Enchanting Vietnam: 19-Day Self-Launched Discovery
19 days · Vietnam
Legend Travel Group charges £2,020
No-markup version: ~£1,500 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Legend Travel Group's 19-day Vietnam loop — Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong Delta, Hoi An, Hue, Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Sapa, Halong Bay and Phu Quoc — done with hostels and budget guesthouses, local buses, trains and the odd cheap domestic flight, and self-booked day tours. The operator charges roughly £1,860–£2,020 per person once the compulsory £700 internal airfare/guide fee is added; this version lands around £1,450–£1,600 including domestic flights, food and all activities, and gives you full flexibility to slow down or speed up. All costs are approximate backpacker estimates.
Day-by-day
Arrive Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Land at Tan Son Nhat and take a Grab bike or taxi (~£4) or the public bus #109 (~£0.50) into District 1. Check into a hostel dorm or private budget room around Bui Vien / Pham Ngu Lao. Spend the afternoon wandering Dong Khoi, the Saigon River promenade and Ben Thanh Market, then eat street-side banh mi and pho for under £4.
🚌Grab from airport ~£4 or bus #109 ~£0.50
🛏Hostel dorm in District 1 (£7–11/night) or budget private room (£18–25)
- →Self-guided walk of District 1
- →Ben Thanh Market
- →Saigon River promenade at dusk
Cu Chi Tunnels & city landmarks
Ho Chi Minh City
Book a half-day Cu Chi Tunnels group tour through GetYourGuide or Klook (~£18–22 including transport and entry) or take public bus #13 to Cu Chi and arrange entry yourself (~£6 total). Do the Independence Palace (Reunification Palace), Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office on foot in the late afternoon — all clustered within a 15-minute walk.
🚌Tour minibus or local bus #13 to Cu Chi
🛏Hostel dorm or budget private room, District 1
- →Cu Chi Tunnels half-day tour
- →Reunification Palace entry ~£2.50
- →Notre Dame Cathedral & Central Post Office (free)
Mekong Delta day trip to My Tho
My Tho / Mekong Delta
Join a small-group Mekong Delta day tour from District 1 (~£22–28 via GetYourGuide/Klook) covering the boat ride on the Mekong, Vinh Trang Pagoda, coconut candy workshops and bee farms. Alternatively take local bus #18 to My Tho (~£2) and hire a boatman at the pier for a couple of hours. Back in Saigon by early evening.
🚌Group tour minibus, or public bus #18 to My Tho ~£2 each way
🛏Hostel dorm or budget private room, District 1
- →Mekong River boat trip
- →Vinh Trang Pagoda
- →Coconut candy & bee farm visits
- →Unicorn Island cycling
Fly to Da Nang, transfer to Hoi An
Hoi An
Cheap morning flight from Saigon to Da Nang on VietJet or Vietnam Airlines (~£35–55 booked 4–6 weeks ahead). Shared shuttle or Grab from Da Nang airport to Hoi An (~£8–10, 45 mins). Settle into an old-town guesthouse, then walk the lantern-lit streets after dark — Hoi An's evening atmosphere is the highlight.
🚌Flight SGN–DAD ~£35–55; Grab/shuttle to Hoi An ~£9
🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Hoi An Old Town (£10–15 dorm, £20–28 private)
- →Hoi An Ancient Town evening walk
- →Lantern-lit riverside stroll
- →Cao lau noodles for dinner ~£2
My Son Sanctuary at sunrise
My Son / Hoi An
Take a sunrise group tour to My Son Sanctuary (~£18–22 incl. entry and transport) — the early departure beats both the crowds and the heat. Cham towers, Hindu carvings and jungle setting. Back by lunchtime; spend the afternoon on tailor fittings, lantern shopping or a £3 bicycle rental to An Bang Beach.
🚌Tour minibus to My Son (~1 hr each way)
🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Hoi An
- →My Son Sanctuary sunrise tour
- →An Bang Beach by bicycle
- →Hoi An tailor & lantern shopping
Ba Na Hills & Golden Bridge
Ba Na Hills / Hoi An
Buy a Ba Na Hills combo ticket directly or via Klook (~£30–35 including cable car) and take a shared shuttle from Hoi An (~£6) or join a day tour (~£45 all-in). Cable car up, Golden Bridge hand sculpture, Le Jardin d'Amour gardens, Debay wine cellar and the French Village. Crowds build after 10am — go early.
🚌Shared shuttle Hoi An–Ba Na ~£6 each way, or join a tour
🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Hoi An
- →Ba Na Hills cable car
- →Golden Bridge
- →French Village & Fantasy Park
- →Debay wine cellar
Hai Van Pass to Hue
Da Nang / Hai Van Pass / Hue
This is one of Vietnam's best journeys. Options: hire an Easy Rider motorbike guide for the Hai Van Pass (~£30–40, unforgettable), take a shared limousine bus Hoi An–Hue (~£8–10, 3 hrs), or the train from Da Nang (~£4). Stop at Marble Mountains and Lang Co Beach en route. In Hoi An before leaving, see the Japanese Covered Bridge and take a short Thu Bon River boat ride (~£2).
