A Culinary Tour through Vietnam - 11 Days

  • Vegetables and spices. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    An image of Quang-Tuan Luong

  • Lantern workshop. Hoi An, Vietnam

       

  • Tropical fruit. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

       

  • Urns in the Citadel. Hue, Vietnam

       

  • Rice being dried on sides of road. Mekong Delta region. Vietenam

    An image of Quang-Tuan Luong

  • Ben Tre. Mekong Delta region, Vietnam

       

  • Ngo Mon gate - former imperial palace of the the Nguyen dynasty. Hue, Vietnam

    An image of Quang-Tuan Luong

  • Rice fields among the karstic mountains of Tam Coc, near Ninh Binh, VN

    An image of Quang-Tuan Luong

 

When he was once asked what he thought the perfect meal was, A Cook’s Tour author and “No Reservations” host Anthony Bourdain replied, “A bowl of pho on the street in Saigon.”

Bourdain was so enamoured of Vietnamese culture and food that he had fantasies of moving to Vietnam to learn how to cook. Although it’s unclear if he ever made dream a reality, Bourdain — a well-respected foodie and chef who has traveled extensively and tried almost every type of cuisine around the globe — still talks passionately about Vietnam: “I’m in love,” he has said. “I am absolutely over-the-top gonzo for this country and everything in it. I want to stay forever.”

If you’ve ever visited Vietnam or tried authentic Vietnamese cooking, these gushing sentiments don’t seem effusive —Vietnam’s culture, people, and food are quite incredible! On the Insiders Asia’s 11-Day Culinary Tour of northern, central and southern Vietnam, you’ll get a taste of both Vietnam’s incredible cuisine and culture with our carefully planned itinerary that combines cooking classes, visits to the best restaurants the country has to offer, and tours of must-see sites in each region. Not only will you take home memories of Vietnam’s sights and sounds, you’ll bring back secrets of one of Asia’s most fascinating cuisines.

 

Day 1:
TRANS-PACIFIC FLIGHT TO HANOI

Day 2:
ARRIVAL - HANOI

Meet on arrival at Hanoi/Noi Bai International Airport. Transfer to your hotel and get settled into Vietnam’s capital city.  Free leisure time. Welcome dinner at historic Indochine Restaurant in the Old Quarter for an introduction to Vietnamese food. Sotifel Hotel

 

Day 3:
HANOI - COOKING CLASS - CITY TOUR

Half-day cooking class at the famed Seasons restaurant. Afternoon guided city tour in Hanoi: Fine Arts Museum, the Temple of Literature, and a one-hour panoramic cyclo excursion through the 36 ancient streets of Hanoi’s beautiful Old Quarter. Tonight’s dinner is followed with Water Puppets Show. Sofitel Hotel 

 

Day 4:
HANOI - HA LONG

Transfer to Ha Long. Embark on a scenic boat ride visiting the bay and several above ground caves filled with spectacular stalactite formations. Overnight on boat. Bhaya Cruise 

 

Day 5:
HA LONG - HANOI - HUE

Continue cruising the bay with visits to the floating village, other islands and caves. After lunch on board, transfer to Hanoi for an afternoon flight to Hue. Pilgimage Village Resort 

 

Day 6:
HUE - COOKING CLASS - CITY VISIT

Shop for ingredients at the Dong Ba market.  Return to Hue Vietnamese Cooking Class. Prepare, cook, and enjoy eating the dishes you have spent the day mastering. In the afternoon, take a boat cruise along the Perfume River to visit Thien Mu Pagoda. Continue by car to the nearby Imperial Citadel. Experience a royal dinner tonight.  Pilgrimage Village Resort

 

Day 7:
HUE - DANANG - HOI AN

Visit Tu Duc Mausoleum with its traditional Vietnamese architecture. Leave Hue mid-morning to Hoi An. En route to Da Nang, visit the Cham Museum and the Marble Mountain.  Life Heritage Resort 

 

Day 8:
HOIAN – COOKING CLASS – CITY VISIT

Meet your cooking instructor in Hoi An. Visit the local colorful market and transfer by boat to the Red Bridge Cooking School. Tour the herb garden and proceed with the class. Enjoy lunch. Transfer back to town by boat. In the afternoon enjoy a guided walking tour in Hoi An, a charming medieval seapot town. Life Heritage Resort

 

Day 9:
HOIAN – DANANG –SAIGON

Board a morning flight to Saigon, the economic, industrial and cultural center of Vietnam. Guided visits include Chinatown, Thien Hau Pagoda, Ben Thanh market. Tonight, dine at one of Saigon's best-known restaurants, Mandarine. Equatorial Hotel 

 

Day 10:
SAIGON - COOKING CLASS

Morning cooking class at Vietnam Cookery Centre. Learn about the evolution of Vietnamese cuisine and the culinary arts in Vietnam: the roots of the different types of cuisine from Vietnam’s three main regions; the set up of an original Vietnamese kitchen; and the traditions, etiquette and historical influences on Vietnamese food.  Free leisure time in the afternoon.  Equatorial Hotel

 

Day 11:
HCM CITY - USA

Transfer to the airport for your departing flight to the US. Bon voyage and thank you for travelling with Insiders Asia.

