Xin chao and welcome to Vietnam! Your journey begins in Hanoi, the nation’s ever-hungry northern capital. The culinary scene here is legendary, backed by centuries of tradition and a gastronomic philosophy committed to showcasing the region’s spectacular produce. You’ve entered pho territory: bowls of the rice-noodle ribbons and soup can be found on any street corner, and the street food scene here is unlike anything else in the world.
On arrival at Hanoi International Airport (HAN), you’ll be transferred to your accommodation, The Oriental Jade Hotel. This evening, meet with your fellow travellers for a welcome meeting at 5pm before enjoying a welcome dinner – with two drinks included per person – at the hotel's onsite Thang Long Signature Restaurant.
After breakfast at the hotel, meet your group in the lobby for a day of exploration, moving from pavement to penthouse in search of Hanoi’s freshest flavours.
Start with a city tour, venturing to the city’s intriguing Old Quarter, a spellbinding blend of ancient ochre stonework, traditional Vietnamese architecture, hidden alleyways and cosy-cool coffee shops. Originally partitioned into 36 guild streets – each dedicated to a particular industry or craft – the district still thrums with the spirit of Old Hanoi. Stops include the historic One Pillar Pagoda, built in 1049 and regarded as one of the country’s most iconic temples, and Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House, offering a unique insight into the life of Vietnam’s beloved late president.
Between stops, you’ll gain insight about the differences between Northern and Southern pho, the preferred fashion of drinking local coffee (iced and with a splash of condensed milk) and all about banh cuon, or rice paper rolls, with stops to sample each.
Take lunch at the exceptional teahouse Tầm Vị (one Michelin Star), specialising in classic Northern Vietnamese dishes ranging from crab soup to escargot served with fresh herbs and vermicelli noodles – the perfect introduction to the city's staggering culinary heritage. After lunch, return to The Oriental Jade Hotel for a chance to enjoy the rooftop swimming pool or a visit to the onsite spa.
After a day spent romancing Hanoi, the evening is just as filled with action as you embark on an evening tour of the city's most delicious street food. Guided by a local expert, seek out all things delicious during this insider investigation into the city’s market culture.
Returning to the magnificent Old Quarter, try a bowl of steaming pho: the hallmark pork broth here is spiced with cinnamon, cardamom and star anise. You’ll also tuck into a plate of bun dau – vermicelli noodles, tofu, fresh herbs and umami-soaked shrimp paste plated individually to form a rustic dish beloved by locals. Explore Hang Than Street, where ceremonial cakes are proudly displayed; Hang Cot Street, renowned for its fruit; and Phung Hung Street, where painted scenes of the modernisation of the city are harmoniously woven with its longstanding commercial tradition.
The tour ends at approximately 7.30pm – enjoy the rest fo the evening at leisure.
Please note: The street food tour itinerary is subject to change.
Meet in the hotel lobby at 6.30am for an optional early-morning walk around Hoan Kiem Lake. One of the city’s most cherished stretches of greenery, it’s also a place infused with the mythology of ancient Vietnam. Legend has it that after ousting the invading Ming, Emperor Le Loi returned his magical sword to the dragon dwelling beneath these very waters. As you walk, watch the city begin to stir in the daylight, as locals join to practise tai chi, yoga, games and ballroom dancing on the lake’s shores.
Return to the hotel for breakfast, but be sure to leave room for 'bun cha' – a classic Hanoian treat – served at a local restaurant specialising in the cherished delicacy. Minced pork shoulder is seasoned, rolled into large meatballs and grilled over an open flame to crispy perfection, glazed constantly with a rich caramel glaze as it cooks. The resulting salty-smoky-sweet delight is served on a bed of rice vermicelli noodles and fresh herbs and served with a mandatory dipping sauce of lime and fish sauce – each bite is like dynamite.
