Ultimate Southeast Asia: Thailand, Vietnam & Cambodia (Self-Launched)

Land at Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang and take the Airport Rail Link (45฿, ~£1) plus BTS/MRT to a hostel in Banglamphu or Silom. Check in, then self-launch your own version of the welcome night: walk Yaowarat (Chinatown) from ~6pm eating your way along Soi Texas — grilled river prawns, oyster omelette, mango sticky rice — then grab a metered taxi or a Grab tuk-tuk back. Complete your Thailand Digital Arrival Card online within 3 days of arrival before you fly.

🚌Airport Rail Link + BTS/MRT ~£1.50; tuk-tuk home ~£2

🛏Hostel dorm, Banglamphu or Silom (~£12)

• →Yaowarat Chinatown street food crawl (self-guided)
• →Thailand TDAC e-arrival form (do in advance)

Beat the tour buses by taking the public Chao Phraya Express boat to Tha Chang, then hire a longtail boat at Tha Chang or Tha Tien pier for a 2-hour klong loop through Thonburi's canals (~1,200฿ per boat, split with hostelmates, ~£13 each). Lunch on boat noodles at a shop near Victory Monument. Mid-afternoon take the ordinary train from Thonburi station to Kanchanaburi (~100฿, 3 hrs) — one of Thailand's best cheap rail rides. Check into a guesthouse by the river; dinner at the night market by the bridge.

🚌Chao Phraya boat ~£1; longtail charter split ~£13; Thonburi–Kanchanaburi train ~£2.20

🛏River guesthouse dorm/private, Kanchanaburi (~£10)

• →Thonburi klongs longtail boat
• →Thonburi–Kanchanaburi third-class train

Rent a scooter (~250฿/day) or take a songthaew to Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum (~£1.50 entry by donation), walk the cutting trail, then catch the Nam Tok–Tham Krasae section of the Death Railway — the wooden viaduct stretch is the highlight (~100฿). Ride the train back to Kanchanaburi, then walk the Bridge over the River Kwai, the Thailand–Burma Railway Centre (~£3) and the Allied War Cemetery (free). Evening beers on the raft-house decks along the Kwai Noi.

🚌Scooter rental ~£6 shared/day; Death Railway train ~£2.20

🛏River guesthouse dorm/private, Kanchanaburi (~£10)

• →Hellfire Pass Memorial & walking trail
• →Death Railway ride via Tham Krasae viaduct
• →Bridge over the River Kwai & Railway Centre

Local bus or minivan Kanchanaburi–Suphan Buri–Ayutthaya (~250฿, ~3.5 hrs). Rent a bike at the guesthouses near the ruins (~60฿/day) and ride the highlight loop: Wat Mahathat (the Buddha head in the banyan roots), Wat Logayasutharam's reclining Buddha, then the ferry across to Wat Chai Wattanaram for sunset. Eat river prawns at the night market, then take a tuk-tuk to Ayutthaya station for the 2nd-class sleeper train to Chiang Mai (upper berth ~£20, departs ~20:00, arrives ~07:30 — book on the SRT D-Ticket app or 12Go a week ahead).

🚌Kanchanaburi–Ayutthaya local bus ~£5.50; bike hire ~£1.30; sleeper train ~£20

🛏Overnight sleeper train (2nd class, fan or AC)

• →Ayutthaya ruins cycling loop
• →Wat Chai Wattanaram sunset
• →Ayutthaya night market

Arrive early, take a red songthaew into the old town (~40฿), and start the day the northern way with khao soi for breakfast (~60฿). Check into a hostel inside the moat (Baan Kang Wat / Tha Phae area are both good). Afternoon: walk the old town temples free or cheap — Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh — then hire a bike or just wander. Evening: Chiang Mai Night Bazaar and the Saturday Walking Street if the timing aligns; foot massage ~200฿.

🚌Songthaews and walking ~£2

🛏Hostel dorm, Chiang Mai old town (~£9)

• →Chiang Mai old town temple walk
• →Night Bazaar & Walking Street

Get up early and join the alms-giving line along Tha Phae Road or at the foot of Doi Suthep (buy sticky rice and fruit from the vendors, ~50฿ — dress respectfully). Then take a red songthaew up to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep (50฿ up, 30฿ entry). Afternoon: book a half-day northern Thai cooking class direct with a small school (e.g. Thai Farm or Pantawan, ~£22-28 incl. market visit) or a cycling tour of the countryside. Dinner at the Sunday market if you're there on a Sunday.

