Hanoi to Hoi An: Self-Launched Vietnam Adventure
10 days · Vietnam
Feel Free Travel charges £875
No-markup version: ~£700 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 10-day DIY version of Feel Free Travel's Hanoi-to-Hoi An tour, done independently: Hanoi's Old Quarter on foot and by rickshaw, an overnight junk boat in Halong Bay, cycling and hiking in Ninh Binh, the Reunification Express to Hue, the Hai Van Pass by open-tour bus, and cooking, basket boats and lanterns in Hoi An. You book everything yourself — hostels, local day tours and trains — for roughly a third of the group-tour price.
Day-by-day
Arrival in Hanoi
Hanoi
Land at Noi Bai and take the public Vietjet/Vinaphuc bus 86 (~£1) or a Grab (~£8-10) to the Old Quarter. Buy a local SIM at the airport (Viettel/Vinaphone, ~£6 for 30 days of data). Check into a hostel dorm near Ta Hien, drop your bags and take a slow evening wander around Hoan Kiem Lake, ending with bun cha or pho bo at a street stall (~£3).
🚌Bus 86 from Noi Bai to Hanoi centre, ~£1 (or Grab ~£9)
🛏Old Quarter hostel dorm (e.g. Little Charm Hanoi or Hanoi Rocks), ~£8/night
- →Airport bus to Old Quarter
- →Buy local SIM card
- →Evening walk around Hoan Kiem Lake
- →Street-food dinner
Hanoi Old Quarter on foot and by cyclo
Hanoi
Do the Old Quarter your own way: join a free walking tour (tip-based, ~£4 tip) or follow the '36 streets' loop past Dong Xuan Market and Bach Ma Temple. Haggle for a cyclo (rickshaw) ride (~£3-4 for 30-45 min). In the afternoon take a GetYourGuide street-food tour (~£22) or self-guide a tasting route: banh cuon, egg coffee at Cafe Giang, and a bia hoi corner on Ta Hien (Beer Street) in the evening.
🚌Walking + cyclo ~£4
🛏Old Quarter hostel dorm, ~£8
- →Free walking tour of Old Quarter (tip ~£4)
- →Cyclo ride ~£3.50
- →Street-food tasting tour or self-guided food crawl ~£22
- →Beer Street (Ta Hien) evening
Halong Bay overnight junk boat
Halong Bay
Book a budget 2D/1N Halong or Lan Ha Bay cruise direct or via Klook/GetYourGuide (~£85-100 including transfers, all meals, kayaking and activities — cheaper than the operator's premium boat and often on Lan Ha to avoid crowds). Shuttle pickup from the Old Quarter around 8am, board a traditional junk, lunch on deck, kayak through karst caves in the afternoon, sunset on the top deck, dinner and squid fishing.
🚌Shuttle bus Hanoi–Halong included in cruise (~3.5 hrs each way)
🛏Cabin on a budget junk boat (e.g. Halong Fantasea or similar), included in tour price
- →Overnight junk boat cruise
- →Sea kayaking
- →Sunset on deck
- →Squid fishing
Halong Bay sunrise to Ninh Binh
Ninh Binh
Wake for tai chi on deck and a rowing-boat visit to a floating fishing village before brunch. Disembark around 11am, then take a shared limousine van or bus to Ninh Binh (~£9, 3.5 hrs). Settle into a homestay in Tam Coc and eat a family-style dinner with local rice wine (~£6) — most homestays offer this on request.
🚌Shuttle to Halong pier included; shared van Halong–Ninh Binh ~£9
🛏Tam Coc homestay (e.g. Tam Coc Rice Fields Resort budget rooms), ~£12
- →Sunrise tai chi
- →Floating fishing village rowing boat
- →Family-style dinner at homestay
Ninh Binh countryside & overnight train to Hue
Ninh Binh / Overnight train
Rent a bicycle at the homestay (~£2) and ride the lanes to Tam Coc, where you hire a rowing boat through the caves and rice paddies (~£8, two people per boat). Climb the ~500 steps of Hang Mua (Lying Dragon Mountain) for the classic view (~£3 entry). Late afternoon take a taxi or bus to Ninh Binh station and board the Reunification Express sleeper to Hue (~£22-28 soft sleeper booked on dsvn.vn or 12go).
