese community to link them with the Chinese quarters across the stream.

Lunch is served at Morning Glory Restaurant. Situated in an elegant traditional-style building in the heart of Hoi An’s old town, Morning Glory’s ground floor specializes in local Hoi An ‘street food’, while the upstairs balcony is perfect for small groups as the views over the street are excellent.

The remainder is on your own leisure.

Overnight       : Hoi An
Meal(s)           : Breakfast | Lunch

Together at the meeting point, we join a short drive to Tra Que Organic Village, and walk through the market gardens where local farmers work their fields using the traditional methods of hundreds of years ago - no electrical machinery here. We pick fresh saw-tooth coriander and Vietnamese mint for our cooking lesson later, before trying a special herbal drink at a local home.

To the local village market and with shopping list in hand we purchase a range of local ingredients, including star anise, cardamom, sesame rice paper, water spinach and banana flower.

Arriving at Red Bridge Cooking School we have a chance to freshen up before beginning our class. Working together with our Red Bridge Chef we learn the traditional ways of preparing and cooking Vietnamese food from scratch. Using the freshest ingredients and traditional Vietnamese utensils (still in use today) we cook 4 famous dishes, including the national dish ‘Pho’…After the class we sit down and a chance to savour the dishes we have prepared. Leisurely cruise (25 minutes) along the Hoi An River back to central Hoi An.

Overnight       : Hoi An
Meal(s)           : Breakfast | Lunch

This morning, we will leave Hoian An for Hue. This scenic route passes through Danang then continues over the Pass of Ocean Clouds before dropping down to the wonderfully photogenic fishing village of Lang Co, and finally arriving in Hue….We check in Hue once arriving.

No culinary tour of Vietnam would be complete without a visit to Hue. Regarded as the best in the country, the ‘royal cuisine’ of Hue originated with in the days of the Nguyen Dynasty, when the rulers were served lavish meals to meet their exacting culinary demands.  Although the emphasis today is on presentation, the delicious flavors of the royal cuisine continue to tempt modern palettes.

Evening, we enjoy an exclusive private dinner at the lovely Tha Om garden house. A Hue “nha vuon” usually consists of a main and back entrance, and a small wall, rockwork and plants in the front yard and in the house itself. The path leading around the wall from the entrance gate is lined with tea bushes or apricot trees. The typical house is made with a timber frame and roofed with brick tiles. The whole house stands on big pillars placed on a round or square stone base, which is sometimes decorated. The altar of the family’s ancestors occupies the central room.

Overnight       : Hue
Meal(s)           : Breakfast | Dinner

This morning starts with a visit to Thien Mu (Celestial Lady) Pagoda overlooking the Perfume River. Constructed in 1601, the 21-meter-tall tower is the centerpiece of the pagoda and represents the seven reincarnations of Buddha. Continue to the tomb of the former emperor Minh Mang, which is located in a tranquil setting of gardens and ponds.

Continue to the Imperial Citadel where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945. The ancient citadel reflects the pomp and ceremony of the dynastic rulers as well as the scars of many years of turmoil, both ancient and modern (the Royal Citadel was badly damaged in the latter stages of the war) but retains a sense of grace and majesty even today. From here take a cycle through dai noi ‘Old City’ to Tinh Tam Lake where the Emperors used to come to relax; full of lotus flowers in summer there are many local style coffee shops around the lake where university students come to study.

After exploring the ruins of this wonderful monument, we stroll around Dong Ba Market , the market is another of the must see sites in Hue, the stalls are teeming with color and a great place to catch a glimpse of everyday life. 

For lunch, you can try some traditional Hue specialties at one of the best local tables. Frequented only by the locals, this restaurant specializes in banh uot, a steamed rice pancake stuffed with delicate, finely chopped pork, and bun thit nuong, a rice noodle dish served with grilled meat.

