Southeast Asia Cultural Riches and Seaside Charms — Self-Launched 19-Day Version
19 days · Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand
Legend Travel Group charges £2,445
No-markup version: ~£947 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched, book-it-yourself take on Legend Travel Group's 19-day Hanoi-to-Phuket tour. You'll cover the same ground — Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Halong Bay, Hoi An, My Son, Hue, Ho Chi Minh City, Cu Chi, the Mekong Delta, Angkor, Bangkok and Phuket — using overnight buses, trains, cheap regional flights, hostel/guesthouse stays and self-bookable day tours instead of private transport and a tour guide. Costs are rough backpacker estimates in GBP and assume dorm or budget private rooms, eating local, and booking day trips a day or two ahead via GetYourGuide, Klook or your hostel. Internal flights are the single biggest cost — book them early (VietJet/AirAsia/Thai Vietjet) or swap some for overnight trains and buses to shave off more.
Day-by-day
Arrive Hanoi — Old Quarter wander
Hanoi, Vietnam
Fly into Noi Bai (HAN). Skip the private transfer: bus 86 runs from the airport to the Old Quarter for about £1.20, or a Grab car is ~£7-9. Check into a hostel or budget hotel in the Old Quarter, then do a free walking loop past Hoan Kiem Lake, St Joseph's Cathedral and the beer corner (Ta Hien). Sort out your Vietnam e-visa in advance online (~£20). Evening: bia hoi and bun cha.
🚌Bus 86 from Noi Bai (~£1.20) or Grab (~£8)
🛏Old Quarter hostel dorm or budget guesthouse (£8-14)
- →Bus 86 airport transfer
- →Self-guided Old Quarter walk
- →Hoan Kiem Lake at dusk
Hanoi's big sights on foot
Hanoi, Vietnam
Do the classic Hanoi circuit yourself: Tran Quoc Pagoda, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex (free, closed Mon/Fri, mornings only), One Pillar Pagoda, Temple of Literature (~£2), Hoa Lo Prison (~£1.20) and the Museum of Ethnology (~£2). All are walkable or a short Grab ride apart — entry fees total under £6. If you'd rather have commentary, a half-day Hanoi highlights tour on GetYourGuide runs about £20-25.
🚌Walking + Grab rides (~£4)
🛏Old Quarter hostel dorm or budget guesthouse (£8-14)
- →Tran Quoc Pagoda
- →Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
- →Temple of Literature
- →Hoa Lo Prison
- →Museum of Ethnology
Ninh Binh day trip — Hoa Lu, Tam Coc & Mua Cave
Ninh Binh / Hanoi
Book a Ninh Binh day tour via Klook or GetYourGuide (~£28-35 including lunch) or do it solo: bus/train to Ninh Binh (~£3-5), bicycle hire (~£2), Hoa Lu ancient capital (~£1), a rowboat through Tam Coc's caves (~£8) and the 500-step climb at Mua Cave (~£2). Return to Hanoi in the evening and pre-book your Halong Bay trip for tomorrow.
🚌Shared day-trip minibus or local bus/train (~£5)
🛏Old Quarter hostel dorm or budget guesthouse (£8-14)
- →Hoa Lu ancient capital
- →Tam Coc river boat trip
- →Mua Cave viewpoint climb
Halong Bay overnight cruise
Halong Bay, Vietnam
Book a budget overnight junk cruise through Klook or GetYourGuide (roughly £70-100 for 2 days/1 night including meals, kayaking and transfers — far cheaper than the operator's 4-5 star boat). Board around midday, cruise among the limestone karsts, swim, kayak and explore Amazing Cave, then watch sunset from the deck.
🚌Shuttle bus included in cruise (~£0 extra)
🛏Budget Halong Bay boat cabin (included in cruise)
- →Halong Bay junk cruise
- →Kayaking and swimming
- →Amazing Cave
- →Sunset on deck
Halong Bay to Hoi An
Halong Bay → Hoi An
Sunrise on the bay, a floating fishing village visit, then cruise back to the pier and take the shuttle to Hanoi. From Hanoi, either fly to Da Nang (VietJet/Vietnam Airlines, ~£35-55 if booked ahead) and take a Grab to Hoi An (~£8), or take the sleeper train to Da Nang (~£20-30) for a slower, cheaper option. In Hoi An, check into a guesthouse in the Old Town or An Hoi islet.
🚌Cruise shuttle + domestic flight Hanoi–Da Nang (~£45) or sleeper train (~£25)
🛏Hoi An guesthouse or budget hotel (£10-16)
- →Sunrise on Halong Bay
- →Floating fishing village
- →Evening stroll through Hoi An Old Town
Hoi An Old Town & Kim Bong craft village
Hoi An, Vietnam
Buy an Old Town ticket (~£4.50) covering the Japanese Covered Bridge, old merchant houses, assembly halls and the Sa Huynh Museum. In the afternoon, cycle or take a short boat across the Thu Bon River to Kim Bong village (~£2-3) to watch traditional woodworkers and shipbuilders. Evening: lantern-lit streets, cao lau noodles and a £5 tailor fitting if you fancy it.