🚌Songthaew to Doi Suthep return ~£2.50

🛏Hostel dorm, Chiang Mai old town (~£9)

• →Sunrise alms giving
• →Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
• →Northern Thai cooking class (direct booking)

Book a direct AirAsia or VietJet flight Chiang Mai–Hanoi (~£70-95 one way booked 3-6 weeks out; 20kg checked bag extra). Take the Noi Bai airport bus #86 into the Old Quarter (~45,000 VND, ~£1.50) rather than a taxi. Check into a hostel around Ma May or Hang Bac, then hire a cyclo for an hour through the Old Quarter (ask your hostel to fix the price — 150,000 VND, ~£5, or book via Klook). Dinner on the pavement: bun cha, nem ran, and a bia hoi at the corner of Ta Hien.

🚌Flight ~£85; airport bus ~£1.50; cyclo ~£5

🛏Hostel dorm, Hanoi Old Quarter (~£8)

• →Cyclo tour of the Old Quarter
• →Ta Hien bia hoi corner

Free day. Options: a self-guided Hanoi city highlights walk (Temple of Literature ~30,000 VND, Hoa Lo Prison, Hoan Kiem Lake); the Thang Long water puppet theatre (100,000 VND, book ahead); or a full-day Halong Bay day trip via GetYourGuide (~£35-45, 12 hours, includes lunch and transfers — one of the few things genuinely easier booked). Evening: dinner at Koto Van Mieu (the social-enterprise training restaurant, mains ~120,000 VND) then a craft-beer walk through Tay Ho and Truc Bach.

🚌Walking/Grab ~£2

🛏Hostel dorm, Hanoi Old Quarter (~£8)

• →Temple of Literature & Hoa Lo Prison
• →Halong Bay day trip (GetYourGuide, optional)
• →Craft brewery crawl

Sleep in, then do the foodie day yourself: start at Dong Xuan market, follow it up with banh cuon on Hang Ga, banh goi and nem ran near Hang Bo, and finish with egg coffee at Cafe Giang (~35,000 VND) or Hanoi Food Culture. Rent a bike or take a Grab scooter to the Tran Quoc Pagoda on West Lake (free entry) and the nearby Quan Thanh temple. Beer o'clock on a plastic stool somewhere off Hang Dau.

🚌Grab scooters ~£2

🛏Hostel dorm, Hanoi Old Quarter (~£8)

• →Old Quarter backstreet food walk
• →Tran Quoc Pagoda
• →Egg coffee at Cafe Giang

Take the public bus or a shared limousine van from Hanoi's Giap Bat or My Dinh station to Ninh Binh (~£4-6, 2.5 hrs). Stop at Tam Chuc Pagoda if you like — the free shuttle boats make it an easy half-day (~£2 entry incl. boat). Base yourself in Tam Coc village. Afternoon: borrow a free/cheap bicycle from the homestay and loop the rice paddies, stopping at Bich Dong Pagoda.

🚌Hanoi–Ninh Binh bus ~£5; bike hire ~£1.50

🛏Homestay or hostel dorm, Tam Coc (~£7)

• →Tam Chuc Pagoda boat
• →Bich Dong Pagoda
• →Village cycling

Early start for Hang Mua's 500 steps before the heat and the coaches (100,000 VND) — the view over the Tam Coc river is the classic shot. Then Trang An boat tour for 2-3 hours through the limestone grottoes (book at the dock, ~250,000-300,000 VND incl. boat share). Late afternoon, take a taxi to Ninh Binh station for the sleeper train to Dong Hoi (~£16-20, 2nd class AC soft sleeper, 8-9 hrs; book on the Vietnam Railways site or 12Go).

🚌Hang Mua taxi ~£2; Trang An boat ~£10; sleeper train ~£18

🛏Overnight sleeper train (soft sleeper, 4-berth)

• →Hang Mua Peak hike
• →Trang An grottoes boat tour

Arrive early, walk the Dong Hoi fish market on the Nhat Le riverfront at dawn, then breakfast banh mi (~25,000 VND). Short transfer inland to Phong Nha (~£4 by shared van or local bus). Rent a bicycle (~£2/day) and ride the village lanes between the karst cliffs; the Nuoc Mooc Eco Trail and the Botanic Garden are cheap afternoon options. Overnight in Phong Nha village.

