Glimpse of Indochina in 14 Days — Self-Launched
14 days · Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand
Realistic Asia charges £1,566
No-markup version: ~£682 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched, solo-friendly version of Realistic Asia's best-selling 14-day Hanoi-to-Phuket run through three countries: Hanoi's temples and Old Quarter, an overnight junk boat in Halong Bay, Hoi An's lantern-lit lanes and basket-boat villages, the Angkor temple complex from Siem Reap, a floating market near Bangkok, and beach time in Phuket. Everything the tour does in a minibus and private car, you do by sleeper train, low-cost flights, local buses and GetYourGuide day trips — for roughly a third of the packaged price. All costs are approximate budget-backpacker estimates in GBP per person.
Day-by-day
Arrive Hanoi — Old Quarter orientation
Hanoi, Vietnam
Fly into Noi Bai (HAN) and take the Hanoi Express bus 86 or a Grab into the Old Quarter (about £1.50-4). Check into a hostel or budget hotel near Ma May or Hang Be. Spend the afternoon walking the 36 Streets, circling Hoan Kiem Lake and catching a water puppet show at Thang Long theatre (£3-4). Finish with bia hoi on Ta Hien corner and a bowl of bun cha.
🚌Hanoi Express bus 86 from airport ~£1.50, or Grab ~£4
🛏Old Quarter hostel or budget guesthouse (dorm £6-9 / private £12-18)
- →Hanoi Old Quarter wander
- →Hoan Kiem Lake
- →Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre
- →Street food dinner
Hanoi city highlights on a self-booked walking day
Hanoi, Vietnam
Do the same circuit the tour does, but on foot and by Grab. Start at Tran Quoc Pagoda on West Lake, walk to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex and his stilt houses (free, morning only, closed Mondays/Fridays), then One Pillar Pagoda and the Temple of Literature (£1.50). Afternoon at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology (£2) — a highlight the reviews single out — then Hoa Lo Prison (£1.50). A GetYourGuide 'Hanoi highlights' half-day walk or food tour runs £20-30 if you'd rather have a guide.
🚌Walking plus 2-3 Grab rides ~£4 total
🛏Old Quarter hostel or budget guesthouse (dorm £6-9 / private £12-18)
- →Tran Quoc Pagoda
- →Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex
- →One Pillar Pagoda
- →Temple of Literature
- →Vietnam Museum of Ethnology
- →Hoa Lo Prison
Halong Bay overnight junk cruise
Halong Bay, Vietnam
Book a 2-day/1-night Halong or Lan Ha Bay cruise directly or via Klook/GetYourGuide (from £55-75 including transfers, all meals, kayaking and cave visits). Pickup from your Hanoi hotel around 8am, drive 3.5 hours, then board. Afternoon kayaking among the limestone karsts, swimming off the boat, and a cave stop — exactly the moments reviewers rave about. Sunset on deck, dinner and a night in a cabin on the water.
🚌Shared shuttle from Hanoi included in cruise package
🛏Overnight cabin on a budget junk boat (included in cruise price)
- →Halong Bay cruise
- →Kayaking
- →Swimming
- →Cave visit
- →Sunset on deck
Sunrise on the bay, then fly/train south to Hoi An
Halong Bay → Hoi An, Vietnam
Wake early for sunrise on the top deck and tai chi, then an early brunch on board before disembarking around 10am and shuttling back to Hanoi. Overnight sleeper train from Hanoi to Da Nang (soft sleeper ~£25-30, 16 hours, book on dsvn.vn or at the station) is the budget classic; alternatively a 1hr20m VietJet flight Hanoi-Da Nang for £25-40 makes this a single day. Train arrivals put you in Hoi An next morning — if flying, you're in Hoi An by evening. Either way, 20-minute Grab from Da Nang station/airport to Hoi An (~£6).
