• Day 1: Arrival Hanoi(D)

Upon arrival at Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport, your private guide will welcome and assist you to your hotel. After a chance to refresh you will be accompanied by your guide through the maze of boutique streets of the Old Quarter. From silver to silks, ceremonial banners to handcarved homewares the Old quarter is a wonderful introduction to Hanoi's charm. Hanoi's lakes and parks offer a more peaceful alternative for those who would like to reenergize afer a long flight.
The afternoon will be spent traversing the city to Dong Xuan spice market. Vietnam is one of the world export leaders of cinnamon, pepper, cardamon and star anise - come see where the locals stock up their pantries. With appetites whet, dinner follows at one of Hanoi's premier restaurants.
Stay in Hanoi.

• Day 2: Hanoi (B,L)

Aboard our cyclos, we will spend the day leisurely touring Hanoi, including the Ho Chi Minh memorial complex, the One Pillar Pagoda and the resplendent 11th century Temple of Literature where we will enjoy a musical performance by some of Hanoi's talented folk performers. Lunch will be at one of Hanoi's premier restaurants. Seasonally this may include the earthiness of banana flower salad to the colonial inspired snails with green banana. Dessert will be at Hoa Sua for a very special experience.
Stay in Hanoi.

• Day 3: Hanoi - Halong Bay (B,L)

We depart early today for the wonders of Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site regaled with breathtaking limestone formations. We'll board our own private junk for a five-hour cruise around the secluded and majestic bay, which covers more than 1,500 square kilometers in the Gulf of Tonkin. The islands of the bay are filled with deserted beaches, enchanting grottos and some of the worlds largest stalactite caves. Onboard, we'll enjoy a fresh seafood lunch. We'll return to Hanoi late in the afternoon.
Stay in Hanoi.

• Day 4: Hanoi (B,L)

Let the cooking begin! After breakfast, we'll pay a visit to the Dec.19 th Market; a cozy labyrinth of stalls that is a favorite for serious Hanoi cooks. The market is filled with all the freshest ingredients our chef will need for our cooking demonstration in the hotel's well-appointed kitchen. After class, lunch will be served at the Metropole's Spice Garden restaurant. The afternoon may be spent exploring Hanoi's CBD. Our farewell to Hanoi dinner will be held at The Emperor, one of the most beautiful restaurants in Hanoi, and a favorite of visiting dignitaries and celebrities. Following dinner, we'll board the Reunification Express for an overnight train to the ancient imperial capital of Hue .
Stay overnight train

• Day 5: Hue (B,D)

Arriving early in Hue we will refresh for the day's activities. Lunch will be at the Linh Mu Pagoda where the monks will host us with a sumptuous vegetarian meal. Regarded by many as the culinary capital of Vietnam, Hue takes its culinary cues from its royal heritage. We will explore the Citadel, home to the Imperial City and the Forbidden Purple City. We'll also visit the Imperial Museum and the vibrant Dong Ba Riverside Market. Dinner will be at one of Hue's premier retaurants showcasing the refined delights of Hue's imperial cuisine.
Stay in Hue

• Day 6: Hue (B,D)

Lunch will be at Tinh Gia Vien restaurant, where we will highlighting the regal flavors of Hue cuisine as we prepare our own midday meal. The afternoon will be spent taking a leisurely cruise along the romantic Perfume River, passing opulent palaces and gardens of the 19th century Nguyen kings. We'll visit the ornate tomb of Emperor Minh Mang, set within beautifully landscaped gardens, and the tomb of the eccentric Tu Duc, known for his opulent lifestyle. On our way back to the city, we'll stop at the Thien Mu Pagoda, the unofficial symbol of Hue. This is an active Buddhist monastery dating back to 1601. One of its most poignant displays is a car belonging to a former monk, who in 1963, drove to Saigon and set himself alight to protest the South Vietnamese regime and its treatment of Buddhists. In the evening you may wish to stay at your hotel and attend an imperial dinner, wearing the traditional clothes of the emperors.
Stay in Hue

• Day 7: Hue - Hoian (B,L,D)

We'll continue south, going by road toward the riverside town of Hoi An. Our five-hour route, hugging the coastline along the South China Sea, serves up breathtaking views that grow even more spectacular as we wind our way up Hai Van Pass (Pass of the Clouds). We'll pause to admire the stunning vistas of Lang Co beach to the north, and the city of Danang to the south. We'll continue on, passing China Beach, where many American GI's took their R & R (Rest and Relaxation!), and the Marble Mountains, home to the Cham legacy. In Hoi An, we'll grab some lunch at the Vinh Hung Café, where the coffee milkshakes are divine and the menu surprisingly extensive. In the afternoon, we'll take a walking tour around this once-thriving port and visit the famed old quarter, the Japanese Bridge, the old Assembly Halls, art galleries and many old houses once belonging to Chinese merchants. Come evening, we'll dine at the Café des Amis along the river.
Stay in Hoian.

