- Overview
- Tour plan
- Hotel list
- FAQ
General Information
Duration: 11 Days / 10 Nights
Route: Hanoi → Ha Long Bay → Hue → Hoi An → Ho Chi Minh City → Mekong Delta
Travel Style: Culinary, Culture & Local Experiences
Ideal For: Food lovers, couples, culturally curious travellers and first-time visitors who want to discover Vietnam through its regional cuisine and everyday traditions
Start: Hanoi
Finish: Ho Chi Minh City
This journey explores Vietnam through the flavours, ingredients and food traditions that define each region.
From Hanoi markets and home kitchens to Hue’s imperial cuisine, Hoi An’s countryside and Saigon’s lively street-food culture, each experience connects food with the people and places behind it.
Taste Vietnam. Understand its stories.
Introduction
Discover Vietnam through its food on an 11-day journey from Hanoi to the Mekong Delta.
Begin in the north, exploring Hanoi’s markets, neighbourhoods and home-style cooking before cruising overnight through the dramatic landscapes of Ha Long Bay.
Continue to Hue, where cuisine reflects centuries of imperial history and regional tradition. Explore the former royal capital before sharing a heritage-inspired dinner in an intimate local setting.
Travel south across the Hai Van Pass to Hoi An, where market ingredients, countryside life and hands-on cooking reveal another side of central Vietnamese cuisine.
Finish in Ho Chi Minh City, experiencing the energy of Saigon’s neighbourhood food culture by motorbike before travelling into the Mekong Delta, where tropical produce, coconut-based ingredients and river life shape the flavours of the south.
Rather than simply moving from restaurant to restaurant, this journey connects food with markets, family kitchens, regional history and everyday life — offering a deeper introduction to Vietnam through what its people grow, cook and share.
Day 1 — Welcome to Vietnam
Arrival in Hanoi
Upon arrival at Noi Bai International Airport, meet your private driver and transfer to your hotel in Hanoi.
After check-in, the remainder of the day is free to recover from your journey or begin exploring the city independently.
Depending on your arrival time, you may wish to take a gentle walk through the Old Quarter, enjoy your first Vietnamese coffee or simply relax at your hotel.
Service: Private airport transfer
Meals: None
Overnight: Hanoi
Day 2 — From Market to Family Kitchen
Hanoi Market & Home Cooking Experience
After breakfast, meet your local culinary host and begin the day with a visit to a neighbourhood market.
Walk among stalls filled with fresh herbs, vegetables, noodles, spices, meat and seasonal produce while learning how local families shop for their daily meals.
Your host will introduce some of the ingredients that define northern Vietnamese cooking and explain how they are selected and used.
Continue to a local home or private kitchen for a hands-on cooking experience.
Under the guidance of your host, prepare a selection of traditional northern Vietnamese dishes while learning about the techniques, balance of flavours and family traditions behind them.
Once everything is ready, sit down together and enjoy the meal you have prepared.
The remainder of the afternoon is free at leisure.
Service: Private or small-group culinary experience
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight: Hanoi
Day 3 — Hanoi Through Culture & Flavour
Heritage, Old Quarter & Local Tastings
After breakfast, meet your guide for a relaxed introduction to the history and everyday culture of Hanoi.
Begin with selected historic landmarks such as the Temple of Literature and the areas surrounding Hoan Kiem Lake before continuing on foot into the Old Quarter.
Walk through narrow streets, traditional shophouses and local neighbourhood lanes while learning how Hanoi’s history has influenced the food eaten in the city today.
Along the way, stop for selected tastings of local favourites.
Depending on availability and the confirmed route, these may include dishes such as bun cha, banh cuon, Vietnamese bread, seasonal snacks or other northern specialities.
Finish with a traditional Vietnamese filter coffee or Hanoi’s famous egg coffee.
The remainder of the afternoon and evening is free, allowing you to continue exploring independently or choose your own dinner.
Service: Guided cultural & food walking experience
Meals: Breakfast, food tastings
Overnight: Hanoi
Day 4 — Journey into Ha Long Bay
Overnight Cruise Among the Limestone Islands
After breakfast, check out from your hotel and join the cruise operator’s shared limousine transfer to Ha Long Bay.
Upon arrival at the cruise terminal, complete boarding procedures and settle into your cabin.
Enjoy lunch on board as the vessel begins sailing through the dramatic limestone islands and karst formations of the bay.
During the afternoon, participate in activities according to the selected cruise programme. Depending on the cruise, weather and local conditions, these may include kayaking, swimming, cave exploration or excursions by tender.
Return to the vessel later in the day and enjoy time on deck before dinner is served.
Spend the evening at leisure surrounded by the peaceful scenery of Ha Long Bay.
