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Code: |
VNCK02 |
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Routes: |
Tours showcase the techniques and food
sources of Vietnam |
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Duration: |
11 Days |
Itinerary in brief
Day 1: Saigon Arrival
Day 2: Saigon Cooking Course & City Tours
Day 3: Saigon - Mekong Delta - My Tho
Day 4: Saigon - Danang
Day 5: Hoi An Cooking Tours
Day 6: Hoi An - Hue
Day 7: Hue Cooking Tours
Day 8: Hue - Hanoi
Day 9: Hanoi Cooking Tours - Half day city tours
Day 10: Hanoi - Halong Bay - Hanoi
Day 11: Hanoi Departure
Detail Itinerary
Day 1: Saigon Arrival (Meals : N/A)
Pick up upon arrival in Ho Chi Minh City.
Transfer to the hotel for check-in. Free at
leisure. Stay overnight in Saigon
Day 2: Saigon Cooking Course & City Tours (Meals : B)
Morning discussion of Vietnamese cuisine with
the hotel chef, followed by hands-on cooking
class. Enjoy your creations for lunch.
Afternoon tour of Saigon’s historic landmarks
including the Old Saigon Post Office, Notre Dame
Cathedral, former Presidential Palace. Visit
Ben Thanh market to see the abundance of spices,
fruits, and foods used in Vietnamese cooking.
Day 3:
Saigon - Mekong Delta - My Tho (Meals : B)
Heading out of the town, we
travel by roads to the Mekong Delta, Vietnam's
largest rice bowl. On arrival in My Tho we
embark on a boat navigating around the intricate
small canals in the delta region, which is a
great way to observe the local lifestyle
close-up and catch a view dotted by many
islands. The exciting excursion will pass the
lush green vegetation before arriving at the
famous Unicorn Island. Here we have
opportunities to stroll around an orchard, taste
many seasonal fruits and enjoy wonderful
traditional music. The next stop of our trip is
Ben Tre Province to visit some fascinating local
industries. After feasting on a huge lunch we
return to Ho Chi Minh, stopping off along the
way to see the beautiful Ving Trang Pagoda and
the Cho Lon, Saigon’s Chinatown, which is
crammed with sacred temples and mysterious,
narrow lanes.
Day 4:
Saigon - Danang (Meals : B/L)
An early morning transfer
to airport for a flight to Danang. On arrival we
are greeted and driven a short distance to Hoi
An which was originally a Cham seaport but has
been influenced down centuries by a myriad of
traders from various cultures. There are plenty
to see in this tranquil and delightful town,
some of which are the famous Japanese Covered
Bridges, the Pottery Museum, the 200 years old
Tam Ky House, the Chua Ong Pagoda and the
vibrant market. We visit these sights on an
enchanting walking tour past many low tiled
houses scattered along the small streets and
assembly halls which reflect the town's
multi-cultural past.
Day 5:
Hoi An Cooking Tours (Meals : B/L)
We start the day at 8.45 am with a drink at Hai
Scout Cafe - our meeting point. Visit Hoi An's
colourful 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 purchase some of 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 have a
chance to explore the cooking school's herb and
vegetable garden, before learning about some of
Hoi An's and Vietnam's well-known dishes. The
cooking class is an interesting and fun way to
learn about the local cuisine - the class runs
for about an hour and 15 minutes, and includes
demonstrations from the school's chefs as well
as the chance for us to help prepare some
dishes. Included in the demonstration is a brief
introduction to Vietnamese food carving (plate
decoration). After the cooking class, you will
be free at leisure. Stay overnight in Hoi An
Day 6:
Hoi An - Hue (Meals : B)
Morning depart Hoi An for
Hue, the capital of Vietnam under the Nguyen
Dynasty of emperors from 1802 till 1945. The
scenic route passes through Danang before
climbing over the Mountain Clouds Hai Van Pass
where a spectacular panorama of the central
coastline can be viewed at the summit, dropping
down to the wonderfully photogenic fishing
village of Lang Co located on a sand dune line.
Enjoy a fresh seafood lunch at Thanh Tam
restaurant in Lang Co village before continuing
driving to Hue. Upon arrival check in your
hotel. Afternoon , take city tours to visit
Imperial Citadel, Forbidden city and Royal
Place. Free walking to visit Dong Ba market.
Overnight in Hue.
Day 7:
Hue Cooking Tours (Meals : B/L)
At 7:30 in the morning, we follow Mrs. Cuc, the
owner of Y Thao Garden House to Dong Ba central
market, where she gives an instruction on how to
choose food for our cooking lesson at 9:30 at Y
Thao Garden House. Lunch is the food we prepare.
In the afternoon, travel by Dragon Boat on the
romantically named Perfume River to Thien Mu
pagoda standing on the riverbank with its
seven-storey tower.
Day 8: Hue - Hanoi (Meals : B)
After breakfast we explore
Hue on our own until transferring to the airport
for a short flight north. Ha Noi, Vietnam's
capital, is a stylish and gracious city that
retains an unique old world charm and some Asia
‘s most striking colonial architecture. The
relaxing atmosphere is also a highlight of
Hanoi. After checking into hotel, we have time
visiting the beautiful lake of Hoan Kiem with
its sacred temple, the picturesque West Lake and
the Dong Xuan Market. A perfect way to finish
the day is to enjoy a short cyclo excursion
through the bustling old quarter streets named
after the specific goods once offered for sale
at these places.
Day 9: Hanoi Cooking Tours - Half day city tours (Meals : B)
Morning market tours with the hotel chef and
cooking demonstration at the Metropole Sofitel
Hotel. Having lunch at Spices Garden. Afternoon
city tours to visit the city’s landmarks such as
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Once Pillar Pagoda, The
Temple of Literature, 1 hour cyclo tours around
Hanoi old quarters and enjoy the traditional
water puppetry show. Transfer back to hotel
Day 10: Hanoi - Halong Bay - Hanoi (Meals : B/L)
Morning drive to Halong,
180 km east of Hanoi. On arrival, board on
dragon boat and have buffet lunch on board.
Discover Halong Bay, listed as a World Heritage
Area of outstanding natural beauty. “Dragon
descending to the sea“ as it is known in
Vietnamese, picturesque Halong Bay has more than
3,000 limestone islets rising from the clear
emerald water, many of them containing beautiful
grottoes. After 5 hour cruise, we come back to
the boat station and transfer back to Hanoi.
Stay overnight in Hanoi
Day 11: Hanoi Departure (Meals : B)
Free at leisure until transferring to the
airport for departure flight. End of service.
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