Self-Launched Vietnam: Hanoi to the Mekong in 10 Days
10 days · Vietnam
Odynovo charges £1,665
No-markup version: ~£428 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A solo-friendly, self-launched version of Odynovo's 10-day private Vietnam tour — same route (Hanoi → Halong Bay → Hoi An → Ho Chi Minh City → Mekong Delta) but booked piece by piece: hostel beds and budget guesthouses instead of boutique hotels, sleeper trains and budget flights instead of private drivers, and self-bookable day tours via GetYourGuide/Klook or direct with local operators. You keep the headline experiences (Halong Bay overnight cruise, Old Quarter rickshaw ride and water puppets, Hoi An's fishing village and ancient town, Cu Chi Tunnels, Mekong day trip) while cutting the price by well over half. Costs are rough backpacker-grade estimates in GBP and assume a mix of dorm and private budget rooms; book transport 2–4 weeks ahead for the best fares.
Day-by-day
Arrive Hanoi & Old Quarter orientation
Hanoi
Land at Noi Bai (Terminal 2) and skip the private pickup — take the Noi Bai Express minibus 86 airport bus into the city for around £1.20 (or a Grab bike/car for £6–9, bookable in the app). Check into a hostel in the Old Quarter. Spend the late afternoon getting your bearings around Hoan Kiem Lake, dodging scooters and nailing your first bowl of bun cha or pho bo for £1.50–2.50. If you arrive early enough, book a Water Puppet Theatre ticket (Thang Long, ~£4–5) online or at the box office — a good warm-up for tomorrow.
🚌Airport bus 86 to Hanoi centre (~£1.20) then walk
🛏Old Quarter hostel dorm (£7–10/night)
- →Hoan Kiem Lake walk
- →Old Quarter street food crawl
- →Optional: Thang Long Water Puppet Show (~£4–5)
Hanoi's big sights in one self-guided loop
Hanoi
Do the classic Hanoi sightseeing circuit yourself. Start early at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (free, closes Mon/Fri and mornings only; dress modestly) and walk the nearby Stilt House and One Pillar Pagoda. Grab a £1.50 Grab bike to the Temple of Literature (~£2.50 entry), then continue to Hoa Lo Prison (~£1.30–2). In the afternoon, hit the Museum of Ethnology (~£3) — or swap for the Women's Museum if it's closed. Late afternoon, hire a cyclo (rickshaw) for a 30–45 min Old Quarter loop (£4–6, negotiate first), then finish at Ngoc Son Temple on Hoan Kiem Lake (~£1.20). Dinner at a bia hoi corner for under £5.
🚌Grab bikes within the city (~£3 total); walking
🛏Old Quarter hostel dorm (£7–10/night)
- →Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum & Stilt House (free)
- →One Pillar Pagoda
- →Temple of Literature (~£2.50)
- →Hoa Lo Prison (~£2)
- →Museum of Ethnology (~£3)
- →Cyclo tour of the Old Quarter (~£5)
- →Ngoc Son Temple (~£1.20)
Halong Bay overnight cruise (Lan Ha Bay alternative)
Halong Bay
Book a budget overnight cruise through Klook or GetYourGuide (or direct with a Hanoi agent on arrival) — 2-day/1-night departures with pickup from the Old Quarter run from £55–85 including transfers, all meals, kayaking and cave stops. The bus usually leaves around 8am and takes 3.5–4 hours. Prefer quieter water? Look for Lan Ha Bay departures from Cat Ba, which are slightly pricier but far less crowded. Lunch and dinner on board; sleep in a cabin.
🚌Shared shuttle bus from Hanoi Old Quarter (included in cruise package)
🛏Budget Halong Bay cruise cabin (included in package, ~£60–85 total)
- →Overnight Halong Bay cruise
- →Kayaking
- →Cave visit
- →Sunset on the deck
Dawn on the bay, then fly to Da Nang & Hoi An
Hoi An
Early tai chi/sunrise on deck, brunch on board, then transfer back to Hanoi by around 1–3pm. Head straight to the airport for a budget late-afternoon flight to Da Nang (VietJet/Bamboo/Vietnam Airlines, £30–50 one-way if booked ahead). From Da Nang airport, take the direct Hoi An shuttle bus (~£1.30) or a Grab (~£8–10) — 45 minutes. Base yourself in a guesthouse in Hoi An's Old Town area. Evening: walk the lantern-lit streets and riverside for free.
🚌Cruise bus to Hanoi, budget flight Hanoi–Da Nang (~£35–45), shuttle bus to Hoi An (~£1.30)
🛏Hoi An guesthouse or hostel (£8–14/night)
- →Sunrise on Halong Bay
- →Hoi An lantern-lit Old Town stroll
Hoi An fishing village, basket boat & Ancient Town
Hoi An
Rent a bicycle (~£1.50/day) and cycle the rice-paddy lanes to Cam Thanh or Cam Kim fishing village — or join a self-bookable half-day eco tour (~£18–25 via Klook/GetYourGuide) with a basket boat ride and a family lunch where you learn to fold spring rolls. In the afternoon, buy the Hoi An Ancient Town ticket (~£5) covering the Japanese Covered Bridge, a Chinese assembly hall and a merchant's house. Cycle back at dusk for the lanterns on the river — free to wander, and you can pay ~£1.50 to float a paper lantern.
