After all the planning and preparation the wait is finally over! On arrival at Hanoi Airport you will be met by your World Expeditions Schools experienced guide who will accompany your group throughout the program. We head to the hotel for check in and a full trip and safety briefing. The guide will run through an overview of the local Vietnamese language and important phrases that we can learn and practice through the journey. A little language goes a long way with the local peoples! Following the briefing we will head out to a local restaurant for a welcome dinner. Overnight Hanoi Hotel

Meals:  D

Today we will explore and experience the iconic and historical highlights of Hanoi. We begin with a walk through the old French colonial district with its striking architecture and parklands. We will then visit the Temple of Literature to get insights about the roots and place of Confucianism in Vietnam society. We will enjoy a Vietnamese lunch at a local NGO restaurant which trains disadvantaged youth in hospitality. This afternoon we visit the Ho Chi Minh complex to learn about the period of Vietnam’s war and unification before walking across one of Hanoi's beautiful green parks to the edge of West Lake, where we hop on a leisure electric cart ride! We then return to the hotel to prepare for our community service project and trek expedition. Tonight we head out to a local restaurant for dinner. Overnight Hanoi Hotel

Meals:  B,L,D

This morning we drive North West to the Pa Co community. On this drive we will see the change in landscape to dry and rocky mountain sceneries. Pa Co community is almost exclusively populated by Hmong people, with their main income being mainly from agriculture. Once we have met our hosts and settled in to the community we will visit our project site and plan and prepare for the work we will be undertaking over the next two days. Whilst in the local villages for our project and trek we will sleep in a traditional stilt house converted to a open dormitory configuration. Each night we will enjoy traditional meals prepared carefully by your hosts as we assimilate into the local community. Overnight Village Guesthouse

Meals:  B,L,D

Over the next two days we will work alongside the local community on our designated project as part of our regenerative program. The hours that you work each day are flexible, however it is anticipated that you will be involved in labour work for up to 6 - 7 hours a day. You will need to bring a pair of study work gloves with you from home and wear clothing which you do not mind getting dirty. The people from the village will be anticipating your visit and the assistance and capacity building you are providing will bring long term benefits to the village. The exact details of the project will be decided by the village heads in the months prior to your travel. At the completion of the project on the final afternoon, a celebration will be held with the school and community as we hand the project back to the local community. Overnight Village Guesthouse

Meals:  B,L,D

We say our final farewells to our hosts and transfer to the start of our trek in Hang Kia. Our trek leads us through a stunning valley past fruit orchards, rice paddies and striking mountains. After we enjoy lunch at the village we will visit the project site and have a full briefing on the service project we will complete. Overnight Village Guesthouse Walking Distance: 8kms

Meals:  B,L,D

Over the next two days we will complete a vital community service project that will bring long term benefits to the village and local school. The exact details of the project will be decided by the village heads in the months prior to your travel. At the completion of the project on the final afternoon, a celebration will be held with the group and community as we hand the project back to the local community. Overnight Village Guesthouse

Meals:  B,L,D

We enjoy breakfast at our guesthouse before we transfer to a small settlement for a Batik dyeing workshop with the Hmong women of the village. This hands on session gives us a wonderful insight into an ancient tradition and culture. Everyone will try their hand at making a Batik design which we will be able to keep and take home. We enjoy a final lunch with our hosts at the guesthouse before heading out on a trek to Cun Pheo Valley, an area inhabited by White Thai people. We meet our vehicle here and then take a short transfer to Ban Buoc village for our overnight stay. Overnight Village Guesthouse Walking Distance: 11kms

Meals:  B,L,D

We depart after breakfast and join our vehicle for the 25 kilometer journey to the entrance of the Pu Luong nature reserve. We get off the bus at Ban Hang village, where our trek across the nature reserve starts. Along this trek we will meet a lot of wonderful people and enjoy diverse sceneries of mountains, jungle, terrace rice fields and rivers. The trek takes about 5 hours passing by hamlets and wilder areas. We reach the lovely, secluded village of Kho Muong in the afternoon. We will have time to relax here and meet the local hosts and enjoy dinner. Overnight Village Guesthouse Walking Distance: 14kms

Meals:  B,L,D

Today we set out for a full day of trekking through the valley. There are some steep climbs and exciting stream crossings today. We will trek to an incredible cave, only recently discovered and now protected by the Forest rangers. The trekking becomes more remote, passing steep limestone mountains and rainforests inside the Pu Luong Nature Reserve to Hin village. In the afternoon we have the opportunity to refresh in a cool stream and enjoy a scenic picnic lunch. We then continue on to Nua Village - the village of Thai people. We have dinner with local people in this village at their traditional houses. Overnight Village Guesthouse Walking Distance: 18kms

Meals:  B,L,D

We leave Nua village after having breakfast with the Thai people, and start out on the trek to Son village. Walking uphill to start we will get deeper inside the Pu Luong Nature Reserve with wild and rich tropical forest, and have a picnic lunch on the way. Continuing our trek we pass through the beautiful village Ba, and on to Son village. In the afternoon we can relax and explore this village and meet the friendly local people here. Overnight Village Guesthouse Walking Distance: 13kms

Meals:  B,L,D

This morning we have an easier trek through rice paddies to Ton Village. Our driver will pick us up here and transfer us to Ninh Binh. Ninh Binh boasts one of the most spectacular settings in all of South East Asia, with hundreds of limestone cliffs rising straight out of rice paddies and rivers. In the afternoon we will enjoy a scenic rowed sampan cruise to reach Tam Coc, the most renowned valley of the region for its towering limestone rocks and beautiful rice fields. We will visit the Bich Dong pagoda that offers a climb up on its three levels to admire a breathtaking view of the area at the top. In the evening we have time to explore Ninh Binh on foot. Overnight Ninh Binh Hotel Walking Distance: 9kms

Meals:  B,L,D

Today we have a great day packed with fun activities in the stunning setting of Ninh Binh. Ninh Binh boasts one of the most spectacular settings in all of South East Asia, with hundreds of limestone cliffs rising straight out of rice paddies and rivers.The setting has been the backdrop for many movies and photoshoots. We will explore the area by bike and by boat. We first transfer to the boat pier for a scenic boat trip to Trang An. After the boat trip, we head to the valley of Tam Coc for a delicious lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, we visit the Bich Dong Pagoda then continue by bike along the backroads of the region for a leisurely 12 km journey on a flat road winding between limestone rocks and rice fields to Hoa Lu. We then visit Dinh and Le temples before transfering back to hotel to freshen up before dinner at local restaurant. Overnight Ninh Binh Hotel

Meals:  B,L,D

This morning we will transfer back to Hanoi Airport for our flight home

Meals:  B