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Salty, spicy, tangy, fresh — fire up the taste buds in delicious Vietnam.
Satisfy the hunger for adventure on this authentic food exploration of Vietnam. Taste your way from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City and fill the eyes with amazing sights, the stomach with delicious food and the heart with unforgettable experiences. The soul of Vietnam can be found in its cuisine and you will find it in the pho of Hanoi’s Old Quarter, the bun bo of Hue, the cao lau soup of Hoi An and the broken rice of Ho Chi Minh City. Explore the markets of Hanoi, enjoy a candle-lit dinner in Halong Bay, cook like a local in central Vietnam and pick up some contemporary twists on classic dishes with a passionate young chef. Taste the country’s history in recipes handed down over generations, and experience it in the old streets, colonial buildings, temples and imperial ruins.
- Start
- Hanoi, Vietnam
- Finish
- Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Destination
- Vietnam
- Style
- Peregrine
- Theme
- Food Collection
- Code
- PAGF
- Physical rating
- Trip rating
- 7 reviews
- Ages
- Min 15
- Group size
- Min 1, Max 12
Why you'll love this trip
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Sample street food alongside the locals. Your expert guide will know all of the delicious spots off the tourist trail so you can enjoy some authentic Vietnamese cuisine.
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Feasting beneath the stars while cruising Halong Bay is an experience to remember. With limestone karsts and emerald green waters surrounding you, this is a dining location that's hard to top.
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There is perhaps no greater insight into a food culture than sitting down to dine with a local family in their home, and in historic Hue, you’ll share in this special experience.
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Visit the aromatic vegetable and herb gardens of Tra Que village, where you’ll source local ingredients for a cooking class in nearby Hoi An.
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Meet a passionate young chef in Ho Chi Minh City and take a personal cooking class of family recipes being passed down the generations.
Is this trip right for you?
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This trip aims to give you an exciting, diverse and well-rounded experience of a country’s cuisine. While we endeavour to cater for specific dietary requirements, some meals and food activities are set in advance and may be difficult to adjust. In many countries, dietary restrictions are not common or well understood. If you have dietary requirements, please advise your agent at time of booking to receive information on how this may impact on your ability to take part in included activities and meals. Come with an open mind and open mouth, and you won’t be disappointed.
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Average temperatures vary greatly between North and South in Vietnam. While there is no best time of year to travel, it's best to check the seasonal patterns on our country information page, to gauge what the weather will be like and to pack accordingly.
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One night in the Mekong Delta is spent in simple guesthouse accommodation. There are twin share rooms with bedding and mosquito nets provided. Bathrooms are shared and may only have cold water available. Most travellers find that this experience is the best way to connect with your local hosts and get a real sense of life on the Delta.The facilities on the overnight boat on Halong Bay and at the Mekong Delta homestay are simple, but the rewards of such a true local experience are immeasurable.
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Itinerary
Accommodation
- Lan Vien Hotel, or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
- Hanoi - Welcome Dinner
- Complimentary Airport Arrival Transfer
Meals Included
- Dinner
Special Information
It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance details and next of kin information at this time. If you are going to be late please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place.The arrival transfer is only valid if arriving on Day 1 or if you have booked pre-trip accommodation through us. Please provide your flight details at the time of booking, or at a minimum 14 days prior to travel, as we may not be able to confirm a request made within 14 days of travel.
Accommodation
- Lan Vien Hotel, or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
- Hanoi - Temple of Literature
- Hanoi - Hidden Tea House visit & tasting
- Hanoi - Master Winemaker visit & tasting
- Hanoi - Xo Community visit
Meals Included
- Breakfast
Accommodation
- Overnight boat (1 night)
Included Activities
- Halong Bay - Overnight Boat Cruise
- Halong Bay - Candle-lit Dinner
Meals Included
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Special Information
Your wooden junk-style boat has twin-share cabins with ensuite facilities and air-conditioning. Due to the limited cabins on board, the single supplement is excluded, and accommodation will be on a twin-share basis.Local authorities only permit a limited number of boats to stay overnight in Halong Bay. To ensure all travellers can be accommodated on board available boats, on rare occasions you will stay on a larger boat (with up to 12 cabins) and share your boat with another group. Or your group may be split across different vessels, in which case a group leader will be present on each boat, and the route taken and inclusions on board will remain the same.
