PD Study Tour for History Teachers
Vietnam
Dynasties, Colonisation and Conflict
10 Days | September 26 - October 5, 2027 (land only) | 32+ Professional Development Hours for Teachers
Hanoi ┃ HUE ┃ Ho Chi Minh City
Embark on an immersive journey through Vietnam’s complex past, where imperial dynasties, colonial rule, and revolutionary struggle shaped the modern nation.
Designed for Australian History teachers, this tour explores the places and stories that define Vietnam today—from Hanoi and the former Demilitarized Zone to Ho Chi Minh City. Participants will visit royal citadels, wartime tunnels, resistance sites, and museums that reveal both the realities of conflict and the resilience of Vietnamese society.
Blending powerful historical sites with everyday cultural experiences, the program offers an engaging, on-the-ground exploration of Vietnam’s layered history and contemporary identity.
Hanoi – 3 nights
Hue – 3 nights
Ho Chi Minh City – 3 nights
TOUR LEADER AND ON TOUR EDUCATOR
TBC
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
This tour includes 32 hours of PD as related to syllabus content.
NSW Teachers should add the PD to eTAMS or their personal log.
LIBERTAS TRAVEL
Libertas Travel is one of Australia’s leading providers of immersive, educational travel experiences. Since 2011, we have designed and delivered academic study tours for schools, universities, and educators both across Australia and internationally. Combining our expertise in travel logistics and close collaboration with subject-matter specialists, we create highly regarded, syllabus-aligned tours that bring learning to life.
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9 nights accommodation in 4 star hotels
3 nights Hanoi
3 nights Hue
3 nights Ho Chi Minh City
Breakfast daily
4 group lunches
4 group dinners
Local guides at all major sites
Admissions costs to sites and museums
Land transportation by private coach
2 domestic flights with Vietnam Airlines
Hanoi-Hue
Hue-Ho Chi Minh City
On tour educator providing introductory lecture, daily informal discussions and final debrief
Teacher workbook
All tipping and gratuities for guides, drivers and porters
Not Included
Return international flights
Travel insurance
Meals not listed on the itinerary
Visa
Spending money and personal expenses
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TBC
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Absolutely!
We are glad to welcome anyone with an interest in the subject matter to join the tour. Non-teachers may choose to opt out of lectures or debrief sessions that relate directly to the teaching profession. -
A moderate level of physical fitness is required in order to participate fully in the tour. Specifically you should be able to walk for 3-4 hours with only short breaks, walk up and down stairs, move on and off coaches unassisted, negotiate stairs and slopes, and manage your own luggage.
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Vietnam is typically hot and humid, with September and October average temperatures around 30–32°C. It is the end of the rainy season, so expect some short heavy afternoon showers, especially in the south.
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We will provide you with a suggested packing list in your pre-departure pack.
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This will depend on your state and school. NSW teachers should add the PD hours to eTAMS or their personal log.
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Self-education expenses directly related to employment for Australian teachers may be tax deductible. Seek advice from your tax agent or the ATO for further information.
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Visit our website to access the online booking form. Complete your details and submit your form. Once we have the minimum requirement amount of bookings for the tour to proceed, we will contact you to process your $1000 non-refundable deposit.
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Once the tour is confirmed, you will be required to pay a $1000 non-refundable deposit to confirm your place. Final payment is due 90 days prior to departure. Payments can be made by direct deposit or credit card (merchant fee applies).
LOCAL EXPERTISE
Academic Experts┃ Expert Local Guides┃ Real Classroom Impact
Libertas Travel is collaborating with a local ground operator in Vietnam to provide up to date local knowledge and on the ground support. We are working with an experienced team of expert local guides to teachers a high quality, in depth academic content, combined with the opportunity to be immersed in the local culture and traditions.
Limited Places Available!
