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HANOI – HA LONG BAY – HUE – HOI AN – SAIGON – CU CHI TUNNELS – MEKONG DELTA
(11 days/ 10 nights)
OVER VIEW:
Vietnam is one of the most delightful destination in South East Asia to discover the wonderful culinary. In 11-day-tour of Vietnam Travel Consultant, you will have a chance to go around the local market to observe the daily life and be instructed to select fresh ingredients for cooking class as well as learning about the Vietnamese method to prepare food. Vietnam Culture and Cuisine tour shows the special cuisine along Vietnam from North to South, from local street food to Vietnamese traditional set menu and a special dinner with royal style. This tour also offers you some very special and differrent ways to explore and try lots of tasty yummy food. You are surely impressed by diverse ingredients, special receipt and careful instruction. Let’s enjoy!
DAY 1 – HANOI ARRIVAL
Included meals: No
Arrive in Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi, you are meet and warm welcome. Transfer to the centrally located hotel for check-in and free at your leisure. Accommodation in Hanoi
Note: Early check in is due to the availability of hotel. Normal check in time is at 14.00
DAY 2 – HANOI VISITING AND STREET FOOD TOUR
Included meals: Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner (local street food)
This day tour is our first introduction to the history of Vietnam. We spend the morning visiting Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, One Pillar pagoda, The West Lake and learn more about the historical and cultural events at the peaceful Temple of Literature. In the afternoon, we visit the Ethnologic museum, followed by an hour cyclo tour through the bustling Old Quarter. A walk through its exciting streets is a fascinating introduction to the different lifestyles of Vietnam, and an opportunity to shop for bargains. You then attend the performance of the unique water puppetry.
After a short break you will start the street food tour with our tour guide. The tour will offers you many kind of Hanoi’s specialties. We are open for you to discuss with our guide about the kinds of food based on your interests. At the end of the tour, you can enjoy a Vietnamese egg coffee or a glass of draught beer. Free at leisure for the remainder of the afternoon and accommodation in Hanoi
Tips: Hochiminh Mausoleum is closed on Monday and Friday and from June to September
Museums are closed on Mondays
DAY 3 – HANOI/ HA LONG BAY (OVERNIGHT ON CRUISE)
Included meals: Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
In the morning, we will depart for Ha Long Bay, listed as a World Heritage Area of outstanding natural beauty. Driving through the heart of the Red River Delta where you will see many farmers tilling their green fields, stop on route to admire the landscape picture, you might take picture of buffalo. Ha Long Bay means “Dragon descending to the sea” as it is known in Vietnamese, picturesque Ha Long bay has more than 1.000 limestone islets rising from the sea, many of them containing beautiful grottoes. Arrive in Ha Long and board the cruise. You will have a full day activities on Ha Long Bay include visiting the floating village, nice cave, demonstration cooking class on cruise… Dinner and overnight on cruises.
Note: Each cruise will have the different itineraries. The itineraries of cruises may be changed due to the weather and the water condition
DAY 4 – HA LONG BAY/ HANOI/ FLY TO HUE
Included meals: Breakfast/ Brunch (early lunch)
Weak up in early morning and you can enjoy in the Taichi Exercise. Han a light breakfast with cake, tea and maybe noodle. Continue to explore Ha Long Bay following the program of cruise. Back to cruise and check out, have brunch. Disembark the cruises and take the car to Noi Bai airport to take direct flight to Hue. Arrive in Hue, you are warm welcome and transfer to hotel for check in. Free time at your leisure. Accommodation in Hue
DAY 5 – HUE ENCIENT CITADEL
Included meals: Breakfast/ Royal Dinner at local restaurant
Located in the center of Vietnam, Hue was the capital city of Vietnam for approximately 150 years during feudal time (1802–1945), and the royal lifestyle and customs have had a significant impact on the characteristics of the people of Hue, even long afterwards. This morning, we will take cruise on the Perfume River to visit Thien Mu Pagoda. Then, visit the impressive tombs of King Minh Mang and Khai Dinh and then take time to visit Hue’s Ancient Citadel and Imperial City. Created in the 19th century, inside the citadel was a forbidden city where only the emperors, concubines, and those close enough to them were granted access; the punishment for trespassing was death.
