Self-Launched Indochina: Bangkok to Angkor (Bangkok → Chiang Mai → Luang Prabang → Hanoi → Ha Long Bay → Ho Chi Minh City → Phnom Penh → Siem Reap)

Land at Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang and take the Airport Rail Link (45 THB / ~£1) plus the BTS Skytrain, or a metered taxi (~350-450 THB / £8-10) to your hostel near Khao San or in Silom. Complete your Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) online within 3 days of arrival — it's free. Spend the evening on a wander: grab a bowl of boat noodles or pad thai from a street stall (60-80 THB), and pick up a Thai SIM/eSIM at the airport (AIS or True, ~£7 for 15GB). Book tomorrow's klong boat and cooking class ahead via Klook or GetYourGuide.

🚌Airport Rail Link + BTS ~£1-2

🛏Hostel dorm or private room, Khao San / Silom area, £10-16

• →TDAC arrival card
• →Thai SIM card
• →Evening street-food wander

Beat the heat with an early start. Book a Chao Phraya Express boat (16 THB) and hire a longtail boat from Tha Chang or Tha Tien pier for a one-hour run through the Thonburi klongs (~600-800 THB per boat, split between travellers = £4-6 each) — you'll pass stilt houses, temples and monitor lizards. Then visit the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew (500 THB / £11, shoulders and knees covered — sarongs rent for 100 THB). Optional afternoon: Wat Pho's reclining Buddha (200 THB) and a £5 Thai massage at Wat Pho's school. Evening: sleeper train to Chiang Mai, departing Krung Thep Aphiwat around 18:10 and arriving ~07:15 (2nd-class upper berth ~800-900 THB / £18-20).

🚌Longtail boat hire ~£5 pp share; sleeper train Bangkok–Chiang Mai ~£19

🛏Overnight sleeper train, 2nd class

• →Thonburi klong longtail boat
• →Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaew
• →Wat Pho reclining Buddha

Arrive early and drop bags at your guesthouse in the Old City. Mid-morning, join a half-day market-to-table cooking class — book direct with a school like Thai Farm Cooking School, Pantawan or Sammy's (1,000-1,300 THB / £22-28 including market tour, five dishes and lunch). In the afternoon visit Wat Suan Dok (free) and sit in on the Sunday-weekly 'Monk Chat' programme (free, donations welcome) to talk with young monks about daily life and Buddhism. Late afternoon, songthaew (red truck, 50 THB) up to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep (30 THB entry) for the sunset chanting and the gilded chedi — agree your return fare (~150 THB) before boarding.

🚌Songthaews ~£5 total

🛏Guesthouse near the Old City, £10-15

• →Thai cooking class with market tour
• →Monk Chat at Wat Suan Dok
• →Wat Phra That Doi Suthep & sunset chanting

Full free day. Good options: cycle the rice paddies and lanes of the Old City (bike hire 50-100 THB, or a guided cycling tour ~1,500 THB); or take a songthaew to Baan Tawai craft village; or simply temple-hop Wat Chedi Luang (50 THB) and Wat Phra Singh (50 THB) with cold khao soi breaks. In the evening, book a khantoke dinner, served on low pedestal trays with dancing — Old Chiang Mai Cultural Centre is the classic, 600-800 THB / £13-18 including set menu and performances. Finish at the Sunday Walking Street or Night Bazaar for cheap eats and shopping.

🚌Songthaews / bicycle hire ~£4

🛏Guesthouse near the Old City, £10-15

• →Old City temple hop or cycling tour
• →Khantoke dinner with dance performance
• →Night market

Fly Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang (Lao Airlines or Thai AirAsia via Bangkok; one-way from ~£60-90 if booked 4-6 weeks ahead; visa on arrival is available at the airport — this itinerary budgets an e-visa online instead). Transfer to town (~50,000 kip / £4 shared tuk-tuk). Settle into a riverside guesthouse in the UNESCO-listed peninsula, then walk the spine: Wat Sensoukharam, the quiet lanes, and a sunset beer on the Mekong at one of the bamboo-deck bars. Eat laap and sticky rice for dinner (~40,000 kip).

🚌Flight Chiang Mai–Luang Prabang ~£75; tuk-tuk 50,000 kip

🛏Guesthouse in the peninsula, Luang Prabang, £12-18

• →Luang Prabang orientation walk
• →Mount Phousi sunset
• →Mekong riverside evening

Set an alarm for ~05:45 to watch the daily tak bat almsgiving along Sisavangvong Road — observe respectfully from a distance, don't follow with a camera flash, and if you'd like to offer sticky rice buy it from a street vendor rather than pre-packaged tourist sets. Later, visit the Royal Palace National Museum (30,000 kip) and Wat Xieng Thong (20,000 kip). Midday, take a public slow boat downriver to the Pak Ou caves (boat share from the Mekong pier ~150,000-200,000 kip per boat, or a group tour ~£10) — thousands of Buddha statues in limestone chambers. Optional 4pm stop at the Ock Pop Tok weaving centre (free entry, just outside town).

