Vietnam Three Regions Food Tour - 15 Days

Day 1: Arrive in Hanoi, Evening Street Food Tour

Welcome to Vietnam! You'll arrive in Hanoi, which started as a regional capital over 2,000 years ago and has remained the nation's capital ever since. At the airport, a driver will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel in the city. After checking in, you'll have some time to relax and unwind after your long flight.

 

Then, when the sun goes down, it's time to head out and experience your primary reason for being here: Vietnam's food. On this mouthwatering two-hour culinary tour of Hanoi, your guide will lead you to the best street-food spots in the city. Start with a trip to Thanh Ha Market, where you'll browse food stalls, try local delicacies, and learn about Vietnamese culinary culture. Head to Dong Xuan Market, which is famous for its noodle shops, and sample treats such as pho sot vang (noodle soup with pork and herbs) and bun dau (tofu in soup with rice noodles and fermented shrimp paste).

 

Next, move on to Hanoi's Old Quarter. Here, your guide will teach you about the city's traditional celebrations as you stop at ceremonial cake stalls and sample French-influenced desserts. Another highlight is a stroll down Hang Cot Street, known for its sugared and salted fruits. You'll end the tour at a local café for a cup of slow-dripped coffee or a sweet iced drink as you sit back and do some people-watching on Hanoi's bustling streets. 

Day 2: Master Chef Cooking Class

Continue your Vietnamese culinary journey with a cooking lesson alongside an esteemed professional chef. This four-hour cooking workshop begins in the morning with a one-hour walk around a local market to shop for fresh produce right alongside Hanoi locals. As you shop, your guide will teach you the secrets to selecting the best fruits and vegetables as well as which produce goes best with specific dishes.

Afterward, continue to the home of Mrs. Ai, your expert chef/instructor for the day. You'll cook alongside Mrs. Ai, learning by her example how to blend Vietnamese spices and ingredients to create the perfect harmony of flavors that Vietnam is known for. When the class is over, everyone will sit down to a home-cooked lunch served alongside Vietnamese specialties prepared by the chef.

Day 3: Hanoi Vespa Tour

Leave in the morning to explore Hanoi in style on a vintage Vespa scooter. During this half-day excursion, your guide will take you for a ride through the atmospheric streets of the Old Quarter to admire its famous landmarks. These include the colonial-era Opera House and Hanoi Train Street, a line of train tracks running through a residential neighborhood so narrow it's almost impossible to believe. You'll also visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Presidential Palace, Parliament House, and other government buildings as your guide reveals the history of Hanoi.

 

Continue to Huu Hiep Lake and the crash site of a US plane shot down during the 1972 bombing raids of Hanoi—a poignant reminder of recent history. Then, drive along West Lake and see the monument to the late US Senator John McCain, who was a prisoner of war in Hanoi during the American War. Then, head just outside of Hanoi to a village on an island in the Red River, where you'll meet a resident family and learn more about rural life.

 

Afterward, you'll visit a nearby kumquat farm, where peach blossoms are grown for use during Tet (Lunar New Year), as they symbolize luck, health, wealth, fertility, and peace. Stop for a break to enjoy Hanoi's signature egg coffee (made with egg yolks instead of milk), then drive back to the Old Quarter via the Long Bien Bridge. This magnificent structure was built over a hundred years ago to connect the Hoan Kiem and Long Bien districts. The tour finishes with lunch at a local restaurant before transferring back to your hotel.

Day 4: Transfer to Sapa, Hike the Muong Hoa Valley

Wake up early and meet your driver in the lobby of your hotel early in the morning. Then, you'll hop in a car for the 5.5-hour drive north from Hanoi to Sapa. This highland area is known for its soaring mountains and endless terraces of green rice paddies. Upon arrival, you'll check in to your hotel; then, you can stretch your legs with a walk around town, which was once a French colonial outpost. Breathe in the cool alpine air, stop for a cup of Vietnamese coffee, and browse the handicrafts on offer from ethnic Hmong women in colorful, traditional dress.

 

Later, you'll get even more exercise when you embark on a 4-mile (6 km) hike through the Sapa Valley, visiting villages home to Vietnam's ethnic communities along the way. Follow a small track and cross the Muong Hoa River, surrounded by epic rice terraces, on your way to the Black Hmong village of Lao Chai.

