DAY 1:   HO CHI MINH CITY ARRIVAL (D)

Welcome to Vietnam !

On arriving Tan Son Nhat airport, our English speaking guide will greet you there and then you will be private transferred to hotel in central Ho Chi Minh city for check in. Rest of day at leisure.

Accommodation: hotel in Ho Chi Minh city.

DAY 2:   HAND-ON MORNING COOKING CLASS. AFTERNOON HALF DAY CITY TOUR (B,L,D)

In the morning, you will join a cooking class at Grain cooking studio with Luke Nguyen, a famous Vietnamese-Australian chef and best known as the host of the television series.

After lunch, you will take a short city tour to admire Saigon’s historic landmarks including the Notre Dame Cathedral, a stunningly massive red-brick edifice with twin spires, a clear reminder that French once ruled this city (open only 3-4pm everyday otherwise just outside visit); the Central Post Office influenced by Renaissance architecture; and the former Presidential Palace, headquarters of the Saigon Government during the American war; the War Remnant Museum to have a deeper understanding of Vietnam history. If time permits, visit the Ben Thanh Market before driving back to hotel.

Accommodation: in Ho Chi Minh

DAY 3:   MEKONG DELTA TOUR: CAI BE FLOATING MARKET & HAND –ON COOKING CLASS (B,L,D)

After breakfast, the guide and driver will pick you up at hotel and transfer to Mekong Delta. Before going to the cruise ship terminal in Cai Be, the car stops at Cao Dai Oratories, which is the religious symbol of local uniqueness. Then you will take and boat trip to visit the floating market of rice in Cai Be, the rice trade largest exporter Southwest region of Vietnam. Leaving the floating market, you will continue to visit Hai Yen bee farm where you enjoy fresh honey tea and understand more about bees life, visit Linh Chi mushroom area, try to pull fish hooves, experience the monkey bridges. Then, guests continue visiting the orchard and enjoy the fruits in the garden picked by themselves, listening to Vietnamese folk music then getting in a rowing boat to small canal. Lunch at local restaurant.

In the afternoon, you will participate in scooping ditch to fishing activity and the picking vegetables in restaurant’s garden to prepare for dinner that you will cook with the instruction of local chef.

Accommodation: hotel or homestay in Mekong.

DAY 4:   CONTINUE MEKONG DELTA. FLY TO DANANG (B,L,D)

After breakfast, you will recieve a cycle to ride around Tan Phong island and participate in a lot of activities with local people: making ricepaper, kniting the banana hammock from the rope of dry banana leaves and making jackfruit leaf cake, making the leaves that can be the roof of Vietnamese house, knitting water hyacinth…you can also make your own’s handmade lovely gift with the local people’s guidance.

Afternoon, drive back Ho Chi Minh city and you will take a flight to Da Nang, the most beautiful beach city in Vietnam.

Accommodation: in Da Nang

DAY 5:   FULL DAY TOUR DANANG AND HOI AN TOWN (B,L,D)

In the morning, you will take a short tour to visit the beautiful beach city of Vietnam: Cham Museum, Linh Ung pagoda, Dragon bridge, Marble Mountains and marble carving village before heading to Hoi An ancient town.

In the afternoon, you will visit Thang Loi Handicraft workshop to touch the valuable pieces of wood carving, lantern, mat carving, silkworm raising, embroidery picture; then continue to visit the old merchant’s house with influences from Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese architecture; the 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge; and the Assembly Hall of the Chaozhou Chinese Congregation.

Accommodation: hotel in Hoi An.

DAY 6:   COOKING CLASS AT TRA QUE VEGETABLE VILLAGE (B,L)

After breakfast at the hotel, the guide will meet you at hotel and take a bicycle ride to visit Tra Que Vegetable Village, which is 3km away from Hoi An Ancient Town. At Tra Que Vegetable Village, you will experience the local farmer’s life and work at an organic vegetable and herb garden. You will learn how to prepare the soil, grow vegetables, and water them to get fresh vegetables. Additionally, you will enjoy a 15-minute foot massage using herbs to refresh yourself.

Afterward, you will have the chance to participate in a cooking class with a local family with instructions on how to prepare ingredients and cook Hoi An’s special dishes, such as Tam Huu Spring Roll and Banh Xeo Pancake. Following the cooking class, you will enjoy a delicious lunch with the family.

Afternoon, you are free to relax on the beach, spa/ massage at salon or going shopping in the town. 

Accommodation: hotel in Hoi An

DAY 7:   DRIVE TO HUE. HALF DAY HUE CITY TOUR (B,L,D)

After breakfast, you will transferred to Hue,.The city served as the old Imperial City and administrative capital for the Nguyễn dynasty and later functioned as the administrative capital of the protectorate of Annam during the French Indochina period. In the morning, you will visit the Imperial Citadel. Take a stroll to explore the history and architecture around the Capital Citadel (the bastion), Royal Citadel (the sanctum), and the Forbidden Citadel (the royal family’s residence).

In the afternoon, you will join a cooking class at Tinh Gia Vien restaurant with guidance of Madame Ton Nu Thi Ha, the only successor of the royal Hue cuisine and who was listed in the Guinness Vietnam book.

Accommodation: hotel in Hue

DAY 8:   FLY TO HA NOI. AFTERNOON HALF DAY CITY TOUR (B,L,D)

In the morning, you will take a flight to Ha Noi, the capital city of Viet Nam.
After lunch at a local restaurant, you will visit the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first national university, Museum of Ethnology (closed on Mondays) to get to know Vietnam’s 54 ethnic groups better and finish the day tour with a water puppet performance.

Accommodation: hotel in Ha Noi

DAY 9:   HALONG BAY ON CRUISE & COOKING (B,L,D)

In the morning, we will deprt to Ha Long. On arrival, you will onboard and take a 2days cruise around Ha Long Bay, the UNESCO World Heritage of Vietnam where features thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various shapes and sizes.
On cruise, you will enjoy a seafood lunch, visit a pearl far, kayak around the floating village on bay, swim at Titop island. In late afternoon, you will participate a cooking class onboard and dinning.
Evening, you can join the entertainments onboard: playing game, chess, karaoke, squid fishing, etc

Accommodation: on boat in Ha Long

DAY 10:   BACK TO HA NOI (B,L,D)

In the early morning, you can enjoy the Taichi lesson on sundeck before having breakfast and continuing to visit Sung Sot cave.
After lunch, you will finish the cruise and return Ha Noi.
In late afternoon, you will take a cooking class at Anh Tuyet restaurant, which is owned by madame Anh Tuyet, the Vietnamese famous culinary artisan. OR you can also choose to enjoy a cooking class at KOTO training restaurant, that is a non profit social entreprise to empower at risk and disadvantaged youth in Vietnam through its holistic hospitality training program. Most of teachers there are KOTO alumni and they enjoy sharing their stories while you cook. Their inspiring stories of hope will stay with you long after you return home.

DAY 11:   DEPARTURE (B)

After breakfast, you are free at leisure until the time for departure to Hanoi aiport where you will fly back home.