Self-Launched Cambodia & Vietnam: Temples, Delta and Ha Long Bay in 14 Days
14 days · Cambodia & Vietnam
Responsible Asia charges £1,420
No-markup version: ~£1,020 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Responsible Asia's 14-day Siem Reap-to-Hanoi tour, rebuilt for independent travellers. You'll cover the same ground — Angkor's temples, Phnom Penh's history, Saigon and the Mekong Delta, Hue, Hoi An, an overnight Ha Long Bay cruise and a Hanoi countryside day — but using hostels and budget guesthouses, sleeper buses and trains, low-cost domestic flights and self-booked day tours instead of a guided group package. All costs are approximate per-person estimates in GBP and exclude international flights to/from the region.
Day-by-day
Arrive Siem Reap
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Land at Siem Reap International Airport and take a tuk-tuk or Grab to a hostel or guesthouse near Pub Street / Wat Bo (private room in a guesthouse ~£15-20, dorm ~£6-9). Spend the afternoon orienting yourself: walk the riverside, sort a Cambodian SIM (Smart or Metfone, ~£3-5 for data), and buy your Angkor pass in the late afternoon — tickets bought after 5pm count for the next day too. Book a shared small-group Angkor sunrise tour on GetYourGuide or Klook for tomorrow (~£18-25).
🚌Airport tuk-tuk/Grab (~£5)
🛏Hostel/guesthouse private room, Wat Bo or Old Market area (~£16)
- →Riverside walk and Pub Street area
- →Buy Angkor Archaeological Park pass
- →Book Angkor sunrise small-group tour
Angkor Wat and the Small Circuit by tuk-tuk
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Join a shared sunrise tour to Angkor Wat for the classic reflection shot, then work through the Small Circuit: South Gate of Angkor Thom, Bayon's face towers, the Royal Enclosure and Phimeanakas, Elephant Terrace and Leper King Terrace. Break for lunch, then hit Ta Prohm (the jungle-strangled 'Tomb Raider' temple) plus Thommanon, Chau Say Tevoda and Ta Keo. Finish with sunset from Phnom Bakheng or Pre Rup. Budget ~£18-25 for the tour or ~£15-18 to hire a tuk-tuk driver privately for the full day.
🚌Shared Angkor tour van/tuk-tuk (included in activity cost)
🛏Hostel/guesthouse private room (~£16)
- →Angkor Wat sunrise
- →Bayon and Angkor Thom
- →Ta Prohm
- →Ta Keo
- →Sunset at Phnom Bakheng or Pre Rup
Siem Reap to Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Take a morning Giant Ibis or Virak Buntham express bus from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh (~6 hours, ~£10-13, book online a day ahead). Check into a hostel or guesthouse around Sisowath Quay or Street 240 (~£14-18). In the late afternoon visit the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda (~£8) and Wat Phnom (~£1), then walk the riverside promenade at sunset.
🚌Siem Reap–Phnom Penh express bus (~£11)
🛏Hostel/guesthouse private room, Sisowath Quay area (~£16)
- →Giant Ibis express bus to Phnom Penh
- →Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda
- →Wat Phnom
- →Riverside sunset walk
Phnom Penh history, then fly to Ho Chi Minh City
Phnom Penh → Ho Chi Minh City
Start early at Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21) with an audio guide (~£3.5), then the Killing Fields at Choeung Ek (~£4.5, ~30 min by tuk-tuk). Pick up lunch and browse Russian Market (Tuol Tom Pong) for souvenirs. In the late afternoon take a low-cost flight Phnom Penh–Ho Chi Minh City with AirAsia, VietJet or Cambodia Angkor Air (~£40-60 booked a few weeks out) and check into a hostel in District 1 near Bui Vien or Ben Thanh (~£14-18).
🚌Tuk-tuks (~£6) + PNH–SGN flight (~£50) + airport Grab (~£4)
🛏Hostel/guesthouse private room, District 1 (~£16)
- →Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
- →Choeung Ek Killing Fields
- →Russian Market
- →Flight to Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City self-launched city day
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Skip the private jeep and DIY the classic city circuit: Reunification Palace (~£2.5), War Remnants Museum (~£2.5, allow 2 hours), Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office, Jade Emperor Pagoda, Ben Thanh Market and the Opera House in the evening. Use Grab bike for hops (~£1-2 each) or join a cheap walking tour. Optionally swap in a vintage-Vespa or motorbike street-food tour in the evening (~£25-30).
