Vietnam Culinary Journey 8 Days/7 Nights. From $1198.00 twin share, per person, low season.*

Red Bridge Restaurant, Hoi An
ITINERARY HIGHLIGHTS:
Hanoi, Hue and Hoi An
ITINERARY INCLUSIONS:
- 7 Nights accommodation with daily breakfast
- Private transfers with guide
- Air conditioned transportation on tour
- Sightseeing with local English speaking guide
- Cooking classes in Hanoi, Hue and Hoi An
- Entrance fees and private boat rides
- Meals as specified
- Cold towels and water on tour
Package prices vary depending on choice of accommodation (Standard or Superior)
Vietnam Culinary Journey 8 Days/7 Nights

Song Saa Island Pool with bowls
ITINERARY DETAIL:
Day 1: Private transfer Hanoi airport to Hanoi hotel
Overnight accommodation at Hanoi
Day 2: Visit a vibrant market with a local chef from EZ cooking class centre, where the trainers have been sourced from famous restaurants around Hanoi. Select locally produced food, vegetables and spices under the chef’s guidance before returning to the kitchen to learn how to prepare Vietnamese traditional cuisine in this hands-on cooking class. Demonstrate your culinary flair in the kitchen before you have a chance to enjoy your creations with the chef. Bon appétit!
In the afternoon, visit the serene Museum of Ethnology is a 20 minute drive out of town that offers a fascinating insight into Vietnam’s 54 ethnic minority groups (Museum of Ethnology is closed on Mondays). Drive back to central Hanoi for a walking tour through the Old Quarter to enjoy the bustling local life, then cap off the day with a show at the water puppet theatre - a uniquely northern Vietnamese art form depicting scenes of rural life and episodes of national history.
Meals - Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Overnight accommodation in Hanoi
Day 3: Free at leisure until transfer to the airport for flight to Hue. Being a former residence of royalty, the cooking art of Hue is famous for its refinement and artistic quality. Today, discover the delicacies of Royal cuisine with a chef from the Ancient Hue restaurant. The chef’s assistant takes you to Dong Ba market to guide you through all the fresh ingredients that make Hue cuisine so tasty. One thing you will learn is that food in Hue is spicy with considerable use of chilli. On arrival at Ancient Hue restaurant, walking into the courtyard is like being transported back in time. Surrounding the decorative lotus pond are five authentic Hue houses dating from the 19th century. Under your chef’s instruction, you will try your hand at making several of Hue’s gourmet delights. You will also have a demonstration of food carving and decoration for which Hue chefs are renowned throughout Vietnam. Enjoy lunch in this peaceful setting.
Meals - Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Overnight accommodaition in Hue
Day 4: Hue served as an imperial capital to the Nguyen Lords, a feudal dynasty which reigned from the 17th to the 19th century. With splendid emperors’ tombs, ancient pagodas and the remains of the Citadel, the city retains its royal charm. Drive from your hotel to visit the Imperial Citadel, a UNESCO listed site. Enter through the towering main gate and you will appreciate the magnificent architecture and gardens while your guide explains about the events and the intrigue of the former royal court. Despite being bombed heavily, there are some incredibly well preserved sections still intact and others which are being lovingly restored. Continue to visit the serene Tu Duc Royal Tomb, designed to blend in with its natural surroundings and built on principles of feng-shui OR the elaborate Khai Dinh Royal Tomb. Its architecture showcases elements of eastern art and western design. Then transfer to Hoi An
Meals - Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Overnight accommodation in Hoi An
Day 5: Set in three acres of lush tropical gardens, Red Bridge cooking school is one of the highlights of the culinary scene in Hoi An. Meet up with your chef at Hai Café in the old town for a brief introduction and a welcome drink. Meander through Hoi An’s central market with your chef to enjoy the sights, sounds and aromas. This is your chance to learn about how to select fresh produce and ingredients essential for Vietnamese cuisine. Embark on a 20 minute boat trip to the school. Get your camera ready as the cruise offers glimpses of local river life. Upon arrival visit the school’s herb garden before enjoying a private hands-on cooking class. After the lesson, sit down and eat what you have created in the lovely restaurant overlooking the river.
Free in the afternoon
Meals - Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Overnight accommodation in Hoi An
Day 6: After breakfast, transfer to the airport for flight to Saigon, en route visit Marble Mountain & China Beach. Meet at the Saigon airport and transfer to your hotel for check in.
Meals - Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Overnight accommodation in Saigon
Day 7: A local chef will accompany you to the vibrant central market and guide you while selecting the fresh vegetables, spices and other ingredients. Proceed to the spacious Saigon Culinary Art Centre for your private hands-on cooking class. Here you will see familiar images from traditional Vietnamese kitchens such as clay stoves. Receive a detailed explanation of the ingredients and utensils often used in the Vietnamese kitchen. This is an excellent opportunity for you to use your artistic flair and to prepare your favourite Vietnamese dishes with the help of a professional chef. This cooking class truly offers authentic Southern Vietnamese cuisine.
In the afternoon transfer to Dong Khoi street, or Rue Catinat as it was known in the time of the French occupation, to discover some of the beautiful French colonial buildings built in the late 19th and early 20th century. Appreciate the splendidly restored exteriors of the Opera House and the former Hotel de Ville which are still two of the finest buildings in Saigon. Wander up to the Notre Dame Cathedral, a red brick edifice with twin spires based on the original construction from Paris. (It is only possible to visit inside when no service is being performed) Then head across the square to the Central Post Office, designed by the French architect, Gustav Eiffel, before he had risen to fame for the Eiffel Tower. Finally, the former Presidential Palace, the headquarters of the Saigon Government during the American war, is a short drive away and reveals the history of Saigon during its turbulent recent past.