🚌Van Dong Hoi–Phong Nha ~£4; bike hire ~£2

🛏Hostel dorm or homestay, Phong Nha (~£7)

• →Dong Hoi fish market at dawn
• →Phong Nha countryside cycling
• →Nuoc Mooc eco trail

Book Paradise Cave (Thien Duong) entry + shuttle direct at the Phong Nha visitor centre or via Klook/GetYourGuide (~£12-15 incl. transfer, 250,000 VND entry). The 1km boardwalk through the crystal stalactites is the accessible version of the area's big caves — Hang Son Doong needs a 4-day, ~£2,400 expedition. Afternoon: Dark Cave zipline if you want the adventure version (~£15), or kayak and swim. Evening at the Easy Tiger bar with the backpacker crowd.

🚌Shuttle included with cave ticket

🛏Hostel dorm or homestay, Phong Nha (~£7)

• →Paradise Cave boardwalk
• →Optional Dark Cave zipline/kayak
• →Phong Nha bar night

Do the classic Hai Van Pass route with a local Easy Rider motorbike guide — book direct with one of the Phong Nha or Hue operators (~£45-55, day trip including Vinh Moc Tunnels entry, war sites, and dropping you in Hue). Alternatively take the local bus to Dong Ha and visit Vinh Moc tunnels yourself. Arrive Hue in the evening and check into a hostel in the backpacker strip on Chu Van An.

🚌Easy Rider motorbike tour ~£50 (or local bus ~£5)

🛏Hostel dorm, Hue (~£7)

• →Vinh Moc Tunnels
• →DMZ war sites by motorbike
• →Hue backpacker strip evening

Walk the Imperial Citadel and Forbidden Purple City in the morning (~£6). Rent a bicycle or cycle out along the Perfume River to Tu Duc or Khai Dinh tombs (~£4 entry each). Afternoon: ride to An Bang Cemetery — the wildly ornate, pastel-coloured memorial city on the beach — and the An Bang fishing village, then the Empty Beach (Eo Gio) coastal road if you have energy. Dinner: bun bo Hue, the city's signature noodle soup.

🚌Cycle hire ~£2; Grab ~£2

🛏Hostel dorm, Hue (~£7)

• →Imperial Citadel & Forbidden Purple City
• →Khai Dinh royal tomb
• →An Bang Cemetery

Take the local train Hue–Da Nang (~60,000 VND, 3 hrs) — sit on the left for the coastline, it's the cheap version of the scenic pass. From Da Nang, detour to the Marble Mountains (~£2 entry) and My Khe beach, then a Grab or local bus down to Hoi An (~£4). Check into a hostel in the old town fringe, then walk the lantern-lit lanes after dark and take a boat on the Hoai River.

🚌Hue–Da Nang train ~£2; Da Nang–Hoi An Grab ~£4

🛏Hostel dorm, Hoi An (~£8)

• →Hue–Da Nang coastal train
• →Marble Mountains
• →Hoi An lantern-lit old town walk

Book a local cooking class direct — the town's famous noodle class covers cao lau, mi quang and banh xeo with a market tour (~£22-28, several small operators run these; GetYourGuide lists them too). Afternoon at An Bang beach with a hire deckchair (~£3). Evening: bike to the Hoi An night market and eat at the street-food stalls by the river, or get clothes tailored (Hoi An's tailors turn around in 24 hrs, ~£30-60 per piece).

🚌Bike hire ~£1.50

🛏Hostel dorm, Hoi An (~£8)

• →Hoi An noodle cooking class & market tour
• →An Bang beach
• →Hoi An night market

Early tour to My Son Sanctuary (~£10-14 direct with a local operator or GetYourGuide, includes transport; 150,000 VND entry) before the crowds and the heat. Back in Hoi An by midday, then take the afternoon/evening sleeper bus or train south to Nha Trang (~£12-16, 10 hrs; the train from Da Nang or Tam Ky is more comfortable than the bus). If you're on a daytime train, hop off at Tuy Hoa for Ghenh Da Dia's basalt columns and the Dai Lanh lighthouse — a stunning coastal detour the tour skips.

