Flavors of Vietnam
Hanoi – Ha Long Bay – Hue – Hoi An – Ho Chi Minh City
Cuisine is the heart of Vietnamese culture. Renowned worldwide for its freshness, balance, and rich flavors, Vietnamese food tells the story of the country and its people. Designed by Asia King Travel, this journey invites you to explore Vietnam through iconic street food, hands-on cooking experiences, and authentic local dining in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City — a perfect blend of culture, taste, and discovery.
Duration: 12 days 11 nights
Country: 233
Code: VCT5
Vietnam Timeless Highlights, Food Tour
Overview
Flavors of Vietnam is a 12-day culinary and cultural journey from north to south, designed for travelers who want to experience Vietnam through its food, history, and everyday life.
The tour begins in Hanoi, where ancient heritage meets vibrant street food culture, then continues to the spectacular Halong Bay with its limestone islands and floating villages. In Hue, explore imperial landmarks and enjoy refined local cuisine, followed by a hands-on cooking class in charming Hoi An.
Travel south to the Mekong Delta to discover life along the waterways before ending in lively Ho Chi Minh City, where you’ll explore the city by motorbike, taste iconic street food, and visit the historic Cu Chi Tunnels.
Balancing culture, cuisine, and soft adventure, Flavors of Vietnam offers an authentic and well-paced introduction to the country in just under two weeks.
Highlights
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Discover Hanoi’s 4,000-year legacy through historic landmarks, leafy streets, and vibrant street food culture
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Join a guided Hanoi street food tour, sampling iconic northern dishes
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Cruise through Halong Bay, exploring limestone caves and observing life in floating fishing villages
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Explore the Imperial Citadel, royal tombs, and pagodas of Hue, paired with distinctive royal-inspired cuisine
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Take part in a hands-on cooking class at the Red Bridge in Hoi An
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Navigate the waterways of the Mekong Delta by boat, experiencing river-based rural life
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Experience Ho Chi Minh City from the back of a motorbike, riding through boulevards and hidden alleys while tasting famous Saigon street food
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Visit the historic Cu Chi Tunnels, a key site from the Vietnam War
Itinerary in brief
Day 1: Hanoi Arrival (B)
Day 2: Hanoi Full Day City Tour (B)
Day 3: Hanoi – Duong Lam Village – Hanoi Street Food Tour (B, L, D)
Day 4: Hanoi – Halong Bay Cruise (B, L, D)
Day 5: Halong Bay – Hanoi – Flight to Hue (B, L)
Day 6: Hue Imperial City Full Day Tour (B)
Day 7: Hue – Hoi An Ancient Town (B)
Day 8: Hoi An Cooking Class – Flight to Saigon (B, L)
Day 9: Saigon Full Day City Tour (B)
Day 10: Saigon – Cu Chi Tunnels – Vespa Saigon Tour (B, D)
Day 11: Saigon – Ben Tre (Mekong Delta) – Saigon (B, L)
Day 12: Saigon Departure (B)
Itinerary
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Overnight in Hanoi.
After breakfast, meet your guide and begin a comprehensive exploration of Hanoi, the elegant capital of Vietnam. The day starts at the Ho Chi Minh Complex, a site of great national significance that reflects the life and legacy of the country’s beloved leader.
Visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum at Ba Dinh Square (open in the morning from Tuesday to Thursday and weekends), where the preserved body of President Ho Chi Minh is kept. Continue to the Presidential Palace and the nearby House on Stilts, a modest wooden residence that symbolizes his simple lifestyle and personal values.
Just a short walk away stands the iconic One Pillar Pagoda, a unique lotus-shaped structure dating back to the 11th century and considered one of Hanoi’s most distinctive spiritual landmarks.
The journey continues to the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first national university, offering insight into the country’s long-standing respect for education and scholarship.
In the afternoon, visit the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, one of the most informative museums in the country, showcasing the cultures, traditions, and traditional architecture of Vietnam’s 54 ethnic groups through both indoor and open-air exhibits (closed on Mondays).
Return to your hotel in the late afternoon.
Overnight in Hanoi.
After breakfast we will pick up you and transfer you about 65 km from Hanoi to visit Duong Lam ancient village
Situated in Son Tay province, this village has been known as a museum of laterite with ancient houses aged up to 400 years old Duong Lam, and a purely agricultural village of the Northern Red River Delta.
On arrival we take a walk on the village path to visit Mong Phu temple where is dedicated to national heroes, King Ngo Quyen temple and King Phung Hung temple. Enjoy Vietnamese special Vietnamese lunch in an ancient house. While you are in the house you can also join the local people in producing local specialties such as soft green-lentil cake and rice cakes filled with brown onion and enjoy these products (Depends on the season of the year). Continue to visit Mia Pagoda - built in 15th century and admire 287 statues of all sizes before transfer back to your hotel in Hanoi
In the late afternoon, you continue your trip with a walking street food tour with a private guide in which you can experience the most outstanding traditional Vietnam cuisines such as Banh My, Bun Cha and enjoy local beer (draught beer) with potato chips at the “international” corner Ta Hien where each night, hundreds of travellers and a large number of local flock here to hang out. Speicially, all seats just need small plastic stools, drink beer and observe relaxly the local daily life follows the characteristic way at the Old Quarter. Overnight at hotel in Hanoi
We begin our exploration of Hue’s most iconic landmarks with a scenic boat trip along the Perfume River to visit Thien Mu Pagoda, one of the city’s most important spiritual symbols.