🚌Shuttle to Hanoi included; sleeper train ~£28 or flight ~£30; Grab Da Nang-Hoi An ~£6
🛏Sleeper train berth (£25-30) or Hoi An guesthouse (£10-15)
- →Sunrise viewing
- →Cruise back to port
- →Overnight train or short flight south
Cam Thanh basket boats and cooking class
Hoi An, Vietnam
The Cam Thanh eco-village day is easy to self-book — Hoi An is full of agencies on Tran Nhat Duat offering 'basket boat + cooking class' for £20-28. Morning visit to Hoi An's central market to shop for ingredients, then bamboo basket boat through the coconut palms, throwing-net fishing demos and purple crab catching. Cook five Vietnamese dishes (banh xeo, cao lau, spring rolls) and eat them. Afternoon free for the tailors and riverside cafes.
🚌Bicycle hire ~£1.50 or walking
🛏Hoi An guesthouse or budget hotel (£10-15)
- →Hoi An market tour
- →Cam Thanh basket boat ride
- →Fishing net and crab catching demo
- →Vietnamese cooking class (5 dishes)
Hoi An ancient town on your own clock
Hoi An, Vietnam
Buy the £4.50 old-town ticket (5 heritage houses, assembly halls and the Japanese Covered Bridge), then simply wander. Coffee at Reaching Out, a Banh Mi Phuong lunch (£1.50), a bicycle loop out to the rice paddies or An Bang Beach (£1.50 bike hire), and if your date lands on the 14th day of the lunar month, the full-moon lantern festival on the river is free and magical. Tailor a shirt if you've got 24 hours to spare.
🚌Bicycle hire £1.50
🛏Hoi An guesthouse or budget hotel (£10-15)
- →Hoi An Ancient Town heritage ticket
- →Japanese Covered Bridge
- →An Bang Beach
- →Lantern-lit evening riverside
Fly Da Nang to Siem Reap
Hoi An → Siem Reap, Cambodia
Grab to Da Nang airport (£6, 45 min) and fly to Siem Reap (no direct route on most days — cheapest is Da Nang to Siem Reap via Ho Chi Minh City or Bangkok, £60-90 one way; check AirAsia and VietJet). Cambodia e-visa £25-30 online in advance; Thai/Vietnam entry fees vary by passport. Land in Siem Reap, tuk-tuk to town (£2-3), settle into a guesthouse near Wat Bo or the Old Market and eat fish amok on Pub Street.
🚌Grab to Da Nang airport ~£6; one-way flight ~£75; airport tuk-tuk ~£3
🛏Siem Reap guesthouse (£8-14)
- →Transfer day
- →Siem Reap Old Market evening
- →Pub Street food
Angkor temples by tuk-tuk with a licensed guide
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Skip the group minibus: hire a tuk-tuk driver for the 'small circuit' (£15-18 for the full day) and add a licensed guide for the Angkor Wat sunrise slot (£25-35 half day, bookable on GetYourGuide or Klook, or arrange through your guesthouse). Angkor pass: 1-day £30. Hit Angkor Wat at dawn, then Angkor Thom's South Gate, the face towers of Bayon, the Terrace of the Elephants and Leper King, Preah Khan, and the tree-swallowed Ta Prohm in late afternoon light. Reviewers warn about temple fatigue — one well-paced day covers what the tour spreads over two.
🚌Private tuk-tuk for the day ~£16
🛏Siem Reap guesthouse (£8-14)
- →Angkor Wat sunrise
- →Angkor Thom & Bayon
- →Terrace of the Elephants
- →Preah Khan
- →Ta Prohm
Tonle Sap floating village, then overland/flight to Bangkok
Siem Reap → Bangkok, Thailand
Morning at Kompong Khleang or Kompong Phluk floating village on Tonle Sap — book a shared boat trip with your guesthouse (£12-18) to see the stilted houses, floating school and fishing communities. Then head to Bangkok. Fastest is a direct flight Siem Reap-Bangkok Don Mueang (AirAsia, £45-70, 1hr); the budget classic is the bus to Poipet border then a 6-7hr bus/train to Bangkok (£12-18 total, long day). Evening in Bangkok: BTS to your hostel near Siam or Khao San and a bowl of boat noodles.