• Day 8: Hoi An (B,D)

Hoi An is a charming, small town which can be easily explored on foot. Between the 17th and 19th centuries, it was a thriving international trading port with a large Chinese and Japanese population. More than any other place in Vietnam, Hoi An exudes a feeling of centuries past and is a favorite with all travelers. You may choose to stroll, soaking up the atmosphere and exploring the many fascinating ancestral homes (some of which have been occupied by the same family for fifteen generations), or rent a bicycle for a scenic ride to Cua Dai beach, 4 km away. The town is also famous for its tailors who are revered for their fine (and fast) work. We'll meet for lunch at the Pho Cu restaurant. We'll shop at Hoi An's riverside market, always a hive of activity, for our dinner ingredients, before spending the afternoon in a cooking demonstration with Miss Vi of the White Lantern, where we'll dine. Hoi An is well suited for an after-dinner stroll, and we'll stop by the Tam Tam Café for a drink or coffee before turning in for the night.
Stay in Hoian.

• Day 9: Hoian - Ho Chi Minh City (B,L)

This morning we'll head for Danang airport about a 40-minute drive, to take our one-hour flight to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), where we transfer directly to our centrally located hotel. We then attend a cooking class followed by lunch. After lunch, we'll embark on a tour of this cosmopolitan city, visiting Cholon, the War Remnants Museum, and the Reunification Palace. Cholon, home to Hochiminh's substantial Chinese population, is also the site of the largest market in Vietnam, the Ben Thanh market. The War Remnants museum contains a wealth of images from Vietnam's wars, the most moving being a gallery entitled Requiem, dedicated to Vietnamese and foreign journalists and photographers who perished during the French and American conflicts. The Reunification Palace was the residence of the President of South Vietnam until April 30, 1975 , when North Vietnamese tanks came crashing through the front gates, bringing the Vietnam-U.S. War to a dramatic end. Close to the Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office represent prime examples of French Colonial architecture. The ornate Notre Dame dominates the city's business center. Built by the French between 1877 and 1883, it was constructed of stone imported from France. The Post Office, completed in 1891, is in perfect juxtaposition to the bustling urban city that is modern Hochiminh City with its numerous shopping malls, cinemas, discotheques and a bewildering number of bars.
Stay in Ho Chi Minh City.

• Day 10: Mekong Delta (B,D)

Breakfast comes early this morning as we depart for Can Tho in the heart of the Mekong Delta. We'll stop in My Tho for coffee, and there, we'll have our first taste of life in this amazing Delta. We'll arrive in Can Tho in time for lunch.
After lunch, we'll drive to some of the orchards that give this region its allure, and we'll be able to see the many varieties of tropical plants native to this part of the world. We'll also visit a bird sanctuary, and stop in at the Song Hau Fram/Rice institute where we will be treated to a taste of some of the many products derived from rice. In the evening, we'll will make our way to the Victoria Hotel, our home for the night. At 7.00 pm, there will be a Vietnamese dinner. Some of the tantalizing dishes may include rich crabmeat soup with minced ham, steamed fish in Soya sauce and much more.
Stay in Can Tho.

• Day 11: Cantho- Ho Chi Minh City(B,L,D)

We'll depart the Victoria at 6:30 this morning from the jetty of the hotel. We'll enjoy a delectable breakfast buffet onboard the Lady Hau as we cruise the Mekong to visit the floating market of Cai Rang. Our cruise will take us along several channels of the Delta before we say goodbye to the mighty Mekong and begin our drive back to Ho Chi Minh City. The free time in the afternoon for some last minute shopping or relaxing. We'll enjoy a deluxe farewell dinner at the Mandarin Restaurant.
Stay in Ho Chi Minh city.

• Day 12: Depart Ho Chi Minh City (B)

Today is departure day and time to bid your guide farewell. There will a transfer waiting to take you from the hotel to the airport for your flight home. We wish you a pleasant journey home and we know you will take away many wonderful memories of the sights and tastes you have savoured.

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