 

Your journey continues to Ta Van Giay Village and along the sparkling Muong Hoa River, where you'll cross a suspension bridge and discover fascinating rock engravings. Have lunch in a local home and then continue trekking through a bamboo forest to the Red Dao village of Giang Ta Chai. There's time to rest near a waterfall before your transfer back to Sapa for a relaxed evening at your hotel.

Day 5: Scenic Countryside Tour & Village Hike

In the morning, you'll leave on a full-day tour to some isolated rural villages on the outskirts of Sapa. It begins with a 5-mile (8 km) drive to the O Quy Ho Mountain Pass in the Hoang Lien Son mountain range, where you'll stop to admire the views of towering Mount Fansipan and the verdant Sin Chai Valley. From there, you'll pass forests and waterfalls as you make your way to Ban Khoang, a village home to the Black Hmong and Red Dao ethnic groups.

 

Here, you'll leave the vehicle and embark on a guided village walk to learn about rural life in this region. Then, drive over to the Ta Giang Phinh Valley, where the Black Hmong people live in scenic riverside hamlets. Enjoy lunch by the water and a two-hour walk through the lovely countryside. As you go, you'll meet locals plowing the fields, harvesting crops, and selling handicrafts in village markets. In the mid-afternoon, you'll transfer back to Sapa.

Day 6: Sapa Village Hike, Transfer to Hanoi

After breakfast, you'll meet a local guide and embark on a full-day trekking expedition around Sapa. You'll venture far off the main road as you hike through pine forests along mountain trails. About 3 miles (5 km) outside the town of Sapa, you'll arrive at Ma Tra, a Black Hmong village comprised of about 50 households. The residents here are known for their flax weaving with traditional looms and their intricate silverwork.

After experiencing the culture of Ma Tra, you'll continue to the village of Taphin, home to another ethnic tribe, the Red Dao people. Black Hmong people also live here, and the mixing of cultures has led to its own unique identity, which you'll also see. Famous landmarks here include an old monastery built during the French colonial period as well as a system of caves located outside the village that you'll get to explore. After enjoying a traditional lunch with a local family, you'll hop back in the car and make the drive back to Hanoi, where you'll check in to your hotel.

Day 7: Transfer to Ha Long Bay, Overnight Cruise

In the morning, meet your guide for the four-hour drive east to the coast and Ha Long Bay. Located on the Gulf of Tonkin, over 1,000 karst islets rise above jade waters and resemble the spine of some mythological creature ("ha long" translates to "descending dragon"). The unique beauty of this region is unlike anywhere else and thus has been bestowed with UNESCO World Heritage status.

Upon arrival at the marina, you'll board a multilevel cruise ship for an overnight tour. After settling into your cabin, head up to the deck, where a delicious seafood lunch awaits. Then, you can spend hours relaxing on the sun deck as the ship sails across glassy emerald waters to the most secluded corners of the bay. Later that afternoon, you'll stop at a secret cove for a swim and a kayak trip to explore hidden beaches and grottoes.

Return to the ship just in time to participate in a cooking masterclass offered by the onboard expert chef. During the workshop, you'll learn to make traditional specialties like nem (Vietnamese fried spring rolls) and enjoy them for dinner afterward. Spend the remainder of the evening relaxing, or head out on a small boat for some night fishing with the locals.

Day 8: Morning Cruise, Transfer to Hanoi

Wake up early and head to the deck to catch the sunrise gilding the bay waters. Then sit down and enjoy breakfast in the open air as you cruise around towering karst islets. The rest of the morning is free for you to relax and enjoy the views or partake in one or two more optional activities, like kayaking around Ha Long Bay's famous floating villages. Then, sit down for an early lunch before disembarking at the marina and catching the limo bus back to Hanoi and your hotel.

Day 9: Fly to Hoi An via Da Nang, Countryside & Food Tour

Meet your driver in the morning for the ride to the airport, where you'll catch a 1.5-hour domestic flight south to Da Nang. From there, you'll transfer about an hour by car south down the coast to the city of 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. Once here, you'll check in to your hotel.

 

Shortly after getting settled, you'll leave the hotel for an exploration of Hoi An's off-the-beaten-path highlights as well as taste its remarkable street food. Meet your guide and transfer 2.5 miles (4 km) outside the town center to a local farming village. Here, you'll learn about the farmers' daily routine as well as the traditional methods they use to cultivate organic crops.

