Itinerary
- Day 1
Hanoi
You'll arrive in Hanoi anytime during the day. There's a welcome meeting set for 6pm at your hotel reception where you'll meet the group. If you're interested in food, there's an optional street food tour that evening through the Old Quarter's narrow lanes. You'll sample local specialties like crispy banh goi dumplings and bun cha pork meatballs as you walk through the winding streets.
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Flower Garden Hotel), Hotel (Flower Garden Hotel (or similar))
Optional Activities
- Street food tour in Old Quarter (Dinh Liet and Ta Hien Street)
- Try banh goi (crispy Vietnamese dumplings with minced meat and noodles)
- Try bun cha (seasoned pork meatballs with rice noodles and fresh herbs)
Landmarks Noi Bai International Airport Old Quarter 
- Day 2
Hanoi - Bat Trang - Halong Bay
Start early with pho at a street stall, then try traditional egg coffee. After that, you'll walk through Hanoi's French colonial architecture, seeing the One-Pillar Pagoda, Temple of Literature, and Presidential Palace. From there, you'll cross the Red River to Bat Trang pottery village where you'll learn to cook spring rolls, beef-stuffed betel leaves, and grilled meat skewers with a local resident. By evening, you'll drive to Halong Bay.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Pho (beef and noodle soup) at local pho stall with egg coffee (ca phe trung)), Lunch
- Accommodation
- Hotel (New Star Ha Long 2 Hotel (or similar))
Included Activities
- Breakfast at local pho stall
- Egg coffee (ca phe trung) tasting
- Visit One-Pillar Pagoda
- Visit Temple of Literature
- Visit Presidential Palace
- Visit Bat Trang ancient pottery village
- Cooking class: spring rolls (cha gio), beef-stuffed betel leaves (cha la lot), and grilled meat skewers (thit xien nuong)
- Local resident cultural insight and history
Landmarks One-Pillar Pagoda Temple of Literature Presidential Palace Ho Chi Minh's Teak Stilt House Red River Bat Trang 
- Day 3
Halong Bay
Your day involves cruising through Halong Bay on a charter boat with views of thousands of limestone islands. You'll navigate past junks and sampans, then visit limestone caverns and take in the seascape around you. Lunch happens on board with fresh seafood. In the afternoon, you'll drive south to Ninh Binh, arriving by late afternoon.
- Meals
- Lunch (Delicious lunch on board boat)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Van Long Green Hotel (or similar))
Included Activities
- Charter boat cruise through Halong Bay
- Visit limestone caverns
- Lunch on board boat
Landmarks Halong Bay 
- Day 4
Ninh Binh
You'll learn to cook com chay (burnt rice) with a local family and see rural farming traditions up close. During the morning, you'll help with rice cultivation, cut banana leaves, and work in gardens. Lunch comes from fresh produce you've seen grown. After eating, you'll cycle through rice paddies past pagodas and small villages. Later you'll head to the train station for an overnight journey to Dong Hoi aboard the Reunification Express.
- Meals
- Lunch (Meal prepared on farm from fresh local produce)
- Accommodation
- Sleeper Train (Overnight Train to Dong Hoi), Sleeper Train (Overnight Train to Dong Hoi (or similar))
Included Activities
- Cooking class: com chay (burnt rice) with local family
- Farm experience: learn traditional farming techniques, cultivate rice, cut banana leaves, tend gardens
- Farm lunch prepared from local produce
- Leisurely bike ride through rice paddies
- Overnight train journey - Reunification Express to Dong Hoi
Landmarks Ninh Binh countryside - Day 5
Dong Hoi - Phong Nha National Park
After breakfast at your hotel, you'll enter Phong Nha National Park with its towering limestone and jungle landscape. You'll take a small wooden boat across the Son River to Phong Nha Cave to see stalactites and stalagmites. Lunch includes barbecued river prawns and grilled fish. Next, you'll visit Paradise Cave which stretches 7km deep with boardwalks and lighting throughout. You'll return to Dong Hoi by evening for a relaxed night.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast at local hotel), Lunch (Barbecued river prawns, grilled fish, marinated BBQ pork, and freshly prepared Vietnamese salad)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Muong Thanh Hoilday Quang Binh (or similar))
Included Activities
- Breakfast at local hotel
- Drive to Phong Nha National Park
- Wooden boat ride across Son River
- Phong Nha Cave exploration
- Lunch with barbecued river prawns, grilled fish, marinated BBQ pork, and Vietnamese salad
- Swimming in river (optional time)
- Paradise Cave exploration (7km deep with boardwalks and lighting, first kilometer accessible)
Landmarks Phong Nha National Park Son River Phong Nha Cave Paradise Cave 
- Day 6
Dong Hoi - DMZ - Hue
You'll travel to the 17th parallel that once divided North and South Vietnam. The day includes exploring the Demilitarized Zone with the Vinh Moc underground tunnel network and Quang Tri Citadel. After crossing the Ben Hai River, you'll drive to Hue for a 10-course Royal Banquet with imperial dishes like peacock starter and shrimp in passionfruit sauce, accompanied by royal folk music.