Service: Shared limousine transfer & shared overnight cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Ha Long Bay Cruise
Day 5 — Ha Long Bay to Hue
Morning Cruise & Flight to Central Vietnam
Wake to the peaceful scenery of Ha Long Bay.
Depending on the cruise programme, the morning may include a light activity or final excursion before breakfast or brunch is served on board.
Enjoy the final views of the bay as the vessel gradually returns to the harbour.
After disembarkation, transfer toward Noi Bai International Airport according to the confirmed flight schedule.
Fly to Hue in central Vietnam.
Upon arrival at Phu Bai International Airport, meet your private driver and transfer to your hotel.
The evening is free to relax or begin discovering Hue independently.
Service: Shared cruise services, transfer, domestic flight & private arrival transfer
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch or Brunch depending on cruise programme
Overnight: Hue
Day 6 — Imperial Hue & Heritage Cuisine
Citadel, Royal Traditions & Garden-House Dinner
After breakfast, meet your guide and begin exploring Vietnam’s former imperial capital.
Visit the Imperial Citadel, once the political and ceremonial centre of the Nguyen Dynasty.
Walk through selected areas of the complex while learning about court life, royal traditions and the cultural influences that shaped Hue.
Continue to Thien Mu Pagoda, one of the city’s most recognisable religious landmarks, before enjoying lunch at a local restaurant.
In the afternoon, visit one of Hue’s royal tombs, selected according to the confirmed programme.
Return to your hotel for some time at leisure.
In the evening, experience one of the culinary highlights of the journey.
Travel to a traditional garden house or heritage residence for an intimate dinner featuring Hue specialities.
Enjoy dishes prepared according to local family traditions while learning how the city’s cuisine developed through a combination of imperial refinement, Buddhist influence and everyday home cooking.
Service: Guided sightseeing + heritage dining experience
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Hue
Day 7 — Hue to Hoi An
Across the Hai Van Pass
After breakfast, meet your private driver and begin the journey south toward Hoi An.
Travel through central Vietnam and cross the spectacular Hai Van Pass, where mountains descend toward the sea.
Weather permitting, stop at viewpoints overlooking the coastline before continuing through Da Nang toward Hoi An.
Upon arrival, check in to your hotel.
The remainder of the afternoon and evening is free.
Explore the lantern-lit streets of the Ancient Town, relax beside the river or choose your own restaurant for dinner.
Leaving this evening unstructured gives you an opportunity to discover Hoi An’s food scene independently.
Service: Private transfer with sightseeing stops
Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Hoi An
Day 8 — A Taste of Hoi An
Local Specialities & Evening Food Walk
After breakfast, enjoy the morning at leisure.
Later in the day, meet your local guide for a relaxed food walk through Hoi An, discovering some of the town’s best-known everyday dishes and regional specialities.
Rather than joining a formal cooking class, spend the experience moving between selected local eateries, street-food stalls and neighbourhood favourites while learning about the ingredients, preparation styles and food traditions that shape Hoi An’s culinary identity.
Depending on the selected route and local availability, tastings may include:
- Banh Mi — a Vietnamese baguette filled with a variety of fresh ingredients and savoury fillings.
- Cao Lau — Hoi An’s signature noodle dish, traditionally served with pork, fresh herbs and a distinctive local sauce.
- Cơm Gà — Hoi An Chicken Rice — fragrant rice served with seasoned chicken, herbs and local accompaniments.
- BBQ Pork Rolls — grilled pork wrapped with fresh herbs and rice paper, typically served with a dipping sauce.
- Bánh Bột Lọc — translucent rice dumplings with savoury fillings such as shrimp or mung bean, depending on the selected vendor.
- Hột Vịt Lộn or Trứng Gà Nướng — for travellers interested in trying something more adventurous, sample either balut or a grilled seasoned chicken egg.
Between tastings, walk through Hoi An’s streets and neighbourhoods while your guide shares stories about local eating habits, regional flavours and the way food reflects the town’s cultural history.
The experience is intended to feel informal and social rather than structured around a restaurant meal, allowing you to taste several dishes in smaller portions along the way.
Return to your hotel after the tour, or remain in the Ancient Town and continue exploring independently.
Service: Guided local food walking tour
Meals: Breakfast, Food Tastings
Overnight: Hoi An
Day 9 — Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh City
Flight South & Saigon Street Food by Motorbike
Enjoy breakfast and a relaxed morning in Hoi An.
At the scheduled time, meet your private driver and transfer to Da Nang International Airport.
Fly to Ho Chi Minh City.
Upon arrival, meet your private driver and transfer to your hotel.
Later, discover another side of Vietnam’s food culture on a guided motorbike experience through Saigon’s neighbourhoods.
Ride as a passenger with an experienced local driver, leaving the main tourist streets behind to explore residential districts, markets and local eating areas.
Stop at carefully selected food stalls and neighbourhood eateries to sample southern Vietnamese favourites while your guide explains the dishes and the communities behind them.
The route may include areas influenced by Saigon’s Chinese-Vietnamese heritage as well as traditional markets and busy residential neighbourhoods.
Return to your hotel after the experience.
Service: Private airport transfers + domestic flight + guided motorbike food experience
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner/Food tastings
Overnight: Ho Chi Minh City
Day 10 — Flavours of the Mekong Delta
Ben Tre Waterways, Local Produce & Southern Cuisine
After breakfast, leave Ho Chi Minh City for a journey into the Mekong Delta.
Travel toward Ben Tre, where coconut groves, waterways, orchards and rural communities shape the landscape and local cuisine.
Explore part of the delta by boat and smaller waterways while learning how the river influences everyday life, agriculture and food production.
Visit selected local workshops or family-run producers to discover how regional ingredients are used in traditional products.
Depending on seasonal conditions and the confirmed programme, experiences may include coconut processing, tropical fruit cultivation or other small-scale food production.
Enjoy a southern Vietnamese lunch featuring local ingredients and regional flavours.
Continue exploring the countryside by boat, on foot or by bicycle before returning to Ho Chi Minh City in the late afternoon.
Enjoy your final evening in Vietnam at leisure.
Service: Guided Mekong Delta experience
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight: Ho Chi Minh City
Day 11 — Departure from Vietnam
Enjoy breakfast at your hotel and free time until your scheduled departure.
Depending on your flight time, enjoy a final Vietnamese coffee, browse a local market or pick up some culinary souvenirs to take home.
At the appropriate time, meet your private driver and transfer to Tan Son Nhat International Airport for your onward flight.
Your journey with Oriva comes to an end.
Service: Private airport transfer
Meals: Breakfast
Suggested Accommodation
Accommodation is available in three categories. Final hotels and cruises are subject to availability at the time of booking and may be replaced with properties of a similar standard.
3-Star
Hanoi: Mina Hotel or similar
Ha Long Bay: Le Journey Cruise or similar
Hue: Selected 3-star hotel or similar
Hoi An: Kim An Hotel Hoi An or similar
Ho Chi Minh City: Acnos Hotel or similar
4-Star
Hanoi: Tirant Hotel or similar
Ha Long Bay: La Pandora Cruise or similar
Hue: Selected 4-star hotel or similar
Hoi An: Silkotel Hoi An or similar
Ho Chi Minh City: Alagon Saigon Hotel or similar
5-Star
Hanoi: Apricot Hotel or similar
Ha Long Bay: Doris Cruise or similar
Hue: Selected 5-star hotel or similar
Hoi An: Palm Garden Hoi An or similar
Ho Chi Minh City: The Myst Dong Khoi or similar
Standard check-in: From 14:00
Standard check-out: By 12:00 noon
Early check-in or late check-out is only included when specifically stated in the programme.
1. How is the tour priced?
2. What is included in the tour price?
-
What’s Included
- 10 nights’ accommodation based on twin/double sharing
- Daily breakfast and meals indicated in the itinerary
- Domestic economy-class flights:
- Hanoi → Hue
- Da Nang → Ho Chi Minh City
- Private airport transfers as specified
- Hanoi market and cooking experience
- Guided Hanoi cultural and food walking experience
- Shared limousine transfer between Hanoi and Ha Long Bay
- 2-day/1-night shared Ha Long Bay cruise with scheduled meals and activities
- Guided Hue imperial sightseeing
- Heritage-style dinner in Hue
- Private transfer from Hue to Hoi An via the Hai Van Pass
- Guided Hoi An local food walking tour with selected tastings
- Guided Saigon street-food experience by motorbike
- Guided Mekong Delta experience
- Food tastings and meals specifically mentioned in the programme
- Entrance fees for sightseeing included in the itinerary
- Boat experiences included in the confirmed Mekong programme
- Local English-speaking guides during guided experiences
- Drinking water where provided by the operating supplier
- Applicable local taxes and service charges
- 24/7 local assistance from Oriva Journeys during the trip
3. What is not included in the tour price?
What’s Not Included
- International flights to and from Vietnam
- Vietnam visa or e-visa fees, where applicable
- Travel insurance
- Meals and beverages not specified in the itinerary
- Alcoholic beverages unless specifically stated
- Drinks during included meals unless stated otherwise
- Personal expenses such as laundry, minibar, spa treatments, shopping and telephone charges
- Optional activities, excursions or culinary upgrades
- Early check-in and late check-out unless confirmed
- Excess baggage charges, seat selection and other optional airline services
- Tips and gratuities
- Expenses arising from flight disruptions, adverse weather, natural disasters or other circumstances beyond the operator’s reasonable control
- Any services not specifically mentioned under What’s Included
4. Why is the price higher for solo travellers?
Travelling solo usually costs more per person because many parts of the journey are normally shared between two or more travellers.
