Flavours of Vietnam - this tour of Vietnam not only allows you to see the highlights of Vietnam as we journey from north to south, but also gives you the chance to sample and even prepare its delicious cuisine. We enjoy meals at local restaurants, aboard boats and in cooking schools. We visit a Buddhist Pagoda in Hue to learn about the daily lives of the nuns, followed by a traditional Buddhist lunch. We join cooking classes in Hanoi and in the beautiful old merchant town of Hoi An, visiting the local markets to buy fresh produce. And in amongst all this, we have time for a cyclo tour of the Old Quarter of Hanoi, time to overnight on a traditional junk on Halong Bay, and time for a cruise along the Perfume River in historical Hue. A trip to the Mekong Delta gives you an insight into life on the waterways, with a sampan cruise around the floating markets. We return to Saigon to explore the Ch Chi Tunnels and see some of the highlights of this bustling city, ending our tour with dinner on a Saigon River cruise.

ITINERARY:

Day 1  Join Hanoi

Day 2  Hanoi - Cooking Class, City Tour - Old Quarter, Cyclo Tour

Day 3  Halong Bay - Cruise with Options to Kayak, Swim, Night Fish. Overnight on Traditional Junk

Day 4  Return to Hanoi. Overnight Reunification Express to Hue

Day 5  Hue City Tour - Citadel, Forbidden City, Riverside Market

Day 6  Hue - Buddhist Pagoda, Typical Buddhist Lunch, Perfume River Cruise

Day 7  Drive to Hoi An via China Beach. Hoi An Walking Tour

Day 8  Hoi An - Cooking Demonstration

Day 9  Fly Ho Chi Minh City. Transfer to Mekong Delta, Can Tho

Day 10  Mekong Delta - Sampan Cruise Cai Rang Floating Markets. Drive to Vinh Long - Mekong River Trip. Return to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Day 11  Saigon - Cu Chi Tunnels, City Tour, Farewell Dinner Cruise Saigon River

Day 12  Ho Chi Minh City - Tour Ends After Breakfast

Grade: Easy - suitable for anyone with an average level of fitness and mobility.