Are you interested in a food tasting tour from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh on a limited-day trip? This is your choice for 10 day tour in Vietnam from Hanoi Capital city to Ho Chi Minh city via Hue, Danang, Hoi An and Mekong Delta. In each place, you will have a different taste. Joining cooking tours, your cooking at home will be more abundant. Let’s join 10 day Taste of Vietnam Tour…
General Information
Tour route: Hanoi – Halong Bay – Hue – Hoi An – Ho Chi Minh city (Saigon) – Cu Chi Tunnel – Mekong Delta
Duration: 10 days / 9 nights
Date: No fixed departure dates. You may go whenever you wish.
Start/End: Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City
Group size: Private group
Tour type: Food tasting tour, cooking class, classic tour
Tour Customizable: Absolutely! (Tell us your specific requirements in the inquiry form)
Active level: Regular itinerary
Tour Highlights
- Explore the bustling streets of Hanoi and indulge in delicious Vietnamese cuisine.
- Visit the historic sites of Hue, including the Imperial Citadel and Thien Mu Pagoda.
- Take part in a cooking class in Hoi An and learn how to prepare traditional Vietnamese dishes.
- Discover the fascinating Cu Chi Tunnels and learn about Vietnam's wartime history.
Brief Itinerary
Day 1: Hanoi Arrival – Welcome dinner with authentic Vietnamese food
Day 2: Morning Food tasting tour – Half day Hanoi city tour
Day 3: Halong Bay full day – Afternoon fly to Hue
Day 4: Hue City tour & Outstanding vegetarian food tasting lunch
Day 5: Hue – Transfer to Hoi An
Day 6: Hoi An walking & Cooking class tour
Day 7: Hoi An – Danang - Fly to Ho Chi Minh city – Cu Chi tunnel
Day 8: Cooking class & Ho Chi Minh city tour
Day 9: Mekong Delta full day/ Cai Be floating market
Day 10: Ho Chi Minh city Departure
Full Itinerary
Day 1: Hanoi Arrival (D)
Welcome up on arrival by local tour guide and driver then we transfer to hotel in the center city. We take a short rest before our delicious Vietnamese authentic food dinner at a fine local restaurant in town. If it's weekend today, we can walk around night market that open in Saturday and Sunday night in Hang Dao and Hang Duong streets. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 2: Morning Food tasting tour - Half day Hanoi city tour (B, L)
We had no breakfast this morning at hotel and join the trip with our tour guide for our morning food tasting tour. We start by tasting Pho Ga (chicken noodle) as Vietnamese people often do then explore on foot along the streets, stop at many workshops, taste many kinds of local food that chosen and picked for the tour.
We also discover the Hanoi Culture by visiting two markets, Hang Be street market and Dong Xuan wholesale market. The happy ending of the tour is at Rue Lamblot restaurant which is located in Hang Trong street. We enjoy our Vietnamese lunch, relax and refresh in our unique restaurant.
In the afternoon, we will wander around Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex with Ba Dinh Square, New National Assembly House, One Pillar Pagoda, House on Stilt and Uncle Ho's fish pond. Then we transfer to the Museum of Ethnology which is exhibited almost Vietnamese ethnic minorities people with pictures, models and information. We also stop at Westlake area, walk along Thanh Nien street, one of romantic road in Hanoi and enjoy sunset time in the biggest lakes in Hanoi. We also stop at a coffee workshop to relax and chat with tour guide. After that, we go back to the hotel, relax. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 3: Halong Bay full day - Evening fly to Hue (B, L)
This morning, we check out hotel after breakfast then travel northeast to Halong Bay where we explore the World Natural Heritages by boat. We transfer directly to the airport after the trip to take a short domestic flight to Hue, the old capital city of Vietnam during the Nguyen Dynasty, 19th century. Halong Bay is one of the "a-must-destinations" in Vietnam. It was recognized as a World Nature Heritage for its special values. During 4 hour boating, we will enjoy our fresh air on the Bay, see thousands of islands and islets with various shapes and enjoy our delicious seafood lunch that served by crew team.
We arrive at Phu Bai airport, Hue in the evening and local tour guide and driver will take us to hotel. Relax and overnight in Hue.
