14 Days Vietnam & Cambodia — Self-Launched Best Price
14 days · Vietnam & Cambodia
Best Vietnam Tours charges £1,090
No-markup version: ~£755 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Best Vietnam Tours' 14-day Hanoi-to-Siem Reap route: Hanoi's Old Quarter, an overnight Ha Long Bay cruise, the Reunification Express to Da Nang, Hoi An and My Son, Ho Chi Minh City with the Mekong Delta and Cu Chi Tunnels, then an overland bus crossing into Cambodia for Phnom Penh and the Angkor temples. Everything is booked independently — hostels and budget hotels, sleeper trains, local buses, and GetYourGuide/Klook day tours instead of a guided group package. Costs are rough backpacker estimates in GBP and exclude international flights and insurance.
Day-by-day
Arrive Hanoi & Old Quarter wander
Hanoi
Land at Noi Bai (Noi Bai Expressway bus #86 to Hoan Kiem costs about £1, or a Grab car ~£9). Check into a hostel or budget hotel in the Old Quarter. Spend the late afternoon and evening getting lost in the Old Quarter's 36 streets, ending at Hoan Kiem Lake and a bia hoi corner — draft beer is roughly 20p. Book your Ha Long Bay cruise tonight (Klook or a reputable hostel desk) for tomorrow.
🚌Airport bus #86 ~£1
🛏Old Quarter hostel or budget hotel (dorm £6-9 / private £15-20)
- →Old Quarter walk
- →Hoan Kiem Lake at dusk
- →Street food dinner (bun cha, pho)
Ha Long Bay overnight cruise — Day 1
Ha Long Bay
An early shuttle pickup (usually included in the cruise package) takes you to the harbour, roughly 3.5 hours. Board a mid-range junk: welcome drink, seafood and vegetarian lunch on deck, then kayaking through the Pearl Farm area and a swim/step-up to Titop Island viewpoint. Evening brings a Vietnamese cooking class (spring rolls), BBQ seafood dinner and squid fishing off the side. Book a 2D/1N cruise on Klook or GetYourGuide — the standard budget-mid boats are £70-95 including all meals and transfers.
🚌Shared shuttle Hanoi-Old Quarter to Ha Long harbour (included)
🛏Twin/double cabin on a mid-range Ha Long Bay junk (included in cruise price)
- →Kayaking at Pearl Farm
- →Titop Island
- →Cooking class
- →Squid fishing
Sunrise, Sung Sot Cave & back to Hanoi
Ha Long Bay to Hanoi
Optional 6am Tai Chi on the sundeck, breakfast with the limestone karsts sliding past, then the walk through Sung Sot (Amazing) Cave. Lunch on board and the cruise back to port. On the drive home most boats stop at a ceramics workshop in Hai Duong province — free to wander, no obligation to buy. Arrive Hanoi late afternoon; grab dinner and an early night ahead of the sleeper train tomorrow.
🚌Shuttle back to Hanoi (included)
🛏Old Quarter hostel or budget hotel (dorm £6-9 / private £15-20)
- →Tai Chi on sundeck
- →Sung Sot Cave
- →Ceramics workshop stop in Hai Duong
Hanoi free day & Reunification Express south
Hanoi to Da Nang (overnight train)
Full day in Hanoi before the night train. Options: the Temple of Literature, Hoa Lo Prison, a cheap egg-coffee at Cafe Giang, or a water puppet show at Thang Long theatre (~£3-4). At around 7-8pm head to Hanoi station for the soft-sleeper — book on the official Vietnam Railways site or 12go.asia. A 4-berth soft sleeper Hanoi-Da Nang is roughly £30-38. Take snacks and earplugs.