After breakfast, there's something very special in store – a cooking class at Hanoi's KOTO ('Know One, Teach One'). Vietnam’s first social enterprise and passion project of Vietnamese-Australian Chef Jimmy Pham, KOTO has worked tirelessly over more than two decades to give over 1,200 at-risk and disadvantaged youth fundamental skills in hospitality, transforming their lives. Learn how to cook three quintessential Vietnamese dishes while uncovering this country’s vibrant history and culture through its cuisine.
Next, it's time to turn in your apron and visit Hanoi’s Temple of Literature, established in the 11th century as Vietnam’s first university. As you wander through the carefully manicured courtyards, scholar’s gardens and open pavilions, it’s easy to imagine a time when hundreds of young students – aspiring to the ranks of the Dai Viet bureaucracy – gathered in these solemn halls for strict examination.
After your explorations, return to the hotel for a chance to freshen up before dinner at the acclaimed Press Club Hanoi. Since opening in 1997, this establishment has quickly proven itself a staple of the city's mixology and fine dining scene. Expect peerless service, exceptional French cuisine with brilliant Vietnamese flourishes and a cocktail menu that is classically inclined but bursting with whimsy.
After an early breakfast, meet in the hotel lobby to depart for Ha Long Bay. Travelling by coach, the journey to Vietnam’s lush coastline takes approximately 2.5 hours – but there will be a chance to stop and stretch your legs at a local charity-run souvenir shop.
After arriving at Tuan Chau Marina Port, board your ship and take time to inspect your cabin before meeting the cruise manager and crew for a safety briefing. Lunch will be served as you set sail through the bay’s strikingly emerald waters – an enduring symbol of the eternal beauty of Vietnam.
It’s easy to become spellbound as you glide past jungle-topped limestone karsts, mysterious islands, narrow coves and traditional wooden vessels across the water. Spend the day exploring this UNESCO World Heritage Site, stopping at caves, floating farms and beaches with your cruise guides.
As evening falls, the ship will drop anchor in a sheltered part of the bay and dinner will be served onboard. Don’t forget to look up – with Lan Ha Bay so far removed from the city, stargazing here is considered some of the best in Vietnam.
Enjoy dawn on the expansive sundeck with fresh tea and coffee. Connect breath to movement as you energise your body and soul during a tranquil tai chi class, watching the sun rise over the bay.
Return to Tuan Chau Marina, disembarking at 10am and travelling via coach to Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport (HAN) for your onward flight to Da Nang, and a stop for pho along the way. After a little over an hour in the sky – the perfect time to go through photos you’ve taken so far – transfer to your next accommodation in the historic town of Hoi An (approximately a 45-minute drive).
This evening, either get to know Hotel Royal Hoi An – MGallery and grab your included dinner at one of the hotel’s restaurants, or head out and explore the city’s storied streets.
Some hotels are themselves works of art. Inspired by Hoi An’s vibrant melange of historic influence, Hotel Royal Hoi An – MGallery offers a timelessly elegant stay in the heart of one of Vietnam’s most cherished cities. With an Art Noveau facade, romantic views over Thu Bon River and traditional French and Japanese flourishes, every corner of this hotel has been masterfully designed to take your breath away. Sample high-end sushi and yakitori at onsite restaurant Wakaku, head to The Deck – Hoi An’s highest rooftop bar – for inventive cocktails and unbeatable views or laze by the hotel’s magnificent mosaiced pool.
Your package includes:
- Daily lunch or dinner at Faifo Cafe
- One 60-minute massage per adult
- Nightly hour of free-flow drinks at The Deck or River Bar
After a delicious breakfast at the hotel’s all-day restaurant, Faifo Cafe, the morning is yours. Every street in this peaceful port town is a treasure, but you'll find the best exploring Hoi An Ancient Town, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed district that preserves the synthesis of cultures that led this city to flourish. It’s a 15-minute walk from the hotel, and the way offers countless chances to sample iced coffee, sticky rice and more.
