6D5N Cultural Immersion Trip To Ho Chi Minh City – Vietnam

DAY 1. HO CHI MINH ARRIVAL – CITY TOUR                                         (–/L/D)

0700hrs Gather at Changi Airport Terminal 2, row 5 for group check in.

0950hrs Flight depart for Ho Chi Minh city.

1100hrs Arrive Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

1200hrs Immigration clearance, meet & greet by our local tour guide.

1300hrs Have lunch

1400hrs Depart for Ho Chi Minh city tour.  

• Saigon Central Post Office, which lies in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City and is next to the Notre Dame Cathedral (currently under renovation), is a must-visit destination for any traveller on their first trip to this city. Built around 1886 – 1891, the post office is both one of the oldest and yet most iconic buildings in the city.

Weather permits, a walking tour from Saigon Central Post Office to People’s committee of Ho Chi Minh City. 

• Coach orientation passing by Saigon Opera House was built in 1898 by the French architect – Eugene Ferret, following the “flamboyant” style of the French Third Republic. It was set to be two meters higher than the street surface with two door layers, in order to prevent traffic noise.
• The Vietnam War Remnants Museum (close by 1730hrs) in Ho Chi Minh City is one of the most significant historical sites in Vietnam, showing the heroic past of the nation. There are 8 regular exhibitions and 3 areas displaying documents, images and artifacts about the wars’ crimes and consequences.

1800hrs Have dinner

1900hrs Depart to hotel & check-in.

1930hrs Debrief.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh, arranged by Luco Travel – Vietnam Tour Operator.

DAY 2: CU CHI TUNNEL – MEKONG DELTA                                             (B/L/D)

0730hrs Breakfast at hotel.

0830hrs  Visit to Cu Chi Tunnels. Upon arrival we will take a walking tour. The tunnels was dug with simple tools and bare hands during the French occupation in the 1940s, and further expanded during the Vietnam War in the 1960s to provide refuge and a defensive advantage over the American soldiers. Despite all the bombings in their Town, the Cu Chi people were able to continue their lives beneath the soil, where they slept, ate, planned attacks, healed their sick, and taught their young. We can have a quick look about Vietnam war and have a chance to walk beneath the tunnel, watch some videos which talk about how to build it. We can try a special food is “Cu mi”.

1200hrs  Lunch at HCM villages restaurant. 

1300hrs Proceed to Mekong Delta tour. One of the longest rivers in the world. Students will have the opportunity to ride a row boat to discover a natural canal of Ben Tre province. Using their experience at the Mekong Delta, students will learn about the importancy of waterways in both the past and present of ASEAN countries.

Note: life jackets will be made compulsory.

• Cottage industry visit: Coconut candy-making factory. A small treat along the way, students will experience a local small business and gain an insight into the soft skills that make these businesses work.
• Listen to folk music, taking sampan ride rowing along the small canal.

1800hrs Have lunch

1900hrs Return to hotel.

1930hrs Debrief

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh, arranged by Luco Travel – Vietnam Tour Operator.

DAY 3: LOCAL UNIVERSITY VISIT – SAMSUNG – LANDMARK 81           (B/L/D)

0700hrs Breakfast at hotel.

0800hrs Proceed to exchange program at local University (Subject to change)

A general program:

• Welcome and introduction session.
• Cultural exchange programe: Singapore’s representative will present about traditional games & culture.
• Campus tour.
• Group photo & bid farewell.

1200hrs Have lunch

1300hrs Visit to Samsung showcase outlet at Bitexco Financial Tower.   Short introduction about the retail shop.

Afterwhich, time to explore Vincom Landmark 81, which is a skyscraper in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It is currently the 2^nd tallest building in Southeast Asia.  Vincom is the abbreviation of the words “Vin group” and “commerce”, Vin group is the developer and the main investor of the building. The architectural height of Vincom Landmark 81 is 461.5 meters or 1,514 feet. Vincom Landmark 81 is designed by Atkins, a British company focusing on architectural design, engineering, and consulting services. Atkins has designed numerous skyscrapers in the world, most of them are in Dubai and China, one of the most notable buildings designed by Atkins is Burj Al Arab. Landmark 81 has 81 floors, with a gross floor area of 241,000 square meters. According to the designer, the design of the tower is inspired by the traditional bundle of bamboo, symbolizing strength and unity in Vietnamese culture. Most of these tube structures are topped with roof gardens, with exception of the highest ones. The base of the building is used for a shopping mall.