🚌Reunification Express overnight train Hanoi-Da Nang ~£32
🛏Soft-sleeper berth on the Reunification Express (4-berth ~£32)
- →Temple of Literature
- →Hoa Lo Prison
- →Egg coffee
- →Water puppet show (optional)
Arrive Da Nang, transfer to Hoi An
Da Nang to Hoi An
The train rolls in past the Hai Van Pass around midday — sit on the left for the coast views. Get a Grab or local bus (yellow bus #1, ~£0.80) the 45 minutes south to Hoi An, about £5 by car. Check into a guesthouse in the Old Town or just across the river. Spend the afternoon on a bicycle through the rice paddies and the evening under the lanterns; the Old Town entry ticket is about £4.50 and covers five heritage buildings.
🚌Grab/bus Da Nang-Hoi An ~£1-5; bicycle hire ~£1.50/day
🛏Hoi An guesthouse or homestay (£10-16 private)
- →Old Town lanterns
- →Rice paddy cycle
- →Heritage house entry ticket
- →Cao lau noodles
My Son sunrise tour & Thu Bon River boat
Hoi An to My Son to Thu Bon River
Book a sunrise My Son Sanctuary tour on GetYourGuide or Klook (~£16-22 including minibus and guide) — leaving at 5am beats both the heat and the crowds. Two hours among the Champa towers, then return via a Thu Bon River boat with a stop at a craft village (Kim Bong carpentry or Thanh Ha pottery) and a light lunch on board. Afternoon free for tailoring shops or An Bang beach (15 min by bike).
🚌Shared minibus and river boat (included in tour)
🛏Hoi An guesthouse or homestay (£10-16 private)
- →My Son Sanctuary sunrise tour
- →Thu Bon River boat
- →Craft village stop
- →An Bang beach
Fly or train to Ho Chi Minh City
Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh City
Morning free in Hoi An for coffee by the river or a final fitting. Transfer to Da Nang airport (Grab ~£12, 45 min) for a 1h20 flight to Saigon — VietJet and Vietnam Airlines one-ways are typically £30-55 booked a few weeks ahead. The alternative is the daytime train (~£25, 16-17 hours, too long from Hoi An). Check into a District 1 hostel, then walk the Nguyen Hue walking street and Ben Thanh market for dinner.
🚌Flight Da Nang-Saigon ~£40; airport Grab ~£12
🛏District 1 hostel or budget hotel (dorm £6-9 / private £16-22)
- →Ben Thanh Market
- →Nguyen Hue walking street
- →Bui Vien evening
Mekong Delta day trip — My Tho & Ben Tre
Ben Tre / My Tho
Join a small-group Mekong Delta day tour from Saigon (~£20-28 on GetYourGuide/Klook). Motorboat up the Tien River to Unicorn Island for an orchard garden, bee farm honey tea and a coconut candy workshop with tasting. Then a horse-cart through the coconut palms, a rowing boat down a narrow canal, lunch at a local restaurant in Ben Tre, hammock time, and a stop at the 1849 Vinh Trang Pagoda on the way back. Back in Saigon by early evening.
🚌Shared minibus and boats (included in tour)
🛏District 1 hostel or budget hotel (dorm £6-9 / private £16-22)
- →Tien River motorboat
- →Unicorn Island
- →Bee farm & coconut candy workshop
- →Rowing boat canal
- →Vinh Trang Pagoda
Cu Chi Tunnels & city history
Ho Chi Minh City to Cu Chi Tunnels
Half-day Cu Chi Tunnels tour (~£15-20 on Klook, morning departure recommended) — about 1.5 hours each way, then a guided walk through the tunnel network, trap displays and a firing range (shots cost extra, skippable). Back in Saigon for the afternoon: the War Remnants Museum (~£1.60 entry) and Reunification Palace (~£2.60) are both worth the time. Cheap dinner at a com tam or banh mi stall.
🚌Shared minibus to Cu Chi (included in tour)
🛏District 1 hostel or budget hotel (dorm £6-9 / private £16-22)
- →Cu Chi Tunnels
- →War Remnants Museum
- →Reunification Palace
Overland bus to Phnom Penh
Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh
Book a long-distance bus on 12go.asia or at a Pham Ngu Lao travel agent (~£12-16, 6-7 hours). The crew handles the Moc Bai/Bavet border formalities — have your Cambodia e-visa printed (£30, apply online in advance, or $30 USD cash for visa on arrival). Arrive Phnom Penh late afternoon and check into a guesthouse near the riverside or Street 258. Sunset drinks on the Sisowath Quay promenade.