🚌Bicycle hire (~£1.50)
🛏Hoi An guesthouse or hostel (£8–14/night)
- →Cam Thanh fishing village bike loop
- →Basket boat ride
- →Family cooking/lunch stop
- →Hoi An Ancient Town ticket (~£5)
- →Japanese Bridge & merchant houses
- →Evening lanterns on the Thu Bon River
- →Optional: lantern-making class (~£8)
My Son Sanctuary sunrise & free afternoon
Hoi An
Take a shared minibus or early private transfer to My Son Sanctuary (~£6–8 transport, ~£5 entry) — the Cham temple ruins are best before 9am, before the heat and the crowds. Organised sunrise tours via Klook start around £12–18 and include a guide. Back in Hoi An by early afternoon: do a self-bookable Vietnamese cooking class (~£18–25), take a beach break at An Bang (free; ~£2 for a sunbed beer), or just nap. Evening is optional tailoring fittings, café hopping and a cheap street-food dinner.
🚌Shared minibus to My Son (~£7 return)
🛏Hoi An guesthouse or hostel (£8–14/night)
- →My Son Sanctuary (~£5 entry)
- →Optional cooking class (~£20)
- →An Bang Beach afternoon
- →Optional: tailor fitting in Hoi An
Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Sleep in, then take the shuttle to Da Nang airport and fly to Ho Chi Minh City (~£30–45 on VietJet/Bamboo, ~1h20). From Tan Son Nhat, Grab into District 1 costs ~£3–4, or take bus 109/152 for around 50p. Check into a hostel in Pham Ngu Lao / District 1. Spend the evening free-exploring: Nguyen Hue walking street, the riverside at Bach Dang, and a cheap banh xeo dinner for ~£2.50. Budget travellers doing the long version can instead take the Reunification Express train Da Nang–Saigon overnight, but it's 20+ hours and eats a full day.
🚌Shuttle to Da Nang airport, budget flight to Ho Chi Minh City (~£35), Grab to hostel (~£3.50)
🛏District 1 hostel dorm (£7–11/night)
- →Nguyen Hue walking street
- →Bach Dang riverside
- →Ben Thanh night market browsing
Cu Chi Tunnels plus a DIY HCMC history loop
Ho Chi Minh City
Book a Cu Chi Tunnels half-day tour via Klook/GetYourGuide (~£15–22 including transport and entry) — group minibuses leave around 8am and are back by 1–2pm. In the afternoon, DIY the city's key sights: War Remnants Museum (~£1.60), Reunification Palace (~£2.50), the Old Saigon Post Office and Notre-Dame Cathedral exterior (free), then a wander down Dong Khoi Street and through Ben Thanh Market. All walkable or a £1 Grab bike apart. Dinner in District 4's street-food alleys for ~£3.
🚌Group minibus to Cu Chi (included in tour); walking and Grab in the city (~£2)
🛏District 1 hostel dorm (£7–11/night)
- →Cu Chi Tunnels half-day tour (~£18)
- →War Remnants Museum (~£1.60)
- →Reunification Palace (~£2.50)
- →Old Saigon Post Office & Notre-Dame Cathedral
- →Dong Khoi Street & Ben Thanh Market
Mekong Delta day trip (Ben Tre or My Tho)
Ho Chi Minh City
Take a self-bookable small-group Mekong Delta day tour (~£20–28 via Klook/GetYourGuide, or book the public way: local bus from Mien Tay station to My Tho for ~£1.50 each way). Boat rides down the palm-lined canals, a coconut-candy and honey workshop stop, a village walk and a family lunch are standard. Back in Saigon by early evening. Spend a final night enjoying a rooftop beer (~£1.50) and packing for the flight home.
🚌Group minibus and boat (included in tour, ~£22)
🛏District 1 hostel dorm (£7–11/night)
- →Mekong Delta boat trip
- →Village and market walk
- →Coconut candy & honey workshop
- →Family lunch in the delta
Last breakfast & flight home
Ho Chi Minh City
Breakfast at a local stall (pho or banh mi, ~£1.50), squeeze in any last-minute souvenir shopping at Ben Thanh or the Russian Market, then take bus 152 or 109 to Tan Son Nhat airport (~50p) or a Grab for ~£3.50. Allow 2.5–3 hours before an international departure. If you have a late flight, the Fine Arts Museum (~£1.20) or a District 3 café crawl fills the time cheaply.
🚌Public bus 152/109 to Tan Son Nhat (~£0.50) or Grab (~£3.50)
🛏—
- →Local breakfast
- →Last-minute souvenir shopping
- →Optional Fine Arts Museum (~£1.20)
Self-launched vs. Odynovo
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Odynovo | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£428 | £1,665 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,237 per person (74%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Odynovo-style trips? Check them out here.~£428
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 Self-Launched Vietnam: Hanoi to the Mekong in 10 Days cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £428 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 Odynovo?+
Yes — Odynovo charges around £1,665 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £428 — a saving of roughly £1,237 (74%) 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 culture, budget, 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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