12-Day Volunteering Itinerary in Vietnam

1. Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City
   Arrive at Tan Son Nhat International Airport

   Visit the 19th-century Central Post Office and go shopping at Ben Thanh Market.

2. Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City
   20 minutes (3.5 km) from your hotel

   Join the Waterfall Restoration Project at Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station.

3. Day 3-4: Hoi An
   1 hour 30 minutes (30 km and 650 km) from Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station and your hotel in Ho Chi Minh City respectively

   Volunteer at the Animals Asia Bear Centre and explore the Ancient Town of Hoi An.

4. Day 5-6: Hue
   3 hours (120 km) from Hoi An

   Assist with teaching English to children at Newborns Vietnam, and then tour the Forbidden Purple City.

5. Day 7-9: Hanoi
   3 hours (650 km) from Hue

   Volunteer at Blue Dragon Children's Foundation and then discover the Temple of Literature and Hoan Kiem Lake.

6. Day 10-11: Sapa
   7 hours (420 km) from Hanoi

   Help out with environmental conservation at Sapa O'Chau, and then trek through the rice terraces.

7. Day 12: Hanoi
   5 hours (250 km) from Sapa

   Visit the Vietnamese Women's Museum and Ngoc Son Temple before departing from Noi Bai International Airport.

Time and Costs Estimates

• Central Post Office (30 minutes, free)
• Ben Thanh Market (1-2 hours, varies by purchase)
• Waterfall Restoration Project (6-8 hours, free)
• Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station (1-2 hours, free)
• Animals Asia Bear Centre (4-5 hours, free)
• Ancient Town of Hoi An (3-4 hours, varies by purchase)
• Newborns Vietnam (4-6 hours, free)
• Forbidden Purple City (2-3 hours, 150,000 VND)
• Blue Dragon Children's Foundation (6-8 hours, free)
• Temple of Literature (1-2 hours, 30,000 VND)
• Hoan Kiem Lake (1-2 hours, free)
• Sapa O'Chau (4-6 hours, free)
• Rice Terraces (3-4 hours, free)
• Vietnamese Women's Museum (2-3 hours, 30,000 VND)
• Ngoc Son Temple (1-2 hours, 30,000 VND)
• Total Estimated Cost: 210,000 VND (Approximately $9 USD)

Useful tips

If you have extra time, you could also volunteer at the Hanoi SPCA or The Christina Noble Children's Foundation in Ho Chi Minh City. If you have less time, you could skip Sapa and spend more time in Hoi An and Hue. Remember to respect local customs and be cautious of petty crime.