Vietnam & Cambodia Explorer — Self-Launched Edition
8 days · Vietnam & Cambodia
G Adventures charges £734
No-markup version: ~£307 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An 8-day self-launched run from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap covering the same ground as the G Adventures group tour — but booked and travelled on your own terms. Start in HCMC's electric streets, optionally day-trip into the Mekong Delta, then cross the Moc Bai/Bavet land border by bus to Phnom Penh for the cyclo ride, Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek. Finish in Siem Reap with sunrise at Angkor Wat, the faces of Bayon and the jungle-swallowed Ta Prohm, using GetYourGuide/Klook day tours instead of a group guide. Costs are rough, backpacker-tier estimates in GBP and assume twin-share/dorm or budget private rooms, local buses and street-and-market food.
Day-by-day
Arrive Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Land at Tan Son Nhat (SGN), pick up a local SIM/eSIM (~£7 for 30GB) and take a Grab motorbike or GrabCar into District 1 (~£2-3). Check into a hostel or budget guesthouse around Pham Ngu Lao / Bui Vien. Evening: wander the backpacker strip, grab a banh mi (~£1) and a fresh beer, and get your bearings. No fixed plan today — just acclimatise.
🚌Grab motorbike/car from SGN airport (~£2-3)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, District 1 (Pham Ngu Lao)
- →Grab transfer from airport
- →Pham Ngu Lao orientation walk
- →Street food dinner
Ho Chi Minh City free day (or Mekong Delta)
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Pick your own day. In-city option: War Remnants Museum (~£2), Reunification Palace (~£3), Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office, Ben Thanh Market and a rooftop beer at sunset. Or book the Full Day Mekong River Delta tour via GetYourGuide/Klook (~£28-35) for a boat cruise through villages, islands and floating markets — the operator offers this same optional add-on for from $35 USD. Book the day before to secure a spot.
🚌Walking / Grab within city (~£3)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, District 1
- →War Remnants Museum
- →Ben Thanh Market
- →Optional: Mekong Delta day tour (~£30)
Cross the border: HCMC to Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Take a direct HCMC–Phnom Penh bus (Mekong Express, Giant Ibis or Kumho-Samco) through the Moc Bai/Bavet land border. Book online the day before; journeys take roughly 6-7 hours including border formalities (~£12-16). You'll need a Cambodia e-visa (~£28) sorted in advance, or pay $30 USD on arrival — have passport photos and cash ready. Arrive Phnom Penh in the afternoon, check in around Daun Penh or the Riverside, then do the classic cyclo tour (~£8 for an hour): start from Wat Phnom, roll past the post office and colonial Van's restaurant, and finish at the Royal Palace and National Museum.
🚌Cross-border local bus (~£14) + cyclo tour (~£8)
🛏Guesthouse or hostel, Daun Penh / Riverside
- →HCMC–Phnom Penh bus via Moc Bai/Bavet
- →Cyclo tour: Wat Phnom, post office, Royal Palace, National Museum
Phnom Penh: Killing Fields & S-21
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Hire a tuk-tuk for the day or join a small-group tour (~£15-20) to reach both Choeung Ek (Killing Fields) and Tuol Sleng (S-21 Prison). Entry fees: Choeung Ek ~£2.5 and Tuol Sleng ~£2 — the excellent audio guides are included . Give each site real time; the grounds are sombre but essential to understanding the Khmer Rouge era. Afternoon back in the city for the Russian Market and sunset beers on the Riverside. Optional evening: catch Phare Circus (~£14) — the same socially conscious Cambodian circus the operator pre-books for from $18 USD.
🚌Tuk-tuk for the day (~£8-10 per person shared)
🛏Guesthouse or hostel, Daun Penh / Riverside
- →Choeung Ek (Killing Fields) with audio guide
- →Tuol Sleng (S-21) Prison museum
- →Russian Market
- →Optional: Phare Circus (~£14)
Phnom Penh to Siem Reap
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Morning bus or shared minivan from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap (Giant Ibis, Mekong Express or Giant Ibis, ~6-7 hours, ~£12-15). Check in near Pub Street / Old Market and shake off the drive — book your Angkor pass for tomorrow at the ticket office (day pass $37 / ~£29), and sort a tuk-tuk driver for a fixed Angkor circuit. Grab a cheap Khmer dinner near the night market (~£3). If you timed it right, Phare Circus also performs in Siem Reap — book direct through their site.
🚌Long-distance bus (~£13)
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse near Old Market, Siem Reap
- →Phnom Penh–Siem Reap bus
- →Angkor pass pickup at APAC ticket office
- →Pub Street / Night Market dinner
Angkor Wat sunrise & the small circuit
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Wake early and have your tuk-tuk driver collect you around 4:30-5am for the sunrise slot at Angkor Wat — the reflection pools are worth the alarms. Split a day's tuk-tuk between 2-3 people (~£15 each for the full circuit). Self-guide with a downloaded audio guide or join a GetYourGuide/Klook small-group sunrise tour (~£18-25) for the same Bayon faces and Ta Prohm (the 'Tomb Raider' temple) that the operator's guide covers. Take a midday break back in town, then return for the quieter late-afternoon light.
🚌Tuk-tuk for the full Angkor circuit (~£15 shared)
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse near Old Market, Siem Reap
- →Angkor Wat sunrise
- →Angkor Thom & Bayon (faces of the kings)
- →Ta Prohm (Tomb Raider temple)
Angkor outer temples or free day
Siem Reap, Cambodia
A flexible day. Option A: revisit Angkor for Banteay Srei (the pink 'Citadel of Women', ~£3 entry) and Beng Mealea (~£3) — further out, so expect a bigger tuk-tuk/car charge (~£25-30 shared). Option B: slow down with a floating-village trip on Tonle Sap (Kampong Khleang, ~£15-20) or take a Khmer cooking class (~£15-20). Evening: Pub Street or a quiet beer in the Old Market.
🚌Tuk-tuk/car ~£25-30 shared for outer temples, or walking in town
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse near Old Market, Siem Reap
- →Banteay Srei & Beng Mealea (optional)
- →Tonle Sap floating villages (optional)
- →Khmer cooking class (optional)
Depart Siem Reap
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Final morning — a lastmarket breakfast and souvenir run, then head to Siem Reap International (REP), a short ~15-minute tuk-tuk ride (~£4). If you're continuing overland, direct buses run to Phnom Penh (~£13) and to Bangkok via Poipet. Trip ends.
🚌Tuk-tuk to REP (~£4)
🛏—
- →Old Market shopping
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£307 | £734 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £427 per person (58%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£307
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 Vietnam & Cambodia Explorer — Self-Launched Edition cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £307 per person for 8 days in Vietnam & Cambodia. 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 G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £734 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £307 — a saving of roughly £427 (58%) per person.
How long is the Vietnam & Cambodia trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Vietnam & Cambodia.
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, backpacker, budget trip through Vietnam & Cambodia, 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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