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The Soul of Vietnam: 10 Days of Taste, Traditions & Tales

10 days
From Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City
5.0
40 traveler reviews
From
$2,058
-15%
NZ $1,749 per person

Price based on Cheapest Room

Price based on Shared Room

Price based on Private Single Room

Price based on Private Double Room

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2025

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2026

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May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

2027

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
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1 Adult2 Adults, 1 Child2 Children

Who is travelling?

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Plan your adventure:
Food & Culinary
Savor the world one bite at a time
Partially Guided
Independent travel, featuring selected guided excursions
Low Intensity
Travelers can expect some light physical activities
Guided in English
Group Size 1 - 20
All Ages Welcome
Image of a map showing the route of the tour

Itinerary

  1. Day 1

    Hanoi

    You'll arrive at Noi Bai International Airport and get transferred to Diamond Legend Hotel in the Old Quarter. Check-in starts at 2:00 PM, so you'll have the afternoon and evening to either explore the Old Quarter's narrow streets and local shops or rest after your flight. It's a good time to get your bearings and grab dinner somewhere nearby when you're hungry.

    Optional Activities

    • Stroll around the Old Quarter
  2. Day 2

    Hanoi

    Join a half-day cooking class and choose your time slot: morning runs 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM, or afternoon from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM. You'll start at Ngoc Ha Market to see what local cooks use, then head to a home kitchen where you'll make four traditional Vietnamese dishes. By the end, you'll sit down and eat what you've prepared with your hosts and other travelers in the group.

    Meals
    Lunch/Dinner (Home-style meal featuring dishes you prepared during the cooking class, shared with hosts and fellow travelers)

    Included Activities

    • Guided tour of Ngoc Ha Market with local vendors
    • Hands-on cooking class learning four iconic Vietnamese dishes
    • Culinary culture exchange session with Vietnamese folklore and stories
    • Welcome refreshments and snacks
    • Round-trip transfer to/from Old Quarter Area
    Landmarks/POIs
    Ngoc Ha Market
  3. Day 3

    Hanoi to Ha Long Bay

    An early pickup gets you to Tuan Chau Harbor for a full-day cruise through Ha Long Bay. On the Cozy Bay Premium Cruise, you'll spend 5 to 6 hours cruising past limestone cliffs, stopping at Surprising Cave and Titop Island for the views. In the afternoon you'll kayak through Luon Cave, and later there's a sunset party on deck. You'll head back to Hanoi around 9:30 PM, so it's a long but full day.

    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch (Freshly prepared lunch served on board the Cozy Bay Premium Cruise)

    Included Activities

    • Scenic drive to Ha Long Bay via expressway
    • Cozy Bay Premium Cruise with freshly prepared lunch
    • Visit Surprising Cave with stalagmites and stalactites
    • Visit Titop Island with sandy beach and climbing to Titop Peak for panoramic views
    • Kayaking or bamboo boat through Luon Cave lagoon
    • Sunset party on sundeck with tea, cakes, and music
    • Group transfer back to Hanoi

    Optional Activities

    • Seasonal swimming at Titop Island
    Landmarks/POIs
    Ha Long Bay
    Surprising Cave
    Titop Island
    Titop Peak
    Luon Cave
    Tuan Chau Harbor
  4. Day 4

    Hanoi

    You've got two options here. Take the Vietnamese Coffee Workshop in the morning (9:00 AM to 12:00 PM) or afternoon (3:00 PM to 6:00 PM) to learn roasting, grinding, and brewing five Vietnamese coffees, plus a traditional lunch with wine pairings. Or skip that and join the Old Quarter Street Food Tour at 5:30 PM instead, walking through lantern-lit streets and finding hidden food spots throughout the evening.

