From its earliest days as part of Imperial China, then a French colony, and now as a unified, independent nation, Vietnam has had a complex history. Evolved Traveler’s 11-night luxury journey, “Essential Vietnam,” will provide you with an insider’s view of this remarkable country and you will experience, firsthand, the incredible cuisine and warm and welcoming people.
Destination Overview
Your adventure begins in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) where you will see the Reunification Hall, War Remnants Museum, and attend an evening performance at the Saigon Opera House. Continue to the resort city of Nha Trang and travel by cyclo, stopping along the way to sample various types of street food. Take an early morning excursion to the salt fields of Ninh Deim to witness the sea salt harvest. In the old-world trading port city of Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, shop for local ingredients in the company of a chef and then take part in an interactive private cooking class. Meet some of the members of the Lifestart Foundation and take part in a traditional painting and silk lantern-making workshop.
The city of Hue offers many wonderful experiences— cook a vegetarian lunch with the Buddhist nuns at the Dong Thuyen Pagoda, participate in a colorful kite making workshop, and visit a traditional “garden house”, which is the home of one of Hue’s most famous architects who has invited you for a traditional Vietnamese dinner.
Your culinary adventures continue in Hanoi, including lunch at a training school for the culinary arts, dinner with a Hanoi family, and a street food tour with a local food blogger. Take part in an early morning Tai Chi lesson and venture through the surrounding villages of Hanoi by bicycle. Your journey to Vietnam concludes with a boat trip through the magnificent rock formations Ha Long Bay and overnight on board.
Trip Highlights
Visit the Reunification Hall and War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City
Witness the sea salt harvest in Ninh Deim
Explore the UNESCO World Heritage-listed city of Hoi An
Cook a vegetarian lunch with the Buddhist nuns at the Dong Thuyen Pagoda
A Hanoi food tour with a local food blogger
Relax on an overnight cruise in Ha Long Bay
Dates & Rates
Price from
$6,995 USD per person based on double occupancy
Intra Tour Air – $395 USD per person
Departure time
Any day – this tour is fully customizable
Duration
12 days
Group size
Private groups of 2 to 12 people
Your Contribution to Sustainable Tourism
Carbon Offset
The Evolved Traveler is allocating $95 per person* in conjunction with our partners, Offset Alliance, to help offset this journey through verified carbon removal and reversals projects.
The amount is determined by calculating the carbon footprint for this journey considering flights to the destination, intra-tour flights if applicable, hotel stays, and ground transportation. An additional 25% is added to the static factors to offset components we cannot immediately account for, such as food.
The carbon emissions accounted for are calculated by using measurement benchmarks determined by the United Nations World Tourism Organization. The projects our carbon-offset donations are distributed to can be seen at www.offsetalliance.co/projects.
*The amount shown is an estimation for this journey. The exact will be calculated at the time of booking based on the city of origin for flights to the destination, and the specifications of the itinerary.
(www.offsetalliance.co(opens in a new tab))
