FLAVORS OF VIETNAM

DAY 1 : ARRIVAL HANOI – CITY TOUR (- / - / -)

Noi Bai Airport to your chosen hotel in town (35km): 1hr

Arrival at Noi Bai International airport, warm welcomed by our guide & driver then transfer to the city. Hanoi, Vietnam's capital, is a stylish and gracious city that retains a unique old world charm and some Asia’s most striking colonial architecture. The many lakes and parks make for relaxing atmosphere.

Late afternoon, transfer out to visit the peaceful lake of Hoan Kiem with Ngoc Son Temple. Take 1-hour cyclo ride to visit Hanoi Old Quarter.
In the evening, we attend the performance of the famous Vietnamese traditional art of water puppetry at Thang Long theatre.

Meal: Welcome dinner by Vietnamese cuisine Overnight at hotel The Ann

DAY 2 : HANOI – HA LONG (135km) : 3.5hrs OVERNIGHT ON BOAT (B /L /D)

Morning pickup at 8:00 AM from your hotel for transfer to Ha Long Bay, which is about 160 km or 3 hour drive away. On the way, you will see some rural areas of the Red River Delta with plenty of chances to take photos of Vietnamese farmers working in paddy fields. Stop half way to visit a handicraft workshop of fine clothes and embroidered paintings.

Arrive in Ha Long City at 11:30 AM and check in aboard the booked junk when your journey across Ha Long Bay starts. Ha Long Bay meaning Descending Dragon Bay in Vietnamese as legend has it that it was where a holly dragon landed down from sky. The bay, famous as one of the world’s wonders and heritage sites whose formation dates back 500 million years, consists of around 2,000 karst islands and islets scattered over an area of 1,553 km2.

After the welcome drink is served, start cruising while having lunch on board and enjoy the mighty bay view. Ha Long Bay meaning Descending Dragon Bay in Vietnamese as legend has it that it was where a holly dragon landed down from sky. The bay, famous as one of the world’s wonders and heritage sites whose formation dates back 500 million years, consists of around 2,000 karst islands and islets scattered over an area of 1,553 km2.

The bay cruise will continue with up close sighting of Dinh Huong Island, Ga Choi Island, Dog Island, Sail Island, a visit to Sung Sot Cave and swimming stop at Titov Beach (depending on each boat’s itinerary) or just spend time relaxing on board, enjoying the bay view at sunset, have dinner after, go fishing at 09:00 PM and spend a night on board.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Overnight at Calypso Cruise

DAY 3 : HA LONG – HANOI (BRUNCH) (B / - / - )

In the morning, refresh your body and mind with a Tai Chi exercise on the sundeck at the break of dawn. Have tea and coffee onboard and continue exploring Ha Long Bay sailing across its 2000 islets and visiting some of its major highlights. Normally, check out at 09:30, have a buffet brunch while cruising back to shore.

Disembark at 11:00 AM transfer back to Hanoi capital.

Afternoon, city tour with the Temple of Literature, known as the first university of Vietnam, built in 1070 by the Ly Dynasty to honor Confucius, sages and outstanding Vietnamese scholars, established within a temple to educate Vietnam's royalty, mandarins and members of the elite.

End of the day, our guide will take you on a culinary adventure, sampling street food in the Old Quarter. It’s a great opportunity to try all those weird and wonderful foods you see but just aren’t sure what they are! Start your Hanoi Street Eats tour at Bia Hoi corner to try the local brew, a draft beer that traces its roots to Eastern Europe. Do as the locals do and pull up a stool and enjoy a drink while watching the world go by.

Meal: Breakfast, Brunch, Snack & drinking during short street food tour Overnight hotel in The Ann

DAY 4 : HANOI – HUE - HOSTED DINNER WITH DEMO COOKING (B / - / D)

Phu Bai International Airport to Hue town (18km): 20 mins Flight time from Hanoi to Hue: 1h 15 minutes

Morning, free at leisure until transfer to airport for flight to Hue.

Arrival Hue, meet our guide and transfer to hotel for check in. Lunch at leisure (not included in tour price). Afternoon, city tour to visit Hue Citadel - Vietnam’s former imperial capital and recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. With an area of 500ha and a system of three circles of ramparts, namely from outside to inside: Kinh Thanh Hue (Hue Capital Citadel), Hoang Thanh (Royal Citadel) and Tu Cam Thanh (Forbidden Citadel).

Then, we cruise along the Perfume River. Being the former royal capital, Hue's surrounding countryside contains several of the tombs of the former. Stop at Thien Mu Pagoda, It is an active Buddhist monastery with its origins dating back to 1601. Overnight at hotel in Hue.

End of day, the group will enjoy home hosted with cooking Demo.

With a short drive from your hotel, you will be welcomed by a friendly local family. It is a typical traditional house located in a village just 5 km far from the Hue city. Surrounded by evergreen trees, it has been the home for three generations which it has been seen very often in Vietnam. Getting acquainted and experience a home cozy atmosphere while interacting with the local host, seeing the family album to learn about the family’s culture customs. Some minutes later the host will demonstrate how traditional dishes are cooked, together we participate in setting the home meal if you wish.

Enjoy a lunch or dinner meal featuring some local delicious specialties made from all natural ingredients.

