Cooking Tour from the north to center of Vietnam 8 days

Destinations: Hanoi , Halong Bay , Da Nang , Hoi An , Hue

ITINERARARY

DAY 1 : Hanoi arrival (N/A)

Arrive in Hanoi - Noi Bai International Airport. You will be met at the airport by your English speaking guide and transfer to your hotel in downtown Hanoi.

Overnight in Hanoi.

DAY 2 : Hanoi cooking tour and city sightseeing

In the morning, you will join in cooking class with itinerary:

9am. Meet at HCC.  Collection can be arranged but extra charge will be made. *enjoy a special “La Han” Vietnamese welcome tea

9.10am. Brief introduction to Vietnamese cuisine, highlighting the contents of tradition meal.

9.20am. Take a short walk to the Chau Long Market  - Enjoy a tour of the market highlighting the ‘wet’ / unusual fruits / livestock / silk worms, with HCC chefs  *lots of opportunities  to take photos

10am. Back to HCC and commence cooking class  with HCC chefs * take home printed recipes as well as samples of some local fruit, green bean cake, quail eggs,  etc

11.30am On completion of the cooking class, enjoy the meal  * relax in the comfort of the HCC dining area and enjoy free flow local beer or wine or lemon juice

12.30pm. Finish Class  * receive going home gift and visit the HCC shop with Vietnamese Culinary tools, books, spices etc available for purchase

In the afternoon we will see the Museum of Ethnology, then visit Hoan Kiem Lake (The Restored Sword Lake) and the Ngoc Son Temple, which is on an island in the northern part of the lake. We will enjoy a Cyclo tour along the narrow streets of the Old Quarter of Hanoi. The Old Quarter includes 36 old streets with each name representative of the type of merchandise sold in it.

In the evening we will attend a traditional Water Puppet show. This art originates from rural festivals in Vietnam. The artists – men and women – stand waist deep in the water to manipulate the puppets, making them move about, talk and laugh and even dance on the surface of the water. The audience is meant to experience the atmosphere of a village festival.

Overnight in Ha Noi.

DAY 3: Hanoi – Halong Bay (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)

After breakfast in hotel”, drive to Halong Bay (3 hours), a UNESCO World Heritage site. Whoever comes to Vietnam should not miss the chance to visit Halong Bay, a picturesque blend of harmonious transition between the mountains and the sea.

Halong Bay is in the Bac Bo (Tonkin) gulf and stretches over an area of 1,500 km2 with three thousand green islands that look like jewels. Upon arrival at the harbor we will embark on a junk. We will enjoy a fresh seafood lunch on the boat while experiencing the majestic beauty of Halong Bay. The junk is a wooden sailboat designed in a traditional Vietnamese style while offering a full range of modern amenities. Visit the fascinating Dau Go Cave called “The Cave of Marvels” and Thien Cung Cave, the “Heavenly Palace cave” surrounded by spectacular stalactites and stalagmites.

After dinner, enjoy fishing with local fishermen. The reflection of the limestone outcrops, the sight of fishing boats lit up in the darkness; enjoy these precious moments in one of the most breathtaking landscapes in the world.

Overnight on board the junk.

DAY 4 : Halong Bay – Hanoi – Fly to Hue (Breakfast/Brunch)

08:00 am.  After gazing at the sunrise, you will navigate through the numerous oddly shaped limestone outcrops.

Stop by a cove for a panoramic view of Halong Bay.

In afernoon you will tranfer to Noi Bai airport for a short flight to Hue

Overnight in Hue

Distance: Hanoi Central-Noi Bai Airport: 30 km => 50 minute transfer

  Hue airport – Hue centre: 20 km => 40 minute transfer

DAY 5 : Hue cooking class – city sightseeing (Breakfast/Lunch)

In the morning, you will experience Hue Specialties Cooking Class with Hue Cooking Class to taste the real Hue local food, culture and history of the region. With no more secret at Hue Cooking Class, you can cook Hue dishes at home by yourself. Professional cooking class in Hue with a very friendly and helpful chef. Taste the soul of Hue cuisine. We pick you at your hotel and go to visit the Hue local market to buy ingredients for cooking, here you can see all fresh herbs, seafood area, butchers, fresh fruits. While you can take as many pictures as you want and learn about Vietnamese food culture and history. Our guide are always happy to explain to you anything you would love to know. After visiting local market we come back to the kitchen and prepare cooking then enjoy the food you cook

In the afternoon, we continue with a visit to the Imperial City, an impressive royal complex built in the 17th century based on the ancient feng shui practice of geomancy.  The Imperial City is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Overnight in Hue

DAY 6: Hue – Danang – Hoi An (Breakfast/Lunch)

08:00 am.  In the morning we will take a dragon boat trip along the Perfume River. We will stop at the Thien Mu Pagoda, which is located on the southwest bank of the Perfume River and was the centre of Buddhism in Central Vietnam.

