10-Day Central and Northern Vietnam School Tour
HANOI - DONG NGAC - SA PA - HALONG BAY - DANANG - HOI AN MY SON
This student tour in Vietnam is an 11 day combination of educational sightseeing, community service projects, cultural immersion, and taking in the natural beauty of the country. We focus on Central and Northern Vietnam, in an itinerary that allows students to actively engage with local communities through homestay accommodation and volunteering, hands on learning at famous sites and museums, including My Son Holy Land, and the ancient town of Hanoi, and stay engaged with outdoor adventure, like cycling tours through the country to experience rural life, caving, cooking lessons, and cruising through the UNESCO World Heritage Listed Halong Bay. The community service project for this school trip will include contributions of clothes and toys to local school children in the Northern Highlands, and contributing to school construction.
Your school can incorporate a wide range of projects into this suggested itinerary to suit your trip's outcome. See our Project Types.
This is a suggested itinerary only and can be changed to suit each individual school group. We can specifically tailor each itinerary to ensure that we meet your schools learning objectives and requirements. Whether your students are travelling for a specific topic or looking for something with the cross-curricula value we can meet all of your requirement.
Trip code : VN01
Duration : 11 days
Destination : Vietnam
Travel Dates : As required
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Learn about the Vietnamese history, culture and traditions
- Take part in a community project
- Learn about different highland minorities
- Engage in studies of society and environment
- Participate in team building exercise, group-trekking and kayaking
- Enhance perspectives, develop appreciation for diversity and differences
- Develop communication skills within peers and in a foreign environment
- Discover a world more beautiful, diverse and colorful than any textbook could ever portray
- Develop skills for students through a meaningful overseas experience
HIGHLIGHTS
- Stay in the picturesque cities of Hanoi and Hoi An and experience traditional street life
- Discover the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Ha Long Bay and My Son
- Stay overnight in Ha Long Bay on-board a cruise ship
- Explore Vietnamese history, war, military and art museums
- Join local fishermen for round net and cast net fishing
- Learn how to paddle the Vietnamese basket boat
- Explore the daily life and culture of the Hilltribe people
- Community service project with less fortunate children of the village
- Join in a fun traditional Vietnamese cooking class (two feature on this itinerary)
DAY 1
On Arrival your group will be welcomed by our Tour Director and Tour Guide before transferring to your hotel where our Tour Director will assist your group with checking-in. After check-in, you will have some free time to rest and then our Tour Director and Tour Guide will take your group out for a Welcome Dinner. Overnight in Hanoi.
After breakfast our tour director, driver and local tour guide will pick your group up from your hotel at 8am. We will then venture out to visit Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum and his former stilt-house residence, the Presidential Palace, the Ho Chi Minh museum, One Pillar Pagoda, the Temple of Literature, and the Museum of Ethnology. The colonial capital city Hanoi is a unique Asian city with tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture, peaceful lakes and oriental pagodas and temples dating back a thousand years. After lunch we will take a 'cyclo' tour in Hanoi's old quarter and experience traditional street life before watching Water Puppet show. In the afternoon you have the option to visit museums such as the Hanoi Hilton or Hoa Lo Prison, the National Museum of Vietnamese History, the Vietnam Military History museum, and the Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts. Our driver will drop you off at your Hanoi Hotel around 5 pm. Overnight in Hanoi.
Our tour guide and driver will pick your group up from your hotel at 7.45am and then take a short drive to Dong Ngac village. When we arrive at the village, we will stop at a local market to buy the ingredients which we will use to cook for your lunch today. After the market, we transfer to a traditional house and welcomed by our host. We will have a short break before taking our bikes to venture deeper into the village to visit Dong Ngac communal house, the oldest house in the village. Next we join our cooking demonstration in hour host's house and enjoy the dishes we have prepared. After lunch, our driver and Tour Director will transfer you to Sapa. Arrive in Sapa around 7.30pm where our tour director will assist your group to check-in to your accommodation. Enjoy your evening dinner. Overnight in Sapa. *Note: Accommodation options in Sapa include a Homestay or Hotel Accommodation.
After breakfast, our Tour Director will take your group to visit the less fortunate children of the village. The local council will be notified of your group's visit and after metting at the local community hall, you will have time to interact with the village children. We strongly encourage people to make much needed contributions of old clothing and toys to the local children. Sapa in the Northern Highlands of Vietnam can experience very cold temperatures and many of these local children cannot afford or have access to warm clothing. After lunch, our tour director will take you to participate in projects such as building a school for the children of the community. Overnight in Sapa.
After breakfast our Tour Director and driver will transfer your group to Halong Bay which takes approximately 8 hours. We will stop along the way for lunch and have a rest before arriving in Halong Bay around 4.30pm. Embark onto your cruise boat and enjoy dinner on-board. In the evening participate in a squid fishing competition with your crew. Overnight on Halong Cruise.
DAY 6
After breakfast onboard your cruise, we transfer to the day boat and visit Lan Ha bay, Cat Ba island. On arrive at Viet Hai pier we take the bicycle trip along the village paths through rain forests and dark tunnels. Enjoy the wildlife, stunning scenery with rice fields and fresh water dike. We will then stop at the village to chat with the locals before a short trek in the Cat Ba National Forest to visit Bat cave Next we cycle back to Viet Hai pier and embark back onto the boat and continue cruising before lunch is served on board. After Lunch enjoy kayaking in Dark Cave, Light Cave or in the 3-Peach lagoon or have a swim on the beach (weather and tide condition). Next we will cruise back near Drum Cave. In the afternoon relax and enjoy the sunset or join a cooking demonstration on the sundeck and learn to make the fresh/fried spring rolls and mix fish-sauce. After that we will enjoy a luxury buffet BBQ dinner. Evening activities onboard the cruise include: film entertainment in the outdoor bar; Board and card games; or squid fishing on a boat with our crew. You can enjoy the squid cooked with assistance from our chef. We then anchor overnight near Drum cave. Overnight on Halong cruise.