🚌Bicycle hire + river boat (~£4)
🛏Hoi An guesthouse or budget hotel (£10-16)
- →Hoi An Old Town ticket & museums
- →Boat/cycle to Kim Bong craft village
- →Lantern-lit evening walk
My Son Sanctuary (sunrise tour)
Hoi An, Vietnam
Take a shared sunrise tour to My Son (~£15-22 on GetYourGuide/Klook, entry ~£6) to see the Cham temple ruins before the heat and crowds. Back by early afternoon — spend it on An Bang Beach or getting something made by a Hoi An tailor. Renting a scooter for the day is ~£6-8 if you're confident riding.
🚌Shared tour minibus (~£20 incl. entry)
🛏Hoi An guesthouse or budget hotel (£10-16)
- →My Son UNESCO temples
- →An Bang Beach
- →Tailor or lantern shopping
Hoi An to Hue over the Hai Van Pass
Hoi An → Hue
The scenic route is the point: hire an Easy Rider motorbike guide (~£25-35) or rent a scooter (~£7) and ride over the Hai Van Pass with stops at Lang Co Beach and the Marble Mountains/Ngu Hanh Son near Da Nang (~£2). Alternatively take the local bus (~£4, 3-4 hrs) or a shared car. Arrive in Hue and settle into a guesthouse near the Imperial City.
🚌Easy Rider motorbike guide (~£30) or local bus (~£4)
🛏Hue guesthouse or budget hotel (£9-15)
- →Hai Van Pass ride
- →Lang Co Beach stop
- →Marble Mountains (optional)
Hue Imperial City, tombs & Perfume River
Hue, Vietnam
Rent a bicycle (~£2) or take a Grab between sights. Imperial Citadel entry ~£6, Khai Dinh and Tu Duc tombs ~£4.50 each, Thien Mu Pagoda free — or do a Perfume River boat trip (~£5). Add Thuy Xuan incense village (free to wander) and Dong Ba Market for lunch. A combined self-guided day comes in around £20-25 versus a fully guided version.
🚌Bicycle + Grab (~£5)
🛏Hue guesthouse or budget hotel (£9-15)
- →Imperial Citadel & Purple Forbidden City
- →Khai Dinh and Tu Duc tombs
- →Thien Mu Pagoda
- →Thuy Xuan incense village
- →Dong Ba Market
Hue to Ho Chi Minh City
Hue → Ho Chi Minh City
Fly Hue to Saigon (~£30-50 booked ahead) — the cheapest, quickest option. If you've got time and want the classic experience, the Reunification Express sleeper from Hue to Saigon takes ~20 hrs (~£25-35 soft sleeper) and saves a night's accommodation. Base yourself in District 1 or the backpacker strip on Pham Ngu Lao.
🚌Domestic flight (~£40) or sleeper train (~£30)
🛏District 1 hostel dorm or budget hotel (£9-15)
- →Fly or overnight train to Saigon
- →Evening walk down Nguyen Hue walking street
- →Ben Thanh night market
Saigon city sights + Cu Chi Tunnels
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Morning DIY city walk: Notre Dame Cathedral (exterior), Central Post Office, Reunification Palace (~£3) and the War Remnants Museum (~£2). Afternoon: join a shared Cu Chi Tunnels tour (~£15-20 including entry and transport via Klook/GetYourGuide), crawling through the tunnels and firing range area. Evening back on Pham Ngu Lao.
🚌Shared Cu Chi tour bus (~£18 incl. entry)
🛏District 1 hostel dorm or budget hotel (£9-15)
- →Notre Dame Cathedral & Central Post Office
- →Reunification Palace
- →War Remnants Museum
- →Cu Chi Tunnels half-day tour
Mekong Delta day trip to My Tho
My Tho / Ho Chi Minh City
A shared My Tho–Ben Tre day tour (~£20-25 on Klook) covers the Mekong boat trip, coconut candy and honey workshops, and Vinh Trang Pagoda — or DIY it by local bus to My Tho (~£2) and hiring a boat at the pier. Back in Saigon by evening.
🚌Shared Mekong tour minibus (~£22)
🛏District 1 hostel dorm or budget hotel (£9-15)
- →Mekong River boat trip
- →Coconut candy & honey workshops
- →Vinh Trang Pagoda
Saigon to Siem Reap — Angkor Thom & sunset
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Fly Saigon to Siem Reap (~£60-90, book early — this is the priciest leg; land crossing via Moc Bai takes a full day for ~£20 if you want to save). Cambodia e-visa ~£25 online. Afternoon: buy your Angkor pass (1-day ~£29, 3-day ~£49) and do the small circuit — Angkor Thom's South Gate, Bayon's faces, the Terraces of the Elephants and Leper King, Baphuon and Phimeanakas — finishing with sunset from Pre Rup or Phnom Bakheng.