🚌Slow boat share to Pak Ou ~£10

🛏Guesthouse in the peninsula, Luang Prabang, £12-18

• →Tak bat morning almsgiving
• →Royal Palace National Museum
• →Wat Xieng Thong
• →Pak Ou caves boat trip

Share a songthaew or a minivan from the central bus station to Kuang Si (30,000-50,000 kip each way, ~45 min). Entry is 60,000 kip (~£5); go early to have the turquoise pools to yourself, and stop at the free Tat Kuang Si rescue centre for Asiatic black bears on the way in. Rather than the G-for-Good community visit, drop into one of the village-run cooking/lunch spots near the falls for a set Lao lunch (~£5) run by local families — a genuine and low-cost way to put money in the community. Return to town for a coffee-shop afternoon, then the night market.

🚌Shared songthaew to Kuang Si return ~£8

🛏Guesthouse in the peninsula, Luang Prabang, £12-18

• →Kuang Si falls & turquoise pools
• →Bear rescue centre
• →Village lunch
• →Night market

Free morning for a slow breakfast and last shopping. Fly Luang Prabang to Hanoi in the late afternoon (Lao Airlines/Vietnam Airlines direct ~£65-100; the overland alternative is 24+ hours via Dien Bien Phu, so flying is the sane call). Complete Vietnam's online Pre-Arrival Declaration within 3 days of arrival and sort your Vietnam e-visa in advance (~£20, apply 1-2 weeks ahead). Grab a Grab (or metered taxi) from Noi Bai to your Old Quarter hostel (~350,000 dong / £11). Evening: beer hoi at a Bia Hoi junction and bun cha for ~£3.

🚌Flight Luang Prabang–Hanoi ~£80; airport transfer 350,000 dong

🛏Hostel dorm, Old Quarter, Hanoi, £7-12

• →Hanoi Old Quarter evening
• →Bia Hoi corner

Visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex early (see the preserved body 07:30-10:30, free, closed Mondays and Fridays; shoulders/knees covered) along with the stilt house and One Pillar Pagoda. Then pick up a shuttle from the Old Quarter for a two-day, one-night Ha Long Bay or Bai Tu Long Bay cruise — book online via Klook or GetYourGuide (~£90-120 pp for a boat with a cabin, kayaking, meals and transfers; cheaper if you accept a slightly older boat). Lunch on board, then kayaking through karst lagoons (~£7) and a sunset on the top deck. The self-launched alternative that mirrors the original's shared-boat night is a boat with a shared cabin (book early to specify).

🚌Shuttle Hanoi–Ha Long and back (included in cruise)

🛏Cabin aboard a Ha Long / Bai Tu Long Bay boat

• →Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
• →Overnight Ha Long Bay cruise
• →Sea kayaking

Cruise back through breakfast and a cave stop, disembarking around midday and returning to Hanoi by ~16:00. Book a cyclo tour of the Old Quarter through your hostel or a hotel desk (~150,000-250,000 dong / £5-8 for an hour) — the original's cyclo loop replaced with the identical experience for a few pounds. Alternatively take a Vietnamese cooking class or the Hanoi Foodie tour (~£20) if you fancy a guided eat-around. Evening: bia hoi and bun cha, or a walk around Hoan Kiem Lake and the night market on weekends.

🚌Shuttle included; cyclo ~£6

🛏Hostel dorm, Old Quarter, Hanoi, £7-12

• →Old Quarter cyclo tour
• →Optional food tour
• →Hoan Kiem Lake evening

Morning free in Hanoi — check out the Temple of Literature (£1.50), Hoa Lo Prison (£1.50) or the Women's Museum. Midday flight Vietnam Airlines/VietJet Hanoi–Saigon (~£45-65 one way, 20kg checked bag included on VNA). Land in Saigon and Grab to District 1 (~150,000 dong). Wander District 1: Notre Dame Cathedral exterior, the Central Post Office, and back-alley pho for dinner (~£2). Optional cyclo ride through the dusk traffic (~£5).

🚌Flight ~£55; Grab 150,000 dong

🛏Hostel dorm, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, £7-12

• →Temple of Literature or Hoa Lo Prison
• →Saigon District 1 walk
• →Cyclo ride

Take a half-day group minibus tour to the Cu Chi tunnels (book via Klook or GetYourGuide, ~£18-25 pp including transport, guide and entry) — crawl through the widened sections, see the kitchens and ammunition stores, and try the shooting range if that's your thing. Back in town by mid-afternoon, visit the War Remnants Museum (40,000 dong) — give yourself two hours, it's powerful. Finish with the Reunification Palace (£2) or Ben Thanh Market bargaining practice, and dinner at a banh mi stall or Bun Bo Hue spot.

