Thailand, Laos & Vietnam Adventure — Self-Launched

Land at Suvarnabhumi (BKK) or Don Mueang (DMK). Complete your Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) online within 3 days of arrival — it's mandatory since May 2025. Airport Rail Link to Phaya Thai (~60 THB / £1.40), then a metered taxi or the Chao Phraya boat up to Banglamphu. Check into a Khao San-adjacent guesthouse (soi Rambuttri is calmer than Khao San itself). Evening: street-food crawl — pad thai, mango sticky rice, a cold Chang. Sort your Wat Pho and Doi Suthep plans, and book your sleeper train ticket for tomorrow night at any travel agent on Khao San or online via the State Railway of Thailand (12Go Asia is the easy English option).

🚌Airport Rail Link ~£1.40 + taxi/boat ~£2

🛏Guesthouse private room or dorm, Banglamphu (Khao San / Rambuttri area) — £12-18

• →Airport Rail Link + boat into the old town
• →Khao San / Rambuttri street food evening
• →Book sleeper train ticket to Chiang Mai

Morning: longtail boat through the Thonburi klongs — walk down to Tha Chang or Tha Tien pier and charter a boat for 1-2 hours (1,000-1,500 THB per boat, split with anyone you meet at the pier, or £20-25 solo). Then Wat Pho (300 THB entrance) for the Reclining Buddha and a legit Thai massage at the temple's own massage school (~400 THB/hour). Optional: Grand Palace (500 THB) and the National Museum (200 THB) if you have energy. Early evening head to Hua Lamphong/Krung Thep Aphiwat station for the ~18:10 sleeper to Chiang Mai — 2nd class air-con sleeper lower berth ~900-1,100 THB (£20-25). Bring snacks and water; the train food is edible but meh.

🚌Longtail boat ~£5-8 share + sleeper train ~£22

🛏Overnight sleeper train, 2nd class air-con berth — £22

• →Longtail klong boat charter (Thonburi canals)
• →Wat Pho reclining Buddha + temple massage
• →Optional Grand Palace & National Museum
• →Overnight sleeper train to Chiang Mai

Arrive Chiang Mai mid-morning; drop bags at a guesthouse in the old city (soi around Moon Muang Road). Get a red songthaew up to Doi Suthep (40-60 THB each way, or ~£8 return if you hire one privately) — 306 steps up the naga staircase, 30 THB entrance, huge city views. Afternoon back in the old city: Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh, and a wander through the Sunday Walking Street if your timing lands on a Sunday. Evening options: a Northern Thai cooking class (~900-1,200 THB / £21-28, book day-of via Klook or the school directly) or the night bazaar and street food on Chang Klan Road.

🚌Songthaews ~£3-4

🛏Old city guesthouse, Chiang Mai — £10-15

• →Songthaew to Doi Suthep temple
• →Old city temple walk (Chedi Luang, Phra Singh)
• →Optional Northern Thai cooking class
• →Night bazaar street food

Take a public bus from Chiang Mai Arcade Terminal to Chiang Rai (~3.5 hrs, 250-400 THB). At Chiang Rai's bus station grab a songthaew or local bus to Wat Rong Khun, the White Temple (~20-30 mins, ~100 THB return — the temple itself is free, small donation expected). Then a local bus or songthaew on to Chiang Khong on the Mekong (~2 hrs), arriving late afternoon. Book a guesthouse overlooking the river and your slow boat ticket for tomorrow through your guesthouse (standard practice in Chiang Khong — roughly 1,100-1,400 THB for the two-day Pakbeng slow boat, or £20-26). Eat at the riverside night market with Laos visible across the water.

