South to North Food Tour of Vietnam - 8 Days

Day 1: Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City, Optional Activities

Chao ban! Welcome to Vietnam! You'll arrive in Ho Chi Minh City, which is the largest metropolis in the country (it's home to around nine million people). Once known as Saigon before the fall of the city in 1975, HCMC has managed to evolve with the times, as here you'll see French-colonial landmarks sitting alongside modern skyscrapers. 

 

Upon arrival at the airport, a driver will pick you up for the ride to your hotel. If you have the energy, feel free to head out and explore on your own. Visit famous landmarks like the Saigon Opera House and Reunification Palace, which was the headquarters of the Saigon government during the American War.

Day 2: Day Trip to the Mekong Delta, Vespa Food Tour

This morning you'll drive south to the lush Mekong Delta. Known as Vietnam's rice bowl, this region is full of coconut groves, fruit orchards, and vast green rice paddies. Once at the delta, you'll board a boat for a ride on the Ben Tre River, one of the tributaries of the mighty Mekong. Along the way, you'll pass waterfront villages and stop at local businesses like a brick workshop and honey farm. The area is also famous for producing coconut candies, and you'll visit one of these local factories to see how these treats are made and sample the finished product.

 

Next, you'll stop at a small riverside village for tea with a family that makes hand-woven rush mats. Then hop on a bicycle or xe loi (moto cart) for a ride around and outside of the village. It's a scenic trip during which you'll pass fertile rice fields, vegetable farms, and orchards. After lunch at a riverside restaurant, you'll get in a smaller, traditional boat for a leisurely ride down one of the Mekong's canals. Then it will be time to return to Ho Chi Minh City.

 

Later, you'll meet a local guide at your hotel and hop on a Vespa for a mobile food tour. The first stop is at a bakery to try fresh bread before heading to a vintage coffee shop tucked in a back alley. Continue zipping along the city streets to a night market filled with food and drink stalls. After sampling a few savory items, you'll visit a dessert shop to try homemade sweet soups. Your guide will lead you to an off-the-beaten-path restaurant for multiple courses featuring the freshest seafood in the city. End the night at a cozy local bar for beers and craft cocktails while chatting with friendly locals. 

Day 3: Visit Cu Chi Tunnels, Transfer to Hoi An

After breakfast at the hotel, transfer two hours out of the city to the famous Cu Chi Tunnels. This immense network of underground passages was constructed in 1948 to protect the Viet Cong guerrillas from French attacks. They also served as living quarters, communications hubs, and supply routes, complete with storage areas and even hospitals. A visit here will give you a better understanding of Vietnam's wartime history and the hardships faced by the thousands of soldiers who survived the French and American wars.

Following Cu Chi, you'll return to the airport in Ho Chi Minh City, where you'll catch a domestic flight 1.5 hours north to Da Nang. A driver will be waiting for the ride about one hour south down the coast to Hoi An. Sitting on the Thu Bon River, this historic city was a major trading port with the West from the 15th through the 19th centuries, attracting merchants from around the globe. Its international legacy is represented in the assortment of architectural styles in Hoi An's Ancient Town. Upon arrival, you'll transfer to your hotel and will have the rest of the night free.

Day 4: Hoi An City & Food Tour

Today you get to enjoy a half-day guided city tour that combines Hoi An's historic highlights with its delectable cuisine. It's a foodie's dream, as the tour kicks off with breakfast from a local street-food vendor followed by a leisurely stroll around Hoi An's Ancient Town. Here, you'll see some of the most impressive architectural landmarks in the city, including the arched Japanese Covered Bridge and the 19th-century Assembly Hall of the Chaozhou Chinese Congregation.
 
After all that walking, you'll no doubt have worked up an appetite. That's why next up is the Central Market, one of the busiest municipal markets in the city. At its food court, you can order delicious and cheap eats like fruit smoothies and noodle dishes. Be sure to try cao lao, a regional specialty. Within the market itself are vendors selling everything from fresh produce and crafts to toys and clothing. After browsing the market, you'll finish the experience by kicking your feet up and enjoying a welcome foot massage. Then you'll return to your hotel.

