Vietnam Culinary

You will arrive at Hanoi Noi Bai Airport and transfer to the Pan Pacific Hotel. You will have afternoon free time, followed by dinner at the Emperor restaurant, which is set in a beautifully restored French Colonial Villa where the chefs serve up Southern Vietnamese specialties. There will be a traditional folk show included with dinner.

You will have free time in the morning and then lunch at the Le Tonkin restaurant , which specializes in preparing authentic Northern Vietnamese Cuisine. In the evening, you will transfer to the Victoria Express train for an overnight journey to Lao Cai! Dinner will be served on the train.

The train arrives at Lao Cai train station at approximately 6:00 a.m. and there will be a vehicle waiting to transfer you to Sapa. The drive to Sapa is only 33 km, but it takes around 1.5 hours.

Once at Sapa, you will check in to your hotel (early check-in subject to availability). You will have breakfast at the hotel restaurant then enjoy a free morning to explore around town. In the afternoon there will be a walking tour to the hill tribe villages of Cat Cat, home to the H'mong hill tribe minority peoples. As you walk to the villages nestled in the valley below Sapa, you will meet some of the local minority people on their way to and from Sapa. Here you will have the opportunity to share cultural experiences with the families that live in the area. You will stay overnight in Sapa.

Following breakfast, you will explore the Sapa Sunday market and then set out on a 3-4 hour trek that will take you along buffalo paths and trails and through several hill tribe villages of Lao Chai and Ta Van, home to H'mong and Dzay people. This is an absolutely spectacular walk through stunning scenery inhabited by some of the friendliest people you can meet. You will stop for a picnic lunch on the way to Ta Van village. You will stay overnight in Sapa

Enjoy your free time in Sapa or visit some villages of H'Mong people before you transfer back to Lao Cai for the train journey back to Hanoi. You will stay overnight on the train.

You will have a tour of the local food market, led by a renowned chef, followed by cooking class! You will then have a private city tour in the afternoon and an overnight stay.

In the morning you will drive to Halong Bay City, approximately 3 hours away. Once at Halong Bay City you are welcomed on board for a four hour cruise on the stunning bay, stopping along the way to visit one of the limestone caves in the area. As you are cruising, the boat crew will serve you a sumptuous local seafood lunch. After a 4 hour navigation you will sail back to harbor and rejoin your car and head back to your hotel in Hanoi for an overnight stay.

You will fly to Hoi An and stay 3 nights at The Nam Hai. The first day will be before dinner at the famous White Lantern restaurant for a five-course meal featuring Hoi An's unique cuisine.

Hoi An was a major Asian trading centre in the 17th and 18th century and many of the original buildings remain. Enjoy a guided walking tour of the ancient town centre, including the 400-year-old Japanese covered bridge and the colorful local market area of this unique UNESCO-designated World Heritage city.

You will have a morning cycle tour through the paddy fields down to the nearby beaches. Next there will be free time in the afternoon before an evening dinner at Tam Tam restaurant, situated in an old colonial villa and run by a French expatriate. It provides a great combination of food, wine and people watching.

You have free time for the entire day.

You will transfer to Hoi An Airport for a flight to Nha Trang and 3 nights at the Evason Hideaway Resort. The afternoon and evening are free.

You will have a full day boat trip, including a BBQ lunch and snorkeling in Nha Trang Bay.

The morning is free, followed by a private tour of Nha Trang, including a visit to the 9th century Cham Towers and 14-meter high Buddha statue.

You will transfer and fly to HCMC for two nights at the Park Hyatt Hotel. In the afternoon, you will have a private city tour by cyclo. Followed by dinner at Vietnam House restaurant. The cuisine of the south uses many herbs and spices and has been influenced by Cambodia, Thailand and India, among others. Curries using coconut milk are an example of this influence. The south also has a wide selection of tropical fruits and vegetables that are not readily available in the cooler north.

This morning you will drive to the Cao Dai Temples in Tay Ninh. Cao Dai Holy-see Temple is the cathedral of the CaoDaism religion and home of the Divine Eye ( the official symbol of CaoDaism). Cao Dai followers worship Jesus Christ, Confucius, Taoism, and Buddha. You will have time to witness the midday service, then have lunch before a drive to visit Cu Chi Tunnels.

Cu Chi Tunnels consist of more than 200km of underground tunnels. This main axis system has many branches connecting to underground hideouts, shelters, and entrances to other tunnels. The network included innumerable trap doors, specially constructed living areas, storage facilities, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers and kitchens. Today the remaining tunnels have become a major tourist attraction giving the visitor a unique experience and a feel of what underground life was like during the U.S.-Vietnam War. You will stay overnight in HCMC.

Today is departure day and time to bid your guide farewell. There will be a transfer waiting to take you from the hotel to the airport for your flight home. We wish you a pleasant journey home and we know you will take away many wonderful memories of the sights and tastes you have savored.