Essential Vietnam & Cambodia — Self-Launched
17 days · Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand
G Adventures charges £1,610
No-markup version: ~£1,085 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of G Adventures' 17-day Hanoi-to-Bangkok run through Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. You book your own hostels and guesthouses, ride the Reunification Express and local sleeper buses instead of a private coach, and self-book the same headline experiences — a Halong Bay junk boat night, Hue's Imperial Citadel, Hoi An's noodle-making class, the Cu Chi Tunnels, Phnom Penh's Killing Fields and S-21, and two days at Angkor — via GetYourGuide, Klook or straight from local operators. Same route, same sights, roughly a third of the price. All costs are approximate per person in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Hanoi — Old Quarter orientation
Hanoi, Vietnam
Land at Noi Bai, take bus 86 (~£1.20) or a Grab (~£7) into the Old Quarter and check into a hostel dorm or private budget room. Spend the afternoon walking the 36 Streets, circling Hoan Kiem Lake and easing in with a bowl of bun cha or pho bo for dinner (~£2). Complete Vietnam's online pre-arrival declaration before you fly and arrange your Halong Bay trip tonight at a travel agent on Hang Bac or via Klook.
🚌Airport bus 86 or Grab; walking
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Old Quarter (£8-14)
- →Old Quarter walking orientation
- →Hoan Kiem Lake at dusk
- →Street food dinner: bun cha / pho
Halong Bay overnight on a junk boat
Halong Bay / Bai Chay
Book a 2-day/1-night Halong Bay cruise through your hostel or a local agent — the £60-90 range covers shuttle from Hanoi, a cabin on a traditional junk, all meals, cave entry and a kayak stop. Morning pickup around 8am, board at Bai Chay, cruise past the limestone karsts, visit a cave and a viewpoint, then a seafood dinner on deck. Cheaper alternative: Cat Ba Island instead of Halong town for the same karst scenery with far fewer boats.
🚌Minibus Hanoi–Halong ~3.5h (included in cruise package)
🛏Twin cabin on junk boat, Halong Bay (included in cruise price)
- →Junk boat cruise through the karsts
- →Cave visit and island lookout
- →Seafood dinner on board
Back to Hanoi — overnight train to Hue
Hanoi → Hue
Breakfast and lunch on board, then sail back and shuttle to Hanoi by mid-afternoon. Spend the gap on Tay Ho lake at Tran Quoc Pagoda (free) or catch the Thang Long water puppet show (~£7). In the evening board the Reunification Express sleeper, soft berth (4-bunk) Hanoi to Hue, ~13h, booked on dsvn.vn or 12go — roughly £25-32. Bring bread, fruit and water for the journey.
🚌Shuttle to Hanoi; Vietnam Railways SE train Hanoi–Hue ~£28
🛏Sleeper train, soft berth (4-bunk)
- →Tran Quoc Pagoda
- →Water puppet theatre (optional)
- →Overnight sleeper train
Hue — Imperial Citadel and Royal Tombs
Hue
Arrive early, drop bags at your guesthouse and walk into the Imperial Citadel — entry ~£5, plus a combo ticket covering the Royal Tombs. Hire a Grab or a cyclist to go out to Khai Dinh and Tu Duc tombs and Tien Mu Pagoda (~£10 for a driver for the day). Afternoon option: a motorbike tour through the countryside with an Easy Rider-style local guide (~£20-25) or a sua chua (yoghurt coffee) on the Perfume River.
🚌Walking, Grab bike, local driver
🛏Budget hotel or guesthouse, Hue (£10-16)
- →Imperial Citadel guided self-visit
- →Khai Dinh & Tu Duc Royal Tombs
- →Tien Mu Pagoda
- →Motorbike countryside tour (optional)
Hai Van Pass to Hoi An
Hue → Hoi An
Skip the private bus and do the route the backpacker way: take a local bus to Danang (~£3, 3h) or the train for the coastal stretch, then a Grab or shared minibus over the Hai Van Pass to Hoi An (~£8-12 total). Alternatively hire an Easy Rider motorbike rider who'll drive you over the pass for ~£20. Check into a Hoi An guesthouse or homestay and wander the lantern-lit Ancient Town at dusk after 5pm, when entry is free.
