Effective March 15, 2022, all travelers are welcome in Vietnam. The Vietnamese Government has enacted policies to ensure that all visitors are safe from COVID-19. To learn more, please visit the official Vietnam Tourism website.
Effective April 18, 2022, the U.S. Department of State updated travel advisory notice to Vietnam as “Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions”
- Visa. U.S. citizens are required to obtain a visa before traveling into Vietnam. Once you have been confirmed to join our Việt-Nam Culinary Escapade, Open Kitchen will help you obtain your visa to enter Vietnam. Additionally, a valid U.S. passport with at least six months of validity remaining beyond the date of your arrival is required.
- Travel insurance. The Vietnamese Government is requiring each traveler to carry medical or travel insurance that specifically covers treatment costs associated with COVID-19 with a minimum liability of $10,000.
- Mask. Face masks may be required in public spaces, enclosed environments, and on public transport.
To learn more, please visit the official Vietnam Tourism website. Open Kitchen and our in-country team will monitor current conditions. As COVID travel requirements and conditions evolve, we will communicate all updates to confirmed guests accordingly. All COVID-related protocols and requirements will be shared with all guests prior to your travel dates.
Your trip will include unique four- and five-star accommodations as well as a charming homestay accommodations, based on double occupancy; daily breakfasts and lunches, and most dinners as specified in the itinerary; local beverages with meals; Vietnam visa application fee; Open Kitchen Chef-Owner as your travel companion and curator; Open Kitchen Team and In-Country Tour Leader to provide support; local English-speaking guides and cultural experts; all in-country transportation while on group tours and activities (private ground and intra-country flights); hands-on cooking and demonstration cooking classes; exclusive VIP access and tastings; admission fees to sightseeing sites; guided activities, adventures and expeditions; rental equipment necessary for certain activities, e.g., kayak and bicycles; transfers; and all sales and related taxes.
All travel and accommodation costs prior to the start and following the end points of the Open Kitchen Việt-Nam Culinary Escapade itinerary; travel insurance, medical expenses for injuries and illnesses, COVID testing; activities not included in the trip itinerary; hotel incidentals including room service, laundry service, telephone, and hotel bar tabs; food and beverage not included in itinerary; excess baggage; gratuity, e.g., for In-Country Tour Leader, local English-speaking guides and cultural experts, drivers, and hotels.
The Open Kitchen Việt-Nam Culinary Escapade’s itinerary has been designed based on current Việt-Nam travel status. As COVID travel restrictions and conditions evolve, we will update our itinerary and communicate all updates to confirmed guests accordingly.
For solo travelers, there is a single-supplement fee—paid at the time of booking to secure a private room. If you would like us to pair you with a roommate, please make this request when you speak with us.
North, Central, South Vietnam – 16 days $2000
North, Central Vietnam – 12 days $1750
Central, South Vietnam – 8 days $1500
Open Kitchen Việt-Nam Culinary Escapade will have a maximum of 12 guests in its entirety plus Open Kitchen Chef-Owner and Team, and In-Country Tour Leader. Our invitation is extended to travelers who are joyful and culturally curious and seekers of extraordinary, authentic experiences. Our vision is to gather an amazing community of individuals to discover and experience Việt-Nam’s heart and soul through her spirited culinary heritage, and have fun doing so! We expect to be joined by a diverse group in terms of age, background, and interests—including solo travelers, couples and friends traveling together. This adventure is for travelers age 18 and above.
The Open Kitchen Việt-Nam Culinary Escapade is led by Chef-Owner Hue-Chan Karels with support by our Open Kitchen Team and In-Country Leader who is an experienced Vietnam travel guide. We’ll be joined throughout our adventure by local, expert guides who are deeply knowledgeable with respect to local cultures, customs, and history and who are passionate about sharing that with us.
To reserve your spot, please complete our booking inquiry form and we will contact you to discuss the details of this extraordinary experience. Once you have been confirmed to join our Việt-Nam Culinary Escapade, you will receive our Terms & Conditions, advance preparation materials, COVID updates, packing checklist, insider destination information and detailed in-country itineraries, as well as free-day options and recommendations.