🚌Two public buses ~£10-12 + songthaews ~£3

🛏Riverside guesthouse, Chiang Khong — £9-13

• →Public bus Chiang Mai → Chiang Rai
• →Wat Rong Khun (White Temple)
• →Local bus to Chiang Khong on the Mekong
• →Book two-day slow boat to Luang Prabang

Clear Thai immigration at the Friendship Bridge IV / river crossing early (arrive 8am-ish — the boat leaves around 9-10am and won't wait). Laos visa on arrival for most nationalities (~$40 / £32 for UK/EU; bring a passport photo and clean USD notes — no tears). Lao PDR immigration card must be completed online within 3 days of arrival. Then it's the slow boat: ~6-7 hours down the Mekong to Pakbeng on a long wooden boat with bench seats. Buy snacks, water and a beer before boarding. In Pakbeng, swap the guesthouse for a village homestay up the hill — host families in the surrounding villages welcome walk-ins via Pakbeng's homestay association (~£8-12 a night with dinner) or ask at the boat landing. Traditional Lao dinner with your host family, typically sticky rice, laap and river fish.

🚌Slow boat two-day ticket ~£22 (paid in Chiang Khong)

🛏Village homestay, Pakbeng — £10 including dinner

• →Thai–Lao border crossing, Laos visa on arrival
• →Full-day Mekong slow boat
• →Village homestay with local family dinner

Second day of the slow boat, ~7-8 hours. Boat stops mid-afternoon at the Pak Ou caves — the 'cave of a thousand Buddhas', crammed with thousands of Buddha images. Entrance 20,000 kip (~£1.70); the boat usually waits or you take the next one (boats pass every 20-30 mins). Arrive Luang Prabang at dusk. Walk 10 mins from the boat pier to the peninsula old town and find a guesthouse on a quiet side street (Ban Xieng Mouane / Sisavangvong area). Dinner at a Mekong-side restaurant — Luang Prabang sausage and or lam stew.

🚌Included in slow boat ticket

🛏Guesthouse, Luang Prabang old town peninsula — £11-16

• →Continue Mekong slow boat
• →Pak Ou caves (thousands of Buddha statues)
• →Arrive Luang Prabang, old town evening

Early morning option: the alms-giving procession on Sisavangvong Road (~5:45am — watch respectfully from a distance, don't buy rice from touts). Then Ock Pop Tok Living Crafts Centre on the Mekong bank (free entry, ~10 min tuk-tuk or a 30-min walk) for a silk-weaving demo; the Traditional Arts & Ethnology Museum (20,000 kip) is a good 60-90 mins before lunch. Afternoon: shared tuk-tuk or minivan to Kuang Si waterfalls (~45 mins, 200,000 kip / £17 per vehicle return, or ~£4-5 per person in a shared songthaew) — entrance 60,000 kip (£5). Swim in the turquoise lower pools, walk up to the top tier. Optional lunch stop at the free-roaming Tat Kuang Si Bear Sanctuary at the entrance. Back for the night market (great for cheap textiles) and a Beerlao.

🚌Shared tuk-tuk/songthaew to Kuang Si ~£5

🛏Guesthouse, Luang Prabang — £11-16

• →Alms-giving procession (from a respectful distance)
• →Ock Pop Tok Living Crafts Centre
• →Traditional Arts & Ethnology Museum
• →Kuang Si waterfalls & bear sanctuary

Hire a bicycle (~30,000-50,000 kip / £3-5 a day) and cross the bamboo bridge to the quieter side of the Mekong, or ride out to Ban Xang Khong weaving village. Temple-hop: Wat Xieng Thong (20,000 kip), Wat Visoun and Wat Aham. Climb Mount Phousi for sunset (20,000 kip, ~300 steps) — go 45 mins early for a spot. Then a traditional Lao massage (~60,000-100,000 kip / £5-9) and dinner at a night-market food stall — a plate for 15,000-25,000 kip. If you want a splurge, the Royal Ballet Theatre performs excerpts of the Phralak Phralam epic most evenings (~$15).