- Meals
- Dinner (10-course Royal Banquet featuring imperial Nguyen dynasty cuisine: nem cong (peacock starter), Tom ngu thuyen ron (shrimp in passionfruit sauce), chuoi ngu & banh phu the (stuffed mung bean cake served with banana), with royal folk music accompaniment)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Thanh Lich 2 Hotel), Hotel (Thanh Lich 2 Hotel (or similar))
Included Activities
- Visit 17th parallel DMZ (Demilitarized Zone)
- Explore Vinh Moc underground tunnels and caverns
- Visit Quang Tri Citadel
- Cross Ben Hai River
- 10-course Royal Banquet dinner with royal folk music
Landmarks 17th Parallel Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) Vinh Moc Quang Tri Citadel Ben Hai River - Day 7
Hue
You'll explore Hue's imposing citadel built by the Nguyen dynasty as a replica of Beijing's Forbidden City. During the morning, you'll learn to make green bean cake with a local family. Later you'll visit Thien Mu Pagoda and Tu Duc Tomb. By evening, you'll have dinner with a local family featuring home-cooked Hue specialties including fig salad, water fern cakes, and spicy beef and pork noodle soup.
- Meals
- Dinner (Home-cooked meal with local family: va tron (Hue fig salad), banh beo (water fern cakes), bun bo (spicy beef and pork noodle soup))
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Thanh Lich 2 Hotel), Hotel (Thanh Lich 2 Hotel (or similar))
Included Activities
- Explore Hue Citadel
- Cooking class: green bean cake (TET celebration snack) with local family
- Visit Thien Mu Pagoda
- Visit Tu Duc Tomb
- Dinner with local family
Landmarks Hue Citadel Perfume River Thien Mu Pagoda Tu Duc Tomb - Day 8
Hue - Hai Van Pass - Hoi An
You'll drive toward the Truong Son Mountains and cross scenic Hai Van Pass with panoramic views. At Tra Que Herb Village, you'll meet farmers tending over 150 vegetable patches and learn about pesticide-free practices. You'll try a foot soak using herb solutions. After lunch at a banh mi stall, you'll walk through Hoi An's lantern-lit streets, visiting the Japanese Bridge and Chinese Meeting Hall.
- Meals
- Lunch (Banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich with French baguette, pate, beef or pork sausage, coriander, chillies, pickled carrots, and creamy mayonnaise), eaten street-side)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Thanh Binh Central Hotel), Hotel (Thanh Binh Central Hotel (or similar))
Included Activities
- Drive through Hai Van (Sea Cloud) Pass with scenic stop
- Visit Tra Que Herb Village
- Meet local farmers and learn about vegetable growing practices
- Foot soak using local herbs
- Lunch: banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich with French baguette, pate, meat, coriander, chillies, pickled carrots, and mayonnaise)
- Walking tour of Hoi An Old Town
- Visit Japanese Bridge
Optional Activities
- Visit Chinese Meeting Hall
Landmarks Truong Son Mountains Hai Van Pass (Sea Cloud Pass) Tra Que Herb Village Thu Bon River Delta Hoi An Old Town Japanese Bridge Chinese Meeting Hall 
- Day 9
Hoi An
This is a free day to wander Hoi An at your own pace, the beautifully preserved medieval trading port. You can browse Old Town's shops, bars, and riverside cafes. There are optional activities available like visiting the My Lai memorial museum or joining a fishing trip on the Thu Bon River Delta where you'll try traditional cast net fishing and basket boat rowing.