🚌Included in Cu Chi tour; Grab ~£2

🛏Hostel dorm, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, £7-12

• →Cu Chi tunnels tour
• →War Remnants Museum
• →Reunification Palace
• →Ben Thanh Market

Take an early morning Mekong Express or Giant Ibis bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh (~$15-20 / £13-16, 6 hours, book via 12Go or direct — Giant Ibis includes Wi-Fi and water). Cambodian visa on arrival at the border is $30 plus passport photos, or get the e-visa in advance online (~£26) and complete the e-Arrival form within 7 days. Arrive mid-afternoon; check into a riverside guesthouse near Sisowath Quay, then take a cyclo tour from Wat Phnom past the post office and colonial facades to the Royal Palace exterior (~$8-10 / £7-8). Evening beers at the FCC or a street-side Khmer BBQ.

🚌Bus HCMC–Phnom Penh ~£15; cyclo ~£8

🛏Guesthouse near Sisowath Quay, Phnom Penh, £8-14

• →Mekong Express / Giant Ibis bus
• →Cyclo tour of the colonial quarter
• →Riverside evening

A sober day. Morning at Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21): entry $5, and crucially the audio guide (~$3-5) is what turns the wall photographs into stories — self-book direct at the gate rather than paying a tour markup. After lunch, tuk-tuk out to Choeung Ek (entry $6, audio guide included, ~20 min, $10-12 return tuk-tuk) for the Killing Fields memorial. Take it slowly and plan something light for the evening — dinner and a wander along Sisowath Quay, or the Night Market for cheap Khmer food.

🚌Tuk-tuk to Choeung Ek return ~£8

🛏Guesthouse near Sisowath Quay, Phnom Penh, £8-14

• →Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum with audio guide
• →Choeung Ek Killing Fields
• →Riverside evening

Take the morning Giant Ibis or Mekong Express bus from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap (~$15 / £12, 6-7 hours; the 10:30 departure gets you in for a late-afternoon arrival). Check into a guesthouse around Wat Bo or Sok San Road, then walk the Old Market and Pub Street area for a feel of the town. Book Phare, the Cambodian Circus, for this evening — tickets $18-35 depending on seat (~£15-28), an extraordinary acrobatics and storytelling performance by young Cambodian artists, bought directly on Phare's site.

🚌Bus Phnom Penh–Siem Reap ~£12; tuk-tuks ~£4

🛏Guesthouse, Siem Reap, £8-14

• →Bus to Siem Reap
• →Old Market & Pub Street
• →Phare Cambodian Circus

Buy a 3-day Angkor pass ($62 / £50; cheaper than three separate days and covers both today and tomorrow plus one more if you want a slower second day). Leave at 04:45 with a hired tuk-tuk driver for the day (~$25-30 for three temples, agree a fixed price; a group tour via Klook runs ~£20-25 for the small circuit with a guide). Catch sunrise at Angkor Wat from the north pool, then explore the temple itself, move on to the face towers of Bayon, and finish the tree-strangled courtyards of Ta Prohm. Spend the afternoon recovering by a pool or exploring Siem Reap's cafés, and book a sustainable-training-restaurant lunch in town — Siem Reap has several (Sala Bai, Marum); a set lunch is ~£5-8.

🚌Private tuk-tuk for the day ~£20 split; Angkor 3-day pass £50

🛏Guesthouse, Siem Reap, £8-14

• →Angkor Wat sunrise
• →Bayon
• →Ta Prohm
• →Training-restaurant lunch

Take your tuk-tuk driver further out today (~$35-40 the longer circuit) to Banteay Srei, the pink-sandstone temple with the finest carvings in Angkor, plus Banteay Samre and then the grand circuit's Preah Khan, Neak Pean and Pre Rup for sunset over the jungle. If you'd prefer a guide, a private guide for the day can be booked via GetYourGuide for ~£25-35 and shares the history properly. Evening: an optional tuk-tuk out to Tonle Sap's floating village (~$25-30, £20-25) or simply a rooftop beer and a Khmer curry back in town.

🚌Tuk-tuk grand circuit ~£28 split; optional Tonle Sap

🛏Guesthouse, Siem Reap, £8-14

• →Banteay Srei
• →Preah Khan
• →Pre Rup sunset
• →Optional Tonle Sap floating village

A final slow morning: coffee and a pastry at a Siem Reap roastery, last-minute shopping at the Old Market (pepper, silk, Cambodian coffee), and a tuk-tuk to Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport (~$12-15). International departure flights are not included in the estimate. If you have a spare day, your 3-day Angkor pass still has a free day on it — Angkor Thom's Terrace of the Elephants and the quieter temples are worth it.

🚌Tuk-tuk to airport ~£10

🛏Departure day (no night booked)

• →Old Market shopping
• →Departure