12-Day Self-Launched Vietnam & Bali Adventure: Hanoi to Bali Independently
12 days · Vietnam & Bali
Legend Travel Group charges £1,180
No-markup version: ~£627 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Legend Travel Group's 12-day Hanoi-to-Bali group tour, rebuilt for independent solo travellers. You'll cover the same ground — Hanoi's Old Quarter and Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, an overnight Halong Bay junk boat, Hoi An and My Son, Ho Chi Minh City with the Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta, then a flight to Bali for Ubud, Kintamani and the coast. Instead of a fully guided group package, you book everything yourself: budget guesthouses and hostels, sleeper trains and cheap domestic flights, and local day tours via GetYourGuide or Klook. Same experiences, a fraction of the price. Costs are rough per-person estimates in GBP and assume dorm or budget private rooms, local food and shared transport.
Day-by-day
Arrive Hanoi — Old Quarter orientation
Hanoi, Vietnam
Land at Noi Bai International Airport and make your own way into the city — skip the private transfer and take the Vietnam Airlines minibus (approx 40,000-50,000 VND / £1.50-2) or a Grab car (£8-10) to the Old Quarter. Check into a hostel or budget guesthouse around Ma May or Hang Be street. Spend the afternoon getting your bearings on foot: wander Hoan Kiem Lake, cross the red Huc Bridge to Ngoc Son Temple, then get lost in the 36 Streets of the Old Quarter. Grab a bowl of bun cha or a bia hoi (fresh draught beer, ~15p) for dinner.
🚌Vietnam Airlines minibus from airport (~£2) or Grab car (~£9)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Old Quarter (£6-12)
- →Hoan Kiem Lake stroll
- →Ngoc Son Temple
- →Old Quarter exploration
- →Street food dinner
Hanoi highlights — mausoleum, temples and water puppets
Hanoi, Vietnam
DIY your own city tour. Start early at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex (free entry, closed Mon & Fri — check ahead), then the stilt-house and One Pillar Pagoda next door, followed by the Presidential Palace gardens. Walk to the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first university, and pay the small entry fee. Lunch on authentic Hanoi pho at a local spot (£2). In the afternoon visit the Museum of Ethnology or the Women's Museum, then catch an evening Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre show (tickets from ~£3-4 — book at the box office or Klook).
🚌Walking plus short Grab rides across the city (~£3-5)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Old Quarter (£6-12)
- →Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
- →Presidential Palace
- →Temple of Literature
- →Museum of Ethnology or Women's Museum
- →Thang Long Water Puppet Show
Halong Bay overnight junk boat cruise
Halong Bay, Vietnam
Book a 2-day/1-night Halong Bay cruise through GetYourGuide or Klook — budget and mid-range boats are widely available (from £90-140 including transfers, all meals, kayaking and cave visits). A shared shuttle picks you up from the Old Quarter around 8-8:30am for the 3.5-hour drive. Board your junk boat, cruise among the limestone karsts, visit Sung Sot (Surprise) or Amazing Cave, and kayak or swim in the bay. Dinner is a fresh seafood spread on board, followed by sunset and an overnight cabin on the water.
🚌Shared shuttle from Hanoi Old Quarter (included in cruise package)
🛏Overnight cabin on a Halong Bay cruise boat (included in cruise price)
- →Halong Bay junk boat cruise
- →Amazing Cave / Sung Sot Cave visit
- →Kayaking and swimming
- →Sunset on the bay
- →Overnight on board
Halong Bay sunrise, return to Hanoi, fly to Hoi An
Halong Bay → Hanoi → Hoi An
Wake for sunrise tai chi on deck, then cruise past floating fishing villages before brunch on board and the drive back to Hanoi, arriving mid-afternoon. Head straight to Noi Bai Airport for a short domestic flight to Da Nang (VietJet or Vietnam Airlines, £35-55 one-way if booked ahead; the sleeper train from Hanoi to Da Nang, ~£25-40, is the slower, cheaper, more characterful option — 16-18 hours). From Da Nang it's a 30-40 minute Grab or shared shuttle to Hoi An (£8-10). Check into a riverside guesthouse and eat cao lau, Hoi An's signature noodle dish.