The rest of day is free to explore the crowded market of Dong Ba where you can bargain for anything from souvenirs and bronze goods, to Hue sesame sweetmeat and conical poem hats.
One of the most famous thing of Hue is the Royal cuisine. Each dish is prepared carefully and decorated formally. A very special dinner in Hue with all dishes in royal style will make you know more about our cuisine culture. Overnight in Hue
DAY 6 – HUE/ DANANG/ HOI AN
Included meals: Breakfast
Depart for Hoi An. On the way, we stop to visit Hai Van Pass, Cham Museum and Mable Mountain.
Hai Van Pass, also known as “Sea Cloud” Pass crosses. This is the pass vehicles generally used to travel from Da Nang to Hue and vice versa. The pass goes through the highs and lows of the Truong Son Mountain Range and gives travellers a spectacular view of the shoreline. As the name says, during winters or raining days, the pass get misty and it makes you feel as though you are travelling on clouds.
Marble Mountain was one of four mountains located south of Da Nang that stretched from the coast inland (westward) for about three miles. These mountains are riddled with caves and tunnels. Continue on to Hoi An and check in your hotel. Free time at your leisure. Accommodation in Hoian
DAY 7 – HOI AN COOKING CLASS AND ANCIENT TOWN VISITING
Included meals: Breakfast/ Lunch
In the morning you will enjoy in the cooking class in Hoi An to know about the cultural cuisines of Vietnam. We start the day with a welcome drink at the meeting point. Then visit Hoi An’s colorful market, and experience the amazing sights, sounds and aromas of this busy market. We will have the opportunity to interact with the local sellers and learn about all the ingredients to be used in the cooking lesson later.
We board the Red Bridge boat for a leisurely cruise (25 minutes) along the Hoi An River to the Red Bridge Cooking School. This is a chance to view local river life, so make sure your camera is handy.
On arrival, we explore the cooking school’s herb garden, before learning about some of Hoi An’s and Vietnam’s well-known dishes. The cooking lesson runs for about 2 hours – the Red Bridge chefs first demonstrate each dish before we prepare the same dish ourselves. Included in the class is a brief introduction to Vietnamese food carving (plate decoration). After the lesson, we sit down and eat what we have cooked.
Transfer back to Hoi An town for your visiting the ancient town. Hoi An nestled on the banks of the Thu Bon River. Before the river silted up, Hoi An was one of the most important trading ports in Southeast Asia, and a Centre for East-West exchange and trade. In the early 1980s Hoi An’s ancient quarters and historical monuments came under the protection and restoration efforts of UNESCO and the Polish government.
The visit including: Japanese Bridge, Phuoc Kien Pagoda, Tan Ky House or Tran Phu 77 and one of the museum. Lunch at local restaurant.
In the remain of your day, you will be free to go shopping and making tailor clothes. Back to your hotel and free at your leisure. Accommodation in Hoian
DAY 8 – HOI AN – DANANG/ FLY TO HOCHIMINH CITY AND VISIT CU CHI TUNNELS
Included meals: Breakfast/ Lunch
After breakfast at your hotel, transfer to Danang airport to take the direct fight to Hochiminh City (formerly named Saigon). Arrival and you are warm welcome. Hochiminh City is the largest city in Vietnam. The city was influenced by the French during their colonial occupation of Vietnam, and a number of classical Western-style buildings and French villas in the city reflect this.
We drive 70 kilometers North West to explore the underground tunnels in Cu Chi which system had been created long time back, from 1948 to assist Viet Cong in the combat with French. In places, it was housed up to 10,000 people who virtually lived underground for years… getting married, giving birth.
