Vietnam Volunteer Programs from $18/day | Most Affordable & Trusted

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.

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.

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.

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.

The whole trip carries and injects positive energies to help and love people.
It ranges from IVHQ regional team's comprehensive arrangement, to local team - The Green Lion's hospitality in support plus food outreach station team's devoted contribution to needing people.
And of course there are the volunteers and their golden hearts, whom have travelled from different parts of planet, just to offer their helping hands from single week to several months.
Every second I can feel my fast pulses of excitement plus positive desire to do my contribution and do more. Every moment I am well confident my safety and well being in foreign land are properly taken care of by local team.
On my last 2 service days I was given opportunity to company disabled kids at hospital in afternoon, after food outreach event. This is broke my beliefs on the limited contribution I can offer. It opens me to new heights to understand there are actually more I am capable of to offer.
During the 5 days, priceless vitality and passion emit from everyone's eyes regardless of individual's status and wealth. There is no asking for any return or compensation. All there is are just unlimited flows of love and care to whoever need help.
As a corporate worker for years, this volunteering has woke me up to realize the 3 essentials to achieve harmony and peace in humanity. They are help, love and care.
I praised and salute to every single soul I met in this journey. You all are beautiful and handsome.
There are lot more for me to improve on volunteering but I am committed to join you all to make a better world, for many years ahead.
Thank you so much.

This was my second volunteer trip with IVHQ, and I’m glad I chose to do this one for longer this year. As a pre-med student, the medical program helped me to experience medicine in a different culture while shadowing healthcare professionals. The people you meet will become some of your best friends, and the adventures you go on provide you with the best memories! I traveled on the IVHQ Peru trip last summer, and I did not think any other trip could top that, but IVHQ Vietnam had such an immense impact on me. I’m already planning for my next trip!

I joined the special needs program for 2 weeks in early March, 2020-- during the outbreak of COVID-19. During my stay it was declared pandemic, and the world quickly turned into chaos. However, I was very impressed on how the local team handled the situation. We had to take our temperature every day, they made us sanitize our hands countless times each day, volunteers who arrived after a certain date were no longer allowed to participate in the medical and special needs program. The local staff were always willing to assist people who had to head home early, and constantly gave us news updates on the situation in Vietnam. After bars, clubs, and restaurants got shut down, the lovely staff organized karaoke nights and game nights to keep us entertained. I think they did their absolute best to ensure our safety, and I felt very well taken care of.
Living conditions were basic, but it was clean, the food was good, there was a good social atmosphere and the staff were super friendly. I was a bit nervous about my program since I had no medical study background and it was a completely new territory for me. But the staff were super nice, gave directions and answered every question I had, and the experienced volunteers help me adjust quickly as well. By the end I was very sad to have to say goodbye to the kids.
Overall, I had a great experience, and I think the staff handled the abnormal and worrying situation very well, proving that they are trust-worthy. Thank you.

I spent two weeks volunteering in the kindergarten program with IVHQ in Ho Chi Minh and honestly had the time of my life!! The staff make you feel so at home and the accomodation is clean and well maintained. There was a variety of food to choose from at meal times and the location is super close to cafes and restaurants. The other volunteers were all so welcoming and had a great attitude, wanting to make the most of their experience.

The kindergarten program was really rewarding and even in two weeks I made so many connections with the children. Although some days are repetitive (singing, dancing, feeding, teaching), the kids really love when the volunteers are there and you can see the difference you're making in their lives. Without the volunteer program, the children wouldn't learn english, limiting there opportunities in the future.

The city of Ho Chi Minh is busy and has so much to do, after volunteer hours everyone was super eager to explore and make the most of their time overseas. Travelling to other parts of Vietnam is also really easy and affordable from Ho Chi Minh and the staff at the accomodation were so helpful with planning weekend trips and providing recommendations. We could book tours or weekend trips the day before we left easily with the help of the staff which allowed flexibility and kept the experience exciting!

Overall, in my two weeks in Ho Chi Minh, I made memories which will last forever, made lifetime friends from all over the world and learnt so much about the rich culture and beautiful landscape of Vietnam. For anyone thinking about volunteering overseas, I would highly recommend the IVHQ Vietnam experience and any of the programs they offer.