Day 4: Hue City tour & Outstanding Vegetarian food tasting lunch (B, L)
The vegetarian food in Hue is an art that is preserved and developed until nowadays. Old Hue cooks must find out the best dishes and tastes good for Kings and Queen during their vegetarian weeks. Almost Hue people are not vegetarians, but some of them and Buddhist monks still are. And today, we will have chance to enjoy this special dishes in one of the most famous pagodas in Hue.
In the morning, we take a boat trip along Perfume River to catch Thien Mu Pagoda. This is a Buddhist pagoda located on the top of the hill that looks back to the city. We can see the panorama view of Hue city from this place and hear many stories about Vietnam War. We then drive to Tu Duc Emperor's tomb to see his palace in other world, after his dead. There are summer palace, main Hall, Lake, temples, pine forest and many bonsai gardens…The driver will stop us at Colonial Hat handicraft village and Incense making village so we can see how the local people make their products for earn their livings.
After special lunch, we continue our journey to visit the Citadel and Forbidden City. This afternoon with full of stories about Emperors' periods, their families, their dynasties….we seem to be back the past and see the real Vietnam Feudalism Societies. We will also see a short Hue traditional music performance and be the King or Queen if we want with renting costume services. Later, we have a short visit to Dong Ba, wholesale market of Hue. Overnight in Hue.
Day 5: Hue - Transfer to Hoi An (B)
This morning, we farewell Hue and depart to Hoi An via Hai Van Pass and Danang city. This is a private journey so tour guide will know the best place to stop for us to take photos and we will explore Danang city with Cham Museum, My Khe Beach and the Marble Mountains. We arrive at Hoi An in the afternoon, free to explore this ancient city and overnight in Hoi An.
Day 6: Cooking class & Hoi An walking tour (B, L)
Cooking class is one of the highlights in Hoi An. There will be a lot of fun and we can cook simple dishes after we learn from Chef. The cooking tour will start by walking around the local market that chef will help us to purchase some ingredients for coming course. After that, we are back to restaurant and follow the chef step by step. We will enjoy all the food cooked by us and take recipe books to home.
Farewell with chef we join walking tour with expert tour guide. The tour started from Cantonese Congregation then walk to the Pottery Museum, the Japanese Covered Bridge, Tan Ky old house, and the last point at the Handicraft workshop to enjoy 15 minutes traditional music performance. There are some other open places and we can ask the tour guide stops if we want to take a look.
Overnight in Hoi An.
Day 7: Hoi An - Danang - Fly to Ho Chi Minh city - Cu Chi tunnels (B)
We take a morning flight today to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to visit Cu Chi Tunnel in the afternoon. Cu Chi Tunnel is a system village under the ground that was built during the war and becomes one of the most attractive places in Saigon nowadays. We see video about Cu Chi history and Cu Chi people firstly, and then we explore the tunnels that were re-constructed for visitors. We also enjoy some special food of cassava, sweet potato, tea that is the main food during the war. We also experience to shoot the real bullets if we want or we can ignore it for our direct journey back to Saigon. Overnight in Saigon.
Day 8: Cooking class & Ho Chi Minh city tour (B, L)
This morning, we join a Hands-on cooking class at The Saigon Culinary Art Center. We will have great time with chef who will take us through the reparation for three courses, a salad, spring rolls and a pork dish. All things will be done with patience and humor. We will know how to mix ingredients for the Vietnamese famous dish of spring rolls…..Later of the course, we enjoy what exactly what we cooked before and take recipes to home.
In the afternoon, we visit The Reunification Palace, War Remnant museum, Post office and Notre Dame Cathedral. We stop to visit Ben Thanh market before going to hotel. Overnight in Saigon.
Day 9: Mekong Delta full day/ Cai Be Floating market (B, L)
Today, we are recommended to start our Mekong Delta tour early so we can visit the Cai Be floating market at the busiest time. As many floating markets in Mekong Delta, Cai Be floating market is started at 6h00am and people sell and buy all the day time. We boat among the full of fruit and farming product barges and see how they are exchange. It's really colorful and fantastic market.
After that, we visit the handicraft villages and take rowing boat deeper into the villages. We also explore the villages by bike or on foot. End of the day, the boat takes us back to the pier where we take our vehicle to Saigon. Overnight in Saigon.
Day 10: Ho Chi Minh city Departure (B)
Today, our awaiting vehicle will take us back to the airport for our departure flight. Trip ends.