Once a bustling trading port, the city is still a powerful melange of influences and traditions. Marvellously preserved, ancient Japanese merchant houses and historic Vietnamese trading warehouses rub shoulders with grand Confucian temples and modern offices to form a colourful tapestry.
Alternatively, relax at the hotel. This is the perfect place to rest and recoup as Hotel Royal Hoi An – MGallery’s facilities are among the best in the country, and your package here includes lunch today.
This evening, join your fellow travellers for dinner at Morning Glory Signature, a massive, double-storey establishment boasting wonderful views of the streets below. The free-wheeling menu bounces between Chinese dumplings, traditional Vietnamese fare and inventive vegan plates – and with two drinks per person included, wherever your mood takes you, you're in for a treat.
Optional Activities:
- Half-day Hoi An city tour (from A$77 per person, minimum two people)
- My Son Cham sanctuary tour (from A$100 per person, minimum two people)
- Ba Na Hills full-day tour (from A$174 per person, minimum two people)
- Hoi An countryside half-day tour by electric scooter (from A$95 per person, minimum two people)
With a full day in Hoi An at leisure, now’s the chance slow down, relax and take it easy. Your tour includes one 60-minute massage at the hotel’s Woosah Spa – and there’s no better time to take it than today (advance booking recommended).
Alternatively, spend the day by either of your hotel’s two masterpiece swimming pools, or ascend to the eighth floor for tapas and tipples at The Attic, the hotel’s speakeasy-inspired cocktail bar. Your package includes an hour of free-flow cocktails and what better place to enjoy them?
Optional Activities:
- Half-day Hoi An city tour (from A$77 per person, minimum two people)
- My Son Cham sanctuary tour (from A$100 per person, minimum two people)
- Ba Na Hills full-day tour (from A$174 per person, minimum two people)
- Hoi An countryside half-day tour by electric scooter (from A$95 per person, minimum two people)
After breakfast, meet your fellow travellers in the lobby and depart for Da Nang by coach bus, where you’ll check-in for your approximately 70-minute flight to Ho Chi Minh City.
Take time to understand Vietnam’s dazzling southern metropolis and it will reward you: the streets and thoroughfares run loud and fast, and the marketplace hustle is a haggler’s delight. Here, tradition improvises with modernity, coffee culture is a way of life and there’s something new to see and eat around every corner.
After touchdown, you’ll transfer to your next handpicked accommodation, the magnificent Caravelle Hotel Saigon. Located in the heart of historic District 1 – still affectionately referred to as ‘Saigon’ by locals – Caravelle Hotel was, upon opening Christmas Eve in 1959, hailed as the tallest and most impressive building in Vietnam. During the hectic years of the Vietnam War, it was home to the Australian Embassy. Today, Caravelle Hotel Saigon’s hospitality is still impeccable, and the dining is second to none. Be sure to check out Saigon Saigon Rooftop Bar – one of the city’s oldest sky bars, popular even during wartime.
After settling in, head out to savour a meal at Anan Saigon, one of Vietnam's most acclaimed restaurants. With Ho Chi Minh City’s first (and only!) Michelin Star and a place on the coveted Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list for 2023, Anan Saigon is indisputably the city’s finest restaurant. Anan translates to ‘eat, eat’, and the restaurant’s tasting menu, taking you from Vietnam’s north to south, leaves none hungry. Farm-to-chopstick ingredients, timeless French tradition and a pinch of molecular gastronomy guarantee you’re in for an unforgettable feast.
Please Note: Anan Saigon is closed on Mondays. If Day 8 falls on a Monday, this dinner will be moved to Day 9 and the Saigon by Night Vespa Tour will occur on Day 8.
Today, you’re tasked to embark on a mission discovering the city’s best banh mis. Begin with an intimate history of Vietnam’s tour de force between the bread, including the different types and fillings utilised and why it’s eaten in the country's south, before embarking on a tour of the city’s historic districts.