🚌Grab bikes and short taxis (~£6)
🛏Hostel/guesthouse private room (~£16)
- →War Remnants Museum
- →Reunification Palace
- →Notre Dame Cathedral and Central Post Office
- →Jade Emperor Pagoda
- →Ben Thanh Market
- →Optional evening street-food motorbike tour
Mekong Delta day trip to My Tho and Ben Tre
My Tho / Ben Tre, Vietnam
Book a small-group Mekong Delta day tour on GetYourGuide or Klook (~£22-28) or a local operator on Pham Ngu Lao (~£18-22). Typical itinerary: bus to My Tho, boat to Unicorn Island, orchard and honey-bee farm stops, coconut-candy workshop, a hand-rowed sampan through palm-lined canals and a set lunch — then cycling through Tan Thach village (or a hammock stop) before returning to Saigon around 6pm.
🚌Included in day-tour cost
🛏Hostel/guesthouse private room (~£16)
- →Boat and sampan cruise on the Mekong
- →Unicorn Island orchard and honey-bee farm
- →Coconut candy workshop
- →Village cycling
- →Traditional lunch
Saigon to Hue
Hue, Vietnam
Take a morning VietJet or Vietnam Airlines flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Hue (~£45-65, ~1h20). Check into a guesthouse or budget hotel in the backpacker area around Pham Ngu Lao / Chu Van An (~£14-18). Rent a bicycle (~£1.5/day) or walk the Perfume River banks, and eat bun bo Hue for dinner. If flights are pricey, the Reunification Express train (Saigon–Hue sleeper, ~20 hours, ~£30-40 soft sleeper) is the scenic budget alternative.
🚌Domestic flight (~£52) + Grab transfers (~£5)
🛏Guesthouse/budget hotel, Hue backpacker area (~£16)
- →Flight to Hue
- →Perfume River walk
- →Bun bo Hue dinner
Hue imperial sights by bike and dragon boat
Hue, Vietnam
Do Hue independently: rent a bicycle or Grab a driver for the day (~£15-18 for a driver). Start with the Imperial Citadel and Forbidden Purple City (~£5), then a dragon boat across the Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda (~£3-4 return, share the boat). Ride south to the tombs of Minh Mang (~£4) and Khai Dinh (~£4). On the way back stop at Dong Ba Market and, if time allows, the Thuy Xuan conical-hat-and-incense village — free to wander, small tip for photos.
🚌Bicycle hire or private Grab driver for the day (~£17)
🛏Guesthouse/budget hotel (~£16)
- →Imperial Citadel
- →Dragon boat to Thien Mu Pagoda
- →Minh Mang Tomb
- →Khai Dinh Tomb
- →Dong Ba Market
- →Thuy Xuan conical hat and incense village
Hai Van Pass to Hoi An
Hoi An, Vietnam
For the full Hai Van Pass experience take a local bus or shared minibus Hue–Da Nang (~£6-9, about 3 hours) and ask to stop at the pass viewpoint, or join a one-way Easy Rider motorbike transfer over the pass (~£30-40). From Da Nang take a Grab (~£5) or local bus (~£1) to Hoi An. Check into a guesthouse or budget hotel in the Old Town or An Hoi islet (~£15-20). Evening: stroll the lantern-lit Old Town and the night market — entry ticket to the Old Town is ~£5.
🚌Bus/minibus over Hai Van Pass (~£8) + Da Nang–Hoi An Grab (~£5)
🛏Guesthouse/budget hotel, Hoi An Old Town (~£18)
- →Hai Van Pass viewpoint
- →Hoi An Old Town evening walk
- →Night market
Hoi An crafts and fly to Hanoi
Hoi An → Hanoi
Morning in Hoi An: the Old Town ticket covers Tan Ky Old House, the Japanese Covered Bridge and the Fujian Assembly Hall. Book a lantern-making workshop at Reaching Out or a local craft workshop (~£7-10), then browse the Museum of Folk Culture if you want more depth. Book a VietJet/Vietnam Airlines flight Da Nang–Hanoi (~£40-55, ~1h20) or catch the overnight sleeper train (~£28-38) — flight is faster if you've only got 14 days. In Hanoi, stay in the Old Quarter (~£14-18).