1700hrs Have dinner

1800hrs Back to hotel and proceed for a sharing session by a local start up company Garastem in the sector of STEM business.  

1900hrs Debrief session.

2000hrs Return to hotel.

2030hrs Debrief

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh , arranged by Luco Travel – Vietnam Tour Operator.

DAY 4: SME COMPANY – CONSULATE – GENERAL OF REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE    (B/L/D) 

0730hrs  Breakfast at hotel.

0830hrs Depart for local SME company, DIGI-TEXX. 

(Add: 2nd Floor, ANNA Building, Quang Trung Software City, District 12).

DIGI-TEXX is the first 100% German-invested company specializing in Business Process Outsourcing and Digital Services in Vietnam since 2003. For the last 20 years, the company have gained experience in providing advanced digital transformation services to global clients in different industries: E-commerce, banking, insurance, construction, historical archive, Accounting, NGOs, Manufacturing and healthcare.

1200hrs  Have lunch

1400hrs  Visit to Consulate-General of Republic of Singapore in Ho Chi Minh city. Our participates will have a rare opportunity to visit the Consulate-General of Singapore in Ho Chi Minh and they will have a chance to interact with local diplomats stationed there. Through an engagement session, students will be able to deepen their inquiry into the connections between Vietnam and Singapore and how this is a reflection of larger ASEAN connections.

1800hrs  Have dinner

1900hrs Late evening, visit to Ho Thi Ky flower market. Ho Thi Ky is the most famous flower market in Ho Chi Minh city. Every day, hundreds of flowers are sold here. Those can vary in types, colors, and shapes but all are really cheap. Then walk to Night Street Food nearby to observe popular lifestyle with locals.

200hrs  Return to hotel.

203hrs  Debrief

DAY 5: YAKULT – VSIP – SOCIAL ENTERPRISE VISIT                                       (B/L/D)

0730hrs  Breakfast at hotel.

0830hrs  Visit to Yakult Factory located at Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park in Thuận An District, Binh Duong

Province, Vietnam.

A key highlight of the time spent at the VSIP will be a visit to the Yakult Factory. There will be a Yakult tasting session and an opportunity to view the manufacturing process through the viewing glass panel. Q&A about automatic system to apply into production and management.

Proposed program  

1. Introduction about Yakult Vietnam factory
2. Know about the nutrient by consuming Yakult products
3. Yakult tasting session
4. Q & A session.
5. Viewing of the manufacturing process (fermentation, production and packaging) through the viewing glass panel

*Note: no photography and videography during factory tour

1330hrs  Have lunch

1430hrs  Proceed to Maison Chance (a social enterprise) – a springboard for orphans, street children, disadvantaged people and the physically handicapped in Vietnam. They provide housing, health care, education and vocational training, and a place where the under-privileged children and the disabled can study and work at Take Wing Center. It also offers them the means to facilitate their rehabilitation and their reinsertion into social life.

• Presentation time & a tour around the Take Wing Center.
• Join the shelter’s workshops: Stuffed toy workshop.

1800hrs  Have dinner

1900hrs  Return to hotel.

1930hrs   Debrief

DAY 6: DIALOGUE SESSION WITH SINGAPOREAN & BUSINESS OWER – DEPARTURE     (B/L/–)

0700hrs Breakfast at hotel.

0800hrs Check out from  hotel.  Visit to the Independence Palace, also known as the Reunification Palace. It symbolizes Vietnam’s victory, peace, and territorial integrity. This place has a glamorous design, hundreds of rooms equipped with luxurious furnishings and decorations, and an enormous and gorgeous exterior space.

1000hrs Visit to Multi-trust Co,.Ltd- Lion City restaurant, a dialogue session with Singaporean living overseas who is also a  business owner in Vietnam, to learn about the challenges staying abroad with cultural differences.

1200hrs Have lunch

1300hrs Visit to Ben Thanh Market, sustainable tourism. Learn how to travel responsible, part of the beauty of travel is the chance not only to make a connection with the place we are visiting, but also to leave it little better than when we come.  In Vietnam, there are many ways we can support small communities, preserve local ways of life, and respect the environment.  A few tips to make a meaningful contribution like, support ethical tours, follow vietnamese customs, buy sustainable products/souvenirs,  learn &  preserve culture.

1530hr  Transfer to the Tan Son Nhat Airport

1730hrs Check in at airport.

1950hrs Flight departure for Singapore.

2250hrs Arrival back at Singapore.

Have a great journey with Luco Travel!!!