When travelling alone, costs such as accommodation, private transfers, vehicle, driver and private guide services are carried by one person rather than divided across a couple or small group.
Oriva does not normally pair solo travellers with other guests simply to reduce the price. Matching independent travellers would require the same departure date, itinerary, service level and travel preferences, which is difficult to guarantee consistently.
For travellers who want to keep the independence of travelling alone while managing the overall cost, Oriva also offers selected solo-friendly journeys. These itineraries use small-group excursions, shared transfers or shared activities where appropriate, while still allowing you to travel independently and keep your own accommodation.
5. What upgrades are available?
The journey can be personalised with a range of optional upgrades, subject to availability and additional charges.
Available options include:
- A private cooking experience with a recognised Vietnamese chef in Hanoi
- A private Hanoi food and culture experience
- A premium Ha Long Bay cruise or higher-category cabin
- An exclusive heritage or private dining experience in Hue
- A premium private transfer from Hue to Hoi An
- A private Hoi An culinary experience
- A private Saigon street-food experience
- A private Ben Tre culinary and waterways experience
- Michelin-selected or fine-dining reservations
- Hotel category upgrades
- Additional nights in Hanoi, Hue, Hoi An or Ho Chi Minh City
- More flexible domestic airfare options
Speak with our team if you would like to make the journey more private, upgrade your accommodation or add extra time before or after the itinerary.
6. Can the itinerary be customised?
Yes. Selected parts of the journey can be adjusted depending on availability.
The standard itinerary combines private transfers, shared services and curated culinary experiences across several regions of Vietnam. Private food experiences, premium dining, accommodation upgrades, additional nights and more flexible airfare can all be considered.
If you have specific culinary interests, dietary preferences or preferred levels of privacy, Oriva can review which parts of the journey can be adapted while keeping the overall experience well balanced.
7. Is a deposit required to confirm the booking?
Yes. A 20% deposit is normally required to confirm your booking.
The remaining balance is generally due 45–60 days before departure. Bookings made closer to departure may require full payment at the time of confirmation.
Some services, such as flights, cruises or hotels, may require earlier or full payment depending on supplier conditions.
8. What is the cancellation policy?
Cancellation charges depend on how close to departure the booking is cancelled:
| Cancellation received | Charge |
|---|---|
| More than 60 days before departure | 20% |
| 45–60 days before departure | 30% |
| 30–44 days before departure | 50% |
| 15–29 days before departure | 75% |
| 14 days or less / No-show | 100% |
Domestic air tickets are non-refundable once issued.
Other prepaid services, such as cruises, hotel deposits or attraction tickets, may also have supplier-specific cancellation conditions.
No refund is normally provided for no-shows or voluntarily unused services after the trip has started.
9. Can children join this tour?
Yes. Families with children are welcome, and special child rates are available when sharing a room or cabin with two adults:
- Infants aged 0–2: 10% of the adult rate
- Children aged 3–11: 85% of the adult rate
- Children aged 12 and above: Adult rate
Child fares for flights and other ticketed transport are subject to the relevant airline or operator’s policy and will be confirmed at the time of booking.
10. Are there any important travel notes I should be aware of?
Yes. A few practical points are worth keeping in mind before confirming your journey.
- Accommodation: Prices are based on twin/double sharing. A single supplement applies for solo occupancy.
- Culinary Experiences: Menus and individual food tastings may change according to season, ingredient availability and the selected local operator.
- Dietary Requirements: Vegetarian and other dietary requirements can often be accommodated when advised in advance. Guests with severe allergies should inform Oriva Journeys before booking so that suitability can be assessed.
- Motorbike Experience: Guests ride as passengers with experienced local drivers. An alternative food experience can be arranged for travellers who prefer not to travel by motorbike.
- Domestic Flights: Flight schedules, airlines, fares and baggage allowances are subject to availability until ticketing.
- Ha Long Bay Cruise: Cruise routes and activities may change due to weather, tidal conditions, safety requirements or local authority instructions.
- Mekong Delta: Activities and visits may vary depending on season, water levels and local operating conditions.
- Itinerary: Minor adjustments may be required due to weather, flight schedules or operational conditions while maintaining the overall character of the journey.
- Travel Documents: Travellers are responsible for valid passports, visas and applicable entry requirements.
- Travel Insurance: Comprehensive travel insurance is strongly recommended.