🚌My Son tour ~£12; Da Nang–Nha Trang train ~£15

🛏Overnight bus or sleeper train

• →My Son Sanctuary sunrise tour
• →Optional Ghenh Da Dia basalt columns detour

Arrive, check into a hostel a couple of streets back from Tran Phu beach (~£8), and spend the day doing the local wellness thing: book a Thap Ba or I-Resort mud bath and hot spring package direct (~£12-18). Afternoon on the sand, then a seafood dinner at the Nha Trang night market or a banh canh stall. Optionally book a boat-and-snorkel trip for tomorrow (~£22 via Klook).

🚌Grab ~£2

🛏Hostel dorm, Nha Trang (~£8)

• →Mud bath & hot springs
• →Nha Trang beach
• →Night market seafood

Morning: either the four-island snorkel boat trip (~£22, includes lunch) or the Po Nagar Cham Towers (~£1.50) and the Long Son Pagoda. Then take the afternoon train or sleeper bus to Ho Chi Minh City (~£16-22, 8 hrs; the train is slower but comfier — book at ga Nha Trang or on 12Go). Arrive late, Grab to a hostel in District 1 around Pham Ngu Lao.

🚌Island trip ~£22 (optional); Nha Trang–HCMC train ~£18

🛏Hostel dorm, District 1, HCMC (~£8)

• →Optional island snorkelling trip
• →Po Nagar Cham Towers

Self-guided city walk: Ben Thanh market, the Notre Dame Cathedral and Central Post Office, the War Remnants Museum (~£2), the Independence Palace, and the Fine Arts Museum. Lunch: com tam or pho at a local shop. Evening: do your own street-food crawl through District 4 or the alleyways off Co Giang, then a Vietnamese karaoke room (karaoke bars cluster around District 1 and Binh Thanh, ~£8 an hour).

🚌Walking + Grab ~£3

🛏Hostel dorm, District 1, HCMC (~£8)

• →War Remnants Museum
• →Ben Thanh market
• →District 4 street food crawl
• →Karaoke night

Morning Cu Chi Tunnels tour via Klook or GetYourGuide (~£22-27 incl. transport, entry and a guide — hard to DIY cheaply). Back by early afternoon, then take the local bus from Mien Tay station to Chau Doc (~£7-9, 6 hrs). Evening: a motorbike ride up Sam Mountain for the sunset over the Cambodian border (~£4 with a xe om driver), and dinner at the Chau Doc night market.

🚌Cu Chi tour ~£24; bus to Chau Doc ~£8; xe om ~£4

🛏Guesthouse or hostel, Chau Doc (~£6)

• →Cu Chi Tunnels
• →Sam Mountain sunset by motorbike

Book a small-boat sunrise trip on the Mekong at the Chau Doc floating village and fish farms (~£8-10, arrange the night before at the pier or your guesthouse). Then the classic budget border run: local bus to Ha Tien or the Tinh Bien border, cross on foot, and continue by shared taxi/minivan to Kampot — the whole day's transport costs ~£15-20. Remember the Cambodian e-visa isn't valid at Phnom Den, so apply on arrival with USD cash and two passport photos (~$30). Overnight in Kampot's riverside.

🚌Mekong boat ~£9; bus to border + shared taxi to Kampot ~£18

🛏Riverside guesthouse dorm, Kampot (~£7)

• →Chau Doc floating village sunrise boat
• →Overland border crossing into Cambodia

Rent a scooter (~£6-8/day incl. fuel share) and ride up Bokor Mountain for the abandoned French hill station, the old casino and the cloud forest views (entry ~$5). Descend to Kep for the crab market (~£5 for a plate of fresh crab cooked to order) and the empty beach. Back to Kampot for sunset at the riverside bars; the pepper farms outside town are a worthwhile short detour if you have time.

🚌Scooter hire & fuel ~£9

🛏Riverside guesthouse dorm, Kampot (~£7)

• →Bokor National Park by scooter
• →Kep crab market
• →Kampot pepper farm detour

If you want the community-forest detour, take a tuk-tuk to Chambok (~£8 return) for the walking trail and waterfall (small community fee ~$3-5, lunches support the village). Otherwise take the morning minivan Kampot–Phnom Penh (~£6, 3 hrs). Check into a hostel near the Royal Palace or along Sisowath Quay, walk the riverside at sunset, and eat at the night market near Wat Phnom.