🚌Floating village boat £15; flight Siem Reap-Bangkok ~£50 (or Poipet overland ~£15); BTS ~£1
🛏Bangkok hostel or budget hotel near BTS (£9-18)
- →Tonle Sap floating village boat trip
- →Floating school and fishing community
- →Transfer to Bangkok
Damnoen Saduak floating market and long-tail canals
Ratchaburi / Bangkok, Thailand
Book a half-day Damnoen Saduak tour on GetYourGuide or Klook (£15-22 incl. hotel pickup) and be there by 7:30am before the crowds — the tour's own version arrives later and is more crowded. Glide the canals by long-tail boat past vendors selling mango sticky rice, coconut juice and noodles from their paddles. Return to Bangkok by early afternoon; use the rest of the day for Wat Pho's Reclining Buddha (£5) and the Grand Palace if you have energy (£12).
🚌Shared minibus tour pickup included; BTS/ferry ~£2
🛏Bangkok hostel or budget hotel near BTS (£9-18)
- →Damnoen Saduak floating market
- →Long-tail boat canal ride
- →Wat Pho Reclining Buddha
- →Grand Palace (optional)
Fly Bangkok to Phuket — beach reset
Bangkok → Phuket, Thailand
Morning flight Don Mueang or Suvarnabhumi to Phuket (AirAsia/Thai Lion, £25-45 if booked a few weeks out, 1hr25m). Airport smart bus or shared minivan to Kata or Karon (£3-6, 1-1.5hr) — Kata is cheaper and quieter than Patong. Check into a guesthouse, swim, and catch sunset from Kata Beach with a £2 pad thai from a street cart.
🚌Flight ~£35; airport smart bus ~£4
🛏Kata or Karon guesthouse (£12-20)
- →Flight to Phuket
- →Kata Beach swim
- →Sunset and street food
Phi Phi / Maya Bay island day trip
Phuket, Thailand
Do the boat day reviewers loved — a speedboat day trip to Phi Phi, Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave and Monkey Beach, or a longer Phi Phi + Bamboo Island combo, bookable on Klook or GetYourGuide for £30-45 including lunch, snorkelling gear and hotel pickup. Book the earliest departure to beat the crowds (Maya Bay gets rammed by 11am). Back by 5pm for a seafood dinner at a Kata night market (£6-8).
🚌Hotel pickup included in tour price
🛏Kata or Karon guesthouse (£12-20)
- →Phi Phi Islands speedboat trip
- →Maya Bay
- →Pileh Lagoon snorkelling
- →Bamboo Island
- →Kata night market
Free Phuket day — beach, viewpoints, or zipline
Phuket, Thailand
Your buffer and unstructured day. Options: hire a scooter (£6-8/day) and ride the coast to Promthep Cape for sunset, Big Buddha, and Nai Harn Beach; do the Hanuman World zipline (£35-45); kayak Phang Nga Bay; or just beach-hop with a book. Patong's Bangla Road is a 20-minute songthaew ride (£1.50) if you want the nightlife, but Kata's beach bar scene is friendlier for solo travellers.
🚌Scooter hire ~£7 or songthaew ~£1.50
🛏Kata or Karon guesthouse (£12-20)
- →Scooter rental and coastal ride
- →Promthep Cape sunset
- →Big Buddha viewpoint
- →Optional zipline or kayaking
Markets and departure
Phuket, Thailand
Morning souvenir run at Kata market or the Phuket Weekend Market if your dates align, a last iced coffee on the sand, then the smart bus or a Grab to Phuket International Airport (£4-8, 1hr from Kata). Check your onward visa and flight times — if you're continuing, consider the easy add-on the operator offers for a fee: a Ho Chi Minh City stopover with a half-day city tour (£28) and a Mekong Delta day (£48), all independently bookable.
🚌Airport smart bus ~£4 or Grab ~£8
🛏None (departure day)
- →Local market souvenir shopping
- →Beach farewell coffee
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. Realistic Asia
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Realistic Asia | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£682 | £1,566 |
| Duration | 14 days | 14 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £884 per person (56%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Realistic Asia-style trips? Check them out here.~£682
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 Glimpse of Indochina in 14 Days — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £682 per person for 14 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 Realistic Asia?+
Yes — Realistic Asia charges around £1,566 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £682 — a saving of roughly £884 (56%) per person.
How long is the Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand trip?+
This itinerary runs 14 days, covering 14 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 culture, backpacker, budget 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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