🚌Hoi An–Da Nang transfer (~£5) + flight DAD–HAN (~£47) + Hanoi airport bus 86 (~£1.5)
🛏Hostel/guesthouse private room, Hanoi Old Quarter (~£16)
- →Japanese Covered Bridge
- →Tan Ky Old House
- →Fujian Assembly Hall
- →Lantern-making workshop
- →Flight to Hanoi
Ha Long Bay overnight cruise
Ha Long Bay
Book a budget-to-midrange overnight cruise online (Klook or the operator's own site) — 3-star junk with transfer, meals, kayaking and cave visit runs ~£90-130 per person all-in, or ~£150+ for the nicer boats the original tour uses. Shared shuttle from Hanoi Old Quarter around 8am, lunch on board, kayak and swim among the limestone islets, visit a cave (Sung Sot or similar) and watch the sunset from the sundeck. Dinner and night on board in a twin cabin.
🚌Shared shuttle from Hanoi (included in cruise price)
🛏Overnight cabin on a 3-star Ha Long Bay cruise (~£110 including meals, transfer and activities)
- →Ha Long Bay cruise
- →Kayaking and swimming
- →Cave visit
- →Sunset on deck
Ha Long Bay back to Hanoi
Hanoi
Tai chi on deck or an early swim, breakfast, then cruise back to the harbour and shuttle to Hanoi by mid-afternoon. Check back into the Old Quarter. Spend the evening on a self-guided street food crawl: bun cha, pho, banh mi and egg coffee around Ta Hien and Hang Bac. Many hostels run free city walking tours in the morning if you arrive with time to spare.
🚌Shuttle included in cruise; walking in Hanoi
🛏Hostel/guesthouse private room, Old Quarter (~£16)
- →Morning on Ha Long Bay
- →Return shuttle to Hanoi
- →Old Quarter street food crawl
- →Optional free hostel walking tour
Hanoi countryside: tea, village and cooking class
Hanoi / Moc village area
Book a small-group countryside day trip on Klook or GetYourGuide (~£28-40) covering a tea plantation visit, tea production workshop, a village walk with local craft stops, paddy-field cycling and a Vietnamese cooking class with lunch. Many trips end with a traditional herbal foot soak — the budget equivalent of the original tour's Moc village day. Alternatively arrange a private local guide for ~£45 if you want more flexibility.
🚌Included in day-tour cost
🛏Hostel/guesthouse private room, Old Quarter (~£16)
- →Tea plantation and tea production workshop
- →Village walk and craft workshops
- →Rice-paddy cycling
- →Vietnamese cooking class and lunch
- →Herb foot soak
Hanoi and departure
Hanoi
Last morning for souvenir shopping at Dong Xuan Market or the weekend night market streets, and a final bowl of pho. Take bus 86 or a Grab to Noi Bai International Airport (~£1.5 bus / ~£10-12 Grab) — allow 45-60 minutes in traffic. If you have a late flight, squeeze in Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum or the Temple of Literature (~£2).
🚌Bus 86 or Grab to Noi Bai Airport (~£3)
🛏None (departure day)
- →Dong Xuan Market shopping
- →Temple of Literature or Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
- →Transfer to Noi Bai Airport
Self-launched vs. Responsible Asia
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Responsible Asia | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,020 | £1,420 |
| Duration | 14 days | 14 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £400 per person (28%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Responsible Asia-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,020
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched Cambodia & Vietnam: Temples, Delta and Ha Long Bay in 14 Days cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,020 per person for 14 days in Cambodia & Vietnam. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Responsible Asia?+
Yes — Responsible Asia charges around £1,420 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,020 — a saving of roughly £400 (28%) per person.
How long is the Cambodia & Vietnam trip?+
This itinerary runs 14 days, covering 14 day-by-day stops through Cambodia & Vietnam.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, adventure, foodie trip through Cambodia & Vietnam, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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