🚌Tuk-tuk to Chambok ~£8; minivan to Phnom Penh ~£6

🛏Hostel dorm, Phnom Penh (~£7)

• →Chambok community forest walk
• →Phnom Penh riverside sunset

A heavy but essential day. Hire a tuk-tuk for the half-day circuit to Tuol Sleng (S-21) and Choeung Ek (~£18-22 for the vehicle incl. entry, or book the guided version via GetYourGuide ~£18 per person). Take the audio guide at both. Afternoon: the National Museum (~£8) and Silver Pagoda (~£8), then a cyclo ride through the old streets at dusk (~£4) finishing with dinner at a local Khmer restaurant (Friends the Restaurant is a good social enterprise, ~£8).

🚌Tuk-tuk half-day ~£18 split; cyclo ~£4

🛏Hostel dorm, Phnom Penh (~£7)

• →Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
• →Choeung Ek Killing Fields
• →National Museum & Silver Pagoda
• →Cyclo ride

Take the early minivan or the Giant Ibis bus Phnom Penh–Siem Reap (~£10-13, 6 hrs). Break the journey (or hire a car with a couple of others, ~£40 shared) to see Skun market's fried insects, the pre-Angkorian brick temples of Sambor Prei Kuk (~£8 entry) and the Santuk silk farm. Arrive Siem Reap in the evening, check into a hostel near Pub Street, and eat at the night market.

🚌Bus Phnom Penh–Siem Reap ~£12; optional shared car detour ~£15

🛏Hostel dorm, Siem Reap (~£7)

• →Skun market
• →Sambor Prei Kuk temple complex
• →Siem Reap night market

Buy your Angkor pass today for tomorrow — 1-day pass is $37, or $62 for three days if you want to spread it out (buy at the Angkor Enterprise ticket office or online). Morning: cycle or tuk-tuk out to Tonle Sap's floating village at Kompong Khleang (~£12 tuk-tuk return, boat ~£15) — less touristy than Chong Khneas. Afternoon: Wat Bo, the old market, and a cheap massage. Book a sunrise tuk-tuk driver for tomorrow (~£15 for the day trip, fixed directly with the driver).

🚌Bike hire ~£2 or tuk-tuk ~£12 return

🛏Hostel dorm, Siem Reap (~£7)

• →Kompong Khleang floating village
• →Angkor pass purchase
• →Old market & Wat Bo

Leave at 4:45am with your tuk-tuk driver for sunrise at Angkor Wat (or book the GetYourGuide sunrise small-group tour ~£18-25 incl. an English-speaking guide — genuinely worth it for the temple context). Then Bayon's stone faces, the Terrace of the Elephants, and the tree-strangled Ta Prohm. Break for lunch, then Banteay Kdei and Preah Khan. Sunset at Phnom Bakheng if you have legs left.

🚌Tuk-tuk day hire ~£15 (split)

🛏Hostel dorm, Siem Reap (~£7)

• →Angkor Wat sunrise
• →Bayon & Ta Prohm
• →Small circuit temples

A recovery day: pool or a café, cooking class at a social enterprise (~£20) or a bike loop through the rice fields to the Roluos group temples (part of the 3-day pass if you bought one). Evening: Phare, the Cambodian Circus — book direct on their site or GetYourGuide (~£15-22 for a seat; shows nightly except Sunday). Drinks on Sok San Road afterwards.

🚌Bike hire ~£2; tuk-tuks ~£3

🛏Hostel dorm, Siem Reap (~£7)

• →Phare Circus
• →Optional cooking class
• →Roluos temples by bike

Use a second Angkor day for the outer circuit — Banteay Srei's pink carvings and the jungle temple of Beng Mealea (needs a shared car, ~£20-25 split) — or just take the day off entirely: Khmer massage (~£6), the Angkor National Museum (~£8), and the Made in Cambodia market. Final-night dinner at a Khmer BBQ place on Wat Damnak.

🚌Shared car for outer circuit ~£22 or bike ~£2

🛏Hostel dorm, Siem Reap (~£7)

• →Banteay Srei & Beng Mealea (optional)
• →Angkor National Museum
• →Made in Cambodia market

Tuk-tuk to Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport (~£8-10, 45-60 mins as it's the new airport east of town) or a shared van (~£4). Complete the Cambodia e-Arrival form if you haven't already. Flight home not included in these costs — expect £450-700 for a one-way Siem Reap to London with one stop.

🚌Tuk-tuk/shared van to airport ~£5-10

🛏None (departure day)

• →Departure