Amazing Vietnam Culinary Holiday

Upon arrival, pick you up from the Tan Son Nhat International Airport and transfer to the lovely Hotel in Hanoi. Check in hotel and free at the remainder of the day to explore dynamic Ho Chi Minh city. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Today, joining a cooking class in the morning held at Ho Chi Minh City, begin to visit a local market and learn how to purchase fresh ingredients, followed by an introduction to Vietnamese culinary culture.
There is a whole range of menus to choose from and developed specially to give an all-round flavor of Vietnamese cuisine. After cook, have lunch with the dishes. In the afternoon, take a light tour around Ho Chi Minh City. This personalized private tour is one of the best ways to explore and to discover what Saigon has to offer to visitors. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, is the largest and busiest city in Vietnam with a population of 7 million people. Much of the daily life takes place on the streets, which are lined with shops, stalls and vendors with their wares spread out on the footpath. Don’t miss the bustling Ben Thanh Market – a fantastic place for bargains of every kind! There are several interesting sights in Saigon. The War Remnants Museum has a wealth of images from the wars, the most moving being a gallery entitled Requiem which is dedicated to Vietnamese and foreign journalists and photographers who perished during the French and American conflicts. The Reunification Palace was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until April 30, 1975 when the North Vietnamese tanks came crashing through the front gates, bringing the U.S.-Vietnam War to a dramatic end. Close to the Palace some of the best examples of French colonial architecture are represented in the forms of Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office. Notre Dame Cathedral was built between 1877 and 1883, and the stones used to create it were exported in its entirety from France. Next to the cathedral stands the Central Post Office, finished in 1891. It is another fine example of French architecture and is Vietnam s largest post office. For all of its French colonial history, Ho Chi Minh City is by far Vietnam s most modern city. It has numerous shopping malls, cinemas, discotheques and a bewildering number of bars.

Morning drive from Sai Gon to Cai Be. Upon arrive, visit Cao Dai Temple in Cai Be before embarking for the boat trip to colorful Cai Be floating Market, then visit  some local home factories to discover traditional rice paste making, rice pop corn, coco candies, and longans drying process. After enjoying beautiful lunch at a superb Indochina villa, Le Longanier, located in a luxuriant garden by the river, your sampan will cruise to Dong Hoa Hiep. On the way, you will be able observe the typical Mekong delta rural life. These evergreen islands among the Mekong River still remain unknown to many people. Visit at an ancient mandarin house dating from the 19th century where the family will welcome you with a cup a tea. Then we will proceed to Vinh Long, passing beautiful landscapes along Dong Phu canal, Binh Hoa Phuoc and An Binh islands famous for their fruit orchards. Stops on the way can be made at Tam Ho bonsais garden. You will have a chance to taste the typical tropical fruit there and enjoy the authentic tradition music show performed by local farmer there.  On the way back to Vinh Long, visit the local brick and pottery factory – where you can experience the way of local people firing brick in special brick kiln by rice husk from Mekong Delta. Back to the bus to drive to Can Tho. Back to the bus to drive to Can Tho, the capital of Mekong Delta. Overnight in Can Tho.

After breakfast and a boat cruise, arrive at Cai Rang floating market on the Mekong Delta. Both the journey and the market provide insights into the rural Mekong Delta lifestyle. Continue to Cai Son village where you’ll have an hour bike ride visiting the surroundings and a fruit orchard with many exotic fruits to try and have a chance to talk to the owner about the fruits.
On your return to Ho Chi Minh City, stop by the beautiful and ancient Vinh Trang Pagoda, 3 kilometers from My Tho center. Vinh Trang Pagoda is renowned for its architectural mixture of Chinese, Vietnamese and Angkor styles. Located on a 2 hectare block with 5 buildings, 2 ornamental yards, 178 pillars and many valuable statues (especially the 18 arahants, wooden statues carved in 1907), the pagoda will give you a deeper look into the relationship between Vietnamese art and Buddhist beliefs. Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City in the late afternoon with time to freshen up in your hotel before the evening.

Today is the last day of the tour “Amazing Vietnam Culinary Holiday”. Free at your leisure until your driver arrives to take you to the airport for your international departure flight.