Swimming in parts of the bay from the boats is banned by the local authority. Kayaking is restricted to designated zones within the bay.
Accommodation
- Cherish Hotel or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
- Hue - City Tour
Meals Included
- Breakfast
Accommodation
- Cherish Hotel or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
- Hue - Perfume River cruise
- Hue - Thien Mu Pagoda
- Hue - Emperor Tu Duc's Tomb
Meals Included
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Accommodation
- Atlas Hotel or similar (Feature Stay) (1 night)
Included Activities
- Hue - Imperial City entrance and guided visit
Optional Activities
- Hoi An - Street Food Tour - Free
Meals Included
- Breakfast
Accommodation
- Atlas Hotel or similar (Feature Stay) (1 night)
Included Activities
- Hoi An - Old Town walking tour
- Hoi An - Tra Que Culinary Village visit
Meals Included
- Breakfast
- Dinner
Accommodation
- Atlas Hotel or similar (Feature Stay) (1 night)
Optional Activities
- Hoi An - Fish Market - Free
Meals Included
- Breakfast
Accommodation
- Millenium Hotel, or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
- Ho Chi Minh City - War Remnants Museum
- Ho Chi Minh City - Cooking class and dinner
Meals Included
- Breakfast
- Dinner
Accommodation
- Mekong Delta Homestay (1 night)
Included Activities
- Mekong Delta - River cruise
- Mekong Delta - Homestay & Home Cooked Meal
Meals Included
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Special Information
Facilities at the guesthouse are simple. While the conditions are basic, this part of the trip is a fascinating insight into local life and a rewarding experience.Accommodation
- Millenium Hotel, or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
- Ho Chi Minh City - Farewell Dinner
Meals Included
- Breakfast
- Dinner
Meals Included
- Breakfast
Meals
11 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 7 dinnersTransport
Private vehicle, Boat, Plane, Taxi, Bicycle (optional)Accommodation
Comfortable hotel (9 nts), Overnight boat (1 nt), Guesthouse (1 nt)Included Activities
- Hanoi - Welcome Dinner
- Complimentary Airport Arrival Transfer
- Hanoi - Temple of Literature
- Hanoi - Hidden Tea House visit & tasting
- Hanoi - Master Winemaker visit & tasting
- Hanoi - Xo Community visit
- Halong Bay - Overnight Boat Cruise
- Halong Bay - Candle-lit Dinner
- Hue - City Tour
- Hue - Perfume River cruise
- Hue - Thien Mu Pagoda
- Hue - Emperor Tu Duc's Tomb
- Hue - Imperial City entrance and guided visit
- Hoi An - Old Town walking tour
- Hoi An - Tra Que Culinary Village visit
- Ho Chi Minh City - War Remnants Museum
- Ho Chi Minh City - Cooking class and dinner
- Mekong Delta - River cruise
- Mekong Delta - Homestay & Home Cooked Meal
- Ho Chi Minh City - Farewell Dinner
Dates & availability - 2021 season
Trip departures are unavailable.
There are currently no scheduled departures on our Vietnam Food Explorer trip. If you are interested in other trips in the region visit one of the links below.
Jump to a departure month
Important notes
1. A complimentary airport arrival transfer is included; valid if you are arriving on Day 1 or if you have booked pre-tour accommodation through us. You must provide your flight details to your booking agent at least 14 days prior to travel.
2. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement excludes Day 3 (Halong Bay) and Day 10 (Mekong Delta) where you will be in shared accommodation, and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
3. While we endeavour to cater for specific dietary requirements, some meals and food activities are set in advance and may be difficult to adjust. Please advise us of any dietary requirements at the time of booking so that we can ensure you’ll enjoy this trip.
4. This trip includes domestic flights. The luggage allowance is 20kg for check in luggage and 7kg for carry on.
5. Full name exactly as per passport required at the time of booking (including any middle names listed on the passport), for internal flights. Ticketing fees may apply for amendments to details within 45 days of departure, and in some cases you will be required to cover the cost of issuing a new ticket.

Essential trip information
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