Cambodia & Vietnam in 10 Days: Hanoi, Halong Bay, Angkor & the Mekong — Self-Launched
10 days · Vietnam & Cambodia
LVP Travel charges £870
No-markup version: ~£790 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of LVP Travel's 10-day Hanoi–Halong Bay–Siem Reap–Angkor–Saigon–Mekong loop. You'll book the same three legs yourself: a budget Halong Bay overnight cruise out of Hanoi, a cheap flight over to Siem Reap for two full days of temples, then a flight south to Ho Chi Minh City with a DIY Cu Chi tunnels and Mekong Delta day trip. Everything here is bookable direct or via GetYourGuide/Klook — expect hostels and simple 3* guesthouses instead of group hotels, local buses and low-cost flights instead of private coaches, and shared day tours instead of a dedicated guide. Costs are approximate backpacker rates for one person, excluding international flights into Hanoi and out of Saigon.
Day-by-day
Arrive Hanoi — Old Quarter orientation
Hanoi, Vietnam
Land at Noi Bai (HAN) and skip the private transfer: take the Vietjet/Bamboo airport bus #86 or the shuttle minibus into the Old Quarter for about £1.50 (Grab is £6-8 if you're arriving late). Check into a hostel or simple guesthouse near Hoan Kiem Lake, then do a free self-guided wander: Hoan Kiem Lake, the 36 Streets, and a £1 bia hoi on Ta Hien corner. Book your Halong Bay overnight cruise tonight for tomorrow (most operators pick up from Old Quarter hotels around 8am).
🚌Airport bus #86 (~£1.50) or Grab (~£7)
🛏Old Quarter hostel dorm or private budget room (e.g. Hanoi Backpackers / May De Ville Backpackers area)
- →Old Quarter self-guided walk
- →Hoan Kiem Lake at sunset
- →Bia hoi corner on Ta Hien
Halong Bay overnight cruise — Titop Island & kayaking
Halong Bay / Lan Ha Bay
Book a 2D/1N budget cruise direct or via Klook/GetYourGuide — the mid-range 3* boats run around £85-110 per person including all meals, kayaking and transfers from Hanoi, and they follow essentially the same route as the packaged version: Titop Island for the viewpoint climb and a swim, a floating pearl farm, a cooking demo and sundowner tea on the sundeck. Kayaking is usually included on independent bookings (it's an add-on on some group tours). Bring your own water; drinks on board are charged separately.
🚌Shuttle bus Hanoi–Halong included with cruise (~3.5 hrs each way)
🛏Overnight cabin on a 3* Halong/Lan Ha cruise (included in cruise price)
- →Titop Island hike and swim
- →Kayaking in the bay
- →Pearl farm visit
- →Cooking class and sundowner on the sundeck
Surprise Cave, back to Hanoi — prison museum & water puppets
Hanoi, Vietnam
Morning tai chi on deck if your boat runs it, then Surprise Cave (Sung Sot) before the early lunch and shuttle back to Hanoi, arriving mid-afternoon. Walk to Hoa Lo Prison Museum (£1.20 entry) and Tran Quoc Pagoda on West Lake (free). In the evening catch a Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre show — buy at the box office or on Klook for about £4-6 — then grab egg coffee at Cafe Giang (£2).
🚌Cruise shuttle back to Hanoi (included)
🛏Old Quarter hostel or budget guesthouse
- →Surprise Cave
- →Hoa Lo Prison Museum
- →Tran Quoc Pagoda
- →Thang Long water puppet show
- →Egg coffee at Cafe Giang
Hanoi highlights, then fly to Siem Reap
Hanoi → Siem Reap, Cambodia
Do the Ho Chi Minh complex early (mausoleum free but closed Mon/Fri and strict dress code), One Pillar Pagoda, the Presidential Palace gardens and the Temple of Literature (£1.20). Grab lunch, then head to the airport for a low-cost flight to Siem Reap — Vietjet, Vietravel or AirAsia run roughly £55-90 one way; BOOK 20KG BAGGAGE IN ADVANCE, the standard allowance is only 7kg cabin. On arrival, a tuk-tuk to the centre is £2-3. Buy your Angkor pass tonight (1-day £28, 3-day £55) — the ticket office opens at 5pm for next-day entry.
🚌Grab to airport (~£5) + low-cost flight HAN–REP (~£55-90) + airport tuk-tuk (~£2.50)
🛏Siem Reap guesthouse/hostel near Pub Street or Wat Bo (private room ~£12-16)
- →Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and One Pillar Pagoda
- →Presidential Palace
- →Temple of Literature
- →Buy Angkor pass at Apsara ticket office
Angkor small circuit — Angkor Wat, Bayon & Ta Prohm
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Skip the guided coach and hire a tuk-tuk driver for the day (£15-18 for the full small circuit, split if you share) or rent an e-bike (£8). Start at Angkor Wat for sunrise, then South Gate of Angkor Thom, Bayon's face towers, the Royal Enclosure and Phimeanakas, the Elephant and Leper King Terraces, then Ta Keo, Thommanon, Chau Say Tevoda and finally Ta Prohm in the late afternoon light. Take a local guide at Angkor Wat itself if you want the stories (£15-20 for 2-3 hrs, arranged at the gate).