AUD$4,290 *
*Price Per Person: Twin-Share Accommodation, Land Only
Single Supplement: AUD$700 per person
Register interest in ‘History’ subject area
To receive notification when Bookings Open
Itinerary
Empowering Teachers ┃ Transforming Learning
Every session delivers fresh research, practical strategies, and global perspectives—equipping teachers to modernise lessons, boost student outcomes, and lead innovation in Australian schools.
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Day 1
Sunday, 26 September
Arrive in HanoiThe tour program will commence at 6pm in Hanoi. Meet your tour leaders and the group in the hotel lobby, followed by a welcome dinner.
Meals: Dinner
Overnight: Hanoi – Army Hanoi Hotel
(Superior Room) or similar -
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Day 2
Monday 27 September
Hanoi City Tour
Today we set out on a journey through Hanoi’s most significant sites of national memory. The Vietnam National Museum of History is an excellent place to gain deeper insight into the country’s rich past. It showcases an extensive collections of artefacts spanning from prehistoric times through various dynasties to the modern era.
Today we enter Hoa Lo Prison (aka ‘Hanoi Hilton’), originally built by the French in the late 19th century to detain Vietnamese political prisoners and later used during the Vietnam War. Its preserved cells, powerful artefacts, and thoughtfully curated exhibitions reveal the prison’s shifting role across different eras, offering a stark and memorable window into Vietnam’s struggles for independence and the lived realities of conflict.
In the afternoon, we enjoy a cyclo (rickshaw) tour of the Old Quarter. Then it is onto Dong Xuan Market for our street food walking tour for dinner. Try the best street foods the city has to offer, learning about their history and production along the way.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Overnight: Hanoi – Army Hanoi Hotel
(Superior Room) or similar -
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Day 3
Tuesday 28 September
Ho Chi Minh Complex | Ngoc Ha Village
Visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, resting place of Vietnam’s most influential revolutionary figure, located in Ba Dinh Square, where the country’s Declaration of Independence was proclaimed in 1945. Examine the One Pillar Pagoda, an elegant 11th‑century Buddhist monument, and wander through the tranquil grounds of Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House, offering insight into the leader’s personal life and political ideals.
Continue to the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, a UNESCO-listed complex showcasing layers of Vietnamese history from the Ly Dynasty to the 20th century, including the underground military bunker used during wartime.
Continue to Truc Bach Lake and Huu Tiep Lake in Ngoc Ha Village, where part of a B-52 bomber wreckage remains embedded in the water, offering a striking reminder of the 1972 bombing. The surrounding residential area contrasts daily life with historical memory.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight: Hanoi – Army Hanoi Hotel
(Superior Room) or similar -
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Day 4
Wednesday 29 September
To Hue
Enjoy a morning at leisure for last minute sightseeing and shopping in Hanoi – or opt for a leisurely sleep in. We then transfer to the airport for an afternoon flight to Hue.
This evening, we set off on a colourful Dragon Boat journey along the Perfume River, to enjoy dinner with a live cultural performance and a glowing lantern‑release.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Overnight: Hue - Eldora Hue Hotel
(Deluxe City Room) or similar -
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Day 5
Thursday 30 September
Hue City Tour
Pay a morning visit to the Imperial City of Hue, the former political and cultural centre of the Nguyen Dynasty. Explore the Citadel complex including its massive stone gates, courtyards, royal temples and the remains of the Forbidden Purple City, once reserved exclusively for the emperor and the royal family. The architecture reflects a blend of Vietnamese design and Chinese influence, surrounded by fortified walls and moats. Lunch is included at the local pagoda.
Continue to the Tomb of Emperor Khai Dinh - one of three unique royal tombs in Hue, built in the early 20th century. Combining traditional Vietnamese design with strong European influences and modern materials, it reflects a time when the Nguyen monarchy stood between imperial tradition and French colonial rule — a symbol of transition in Vietnam’s history.