🚌Bicycle hire ~£4

🛏Guesthouse, Luang Prabang — £11-16

• →Cycle hire & Mekong bamboo bridge
• →Wat Xieng Thong / Mount Phousi sunset climb
• →Traditional Lao massage
• →Night market food & Royal Ballet Theatre (optional)

Book the Lao-China high-speed train on the LCR app or at the station the day before (2nd class ~180,000-250,000 kip / £14-20; it sells out, so don't leave it to the morning). Note the 20kg luggage limit and no aerosols/vapes at security. Journey is only ~1 hour versus 5-6 on a bus. Arrive Vang Vieng and walk into town — guesthouses around the main street are £9-14. Afternoon: chill by the river or take a tuk-tuk to one of the blue lagoons (Blue Lagoon 3 is quieter, ~40,000 kip entrance). Sunset from a riverside bar with the karst peaks glowing orange.

🚌High-speed train ~£17 + tuk-tuk ~£4

🛏Vang Vieng guesthouse — £9-14

• →Lao high-speed train Luang Prabang → Vang Vieng
• →Blue Lagoon swim
• →Riverside sunset

Pick your adventure. Classic option: river tubing (~60,000 kip / £5 plus deposit) — still a thing, now calmer than the legend. Better: a guided kayak down the Nam Song with a lagoon stop (~$20-25 / £16-20, bookable through any guesthouse or Klook). If you want the bucket-list shot, sunrise hot-air balloon flights over the karst valley run ~$100-130 (£80-105) — pricey but genuinely spectacular. Non-adrenaline option: cycle to the Tham Chang cave (15,000 kip, plus a river swim) and the organic farms out on the west bank. Evening: pizza-and-cocktails street in the centre, or a quieter Lao BBQ spot on the riverbank.

🚌Local tuk-tuks ~£3

🛏Vang Vieng guesthouse — £9-14

• →Kayaking down the Nam Song with lagoon stops
• →Optional sunrise hot-air balloon flight
• →Tham Chang cave & cycling

Morning VIP bus or minivan to Vientiane (~3-4 hrs, 60,000-80,000 kip / £5-7; the high-speed train also runs but Vang Vieng's station is 5km out of town so the bus is simpler). Drop bags near the riverfront or Nam Phou. Afternoon: Wat Sisaket (~$1), Wat Pha That Luang — Laos' most sacred monument, 30,000 kip — and a stroll down to the Patuxai arch. If you're there late enough, the Buddha Park (Xieng Khouang) is 25km out and worth it for the weird concrete sculptures (~$5 tuk-tuk share). Sunset beers on the Mekong promenade, then an early night — you fly tomorrow and should pre-book the Vientiane → Hanoi flight (Bangkok Airways / Lao Airlines / Vietnam Airlines, typically £70-110 booked a few weeks out).

🚌Minivan ~£6

🛏Riverside guesthouse, Vientiane — £12-18

• →Bus to Vientiane
• →Wat Pha That Luang & Wat Sisaket
• →Mekong riverfront sunset
• →Confirm Vientiane–Hanoi flight

Short flight to Noi Bai (~1 hr 15). Complete Vietnam's online Pre-Arrival Declaration within 3 days of arrival if you're flying into Hanoi — mandatory since June 2026. Airport bus #86 from Noi Bai to Hanoi Railway Station for 45,000 VND (£1.40) — much cheaper than a taxi (~350,000 VND / £11). Check into a hostel or budget hotel in the Old Quarter (near Ma May or Hang Bac) — hostel dorm £6-9, private room £15-22. Evening: walk to Hoan Kiem Lake, see the red bridge at dusk, and do a bia hoi corner crawl (fresh draught beer ~7,000-10,000 VND a glass) with bun cha or pho for under £3. Book a Halong Bay overnight tour and your Cuc Phuong/coast trains for later.

🚌Airport bus ~£1.40

🛏Old Quarter hostel or budget hotel, Hanoi — £8-20

• →Flight to Hanoi
• →Old Quarter orientation walk
• →Hoan Kiem Lake & bia hoi corner

Free entry to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (closed Mon & Fri; go early, ~8am, dress code enforced — shoulders and knees covered). Then the One Pillar Pagoda and the Presidential Palace gardens. Walk to the Temple of Literature (30,000 VND), then cross to West Lake for Tran Quoc Pagoda — Vietnam's oldest, free entry, and worth it for the lake setting. Afternoon: Museum of Ethnology if you want more depth (~40,000 VND). Evening: Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre (100,000 VND / £3, book a front-row seat online via Klook or at the box office for the 6pm show). Dinner at a bun cha spot in the Old Quarter — the Obama/Bourdain one on Le Van Huu is fine, but any corner grill works.