🚌Private tuk-tuk for the day (~£16, cheaper if shared)
🛏Siem Reap guesthouse/hostel
- →Angkor Wat sunrise
- →Angkor Thom and Bayon
- →Elephant and Leper King Terraces
- →Ta Keo, Thommanon, Chau Say Tevoda
- →Ta Prohm
Kompong Phluk floating village, Killing Fields & massage
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Morning tuk-tuk out to Kompong Phluk on Tonle Sap — book a shared boat trip direct with a local operator or via GetYourGuide for £15-20 (note: in the dry season Feb-Apr the 'floating' village sits on stilts, still worth it). Back in town visit Wat Thmey (the Killing Fields memorial, free/donation) and Artisan d'Angkor craft centre (free entry, no pressure to buy — reviewers flagged pushy stops on the packaged version, so go on your own schedule). Finish with a 1-hour Khmer massage, £5-7 in town.
🚌Tuk-tuk out to the lake and around town (~£15)
🛏Siem Reap guesthouse/hostel
- →Kompong Phluk floating village boat trip
- →Wat Thmey Killing Fields memorial
- →Artisan d'Angkor
- →Khmer massage
- →Old Market and Pub Street food
Fly Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City
Siem Reap → Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
A slow morning at the Old Market, then a flight down to Saigon — Cambodia Angkor Air and Vietjet run this route from around £45-75 one way; alternatively the bus via Phnom Penh is £25-30 but eats a full day. Land at Tan Son Nhat and take Grab bike/car into District 1 (£2-4). Evening: walk Nguyen Hue walking street, Ben Thanh night market, and a £4 banh mi-and-beer dinner. Sort your Cu Chi and Mekong day trips tonight — Klook/GetYourGuide group tours run £15-25 each.
🚌Airport tuk-tuk (~£2) + flight REP–SGN (~£50-75) + Grab into town (~£3)
🛏District 1 hostel or budget hotel (private room ~£15-20)
- →Siem Reap Old Market
- →Nguyen Hue walking street
- →Ben Thanh night market
Cu Chi Tunnels + Saigon city sights
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Book a half-day Cu Chi Tunnels group tour (£15-20 via Klook, includes the tea-and-cassava tasting and a guide) — morning departure gets you back by early afternoon. Then DIY the city: War Remnants Museum (£1.50), Reunification Palace (£2), Notre Dame Cathedral exterior (under restoration) and the Central Post Office, all within a short walk of each other in District 1. Coffee stop at The Workshop or a local ca phe sua da stall for £1.50.
🚌Tour minibus to Cu Chi (included) + walking/Grab in the city (~£3)
🛏District 1 hostel or budget hotel
- →Cu Chi Tunnels half-day tour
- →War Remnants Museum
- →Reunification Palace
- →Notre Dame Cathedral and Central Post Office
Mekong Delta day trip — My Tho, canals & coconut candy
My Tho / Ben Tre, Mekong Delta
Join a shared Mekong Delta day tour from Saigon's District 1 (Klook/GetYourGuide, £20-30) — the standard route hits the same stops as the packaged trip: boat cruise on the Mekong, an orchard with seasonal fruit tasting, a coconut candy workshop, a horse-cart ride and a sampan paddle along the My Tho canals, with lunch at a local riverside restaurant. It's a long day (back around 6pm). Cheaper and more atmospheric alternative: public bus to My Tho (£1.50) and hire a local boatman at the pier for £10-15.
🚌Shared tour minibus to My Tho and back (included)
🛏District 1 hostel or budget hotel
- →Mekong River boat cruise
- →Orchard fruit tasting
- →Coconut candy workshop
- →Horse-cart ride
- →Sampan canal cruise
Depart Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Last pho breakfast, a wander through the Fine Arts Museum (£1.50) or the Jade Emperor Pagoda if your flight is later, then Grab or bus #109/#152 to Tan Son Nhat Airport (£1-3). If you're flying onward regionally, remember Vietnam e-visa (£22 approx) needs to be applied for online at least a week ahead, and Cambodia's e-visa is roughly £25 — check your nationality's current rules.
🚌Bus #109 to the airport (~£1) or Grab (~£3)
🛏—
- →Pho breakfast
- →Fine Arts Museum or Jade Emperor Pagoda
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. LVP Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | LVP Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£790 | £870 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £80 per person (9%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more LVP Travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£790
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 Cambodia & Vietnam in 10 Days: Hanoi, Halong Bay, Angkor & the Mekong — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £790 per person for 10 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 LVP Travel?+
Yes — LVP Travel charges around £870 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £790 — a saving of roughly £80 (9%) per person.
How long is the Vietnam & Cambodia trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 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, 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?
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.