Meals - Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Overnight accommodation in Saigon.
Day 8: Free at leisure until you continue your travels or we provide a transfer to the airport for your departure flight.
Day 1: Private transfer Hanoi airport to Hanoi hotel
Overnight accommodation at Hanoi
Day 2: Visit a vibrant market with a local chef from EZ cooking class centre, where the trainers have been sourced from famous restaurants around Hanoi. Select locally produced food, vegetables and spices under the chef’s guidance before returning to the kitchen to learn how to prepare Vietnamese traditional cuisine in this hands-on cooking class. Demonstrate your culinary flair in the kitchen before you have a chance to enjoy your creations with the chef. Bon appétit!
In the afternoon, visit the serene Museum of Ethnology is a 20 minute drive out of town that offers a fascinating insight into Vietnam’s 54 ethnic minority groups (Museum of Ethnology is closed on Mondays). Drive back to central Hanoi for a walking tour through the Old Quarter to enjoy the bustling local life, then cap off the day with a show at the water puppet theatre - a uniquely northern Vietnamese art form depicting scenes of rural life and episodes of national history.
Meals - Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Overnight accommodation in Hanoi
Day 3: Free at leisure until transfer to the airport for flight to Hue. Being a former residence of royalty, the cooking art of Hue is famous for its refinement and artistic quality. Today, discover the delicacies of Royal cuisine with a chef from the Ancient Hue restaurant. The chef’s assistant takes you to Dong Ba market to guide you through all the fresh ingredients that make Hue cuisine so tasty. One thing you will learn is that food in Hue is spicy with considerable use of chilli. On arrival at Ancient Hue restaurant, walking into the courtyard is like being transported back in time. Surrounding the decorative lotus pond are five authentic Hue houses dating from the 19th century. Under your chef’s instruction, you will try your hand at making several of Hue’s gourmet delights. You will also have a demonstration of food carving and decoration for which Hue chefs are renowned throughout Vietnam. Enjoy lunch in this peaceful setting.
Meals - Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Overnight accommodaition in Hue
Day 4: Hue served as an imperial capital to the Nguyen Lords, a feudal dynasty which reigned from the 17th to the 19th century. With splendid emperors’ tombs, ancient pagodas and the remains of the Citadel, the city retains its royal charm. Drive from your hotel to visit the Imperial Citadel, a UNESCO listed site. Enter through the towering main gate and you will appreciate the magnificent architecture and gardens while your guide explains about the events and the intrigue of the former royal court. Despite being bombed heavily, there are some incredibly well preserved sections still intact and others which are being lovingly restored. Continue to visit the serene Tu Duc Royal Tomb, designed to blend in with its natural surroundings and built on principles of feng-shui OR the elaborate Khai Dinh Royal Tomb. Its architecture showcases elements of eastern art and western design. Then transfer to Hoi An
Meals - Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Overnight accommodation in Hoi An
Day 5: Set in three acres of lush tropical gardens, Red Bridge cooking school is one of the highlights of the culinary scene in Hoi An. Meet up with your chef at Hai Café in the old town for a brief introduction and a welcome drink. Meander through Hoi An’s central market with your chef to enjoy the sights, sounds and aromas. This is your chance to learn about how to select fresh produce and ingredients essential for Vietnamese cuisine. Embark on a 20 minute boat trip to the school. Get your camera ready as the cruise offers glimpses of local river life. Upon arrival visit the school’s herb garden before enjoying a private hands-on cooking class. After the lesson, sit down and eat what you have created in the lovely restaurant overlooking the river.
Free in the afternoon
Meals - Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Overnight accommodation in Hoi An
Day 6: After breakfast, transfer to the airport for flight to Saigon, en route visit Marble Mountain & China Beach. Meet at the Saigon airport and transfer to your hotel for check in.
Meals - Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Overnight accommodation in Saigon
Day 7: A local chef will accompany you to the vibrant central market and guide you while selecting the fresh vegetables, spices and other ingredients. Proceed to the spacious Saigon Culinary Art Centre for your private hands-on cooking class. Here you will see familiar images from traditional Vietnamese kitchens such as clay stoves. Receive a detailed explanation of the ingredients and utensils often used in the Vietnamese kitchen. This is an excellent opportunity for you to use your artistic flair and to prepare your favourite Vietnamese dishes with the help of a professional chef. This cooking class truly offers authentic Southern Vietnamese cuisine.
In the afternoon transfer to Dong Khoi street, or Rue Catinat as it was known in the time of the French occupation, to discover some of the beautiful French colonial buildings built in the late 19th and early 20th century. Appreciate the splendidly restored exteriors of the Opera House and the former Hotel de Ville which are still two of the finest buildings in Saigon. Wander up to the Notre Dame Cathedral, a red brick edifice with twin spires based on the original construction from Paris. (It is only possible to visit inside when no service is being performed) Then head across the square to the Central Post Office, designed by the French architect, Gustav Eiffel, before he had risen to fame for the Eiffel Tower. Finally, the former Presidential Palace, the headquarters of the Saigon Government during the American war, is a short drive away and reveals the history of Saigon during its turbulent recent past.
Meals - Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Overnight accommodation in Saigon.
Day 8: Free at leisure until you continue your travels or we provide a transfer to the airport for your departure flight.