🚌Bicycle ~£2; taxi to station ~£3; overnight train Ninh Binh–Hue £22-28
🛏Soft-sleeper berth on the Reunification Express
- →Cycle Tam Coc lanes
- →Rowing boat through Tam Coc caves ~£8
- →Hang Mua viewpoint climb ~£3
Hue: Imperial Citadel and Thien Mu Pagoda
Hue
Arrive in Hue in the morning, drop bags at a hostel near the Perfume River and walk the Imperial Citadel (~£4 entry). Take a river ferry or Grab to Thien Mu Pagoda (~£1-2), then join a GetYourGuide Hue street-food tour (~£20) or eat bun bo Hue at a local stall. Support a community project such as the Thanh Toan bridge village or a Spiral Foundation craft workshop.
🚌Arrival by train; local taxi/Grab ferry ~£4 total
🛏Hue hostel dorm or budget hotel (e.g. Hue Thuong or Jade Hotel), ~£10
- →Imperial Citadel entry ~£4
- →Thien Mu Pagoda
- →Hue food tour or self-guided eating
- →Visit a local community craft project
Hai Van Pass to Hoi An
Hoi An
Book an open-tour bus Hue–Hoi An over the Hai Van Pass (~£8-10, 3-4 hrs, stops at the pass viewpoint and Lang Co beach; seasonal waterfall stop at Elephant Springs). Alternatively, confident riders can hire an Easy Rider motorbike guide for the day (~£25). Arrive in Hoi An, check in and wander the lantern-lit Ancient Town at dusk (entry ticket ~£4).
🚌Open-tour bus over Hai Van Pass ~£9 (or Easy Rider ~£25)
🛏Hoi An hostel dorm or budget guesthouse near Ancient Town, ~£9
- →Hai Van Pass viewpoints
- →Lang Co beach stop
- →Hoi An Ancient Town evening walk ~£4
Hoi An: farm, cooking class and basket boats
Hoi An
Take a GetYourGuide/Klook half-day eco cooking class (~£25-30) that includes a market visit, organic farm tour in Tra Que village, a basket boat spin through the coconut palms at Cam Thanh, and a cooking session with lunch. Afternoon free for tailoring, coffee and the riverfront.
🚌Bicycle hire ~£2
🛏Hoi An hostel dorm, ~£9
- →Tra Que farm visit
- →Basket boat ride
- →Cooking class with lunch ~£28
- →Afternoon free in Ancient Town
Hoi An: lantern making, beach and nightlife
Hoi An
Do a lantern-making workshop (~£8-10, bookable locally or on Klook) or rent a bicycle and ride 4km to An Bang Beach for the day. Evening: boat ride on the Hoai River and drinks in Hoi An's bar strip; the night market is the cheap and cheerful option.
🚌Bicycle ~£2
🛏Hoi An hostel dorm, ~£9
- →Lantern-making workshop ~£9
- →An Bang Beach day
- →Hoai River boat ride ~£2
- →Night market and bars
Departure via Da Nang
Hoi An / Da Nang
Lazy breakfast, a last coffee by the river, then a shared shuttle or Grab to Da Nang International Airport (~£7-10, 45 min) for your flight out. If you have time, the Marble Mountains make a good half-day stop en route.
🚌Shared shuttle or Grab Hoi An–Da Nang airport ~£8
🛏None (departure day)
- →Final morning in Hoi An
- →Optional Marble Mountains stop ~£3
- →Transfer to Da Nang airport
Self-launched vs. Feel Free Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Feel Free Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£700 | £875 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £175 per person (20%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Feel Free Travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£700
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 Hanoi to Hoi An: Self-Launched Vietnam Adventure cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £700 per person for 10 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 Feel Free Travel?+
Yes — Feel Free Travel charges around £875 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £700 — a saving of roughly £175 (20%) per person.
How long is the Vietnam trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 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, backpacker 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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