12 Days Vietnam Luxury Culinary

Upon arrival at Noi Bai Airport, after clearing all customs procedures, please proceed to exit gate and look for your driver who will be waiting at the lobby, holding the Wonderscape signboard with your name on it. You will be transferred to the hotel by private transportation. Check-in to the hotel and get over the jet lag. Check in time at 2PM ­ You can mooch through the streets of the city. Historic charm, architectural marvels, and products’ variety are splashed all over this area. After enjoying the first day yourself and return to the hotel for a relaxing sleep. ­ Overnight in Hanoi

Drive from hotel through the historical Ba Dinh Square where president Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the independence of Vietnam in 1945 and find out outstanding architecture, beautiful atmosphere around this square. Then reach to Lenin Garden, a communal space for locals. This also offers a perfect opportunity for people-watching, to get a better idea of the daily activities of the locals. After that, we make our way through a small alleys of Hanoi where sewing shops have been in family hands for generations and admire the daily life of local people who still practise old an old way of life in the alleys of Hanoi. Do not forget to bring your camera along to capture the unique experience. Continue walk to visit the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first national university built in the late 11th century and explore its role in the country’s past. Then visit the fascinating Ethnology Museum (closed Mondays), which is both a research centre and a public museum exhibiting the ethnic groups of Vietnam. And enjoy your lunch at local restaurant before make a stroll around the charming Hanoi old quarter to explore the fascinating maze of back streets. Then walking to busy street of old quarter where every day is always the busy by several vendors of food or vegetables gather for sale. HOME HOSTED DINNER WITH HANOIAN FAMILY It only takes about 20 minutes departing from hotel, our guide will take you to a traditional family of Hanoi with three generations in the house. All family members will greet you like friends who come from afar. You and the members of the home will be the protagonists of the dinner. In Vietnam, a family meal has always been an intangible string to connect family members, a time to talk to create the bond among generations. A shared meal is a vivid illustration of affection among family members. During the meal, the elderly teach the younger customs, table manners and traditional values. The children show their caring and respect of the elderly through preparing meals and expressing etiquettes. The meal is simple, but it implies a profound love. Then drive back to hotel. Overnight in Hanoi

In the morning, meet with Chef Ai - for a local market tour. Chef Ai is a passionate chef who has a decade-old experience as a professional chef, she can show you how to select the freshest & typical ingredients for local foods. Enjoy sight, sound and flavor of the market. Then take a walk to her cozy private home for a private hands-on cooking class while listening to her sharing about the passion for cooking. Taste your own creations at lunch. Then drive back to hotel and free at leisure. Overnight in Hanoi

In the morning, after breakfast at the hotel, the cruise team will pick you up. Take the most scenic route to reach Ha Long Bay, taking you across the Red River Delta with emerald green rice paddies stretching for as far as the eyes can see. On arrival to Ha Long- the natural wonders of Southeast Asia, you will enjoy a cruise trip on the Bay and explore the limestone rocks and the karst grottoes. ­ After you are done with your exploration of the bay, it is time to enjoy an utterly delicious seafood lunch, after which there will be a trip to the famous limestone cave in Ha Long bay, you’ll get to spend some time here, kayaking or swimming so that you can get closer to the floating villages and shops. Towards the evening, you will return to the boat for an early dinner, followed by some time at leisure. You can optionally attend the activities taking part on the boat or just relax. ­ Overnight on cruise in Ha Long Bay

Wake up early in the morning to witness the stunning sunrise and take in the fresh ocean air. Enjoy a delicious breakfast served on the boat while cruising leisurely through thousands of breath taking islands in Ha Long Bay. This is a great opportunity to capture some amazing photos of the picturesque scenery. ­ During the cruise, we will also stop to visit a floating fishing village and hear legendary stories of the fishermen's daily life. Lunch will be served on the boat as we cruise back to the Ha Long City pier. From there, we will return to Hanoi around 3:30 pm to 4:00 PM. ­ After that, private driver transfer you to the airport for your flight to next destination. Upon arrival at the airport in Hue, our representative will be waiting to pick you up and transfer you to the hotel for check-in. Overnight in Hue