    Meals
    Lunch (Full-course traditional Vietnamese lunch featuring five iconic regional dishes)

    Included Activities

    • Coffee heritage and culture session (30 minutes)
    • Hands-on brewing masterclass making five iconic Vietnamese coffees (90 minutes)
    • Full-course traditional Vietnamese lunch featuring five regional dishes
    • Free-flow soft drinks, beer, and unlimited local wines during meal
    • Welcome refreshments and light Vietnamese snacks
    • Round-trip transfer to/from Old Quarter Area
    • Recipe book provided
    • Free digital copies of coffee books
    • Professional certificate if requested

    Optional Activities

    • Old Quarter Street Food Tour (evening, 3 hours) - guided food crawl through lantern-lit streets sampling curated local stalls and vendors
    Landmarks/POIs
    Hanoi Old Quarter
  5. Day 5

    Hanoi to Da Nang to Hoi An

    After breakfast, you'll have a relaxed morning to do some last-minute shopping in the Old Quarter or just chill before heading out. Your driver takes you to Hanoi Airport for a domestic flight down to Da Nang. Once you land, a local guide meets you and drives you to your hotel in Hoi An. Check-in happens from 2:00 PM onward, leaving your evening free to wander the town on your own.

    Meals
    Breakfast

    Optional Activities

    • Last-minute souvenir shopping in the Old Quarter
  6. Day 6

    Hoi An

    A 5-hour cooking experience in Hoi An starts your day. You can pick morning (8:15 AM to 1:00 PM) or afternoon slots (2:30 PM to 7:00 PM or 3:30 PM to 8:00 PM). From Hai Scout Café in the Ancient Town, you'll visit the central market, take a 25-minute boat ride on Thu Bon River, tour a herb garden, and then spend 2.5 hours in the kitchen making dishes. You'll finish by eating everything you made.

    Meals
    Lunch/Dinner (Full Vietnamese meal featuring dishes made during the cooking class, including fresh rice paper rolls, Hoi An pancakes, seafood salad, Mi Quang chicken noodles, and BBQ lemongrass beef)

    Included Activities

    • Welcome drinks at meeting point
    • Guided exploration of Hoi An's colorful central market
    • Scenic 25-minute boat ride on Thu Bon River
    • Herb garden discovery and learning Vietnamese aromatics
    • Hands-on 2.5-hour cooking class with local chef
    • Preparation of multiple Vietnamese dishes from scratch
    • Full meal made by your own hands
    • All recipes and notes provided
    • Transfer back to central Hoi An
    Landmarks/POIs
    Hoi An Ancient Town
    Thu Bon River
    Hai Scout Café
  7. Day 7

    Ba Na Hills

    Pick up happens at 7:30 AM for Ba Na Hills. You'll take one of the world's longest cable cars (11,587 meters) up the mountain to see Le Jardin D'Amour Flower Garden and walk the Golden Bridge held by massive stone hands. There's also the Linh Ung Pagoda with Vietnam's tallest Buddhist statue. After lunch at 11:30 AM, you can check out French colonial architecture at French Square or hit Fantasy Park. You'll cable car back down around 2:00 PM and return to Da Nang by 4:00 to 5:00 PM.

    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch at mountain restaurant with scenic views)

    Included Activities

    • Pickup at hotel at 7:30-7:45 AM
    • Cable car ride (11,587 meters - one of the world's longest non-stop cable cars)
    • Visit Le Jardin D'Amour Flower Garden
    • Visit Golden Bridge with giant stone hands
    • Visit Linh Ung Pagoda with Vietnam's tallest Buddhist statue
    • Lunch at mountain restaurant
    • Visit French Square with French colonial architecture
    • Return cable car descent
    • Group transportation back to Da Nang

    Optional Activities

    • Fantasy Park - indoor amusement center with games and activities
    Landmarks/POIs
    Ba Na Hills
    Le Jardin D'Amour Flower Garden
    Golden Bridge
    Linh Ung Pagoda
    French Square
  8. Day 8

    Hoi An to Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City

    Breakfast at KimAn Hoi An Hotel wraps up your time there, then your driver takes you to Da Nang Airport for a domestic flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Your driver meets you and transfers you to Prague Hotel downtown on Backpacker Street, walking distance from Bui Vien and near Independence Palace and Notre-Dame Cathedral. Check-in opens at 2:00 PM. You'll have the rest of the evening to explore Saigon at your own pace.

