Coffee, Culture, Food Tour, and Cooking Holiday in Vietnam

Welcome to Hanoi - The capital of Vietnam!
Upon arrival, transfer from Noi Bai airport to the center of Hanoi then check-in at hotel. At leisure to relax and get rid of jet lag. Enjoy welcome dinner at hotel (Vietnamese set menu). Overnight in Hanoi. 
Please note!
Hotel check-in time is around 14.00
Depend on your arrival time, the program will be adjusted accordingly. 
 

After breakfast at the hotel, your guide will take you to Cafe Lam - one of the oldest coffee shops in Hanoi to try “the first taste” of coffee in Hanoi. Its walls covered completely in paintings from various decades. The story is that before the coffee shop became famous many starving artists would come to hang out here. They would exchange their latest works for credit and drink coffee for free until it was time to create another one. This exchange did two things for Cafe Lam: it was able to adorn itself with countless paintings that are now worth quite a bit of money and it also fostered an atmosphere attractive to artists and intellectuals, something that endures to this day.
Continue with an exploration of the vast Ho Chi Minh Memorial Complex. Visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (outside) and Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House where he lived from 1958 until his final days in 1969. Preserved in the same condition as during his life, it may only be viewed through the windows. Continue to the miniature 11th century One Pillar Pagoda which was rebuilt after being destroyed by the French in 1954, and then to the Temple of Literature with its walled courtyards and graceful gateways. Founded in 1070 and dedicated to Confucius, this was also the site of Vietnam’s first university.
In the afternoon, walk through the Old Quarter, a fascinating network of narrow alleys and shop houses also known as ‘The 36 Streets'. Each street is named after the merchandise traditionally sold there, ranging from fabrics to crafts and from medicines to tombstones.
Hanoi is renowned for its rich history and centuries-old architecture, attracting thousands of tourists every year. One of the best things to do in Vietnam’s capital city is to participate in a Coffee class where you will learn about valuable ingredients and techniques involved in Vietnam. There’s no better way to become well-versed with local recipes than to make them yourself. Transfer to the best place in the Old Quarter to have a course. First of all is the presentation about Coffee history and 10 different Vietnamese type of coffee. Then,join the coffee class by:
Making coffee by yourself with the Vietnamese traditional way.
Try the “CAFÉ SỮA ĐÁ“, the most popular coffee in Vietnam.
Do the Egg Coffee by yourself.
Do the Rose Coffee for the first time.
Try the coffee with coconut cracker.
Finish the course and get back to your hotel and relax. Overnight in Hanoi.
 

This morning travel overland to Halong Bay. Halong Bay is a beautiful natural wonder in northern Vietnam near the Chinese border. The Bay is dotted with 1,600 limestone islands and islets and covers an area of over 1,500 square kilometers. This extraordinary area was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. For many tourists, this place is like something right out of a movie. The fact is that Halong Bay features a wide range of biodiversity, while the surrealistic scenery has indeed featured in endless movies.
Arrive in Halong at noontime, you embark on your cruise around Halong Bay. Enjoy a welcome cocktail followed by a cruise briefing. Savor a delicious Vietnamese buffet lunch as your cruise heads to Bai Tu Long Bay passing the towns of Hon Gai and Cam Pha, Oan Lagoon, Mat Quy (Monster Head) and Am Tich (Teapot) Islets and Vung Vieng fishing village. Visit a fishing village by local rowboat (one hour) then return to the vessel for free time or join one of the following optional activities: Kayak into the village or swim near the boat. Then take a trip by tender to an isolated pristine beach for swimming.
Early evening enjoy a Vietnamese cooking demonstration. Overnight onboard.
 

Tentative flight: VN 1545 HANHUI at 18:35-19:50
Start your day with Tai Chi on the sundeck while complimentary tea and coffee are served. Weigh anchor to cruise through the Bay passing beautiful spots like Trong (Drum), Trinh Nu (Virgin) and Me Cung Caves, Coc Ngoi (Toad) Islet, etc. Explore the Surprise Cave (Sung Sot) before returning back to the harbour to disembark. Breakfast and brunch on board. You will then be transferred back to Hanoi to catch a flight to Hue. Upon arrival, you will be welcomed and transferred to your hotel to check in. Dinner at your own arrangement for more flexibility. Overnight in Hue.
 