The evening is free to continue your exploration of Hue at leisure.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight: Hue - Eldora Hue Hotel
(Deluxe City Room) or similar -
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Day 6
Friday 1 October
DMZ Excursion
Travel by private coach to the former Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Visit the Vinh Moc Tunnels, an underground tunnel complex built to shelter civilians during heavy bombing. Continue to Hien Luong Bridge and the Ben Hai River, which once marked the division between North and South Vietnam at the 17th parallel. The tour also includes the Quang Tri Citadel, site of intense fighting in 1972. Return to Hue in the late afternoon.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight: Hue - Eldora Hue Hotel
(Deluxe City Room) or similar -
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Day 7
Saturday, 2 October
To Ho Chi Minh City
Private coach transfer to Hue Airport for our morning flight to Ho Chi Minh City.
We stop by the Ho Chi Minh City Museum to discover its collections of ancient artefacts, royal legacies, revolutionary movements, and modern‑era milestones that reveal the city’s complex historical layers.
Tonight’s dinner is at Pho Binh, a modest noodle shop that secretly served as a Saigon Special Forces headquarters during the Vietnam War. Covert operations were once planned upstairs while everyday life unfolded below.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Overnight: Ho Chi Minh City -
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Day 8
Sunday 3 October
Mekong Delta Excursion
Travel by private coach to Cai Be, enjoying views of the rice fields, small towns and daily rural life of the Mekong Delta.
Visit a local workshop to learn how to make rice paper and sample some local sweet treats. A row boat takes us deeper into the countryside to visit local gardens and hear traditional music. Lunch will be served at a local house.
We continue to Xeo Quyt Ecological Area, a lesser known site that offers a unique combination of nature and history. Walk along the forest trails to explore its natural beauty that exists alongside wartime bunkers, hidden shelters and meeting areas used by the Viet Cong.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight: Ho Chi Minh City -
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Day 9
Monday 4 October
Cu Chi Tunnels | Ho Chi Minh City Tour
Today we venture outside the city to the Cu Chi Tunnels to uncover one of the Vietnam War’s most extraordinary underground networks. Hidden passageways, concealed trapdoors, and preserved bunkers reveal how Viet Cong fighters lived, moved, and strategised beneath the surface.
Visit the War Remnants Museum, where powerful wartime photography, preserved military vehicles, and deeply moving exhibits provide a sobering and thought-provoking insight into the Vietnam War from multiple perspectives.
Continue to the Independence Palace, the former presidential residence of South Vietnam, where time appears to stand still in its 1970s interiors and where the conflict officially came to an end in April 1975 — a defining moment in modern Vietnamese history.
In the evening, gather for a reflective debrief session to consolidate the tour’s historical insights, followed by a memorable farewell dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Overnight: Ho Chi Minh City -
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Day 10
Tuesday 5 October
Tour ends
Meals: Breakfast
Travel Information
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Your return international flights are not included in the package price. There are a number of airlines servicing Vietnam from Australia. Please ensure your booked flight is scheduled to arrive in Hanoi prior to 3pm on September 26. Please advise us on your booking form if you would like assistance with your flights.
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The hotels included on this tour are of 4 star quality in central locations. They have been selected for their location, security and comfort. The hotel information will be provided in your pre-departure documents.
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Breakfast is included each day and is usually a continental buffet breakfast provided with the hotel.
Included lunches and dinners will usually be at the hotels or local restaurants.
Please advise us of any special dietary requirements on your booking form so we can best accommodate them.
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It is a requirement that all tour participants have a comprehensive travel insurance policy. We are able to assist with a quote for travel insurance with our preferred provided, Cover-More. Please advise us on your booking form if you would like assistance with your travel insurance.
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All participants must have a passport with 6 months validity from their return date to Australia. You will be required to provide us with a copy of your passport prior to departure.
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TBC
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There are no mandatory vaccinations required for travel to Vietnam. Participants should consult their medical practitioner for any advice related to recommended vaccinations.
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The current Australian Government travel advice for Vietnam is Level 1: Exercise normal safety precautions.