South of Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong, Da Lat & Nha Trang — Self-Launched
8 days · Southern Vietnam
Bravo Indochina Tours charges £860
No-markup version: ~£300 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A DIY version of Bravo Indochina Tours' 8-day southern Vietnam loop — Saigon street food and history, a Mekong Delta boat day, the cool highland town of Da Lat, and beach time in Nha Trang — using hostel/guesthouse stays and local transport instead of a guided minibus package. Public buses, the sleeper train and self-booked day tours cover everything the group tour includes, at roughly a third of the price. Costs are approximate backpacker/budget-traveller estimates in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Land at Tan Son Nhat Airport and take the public bus 109 or 152 (about £0.50-£1) or a Grab motorbike/car (roughly £3-£5) to District 1. Stay in a hostel or budget guesthouse around Bui Vien or Pham Ngu Lao backpacker quarter. Spend the evening wandering the city, trying pho or banh mi, and watching motorbike traffic flow past the Notre Dame Cathedral and the colonial-era post office exterior at dusk.
🚌Public bus 109/152 from airport, ~£1
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, District 1 (approx. £10-14)
- →Airport transfer via public bus 109/152 or Grab
- →Evening walk around District 1 and Bui Vien
- →Street food dinner (pho, banh mi)
Ho Chi Minh City highlights + Cu Chi Tunnels
Ho Chi Minh City
Book a half-day Cu Chi Tunnels tour through GetYourGuide or Klook (around £18-£25 including entry and transport) — most depart at 8am and return by early afternoon. Your guide covers what the original tour's guided sightseeing would. Back in the city, self-explore the Reunification Palace (~£2.50), War Remnants Museum (~£1.50), Jade Emperor Pagoda (free), Ben Thanh Market and the Dong Khoi area on foot. Entry fees are tiny, so do these independently rather than paying for a guided walk.
🚌Walk and Grab within District 1
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, District 1 (approx. £10-14)
- →Half-day Cu Chi Tunnels tour (GetYourGuide/Klook)
- →War Remnants Museum
- →Reunification Palace
- →Jade Emperor Pagoda
- →Ben Thanh Market
Mekong Delta day trip (My Tho & Ben Tre)
Mekong Delta
Book an independent small-group or join-in Mekong Delta day tour via Klook or GetYourGuide (about £20-£28, usually including lunch, boat rides and fruit tasting). You'll get the same experience the group tour includes: Unicorn Island, sampan rides through coconut canals, orchard walk and fruit tasting, a traditional music performance, Ben Tre coconut candy workshop and Vinh Trang Pagoda. Alternatively, take a local bus to My Tho (~£2) and negotiate a boat trip at the dock — cheaper but more legwork. Return to Saigon in the evening.
🚌Join-in tour minibus, or local bus to My Tho (~£2 each way)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, District 1 (approx. £10-14)
- →Boat tour through Mekong canals
- →Unicorn Island visit
- →Orchard stroll and fruit tasting
- →Traditional music performance
- →Ben Tre coconut candy workshop
- →Vinh Trang Pagoda
Overnight bus or train to Da Lat
Da Lat
Take a sleeper bus to Da Lat (Phuong Trang/Futa or similar, roughly £9-£14, about 8 hours, departing mid-morning or overnight) or the train to Thap Cham plus shuttle if you prefer rail. Arrive in the cool highlands and check into a guesthouse or hostel near Xuan Huong Lake. Spend the afternoon strolling Da Lat town — the French colonial villas, the lake promenade and the night market where you can eat banh xeo and grilled skewers cheaply.
🚌Sleeper bus Saigon–Da Lat, ~£10-14
🛏Hostel or guesthouse near Xuan Huong Lake (approx. £10-16)
- →Sleeper bus to Da Lat
- →Afternoon walk around Da Lat town and Xuan Huong Lake
- →Da Lat night market food crawl
Da Lat countryside: Crazy House, rail station, Cham towers
Da Lat
Rent a motorbike (about £5-£7/day, international licence recommended) or hire a Grab driver for the day, and hit the classic Da Lat spots yourself: Hang Nga Guesthouse (Crazy House, ~£2 entry), the old Da Lat rail station, Lam Ty Ni Pagoda, Emperor Bao Dai's summer residence, Da Lat central market, then the scenic run over Ngoan Muc Pass toward Ninh Son to see the Po Klong Jarai Cham Towers. Return to Da Lat for the evening. In the late afternoon take a sleeper bus or shared car on to Nha Trang (roughly £7-£10, about 4 hours).
🚌Motorbike rental or Grab day hire (~£7), then Da Lat–Nha Trang bus ~£8
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Nha Trang beach area (approx. £10-16)
- →Crazy House (Hang Nga Guesthouse)
- →Da Lat old railway station
- →Lam Ty Ni Pagoda
- →Emperor Bao Dai summer residence
- →Da Lat central market
- →Ngoan Muc Pass drive and Po Klong Jarai Cham Towers
Nha Trang island boat trip + city pagodas
Nha Trang
Book a join-in coastal island boat trip in Nha Trang harbour (about £15-£22 with lunch, snorkelling gear and a fishing village stop) — either at the dock or via Klook. You'll get snorkelling, swimming, a seafood lunch and beach time, matching the group-tour day. Back on land, walk or Grab to Long Son Pagoda (free) and the Ponagar Cham Towers (~£1) in the late afternoon, then hit the beach promenade and night market for dinner.
🚌Walk/Grab locally
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Nha Trang (approx. £10-16)
- →Island-hopping boat trip with snorkelling
- →Fishing village visit
- →Seafood lunch
- →Long Son Pagoda
- →Ponagar Cham Towers
- →Nha Trang beach evening
Nha Trang to Ho Chi Minh City
Nha Trang to Ho Chi Minh City
Swim early on Nha Trang Beach before checkout, then travel back south. The Reunification Express train from Nha Trang to Saigon takes about 8 hours (soft seat from roughly £12-£18, book on the Vietnam Railways site or at the station); alternatively a sleeper bus is around £10-£14, or a cheap domestic flight with VietJet/Bamboo (often £25-£40 if booked ahead). Arrive Saigon in the evening, settle back into a District 1 hostel and grab a final bowl of pho.
🚌Reunification Express train ~£12-18 or sleeper bus ~£10-14
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, District 1 (approx. £10-14)
- →Early morning swim at Nha Trang Beach
- →Train or bus back to Ho Chi Minh City
- →Evening in District 1
Depart Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Depending on flight time, spend the morning at the Fine Arts Museum (~£1), the Ho Chi Minh City Museum, or browsing the shops on Dong Khoi and Nguyen Hue walking street. Bus or Grab back to Tan Son Nhat Airport for departure. If you have a late flight, book a hostel day room or leave luggage at your guesthouse.
🚌Public bus 109/152 or Grab to airport, ~£1-5
🛏None (departure day)
- →Fine Arts Museum or city museum
- →Nguyen Hue walking street
- →Transfer to Tan Son Nhat Airport
Self-launched vs. Bravo Indochina Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Bravo Indochina Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£300 | £860 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £560 per person (65%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Bravo Indochina Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£300
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 South of Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong, Da Lat & Nha Trang — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £300 per person for 8 days in Southern 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 Bravo Indochina Tours?+
Yes — Bravo Indochina Tours charges around £860 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £300 — a saving of roughly £560 (65%) per person.
How long is the Southern Vietnam trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Southern 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, beaches trip through Southern 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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