Tour is personally led by Insiders Asia tour director.

 

Departure:
  • November 18 - 28, 2012
Tour cost:

$2,390 (double occupancy) 

Single Supplement: $750

Special offer: $2090 (land) $3190 (w/air) Reserve by 5/30/12

 

Tour price includes:
  • Service of IA Tour Director and local guides
  • Regional flights
  • Accommodations with tax and service charges
  • All meals included
  • Sightseeing as noted in itinerary & entrance fees to sites and museums
  • Airport transfers for participants arriving Day 2 & departing Day 12
  • Surface transportation in air conditioned vehicle
  • Visa provision services
  • Luggage handling (two pieces of luggage per person)
Tour price does not include:
  • International (trans-Pacific) airfare
  • Visa fees
  • Tips
  • Laundry
  • Excess baggage charges
  • Beverages at group meals
  • Travel insurance
 

Trip Payment Schedule:
  • At time of reservation: $300
  • 120 days prior to departure: 20% 
  • 60 days prior to departure: Balance
Cancellation Schedule :

All deposits are non-refundable. Refunds of final payment will be honored as follow:

  • 61-90 days prior to departure: 75% refund
  • 45-60 days prior to departure: 50% refund
  • 44 days or less to departure: No refund
  • Full refund if Insiders Asia cancels the tour.

Hotel Equatorial is centrally located, minutes away from the waterfront and Cho Lon (Chinatown). It takes no more than 10 minutes by taxi to major commercial and tourist areas of the city, including o...
Located between West Lake and the Red River, Sofitel Plaza Hanoi is considered the most scenic city hotel on Hanoi's skyline....
Feel secluded and private at these modern and airy two and three-story townhouses built in French and Asian architectural style....

 

Phuoc Babcock was born and raised in Saigon, Vietnam, educated in France, the U.S. and Mexico. She received graduate degrees at the Sorbonne, U of Arkansas at Fayetteville, and New York University in French linguistics, literature and civilization. She teaches college and high school French and speaks fluent English, Vietnamese, and Spanish as well. 
 
In addition to being a native of Vietnam and having an insider’s knowledge of its history and culture, Ms. Babcock has extensive experience as a tour director. Since 1996, she has organized and led over 30 educational tours through Europe, South America and Asia. At the same time, she has traveled extensively to Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and China, both as a tour director and a tourist.
 
Her insatiable curiosity about the world, its people and cultures drives her to seek out new adventures and experiences. She believes that travel is learning and that adventure can be experienced in modern comfort. One of her favorite travel quotes is from St. Thomas Aquinas: “The world is a book and those who do not travel only read one page.”  
 
Come join Ms. Babcock and Insider’s Asia for the adventure of a lifetime.

 

Dr. John and Thelma Quinn 
Long Beach, CA

"On our last tour Vietnam Adventures with Insiders Asia we received excellent service from the hotels and the restaurants as well as from the entire staff that attended us throughout. This was in large part due to Ms. Babcock's efficient planning.

It is really difficult to say which part was the best. Each section, North, Central and South, has its own areas of beauty and interest.

This is a trip that we recommend to everyone."
 
Barbara H. 
of Berkeley
 
"The itinerary Vietnam Adventures offers-- to the cities of Saigon, Hanoi, Hoi An, and Ha Long Bay, among others--really gives you a chance to see the different architecture, landscapes, people, and customs that make up Vietnam.

We in the West are so used to thinking of Vietnam in relation to iconic images of war. This trip showed me how incredibly beautiful and diverse the country is, and let me take home with me my own personal snapshots of the country and people: The still river in Hoi An at night, illuminated by colored lanterns... strolling down the stately tree-lined streets of Hanoi on my way to the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's oldest university... swimming in the clear, warm waters of China Beach... eating fantastic sea-food while cruising in a boat in Ha Long Bay...
chatting with garrulous shopkeepers in Saigon...
A perfect itinerary with an unrivaled customer service."
 
 
Keith Tomazewicz                                                                                                                      Detroit, Michigan
 
“I have never met a more gracious group of people than the Vietnamese. It's not just one person, but it's something that runs through the spirit of the people. Whether it's a smile from a cyclo driver, a handshake from a tailor who made a beautiful coat for me in Hoian, the friendship are sincere and the smiles are warm.

I have to admit that one of the most relaxing times of my last trip was cruising on the Halong Bay. Another moment for me was riding in the bus from Hoi An to Hue. While it was getting dark outside, listening to the driver's cassette player and we were climbing the Hai Van pass, and I thought there isn't another place I'd rather be right now. And I tried to feel every part of the moment so I could have the memory for a lifetime.”