Depending on your group, you’ll visit one or two of the city’s most iconic shops in the morning, followed by the remaining of these top three after a sightseeing tour:
- Banh Mi Bay Ho: Open since 1930, this humble pushcart was featured on Netflix's Street Food and its 90-year-old recipe contends for the title of 'city's best sandwich'.
- Banh Mi Chao Hoa Ma: Renowned as Ho Chi Minh City’s very first banh mi stall, this family-owned shop has served up some of the city’s best baguettes daily since opening almost six decades ago.
- Banh Mi Huynh Hoa: This takeaway-only sandwich shop is built on a foundational, 30-year-old family recipe, with particular emphasis placed on an overload of cold pork cuts, lightly pickled, ultra-fresh vegetables, fresh-baked bread and a delicious spread of French-style butter.
In between banh mis, enjoy seeing the city’s highlights – including Saigon Central Post Office and the Opera House – before finishing at Garden Coffee shop behind Independence Palace, the site of the Fall of Saigon and end of the Conflict.
Return to the hotel in the afternoon for a little time at leisure before enjoying another once-in-a-lifetime highlight – a 'Saigon by Night' Vespa tour! Buckle your helmet and see Ho Chi Minh City’s renowned street food at its finest hour. Travelling by vintage Vespa – seated behind an accomplished, professional driver-guide – this is your chance to see the city like a Saigonese. Beginning with lubrication at a local rooftop bar, you’ll glide towards a historic eatery serving shrimp-stuffed banh xeo crepes, fresh seafood done up streetside, a late-night coffee shop and a live music venue brimming with the spirit of modern Saigon.
Please Note:
- If you are unfit for or do not feel comfortable embarking on the Saigon by Night Vespa Tour, a fine dining experience at Mandarine Restaurant will be provided. Please contact the Tours Concierge at tours@luxuryescapes.com prior to departure to arrange.
After a delicious breakfast, meet in the hotel lobby at 7.45am for a market adventure hosted by the chefs of acclaimed Hoa Tuc restaurant.
Begin today's culinary adventure with a trip to Tan Dinh Market, an enclosed market hall that caters to Ho Chi Minh City’s local families and cooks. Guided by your chef host, you’ll hear about the flavours that set Vietnam’s cuisine apart from other Asian gastronomic traditions and learn to identify the freshest produce. Then put your study to practice with a cooking class at the restaurant. Hidden within a shaded terrace, the establishment is a spectacular example of old-world Saigon design. While the menu is seasonal, one thing’s guaranteed – you’ll always finish with a mouth-watering dessert.
The rest of the afternoon is yours until the evening’s event. It’s the perfect time to explore District 1’s shady boulevards on foot. You might also visit Maison Marou, a Vietnamese chocolatier chain considered one of the world’s best, with locations peppered conveniently about the city.
At 5pm, head to Caravelle Hotel Saigon’s rooftop bar for a farewell event with your fellow travellers, including one hour of free-flow beer, wine and soft drink. Take a moment to toast your delicious escape over canapes and say ‘tam biet!’ to friends you’ve made along the way.
This final evening in Ho Chi Minh City is yours at leisure, but we recommend making a reservation at one of two acclaimed restaurants (additional cost):
- Vietnam House Restaurant: With a menu designed by Vietnamese-Australian chef Luke Nguyen, himself no stranger to MasterChef Australia, this converted colonial cafe ensures you’re in for a good time. Expect traditional Vietnamese cuisine plated with no shortage of modern flair.
- AKUNA: Helmed by acclaimed Australian chef Sam Aisbett, AKUNA dazzles with a free-wheeling menu showcasing unabashedly Aussie fare, backed by Vietnam’s unique produce. Expect the unexpected – watch as ingredients like vegemite and crocodile become transformed.
Please Note:
- Saigon Saigon Rooftop Bar has planned renovation works in June – August 2024. For departures at this time, an alternate venue will be arranged.
Bid farewell to your fellow travellers as your delicious Vietnamese journey comes to an end. After breakfast, you’ll be transferred to Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) for your flight home.