(11 Days – Departs Daily on a Private Basis) Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hue, Hoi An, Saigon
This private culinary tour is an in-depth exploration of Vietnam's most authentic food and cultural experiences. Enjoy highlights such as:
Special meals featuring regional specialties
A vegetarian lunch and cooking demonstration with local nuns at an ancient pagoda
Market tours and cooking classes with renowned chefs
A visit to a rice noodle factory
and farming village
Tours of markets and specialty food and cooking ware shops
Begin in Hanoi, Vietnam's artistic and intellectual capital. Enjoy a private welcome dinner of northern Vietnamese specialties at one of the city's leading restaurants. One morning, tour the local markets, then learn to prepare regional dishes in a cooking class with a local expert. Another day, help nuns at a local pagoda prepare a vegetarian lunch, and learn about their way of life. During cultural touring with your private guide, explore the fascinating Old Quarter, where street stalls feature favorite local dishes, and hundreds of specialty shops sell cooking utensils, lacquerware, silk clothing and more. Visit Hanoi's main cultural attractions, including the Fine Arts Museum and Temple of Literature. Walk around Hoan Kiem Lake, watch a performance of water puppet theater, and ride in a cyclo to dinner in a French colonial villa converted into a gourmet restaurant. You might also like to shop for modern art in the city's many galleries.
Take an overnight excursion to beautiful Halong Bay. Feast on fresh seafood while cruising in a luxurious boat among the bay's dramatic limestone islands.
Next, fly to Hue, the former imperial capital, in central Vietnam. Learn to prepare refined imperial-style cuisine during a cooking demonstration in a private home that once belonged to a royal princess. During private cultural touring, visit a rice noodle factory and the imperial Citadel where the emperor and his concubines lived. Cruise the Perfume River to a pagoda to meet local monks and learn how they farm rice and vegetables. Tour the open-air produce market, and learn about local ingredients and recipes.
Drive down the coast to atmospheric Hoi An, a UNESCO-listed riverfront town crammed with historic homes, tiny museums, cafes, and bustling silk and fish markets. One day, visit a local farming community famous for its vegetables, and have a lunch of regional specialties in a local home. Stay at a luxury resort on the beach, and see the best of the town during private touring with your expert guide.
Continue to dynamic Saigon. During private touring, visit a local market with a renowned chef, then learn to prepare southern Vietnamese specialties during a private cooking class. Also tour cultural highlights such as Chinatown, the Reunification Palace, art galleries, open air markets, and a variety of dining venues.
Itinerary Overview
Day 1
Arrive Hanoi Private arrival transfer to hotel for 3 nights. Afternoon private city tour
Day 2
Hanoi Full-day private touring including vegetarian lunch with nuns at pagoda
Day 3
Hanoi Morning market tour and cooking class
Day 4
Hanoi - Halong Bay
Overnight luxury cruise excursion in Halong Bay
Day 5
Halong Bay - Hanoi
Sunrise cruise. Return to Hanoi for 1 night
Day 6
Hanoi – Hue Private transfer and flight to Hue for overnight. Private touring
Day 7
Hue – Hoi An Private morning touring and rice noodle factory visit. Lunch with monks at pagoda. Afternoon transfer to Hoi An for 2 nights. Dinner in riverside restaurant
Day 8
Hoi An Morning visit to farming village. Lunch in local home. Private afternoon touring in Hoi A
Day 9
Hoi An – Saigon Private transfer and flight to Saigon for 2 nights. Private afternoon city touring
Day 10
Saigon Private market tour and cooking class. Private afternoon city touring
Day 11
Depart Vietnam Private airport transfer
Hotels
Hanoi:
Sofitel Metropole
Halong Bay:
Halong Jasmine cruise
Hue:
La Residence Resort & Spa
Hoi An:
The Nam Hai
Saigon:
Park Hyatt Saigon
Cost
$6,925
Per person (double occupancy)
CAll Artisans of Leisure tours are private and depart daily.
Call us at (800) 214-8144 for more information regarding the above tour, or to begin customizing your own itinerary.