We continue to Lang Co, which we will reach after approximately two hours. We head on to Hoi An with a photo stop on the summit of the breathtaking Hai Van Pass.

Hoi An old town has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site as an example of a well preserved South East Asian trading port of the 15th – 19th century.  In addition to its unique architecture, it is also noted for its tailors and handicrafts, especially lanterns.

Evening at leisure to enjoy the sights of the illuminated old town.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Distance:        Hue centre- Hoi An: 150 km => 3 hour transfer

DAY 7: Hoi An cooking Class (Breakfast/Lunch)

In the morning you will join cooking class.

We start the day (8.15am) with a drink at Hai Scout Café.
Visit Hoi An’s colourful market, and experience the amazing sights, sounds and aromas of this busy market.We wil have the opportunity to interact with the local sellers and purchase some of the ingredients to be used in the
cooking lesson later

We board the Red Bridge boat for a leisurely cruise (25 minutes) along the Hoi An River to the Red Bridge Cooking
School. This is a chance to view local river life, so make sure your camera is handy.
On arrival, we explore the cooking school’s herb and vegetable garden, before learning about some of Hoi An’s and
Vietnam’s well-known dishes. The cooking lesson runs for about 2 hours – each dish is first demonstrated by the Red
Bridge chef’s, before we prepare the same dish ourselves. Included in the class is a brief introduction to Vietnamese
food carving (plate decoration).
After the lesson, we sit down and eat exactly what we have cooked.

In the afternoon you will After breakfast, enjoy a walking tour of Hoi An Old Town. Visit the Japanese Covered Bridge, Tan Ky old house, a handicraft market where you can see the artists at work making beautiful silk lanterns, the Cantonese Assembly Hall, temples and pagodas in the Chinese architectural style, and the large colorful market.

Overnight in Hoi An

DAY 8: Hoi An departure (Breakfast)

Free time at leisure for last minute shopping before transferring to the airport for departure home

INCLUSIONS & EXCLUSIONS

What’s included?

• Accommodation in the category chosen or similar (subject to availability) based on double/twin sharing with daily breakfast: 02 nights in Ha Noi, 01 night on Ha Long Cruise;02 nights in Hue; 02 nights in Hoi An
• Meals as mentioned in the program. B: 07 Breakfast, L: 05 Lunch, D: 02  Dinner, 01 Brucnh
• All local boat rentals as mentioned in the program. Cruise Seat in coach (SIC) junk in Ha Long bay.
• Transfer from and to the airports by private vehicle with A/C. Transportation by private vehicle with A/C.
• All entrance fees and sightseeing as mentioned in the program. Mineral Water (01 bottle/pax/day)
• Local English speaking guide(s) in Vietnam.
• 01 FOC in ½ Twin room for group of 16pax onward (excluding internal airfares and visas). Maximum 02 FOC per group.

What’s excluded?

• International flight/ Domestic flight tickets and airport taxes.
  All internal/ regional flight tickets in economy class with/without departure tax (? USD/Pax).
• Visa fee upon arrival in Vietnam (25 USD for one 1 month or 3 month single entry visa). (Vietnam visa authorization letter (10 USD/ pax).
• Tips & personal expenses. Personal insurance. Any service not clearly mentioned in the program.

IMPORTANT INFO

Stay

Meal

Cancellation Policy

1. Cancellations must be advised by email / fax
   b. The cancellation fees will apply:

• Cancelation 30 days prior to arrival date: USD 50 per person will be charged.
• Cancelation from 20 days to 30 days prior to arrival date: 30% of total invoice amount will be charged
• Cancelation from 10 days to 20 days prior to arrival date: 50% of total invoice amount will be charged
• Cancelation less than 10 days prior to arrival date or no-show: 100% of total invoice invoice amount will be charged

Refund Policy

If tour participants buy additional services which are not included in their program, the service fee will be charged on spot.
If tours participants cancel some services and / or portion of the tour program at their will during the trip, reimbursements shall not be made for these unused services and /or portions .
If in the course of the trip, an illness or mishap befalls a tour participant that entails extra services and /or medical attention arranged by company, all the related additional costs shall be defrayed by the participant himself or herself on the spot.

PRICE IN USD PER /PAX (in a private tour for a group of 2 -30 adults)

Date: 01 May – 30 Sep

Date: 01 Jan – 30 Apr  & 01 Oct – 31 Dec

 Surcharge for flight ticket (Airfare subject every time)