Tour Itinerary

DAY 1

On Day 1 and prior to 5:00 pm, a Cuisine Adventure Tours representative will be available to meet you at the Ha Noi international airport outside the baggage claim area, to be transported to the Chalcedony Hotel, our favorite boutique hotel. The official kick-off of your cuisine adventure tour will start with a welcome dinner at 6:00 pm:  the start of the spectacular food feast.  There will be introductions and time to mingle and get to know each other.

Note: If your arrival is prior to Day 1 and you require additional accommodation and transportation, please work with Cuisine Adventure Tours prior to your departure.  These additional bookings are not included in the tour package and will be billed and added to your invoice.

DAY 2

Day 2 features the famous “Good Morning Ha Noi Tour,” including the famous flower market in Quang Ba. You’ll also attend the Flag Raising ceremony at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, and explore the Old Quarter. During the afternoon tour, you will see more of Ha Noi’s wonders such as the French Colony Quarter, Opera House, Dong Xuan Market, etc…  This will be followed by dinner at Chim Sao Restaurant.

DAY 3

Get ready for an amazing experience with Chef “Jack” at your cooking class this morning, complete with shopping at the Dong Xuan Market!  For your afternoon activity, you’ll participate in an ‘Amazing Race,’ developed as a team-building activity to help you learn about the culture and life of Ha Noi.  This will be followed by the famous Ha Noi Water Puppet Show and dinner.

DAY 4

Your transport will take you to Thanh Hoa, a small village 60 miles outside of Ha Noi,  where you will visit the famous Stone Church and the beautiful countryside, which is painted with picturesque rice paddies. After your village tour, you will have lunch with a local family. This is a wonderful time to explore another culture and its’ way of preparing, cooking, and presenting their cuisine. Back at Ha Noi, you will have a local outdoor barbeque for dinner.

DAY 5

Day 5 begins with an early breakfast at the hotel before leaving for the airport to fly to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).  After your hotel check-in, there will be a tour of Saigon where we’ll explore all the must-see landmarks, and we’ll spend some time off the crowded tourist trail for a peek at the history, the streets, and the sights that most visitors never hear about or see.  This will be followed by a fabulous seafood dinner on a Saigon Cruise boat.

DAY 6

In the early morning, you will be transported to Ben Tre and hop onto the Mekong Delta River cruise, traveling through the tributary using local canoes. You will tour the Phoenix Islands and visit a village with time to shop and listen to local music. Along with experiencing the local music, you will taste tropical fruits and tour a honey farm. Lunch will be held at the Mien Tay Riverside Restaurant. Later in the evening, you’ll receive a night market tour and have dinner at the many street vendors.

DAY 7

Your tour will take you to the Cu Chi Tunnels where you will get an informational and hands-on tour of the 155-mile underground network.  Along the way, you will stop at Tay Ninh, a Mekong Delta town.  Tay Ninh is the official base of Cao Dai, a homegrown religion that uses seances to communicate with higher powers. In the evening, back in Saigon, you will have a farewell dinner with a slide show to celebrate a vacation well spent!

DAY 8

After breakfast at the hotel, for guests with later onward plans, you will spend the morning touring the Ben Thanh market and District 5.  Ben Thanh Market is the city’s most iconic market with over 3,000 vendor stalls, a great place to purchase any last-minute souvenirs. Your tour will end at the conclusion of the luncheon.