Best of Vietnam: South to North (Self-Launched)
10 days · Vietnam
Threeland Travel charges £620
No-markup version: ~£560 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 10-day self-launched version of Threeland Travel's "The Best of Vietnam", running from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi. You'll cover the same headline experiences — Cu Chi Tunnels, a Mekong Delta day trip, Hoi An's old town, Hue's Imperial Citadel and street food, Hanoi's Old Quarter and water puppets, and an overnight Halong Bay cruise — but booked yourself: sleeper trains and flights instead of private transfers, hostels and budget hotels instead of group-tour hotels, and day tours booked direct or via GetYourGuide/Klook. Costs are approximate backpacker/budget rates in GBP and exclude international flights and travel insurance.
Day-by-day
Arrive Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Ho Chi Minh City
Land at Tan Son Nhat, take Grab bike/car or bus 109 into District 1 (~£1-3). Settle into a hostel in the Pham Ngu Lao / Bui Vien backpacker area. Spend the late afternoon wandering Dong Khoi, the Opera House and Nguyen Hue walking street, and get your bearings with a cheap bia hoi dinner and a banh mi. Buy a local SIM/eSIM (~£5-8 for 30 days data). Book tomorrow's Cu Chi tour and Wednesday's Mekong day trip online tonight.
🚌Grab from airport ~£2-3; walking around District 1
🛏Hostel dorm in District 1, ~£8-12/night
- →Orientation walk: Nguyen Hue, Opera House, Dong Khoi
- →Buy local SIM card / eSIM
- →Book Cu Chi + Mekong day tours
Saigon city highlights + Cu Chi Tunnels
Ho Chi Minh City
Morning DIY walking tour of the city's key sights: Reunification Palace (~£2 entry), Central Post Office (free), Notre Dame Cathedral exterior (free) and War Remnants Museum (~£2). Lunch at a local com tam stall. In the early afternoon join a small-group Cu Chi Tunnels tour (booked via GetYourGuide or Klook, ~£12-18 including transport and entry) — crawl through a section of tunnel, see the trap displays and try the shooting range if you fancy it. Back in the city for dinner.
🚌Walking + Grab to Cu Chi tour meeting point
🛏Hostel dorm in District 1, ~£8-12/night
- →Reunification Palace
- →Central Post Office & Notre Dame Cathedral
- →War Remnants Museum
- →Cu Chi Tunnels half-day tour
Mekong Delta day trip (My Tho & Ben Tre)
Mekong Delta / My Tho
Full-day small-group Mekong Delta tour (~£18-25 via GetYourGuide/Klook, includes bus, boat, lunch). Typical route: Vinh Trang Pagoda, a boat ride along the Mekong past stilt houses and fishing villages, Tortoise Islet, a hand-rowed sampan through palm-lined canals, seasonal fruit and honey tea with a folk music performance, a coconut candy workshop and a fruit plantation walk. Alternatively do it yourself — bus to My Tho (~£2) and hire a local boat — but the organised day trip is better value. Back in Saigon by evening.
🚌Included in day tour (minibus + boat)
🛏Hostel dorm in District 1, ~£8-12/night
- →Vinh Trang Pagoda
- →Mekong River boat ride
- →Sampan canal row
- →Coconut candy workshop & fruit garden
- →Folk music + honey tea stop
Fly to Da Nang, transfer to Hoi An
Hoi An
Morning flight Saigon–Da Nang (~£35-55 booked ahead on VietJet/Bamboo/Vietnam Airlines), then a shared shuttle or Grab (~£5-8, 45 mins) to Hoi An. Check into a budget hotel or guesthouse in the old town area. Afternoon: cross the Japanese Bridge, visit a Chinese Assembly Hall (~£1-2), poke around the ancient merchant houses and pagodas, and stroll the Thu Bon River market as lanterns come on at dusk. Old town entry ticket ~£4.50 covers several heritage sites.
🚌Flight SGN–DAD ~£35-55 + shared shuttle ~£6
🛏Budget guesthouse in Hoi An, ~£14-20/night
- →Japanese Bridge
- →Chinese Assembly Hall
- →Ancient merchant houses & pagodas
- →Thu Bon River night market
Hoi An free day — Ba Na Hills or beach & cooking class
Hoi An
Choose your day: either take a Ba Na Hills + Golden Bridge day tour (~£38-45 via GetYourGuide, includes cable car, buffet lunch, guide and transfers) and walk the famous giant-hand bridge, or stay local — rent a bicycle (~£2), cycle to An Bang beach, and do an afternoon cooking class (~£22-28) finishing with a market visit. Either way, evening is for tailors, cao lau noodles and the lantern-lit riverside.
