Itinerary
- Intro
Introduction
- Day 1
Hanoi
Hanoi- Accommodation
- Hotel 4* (Flower Garden Hotel)
Optional Activities
- Street food tour of Old Quarter exploring Dinh Liet and Ta Hien Street with local vendor stops
- Welcome meeting with tour leader at 5pm
Landmarks Hanoi Old Quarter Dinh Liet Street Ta Hien Street - Day 2
Hanoi - Bat Trang - Halong Bay
Hanoi - Bat Trang - Halong Bay- Meals
- Breakfast (Traditional Vietnamese pho at local stall with beef bones simmered overnight in rich broth, served with thinly sliced beef flank or brisket, flat rice noodles and fresh herbs)
- Accommodation
- Hotel 3* (New Star Ha Long 2 Hotel)
Included Activities
- Breakfast at local pho stall with traditional Vietnamese pho
- Egg coffee (ca phe trung) tasting
- Visit to One-Pillar Pagoda
- Visit to Temple of Literature
- Visit to Presidential Palace grounds and Ho Chi Minh's teak stilt house
- Cookery course in Bat Trang village learning to make cha gio (spring rolls), cha la lot (beef-stuffed betel leaves), and thit xien nuong (grilled meat skewers)
- Local insights into Bat Trang village history from resident
Landmarks One-Pillar Pagoda Temple of Literature Presidential Palace Bat Trang village - Day 3
Halong Bay
Halong Bay- Meals
- Lunch (Delicious seafood lunch served onboard charter boat)
- Accommodation
- Hotel 3* (Van Long Green Hotel)
Included Activities
- Charter boat cruise through Halong Bay limestone islands
- Visit to limestone caverns
- Seafood lunch onboard
Landmarks Halong Bay - Day 4
Ninh Binh
Ninh Binh- Meals
- Lunch (Farm-fresh meal prepared on farm with local produce)
- Accommodation
- Sleeper Train (Overnight Train to Dong Hoi)
Included Activities
- Boat cruise on Van Long reservoir
- Visit to traditional villages
- Cookery lesson with local family learning com chay (burnt rice)
- Farm work participation including rice cultivation, banana leaf cutting, and garden tending
- Farm-fresh lunch prepared from local produce
- Leisurely bike ride through rice paddies visiting pagodas and small villages
- Overnight train journey on Reunification Express in soft-sleeper four berth cabin
Landmarks Van Long reservoir - Day 5
Phong Nha
Phong Nha- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast at a local hotel), Lunch (Barbecued river prawns, grilled fish, marinated BBQ pork and freshly prepared Vietnamese salad)
- Accommodation
- Hotel 3* (Muong Thanh Hoilday Quang Binh)
Included Activities
- Guided tour of Phong Nha Cave by wooden boat
- Guided tour of Paradise Cave with boardwalks and lighting
- Exploration of Phong Nha National Park
Optional Activities
- Swimming in the Son River
Landmarks Phong Nha Cave Paradise Cave Phong Nha National Park Son River - Day 6
Dong Hoi - Hue
Dong Hoi - Hue- Meals
- Dinner (Private dinner with local family sampling local specialties)
- Accommodation
- Hotel 3* (Thanh Lich 2 Hotel)
Included Activities
- Visit to De-Militarised Zone (DMZ) and 17th parallel
- Exploration of Vinh Moc underground tunnel network and village
- Visit to Quang Tri Citadel
- Ben Hai River crossing
- Private dinner with local family sampling local specialties
Landmarks De-Militarised Zone (DMZ) Vinh Moc village Quang Tri Citadel Ben Hai River - Day 7
Hue
Hue- Meals
- Lunch, Dinner (Dinner with local family sampling Hue cakes, wet rice pancakes and noodles with grilled pork, followed by fruit green bean cake at a coffee shop)
- Accommodation
- Hotel 3* (Thanh Lich 2 Hotel)
Included Activities
- Visit to Dong Ba Market
- Guided tour of Imperial Citadel of Hue
- Cooking class to make green bean cake with a local family
- Visit to Thien Mu Pagoda
- Visit to Tu Duc Tomb
Landmarks Imperial Citadel of Hue Thien Mu Pagoda Tu Duc Tomb Dong Ba Market Perfume River - Day 8
Hai Van Pass - Hoi An
Hai Van Pass - Hoi An- Meals
- Lunch (Lunch prepared during cooking class at Tra Que Herb Village)
- Accommodation
- Hotel 3* (Thanh Binh Central Hotel)
Included Activities
- Scenic drive over Hai Van Pass
- Visit to Tra Que Herb Village and meeting with local farmers
- Herb foot soak experience
- Cooking class at Tra Que Herb Village
- Walking tour of Hoi An Old Town
- Visit to Japanese Bridge
- Visit to Chinese Meeting Hall
Landmarks Hai Van Pass Tra Que Herb Village Hoi An Old Town Japanese Bridge Chinese Meeting Hall Thu Bon River Delta - Day 9
Hoi An
Hoi An- Accommodation
- Hotel 3* (Thanh Binh Central Hotel)
Optional Activities
- Visit to My Lai village massacre memorial
- Fishing trip to Thu Bon River Delta with traditional cast net fishing demonstration
- Vietnamese basket boat rowing experience
Landmarks Hoi An Old Town Japanese Bridge Chinese temples and meeting halls My Lai village massacre memorial Thu Bon River Delta - Day 10
Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh City - Mekong Delta
Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh City - Mekong Delta- Accommodation
- Home-stay (Ut Trinh Homestay - Ben Tre)
Included Activities
- Sampan journey through narrow Mekong Delta waterways
- Visits to villagers making local delicacies
- Tasting of baked potato cakes, Vietnamese doughnuts, and suong sam (Vietnamese jelly)
- Cycling alongside palm-fringed canals
- Meal preparation with hosts making ca loc nuong trui (grilled snakehead fish), banh xeo (rice pancakes), and banh la mit (jackfruit leaf cake)
Landmarks Mekong Delta Ben Tre - Day 11
Mekong Delta - Ho Chi Minh City
Mekong Delta - Ho Chi Minh City- Meals
- Lunch (Lunch after cooking class at local house), Dinner (Street food tour sampling fried quail eggs with tamarind, nam vang noodle soup, crispy sweet potato balls and avocado ice cream)
- Accommodation
- Hotel 3* (Alagon Central Hotel)
Included Activities
- Boat tour of Mekong Delta
- Visit to local market in Mekong Delta
- Cooking class at local house for Vietnamese snacks
- Street food tour in Ho Chi Minh City
Optional Activities
- Visit to craft beer house
Landmarks Mekong Delta Ho Chi Minh City Old Saigon - Day 12
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City- Accommodation
- Hotel 3* (Alagon Central Hotel)
Included Activities
- Morning at International Barista School learning about coffee making and Vietnam's coffee history
- Coffee tasting and latte art lesson
- Walking tour of Ho Chi Minh City including Opera House, Hotel de Ville, Notre Dame Cathedral, and GPO building
Landmarks International Barista School Opera House Hotel de Ville Notre Dame Cathedral GPO building - Day 13
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