🚌Walking + Grab bike ~£2

🛏Old Quarter hostel or budget hotel — £8-20

• →Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (free, closed Mon/Fri)
• →Temple of Literature
• →Tran Quoc Pagoda & West Lake
• →Thang Long water puppet show

Book a 2-day/1-night Halong or Lan Ha Bay cruise in advance via Klook or GetYourGuide — mid-range junk boats run $90-140 (£70-110) per person including transfers, all meals, kayaking and cave entry. Budget alternative: public bus to Haiphong or Halong City plus a day boat (~£35-45 all-in) but you'd miss the overnight. You'll be picked up in the Old Quarter around 8am, driven ~3 hrs to the harbour, then board for a seafood lunch on deck, kayaking through limestone karsts, a cave visit (Sung Sot or similar), sunset and dinner. Most boats are dry-ish but do sell beer.

🚌Minivan transfer from Hanoi — included

🛏Overnight on a junk boat, twin cabin — included in cruise price

• →Halong / Lan Ha Bay junk boat cruise
• →Sea kayaking among the karsts
• →Cave visit
• →Seafood lunch & dinner on deck

Morning tai chi on deck, brunch, then cruise back to harbour and the minivan to Hanoi, arriving mid-afternoon. You've got a few hours to kill: shower at the hostel, grab a banh mi, buy snacks and water for the train. The Reunification Express (SE1/SE3) leaves Hanoi around 19:30-20:00, arriving Hue ~10:00 the next morning — soft sleeper, 4-berth, roughly 1,000,000-1,300,000 VND (£32-42) booked on the Vietnam Railways site or 12Go Asia. Book a lower berth if possible. Sleeper compartments can be mixed gender and shared with non-travellers.

🚌Overnight train ~£37

🛏Overnight soft sleeper train, 4-berth — £37

• →Halong Bay morning cruise & return transfer
• →An afternoon in the Old Quarter
• →Overnight Reunification Express train to Hue

Arrive Hue late morning, drop bags at a guesthouse south of the Perfume River (~£10-15). Afternoon: the Imperial Citadel — the UNESCO-listed Nguyen dynasty walled fortress — entrance 200,000 VND (£6.50). Budget two hours for the courtyards, gates and palace ruins. Late afternoon, hire an easy-rider motorbike guide for a countryside loop (~$25-30 / £20-24 for a half day): Thien Mu Pagoda, the incense-making village, and one of the royal tombs (Tu Duc or Khai Dinh, ~150,000 VND each). Or cycle yourself — the roads are flat. Dinner: bun bo Hue, the city's own spicy noodle soup, for under £2.

🚌Grab / bicycle / motorbike guide ~£20

🛏Guesthouse, Hue — £10-15

• →Imperial Citadel self-guided tour
• →Thien Mu Pagoda
• →Easy-rider motorbike countryside loop
• →Royal tomb visit
• →Bun bo Hue street dinner

Best route: hire an easy rider or a car-and-driver for the Hai Van Pass — the Top Gear-famous mountain road — with photo stops at Lang Co lagoon and the pass summit (~$25-40 / £20-32 for the transfer, depending on whether you ride pillion or share a car). Cheaper but less fun: the public bus from Hue to Da Nang (~3 hrs, 100,000-150,000 VND), then a local bus or Grab the last 45 mins to Hoi An (~50,000 VND). Arrive Hoi An by late afternoon, check into a guesthouse in the old town or just across the river in An Hoi (~£10-16). Evening: lantern-lit wander, cao lau noodles, and the night market.