We have an early start today. After breakfast your group will disembark the cruise boat around 7.00am. Then our driver and Tour Director will pick your group up from the port and transfer you to the airport. On the way to the airport we will stop for an early lunch and you will arrive to the airport around Midday. Your group’s flight will depart Hanoi at 2pm. On arrival in Danang, you will be welcomed by our local driver and tour guide before being transferred to your Hoi An accommodation where our tour director will help your group check in. Overnight in Hoi An.
Our Tour Director and driver will pick your group up from your hotel lobby and we will cycle to Hai Scout Café at 98, Nguyen Thai Hoc Street. From here we will leave our bikes at the café and continue walking to the markets to buy ingredients before heading to the restaurant for your cooking class. The cooking lesson runs for about 2 hours with each dish first being demonstrated by the Red Bridge’s master Chef before we prepare the same dish ourselves. After your cooking class, we will return to our hotel for a rest and freshen up before this evenings river cruise. Our driver and tour guide will pick you up from your Hoi An hotel at 4pm for your transfer. Next we board Jack Tran’s boat and cruise to the mouth of the river where it meets the Cua Dai Sea. Witness the daily ritual of the local Hoi An fishing fleet venturing out to the Cua Dai Sea. Join local fisherman on the river and enjoy the hands-on experience of round net and cast net fishing. Learn how to paddle the Vietnamese basket boat before re-boarding Jack Tran’s boat to enjoy a cool beverage and Vietnamese snack. Your group will be transferred back to your hotel in Hoi An around 7pm. Overnight I Hoi An.
Our tour director and driver will pick your group up from your hotel at 7.30am and transfer you to My Son Holy Land. Located in a lush valley, My Son was a capital and religious centre of Cham people, now remaining with red brick towers and sanctuaries which were built from the 7th to 13rd centuries. Next we will transfer to Hoi An for lunch and a short break we will explore the town of Hoi An, visiting the 400 year old Japanese Bridge, 300 years old Chinese temples and 200 year old Vietnamese former merchants’ houses. Our driver will drop your group off at your hotel around 4 pm to freshen up before our tour director takes you out for a Farewell Dinner. Overnight in Hoi An.
DAY 10
After Breakfast, our tour director and driver will pick your group up from the hotel lobby and transfer you to Danang Airport for your 10am departure flight home. Vietnam School Tour ends.
FIRST-CLASS SERVICE
- 24/7 local assistance and travel guidance
- Medical kit
- Airport Meet-and-Greet welcome service with the local tour guide
- Assistance with project coordination for community project/services or mission/immersion trips
- Destination and trip Information Packs
- A unique "local-host" experience exclusively offered by Tweet World Travel
VISAS
- Vietnam Visa
ACCOMMODATION
- Stay at excellent hand-selected high-quality 3 or 4- star accommodation in a central location or adjacent to monuments or strategically at the edge of a wilderness.
- We guarantee that students will be located together within the same area in hotels
SIGHTSEEING
- Entrance fees at monuments
- Comprehensive sightseeing as per itinerary
- All local government fees & tax
TRANSPORTATION
- All domestic flights within a tour in the economy cabin
- Arrival and departure airport transfers in private air-conditioned vehicles
- All touring in private air-conditioned vehicles
- Locally based professional drivers
TOUR GUIDE & TOUR LEADER
- English-speaking local tour guides who live and breathe the destination – they will bring your itinerary to life
- On top of local tour guides, we will provide an experienced Local Tour Director. He or she will oversee the entire journey, accompany your group every day and connect you to the people, places and encounters in a way you’ll never forget.
MEALS
- Welcome & Farewell Dinner
- A Unique & Varied Dining Experience
- Full Breakfast Daily; Select Lunches and Dinners (B=breakfast; L=lunch; D=dinner)
Please contact us on +61 8 7226-1898 or 1300 739 652 for the price.
Price depends on the below:
- Projects your group would like to participate
- Desired outcome/Learning objectives for students
- Accommodation level
- Travel date
- Group Size
- Duration of the tour
- Sightseeing
For some countries, their citizens are eligible for a Vietnam Visa exemption for limited duration, and do not need a Vietnam Visa.
Otherwise, your Vietnam visas are included in our tour and we act on your behalf to apply for the visas, all necessary documents relating to your visa application will have to be provided to us at least 90 days before your departure. If you fail to provide the necessary documents before 90 days prior to your departure, we will not be held liable for your visa application.
The visa fee included in our tour is not refundable in any circumstances.
Important Note:
- All travellers must have a valid passport for international travel and most countries require at least 6 months validity from the date of return and some countries require a machine‐readable passport.
- If you provide all necessary documents relating to your visa application in less than 90 day before departure, an additional fee of $120 per person will incur.
- It is your sole responsibility for any fines, penalties, payments or expenditures incurred as a result of such documents not satisfying the requirements of those authorities.
- Travellers might need to present the visas at multiple checkpoints and may be refused to fly out of their countries, if the visa documents cannot be presented. If such an event occurs, we won’t be liable, and the travellers will be deemed as “no-show”. Please check our term and condition for a ‘’No-show”.