Overnight       : Hue
Meal(s)           : Breakfast | Lunch

We today leaving Hue on a short flight heading to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). On arrival, do a guided city tour to enjoy frenetic and fascinating mixture of old and new city. You go to the Reunification Palace, formerly South Vietnam's Presidential Palace, was built in the 1960s and remains largely untouched since the day Saigon finally fell to North Vietnamese troops in 1975; War Remnants Museum offering a shocking reminder of the long and brutal Vietnam War, with many graphic photographs and American military equipment on display, including a helicopter with rocket launchers, a tank, a fighter plane, a single-seater attack aircraft … Others offer visitors a sense of the region’s French Colonial past; Notre Dame Basilica was built in the late 1800s, and the pink neoclassic confection that is Saigon Central Post Office was designed by Gustave Eiffel himself.

Explore a side of city that few tourists even know exists, let alone get to visit, by plunging into the heart of District 1’s maze of narrow alleyways. Walk through the small back alleys and towards the local residential areas, with their bustling, colorful, aromatic markets, and a variety of small-scale businesses that seem a world away from the city you have seen up until this point.

Evening, explore the colorful nightlife of the city on your own.

Overnight       : Saigon
Meal(s)           : Breakfast | Lunch

Venture off the tourist trail and explore local, authentic Saigon life on this 2-hour market tour...Morning picks up at your hotel to start a short drive to the flower market entrance. Open day and night, this market sells flowers from all over Vietnam. Walk through small alleys and meander through countless flower stalls, taking time to learn the flower names, smell their exhilarating perfume, and interact with the vendors. Exit the quiet freshness of the flower market and delve into a bustling local market. Discover different types of local products such as vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, rice, clothes and jewelry.

Step off the beaten track into the oldest quarter of the city. Explore Saigon’s well-kept secret, Antiques Street (Le Cong Kieu), followed by a visit to the Beaux-Arts Museum, a superb neo-colonial building home to various modern arts.

Return to the hotel and freshen up.

EVENING TOUR WITH VESPA TEAM: 18:00 – 22:00

Experience the nightlife of Saigon the way locals do, all from the back of a vintage Vespa scooter!

Begin at 18:00 with a pick up from the hotel before hitting the buzzing streets. The first stop will be a varied sampling of light evening snacks before continuing to a traditional quan (bia hoi) for dinner and drinks. Complete the evening out just like the locals- with a visit to a Vietnamese-style coffee shop. The night adventure finishes at 22:00 with a transfer back to the hotel.

Overnight       : Saigon 
Meal(s)           : Breakfast | Dinner (local street food)

A 2.5 hour drive southwest from Saigon will take you to the Mekong Delta, the largest rice basket of the country with friendly farmers who always wave hello when you come across. The most special thing about this tour you will feel relaxed and excited while cruising along the river is to take a deeply insight into the great combination of local cultures and sceneries in this gorgeous water way region. It’s all sure to bring you unforgettable moments ever.

Board your wooden charming boat, the Mekong Queen, at Ba Ton’s local pier and start cruising on Mekong River while sampling local fresh fruits, letting the cool breeze touch your hair, you will find the place a truly destination to spend the day relaxing.

Leave the boat for a while to visit the local business where you can interact with the local people to learn more about their daily life. Continue with your boat through the “heart” of the town’s trading activities with lots of lots of floating vendors lining up their boats in the middle of the river with their agricultural products hung on bamboo poles. This is not the biggest floating market but it is good to understand the life of the river, one of the tourist magnets of the Mekong Delta. Have fun with a leisure sampan ride through canals before boarding the boat for a short cruise to visit a local family who make handicraft products from water hyacinth.

Then have your taste pleased by mouth-watering specialties of the Mekong Delta from a home hosted lunch at an ancient local home.

A two hour drive back to Saigon will end your lovely excursion exploring the countryside of Vietnam and offering you remarkable experiences in the journey of discovering Mekong Delta.

Overnight       : Saigon
Meal(s)           : Breakfast | Lunch

At leisure till your departure.

Meal(s)           : Breakfast