A typical menu includes :

❖ Banh Beo cake which is made from rice flour with shrimp broth and prawn chopped ( another
❖ option could be “Banh Cuon” known as spring roll)
❖ Fig salad is a healthy food mixture of fig, peanut, sesame and basil.
❖ Beef noodle is also well-known locally as “Bun Bo”, noodle soup with beef chopped in slices,
❖ Crab paste and meat broth.
❖ Dessert with local fruits which even are home grown ones.

Meal: Breakfast, Dinner at local home Overnight hotel at Eldora

DAY 5 : HUE – DANANG – HOI AN (B /L /-)

Hue to Hoi An (120km) : 3hrs

Morning, leave Hue we drive south to Hoi An. The scenic road is hugging the coastline before crossing over the winding Hai Van pass. A view from the top of the pass is one of Vietnam’s most impressive panoramic scenes.

We stop en route to visit the Cham Museum in Da Nang City, the Lang Co beach and the Marble Mountain, whose peaks represent the five elements of the universe and proceed to Hoi An. Lunch at local restaurant.

Arrival Hoi An, check in hotel then take city tour to visit the ancient architecture of Hoi An is a fascinating combination of Vietnamese traditional characters with Chinese and Japanese influence. There are plenty to see in this delightful town, some of which are the famous Japanese Covered Bridges, the Pottery Museum, the 200 years old Tan Ky House, the Chua Ong Pagoda, the vibrant market. Today we include these on a walking tour past many low tiled houses scattered along the small streets and assembly halls which reflect the town's multicultural past. End of day, free at leisure on Cua Dai beach or your own activities.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch Overnight hotel at Belle Maison Hadana Hoian Resort & Spa

DAY 6 : HOI AN - HO CHI MINH (B / L / -)

Hoi An to Da Nang Airport (25km) : 30mins

Tan Son Nhat International Airport to your chosen hotel in town (8km) : 25mins

Flight time from Hue to Ho Chi Minh : 1h 15 minutes

Morning, free leisure until transfer to the airport for flight to Ho Chi Minh City.

Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by many locals, is crowded with bikes and motorbikes, excited by numerous shopping area and sidewalk cafés. Arrival, meet with our guide & driver transfer to hotel for check in. Lunch at leisure.

Afternoon, take a short tour to visit Fito Museum, the first traditional medicine museum in Vietnam. The museum shows how traditional herbs and medicine have been developed in Vietnam throughout history. The museum also showcases a collection of ancient medical tools. Your guide will take you around the museum and help you to learn more about Vietnamese culture through traditional medicine and practices.

Continue on to visit the Reunification Hall, one of the most historic landmarks in Ho Chi Minh City built on the site of the former Norodom Palace. Designed as the Presidential Palace during the Vietnam War, it was where the official handover of power took place during the Fall of Saigon in 1975
Make a brief photo stop at the Notre Dame Cathedral in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City. It has a neo-Romanesque façade and two bell towers tipped with iron spires that reach a height of 190 feet, dominating the skyline. Your next stop will be to visit the classic 19th century French colonial Post Office. The largest post office in Vietnam, it is an important communications hub for most of the city’s inhabitants. Inside, the building has huge vaulted ceilings with vast maps of Vietnam on both sides of the main hall.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch Overnight hotel at Grand hotel Ho Chi Minh

DAY 7 : HO CHI MINH – COOKING CLASS – CU CHI TUNNEL (B / L / -)

Ho Chi Minh City to Cu Chi Tunnels (75km) : 1h 30 mins

Start Ho Chi Minh City at 7:30am to HCM Agricultural Villages 8:45am

Visiting HCM Agricultural Villages from 8:45am – 10:00am

• Visiting Cow areas
• Visiting Buffalo Areas
• Visiting Rice Fields
• Visiting Big Herbs, Spices, Vegetables and Mushrooms areas
• Challenges on the Garden Become real Vietnamese Farmer on Vietnamese Traditional Hat and Pick up a lot of Herbs.

Cooking Challenges 10:00am -1:30pm

• Hands on cooking class with three dishes and 1 dessert and enjoy what they have done
• Enjoy Great Healthy Cooking Tips
• Congratulation with nice certificate, recipes, souvenirs
• Collect email and Update nice healthy recipes monthly

Visiting Rice Paper Factory 1:30pm -2:00pm

• Understanding the whole process to make rice paper
• Surprise to see main ingredients to make rice paper
• See how we mixed the flour with water
• See how the fresh rice paper comes out after steam
• See How we handle it on the tray and how we dried it out
• See How we cut rice paper in the shape we want
• See How we pack the rice paper in the packages before selling or exporti

Visiting Rubber Tree forest 2:00pm-2:15pm

• Exploring the Big Rubber tree forest and Understanding how the Local people Collect The Latex

Visiting Cu Chi Tunnels 2:15pm -4:00pm

❖ Watching a presentation video
❖ Getting to see the tunnels and discover how these tunnels were constructed
❖ Visiting Hoang Cam's smoke-less store
❖ Trying gun shooting with real bullets (fees not included)
❖ Tasting boiled tapioca, drinking hot tea
❖ The Journey will be the end at 5:30pm in Hotel HCM City

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch Overnight hotel at Grand hotel Ho Chi Minh

DAY 8 : HO CHI MINH –DEPARTURE (B)

Leisure time until transfer to airport for flight departure.

End of the Tour