Location
  • Vietnam
    • Ho Chi Minh City
Length
1 to 24 weeks

Program Details

Language
English
Timeframe
Short Term Spring Break Summer Winter Year Round
Housing
Guesthouse
Groups
Medium Group (16-30)
Travel Type
Budget Family Older Travelers Solo Women

Pricing

Starting Price
300
Price Details
Fully hosted experience from only $300 for 1 week - this includes accommodation, meals, airport pick-up, orientation and 24/7 in-country support.
What's Included
Accommodation Some Activities Meals
What's Not Included
Airfare Travel Insurance Visa
May 03, 2023
Apr 05, 2024
45 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Trusted by 125,000+ volunteers, IVHQ offers the world's #1 rated volunteer programs in Vietnam and 50+ destinations worldwide.

For the past 5 years, we've won the "Top Volunteer Abroad Provider Award" from GoOverseas, so you can trust that you're in the safest hands with IVHQ in Vietnam.

Our affordable projects start from $18/day for your accommodation, meals, airport pick-up, project placement and local support. Projects run year-round, with durations from 1-24 weeks. Choose from 5 projects, ranging from Special Needs Care to Teaching to Medical in the vibrant and bustling Ho Chi Minh City, known for its cultural landmarks and cosmopolitan atmosphere. Plus, you’ll stay with other like-minded, impact-focused travelers from around the world (private room options available).

With IVHQ’s superior pre-departure support services, you’ll gain exclusive access to your own Volunteer Travel Specialist, comprehensive preparation tools and volunteer training before you leave home.

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • Cheapest volunteer programs from $18/day for your accommodation, meals, airport pick-up, project placement & local support.
  • Volunteer for 1-24 weeks, year round start dates most Mondays.
  • 15+ years experience & only B Corp certified volunteer travel organization.
  • Get free changes up to 14 days before you start with our flexible booking policy.
  • Affordable way to earn college credit - gain 5 credits for only US$500!

Popular Programs

Teaching English Project

The aim of this project is to provide assistance to college students in Ho Chi Minh City who are needing to increase their English fluency so they can further their studies in Business Communication, Nursing and Public Relations. This project is well suited to volunteers who are passionate about education and are excited about the opportunity to use the English language to help enhance the career prospects for students in Vietnam.

Medical Project

As a volunteer on our Medical project, you will have the opportunity to experience a new culture, while developing your medical knowledge by gaining an insight into the Vietnamese healthcare system. This is a unique opportunity to gain a greater understanding of differences between medical systems in developed and developing countries. This project is well suited to volunteers on pre-medical and medical students, or those qualified in a relevant medical field.

Special Needs Care Project

As a Special Needs Care volunteer in Vietnam, you will be working within hospitals and community clinics in Ho Chi Minh City, providing support to children and young people, some who have been affected by Agent Orange. This project is best suited to caring and hard-working individuals who are passionate about increasing access to care for young people living with a range of intellectual and physical challenges.

Food Outreach Project

Your role on this project is to provide assistance to a local ‘Soup Kitchen’ to enable them to provide over 500 lunches daily to people from various backgrounds including poor elderly, low-income earners, disabled, students and children. Poverty is still widespread throughout Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh has a large population of people who are unable to afford regular nutritional meals.

Program Reviews

4.95 Rating
based on 61 reviews
  • 5 rating 95.08%
  • 4 rating 4.92%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Impact 4.75
  • Support 4.95
  • Fun 4.9
  • Value 4.95
  • Safety 4.95
Showing 9 - 16 of 61 reviews
Default avatar
Lesley
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Experience of a life time

I’m a 52 year old single lady and was the oldest there by far, but I needn’t have worried as everyone was so welcoming, the coordinators were amazing and very accommodating, I had the most amazing experience teaching English in a kindergarten (or should I say trying to teach them) the teachers were all lovely and the other volunteers were great and we managed to see lots of Vietnam, I would highly recommend going, I will certainly be doing this again , the IVHQ team were great in corresponding with me in any queries I had before the trip , I would say just go for it, you will have an experience of a lifetime and make lots of new friends and embrace a different culture

Pros
  • Very helpful
  • Embracing a new culture
  • Experience
52 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Tina
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great experience!

It was a great experience! I enjoyed being immersed into the culture and really helping out in a meaningful way! Being able to support individuals with special needs and spend time with these individuals was amazing. The staff that helped us were amazing and so helpful. I felt comfortable when navigating throughout my time there. It was great to learn about their culture. I was able to visit the area and see some wonderful sites and really try the amazing food. It was an experience I will never forget.