🚌Easy Rider motorbike ~£35, or shared limousine bus ~£9, or train ~£4
🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Hue (£8–14 dorm, £18–25 private)
- →Hai Van Pass drive
- →Marble Mountains (Ngu Hanh Son) ~£2
- →Lang Co Beach stop
- →Japanese Covered Bridge & Thu Bon boat ride
Hue Imperial City & Perfume River
Hue
Rent a bicycle (~£2) or grab a Grab to the Imperial Citadel (~£4 entry) and the Purple Forbidden City. Take a Dragon Boat along the Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda (~£4 shared), then a Grab to the tombs of Khai Dinh and Tu Duc (~£4 entry each). Finish at Dong Ba Market and Thuy Xuan incense village. A self-guided day costs a fraction of a guided tour.
🚌Bicycle rental ~£2, Dragon Boat ~£4, Grab rides ~£4 total
🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Hue
- →Imperial Citadel & Purple Forbidden City
- →Thien Mu Pagoda by boat
- →Khai Dinh & Tu Duc tombs
- →Thuy Xuan incense village
- →Dong Ba Market
Train to Hanoi (or fly)
Hue → Hanoi
The Reunification Express soft-sleeper from Hue to Hanoi takes ~13 hours overnight (~£25–35) and saves a night's accommodation. If you'd rather have the day free, VietJet flights Hue–Hanoi run ~£35–50. Arrive or land, check in near the Old Quarter and take an evening stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake.
🚌Reunification Express sleeper ~£25–35, or VietJet flight ~£35–50
🛏Hostel dorm in Old Quarter (£6–10) or budget private room (£18–25)
- →Hoan Kiem Lake evening walk
- →Old Quarter street food crawl
- →Bia hoi corner ~£0.30 a glass
Hanoi highlights self-guided
Hanoi
Do Hanoi's big sights on foot and by Grab. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex and One Pillar Pagoda (free, mornings only, closed Mon/Fri), Temple of Literature (~£1.50), Hoa Lo Prison (~£1.50), Tran Quoc Pagoda on West Lake, and the Museum of Ethnology (~£2). Join a free walking tour (tip-based, ~£5) if you want context. Finish with egg coffee (~£1.50) and bun cha.
🚌Walking + Grab rides ~£4 total
🛏Hostel dorm or budget private room, Old Quarter
- →Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex
- →Temple of Literature
- →Hoa Lo Prison
- →Tran Quoc Pagoda
- →Museum of Ethnology
- →Free walking tour (tip-based)
Ninh Binh: Hoa Lu, Tam Coc & Mua Cave
Ninh Binh
Take the morning train or limousine bus Hanoi–Ninh Binh (~£5–8, 2 hrs). Rent a bicycle (~£2) and cycle between Hoa Lu Ancient Capital (~£1), the Tam Coc boat trip through three grottos (~£7 + tip), and the 500-step climb up Mua Cave for the classic viewpoint (~£4). Return to Hanoi on the evening bus, or stay overnight in Tam Coc for a quieter night.
🚌Limousine bus or train Hanoi–Ninh Binh ~£5–8 each way
🛏Hanoi hostel, or guesthouse in Tam Coc (~£10–15)
- →Hoa Lu Ancient Capital
- →Tam Coc rowboat through 3 grottos
- →Mua Cave viewpoint climb
- →Cycling the rice paddies
Overnight bus or day train to Sapa
Sapa
Take the sleeper bus Hanoi–Sapa (~£12–15, 6 hrs, leaves ~10pm) or a daytime limousine bus (~£13). Arrive early morning in Sapa, check in at a homestay or guesthouse in town or Ta Van, and spend the day acclimatising — Sapa town market, the church, and views over the Muong Hoa Valley.
🚌Sleeper or limousine bus Hanoi–Sapa ~£12–15
🛏Sapa guesthouse/homestay (£10–16 dorm, £18–28 private)
- →Sapa market & town walk
- →Muong Hoa Valley viewpoints
- →Hotpot dinner ~£4
Trek Y Linh Ho – Lao Chai – Ta Van
Muong Hoa Valley
The classic Sapa trek is easily done independently: walk downhill from Sapa town through Y Linh Ho, Lao Chai and Ta Van (~12km, 5–6 hrs, no guide needed though local Hmong women will offer to guide for ~£10). Terraced rice fields, Black Hmong and Giay villages. Eat lunch at a riverside spot (~£3) and stay overnight in Ta Van — homestays run £10–15 including dinner and breakfast.