🚌Flight (~£75) + tuk-tuk for the afternoon (~£8)
🛏Siem Reap hostel/guesthouse (£8-14)
- →Angkor Thom South Gate
- →Bayon Temple
- →Terrace of the Elephants & Leper King
- →Baphuon & Phimeanakas
- →Sunset from a temple
Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm & Banteay Srei
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Hire a tuk-tuk driver for the full day (~£15-18) and start at sunrise at Angkor Wat. Then Ta Prohm (the jungle-strangled one), Thommanon, Chau Say Tevoda and Takeo, and finish at the pink-sandstone Banteay Srei (~£0 extra with the pass, but 30km out). A shared small-group guided Angkor tour is ~£18-25 if you want the history explained.
🚌Tuk-tuk day hire (~£17)
🛏Siem Reap hostel/guesthouse (£8-14)
- →Angkor Wat at sunrise
- →Ta Prohm
- →Thommanon & Chau Say Tevoda
- →Takeo
- →Banteay Srei
Siem Reap to Bangkok
Siem Reap → Bangkok
Cheapest: bus or shared minibus Siem Reap–Poipet–Bangkok (~£15-25, 9-12 hrs, leave early). Fastest: fly Siem Reap to Bangkok (~£60-90). If overlanding, note the Thai border scam buses — book through a reputable company or your hostel. Arrive Bangkok, take the BTS/MRT or a metered taxi to your hostel in Khao San or Silom.
🚌Bus/minibus (~£20) or flight (~£75)
🛏Bangkok hostel dorm or budget hotel (£10-18)
- →Border crossing or short flight
- →Evening on Khao San Road
- →Riverside walk
Bangkok temples & floating market
Bangkok, Thailand
Do the temples yourself: Wat Traimit (Golden Buddha, ~£2), Wat Pho (Reclining Buddha, ~£5.50) and Wat Arun (~£2.20 plus £1 ferry), easily linked by the Chao Phraya river boat (~£1-2 a ride). For Damnoen Saduak floating market, a shared half-day tour is ~£18-25 on Klook; it leaves very early, so do the temples the afternoon before or after.
🚌BTS/skytrain, river boat and shared tour minibus (~£15)
🛏Bangkok hostel dorm or budget hotel (£10-18)
- →Wat Traimit
- →Wat Pho & Reclining Buddha
- →Wat Arun
- →Chao Phraya river boat
- →Damnoen Saduak floating market (optional)
Bangkok to Phuket — Old Town & viewpoints
Phuket, Thailand
Fly Bangkok to Phuket (~£30-50 with Thai Vietjet/AirAsia, book ahead) or take an overnight bus (~£20-25). Check into a guesthouse in Phuket Town. DIY the island: Phuket Old Town's Sino-Portuguese streets, Wat Chalong, the Big Buddha at Khao Nak Kerd, and Karon Viewpoint — a rented scooter (~£7/day) or a shared songthaew is the way to do it.
🚌Domestic flight (~£40) + scooter hire (~£7)
🛏Phuket Town guesthouse or budget hotel (£12-20)
- →Phuket Old Town walk
- →Wat Chalong
- →Big Buddha
- →Karon Viewpoint
- →Cashew nut shop stop
Phi Phi Islands day trip with snorkelling
Phi Phi Islands, Thailand
Book a speedboat day trip to Phi Phi via Klook or GetYourGuide (~£25-35 including hotel pickup, lunch, snorkelling gear and Maya Bay/Long Beach stops). Snorkel off Phi Phi Don, swim at Long Beach, and relax before heading back to Phuket in the late afternoon.
🚌Speedboat tour with pickup (~£30)
🛏Phuket Town guesthouse or budget hotel (£12-20)
- →Phi Phi Leh & Maya Bay
- →Snorkelling at Long Beach
- →Buffet lunch on Phi Phi Don
- →Beach time
Phuket — fly home
Phuket, Thailand
Slow breakfast, a last swim or market browse, then the airport bus from Phuket Town (~£1.80) or a Grab (~£8) to HKT for your flight home. If you need a visa extension or have spare days, the beaches at Kata or Nai Harn are an easy add-on.
🚌Airport bus (~£2) or Grab (~£8)
🛏—
- →Phuket Town market breakfast
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. Legend Travel Group
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Legend Travel Group | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£947 | £2,445 |
| Duration | 19 days | 19 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,498 per person (61%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Legend Travel Group-style trips? Check them out here.~£947
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 Southeast Asia Cultural Riches and Seaside Charms — Self-Launched 19-Day Version cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £947 per person for 19 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 Legend Travel Group?+
Yes — Legend Travel Group charges around £2,445 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £947 — a saving of roughly £1,498 (61%) per person.
How long is the Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand trip?+
This itinerary runs 19 days, covering 19 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, beaches 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?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
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