🚌Local bus/train to Danang + Grab over Hai Van Pass ~£12
🛏Guesthouse or homestay, Hoi An (£10-16)
- →Hai Van Pass crossing
- →Hoi An Ancient Town by lantern light
Hoi An — noodle-making class and tailoring
Hoi An
Take a short self-booked noodle-making or cooking class — Streets International's Oodles of Noodles-style session runs ~£12-18, or go straight to a half-day Vietnamese cooking class with a market visit (GetYourGuide ~£20). Afternoon for tailoring: pick a piece in the morning and collect it fitted the next day, expect £20-40 for a dress or shirt. Evening cycle out to An Bang or Cua Dai beach.
🚌Bicycle hire ~£2 / Grab
🛏Guesthouse or homestay, Hoi An (£10-16)
- →Noodle-making workshop
- →Tailor fitting
- →An Bang beach by bicycle
My Son Sanctuary day
Hoi An / My Son
Free day — the best self-bookable option is My Son Sanctuary, the Cham temple complex about an hour out of town. Book a shared minibus or shuttle from Hoi An (~£10 transport, ~£5 entry) or take the local bus part-way. Go at 5.30am for the sunrise and you'll nearly have the ruins to yourself. Otherwise: rent a bicycle and ride the rice paddies, or take a Thu Bon river boat trip (~£10).
🚌Shared minibus or bicycle
🛏Guesthouse or homestay, Hoi An (£10-16)
- →My Son Sanctuary (optional)
- →Thu Bon river boat trip (optional)
- →Rice paddy cycling
Fly to Ho Chi Minh City
Hoi An → Ho Chi Minh City
Local bus or shuttle from Hoi An to Danang airport (~£3), then a cheap one-way flight to Saigon — book a budget carrier like VietJet or Bamboo ~4-8 weeks ahead for £25-45. In Saigon, base yourself in District 1 near Bui Vien or the backpacker lanes of Pham Ngu Lao. Spend the evening getting lost in the motorbike swirl and eating at a roadside com tam stall.
🚌Shuttle to Danang airport ~£3; domestic flight ~£35
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, District 1 (£8-15)
- →Danang–Saigon domestic flight
- →Evening walk Pham Ngu Lao
- →Street food dinner
Cu Chi Tunnels
Ho Chi Minh City
Self-book the Cu Chi Tunnels on Klook or GetYourGuide — a half-day tour runs ~£15-20 including round-trip transport from District 1 and entry, or do it yourself: bus 13 from Ben Thanh to Cu Chi town for ~£1, then a xe om to the site, entry ~£4. Afternoon back in the city for the War Remnants Museum (~£2) and a walk through Ben Thanh Market. Iced coffee at any corner cafe is mandatory.
🚌Bus or shared tour minibus
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, District 1 (£8-15)
- →Cu Chi Tunnels half-day tour
- →War Remnants Museum
- →Ben Thanh Market
- →Vietnamese iced coffee
Mekong Delta day trip
Ho Chi Minh City / Mekong Delta
Take a self-booked full-day Mekong Delta tour to My Tho and Ben Tre (~£25-35 via Klook, including minibus, boat rides through the canals, coconut candy workshop and lunch) — or the local version: bus to My Tho (~£3) and hire a boatman at the dock for a couple of hours. Back in town by early evening for a final bia hoi on Bui Vien.
🚌Tour minibus or local bus to My Tho ~£3
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, District 1 (£8-15)
- →Mekong Delta boat trip
- →Coconut candy workshop
- →Village and island stops
Border crossing to Phnom Penh
Ho Chi Minh City → Phnom Penh
The Moc Bai–Bavet crossing is easiest done on a direct sleeper or express bus — book on 12go or at a District 1 travel agent, roughly £12-16 for the ~6-7h journey including the border stop. Have your Cambodia e-visa sorted online in advance (~£28) and $2-5 in small USD cash ready for the crossing. Arrive Phnom Penh early evening; take a tuk-tuk into the Riverside area and do a short cyclo ride along the waterfront for ~£4.
🚌Direct express bus HCMC–Phnom Penh ~£14
🛏Guesthouse or hostel, Riverside Phnom Penh (£9-15)
- →Moc Bai–Bavet land border crossing
- →Cyclo ride along Phnom Penh waterfront
Tuol Sleng and the Killing Fields
Phnom Penh
Hire a tuk-tuk driver for the morning (~£15 for the round trip) and do the two sites in the right order: Tuol Sleng (S-21) prison in the morning, entry ~£4, then Choeung Ek Killing Fields outside town, entry ~£3. Both offer excellent audio guides for ~£3 — they're arguably better than a group guide. The afternoon is for recovery: coffee on the riverside, or the National Museum (~£8) and Royal Palace (~£8) if you have the energy.
