Classic Vietnam: Hanoi to the Mekong (Self-Launched)
12 days · Vietnam
G Adventures charges £1,199
No-markup version: ~£502 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of G Adventures' 12-day Classic Vietnam run from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City — same route, same headline experiences (Ha Long Bay overnight boat, Hue's Imperial Citadel, Hoi An's Old Town, the Cu Chi Tunnels and a Mekong Delta homestay with the Cai Rang floating market), but booked independently using hostels, guesthouses and budget hotels, local buses, trains and shared boats, plus self-bookable day tours. Costs are estimates for a solo backpacker at current mid-range/low-end rates and assume shared dorm or budget private rooms. Book overnight Ha Long Bay cruises and Cu Chi/Mekong day trips 2-3 days ahead via GetYourGuide, Klook or your hostel; use the Vietnam Railways site or a local agent for the Reunification Express.
Day-by-day
Arrive Hanoi — Old Quarter orientation
Hanoi
Land at Noi Bai (HAN) and take bus 86 (~£1.20) or a Grab (~£7-9) into the Old Quarter. Check into a hostel near Hoan Kiem Lake. Spend the afternoon walking the tangled streets: Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son Temple, the 'Train Street' cafes (book ahead via a cafe), and a bia hoi corner for dinner. Tonight, book your Ha Long Bay overnight cruise for tomorrow (hostels and Klook/GetYourGuide both arrange pickup) and sort your onward train to Hue.
🚌Bus 86 or Grab from airport; walking in Old Quarter
🛏Old Quarter hostel dorm or budget private room (e.g. Hanoi City Backpackers area)
- →Self-guided Old Quarter walk
- →Hoan Kiem Lake & Ngoc Son Temple
- →Book Ha Long Bay overnight cruise
- →Street food dinner & bia hoi
Ha Long Bay overnight boat
Ha Long Bay
Minibus pickup from your hostel around 8am (~£3-4h drive). Board a budget overnight junk cruise (book a 2-day/1-night 'deluxe budget' cruise via Klook or your hostel, ~£70-95 including meals, kayaking and cave visits). Afternoon kayaking among the limestone karsts, a cave walk (Sung Sot or Thien Canh Son) and a viewpoint stop. Dinner on deck with the group — drinks are extra and pricey, so bring your own or buy on board.
🚌Shared minibus Hanoi–Ha Long (~3.5-4h), included with cruise
🛏Budget overnight junk boat cabin (twin share)
- →Ha Long Bay overnight cruise
- →Kayaking among karsts
- →Cave visit
- →Island viewpoint stop
Ha Long to Hanoi, night train to Hue
Hanoi / sleeper train
Early tai chi on deck and brunch, then disembark and minibus back to Hanoi by mid-afternoon. Use the gap to see the Temple of Literature (~£1.20) or wander the French Quarter. Evening train from Hanoi to Hue on the Reunification Express — soft-sleeper berth ~£22-30 booked on dsvn.vn or via your hostel; buy snacks and water for the journey.
🚌Shared minibus to Hanoi; overnight train Hanoi–Hue (~12-13h, ~£22-30)
🛏Soft-sleeper berth on Reunification Express train
- →Sunrise on the bay
- →Temple of Literature or French Quarter wander
- →Board Reunification Express night train
Hue — Imperial Citadel and Royal Tombs
Hue
Arrive Hue mid-morning, check into a guesthouse south of the Perfume River and hire a bicycle or take a Grab. Visit the Imperial Citadel (Dai Noi, ~£4) and then loop to the Royal Tombs of Tu Duc and Khai Dinh (~£4 each) — a rented motorbike with driver for a half day runs ~£10-12, or cycle. Finish at Thien Mu Pagoda at sunset. Evening: bun bo Hue at a local stall.
🚌Grab or rented bicycle/motorbike with driver in Hue
🛏Hue guesthouse or budget hotel near Pham Ngu Lao / south bank
- →Imperial Citadel (Dai Noi)
- →Royal Tombs of Tu Duc & Khai Dinh
- →Thien Mu Pagoda
- →Bun bo Hue dinner
Hue to Hoi An over the Hai Van Pass
Hoi An
Take a local bus Hue–Hoi An (~£4-5, 3-4h) or, better, book an 'Easy Rider' motorbike transfer over the Hai Van Pass (~£25-35) for the views and fishing-village stops. Arrive Hoi An and check into a guesthouse in the Old Town or An Hoi islet. Evening walk through the lantern-lit Old Town (entry ticket ~£4.50 covers five heritage houses).
🚌Local bus (~£4-5) or Easy Rider motorbike transfer (~£25-35)
🛏Hoi An guesthouse or budget hotel (An Hoi / Old Town edge)
- →Hai Van Pass motorbike or bus transfer
- →Hoi An Old Town evening stroll
- →Lantern-lit riverside walk
Hoi An — cooking class and countryside cycling
Hoi An
Morning cooking class booked via Klook or a local school (~£20-25, includes market visit and a four-dish menu). Afternoon: rent a bicycle (~£1.50) and ride out to the rice paddies and Tra Que vegetable village, then hit An Bang Beach for sunset and a cheap seafood dinner.
