School Trip to Vietnam

A school trip to Vietnam offers students the opportunity to immerse themselves in a culture that’s very different from their own!

This makes it a wonderful choice for Activities Week, or simply as school trip designed to broaden horizons. Vietnam offers amazing value for money and is certainly one of the more affordable long-haul options for school trips.

There are lots of exciting opportunities for historians, geographers and even food technologists, making it ideal as a cross-curricular school trip. And highlights include an overnight boat cruise along Ha Long Bay, the fascinating Cu Chi Tunnels and, of course, the vibrant markets such as the floating markets of the Mekong.

Suggested Itinerary

Day 1

Afternoon

Flight to Vietnam

Day 2

Morning

Arrive in Hanoi Guided city tour - visit Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple to experience daily life in Hanoi, visit Ho Chi Minh mausoleum (view from outside) and the Temple of Literature

Afternoon

Cycle tour through city's old quarter Check in to hotel, free time to refresh

Evening

Evening meal at local restaurant

Day 3

Morning

Transfer to Halong Bay

Afternoon

Board a traditional sailing junk for overnight cruise around the bay with a visit to a traditional floating village

Evening

Enjoy a traditional meal aboard

Day 4

Morning

Enjoy your morning onboard with brunch as you cruise back to dock

Afternoon

Transfer to Yen Duc for short visit to a typical Vietnamese village Transfer to Hanoi Airport

Evening

Flight to Ho Chi Minh City

Day 5

Morning

Visit to Ho Chi Minh City's vibrant central market accompanied by local chef to learn about Vietnamese produce and ingredients Cookery demonstration of traditional Vietnamese dishes with chef at local restaurant

Afternoon

Visit to War Remnants Museum Visit to Dong Khoi street to see some great examples of French colonial architecture

Evening

Evening meal at local restaurant

Day 6

Morning

Visit to the Reunification Hall, formerly known as the Presidential Palace Visit to the FITO Museum to find out about traditional Vietnamese medicine Visit to Thien Hau temple Transfer to the Mekong Delta

Afternoon

Check in to resort with time to refresh Visit a local market with a local chef

Evening

Prepare your own dinner with produce from the market at the hotel

Day 7

Morning

Board private wooden boat to get closer to daily life and agricultural activities on the Mekong River Visit to Cai Be floating market Visit to local businesses producing rice paste, rice popcorn and coconut candy

Afternoon

Lunch at a local restaurant Transfer to Ho Cho Minh City Check in to hotel, time to refresh

Evening

Evening meal in local restaurant Optional karaoke evening

Day 8

Morning

Transfer to Cu Chi Half-day tour of Cu Chi Tunnels Transfer back to Ho Chi Minh City

Afternoon

Visit to Ben Thanh market

Evening

Dinner in the dark at NOIR restaurant Transfer to airport for overnight return flight to the UK

Day 9

Afternoon

Arrival back in UK

1 night aboard a sailing junk in Ha Long Bay
6 nights' half-board accommodation
ATOL protected return flights from the UK
Detailed information pack
Free itinerary planning service
Free staff place ratio 1:10
Internal flight from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City
Local English-speaking guide during the tour
VAT at current rate to tour operators

Accommodation

Aristo Saigon Hotel

The Aristo Saigon Hotel is a great choice for a school trip to Ho Chi Minh City, as it's located just 400m from the War Remnants Museum and is also within a short walk of the Reunification Palace. The hotel comprises a total of 85 elegant and cosy rooms, which offer home comfort and a wide range of amenities. Room facilities include a shower and bath, in-room IDD telephone, free wireless internet access, satellite television, individual in-room air-conditioner and LCD TV.

Tour highlights

Take a Boat Cruise in Ha Long Bay

The best way to see Ha Long Bay is by boat! You’ll see impressive limestone karsts, as well as grottoes, caves and islands! Local legend has it that the bay was created when the gods sent dragons to protect the Vietnamese from invaders. The dragons dropped jewels into the bay and this created the islands, which formed a protective barrier against the enemy ships. The dragons remain resting in the waters today and the bay’s name actually means ‘where the dragon descends into the sea’. A cruise around this spectacular bay is a must-do on a geography school trip to Vietnam and really is an experience that your students will never forget.