🚌Tuk-tuk hire for the day ~£15
🛏Guesthouse or hostel, Riverside Phnom Penh (£9-15)
- →Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21)
- →Choeung Ek Killing Fields
- →National Museum or Royal Palace (optional)
Bus to Siem Reap — Phare Circus
Phnom Penh → Siem Reap
Take a morning Giant Ibis or Virak Buntham VIP bus to Siem Reap, ~6h, £10-14 — or the boat up the Tonle Sap if you want the slow route. Check into a guesthouse near Wat Bo and in the evening book Phare Circus tickets directly on their site (~£12-20) for a genuinely brilliant acrobatics and theatre show. Eat amok for dinner.
🚌VIP bus ~£12
🛏Guesthouse or hostel, Siem Reap (£8-15)
- →Phnom Penh–Siem Reap bus
- →Phare Circus performance
- →Fish amok dinner
Angkor sunrise and the small circuit
Siem Reap / Angkor
Buy your Angkor pass directly at the ticket office — a 3-day pass (~£48) is better value than a 1-day (~£29) and lets you spread things out. Hire a tuk-tuk driver for the day (~£18-22) and leave at 4.45am for sunrise at Angkor Wat. Then Bayon's stone faces, Ta Prohm's tree roots, and the Terraces of the Elephants. Skip the group guide and use a good audio guide or read up the night before — or pay ~£25 to split a guide with other travellers.
🚌Tuk-tuk driver for the day ~£18
🛏Guesthouse or hostel, Siem Reap (£8-15)
- →Angkor Wat sunrise
- →Bayon temple
- →Ta Prohm
- →Angkor Thom
Angkor grand circuit and Tonle Sap
Siem Reap
Second pass at the temples: Banteay Srei's pink sandstone carvings (~£12 extra by tuk-tuk) or the quieter grand circuit — Preah Khan, Neak Pean and Ta Som. Afternoon option: a Tonle Sap floating village trip to Kampong Khleang (~£20-25 including boat), which is less touristy than Chong Kneas. Evening: night market and a cheap beer on Pub Street.
🚌Tuk-tuk ~£15
🛏Guesthouse or hostel, Siem Reap (£8-15)
- →Banteay Srei or grand circuit temples
- →Tonle Sap floating village (optional)
- →Night market
Cross into Thailand — Aranyaprathet to Bangkok
Siem Reap → Bangkok
Take a morning bus or shared taxi from Siem Reap to Poipet (~£8-12, 3h), walk the border at Aranyaprathet, then the 3rd-class train to Bangkok (~£1.50, 6h, leaves around 1.05pm) for the cheapest and most characterful route — or a minibus direct to Mo Chit (~£12). Complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card online within 3 days of arrival. Evening arrival into Bangkok, hostel near Khao San or Silom.
🚌Bus to Poipet ~£10 + train to Bangkok ~£1.50
🛏Hostel dorm, Bangkok (£9-16)
- →Poipet–Aranyaprathet border crossing
- →3rd-class Thai railway to Bangkok
- →Khao San evening
Bangkok — markets and departure
Bangkok, Thailand
Last morning: Chatuchak weekend market if it's a weekend, otherwise Wat Pho (~£5) and a long-tail boat through the Thonburi canals (~£5-8), or the Jim Thompson House. Airport rail link to Suvarnabhumi is ~£1, or ~£8 by Grab. Onward flights, or a bus south if you're extending to the islands.
🚌Airport Rail Link ~£1
🛏—
- →Wat Pho or Chatuchak Market
- →Thonburi canal boat
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,085 | £1,610 |
| Duration | 17 days | 17 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £525 per person (33%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,085
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 Essential Vietnam & Cambodia — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,085 per person for 17 days in Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand. 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 £1,610 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,085 — a saving of roughly £525 (33%) per person.
How long is the Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand trip?+
This itinerary runs 17 days, covering 17 day-by-day stops through Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand.
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 adventure, culture, foodie trip through Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand, 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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