🚌Bicycle rental
🛏Hoi An guesthouse or budget hotel
- →Vietnamese cooking class with market tour
- →Cycle to Tra Que vegetable village
- →An Bang Beach sunset
Hoi An — My Son ruins and tailoring
Hoi An
Early shared minibus to My Son Sanctuary (~£7-9 including entry, or ~£15 with a guided small group via GetYourGuide) to beat the heat and crowds — the Cham towers are best at sunrise. Back by lunch; afternoon is tailor fittings (Hoi An's tailors are cheap and fast — a shirt from ~£15) and a river boat trip or more beach time.
🚌Shared minibus to My Son
🛏Hoi An guesthouse or budget hotel
- →My Son Sanctuary sunrise trip
- →Tailor fitting
- →Thu Bon River boat trip or beach time
Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Fly Da Nang–Ho Chi Minh City (book VietJet or Vietnam Airlines ~£28-40, 1h20) with a shuttle from Hoi An to Da Nang airport (~£5) — or take the sleeper train Da Nang–Saigon (~£30, 17h) if you want the budget/slow route. Land in Saigon and check into a hostel in District 1. Evening: Ben Thanh Market street food and a rooftop beer.
🚌Hoi An–Da Nang shuttle (~£5) + flight (~£28-40)
🛏District 1 hostel dorm or budget hotel, Ho Chi Minh City
- →Flight or train to Saigon
- →Ben Thanh Market street food
- →District 1 evening wander
Cu Chi Tunnels and Saigon history
Ho Chi Minh City
Morning half-day Cu Chi Tunnels tour booked via Klook/GetYourGuide (~£18-25 including entry and bus, ~4-5h). Afternoon back in the city: War Remnants Museum (~£1.60) and the Reunification Palace (~£2.50). Evening wander Cholon (Chinatown) for Thien Hau Pagoda and a cheap bowl of hu tieu.
🚌Shared tour minibus; Grab around the city
🛏District 1 hostel dorm or budget hotel
- →Cu Chi Tunnels half-day tour
- →War Remnants Museum
- →Reunification Palace
- →Cholon (Chinatown) walk
Saigon to Ben Tre — Mekong Delta homestay
Ben Tre / Cai Thia, Mekong Delta
Local bus or shared shuttle from Saigon to Ben Tre (~£5-7, 2h). Book a Mekong homestay directly or via Klook (~£20-28 per night with meals) — Ut Trinh-style family homestays in Cai Thia offer sampan boat rides through the coconut waterways, cycling on village paths, and a hands-on dinner making spring rolls and banh xeo with the family.
🚌Public bus or shuttle Saigon–Ben Tre (~2h, ~£5-7); boats and bikes locally
🛏Mekong Delta family homestay (Cai Thia / Ben Tre)
- →Bus to Ben Tre
- →Sampan boat ride through coconut waterways
- →Village cycling
- →Family dinner cooking spring rolls and banh xeo
Mekong waterways to Can Tho
Can Tho
Morning cycle to a brick and pottery village and a riverside community market — the homestay will arrange a guide and boat for ~£8-12. Then take a local bus Ben Tre–Can Tho (~£5, 3-4h) and check into a budget ecolodge or guesthouse on the river. Evening stroll along the Can Tho waterfront and dinner at the night market.
🚌Local bus Ben Tre–Can Tho (~£5); boats and bikes locally
🛏Can Tho riverside guesthouse or budget ecolodge
- →Pottery/brick village cycle
- →Riverside community market
- →Boat to pottery village
- →Can Tho night market dinner
Cai Rang floating market and back to Saigon
Can Tho / Ho Chi Minh City
Up at 5:30am for a small boat to Cai Rang floating market (~£7-10 for a shared boat, ~2-3h) — go with a local boatman from the Ninh Kieu pier rather than a tour for the best price. Coffee and noodle soup on the water, then bus Can Tho–Saigon (~£7-9, 3.5-4h) to finish. Book a final night's hostel if your flight home is the next day.
🚌Shared boat to floating market; express bus Can Tho–Saigon (~£7-9)
🛏District 1 hostel dorm if staying a final night (not included in total)
- →Cai Rang floating market by small boat
- →Breakfast noodle soup on the river
- →Bus back to Ho Chi Minh City
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£502 | £1,199 |
| Duration | 12 days | 12 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £697 per person (58%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£502
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 Classic Vietnam: Hanoi to the Mekong (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £502 per person for 12 days in Vietnam. 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 £1,199 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £502 — a saving of roughly £697 (58%) per person.
How long is the Vietnam trip?+
This itinerary runs 12 days, covering 12 day-by-day stops through Vietnam.
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, 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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