We will not operate the Open Kitchen Culinary Escapade to Việt-Nam unless we are confident that we can safely travel. If we are unable to travel due to travel restrictions, we will work with you to reschedule travel plans. If COVID travel restrictions are implemented while on the Culinary Escapade to Việt-Nam is in effect that might interrupt the schedule or put your health at risk, we will work with our in-country team to get you home as quickly and safely as possible.
Please refer to our travel insurance requirement below to address trip cancellation and interruption coverage.
If Open Kitchen cancels the Culinary Escapade to Việt-Nam due to COVID-related travel issues, or for any unforeseen circumstances beyond our control, we will reschedule your booking to a new planned date. If you are unable to travel on the rescheduled date, you can transfer your booking value, minus any applicable fees (minimum is $250), as a Trip Credit to be used on a future Open Kitchen Culinary Escapade.
If you have confirmed booking on the Open Kitchen Culinary Escapade to Việt-Nam and test positive for COVID-19 within 14 days of departure and can provide an official COVID-19 positive result, we will reschedule your booking to a new planned date. If you are unable to travel on the rescheduled date, you can transfer your booking value, minus any applicable fees (minimum is $250), as a Trip Credit to be used on a future Open Kitchen Culinary Escapade. If you are unable to provide an official COVID-19 positive result dated within 14 days of departure, the booking will be canceled, and standard cancellation terms will be applied – please see our Cancellation Policy #16 below.
Please refer to our travel insurance requirement below to address trip cancellation and interruption coverage.
The terms of our cancellation policy are based on the commitments and contractual obligations we have with our destination partners, including the hotels, airlines, transportation companies, local experts, guides, restaurants, and experience providers we work with to ensure the level of curation and quality of the Open Kitchen Culinary Escapade to Việt-Nam. We make significant payments and deposits at the time of making this amazing adventure available for booking, and these are nonrefundable and nonrecoverable based on the key dates of our cancellation policy. These dates are as follows, based on the start date of November 1, 2023:
If written notice of cancellation is received by Open Kitchen:
- 60 days or more (i.e., on or before September 1, 2023): You will receive a full refund, minus a $250 per-person service fee.
- Less than 60 days (i.e., after September 1, 2023) there is a 50% of the booking value as cancellation fee;
- Less than 30 days (i.e., after October 1, 2023) there is a 100% of the booking value as cancellation fee.
NOTE: If written notice of cancellation is received by Open Kitchen prior to 30 days from the start date of November 1, 2023 (i.e., before October 1, 2023) and you wish to reschedule your booking to a new planned date, you can transfer your booking value, minus any applicable fees (minimum is $250), as a Trip Credit to be used on the rescheduled date.
No refunds or credits will be provided for any reason for unused portion of the Open Kitchen Culinary Escapade to Việt-Nam once the trip begins.
Please see our requirement for travel insurance below as we are not able to make exceptions to this policy in cases of family/medical emergency or of the trip being canceled.
Similar to the terms of our cancellation policy, we are not able to make changes, including departure/return dates, itinerary, after we confirm your reservation. However, if you have any issues once your booking has been confirmed, please contact us at info@openkitchenevents.com or call us at (202) 285-9840 and we will work to assist you if possible.
Yes, Open Kitchen is requiring each traveler joining our Việt-Nam Culinary Escapade to have valid and comprehensive travel insurance with a minimum medical evacuation and repatriation coverage of $200,000, in addition to having a policy with the required COVID-19 coverage. Neither Open Kitchen or our local partners can be held responsible for any liability, expenses, or losses you incur as a result of being inadequately insured.
Travel insurance allows you to seek reimbursement for your trip costs; if your trip plans change for unforeseeable reasons, or if you need to get medical help, emergency transport, and for theft, loss or damage of items while traveling. For best coverage, always insure the full trip cost within two weeks of your initial trip deposit and note that most ‘Cancel For Any Reason’ policies must be purchased on the date of your initial deposit. If you need recommendations for travel insurance providers, please let us know.