Back to the city and check in hotel. Free at your leisure and accommodation in Saigon
DAY 9 – EXCURSION TO MEKONG DELTA
Included meals: Breakfast/ Lunch
This morning, we will depart for My Tho. Visit to the flood plains of the Mekong Delta, “the mystic serpent with nine tails.” To Vietnamese, the river is Cuu Long, “The River of Nine Dragons,” referring to the number of mouths as the river empties into the sea.
Take a boat trip along Mekong River by motor-boat. During a boat cruise along Mekong River you will have a chance to see fish cages, floating house and the activities on the River. The boat take you to Xep canal, where is the place you totally escape from the busy town. The boat cruise in the coconut trees canal takes you to a small islet. We disembark and have a walk around the village. Stop at a local family to enjoy tropical fruit, taste honey tea, honey wine and listen to Vietnamese traditional music, performance by the villagers.
Continue walking on the village’s road and have a horse cart trip along village road. Get off for a rowing boat in the small canal to the motor-boat and then head to the restaurant on the other islet.
Get back to the pier and make your way back to Saigon. Overnight in Saigon
DAY 10 – HOCHIMINH CITY VISITING AND EVENING FOODIE TOUR ON VINTAGE VESPA
Included meals: Breakfast/ Dinner (local food)
This morning, you will get picked up from hotel and enjoy the visit in Saigon, including the War Remain Museum. Historically, the War Museum as part of the Vietnam and World Peace museums system was born on Sep 4. The next stop is the Notre Dame Cathedral, built between 1877 and 1883 and one of the city’s major landmarks. In the other side of Notre Dame is Sai Gon Central Post Office. The building was constructed by the French colonists in early 20th century during French Indochina.
Visit Ben Thanh Market and free for shopping. Back to hotel for leisure.
In the evening, , enjoy the foodie tour on Vespa Vintage. Part night excursion, part street food adventure.Get picked up from your hotel and first stop is to Café zoom to “watch the world goes by” (quoted by The Lonely Planet) and enjoy cocktail and appetizer (inclusive) before adventuring into favorite local eating spot. Guests experience the nightlife of Saigon the way locals do, all from the back of a vintage Vespa.
The tour will start with a ride to part Chinatown and then heading to District 4 through busy streets and alleys to see the night life of locals and enjoy street sea- food and cold drinks, places that foreigner won’t be found. Leaving district 4 to district 3 the tour pass through downtown district 1 to take in the sights on the way to Banh Xeo, specialty of Saigon and southern food with the locals. Then the tour will continue to a hidden Vietnamese-style coffee shop to have a taste of Vietnamese music (live) as a local.
After this, the tour will bring guest to a lively music venue to enjoy the drinks with live music. Guests ride pillion behind our drivers.
Back to hotel and overnight in Saigon
DAY 11 – DEPART FROM HOCHIMINH CITY
Included meals: Breakfast
Free at your leisure until time transfer to airport to take your departure flight back to your home. End of our services.
******* HAVE A NICE TRIP *******
Included:
– Accommodation at hotel basing twin/double/triple sharing as noted
– 01 night on overnight cruise in Ha Long Bay
– Kayak/ Rowing boat on the Bay
– Hanoi Street food tour with local food and drinks
– Meals as indicated in program at local restaurants (excluding drinks)
– Cooking class in Hoi An (Join class)
– Evening foodie tour on Vintage Vespa in Saigon
– Modern transportation during your day tour.
– Boat cruises in Ha Long, Hue and Mekong Delta
– Entrance fees as stated in the tour program.
– Local good and experience English speaking guide in all your day tour
– Water on car
Complimentary:
– Approval visa letter to entry Vietnam (not included the visa fee at 25.00/ pax which will be paid directly at the airport)
Excluded:
– International ticket in/ out Vietnam
– Domestic tickets Hanoi – Hue//Danang – Saigon
– Banking/ Credit card fees (if any)
– Any meals, drinks other than specified.
– Tip and personal expenses.