🚌Bicycle hire ~£2 or included tour transfers
🛏Budget guesthouse in Hoi An, ~£14-20/night
- →Option A: Ba Na Hills & Golden Bridge day tour
- →Option B: An Bang beach + Vietnamese cooking class
- →Hoi An night market
Hoi An → Hue via Hai Van Pass
Hue
Travel north by shared limousine bus or open-tour bus over the Hai Van Pass (~£7-11, 3-4 hrs) — the easy-rider motorbike option is ~£25 if you want the views with the wind. Arrive Hue, drop bags, then visit the Royal Citadel and Forbidden City (~£4.50). Evening street food crawl on your own: bun bo Hue, banh bot loc (sticky rice dumplings), fried dumplings and che sweet soup — a self-guided version of the tour's food walk for about £5-7, or join a small-group Hue food tour (~£18) if you want a guide.
🚌Shared limousine bus Hoi An–Hue ~£8
🛏Budget hotel/hostel in Hue, ~£10-16/night
- →Hai Van Pass crossing
- →Royal Citadel & Forbidden City
- →Dong Ba Market
- →Hue street food crawl
Hue → Hanoi, Old Quarter evening
Hanoi
Options: fly Hue–Hanoi (~£35-50, 1h20) or take the Reunification Express sleeper (soft sleeper ~£18-25, ~13 hrs) if you want the classic rail experience — the tourist sleeper SE trains are comfortable enough. Arrive Hanoi, check in around the Old Quarter. Late afternoon walking loop: Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple (~£1), Bach Ma Temple, and a wander through the 36 streets. Evening water puppetry at Thang Long Theatre (~£4-8) and a 30-min foot massage (~£5-7).
🚌Flight ~£40 or sleeper train ~£20
🛏Hostel dorm in Old Quarter, ~£8-12/night
- →Old Quarter walking tour
- →Ngoc Son Temple & Hoan Kiem Lake
- →Bach Ma Temple
- →Thang Long water puppet show
- →Foot massage
Hanoi → Halong Bay overnight cruise
Halong Bay
Book a budget overnight Halong Bay cruise direct or via Klook (~£90-120 per person, including shuttle from Hanoi, meals, kayaking and cave visits). Morning pickup from the Old Quarter, drive ~3 hrs to the harbour, board and cruise among the limestone karsts. Afternoon kayaking or swimming stop, cave visit, sunset on deck. Dinner is usually included seafood on board; optional morning tai chi is standard on most boats.
🚌Shuttle bus included in cruise package
🛏Overnight on board a budget Halong Bay junk (twin/dorm cabin)
- →Halong Bay cruise
- →Kayaking / swimming stop
- →Cave visit
- →Sunset on deck
Halong Bay → Hanoi
Hanoi
Morning tai chi on deck, breakfast while cruising back through the islets, then disembark and shuttle back to Hanoi (arrive mid-afternoon). Free afternoon: the Temple of Literature (~£1.50), Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex (free, mornings only) or just cafe-hopping around the Old Quarter with egg coffee. Pick up any last souvenirs and book an airport transfer for tomorrow.
🚌Shuttle bus included in cruise; walking in Hanoi
🛏Hostel dorm in Old Quarter, ~£10-14/night
- →Morning tai chi on the boat
- →Temple of Literature
- →Egg coffee & Old Quarter cafes
Trang An / Bai Dinh / Mua Cave or departure
Hanoi
If your flight is late, do a Ninh Binh day tour (~£35-45 via Klook/GetYourGuide): Bai Dinh Pagoda, a sampan boat ride through Trang An's caves and temples, and the 500-step climb up Mua Cave for the rice-valley view. Otherwise, a slow breakfast and a stroll around Truc Bach Lake before heading to Noi Bai airport — bus 86 costs ~£1.20, Grab ~£7-9. Book the Ninh Binh tour only if your flight leaves after ~21:00.
🚌Bus 86 or Grab to Noi Bai airport ~£1-9
🛏—
- →Optional: Bai Dinh Pagoda + Trang An boat + Mua Cave tour
- →Truc Bach Lake walk
Self-launched vs. Threeland Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Threeland Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£560 | £620 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £60 per person (10%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Threeland Travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£560
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 Best of Vietnam: South to North (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £560 per person for 10 days in 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 Threeland Travel?+
Yes — Threeland Travel charges around £620 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £560 — a saving of roughly £60 (10%) per person.
How long is the Vietnam trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 day-by-day stops through 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, foodie, budget trip through 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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