Once the imperial capital of the Nguyen Lords from the 17th to the 19th centuries, Hue’s splendid emperors’ tombs, ancient pagodas and the remains of the Citadel contribute to its undeniable royal charm. Explore the Imperial Citadel at the centre of the Complex of Hue Monuments inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. Enter through the towering main gate and appreciate the magnificent architecture and gardens while your guide explains the events and the intrigue surrounding the former royal court. Despite being heavily bombed during the Vietnam War, there are some incredibly well-preserved sections intact and others which are being carefully restored. Select one of two royal tombs to visit: (1) The Tu Duc Royal Tomb, the most impressive of all the royal mausoleums, built by Emperor Tu Duc between 1864 and 1867. Interestingly, Tu Duc had 104 wives and countless concubines but left no heirs to the throne. While the complex does include a tomb, together with pavilions and temples, no one knows exactly where Tu Duc was buried as all 200 servants who buried the king were beheaded to keep his final resting place a secret from grave robbers, or (2) the elaborate Khai Dinh Royal Tomb whose architecture showcases elements of Eastern art and Western design. While smaller than many of the other tombs, the Khai Dinh Royal Tomb is more flamboyant, with the largest dragons in the country forming the side walls leading up to the tomb. Notice the tomb’s blackened concrete exterior and colourful mosaic interior in the spacious main building decorated with murals of the Four Seasons, Eight Precious Objects and Eight Fairies. After exploring the tomb, return to your hotel. HUE EVENING FOOD TOUR You will be picked up at 17:30 at your hotel and head to a local market to observe the evening trading activities. Your guide will walk with you through the local streets and stop at the food stores to taste some specially selected traditional street food such as rice noodle soup with fish, Hue cakes, grilled pork chop, and Hue hot and spicy noodles soup - one of the most typical cuisines of Hue. You will also have an opportunity to taste another important branch of Hue’s cuisine, vegetarian dishes, which are inherited from a long and strong Buddhist background in the area. Wrap up your interesting food tour with a sampling of Hue-style desserts such as sweet soups, yogurt or Sugarcane juice. Transfer back to your hotel later in the evening. Overnight in Hue

After breakfast at hotel, Then drive 3.5 hours to Hoi An along a scenic coastal route passing mountains on one side and the ocean on the other and heading to your hotel and free at leisure. In the afternoon, you will explore Hoi An ancient city by walking. Between the 15th and 19th centuries, Hoi An known then as ‘Faifo’, was a prosperous trading port, attracting Chinese, Japanese, Dutch, Portuguese and Spanish ships amongst others. Today, this World Heritage ancient town is recognised for its well-preserved architecture, pedestrian-only streets and distinctive local cuisine, allowing visitors a glimpse of its illustrious past. Hoi An’s narrow lanes are ideal for a guided walking tour of its many atmospheric sights including: the old merchant houses with influences from Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese architecture; the 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge, first built in the 1590s by the Japanese community to link them with the Chinese quarters across the stream; the Assembly Hall of the Chaozhou Chinese Congregation with its intricate woodcarvings; and the colourful market with stalls brimming with local specialties including silk, which can be turned into fashionable garments within a day or two. Overnight in Hoi An

