Vietnam Study Tour | 5 Days

Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City Arrival – Cyclo & Water Puppet Show (D)

On arrival at Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City, we will be greeted by our guide and driven to our hotel in the city center to check in. After that, we will visit Notre Dame Cathedral and Old Post Office, two of the must-see sites in Saigon. We then take a cyclo ride along the tree-lined boulevard of this lively city before sitting in the Golden Theatre to enjoy a 45-minute show of the exciting Water Puppet. Enjoy a welcome dinner at a nice restaurant.

Day 2: Retracing Vietnam History (B, L, D)

In the morning, students and teachers will visit the shrine outside of the US Consulate. Afterward, we will visit the former CIA building where helicopters evacuated the remaining US citizens in 1975. We also visit the Independence Palace which is the former headquarters of the South Vietnamese Government and residence of the presidents. Our next visit is The Venerable Thich Quang Duc Monument honoring Thich Quang Duc – a Vietnamese Mahayana Buddhist monk who burned himself to death to anti the war.

Then, we will get to a historic venue for a late lunch of “pho” at Pho Binh restaurant which was the secret headquarters of the Viet Cong in Saigon and from here they planned their attacks on the US embassy and other Saigon targets during the Tet Offensive of 1968. We will take a walk upstairs to learn more about history through the family’s photo collection before sitting down and enjoy the traditional taste of pho downstairs. After that, we will wander around the War Remnants Museum to learn more about the American war through the local’s eyes.

We finish our day with a present-symbol of Saigon – Bitexco Building – the highest building in the city. We will see the city from the Sky Deck (Entrance ticket is included) on the 49th floor of the building. Dinner Cruise in Saigon River and overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 3: Cu Chi Tunnels By Bus – Cricket Farm (B, L, D)

After breakfast, we will leave for Cu Chi tunnels 30 km northwest of Ho Chi Minh city. Upon arrival Cu Chi tunnels, firstly you are seeing the Document movies about Cu Chi Wartime, Special during the time from 1960 to 1972. You also have look at the simple hoes and then visit the main Gate to go to the tunnels, the different kind of trap from the tree to the ground. The traps were built around the main gate, the place to produce the weapon, the Rest area, meeting room, the hospital, the hole to get the fresh air for tunnels.

After lunch in a local restaurant by the river, we will be back to Saigon. On the way, we visit the cricket farm to taste the unusual local specialty and a local rice papers-making house, visit an organic vegetable farm. Here, we can have a short interview with the owners of the cricket farm or rice papers-making house on their business, the way they set up the business and how to run it. After that, we will return to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival in Ho Chi Minh City, we will check in hotel for short break before dinner in a local restaurant.

Day 4: Career Day with Quang Trung Software City & Yakul Factory (B, L, D)

After breakfast at the hotel, we will transfer to Quang Trung Software City. We will visit ISC Class Room, Stimulation Class Room, Robot Lab, iMac Lab, and iOS Lab. Next, we will visit IT Company. Then, we will transfer to the restaurant for lunch. After having lunch, we will move to Yakult Vietnam Factory at the Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP), in Binh Duong Province. In the afternoon, you have a guided tour of Yakult and watched short video clips about the successful creation of the Yakult drink and its positive health effects.

Then, students enjoyed Yakult products and were instructed to classify types of waste according to bottle types. Next, we will transfer back to the City center, check in hotel, and have a short rest. In the late afternoon, you will enjoy Banh Mi snack and transfer to Saigon Grand Theatre for A O Show. After enjoying A O Show, we will transfer to restaurant for dinner.

Day 5: Ho Chi Minh City Departure (B)

After breakfast, we will have free for shopping at Ben Thanh Market, this bustling and well-organized market is very popular with tourists, primarily due to its central location. It has a wide selection of goods ranging from fake Nike shoes to beautiful silk Ao Dai until our bus arrives at the hotel to take us to the airport in good time to board our departure flight. Trip ends.