🚌Bus Saigon-Phnom Penh ~£14 including border crossing
🛏Phnom Penh guesthouse or budget hotel (£12-20)
- →Moc Bai border crossing
- →Sisowath Quay sunset
- →Riverside night market
Phnom Penh full-day highlights
Phnom Penh
A full but manageable day. Start at Wat Phnom (~£1), then the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda (~£8), followed by the National Museum (~£4). In the afternoon, Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (~£4, take the audio guide) and Choeung Ek Killing Fields (~£4.50, 30 min by tuk-tuk ~£4). A tuk-tuk driver will do the whole loop for £12-15 if you negotiate for the day. Wind down at Russian Market for cheap eats and souvenirs.
🚌Tuk-tuk hired for the day ~£14
🛏Phnom Penh guesthouse or budget hotel (£12-20)
- →Royal Palace & Silver Pagoda
- →National Museum
- →Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
- →Choeung Ek Killing Fields
- →Russian Market
Bus to Siem Reap & monk blessing
Phnom Penh to Siem Reap
Giant Ibis or Mekong Express bus to Siem Reap, about 6 hours and £10-13 (book online the day before). On arrival, visit the Royal Residence gardens and the Main Shrine, then Les Artisans d'Angkor for the traditional stone and silk carving workshop (free entry), and Psar Chas (Old Market) for supplies. If timing works, Wat Bo pagoda a short walk east sometimes offers a monk blessing (small donation ~£2-3). Buy your Angkor pass this evening — 1-day is $37, 3-day $62 — and arrange a tuk-tuk driver for tomorrow's sunrise (~£16-18 for the day).
🚌Bus Phnom Penh-Siem Reap ~£12
🛏Siem Reap guesthouse or budget hotel (£10-18)
- →Artisans d'Angkor
- →Psar Chas Old Market
- →Wat Bo pagoda
- →Angkor pass purchase
Angkor sunrise to sunset
Angkor Complex
Leave at 4:30am with your tuk-tuk driver for sunrise at Angkor Wat, then loop the small circuit: Angkor Thom's Southern Gate, Bayon's stone faces, Baphuon, the Terrace of the Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King, then the tree-strangled Ta Prohm. Khmer lunch at one of the restaurants near Sras Srang. Back out mid-afternoon for Angkor Wat's inner galleries, then Phnom Bakheng for sunset (arrive early, it's capped at 300 people). Optional: buffet dinner with an Apsara dance show in town (~£10-14).
🚌Tuk-tuk for the day ~£17
🛏Siem Reap guesthouse or budget hotel (£10-18)
- →Angkor Wat sunrise
- →Angkor Thom & Bayon
- →Ta Prohm
- →Phnom Bakheng sunset
- →Apsara dance show (optional)
Siem Reap departure
Siem Reap
A relaxed morning — Tonle Sap floating village tour if you have a late flight (~£18), or a wander through the Old Market for last-minute silk and spices. Tuk-tuk to Siem Reap International Airport is about £5-6 (25 min). Airport departure tax is included in your ticket.
🚌Tuk-tuk to Siem Reap Airport ~£6
🛏—
- →Old Market shopping
- →Floating village tour (optional)
Self-launched vs. Best Vietnam Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Best Vietnam Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£755 | £1,090 |
| Duration | 14 days | 14 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £335 per person (31%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Best Vietnam Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£755
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.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does 14 Days Vietnam & Cambodia — Self-Launched Best Price cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £755 per person for 14 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 Best Vietnam Tours?+
Yes — Best Vietnam Tours charges around £1,090 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £755 — a saving of roughly £335 (31%) per person.
How long is the Vietnam & Cambodia trip?+
This itinerary runs 14 days, covering 14 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, adventure, backpacker 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?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.