Set on three acres (1.2ha) of lush tropical gardens, the Red Bridge Cooking School is one of the highlights of the culinary scene in Hoi An. Meet up with your chef and other guests at Hai Café in the Ancient Town for a brief introduction and a welcome drink. Meander through Hoi An’s colourful central market with your chef and take in the sights, sounds and aromas of the bustling market scene. Learn how to select fresh produce and ingredients essential for Vietnamese cuisine. Embark on a relaxing 20min boat trip to the Red Bridge Cooking School. Take a tour of the school’s herb garden before beginning the join-in, hands-on cooking class. After completing the lessons, enjoy and savour the dishes you have prepared in the lovely restaurant overlooking the river. Board a local boat for a short cruise along the Thu Bon River back to Hoi An town. And free at leisure HOI AN SUNSET CRUISE Sunset is just the start of a long day (and night) in the life of Hoi An’s fishermen. Board a local river boat for a sunset cruise while witnessing the town’s fishermen board their boats and head out to the Cua Dai Sea for a night of fishing. From the boat, you will see at first-hand the daily activities of the fishermen. The boat will stop along the shore where you can try your hand at casting traditional fishing nets, a common fishing method still practiced today. Also learn the art of paddling the unique Vietnamese round basket boats before heading back to the river boat. On the way back to town, enjoy a refreshing drink and a snack as the sun disappears below the horizon. Overnight in Hoi An

You will be picked up at your hotel lobby and transferred to Danang airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Upon arrival, you will be welcomed and transferred to hotel for check in and free at leisure. In the afternoon, we start city tour. With over eight million inhabitants and four million motorbikes, Saigon is truly a city that never sleeps. Despite its modernity, Saigon maintains a strong link to the past and our city tour takes in some of Saigon’s most historic landmarks including the Notre Dame Cathedral, a red brick edifice with twin spires constructed from materials imported from France (entrance is only permitted when no services are being performed). Then head across the square to the Central Post Office, completed in 1891. A short drive away is the former Presidential Palace, the headquarters of the Saigon Government during the American War. Continue to the War Remnants Museum for a vivid perspective of the American War through the eyes of the Vietnamese. (Please note that some of the displays are very graphic.) Experience Saigon’s famed street coffee culture while your guide provides a brief language lesson as well as insights into daily life of a Saigonese before drive back to hotel Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

Morning, we take a 2hr drive northwest to the famous Cu Chi Tunnels, an immense network of connecting underground tunnels started in 1948 to protect the Viet Cong guerrillas from the French air and ground sweeps. The tunnels also served as living quarters, communication and supply routes, and housed hospitals, food and weapons caches. Touring the underground compounds will provide a better understanding of the history of the tunnels, the hardship of life in the tunnels and the Vietnamese resilience during combat. Return to hotel. EVENING FOODIE TOUR ON VINTAGE VESPA The darker the night gets, the more vivid Saigon becomes! Get ready for a fascinating ride by vintage vespa tonight to discover busy Saigon after dark, together with delightful local food tasting in the most authentic local restaurants. It’s such a great chance for you to experience the Southern Vietnam specialties. Then continue to zig zag through the hustle and bustle of the streets. End up your night at a cozy speak easy bar to taste some signature cocktails (or mocktails for your children) and have a chat with people here. Get back to your hotel and call it a night. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

Depart from Ho Chi Minh City for the 1.5hr drive to Ben Tre, situated in the Mekong River Delta, exchanging city scenes for lush rice paddies and fruit farms. At the pier, embark on a fascinating motorboat excursion to start with a quick visit of Cai Be floating market. Then, the rowing boat will take you deeper into the countryside on smaller canals to enjoy the peaceful time. Back to our boat to go across one of the longest Mekong river. fish farms and scenes of countryside living. Arrive at An Bình Island. Head to handmade canal to Ut Trinh homestay & enjoy a lunch. After lunch, walking around this orchard & enjoy some cups of tea when listening to the traditional music in the ancient house. Then walk around local village to visit the local workshop to see how to make rice paper, coconut candy, pop-rice... Enjoy some sweets with a cup of hot tea. And have an optional biking can be made for a leisure! It will be so amazing to bike on village paths to see the local daily life: orchard, school, church, pagoda, traditional houses. Then visit the brick kilns where you can see how the local people create beautiful potteries from clay. The cruise will end at Vinh Long city before driving back to your hotel Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

After enjoying breakfast at the hotel, You are free to spend your remaining time at leisure, perhaps exploring the city one last time or souvenir shopping. When it's time for your departure flight, your private driver will pick you up from the hotel and transfer you to the airport.