Day 5: Day Trip to Cam Thanh Village

Around 9 am, your guide will meet you at your hotel, and the two of you will embark on a bicycle ride into the countryside and along the riverbanks outside Hoi An. During this half-day excursion, you'll meander around farms and villages, stopping to chat with locals along the way.

You'll eventually arrive at the Tra Que Vegetable Village, which is something of a legend in the area. Here, over 100 farmers tend to gardens that produce the finest herbs and vegetables in the region. The kicker is that not only is all the produce grown organically, but the farmers do so using the same traditional methods they have for centuries. Once at the village, you'll meet the locals, take photos, and maybe join in gardening activities like sowing seeds and picking vegetables.

Continue the bike ride to the waterfront region of Cam Thanh where you'll hop in a Vietnamese circular basket boat (called a thung chai) for a ride along the nipa palm forests of the Thu Bon River. You'll even get to try your hand at traditional net fishing. Afterward, have lunch on the waterfront before returning to your hotel in Hoi An.

Day 6: Transfer to Hanoi, Sightseeing & Street Food Tour

After breakfast, a driver will meet you at your hotel in Hoi An and transfer you to Da Nang for the 1.5-hour flight to Hanoi. The capital of Vietnam has a long and storied history dating way back to 3000 BCE when the area was first inhabited. In the intervening millennia, both Hanoi and the country have seen dynasties rise and fall, the arrival of colonial rule, liberation, and devastating wars. On Hanoi's streets, you'll see a record of this long history in the form of temples, pagodas, monuments, and more. Upon arrival, a driver will pick you up for the ride to your hotel in the city.

 

Once you've checked in to your hotel, you'll head right back out for a combined city and food tour. Highlight landmarks you'll visit include the Museum of Ethnology, which preserves the cultural heritage of the 54 different ethnic groups in Vietnam. There's also the 11th-century Temple of Literature, an impressive architectural landmark that was Vietnam's first-ever national university. Then your guide will lead you around Hanoi's historic Old Quarter, stopping at different food vendors as you go.

 

Most of the dishes you'll sample are northern Vietnamese specialties. These include bun cha (a grilled pork and noodle dish) or banh cuon (ground pork rice rolls), which you'll sample at local eateries as you watch skilled chefs work their magic. After stopping at a couple of outdoor bbq stalls where chefs flame-grill meats and vegetables over fiery coals, you'll enjoy dessert. Perhaps try a famous egg coffee. This drink was innovated when, during shortages of fresh milk, egg yolks were used as a substitute. It eventually became a staple drink of Hanoi.

Day 7: Transfer to Ha Long Bay, Overnight Cruise

In the morning, you'll leave Hanoi with your driver for the 2.5-hour ride north to Ha Long Bay. Located on the Gulf of Tonkin, over 1,500 karst islets rise above jade waters and resemble the spine of some mythological creature ("ha long" actually translates to "descending dragon"). The unique beauty of this region is unlike anywhere else and thus has been bestowed with UNESCO World Heritage status.

 

Once at the port, you'll board a ship and begin the cruise into the bay. It's a scenic trip, as you'll pass various limestone mountains, secluded grottoes, and sea caves. Both lunch and dinner will be served on the boat. 

Day 8: Transfer to Hanoi & Depart

Rise early for a tai chi lesson on deck followed by a hearty breakfast. Afterward, the boat will make its way back to port, but not before stopping at a limestone cave for one last adventure. Take a tour of the cave and marvel at the hanging stalactites and towering stalagmites before returning to the main harbor. There you'll hop in a vehicle for the 2.5-hour ride back to Hanoi and the airport, where you'll catch your flight home. See you soon!

Looking for more inspiration for your trip to Vietnam? Check out these other Vietnam itineraries, explore more ways to spend eight days in Vietnam, or discover the best time to visit Vietnam.