Cooking Tour 11 days

Destination: Hanoi – Hue – Danang- Hoi An – Ho Chi Minh City

Code: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, G = Guide  

Day 1: Arrival at Hanoi (D, G)

Upon arrival at Noi Bai airport, our guide will greet and accompany you to your hotel. Free time until you’ll be picked up to watch water puppet performance, a traditional art form closely connected with the long-standing spiritual life of the Vietnamese people. You’ll then be driven to a good local restaurant and enjoy a welcome dinner with us. Your overnight stay will be in Hanoi.

Day 2: Hanoi (B, L, G)

After breakfast, you’ll be picked up and transferred to the restaurant where you’ll learn cooking Vietnamese cuisine. It will be interesting for you to have chance to buy or bargain as a local people in the market. You?ll then come back the restaurant; your Vietnamese teacher will prepare and help you to cook your lunch. You could learn how to make some of special regional delicacies. After a half-day morning session, you would enjoy a delicious feast of the dishes you created, and get to take a copy of the recipes home with you. The rest day will be free in the bustling Old Quarter. You’ll spend the night in Hanoi.

Day 3: Hanoi/Ha Long (B, L, D, G)

Picked up at around 8.30 a.m, you’ll then depart for Ha Long Bay. Enjoy a 3 hour drive with a brief stopover at Hong Ngoc Embroidery workshop for refreshment and see different kinds of handicrafts skillfully made by disable people.

Arriving Ha Long Bay, you will go aboard and check in your cabin. Lunch will be served afterwards with a selection of seafood specialities. The boat will take you first to the famous World Heritage area where you can visit Amazing Cave and take a swim on a tranquil beach in Ha Long Bay. Then you are free, possibly for retiring to your cabin or having romantic walks on the boat side to enjoy the marvellous sunset. You?ll spend a night on boat.

Day 4: Ha Long/Hanoi (B, L, G)

It would be nice if you wake up to see sunrise and daylight filtering through the early morning mist and the towering rock formations. After western breakfast, you will venture into some of the sea level caves in a small sampan. You’ll then continue a leisurely cruise along Ha Long Bay and have lunch before returning to the habour. Our car will pick you up and drive back to Hanoi.

Day 5: Hanoi/Hue (B, G)

You will be free until our car arrive to transfer you to Noi Bai airport for the morning flight to Hue. On arrival, you’ll be picked up and driven to your hotel in the city centre. Free time at leisure after check-in procedure.

In the afternoon, our guide will show you around Hue. You will first visit the Imperial Citadel, that served as the powerful seat of Nguyen dynasty from 1802 to 1945. Enjoy your shopping at the famous Dong Ba Market before transfer back to hotel. You’ll spend the night in Hue.

Day 6: Hue (B, L, G)

In the morning, you’ll visit one of city’s “garden houses” in Hue. You’ll then learn to cook some traditional typical food in Hue, you’ll also prepare for your dinner. By the time you finish your cooking is the time to sit down for dinner in the pleasant surroundings and a comfortable atmosphere of another of the garden houses. You’ll spend the night in Hue.

Day 7: Hue/Danang/Hoi An (B, L, G)

After breakfast at your hotel, you’ll be free until you’ll be escorted to the airport for your morning flight to Danang.  Our guide will pick you up at teh airport and take you to visit Cham Museum, which holds the finest collection of Champa sculptures in different art styles from the 7th to the 15th centuries. You will also visit Marble Mountains and Stone Carving village where famous stone products are skillfully made by local people. Afterwards, you’ll head to Hoi An- an enchanting World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

After checking in your hotel, you will take a tour of the ancient town where the mix of Japanese and Chinese architecture reflects Hoi An?s significance in the past as an important trading port.. Your overnight stay will be in Hoi An.

Day 8: Hoi An Cooking (B, L, G)

In the morning, you’ll start the tour by cycling to visit Hoi An’s colorful market, and experience the amazing sights, sounds and aromas of this busy market. You will have the opportunity to interact with the local sellers, purchase and bargain some of the material to prepare for your lunch.

You’ll then come back the restaurant to learn and cook traditional food in Hoi An. The rest day will be free to relax on the beach or in the Old Quarter as you wish. Your overnight stay will be in Hoi An.