🚌Cruise shuttle + domestic flight Hanoi-Da Nang (~£40) or sleeper train (~£30) + Grab to Hoi An (~£9)
🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel in Hoi An (£8-15)
- →Sunrise on Halong Bay
- →Floating fishing village visit
- →Domestic flight Hanoi to Da Nang
- →Arrive Hoi An Ancient Town
Hoi An Ancient Town and villages by boat
Hoi An, Vietnam
Buy a Hoi An Ancient Town entry ticket (~£3.50) which covers five heritage sites. Walk the Japanese Covered Bridge, the old merchant houses and assembly halls, and visit the Sa Huynh Museum and a pagoda dedicated to sailors and fishermen. In the afternoon take a local boat along the Thu Bon River to Kim Bong carpentry village and Cam Kim Island's woodworking community — you can arrange this cheaply on the riverbank or via a small-group tour on GetYourGuide. Evening: lantern-lit streets, river lantern releasing and Hoi An's legendary food scene (white rose dumplings, banh mi at the famous stalls).
🚌Walking and boat (£4-6)
🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel in Hoi An (£8-15)
- →Japanese Covered Bridge
- →Hoi An Ancient Town heritage ticket
- →Sa Huynh Museum
- →Thu Bon River boat trip
- →Kim Bong and Cam Kim villages
My Son Sanctuary half-day tour
My Son, Vietnam
Join a half-day small-group My Son Sanctuary tour (from ~£15-20 via GetYourGuide or Klook, or hire a local motorbike driver, ~£10-12 return). The Cham temple complex is a UNESCO site and best visited early morning before the heat and crowds. Wander the red-brick towers and carvings of the 4th-13th century Cham civilization, and stay for the optional Cham dance performance at the site. Return to Hoi An by lunchtime for an afternoon of tailors, bakeries, coffee shops and shopping — Hoi An is famously good value for custom clothing.
🚌Shared minibus or hired motorbike to My Son (~£12)
🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel in Hoi An (£8-15)
- →My Son Sanctuary temples
- →Cham cultural heritage
- →Optional Cham dance show
- →Hoi An afternoon shopping
Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Travel south to Ho Chi Minh City — a 1.5 hour flight from Da Nang (VietJet, ~£30-50) is the fastest option, or take the spectacular 17-20 hour Reunification Express sleeper train if you have the time (soft sleeper, ~£30-45). Check into a hostel or budget hotel in the District 1 backpacker area around Pham Ngu Lao. Spend the afternoon exploring on foot: the War Remnants Museum (entry ~£1.50, sobering and essential), Reunification Palace and Ben Thanh Market. Dinner at a street-food stalls or a bia hoi garden.
🚌Domestic flight Da Nang-HCMC (~£40) or Reunification Express sleeper (~£35)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, District 1 (£7-15)
- →Flight or sleeper train to Saigon
- →War Remnants Museum
- →Reunification Palace
- →Ben Thanh Market
Cu Chi Tunnels and central Saigon
Ho Chi Minh City & Cu Chi, Vietnam
Morning city walk on the French colonial circuit: Notre Dame Cathedral (exterior, currently under restoration), the ornate Central Post Office and the Reunification Palace. Then head roughly 2 hours out of the city to the Cu Chi Tunnels — book a half-day small-group tour (£12-18 via GetYourGuide or Klook, including transport and a guide) or take the local bus (route 13, ~£1) if you want the cheapest route. Crawl through sections of the tunnels, see the trap doors and bunkers, and try a sample of the wartime tapioca and 'fighter cuisine' served at the site. Back in Saigon by evening.
