Punchy, vibrant, fresh; three words that perfectly sum up the cuisine of Vietnam. Known as the ‘Kitchen of the World’, Vietnamese food is full of complex and contrasting flavours, textures and ingredients that complement each other resulting in a plethora of mouthwatering dishes that vary from region to region.
When you think of Vietnam, images of proud farmers tending to their fields in conical hats, fresh markets abuzz with locals collecting their ingredients for the day, and street vendors serving up local cuisine come to mind. A huge part of Vietnam’s culture is expressed through food.
Vietnam’s history is embedded in many of its dishes. From the recipes that have been perfected over the years as each new generation takes over the family street food stall, to the country’s colonial heritage that remains prevalent in its cuisine today. Vietnam’s French colonial past can be seen in one of its most popular dishes, banh mi (a crusty bread sandwich). However, like many of the country’s dishes, Vietnam put its spin on the typical western sandwich by adding pate, pickled vegetables and of course, fish sauce.
Like adding fresh herbs and leaves to pho, a brothy noodle soup, Vietnam cuisine is all about contrasts and a variety of scents and herbs that go together effortlessly. It’s hard to imagine the dish without them.
On a food tour of Vietnam, you’ll find that each region boasts its own specialities and staple dishes; light, tasty seafood on the northern coast, contrasts with the sweet dishes of the south and even more so with the spicy cuisine of the central region.
If you can, not only should you make room in your itinerary for a street food tour of Hanoi but food tours in every region of Vietnam! A Vietnam food tour, led by a local, is the best way to experience the tastes and flavours of this beautifully enigmatic country.
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Hanoi Food Tours & More – Why You’ll Love This Foodie Trip of Vietnam
Join one of our trusted Local Designers, Hai, as you journey deep into the culture of Vietnam, tasting -and cooking- your way from north to south.
Beginning with one of the best food tours in Hanoi, you’ll journey to Halong Bay spending a night on the water, tasting seafood delicacies and visiting the floating villages calling these turquoise waters home. Before your belly has the chance to grumble, you’ll find yourself in the little yellow-painted, UNESCO town of Hoi An at a cooking class amongst the rice paddies.
Moving south, you’ll embark on an after-dark Vespa adventure on a Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) food tour, whizzing down tiny alleys from one local speciality dish to the next!
Of course, the excitement doesn’t end there. After your Ho Chi Minh food tour, you’ll find yourself navigating the riverside laneways of the Mekong Delta and cooking up a storm in a local village!
This 12-day Vietnam culinary tour gives you unparalleled local access to sample, savour and sip your way through the ‘Kitchen of the World’.
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Is This Vietnam Tour Right for You?
A Vietnam food tour from Hanoi or Saigon is ideal for travellers who are passionate about exploring a country and learning about its culture, history and traditions through its food. Whilst Vietnam tours from north to south, or vice versa, can seem a little hectic, the ease of travel in Vietnam means that moving every couple of days is no hassle.
Tours centred around the cuisine of a country enable you to see more of it and gain a deeper insight into its culture whilst enjoying delicious food!
Of course though, if a food tour isn’t for you, you can browse our range of fully-customisable trips to Vietnam to find one that is!
A Brief Culinary History of Vietnam
Emperors, colonisation, revolutions and wars; Vietnam’s history is both complex and fascinating. Travelling back in time, taking a look at how these events in history shaped the country that we know today, you’ll soon discover the lineage of Vietnamese cuisine.
With Vietnam’s first known history dating back to 12,000 BC, and its agriculture advances becoming evident 6,000 years later, indigenous people of Vietnam sustained life through hunting and harvesting rice. Vietnam’s fertile lands have long provided the perfect conditions for growing rice, herbs and plants as well as raising animals; its rivers and coastline provided fresh fish and seafood. Today, these staple foods remain at the heart of Vietnamese cuisine. All that has changed is the cooking tools following the influence of stronger neighbouring countries.
In the second century BC, Vietnam was largely considered an extended Chinese province. A by-product of the dynasties that ruled Vietnam for over 1,000 years was the birth of noodles into Vietnamese cuisine. Interestingly, whilst you may assume different, pho, one of Vietnam’s most famous dishes, was only created in the 20th century in Northern Vietnam.
From 1887 to 1954, Vietnam was part of French Indochina. This period is where strong French influences that we see in Vietnamese food today began. The Vietnamese noodles and herbs combined with the French penchant for a meaty brothy was the likely birth of pho. But the Vietnamese took the French influence further with dishes like banh mi (pain de mie), a French baguette filled with signature meats, pickled vegetables, fresh herbs and pate.
The Vietnam-American war brought considerable poverty, destruction and famine to its lands. For years, Vietnam was considered one of the poorest nations. However, agile Vietnam came through a remarkable transformation and managed to become one of the biggest exporters of rice in the world. Today, the country is at the forefront of sought-after cuisines.
A Breakdown of Your Vietnam Food Tour
Embark on a truly fascinating 12-day Vietnam food tour and experience the culture of this intriguing country as you eat, cook and explore your way through it.
As a true foodie, a Vietnam street food tour on the back of motorbikes in Hanoi will be how you start your trip. Then, as you journey through the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hoi An, you’ll taste specialities, be invited into cooking classes with local chefs and immerse yourself in the local lifestyle.