Day 9: Hoi An/Ho Chi Minh City (B, G)

You’ll be free and then be picked up to Danang airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. On your arrival at the Tan Son Nhat airport, you’ll be driven to your hotel. You’ll spend the night in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 10: Ho Chi Minh City Cooking Class (B, L, G)

After breakfast, you’ll join a cooking class held at Ho Chi Minh City’s Cookery Centre. You’ll learn how to cook five traditional Vietnamese dishes representative of the all three regions in Vietnam. You’ll then have time to chat over a pot of Vietnamese tea, making green papaya salad and cooking Vietnamese spring rolls. And then relax and enjoy the first two dishes, then cooking the three main course dishes. Finally, you could enjoy your lunch that you have cooked!

After enjoying your lunch it is the time for awarding of certificates of competence and souvenir gifts. The rest day will be free. You’ll spend the night in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 11: Ho Chi Minh City departure (B, G)

Your time will be your own until your private car and driver arrives to take you to Tan Son Nhat airport for your departure flight.

Prices include:

• Breakfast and accommodation in twin or double room.

• All pick up and transfer.

• Travel by private, air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced driver.

• Return domestic flight ticket: Hanoi-Hue, Danang-Ho Chi Minh City including airport taxes

• Boats cruise as programme, enjoy a private cruise on traditional junk in Ha Long Bay.

• Experienced English-speaking tour guide as indicated in the itinerary.

• Entry fees for all sightseeing as mentioned in the programme.

• Lunches and dinners, as specified, in the local restaurants

• Government Taxes.

Price do not include:

• International flight tickets and airport tax.

• Visas.

• Dinners except as specified.

• Drinks, gratuities and personal expenses.

• Insurance.

Hotel list for Five Star standard

• Hanoi: Sheraton Hotel (***** surrounded by lush gardens, sweeping lawns, and tranquil courtyards, less than 10 minutes from downtown Hanoi, Deluxe room) or similar
• Ha Long: Golden Cruises (***** one of luxury cruises in in Ha Long Bay, Luxury cabin) or similar
• Hue: Saigon Morin Hotel (****+ good location, next to Huong river, Colonial Deluxe room) or similar
• Hoi An: Sunrise Hoi An Hotel (***** perfectly located on the pristine Cua Dai beach, Garden Deluxe Room) or similar
• Ho Chi Minh City: Majestic Hotel (***** the city’s finest location, Colonial Superior Room) or similar

Hotel list for Four Star standard

• Hanoi: Sunway Hotel (**** comfortable boutique hotel 15 minute’s walk from the city centre, Superior room) or similar

• Ha Long: Ha Long Sails (**** very good quality wooden boats) or similar

• Hue: Huong Giang Hotel (**** on the bank of the Perfume River, Deluxe Room) or similar

• Hoi An: Hoi An Riverside Resort (**** located on the bank of river, Standard Room) or similar
• Ho Chi Minh: Golden Central Hotel (**** located at the best of downtown Saigon, a luxury hotel heritage dating back to early 20th century, Deluxe Room) or similar

Hotel list for Three Star standard

• Hanoi: La Belle Vie Hotel (*** located in the city centre, Superior Room) or similar

• Ha Long: Ha Long Sails (**** very good quality wooden boats) or similar

• Hue: Mondial Hotel (*** city centre with outdoor swimming pool, Superior Room) or similar

• Hoi An: Vinh Hung 2 Hotel (*** ideally located within 5-minute walk to the ancient town of Hoi An, Deluxe room) or similar
• Ho Chi Minh City: Sapphire Hotel (*** conveniently located in the centre of city, Superior room) or similar

Hotel list for Two Star standard

• Hanoi: Nam Hai hotel (*** in the Old Quarter, Standard Room) or similar

• Ha Long: Alova Cruise (*** good quality wooden boats) or similar

• Hue: DMZ Hotel (** in city centre, Standard Room) or similar

• Hoi An: Vinh Hung 2 Hotel (*** ideally located within 5-minute walk to the ancient town of Hoi An, Superior room) or similar

• Ho Chi Minh City: Hoang Phu Gia Hotel (** in city center, Superior Room) or similar