Overview
Three and a half weeks in Southeast Asia for a small group of up to 26 teens, starting in Vietnam and finishing in Thailand. In Hanoi the group paints its own pottery in a craft village and eats its way through the Old Quarter, then spends two days in Ninh Binh with rescued primates in Cuc Phuong National Park, a sampan ride through Van Long and the climb of some 500 steps at Mua Cave. Ha Long Bay comes by cable car, boat and kayak; Hoi An brings a farm-to-table cooking class, a coracle ride and a silk-lantern workshop; Nha Trang has snorkelling or scuba at Hon Mun, and Ho Chi Minh City the Cu Chi Tunnels.
Then it's on to Thailand: a street-food tour and the sights of Bangkok by Skytrain, canal boat, tuk-tuk and longtail boat, and four days in Chiang Mai with a zipline through the forest, whitewater rafting, an elephant sanctuary, a Muay Thai lesson and an organic cooking class. The last days back in Bangkok take in a floating market, the railway market at Mae Klong and a farewell dinner cruise on the Chao Phraya River.
The group travels by private coach and professionally driven vehicles, with some metro, train, boat and tuk-tuk rides, and takes five internal flights (US$1,080 on top of the tuition); a professional local guide accompanies the leaders. Hotels are simple but comfortable, several with a pool. On this trip the operator also books the flights to Hanoi and home from Bangkok — see the flights FAQ.
What's included
The itinerary
- Day 1 Flight to Hanoi — An overnight flight across the International Date Line — the group 'loses' a day here and gets it back on the way home. Icebreakers start on arrival.
- Days 2–3 Hanoi — Ba Dinh Square, a hands-on afternoon at a family pottery workshop in Bat Trang village, where everyone makes and paints a piece of their own, and an evening street-food tour of the Old Quarter.
- Days 4–5 Ninh Binh — Cuc Phuong National Park and its rescue centre for endangered primates, a trail to the prehistoric Cave of Early Man, a sampan boat ride through the limestone scenery of the Van Long Nature Reserve and the climb of about 500 steps at Mua Cave for the view over the countryside and rivers.
- Days 6–7 Ha Long Bay — The cable car over the bay, a boat trip among the limestone islands, the caverns of Sung Sot Cave and kayaking through Luon Cave into a lagoon ringed by cliffs.
- Days 8–9 Hoi An — A flight south. The Marble Mountains by glass lift, with pagodas and caves near the top, time with the farmers of Tra Que vegetable village followed by a farm-to-table cooking class, a round coracle-boat ride through the water palms and a silk-lantern workshop.
- Days 10–12 Nha Trang — A flight to the coast for snorkelling or scuba diving among the coral of the Hon Mun marine protected area, the ancient Po Nagar Cham towers, the Thap Ba hot springs and the night market.
- Days 13–15 Ho Chi Minh City — A guided visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels, a cyclo ride through Cholon, the city's Chinatown, and the stalls of the Binh Tay market.
- Days 16–17 Bangkok — A flight to Thailand. A Thai food tour and the city by Skytrain, canal boat, tuk-tuk and longtail boat — Wat Arun, the Grand Palace and Wat Pho's reclining Buddha — and a visit to Asiatique on the riverfront.
- Days 18–21 Chiang Mai — A zipline through one of the province's oldest forests, whitewater rafting, a visit to an elephant sanctuary to learn how elephants are cared for and protected (no riding or bathing), the old city and Doi Suthep temple, a Muay Thai lesson and an organic farm-to-table cooking class.
- Days 22–24 Bangkok — A flight back to Bangkok and a day trip south of the city to the Damnoen Saduak floating market by boat and the Mae Klong market, where stalls line the railway track. A farewell dinner on a Chao Phraya River cruise.
- Day 25 Bangkok — Goodbyes and the flight home.
Where teens stay
Simple, comfortable hotels in rooms shared with other teens, several with a pool: an air-conditioned hotel in Hanoi, a garden hotel with a pool in the green countryside of Ninh Binh, a central hotel near the waterfront in Ha Long with a big rooftop terrace, a riverside hotel with a pool in Hoi An, a hotel with a rooftop pool a short walk from the beach in Nha Trang, a hotel in central Ho Chi Minh City (District 1), a central Bangkok hotel with a rooftop pool, and a central hotel with a pool in Chiang Mai.