🚌Shared tour minibus to Cu Chi (~£15) or local bus (~£1)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, District 1 (£7-15)
- →Notre Dame Cathedral
- →Central Post Office
- →Reunification Palace
- →Cu Chi Tunnels half-day tour
Mekong Delta day trip — My Tho
My Tho & Mekong Delta, Vietnam
Book a small-group Mekong Delta day trip to My Tho (from ~£20-30 via GetYourGuide or Klook). Drive out of Saigon and board a boat onto the Mekong River, cruising past stilt houses and coconut groves. Visit an island to see traditional handicraft workshops and a coconut candy and bee farm with honey tea tasting, then a sampan row through narrow palm-lined canals. Stop at the ornate Vinh Trang Pagoda before heading back to Saigon. If you'd rather go fully independent, local buses to My Tho run from the Mien Tay bus station for about £1.50.
🚌Shared tour minibus to My Tho (~£25) or local bus (~£2)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, District 1 (£7-15)
- →Mekong River boat trip
- →Coconut candy and bee farm
- →Sampan canal rowing
- →Vinh Trang Pagoda
- →My Tho island handicrafts
Fly to Bali — first taste of Seminyak
Ho Chi Minh City → Bali, Indonesia
Fly from Ho Chi Minh City to Denpasar (Bali). There are no direct flights on most schedules, so expect a connection through Kuala Lumpur, Singapore or Bangkok — budget fares from ~£90-150 one-way depending on how far ahead you book (AirAsia, Scoot and VietJet all serve the route). Arrive at Ngurah Rai Airport, then take a metered Bluebird taxi or Grab to your accommodation in Seminyak or Kuta (roughly £6-10). Settle into a budget guesthouse or hostel, then head to the beach for sunset and a warung dinner (nasi campur or mie goreng for £1.50-3).
🚌Flight HCMC-Denpasar (~£120) + Grab/Bluebird taxi to hotel (~£8)
🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel, Seminyak/Kuta (£10-18)
- →Flight to Bali (via connection)
- →Seminyak/Kuta beach sunset
- →Warung dinner
Ubud, Kintamani and the temples of central Bali
Ubud & Kintamani, Bali
Take a full-day central Bali tour — self-book via GetYourGuide or Klook from ~£25-35, or hire a private driver for the day (~£35-45 total, split between a few travellers). You'll typically cover: a Barong dance performance, the artisan villages of Celuk (gold and silver) and Mas (woodcarving), the Banjar compound for handicrafts, Tirta Empul's holy spring temple at Tampak Siring, and a coffee and herb plantation. Stop in Kintamani for a buffet lunch overlooking Mount Batur and its crater lake (the famous view). Some tours finish at Ubud, where you can wander the market and Monkey Forest. Note: reviewers of the original tour flagged this day as rushed — consider splitting it over two days for a slower pace.
🚌Shared tour minibus or private driver for the day (~£30)
🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel, Seminyak/Kuta or Ubud (£10-18)
- →Barong dance
- →Celuk silver village
- →Mas woodcarving village
- →Tirta Empul holy spring temple
- →Kintamani and Mount Batur viewpoint
- →Coffee plantation visit
- →Ubud market
Bali at leisure and departure
Bali, Indonesia
Your final morning is free — a last beach sunrise, a Balinese massage (£6-10 for an hour), or a quick wander through Seminyak's boutiques and cafes. Check out by midday. If you're extending your stay (easy to arrange and much cheaper independently), consider moving on to Uluwatu, Nusa Penida or the Gili Islands. Otherwise, take a Grab or taxi to Denpasar airport for your onward flight home.
🚌Grab/taxi to Denpasar airport (~£8)
🛏—
- →Beach morning
- →Balinese massage
- →Optional extension to Uluwatu, Nusa Penida or the Gili Islands
Self-launched vs. Legend Travel Group
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Legend Travel Group | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£627 | £1,180 |
| Duration | 12 days | 12 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £553 per person (47%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Legend Travel Group-style trips? Check them out here.~£627
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 12-Day Self-Launched Vietnam & Bali Adventure: Hanoi to Bali Independently cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £627 per person for 12 days in Vietnam & Bali. 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 Legend Travel Group?+
Yes — Legend Travel Group charges around £1,180 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £627 — a saving of roughly £553 (47%) per person.
How long is the Vietnam & Bali trip?+
This itinerary runs 12 days, covering 12 day-by-day stops through Vietnam & Bali.
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, budget trip through Vietnam & Bali, 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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