5 Day Cultural Culinary Holiday in Hue and Hoi An, Vietnam

Day 1: Arrival at Hue

Flight to Phu Bai airport. Upon arrival, drive to Hue, the ancient capital of Vietnam from 1802 to 1945. Check in your hotel in Hue. There will be an afternoon visit to Thien Mu Pagoda, the symbol of Hue City.

Then take a walk around Kim Long Village where you can visit the original ancient house of the former Mandarin, mingle with local people and experience their daily activities in the village.

Visit Dong Thien Pagoda to enjoy a vegetarian lunch prepared by the nuns. Your visit contributes to the pagoda’s kindergarten that educates children from needy families. You will interact with the nuns and learn more about the pagoda before going back to the hotel.

Overnight in Hue.

Meals included:

• Lunch

Day 2: Hue cooking class and city tour

You will visit Dong Ba Market in the early morning. This is the biggest whole sales market in Hue for food, vegetable, herb, spices, and fruit. In the morning, everything is so fresh and this is best time and best way to experiences and learn about the food and daily life activities in Hue.

Back to the hotel for breakfast then take a cyclo trip from your hotel over famous Trang Tien Bridge and Dong Ba Market. The cyclo will take you around the ancient citadel of Hue, getting over the streets, local shops for the over view of daily life and architecture of this famous citadel. The cyclo will take you to Y Thao Restaurant for cooking class.

• Go to market for cooking material, with the company of learner(s)
• 09:00 - 09:30 Hue drinking and eating art introduction. Food to be practiced introduction. Cooking material preparation.
• 09:30 - 11:30 Learn how to cook and practice the spring roll, pancake, and grilled beef; how to make the banana flower salad
• 11:30 - 12:30 Enjoy food self-prepared and by the restaurant

In the afternoon, take the visit to the Imperial Citadel and Tu Duc Tomb, discover beautiful and impressive architecture of this unique construction in Hue as well as the story of the king there.

In the evening, you will experience the dinner in the local restaurant of all typical kind of Hue cake such as: banh beo, banh nam, and banh loc.

Overnight in Hue.

Meals included:

• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner

Day 3: Hue - Danang - Hoi An City tour

Morning depart to Danang through famous Hai Van Pass. Upon arrival, visit Cham Museum with great collection of sand stone artifact from 4th to 13th century. Arrive in Hoi An, the little attractive town very famous as living museum which was originally one of major trading centers of Southeast Asia in the 16th century. Lunch at Cargo Club Restaurant.

In the afternoon, take a walking tour to Hoi An ancient town. Visit Phuc Kien congressional assembly hall, Japanese Cover Bridge, and Tan Ky ancient house. Then you have free time for discovering the town on your own or shopping.

In the evening, you will have a chance to try to most famous and popular local food in Hoi An: com ga (chicken rice) and cao lau.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Meals included:

• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner

Day 4: Hoi An culinary tour

Tour to the dynamic fish market that sells the very fresh fish. Join Hoi An cooking class in The Market Restaurant. Before the chef’s cooking demonstrations, enjoy another tour to the local market to understand a variety of ingredients and spices used in Vietnam.

Visit street food counters and eat Vietnamese sandwich, noodle soup, rice flour crepes, grilled rice paper, etc., and especially the “cao lau” noodle.

The cooking class lasts around 2.5 hours, with the live cooking demonstrations and the hands-on experiences. Enjoy the self-cooked dishes.

Here will be a recipe: (for vegetarians, replacement ingredients will be provided)

• Cabbage leaf parcels shrimp mousse in broth
• BBQ chicken and lime leaves
• Mango salad with prawns
• Hoi An pancakes with pork, prawns, and bean sprouts

Travel to Tra Que Herb Village known for growing organic herbs. Discover a local bread-making factory, and then eat the Vietnamese sandwich in Banh My Phuong - the top address voted by Chef Anthony Bourdain.

Go to coffee shops to drink strong Vietnamese coffee. After coffee time, there will be another market tour.

Dinner will be served with chicken rice and “cao lau” noodle.

Accommodation in Hoi An.

Meals included:

• Breakfast
• Lunch

Day 5: Hoi An - departure

Morning is free at leisure until the departure time to the airport for the flight home. Tour concluded.

Meals included:

• Breakfast

This tour will take place in Hue and Hoi An. While Hue is the last royal capital of the Vietnamese feudal era, Hoi An remains as the living museum of age-old houses and colorful lanterns. More interestingly, the local food gains the international reputation such as Hoi An chicken rice and Hue mussel rice.

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Daily breakfast and lunch, as well as dinners on some nights, are included.

• 4 nights accommodation
• 2 cooking classes
• Transportation in private air-conditioned vehicle with driver
• Meals as indicated in the itinerary
• Service of an English speaking guide
• Entrance fee to indicated sights
• Cyclo tour and boat trips
• Water and towels on the car/van/coach

• Other meals
• Tip
• Drinks
• International flights
• Airport tax
• Personal expenses
• Insurance

• A reservation requires a deposit of 30% of the total price.
• The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
• The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.