Being recognized by UNESCO as the 1st Cultural World Heritage for Vietnam, Hue is highlighted by the old royal architectural works and the most traditional Vietnamese lifestyle.
We will discover the charm of the city from the Citadel Complex of Hue, set up by Nguyen Dynasty from 1805 to 1945, is now one amongst the relics of the Hue ancient Capital – the World Cultural Heritage. This is a huge complex covering an area of 520ha and comprising three circles of ramparts, Kinh Thanh Hue (Hue Capital Citadel), Hoang Thanh (Royal Citadel) and Tu Cam Thanh (Forbidden Citadel). Also visit the Dong Ba bustling market. 
Take a boat trip on Perfume River to visit Thien Mu pagoda, the iconic seven-story pagoda is regarded as the unofficial symbol of the city. We then visit the Tomb of Emperor Minh Mang located on the west bank of Perfume River. Minh Mang tomb was built from 1840 and completed in 1843 with the effort of ten thousand workers and artisans. The Tomb offers a balance of nature and structures that is unmatched among tombs in Hue. The solemn and quiet architecture set in a poetic landscape demonstrates both the Emperor's strictness and deep beliefs. 
Later on, sit down to enjoy a cup of famous Hue salt coffee which first came into sight just under a decade ago. Even though this drink is only a “newborn child” in the history of Vietnamese coffee, it has earned as much fame as its counterparts in Hanoi or Saigon. Salt coffee is brewed in a traditional Vietnamese stainless-steel coffee filter called a "phin". When you order a salt coffee, you will be brought a phin dripping filtered coffee into a cup of salty cream. After a few minutes, all of the coffee will be in the cup. Stir the coffee and cream together, and add a few ice cubes to cool it off. Return to your hotel later on.
Tonight, you will save the date for a special Royal Dinner. A typical entertainment under the Nguyen Dynasty will be re-created vividly at Royal Park restaurant where you will have the chance to experience authentic cuisines of Hue’s royalty. Dress up in ancient costumes then enjoy the Royal dishes carefully prepared to the finest detail for a sumptuous dinner. Overnight in Hue.
 

This morning, you will depart for Hoi An passing the Hai Van Pass (the “Ocean Cloudy Mountain Pass”) and enjoy the beauty of Lang Co Beach before reaching Hoi An.
Once reaching Hoi An, you take an interesting walk over the tile-roofed Japanese Bridge, visit taciturn Chinese Assembly Halls, enjoy the attractiveness of ancient houses or listen to folk music of Central Vietnam at old club-houses. Later, the group can stop at shrines or stroll into the market located by Thu Bon river, where you may find the same feelings of the artists, who see the rooftops of Hoi An a magical old world of Oriental feel and source of inspiration. This is also a wonderful town to shop for lanterns, soft silk, raw silk, or get your clothes tailored within a day.
At leisure in the rest of the day. Overnight in Hoi An.
 

Tentative flight: VN 1915 DADBMV at 07:00
Today, take an early morning flight to Buon Ma Thuot. Upon arrival, you will be picked up at Buon Ma Thuot airport. Depart to visit the Western Agriculture Science Institute (WASI), also known as Ea Kmat Institute. Here, you will be introduced the basic information of the Institute, the history of coffee origin and the popular types of coffee, nutritional value, economic value, cultural value of coffee.
Transfer to nursery area, watch and learn the process of preparing the soil, selecting seeds, sprouting, and grafting techniques to make the best seedling coffee trees.
Continue on to Robusta coffee farm in 100 hectares area. Learn about the process of coffee cultivation cycle for 1 year including: watering, fertilizing, pruning until harvesting. Learn more about coffee mono-culture farming and the cultivation of coffee trees inter-cropped with other plants. Your experience as farmers will depend on the time of visiting:
January to April : Cutting branches, watering, fertilizing
May to September: Weeding, fertilizer, bud break beyond
October to December: Harvesting of coffee and watch wet processing techniques
Return to the office of the Institute, tasting and enjoying the E-Coffee, the product that is made based on the researching process, planting, tending and processing coffee in the Institute.
In the afternoon, visit a raw material coffee factory. Learn about the raw coffee bean producing process and quality control. See how to select, sort, polish, dry and package coffee beans.
Continue on to visit the weasel coffee production facility, learn processes to produce coffee that have distinctive flavor and adds economic value to coffee products.
Visit a coffee showroom where you will be introduced about coffee, enjoy culture, see the types of instruments and techniques of blending coffee preparation from traditional to modern countries in the world, enjoying some coffee that is formulated with some typical techniques.
Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight in Buon Ma Thuot.
 