    Meals
    Breakfast
    Landmarks/POIs
    Independence Palace
    Notre-Dame Cathedral
  9. Day 9

    Ho Chi Minh City

    You'll do Saigon's history in two parts. The morning heritage tour runs 7:30 AM to 12:00 PM, hitting Independence Palace, the outside of Notre-Dame Cathedral, and the War Remnants Museum. After some free time for lunch, an evening cultural experience starts at 5:30 PM. You'll catch a traditional water puppet show and take a 2-hour dinner cruise on the Saigon River with Vietnamese food and views of the lit-up skyline, finishing around 9:30 PM.

    Meals
    Breakfast, Dinner (Set-menu dinner featuring authentic Vietnamese cuisine on Indochina Queen Cruise during Saigon River Dinner Cruise)

    Included Activities

    • Morning heritage tour with English-speaking guide
    • Independence Palace (Reunification Palace) with architecture and war bunker exploration
    • Notre-Dame Cathedral exterior viewing and French Gothic Central Post Office
    • War Remnants Museum documenting Vietnam War history
    • Hotel pickup and drop-off (District 1 only)
    • Water Puppet Show - 1,000-year-old Vietnamese art form
    • Transfer to dinner cruise
    • Saigon River Dinner Cruise on traditional-style boat
    • Set-menu dinner featuring authentic Vietnamese cuisine
    • Evening hotel drop-off
    Landmarks/POIs
    Independence Palace (Reunification Palace)
    Notre-Dame Cathedral
    Central Post Office
    War Remnants Museum
    Water Puppet Theater
    Saigon River
  10. Day 10

    Ho Chi Minh City to Departure

    Your final morning includes breakfast in Ho Chi Minh City and a chance to soak in the last bits of Saigon's energy. If you've got time, pop into a local market or grab a strong Vietnamese coffee and think back on everything from Hanoi to Hoi An to here. When you're ready, your driver picks you up and takes you to Tan Son Nhat International Airport for your flight home.

    Meals
    Breakfast

    Optional Activities

    • Visit local market for last-minute shopping
    • Enjoy Vietnamese coffee at a local café
    Landmarks/POIs
    Tan Son Nhat International Airport
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What's Included

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  • Accommodation
  • Guide
  • Meals
  • Additional Services
  • Transport
  • Free eSIM
    TourRadar offers the lead traveler (the person who booked) a free 1GB eSIM for the trip. The eSIM is redeemable only through the TourRadar app 72 hours before departure.

What's Not Included

  • Flights
  • Insurance
  • Additional Services

Where You'll Stay

All accommodations are subject to change

Operated by

Sondax Travel

5.0
(40 reviews)

Number of tours

35

Age Range

2 to 99 years old

Response time

2 hours

Response rate

100%

Sondax Travel is your insider gateway to Vietnam, delivering seamless,...

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A transparent overview of applicable fees.

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Be covered for any unforseen circumstances.

Customer Reviews

  • Tracey
    · September 23rd, 2025
    Amazing different coffee styles. Giang the host answered all my questions. Best style of coffee has to be egg coffee or salt coffee
    Show more
  • Hjalti
    · September 22nd, 2025
    If you are a coffee enthusiast this tour is a must try! The guide was great, very informative and it was a fun experience with tasty coffee drinks.
    Show more
  • lena
    · September 22nd, 2025
    Perfect experience - highly recommend! It was very entertaining, informative and delicious!
    Show more

Dates & Availability

Select departure month and travellers

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Jan
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Mar
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May
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2026

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2027

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1 Adult2 Adults, 1 Child2 Children

Who is travelling?