🚌On foot — no transport needed
🛏Hmong/Giay homestay in Ta Van (£10–15 incl. dinner & breakfast)
- →Trek Y Linh Ho – Lao Chai – Ta Van
- →Black Hmong village visit
- →Rice terrace photography
- →Homestay dinner with local family
Cat Cat & Sin Chai, return to Hanoi
Sapa → Hanoi
Walk or take a Grab back into Sapa town, then trek to Cat Cat Village (~£3 entry) to see H'mong hemp dyeing, weaving and traditional clothing making, and on to Sin Chai through the rice terraces. Late afternoon limousine bus or sleeper bus back to Hanoi (~£13–15). Optional splurge: Fansipan cable car (~£28) if the weather is clear.
🚌Sapa–Hanoi limousine/sleeper bus ~£13–15
🛏Hostel dorm or budget private room, Hanoi Old Quarter
- →Cat Cat Village trek & entry
- →H'mong weaving & hemp dyeing
- →Sin Chai village walk
- →Optional Fansipan cable car ~£28
Halong Bay overnight cruise (budget)
Halong Bay / Lan Ha Bay
Book a budget overnight cruise 3–7 days ahead via Klook, GetYourGuide or your Hanoi hostel (~£85–120 per person including transfers, all meals, kayaking and cave visits). Ships leave ~12:30 from Halong or Lan Ha Bay. Sunset on the top deck, squid fishing after dark, dinner on board. Choose a Lan Ha Bay route for fewer boats.
🚌Shuttle bus Hanoi–Halong included in cruise price
🛏Overnight on a budget Halong/Lan Ha Bay junk boat (included in cruise price)
- →Halong/Lan Ha Bay cruise
- →Kayaking & swimming
- →Amazing Cave or Dark & Bright Cave
- →Sunset on deck, squid fishing
Halong sunrise, then fly to Phu Quoc
Halong Bay → Phu Quoc
Sunrise on the bay, tai chi on deck, then cruise back to port and shuttle to Hanoi by mid-afternoon. Evening flight Hanoi–Phu Quoc on VietJet (~£50–70 booked ahead). Check into a beach guesthouse or bungalow near Long Beach or Ong Lang.
🚌Hanoi–Phu Quoc flight ~£50–70; airport transfer ~£5
🛏Phu Quoc beach bungalow/guesthouse (£12–20 dorm, £22–35 private)
- →Sunrise on Halong Bay
- →Floating fishing village views
- →Evening beach walk on Long Beach
Phu Quoc island time
Phu Quoc
Do nothing, or almost nothing. Rent a scooter (~£6/day) and explore: Sao Beach in the south, the pepper farms and fish sauce factories inland, Dinh Cau night market for grilled seafood (~£5). Snorkelling day trips to the An Thoi islands run ~£18–25 with lunch. Sunsets on the west coast are the main event.
🚌Scooter rental ~£6/day, fuel ~£1.50
🛏Phu Quoc beach bungalow/guesthouse
- →Sao Beach
- →Scooter island loop
- →Dinh Cau Night Market seafood
- →Sunset on the west coast
Island hopping & snorkelling
Phu Quoc
Take a full-day island-hopping and snorkelling boat trip from An Thoi harbour (~£18–25 incl. lunch, booked direct or via Klook). Three or four islands, shallow coral, and a stop at a floating restaurant. Alternatively hire a kayak (~£5/hr) or take the world's longest over-sea cable car to Hon Thom (~£22) for the water park.
🚌Shared pickup to An Thoi harbour included in tour
🛏Phu Quoc beach bungalow/guesthouse
- →An Thoi island-hopping boat trip
- →Snorkelling & swimming
- →Optional Hon Thom cable car ~£22
- →Beach time
Fly to Ho Chi Minh City & depart
Phu Quoc → Ho Chi Minh City
Morning flight Phu Quoc–Saigon on VietJet (~£30–45). If your international flight is later in the day, squeeze in a final bowl of pho or a last wander through District 1. Head to Tan Son Nhat Airport ~3 hrs before an international departure.
🚌Phu Quoc–Saigon flight ~£30–45; Grab to the airport ~£4
🛏None — departure day
- →Final pho breakfast
- →Optional last-minute souvenir shopping
Self-launched vs. Legend Travel Group
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Legend Travel Group | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,500 | £2,020 |
| Duration | 19 days | 19 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £520 per person (26%) | |
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.~£1,500
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 Enchanting Vietnam: 19-Day Self-Launched Discovery cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,500 per person for 19 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 Legend Travel Group?+
Yes — Legend Travel Group charges around £2,020 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,500 — a saving of roughly £520 (26%) per person.
How long is the Vietnam trip?+
This itinerary runs 19 days, covering 19 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 adventure, culture, foodie 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?
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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