Vietnam Photo Gallery

Vietnam Culinary Adventure

Farm to Pho

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Introduction

Anyone who has traveled to Vietnam will mention three things that stood out most: the amazing people, the beautiful scenery — and especially Vietnam's delightful food and deep food culture. As Bourdain claimed “The Vietnamese are a skinny people obsessed with food.” We share that obsession, having organized the very first culinary trips of the country nearly 30 years ago.

Vietnam has firmly planted itself on the world's culinary stage and this private tour dives into its unique regional specialties, from Hanoi’s famous pho, royal cuisine of Hue, modern fusion of Hoi An, to legendary street food in the back alleys of Saigon. On this ultimate culinary adventure trip, enjoy these varieties while diving deeper, exploring farms, markets and kitchens, and food products producers as well as the most delightful cooking classes in the world.

If cooking were painting, Vietnam would have one of the world's most colorful palettes. The great diversity of its climate and terrain can produce almost anything which can be eaten. The Vietnamese themselves have no culinary inhibitions and are always willing to try something new. When you combine the two, nothing is ruled out. Famous dishes such as pho and fresh spring rolls are but the tip of a gastronomic iceberg. In addition to a myriad of foods and preparations, there is a staggering number of sauces and dips limited only by the imagination of each cook. The picture of Vietnamese cuisine is vast and varied, always subject to innovation, and always vibrantly colorful.

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Highlights

• Street-side pho and bun cha tastings in Hanoi’s Old Quarter
• Halong Bay cruise with on-board cooking among limestone karsts
• Market tours, farm visits, and a traditional nuoc mam factory
• Hands-on cooking: spring rolls, banh xeo, green papaya salad
• Imperial Hue cuisine and Hoi An’s cao lao & white rose specialties
• Michelin-minded fine dining alongside legendary street stalls in Saigon

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Route Map

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Tour Itinerary

Hanoi — Capital of Pho

Vietnam’s cultural capital is a walkable feast: tree-lined French boulevards, the thousand-year-old Old Quarter, and a northern kitchen shaped by Chinese influence and street-stall craft.

Halong Bay — Cooking on the Water

Asia’s most striking bay: limestone towers, emerald water, floating villages—and a private cruise kitchen where Vietnam’s seafood and herbs meet the open deck.

Hue — Imperial Table

Sleepy Hue along the Perfume River remains Vietnam’s most tranquil city—and home to a refined royal kitchen still found in family courtyards and riverside bowls of bun bo Hue.

Hoi An — Market & Kitchen

The ancient port town everyone falls for: lantern-lit streets, dawn fish landings, cao lao, white rose dumplings, and some of Vietnam’s most joyful cooking schools.

Coast & Highlands — Sea to Soil

Follow Vietnam’s emerald paddies and coastline south, tasting seafood ports and highland produce before the big-city finish.

Saigon — Street to Michelin

Big-city energy, alleyway legends, and innovative chefs reworking tradition—the perfect finale for a farm-to-pho journey.

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Tour In Detail

Vietnamese is the healthiest, freshest, and innovative cuisine in Asia, and our local culinary guides and guest chefs will lead you to discover and experience its culinary delights, sampling the best pho (soup) in Hanoi on those famous plastic stools, cooking up savory bun cha hands-on—the grilled pork dish Obama snacked on with Bourdain, learning to carve out fresh sweet-and-sour green papaya salad, mastering, ban xeo—the delicious crunchy crepe dipped in sweet sauce, and of course, everyone's favorite—spring rolls of herbs and shrimp wrapped in rice skins.

During your journey, learn the influence of the ocean and the country’s many rivers (including the mighty Mekong) on cuisine and the massive cultivation of rice, witnessed by its endless emerald green paddies. Fish sauce, nuoc mam (fermented fish sauce) is ubiquitous in Vietnamese cooking, and we will visit a factory to learn about its fascinating production. Also learn of the heavy culinary influence of China, especially in methods of preparation and kitchen equipment, and share the concept of the five flavors, a balance of salty, sweet, sour, bitter and hot (spicy).

In addition to local dishes, discover Vietnam’s incredible fine dining venue, where innovative Michelin-starred chefs create modern takes on traditional dishes and also unique fusion plates.

On this ultimate culinary adventure trip, enjoy not only the cultural and natural highlights of Vietnam, but with a deep focus on its incredible cuisine for — as many of our past travelers have said — the experience of a lifetime.

Note: This is only an example itinerary, all of our trips are private and customized to your preferences along with our recommendations.

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Images

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Insider's Vietnam

Experience Authentic Vietnam

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Introduction

Vietnam is a country of stunning contrasts, from the busy ancient capital, Hanoi, that recently celebrated it's millennium founding, the vast emerald rice fields that seemingly cover most of the land, to the placid water of Halong Bay, Asia's most striking landscapes, and hundreds of miles of tropical coastline. Yet Vietnam's largest prize are it its people, famously gregarious, warm and endearing.

As Vietnam changes, seemingly week-to-week, we've stayed ahead of the crowds and will craft a trip that showcases on the finest of Vietnam. Our guides and local experts are the most experienced in the country whom you will get to know well before your arrival. Your trip will be carefully monitored from our offices in Hanoi and Hoi An by a dedicated Tour Manager.

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Highlights

• Four UNESCO World Heritage Sites with private guiding
• Meetings with storytellers—pilots, artists, and culinary pioneers
• Halong Bay, Hue, Hoi An, and Saigon at an insider’s pace
• Handpicked stays and access beyond the guidebook trail

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Route Map

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Tour Itinerary

Celebrating a legendary heritage, this private tour packs Vietnam's cultural and natural grandeur into a classic north-to-south arc. Sample days below—your final itinerary is fully customized.

Vietnam. A name that conjures so many images, both good and bad, authentic and misrepresented. Through private tours and exclusive invites, this classic itinerary celebrates the history behind the name's legend.

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Vietnam Family Tour

Asia's Most Thrilling Kid's Destination

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Introduction

Our family tours of Vietnam should be at the top of your list! We can't recommend Vietnam enough, if you can choose only one place to travel in Asia, Vietnam should be your destination. Nowhere on Earth is there a more fascinating and engaging destination, nor people who are among the most exceptional you will ever meet. We've escorted kids of all ages since 1993 organizing biking, kayaking, light trekking, camping out in hilltribe villages, with unique activities such as hands-on rice planting or learning hands-on how to create traditional lacquer guided by a leading artist. Our staff, in fact you'll discover almost all Vietnamese, are "kid crazy" and your children will enjoy one of the most remarkable trips they've ever had.

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Highlights

• Kayaking calm Halong Bay waters suitable for all ages
• Hands-on rice planting, lacquer craft, and water-puppet fun
• Living history—from Cu Chi to meetings with veterans
• Family-paced cycling and countryside village visits

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Route Map

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Tour Itinerary

Sample family pacing below—every trip is private and built around your children’s ages and interests.

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