AdultsAges 18 or above

2

ChildrenUnder 18

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Upcoming departures
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Ends on 12 Nov, 2025
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What our customers ask about this tour

The content in our FAQ section is subject to change.
All questions
  • P

    Philip

    Asked on September 16th, 2025

    What is the best period climate wise for this tour?

    Tour Details
    • Sondax TravelOperatorWritten September 2025

      The best period climate-wise is November to April.

  • K

    Kristina

    Asked on September 16th, 2025

    What is the difference between the 3-Star, 4-Star and 5-Star accommodations?

    Accommodation
    • Sondax TravelOperatorWritten September 2025

      The difference between hotel types that greatly affect the price is the basic factors such as the location, furniture, room size, room view, and amenities. The higher the type of hotel, the more comfortable the experience. All our hotels are in the center of cities and are inspected to ensure the service so based on the budget you can consider the reasonable option. For 3-star and 4-star, you will join some partial group tours. For 5-star hotels, besides the higher hotel standards, the tour will be private completely at a higher cost.

  • K

    Keith

    Asked on September 15th, 2025

    I am a solo traveller. I am wondering if this is a group tour? Or is it a case of travelling alone with guides and meeting up with different groups/ travellers on a daily basis.

    Group size
    Tour Details
    • Sondax TravelOperatorWritten September 2025

      Our package is a group tour. It is not that you share with the same group and guide from the beginning till the end. Most of our tour is a partial group tour in which you will have a group tour for excursion at each place, for airport pick up is a private service.

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From
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2027

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Good to Know

Tour ID: 316863

  • Currency
    Dong
    Vietnam
  • Plugs & Adapters

    As a traveler from New Zealand you will need an adaptor for type G.

    Type G
    Vietnam
  • Vaccines
    • These are only indications, so please visit your doctor before you travel to be 100% sure.
    • Typhoid - Recommended for Vietnam. Ideally 2 weeks before travel.
    • Hepatitis A - Recommended for Vietnam. Ideally 2 weeks before travel.
    • Cholera - Recommended for Vietnam. Ideally 2 weeks before travel.
    • Tuberculosis - Recommended for Vietnam. Ideally 3 months before travel.
    • Hepatitis B - Recommended for Vietnam. Ideally 2 months before travel.
    • Rabies - Recommended for Vietnam. Ideally 1 month before travel.
    • Yellow fever - Certificate of vaccination required if arriving from an area with a risk of yellow fever transmission for Vietnam. Ideally 10 days before travel.
    • Japanese B encephalitis - Recommended for Vietnam. Ideally 1 month before travel.
  • Visa
    • Unfortunately we cannot offer you a visa application service. Whether you need a visa or not depends on your nationality and where you wish to travel. Assuming your home country does not have a visa agreement with the country you're planning to visit, you will need to apply for a visa in advance of your scheduled departure.
    • Here is an indication for which countries you might need a visa. Please contact the local embassy for help applying for visas to these places.
  • Payment information
    • For any tour departing before January 6th, 2026 a full payment is necessary. For tours departing after January 6th, 2026, a minimum payment of 20% is required to confirm your booking with Sondax Travel. The final payment will be automatically charged to your credit card on the designated due date. The final payment of the remaining balance is required at least 65 days prior to the departure date of your tour. TourRadar never charges you a booking fee and will charge you in the stated currency.
    • Some departure dates and prices may vary and Sondax Travel will contact you with any discrepancies before your booking is confirmed.
    • The following cards are accepted for "Sondax Travel" tours: Visa, Maestro, Mastercard, American Express or PayPal. TourRadar does NOT charge you an extra fee for using any of these payment methods.
  • Cancellation Policy
  • Accessibility
    Some tours are not suitable for mobility-restricted traveler, however, some operators may be able to accommodate special requests. For any enquiries, you can contact our customer support team, who are ready and waiting to help you.

Who is travelling?

AdultsAges 18 or above

2

ChildrenUnder 18

0

Select departure month

2025

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

2026

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
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Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

2027

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec