Self-Launched Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi in 10 Days
10 days · Vietnam
Vietnam Allure Travel charges £1,480
No-markup version: ~£700 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A solo-friendly, self-launched version of Vietnam Allure Travel's 10-day Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi tour. Same route — Saigon, the Mekong Delta, Cu Chi Tunnels, Hoi An and My Son, an overnight Reunification Express train, Hanoi's water puppets, and an overnight Halong Bay cruise — but booked yourself through hostels, guesthouses and local operators. You'll book day trips via Klook/GetYourGuide or directly with Saigon/Hoi An operators, ride the train in a soft sleeper, and stay in budget-private or dorm accommodation instead of 3-4* hotels. All costs are rough backpacker estimates in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Land in Saigon, settle into District 1
Ho Chi Minh City
Fly into Tan Son Nhat (SGN). Skip the taxi touts — book a Grab bike (~£2-3) or a Grab car (~£6) to a hostel in District 1 (Pham Ngu Lao / Bui Vien area is the backpacker hub; District 3 is quieter and great value). Afternoon: easy orientation walk to Ben Thanh Market, the Notre Dame Cathedral exterior and the Central Post Office. Evening: street-food crawl around Ben Thanh night market — banh mi (~£1), bun bo Hue, and a cheap bia hoi. Book your Mekong and Cu Chi day trips tonight via Klook or at any District 1 travel agent (compare 2-3 agencies, prices are competitive).
🚌Grab from SGN airport ~£2-6
🛏Hostel dorm in District 1 (~£8-12/night) or budget private room (~£18-22)
- →Ben Thanh Market
- →Notre Dame Cathedral & Central Post Office
- →Ben Thanh night food stalls
- →Book Mekong + Cu Chi day tours
Mekong Delta day trip (My Tho / Ben Tre)
Mekong Delta
Join a small-group day tour to the Mekong Delta — My Tho and Ben Tre are the closest and cheapest options (around £18-25 on Klook/GetYourGuide, or ~£15 booked locally). You'll take a sampan through coconut-palm canals, visit a honey farm and coconut candy workshop, hear local folk music, and have lunch included. Boats, villages and daily life are exactly what the original tour covers instead of a private transfer. Back in Saigon by early evening — grab pho and a beer on Bui Vien.
🚌Minibus pickup/drop-off included in day tour
🛏Same Saigon hostel
- →Mekong Delta boat trip
- →Coconut candy & honey workshop
- →Local village walk
- →Folk music performance
Cu Chi Tunnels & city history
Cu Chi Tunnels
Morning small-group tour to the Cu Chi Tunnels (~£15-20). Go early (07:30 departure) to beat the heat and crowds. You can crawl through sections of the tunnels, see the trap displays and try the shooting range if you want (extra cost). Afternoon back in the city: War Remnants Museum (~£1.60) and the Independence Palace (~£2.60) for the history context the group tour skips. Evening: cheap com tam (broken rice) dinner and pack for tomorrow's travel day.
🚌Minibus to Cu Chi included; Grab around the city ~£2-3
🛏Same Saigon hostel
- →Cu Chi Tunnels tour
- →War Remnants Museum
- →Independence Palace
Fly Saigon to Da Nang, transfer to Hoi An
Hoi An
Book a cheap VietJet/Bamboo Airways flight SGN-DAD in advance for ~£30-45 (1h20). From Da Nang airport, take a Grab or metered taxi to Hoi An (~£10-12, 45 mins) — or a shared shuttle bus from the airport for ~£5. Check into a guesthouse or hostel in Hoi An's Old Town fringe (~£10-15/night). Spend the afternoon wandering the lantern-lit Old Town, the Japanese Covered Bridge and the riverside. Evening: cao lau noodles (~£1.50) and a boat ride on the Thu Bon River. Pre-book your My Son Sanctuary sunrise tour for tomorrow via Klook (~£18-25) or a local operator.
🚌Flight SGN-DAD ~£35 + Grab to Hoi An ~£11
🛏Hoi An guesthouse/hostel (~£10-15)
- →Hoi An Old Town walk
- →Japanese Covered Bridge
- →Thu Bon River boat ride
- →Book My Son tour
My Son Sanctuary & rice paper workshop
My Son Sanctuary
Early start (05:00-05:30) for a sunrise My Son Sanctuary tour — the Cham temple complex is magical before the crowds and heat arrive. Your tour includes the temple walk, the Cham dance performance, and often a stop at a local village to make rice paper (a mirror of the original itinerary's included activity). Return to Hoi An by early afternoon. Optional afternoon: rent a bicycle (~£2) to An Bang Beach, or get clothes tailored in the Old Town (24h turnaround, from ~£20 for a dress/shirt).
🚌Minibus tour pickup included; bicycle rental ~£2
🛏Same Hoi An guesthouse
- →My Son Sanctuary sunrise tour
- →Cham dance performance
- →Rice paper making workshop
- →An Bang Beach by bicycle
Overnight Reunification Express to Hanoi
Hoi An to Hanoi
Slow morning in Hoi An — coffee at a rooftop cafe, last tailor fitting, and a banh mi from the famous Hoi An stalls. Mid-afternoon, take a Grab to Da Nang Railway Station (~£6, 45 mins). Board the Reunification Express SE train north in a soft sleeper (4-berth, ~£30-40 booked via Vietnam Railways or 12Go Asia; hard sleeper is ~£20). It's a ~16-17 hour overnight journey, so bring snacks, water, and earplugs. Alternatively, fly Da Nang-Hanoi (~£30-40) if you prefer speed.
🚌Grab to Da Nang station ~£6 + Reunification Express soft sleeper ~£35
🛏Soft sleeper berth on Vietnam Railways train
- →Hoi An cafe morning
- →Tailor collection
- →Reunification Express overnight train
Arrive Hanoi: Old Quarter & water puppets
Hanoi
Arrive into Hanoi's station mid-morning. Grab to an Old Quarter hostel (~£2-3). Shower, then ease in with a walk around Hoan Kiem Lake and the tangled lanes of the Old Quarter — 36 Streets, Dong Xuan Market, and egg coffee at Cafe Giang (~£1.50). In the evening, catch the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre show (book tickets online or at the box office, ~£4-6). Dinner: bun cha at a plastic-stool spot (~£2.50) and bia hoi corner.
🚌Grab from station ~£2-3, walking in Old Quarter
🛏Hanoi Old Quarter hostel (~£8-12) or budget hotel private (~£18-22)
- →Hoan Kiem Lake
- →Old Quarter walk
- →Cafe Giang egg coffee
- →Thang Long Water Puppet show
Halong Bay overnight cruise — day 1
Halong Bay
Book a budget-to-mid overnight junk cruise in advance (2D1N, ~£90-130 per person including bus transfer, meals, kayaking, cave visit and cooking class — Klook and GetYourGuide both list solid-value options; cheaper boats start ~£75). Pickup from your Old Quarter hotel around 08:00, ~3.5h drive to Halong. Afternoon: cruise among the limestone karsts, kayak, explore a cave, and join the on-board spring-roll cooking class. Sunset on the top deck, dinner, and squid fishing in the evening.
🚌Shuttle bus Hanoi-Halong return included in cruise
🛏Cabin on a budget Halong Bay junk boat (included in cruise price)
- →Halong Bay cruise
- →Kayaking
- →Cave exploration
- →Cooking class on board
- →Squid fishing
Halong sunrise, then back to Hanoi
Hanoi
Wake early for tai chi on the deck and sunrise over the karsts, then visit one more bay or cave before brunch on board. Disembark around 11:00 and take the shuttle bus back to Hanoi, arriving late afternoon (~16:00-17:00). Check back into your Old Quarter hostel. Evening: wander to St Joseph's Cathedral, drink at a rooftop bar, and eat at a busy local bun bo nam bo stall (~£2). Pick up any last souvenirs at Dong Xuan Market.
🚌Shuttle bus back to Hanoi included in cruise
🛏Hanoi Old Quarter hostel
- →Sunrise tai chi
- →Morning bay cruise
- →St Joseph's Cathedral
- →Rooftop bar
- →Dong Xuan Market
Hanoi departure
Hanoi
Final morning: a bowl of pho for breakfast, a stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake, and any last-minute shopping or a quick visit to the Temple of Literature (~£1.60) if time allows. Noi Bai Airport is ~45-60 mins from the Old Quarter: the Noi Bai Express airport bus (route 86) costs ~£1.30, or a Grab car is ~£10-12. Depart for home — or extend north to Sapa, Ninh Binh or Cat Ba if you've got more days.
🚌Airport bus ~£1.30 or Grab ~£11
🛏None (departure day)
- →Hoan Kiem Lake stroll
- →Temple of Literature (optional)
Self-launched vs. Vietnam Allure Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Vietnam Allure Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£700 | £1,480 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £780 per person (53%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Vietnam Allure 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 Self-Launched Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi in 10 Days 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 Vietnam Allure Travel?+
Yes — Vietnam Allure Travel charges around £1,480 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 £780 (53%) 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, foodie, 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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