Pros
  • great people
  • supportive staff
  • awesome culture
54 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Aaron
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

IVHQ Food Outreach plus

Joining my wife for our 13th volunteer gig with IVHQ, once again we were not disappointed. As seasoned travelers and retirees, we have built volunteering into most of our travel plans. HCMC was no exception. New campus, different location for project but consistent good support from IVHQ/Green Lion local teams and a great opportunity to help at the Food store preparing food, serving the homeless community as well as other local clients and interacting with the local staff were highlights. I am always pleased to see young people getting out of their comfort zone to experience different cultures in different places as well as this time, to meet more senior folks doing the same. The exchange of information and experiences is always rewarding. This year, we took a weekend trip, arranged by the local Green Lion team to Mui Ne. The very affordable trip ($21 USD per person for car, hotel and meals) came with a catch. We were to teach English at a local school on Saturday night and Sunday morning to students who don't see many Westerners come through their small village. With the support of my wife and our local contact in Mui Ne, I had the opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and help teach for the first time. Guess you are never too old to give it a try....Fortunately, for my wife, the internet helped us find pictures to go with our assignment of teaching about Australian wildlife and sea animals to kids in Vietnam. Gotta admit, it was fun but know I'm happy to stick with Food Outreach and Construction programs as I have in the past. One of the plusses of IVHQ, there are several program options.

Pros
  • Interaction in a meaningful way with locals.
  • Program offerings, flexibility and options
  • Affordability including option to upgrade to private room/private bath extremely close to campus.
Cons
  • We provided feedback to IVHQ on expanding variety of food options.
  • Wish we had more time to volunteer as the project was great.
57 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Susan
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

IVHQ Food Outreach Ho Chi Minh City - Even better 2nd time!

We didn't think it could get better!!! My husband and I volunteered in 2019 for the same program. This year, though a different campus, and different food shop, the experience was even better than expected. The IVHQ coordinator and food shop team were great to work with. There was plenty to do each day from prep (setting up, cutting vegetables, raking rice) to serving (soup, rice, helping with takeaway) to clean up, with opportunities to interact with both staff and clients on a daily basis. Whether through pointing, smiling, show and tell or having the Coordinator translate for us, communication was easy and fruitful. We left with a humbling sense of contributing to a much-needed service to the community while having the good fortune to be able to travel, spend time with other volunteers and experience working and visiting this wonderful country. Weekend to Mui Ne coordinated by local IVHQ statf, was a treat as well, including visit to sand dunes and chance to volunteer and teach English in small remote village.

Pros
  • As a couple, we took advantage of the local hotel next door to have a private room with bath while still being part of the campus scene for meals and activities.
  • Real tasks that needed to get done at project. Time for exploring during afternoon.
Cons
  • We provided feedback to IVHQ on expanding variety of food options.
51 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Mike
5/5
No, I don't recommend this program

You won’t regret

This is the best way to experience Vietnam. You get to help locals and make friends with other volunteers and travel. Everything is organised well and accommodation and food is great. Certainly recommend. If you are on the fence, I would say go for it. I was able to learn and apply basic Vietnamese language and make some good friends. It’s also fairly well located so getting around the city is easy. The food outreach program felt impactful because you saw first hand how you were helping the community.

Pros
  • Local living
  • Language
  • Impact
Cons
  • NA
48 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Nicole
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Volunteering is life changing

This Christmas I had the chance to Volunteer in The Special Needs program in Ho Chi Minh City. This program changed my vision of everything, made me feel grateful and helped me realized how much I love to help the people that need it the most. Working with this incredible kids was unbelievable. They thought me so many things that I would carry with me for ever. They are filled with love and good hearts, I went to teach them things but they ended up teaching me. I hope everyone in this life has the opportunity to volunteer and to give back.

Pros
  • Sharing and learning from amazing kids
  • Experience a new and incredible culture
  • Meet amazing people and create bonds
45 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Alexandra
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Traveling alone

It was my first time volunteering abroad and I have to say that I was so nervous that I kept pushing the dates. After going through the experience I feel silly I did that. It was the most memorable experience and I had support along the way. This trip made me more confident in myself, empowered me to help others, and helped me get out of my shell. The memories I made will last forever. The accommodation was in a safe location and close to many markets and shops, the beds were comfortable and the food was delicious. The staff was welcoming and friendly.

Pros
  • positive impact on the community
  • made friends
  • experienced a new culture
42 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Ginny
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Teaching English in Vietnam

As a young Canadian university graduate, I aspired to visit a faraway country to volunteer as an English teacher. Forty years passed quickly, four lively children grew to become independent adults and after twenty-five years, I retired from a successful career of teaching.

My youthful and idealistic dream was reignited and I applied to volunteer as an English teacher in Vietnam. As a 64-year-old grandmother, I definitely had some reservations about communication, safety and cultural sensitivity. And of course, whether age might pose some barriers.

On November 15, I arrived in Ho Chi Minh City to begin an incredible journey with the Green Lion team. I could not have been prepared for how welcoming, engaging and supportive of this group would be. With unsurpassed skill, they fostered team building among a very diverse group of volunteers. Staff at the Tourism and Hospitality College were filled with a desire to share strategies, to open their doors and share ideas. Students were highly motivated by their desire to practice English, to share their love of Vietnam and to elicit information about my life in Canada.
It is difficult to express the gift that I received when my intention had been to give as a volunteer.
I found a country filled with people full of hope, determination, strong work ethic and gratitude for all of the gifts that life offers. I would strongly encourage anybody who has a simple gift to give and desire to share, to embrace the opportunity that volunteering in Vietnam offers.

Pros
  • Interaction with local people on daily basis
  • Travel and exploration
  • Positive energy from local and volunteer community
38 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers

For sure, all ages welcome, I volunteered with families, seniors, young adults and mature adults 😊