Journeying from north to south, a Ho Chi Minh street food tour will be your second-to-last port of call before you finish your trip cycling along the waterways of the Mekong Delta.
This is your opportunity to delve into the food paradise that is Vietnam!
What to Expect on Your Vietnam Culinary Tour
Come with an open mind, an empty belly and a passion for trying everything, and you’ll leave with a contentment that is only achieved through Vietnamese hospitality and the unique flavours, textures and contrasts of its cuisine.
On a Vietnam food tour with a local guide, you’ll be taken to secret spots, on market tours with local chefs and into the homes of those who can tell you the story of their ancestors. This trip goes beyond a regular sightseeing tour and invites you to learn about this culture through your taste buds!
Day by Day Breakdown of Your Vietnam Culinary Tour
Day 1 – Welcome to Hanoi
You’ll get acquainted with the city on your own before your adventure truly begins the next day.
Day 2 – Vietnam Motorbike Food Tour
You’ll head off on a special Hanoi food tour through the backstreets and narrow alleyways, accompanied by a symphony of sounds, smells and tastes. You’ll visit the sights of Hanoi and try a variety of local dishes, finishing the day off with an egg coffee in the Old Quarter.
Day 3 – Hanoi Street Food Tour & Cooking Class
Stroll through local markets, understand more about the Vietnamese way of life and learn to cook traditional Vietnamese dishes on this hands-on foodie tour. On this tasting tour, you’ll try some of the most popular dishes in Hanoi including banh ran (sticky rice pancake), bun cha (Hanoi-style ‘bun’ noodles with grilled pork) and banh mi (stuffed french baguette with vegetables).
Day 4 – Halong Bay Cruise
Travel to Halong Bay and savour fresh seafood as you sail out between stunning limestone karsts in this mystical bay. As night falls, you can try your hand at squid fishing off the boat.
Day 5 – Journey to Hoi An
Begin your day with tai chi on the top deck followed by brunch as you cruise back to shore for your flight to Hoi An.
Day 6 – My Son Sanctuary & Hoi An
You’ll take a day off from food tours and cooking classes to venture deeper into Vietnam’s history. My Son is a series of intricately-designed temples that document the spiritual origins of the Champa Kingdom (now known as Central Vietnam) between the 4th and 13th centuries.
Day 7 – Hoi An Vietnam Food Tour
Don your chef’s whites once again to take part in a special cooking class with dishes from Central Vietnam. After visiting the bustling early morning market, you’ll take a boat cruise to the cooking school to prepare a variety of local dishes that you’ll then enjoy for lunch.
Day 8 – Wet Rice Farming Tour, Fly to Saigon & Cultural Show
It will be a big day beginning with a rice tour learning about the whole process of harvesting rice before flying down to Ho Chi Minh City and attending a cultural show based on Vietnam’s agricultural history.
Day 9 – Cu Chi Tunnels & Vespa Food Tour in Saigon
Head out of the city in the morning to visit the fascinating Cu Chi Tunnels and return in the evening for a Ho Chi Minh City food tour on the back of vintage Vespas. Navigating the small alleys, you’ll see the real life of the Saigonese, stopping frequently to visit local restaurants to be introduced to dishes like the Vietnamese pancake, spring rolls and BBQ skewers.
Day 10 – City Tour & Saigon River Dinner Cruise
Spend the day ticking off the top sights of the southern capital and in the evening, embark on a Saigon dinner cruise absorbing the luxury fine dining atmosphere. You’ll be serenaded by Vietnamese folk music as you sail along the river.
Day 11 – Mekong Delta Food Tour in Vietnam
Head out of the city to discover the waterways of the Mekong Delta, visit the Cai Be Floating Market and take part in a cooking class. You’ll prepare a variety of dishes using ingredients you have picked up from the market.
Day 12 – Your Memorable Culinary Tour in Vietnam Comes to an End
You’ll enjoy your last breakfast before you are whisked off to the airport.
What’s Included in Your Food Tour in Vietnam
Meals
- 11 breakfasts
- 6 lunches
- 3 dinners
Transport
- Airport transfers
- Domestic flights from Hanoi to Da Nang and Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City
- Ground transportation in the form of a private car and driver
Accommodation
- 3-star centrally located hotel in Hanoi
- 5-star cruise in Halong Bay
- 4-star resort in Hoi An
- 3-star hotel in Ho Chi Minh City
Included Activities
- Hanoi Backstreet Life and City Highlights Tour on Minsk Motorbikes
- Hanoi Cooking Class
- Old Quarter Tour by Cyclo
- Hanoi Street Food Tour
- Halong Bay Cruise and Activities
- My Son Sanctuary Tour
- Red Bridge Cooking Class in Hoi An
- Hoi An Wet Rice Farmer Tour
- AO Cultural Show
- Cu Chi Tunnels
- Ho Chi Minh After Dark by Vespa Scooter Tour
- Ho Chi Minh City Tour
- Dinner Cruise on Saigon River
- Mekong Delta Cooking Class
Want to Create Your Own Vietnam Food Tour?
Whilst this 12-day Vietnam food tour may offer almost everything you could want; you may want to connect with one of our Local Designers in Vietnam to customise this tour.
Alternatively, you can browse our range of food tours in Vietnam, customising any on to your liking, or you can design your own tour from scratch by specifying your budget, travel style and desired activities and letting our Local Designers do the rest!