Did you know?

Ha Long Bay is home to around 1600 limestone islands and islets – and some of them are over 20 million years old!

Visit the War Remnants Museum

Housing exhibits from both the Vietnam War and the First Indochina War against the French, the War Remnants Museum offers another opportunity to better understand the realities of war. Across several buildings the exhibits are organised into themed rooms. There’s also a yard with period military equipment and vehicles, including helicopters and fighter jets. There is a focus on the acts of South Vietnam, for example, on display are the tiger cages in which political prisoners were kept, as well as a guillotine used to execute prisoners. And there is a graphic exhibition on the effects of Agent Orange.

Did you know?

When it first opened in 1975, the museum was called the Exhibition House for US and Puppet Crimes. In 1990 the name was changed to the Exhibition House for Crimes of War and Aggression. It changed for the final time in 1995 to the War Remnants Museum, after the normalisation of diplomatic relations with the US and the end of the US embargo.

Explore the Cu Chi Tunnels

Gain a better understanding of the realities of the Vietnam War and the experience of soldiers as you explore the intricate maze of interlinked tunnels. The tunnels were used by the Viet Cong to hide out during combat. They were also important lines of communication and supply, and they acted as the Viet Cong’s base of operations for the Tet Offensive in 1968. The tunnels weren’t just designed for fighting – whole communities hid down them sometimes, especially in areas that were bombed regularly. In this way, the tunnels saved many lives.

Did you know?

The tunnels were often boobie trapped, regularly using trip wires and explosives. The trip wires could activate any number of things, from grenades to snakes and scorpions falling on the heads of the unfortunate soldiers who tripped them.

Educational Activities

Boat Cruise Halong Bay

"Ha Long" means "Where the Dragon Descends into the Sea" and the Bay is one of the world’s natural wonders

Cu Chi Tunnels

The Cu Chi Tunnels are a maze of interlinked tunnels that were built by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam

Hanoi City Tour

Make sure you make the most of your stay in Hanoi by doing a guided tour of the city.

Ho Chi Minh City Tour

Formally known as Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city in Vietnam and is considered the economic capital.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

A visit to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and his house on stilts is an experience.

Reunification Hall

Formerly South Vietnam’s Presidential Palace, this building has been left largely untouched from the day Saigon fell to the North.

War Remnants Museum

Previously known as the Exhibition House of American War Crimes, and currently housed in a series of eight themed rooms

Cultural Activities

Mekong Delta Floating markets

An early morning visit to the Cai Rang floating market will give your students an opportunity to learn about the

Museum of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine

A unique blend of traditional and modern architecture, the museum includes one ground floor and five upper floors that are

Temple of Literature

This is a quiet oasis right in the heart of busy and often hectic Hanoi. It is also one of

Supporting you every step of the way

Creating your perfect trip

Your quote will be put together by an experienced Tour Adviser who’ll be an expert in the subject area and will know the destination really well too. They’ll work with you to create a trip to suit your group’s needs and meet your learning objectives.

Launching your trip to parents and students

The next step is to get your trip approved and then get students signed up to it. Our ‘Trip Launch Pack’ will help you with this step. This is full of resources (all free to download) designed to make your life easier at this crucial point in the trip planning process.

After you’ve booked

Once you’ve booked, your dedicated Itinerary Coordinator will start work on the finer details. They’ll make sure your itinerary makes the most of your time and they’ll take on most of the admin tasks for your trip (freeing you up to do what you do best – teach).

Support while you’re away

From lost property to properly lost, we’ll always be on the end of the phone while you’re out on the trip. You’ll get a final info pack before you go, as well as access to all your trip documents via the Vamoos app.

After your trip

We’ll ask you for feedback, so we can improve our service. Let’s start planning your next trip too, so parents have plenty of time to pay (and so it’s less stressful for you). And don’t forget to head to our resources hub to continue the learning back in the classroom.