Tentative flight: VN 1417 BMVSGN at 20:10-21:05
After breakfast, you will leave Buon Ma Thuot for Lak lake. Visit Le village and Jun village, the traditional villages of M’nong ethnic group. Aross the lake by dug-out canoe to enjoy how local people fishing by their own way. Get in M’Lieng village, take a walk around the village to discover the daily activities of villagers. Have lunch at local restaurant (your own account).
In the afternoon, transfer back to Buon Ma Thuot. Stopover to visit some coffee, rubber plantations and pepper gardens on the way. Arrival Buon Ma Thuot around 16:00. Relax until time to transfer to the airport for your flight to Saigon. Upon arrival, you will be picked up and transferred to your hotel to check in.
Enjoy dinner at The Noir - Dining in the dark. More than just a meal, this is a sensory journey that will make you re-evaluate your perception of taste and smell. Overnight in Saigon.
 

This morning, enjoy a tour of the vibrant metropolis. SAIGON teems with energy, activity, and motion. Everywhere you look, you see the meeting of traditional and modern life. The emerging modern skyline stands cheek by jowl with colonial buildings and traditional temples. Outside on the streets, young professionals zip by on motorcycles, chatting on cell phones; inside the quiet temple courtyards, worshippers pray amidst clouds of incense.
Begin your tour of this exciting city with a tour of the historic center, strolling along Dong Khoi Street, formerly known as the Rue Catinat, the main shopping thoroughfare, and heart of old colonial Saigon. Pass by classic European-style landmarks such as the ornate City Hall (Hotel De Ville), the old Opera House (both may only be viewed from the outside), and pay a quick visit to the neo-Romanesque Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office. Afterward, dive into modern history with a tour of the Reunification Palace. Formerly the Independence Palace of the South Vietnamese president, this 60s style building was famously stormed by tanks on April 30, 1975, signifying the fall of South Vietnam. It has been preserved in its original state, and the original tanks remain on display near the entrance gates.
Visit China town (Settled in the late 18th century, this labyrinthine section of Saigon bustles with restaurants, temples, exotic stores, and markets) and Binh Tay market (This is the main marketplace in China Town, where a great deal of wholesale trading occurs. Experience the commotion of this integral part of the city's daily business).
Later on, our guide will take you to the coffee shop for enjoying “Bac Xiu”. You probably already heard about Vietnamese Cà phê sữa đá which is basically a glass of strong dark coffee mixed with a tiny bit of condensed sweetened milk and a generous amount of ice. But for those who are after a less caffeine charged way of drinking coffee Vietnamese people have the alternative called Bạc Xỉu. A glass of a dark coffee mixed with condensed sweetened milk and a generous amount of ice. “Ups, but didn’t we just say the same thing about Ca Phe Sua Da?” you might ask. Yes but here comes a difference. While ingredients in both drinks are exactly the same, the proportions are very different. Bac xiu is basically a glass of sweetened condensed milk mixed with ice and a tiny bit of coffee as opposed to ca phe sua da that comes served with a larger amount of dark coffee mixed with only tiny bit of condensed milk and heaps of ice. Taste some “Banh Tieu while enjoying “Bac Xiu” in the very Saigonese way.
Your day will end at the central Ben Thanh Market, where vendors display a vast array of goods and handicrafts. At 6:00 p.m., transfer to the port to embark the dinner cruise from along the Saigon River See Saigon skyline and enjoy the bustling river lives. Complimentary welcome cocktail and canapés.
Enjoy the music program “East Meets West” performed by the in-house 6 member orchestra "Hoa Mai" and special with Filipino Band on an upper deck. Indulge in EuroAsian buffet and show cooking or dine in style with the set menu options. Be fascinated with the table tricks and close-up tricks from the Magic Man “Duy”.
At 9:30 p.m., disembark and back to your hotel later on. Overnight in Saigon.
 

Breakfast at the hotel. Free at leisure until transfer to the airport for your onward flight. End of services!
End of service. 
Please note!
Hotel check-out time is around 12.00.