Xin chao and welcome to Vietnam! Your journey begins in Hanoi, the nation’s northern capital. On arrival at Hanoi International Airport (HAN), make your own way 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. Start with a city tour, venturing to the city’s intriguing Old Quarter. 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 into the differences between Northern and Southern pho, the preferred fashion of drinking local coffee and all about banh cuon, or rice paper rolls, with stops to sample each. Take lunch at the 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. After lunch, return to The Oriental Jade Hotel for a chance to enjoy the rooftop swimming pool or a visit to the onsite spa.
This evening, embark on a tour of the city’s best street food. Returning to the 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. The tour ends at approximately 7.30pm – enjoy the rest of the evening at leisure.
Please note: The street food tour itinerary is subject to change.
Hanoi street food tour
Michelin-starred dining at Tầm Vị
Meet in the hotel lobby at 6.30am for an optional early-morning walk around Hoan Kiem Lake. 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 delicacy.
After breakfast, take 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 over more than two decades to give over 1,200 at-risk and disadvantaged youth fundamental skills in hospitality. Learn how to cook three quintessential Vietnamese dishes.
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. After your explorations, return to the hotel for a chance to freshen up before dinner at the Press Club Hanoi.
KOTO cooking class
After an early breakfast, meet in the hotel lobby to depart for Ha Long Bay. Travelling by coach, the journey to Vietnam’s 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 waters.
As evening falls, the ship will drop anchor in a sheltered part of the bay and dinner will be served onboard.
Enjoy dawn on the sundeck with fresh tea and coffee. Energise your body and soul during a 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, head to your next accommodation in the 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 streets.
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 breakfast at the hotel’s all-day restaurant, Faifo Cafe, the morning is yours to explore Hoi An. Once a bustling trading port, the city is still a powerful melange of influences and traditions. Alternatively, relax at the hotel; your package includes lunch today. This evening, join your fellow travellers for dinner at Morning Glory Signature.
With a full day in Hoi An at leisure, now’s the chance to 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 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.
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. After touchdown, you’ll head to your next handpicked accommodation, Caravelle Hotel Saigon. After settling in, head out to savour a meal at Anan Saigon, one of Vietnam’s most acclaimed restaurants, with one Michelin star.
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.
Michelin-starred dining at Anan Saigon
Today, you’re tasked to embark on a mission discovering the city’s best banh mi. 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 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 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 highlight – a ‘Saigon by Night’ Vespa tour.
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 breakfast, meet in the hotel lobby at 7.45am for a market adventure hosted by the chefs of 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. 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. 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 drinks.
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, expect traditional Vietnamese cuisine plated with modern flair.
- AKUNA: Helmed by acclaimed Australian chef Sam Aisbett, AKUNA showcases Aussie fare, backed by Vietnam’s unique produce.
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 Vietnamese journey comes to an end. After breakfast, you’ll head to Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) for your flight home.