🚌Easy rider or car over the pass ~£25

🛏Guesthouse, Hoi An (old town or An Hoi) — £10-16

• →Hai Van Pass scenic transfer
• →Lang Co lagoon photo stop
• →Hoi An old town lantern walk

Morning: a Vietnamese cooking class with a market visit — the Oodles of Noodles-style experiences run around $25-35 (£20-28) and typically include a cyclo or basket-boat ride and a four-dish feast; book via Klook or turn up at any of the schools on Cam Nam island. Afternoon: Hoi An old town walking pass (120,000 VND / £4) covers five heritage sites — the Japanese Covered Bridge, a Chinese assembly hall, an old merchant house, a craft workshop. Get something made by a tailor (a shirt from ~£15-20, 24-hour turnaround) or just browse. Optional: hire a bicycle (~£2) and ride out to the rice paddies and An Bang beach for sunset.

🚌Bicycle rental ~£2

🛏Guesthouse, Hoi An — £10-16

• →Vietnamese cooking class with market visit
• →Hoi An old town heritage pass
• →Tailor fitting / An Bang beach cycle

Fastest: a Grab or shuttle to Da Nang airport (45 mins, ~£8-10) and a 1hr 20 flight to Saigon on VietJet/Bamboo (~£30-55 booked ahead — book before you fly out). Budget/overland alternative: the Reunification Express Da Nang → Saigon is 17-19 hours in soft sleeper (~£35-45) — only do it if you want the experience. Arrive Saigon, check into a hostel in District 1 near Pham Ngu Lao or Bui Vien (£7-10 dorm, £18-28 private). Evening: Bui Vien backpacker street for beers, or a quieter rooftop bar for the skyline. Banh mi for dinner is £1.50.

🚌Airport transfer ~£9 + flight ~£45

🛏Hostel or budget hotel, District 1, Saigon — £9-25

• →Transfer to Da Nang airport & flight to Saigon
• →District 1 orientation
• →Bui Vien street evening

Book a half-day Cu Chi tunnels tour through Klook or a District 1 agency (~$20-25 / £16-20 including transport, entrance and a guide — this one is genuinely worth a guide). Morning departure, ~1.5 hrs each way, crawl through the widened tunnel sections, see the trap displays and try the shooting range if that's your thing. Back in Saigon by early afternoon: the War Remnants Museum (40,000 VND — sobering and essential), Reunification Palace (65,000 VND), and the central post office & Notre Dame Cathedral facade. Evening: Ben Thanh night market for grilled skewers and a bia.

🚌Tour transport included

🛏Hostel or budget hotel, District 1 — £9-25

• →Cu Chi tunnels half-day guided tour
• →War Remnants Museum
• →Reunification Palace & central post office
• →Ben Thanh night market

Option A: a My Tho / Ben Tre Mekong Delta day tour (~$25-35 / £20-28 via Klook) — boat rides through coconut canals, a honey farm, a rowboat through the water palms and a local lunch. It's touristy but genuinely fun and easy. Option B: stay in the city — Cholon (Saigon's Chinatown) for Thien Hau Pagoda and Binh Tay market, an iced Vietnamese coffee at a proper cafe (the specialty coffee scene here is excellent), and a final massage (~£8-12). Either way, do your souvenir shopping today: Ben Thanh for coffee and cashews, or the boutiques on Dong Khoi for nicer things.

🚌Tour transport or Grab ~£5

🛏Hostel or budget hotel, District 1 — £9-25

• →Mekong Delta day tour (optional)
• →Cholon / Chinatown & Thien Hau Pagoda
• →Saigon specialty coffee & massage
• →Souvenir shopping

Last morning: a final pho and a ca phe sua da, a walk around the city before the heat hits, then bus 109 or a Grab to Tan Son Nhat airport (~£2-4; 30-45 mins, allow extra in traffic). If you've got time, the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum is a nice, quiet hour. Depart.

🚌Bus 109 or Grab to airport ~£3

🛏—

• →Final pho breakfast
• →Transfer to Tan Son Nhat airport