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Thanh Binh Central Hotel), Hotel (Thanh Binh Central Hotel (or similar))
Optional Activities
- Free exploration of Hoi An Old Town - visit Japanese Bridge and Chinese temples/meeting halls
- Shopping for souvenirs
- Clothing tailoring services
- My Lai village massacre memorial visit (optional excursion with photography exhibition)
- Fishing trip on Thu Bon River Delta - learn traditional cast net fishing, bamboo winches, and Vietnamese basket boat rowing
Landmarks Hoi An Old Town Japanese Bridge Chinese temples and meeting halls My Lai village massacre memorial Thu Bon River Delta - Day 10
Hoi An - Danang - Ho Chi Minh City - Ben Tre
You'll fly from Danang to Ho Chi Minh City, then drive south to Ben Tre in the Mekong Delta. By sampan, you'll travel through coconut palm-lined waterways visiting villagers making local delicacies like baked potato cakes and Vietnamese doughnuts. You'll cycle through palm-fringed canals observing daily life. In the evening, you'll help prepare dinner with grilled snakehead fish, rice pancakes, and jackfruit leaf cake.
- Meals
- Lunch, Dinner (Meal prepared with hosts: ca loc nuong trui (grilled snakehead fish), banh xeo (rice pancakes), banh la mit (jackfruit leaf cake))
- Accommodation
- Guesthouse (Ut Trinh Homestay - Ben Tre), Home-stay (Ut Trinh Homestay - Ben Tre (or similar))
Included Activities
- Flight from Danang to Ho Chi Minh City
- Drive to Ben Tre in Mekong Delta
- Traditional sampan tour through Mekong Delta waterways
- Visit local villagers making baked potato cakes, Vietnamese doughnuts, and suong sam (Vietnamese jelly)
- Cycling through palm-fringed canals
- Dinner preparation with hosts
Landmarks Danang Airport Ho Chi Minh City Ben Tre Mekong Delta - Day 11
Ben Tre - Ho Chi Minh City
You'll explore the Mekong Delta by boat, visiting a bustling local market selling fish, vegetables, and exotic fruits like rambutan and dragon fruit. You'll buy ingredients and take them to a local house to learn how to prepare local snacks. In the afternoon, you'll drive back to Ho Chi Minh City. Later there's a street food tour along Old Saigon's moped-laden streets, trying fried quail eggs, nam vang noodle soup, and crispy sweet potato balls.
- Meals
- Lunch
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Alagon Central Hotel), Hotel (Alagon Central Hotel (or similar))
Included Activities
- Morning boat tour of Mekong Delta
- Visit local floating market
- Buy ingredients at market
- Learn to prepare local snacks at local house
- Street food tour in Old Saigon
- Try fried quail eggs with tamarind
- Try nam vang noodle soup
- Try crispy sweet potato balls
- Try avocado ice cream
Landmarks Mekong Delta Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Old Saigon - Day 12
Ho Chi Minh City
You'll visit the International Barista School to learn about Vietnam's coffee culture from expert baristas. The session covers growing, roasting, grinding, brewing, and latte art techniques. After that, you'll walk through central Ho Chi Minh City sights including the Opera House, Hotel de Ville, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the French-style GPO building. The evening is free for exploring the city's restaurants.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Alagon Central Hotel), Hotel (Alagon Central Hotel (or similar))
Included Activities
- Morning at International Barista School with expert barista
- Learn about Vietnamese coffee culture and history
- Learn coffee growing, roasting, and grinding techniques
- Learn coffee brewing, pressing, and latte art
- Walking tour of central Ho Chi Minh City sights
- Visit Opera House (formerly South Vietnam National Assembly)
- Visit Hotel de Ville
- Visit Notre Dame Cathedral
- Visit GPO building
Landmarks International Barista School Opera House Hotel de Ville Notre Dame Cathedral GPO building - Day 13
Ho Chi Minh City
Your tour ends after breakfast at the hotel. You can depart Ho Chi Minh City anytime during the day. If your flight leaves later, luggage storage is available so you can continue exploring the city.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast at hotel)
Included Activities
- Breakfast at hotel
Landmarks Tan Son Nhat International Airport