Meals
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included every day. Vietnamese and Thai food is fresh and often spicy, with plenty of fruit, vegetables and noodles, and Western options are usually on the menu too. Vegetarian, kosher-style, gluten-free (coeliac) and lactose-free diets and most allergies can be catered for if you tell us in advance. Tap water isn't drunk — the group refills bottles from large containers of clean water.
More photos
Frequently asked questions
Which departure is right for my child?
Groups are put together by US school grade, so each departure has teens of a similar age. Grades 9–11 (roughly ages 14–17): Jun 28–Jul 22, Jul 2–26. The grade is the one your child is in during the 2026–27 school year — we'll help you match it to your school system. Dates are the operator's official start and end dates.
How do flights work on this trip?
On this trip the operator books all the flights, and the airfare is charged on top of the tuition. Normally the whole group flies out together on a chaperoned flight from New York or Los Angeles to Hanoi, with the leaders on board from check-in. For teens coming from Europe the operator agrees the flight plan case by case — for example connecting to the group flight in the US, or meeting the group on arrival — so please talk to us before you book anything; we'll get the options and the airfare quoted for your child. Crossing the International Date Line means the group 'loses' a day on the way out — day 1 is the travel day. The five flights inside Vietnam and Thailand (Ha Long Bay–Hoi An, Hoi An–Nha Trang, Ho Chi Minh City–Bangkok, Bangkok–Chiang Mai and back) cost US$1,080 on top. At the end the operator offers a chaperoned flight from Bangkok back to New York or Los Angeles; for a teen heading home to Europe, we'll check with the operator whether a direct flight from Bangkok works for your dates. Whether teens arriving on their own can come a night early with the extra hotel night included isn't stated for this trip — we'll confirm it with the operator for your dates.
What exactly is included in the price?
Hotels, breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, all the activities in the itinerary, the local guide, ground transport, airport transfers for flights within the set time windows, tips and local taxes. Not included: the flights to Hanoi and home from Bangkok and the five internal flights (US$1,080) — all booked through the operator — snacks, spending money, laundry (a wash-and-fold service about once a week), the operator's application fee, and travel insurance — optional, but we strongly recommend it.
Is there a discount for enrolling early?
Yes — at the moment the operator takes US$300 off the tuition for early enrolment, so the 25-day trip costs US$8,699 instead of US$8,999 (the flights are charged on top either way). It's a limited-time offer and the operator can end it at any point, so ask us whether it still applies before you decide. The price shown on this page is the full tuition.
Does my child need to be a certified diver?
No. In Nha Trang, in the Hon Mun marine protected area, teens can choose snorkelling or an introductory scuba dive. Dive operators restrict some medical conditions for safety, so if your child has asthma, ear problems or another health condition, tell us and we'll check before you enrol.
Is the elephant visit ethical?
It's a visit to an elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai, where teens learn about Thailand's national animal and how sanctuaries look after and protect elephants. The operator states that it doesn't support or include elephant riding or bathing, for the animals' welfare. If you'd like to know more about the sanctuary itself, ask us and we'll find out.
Does my child need a visa?
Families arrange travel documents themselves, and the passport should be valid for at least six months after the trip, with a blank page for Vietnam. Vietnam currently lets citizens of most EU countries in visa-free for up to 45 days; a few EU nationalities still need an e-visa bought online before the flight to Hanoi, so check with us. (The operator's own page says an e-visa is required and arranges it for American and Canadian travellers — that's written for its North American families.) Thailand lets EU citizens in visa-free (currently up to 30 days), and every visitor fills in the free online Thailand Digital Arrival Card in the three days before arrival — use the official site only. If your child joins the group flight from the US, they also need an approved ESTA. For any other passport, ask us and we'll check what applies.
Who else will be in the group?
Mostly American teens — on most programs around 85% of participants come from the US, and the operator tries to limit how many teens from any one other country join each group. For an international teen that means a genuinely English-speaking group, which is a big part of the appeal.
How good does my child's English need to be?
At least a confident beginner level — the operator recommends A2 or above, since everything on the trip happens in English. Your child can ask for an English-speaking roommate, and one-to-one English conversation time with a staff member can be arranged daily or a few times a week.
Can my child come on their own?
Yes, and many do. The first days are built around icebreakers and getting-to-know-you activities, roommates are assigned and rotated, and the staff actively help everyone settle into the group.
Are phones allowed?
Yes. Teens can bring their phone, so you can call or message them directly. The operator also runs a communication centre that's staffed every day of the summer, with someone on call around the clock for emergencies.
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