Built in 1601, Thien Mu Pagoda is renowned for its elegant architecture set harmoniously within a peaceful natural landscape, offering visitors a sense of tranquility and reflection.
Disembarking from the boat, we continue to visit the Tomb of Emperor Tu Duc, regarded as the most poetic and picturesque royal mausoleum of the Nguyen Dynasty.
Lunch at Huynh Anh Kim Long, enjoying local specialties such as banh uot and bun thit nuong.
Afternoon visit to the Imperial Citadel & Forbidden Purple City, followed by free time at Dong Ba Market.
Overnight at the hotel in Hue.
After breakfast, we continue our southbound journey by road to Hoi An, passing through some of Central Vietnam’s most scenic landscapes.
Once a thriving international trading port in the 16th and 17th centuries, Hoi An Ancient Town today enchants visitors with its peaceful atmosphere, well-preserved architecture, tailor shops, and cozy cafés.
Along the way, we stop at Lang Co Beach for a short break to enjoy coffee and refreshments, before ascending the spectacular Hai Van Pass, where breathtaking panoramic views unfold—Lang Co Beach to the north and Da Nang City to the south.
Descending the pass, we arrive in Da Nang for visits to the Cham Museum, the famous China Beach, and the impressive Marble Mountains.
By late afternoon, we reach Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, renowned for its iconic Japanese Covered Bridge and vibrant riverside market.
Overnight at the hotel in Hoi An.
We begin the day at around 8:15 a.m. with a welcome drink at a local café. Afterwards, we visit a traditional market, where you can experience the lively atmosphere, vibrant colors, and distinctive aromas of local daily life.
Here, you will have the chance to interact with local vendors and select fresh ingredients to be used later in the cooking experience.
Next, we board a boat for a leisurely cruise along the river, offering peaceful views of the surrounding landscape and everyday activities of riverside communities.
Upon arrival, we explore a herb and vegetable garden and learn about traditional ingredients and signature dishes of Vietnamese cuisine. The hands-on cooking class lasts approximately two hours.
The experience also includes a short introduction to Vietnamese food presentation and carving techniques.
After the lesson, enjoy the rewarding experience of savoring the dishes you have just prepared.
In the afternoon, we transfer to the airport for a short flight to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).
Overnight in Saigon.
Today, we depart from the hotel for a full-day city tour of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), offering insight into the city’s history, architecture, and vibrant local life.
Our first stop is the Reunification Palace, an iconic landmark that once served as the residence and workplace of the President of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Surrounded by lush gardens, the palace impresses visitors with its distinctive modernist architecture and well-preserved interiors.
We then continue to the War Remnants Museum, which presents a powerful perspective on the Vietnam War through photographs, documents, and historical military equipment displayed both indoors and outdoors.
Before lunch, we stop to admire and take photos of two classic symbols of the city’s French colonial heritage: the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office. Lunch is served at a traditional restaurant in the city center.
In the afternoon, we explore Chinatown, a lively district rich in Chinese-Vietnamese culture, followed by a visit to one of the city’s largest wholesale markets, where you can observe the rhythm of daily life in southern Vietnam.
Overnight in Saigon.
Morning after breakfast, depart for the famous Cu Chi Tunnels.
Located 70 km northwest of Saigon, Cu Chi Tunnels were an incredible underground network constructed by Vietnamese soldiers during the American War. Nowadays, the tunnels have become one of Vietnam’s most popular historical attractions.
In the afternoon, enjoy free time until our guide picks you up for an exciting Saigon food tour by motorbike. Rather than overeating, we focus on tasting just enough to experience the authentic flavors of Saigon street food and its vibrant nightlife.
Ride through beautifully lit boulevards, hidden back alleys, and bustling streets. Enjoy a cozy dinner with your guide while learning about local food culture and customs. End the evening by tasting a famous Vietnamese dessert — sweet soup.
The food tour starts at 6:30 PM and ends at 9:30 PM.
Overnight in Saigon.
Morning at around 08:30 we depart from the southern economic hub of Ho Chi Minh City to the area referred locally as ‘the rice bowl of Vietnam’- Ben Tre.
Situated in Mekong Delta, Ben Tre has advantages to develop ecotourism with many fruit gardens, the floating fishing village, etc. For nature lovers, Ben Tre will be a wonderful destination.
On arrival in Ham Luong pier. Cruse on Ben Tre River exploring the lively activities along river as fishing, water transferring... see brick making in handy traditional style by printing and baking. Visit one of plenty of coconut processing workshops located along canal. Turn on natural scissors creeks where they look smaller and smaller to go to village. Take a walk to family workshop making sleep mats and enjoying some fruits and tea.
Riding a motor cart or bike on shady paths, pass by green rice fields and vegetable plains to be able to touch on really life and find out about tropical culture from Peasants. Lunch at Hai Ho house.
Afternoon - riding a sampan along canal, before boat back to Ham Luong pier. End you touring, going back to HCM city or next destination.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh city
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