Southern Vietnam 4-Day Essence — Self-Launched
4 days · Southern Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta, Cu Chi)
Hoi An Express charges £180
No-markup version: ~£122 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched take on Hoi An Express's 4-day Southern Vietnam highlights loop, based in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). You'll do the Mekong Delta (My Tho & Ben Tre) and the Cu Chi Tunnels as bookable day tours from GetYourGuide/Klook or direct with local operators, and explore the city's key sights on foot and by Grab. Staying in District 1 hostels or budget guesthouses instead of a 3-star hotel package, with all transport, food and tours arranged yourself, you can do the same route for roughly a third of the tour price — and keep your evenings free in Saigon's excellent street-food scene.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Saigon — District 1 orientation
Ho Chi Minh City
Land at Tan Son Nhat (SGN) and get to District 1 either by Grab bike (~£2-3 / 60-90k VND, 25-40 min) or the yellow bus 109/152 (~£0.50, slower but fine with a backpack). Check into a hostel or budget guesthouse around Bui Vien / Pham Ngu Lao or the calmer Da Kao area. Spend the late afternoon walking the central loop on your own: Ben Thanh Market, the colonial-era Notre Dame Cathedral and Old Post Office (both free to view from outside), the Reunification Palace (entry ~£2 / 65k VND if you go inside before 4pm) and the War Remnants Museum (~£1.70 / 40k VND) if time allows — otherwise save it for Day 3. Evening: dinner at a bia hoi or street stall (com tam, bun thit nuong, banh xeo) for £3-5, then a rooftop drink if you fancy it. Book your two day tours tonight for the next two mornings — most operators pick up from District 1 hotels/hostels.
🚌Grab bike from airport ~£2-3, or bus 109 ~£0.50; walking and Grab within District 1
🛏Hostel dorm in District 1 (~£8-12/night) or private budget guesthouse room (~£15-20)
- →Airport transfer by Grab or local bus 109/152
- →Self-guided walk: Ben Thanh Market, Notre Dame Cathedral, Old Post Office, Reunification Palace
- →Street-food dinner around Bui Vien / District 1
Mekong Delta day trip — My Tho & Ben Tre
Mekong Delta (My Tho, Ben Tre) / Ho Chi Minh City
Join a small-group or standard Mekong Delta day tour booked online via GetYourGuide or Klook (~£18-28 per person including lunch, boat rides and hotel pickup) — or book directly with a District 1 travel agent the night before, often slightly cheaper. The classic route mirrors the operator's: drive ~2 hours to My Tho, visit Vinh Trang Pagoda, board a wooden boat on the Mekong, stop on an island for honey tea and a short traditional music performance, paddle a sampan through the narrow coconut-palm canals, and see coconut candy being made. Lunch is typically elephant-ear fish or a set Vietnamese menu — included on most tours. You're back in Saigon around 5-6pm. If you'd rather slow-travel it, you can also take a local bus to My Tho (~£1.50, 2 hrs) and arrange a boat locally, but the day tour is the hassle-free and genuinely cheap option. Evening free in Saigon.
🚌Minibus pickup included in day tour (or public bus to My Tho ~£1.50 if self-organising)
🛏Same District 1 hostel/guesthouse
- →Small-group Mekong Delta tour (GetYourGuide/Klook)
- →Vinh Trang Pagoda
- →Mekong boat cruise, honey tea & traditional music
- →Sampan paddle through coconut canals
- →Coconut candy workshop visit
Cu Chi Tunnels + city history on your own
Cu Chi / Ho Chi Minh City
Take a half-day Cu Chi Tunnels tour (~£15-22 including the ~£4.50 site ticket and transport, bookable on GetYourGuide/Klook or direct with local operators — go for the morning departure to beat the heat and crowds). Alternatively, DIY it: local bus 13 from Ben Thanh to Cu Chi town (~£0.70, 1.5 hrs) + taxi to the tunnels, then pay the ~£4.50 entry on arrival — cheapest but slower. Afternoon back in Saigon: visit the War Remnants Museum (~£1.70), then walk to Thien Hau Pagoda in Cho Lon (Chinatown) — free, and much quieter than the central sights; combine it with a wander through Binh Tay Market. Finish the day with a cheap banh mi dinner (£1.50) or a proper pho bowl (£2-3).
🚌Tour minibus included, or bus 13 + local taxi for DIY version; Grab around the city ~£1-2 per hop
🛏Same District 1 hostel/guesthouse
- →Cu Chi Tunnels half-day tour
- →War Remnants Museum
- →Thien Hau Pagoda & Cho Lon wander
- →Binh Tay Market
Last Saigon morning & departure
Ho Chi Minh City
No guide, no fixed schedule — use the morning for anything you missed: a Vietnamese coffee at a local cafe (Cong Caphe or a plastic-stool spot), the Fine Arts Museum (~£1.20), or a wander through the French Quarter. Check out by 11-12 and leave bags at the hostel. Grab bike to Tan Son Nhat (~£2-3) leaving 2.5-3 hours before an international flight, or the bus 109 (~£0.50) if you're on a budget. If your flight is late, a cheap airport-side day room or a cafe near the airport works fine.
🚌Grab bike to SGN ~£2-3, or public bus 109 ~£0.50
🛏None (checkout day)
- →Vietnamese coffee & cafe morning
- →Optional Fine Arts Museum or French Quarter walk
- →Airport transfer by Grab or bus 109
Self-launched vs. Hoi An Express
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Hoi An Express | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£122 | £180 |
| Duration | 4 days | 4 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £58 per person (32%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Hoi An Express-style trips? Check them out here.~£122
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.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does Southern Vietnam 4-Day Essence — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £122 per person for 4 days in Southern Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta, Cu Chi). 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 Hoi An Express?+
Yes — Hoi An Express charges around £180 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £122 — a saving of roughly £58 (32%) per person.
How long is the Southern Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta, Cu Chi) trip?+
This itinerary runs 4 days, covering 4 day-by-day stops through Southern Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta, Cu Chi).
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, foodie, budget trip through Southern Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta, Cu Chi), 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?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.