 

Upon returning to Hoi An, you'll embark on a culinary exploration of the city as you sample its most famous dishes. These include white rose dumplings, banh beo (steamed rice cakes), banh nam (rice dumplings), my quang (flavorful rice noodles), Hoi An pancakes, barbecue pork rolls, and the famous bahn mi sandwich. Finish the food tour with a cup of the best Vietnamese coffee around before heading out to enjoy Hoi An's nightlife or returning to your hotel for the evening.

Day 10: Free Day in Hoi An

Today is yours to enjoy Hoi An however you like. Take a leisurely walk or rent a bicycle for a ride along the colorful streets. Later, perhaps get measured for a custom-made outfit (Hoi An is famous for its expert tailors), or head to a nearby white-sand beach. For dinner, try local dishes such as com hen (sauteed clams), nem lui (ground pork), and cao lau (pork and greens).

Day 11: Hoi An Cooking Class

Meet your guide in the morning and start the day with a coffee at Hai Café. Then, walk over to Hoi An's colorful municipal market to immerse yourself in the sights, smells, and sounds of this popular shopping area. Here, you'll interact with the local vendors and learn all about the ingredients you'll be using in today's cooking lesson.

 

Next, you'll board a boat for a leisurely cruise along the Thu Bon River to the Red Bridge Cooking School. During the ride, sit back and relax as you watch scenes of local river life unfold on the banks. Once at the school, you'll visit the herb garden, where your instructor will teach you about the ingredients that comprise the region's most well-known dishes. The two-hour cooking class starts with professional chefs demonstrating each dish, after which you'll prepare the same dishes on your own. Then, everyone will sit down for a delicious lunch. Afterward, you'll return to your hotel.

Day 12: Transfer to Ho Chi Minh City, Optional Activities

After breakfast, your driver will pick you up at the hotel for the one-hour ride north to the airport in Da Nang, where you'll catch a 1.5-hour flight south to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival, another driver will pick you up and transfer you to your hotel. The former Saigon is a fascinating city in that it has managed to preserve its cultural roots and traditions in the face of a communist revolution, a devastating war, and ever-encroaching modernity. After getting settled, you can venture out and explore the city on your own.

 

You could browse the popular Ben Thanh Market for clothes and souvenirs and sample some delicious offerings at the Street Food Market outdoor food hall. If your legs are tired from all that walking, pop in at one of the many spas for a relaxing foot massage. For unparalleled views overlooking the city, head up to the Skydeck on the 49th floor of Bitexco Tower. If it's later in the afternoon, hang out and enjoy a beer as the sun sets over the city skyline. 

Day 13: Ho Chi Minh City Tour, Dining in the Dark

In the morning, you'll embark on a five-hour tour of Ho Chi Minh City. Your guide will take you to historic 19th-century landmarks like the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office. You'll also visit Reunification Palace (also known as Independence Palace), which was the headquarters of the Saigon government during the American War. Continue to the War Remnants Museum for a vivid look at the American War through the eyes of the Vietnamese. After lunch at a local restaurant, you'll return to your hotel.

 

Later, when the sun goes down, you'll venture out for a very special dinner at Noir: Dining in the Dark. The name says it all, as here you'll enjoy a meal in total darkness as you're waited on by blind or visually impaired servers. This is no mere gimmick; the goal of removing sight from the environment is to maximize your other senses. As you enjoy the multicourse menu, you'll notice your sense of smell is heightened, your sense of touch more intuitive, and your sense of taste more acute. It's a concept that plays with perception to maximize this one-of-a-kind dining experience.

Day 14: Explore the Cu Chi Tunnels

Transfer two hours outside the city today for a tour of the famous Cu Chi Tunnels. This immense network of underground passages was constructed in 1948 to protect Viet Cong guerrillas from French attacks. They also served as living quarters, communications hubs, and supply routes, complete with storage areas and even hospitals. On this day tour, you'll get a better understanding of Vietnam's recent history and the hardships faced by the thousands of soldiers who fought in the French and American wars. You'll even get to crawl through a section of the tunnels to experience their narrow dimensions.

Day 15: Depart Ho Chi Minh City

Unfortunately, your great gastronomy tour of Vietnam ends here in Ho Chi Minh City. Wake up early and savor this country's delicious flavors one last time with breakfast in your hotel. Then, at the appropriate time, a driver will pick you up and transfer you to the airport for your flight home. Until next time!

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