South & North Vietnam in 6 Days — Self-Launched Version
6 days · Vietnam
Legend Travel Group charges £705
No-markup version: ~£352 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched, DIY version of Legend Travel Group's 6-day Saigon-to-Hanoi snapshot: Ho Chi Minh City's colonial landmarks, the Cu Chi Tunnels, a Mekong Delta boat day in My Tho, then a cheap domestic flight north for an overnight Halong Bay cruise and Hanoi's Old Quarter. You book each piece yourself — cheap domestic flights (VietJet/Bamboo/Vietnam Airlines), local day tours via Klook/GetYourGuide or direct with Saigon operators, a budget Halong Bay overnight cruise booked direct, and dorm or private rooms in central hostels/boutique guesthouses instead of 4–5* hotels. Costs are rough backpacker-to-midrange estimates in GBP and exclude international flights into Vietnam.
Day-by-day
Arrive Ho Chi Minh City — District 1 on foot
Ho Chi Minh City
Land at Tan Son Nhat (SGN). Skip the private transfer: Grab/BE app from the airport to District 1 costs about £4–6 (or catch bus 109/152 for under £1). Check into a hostel or budget boutique hotel around Pham Ngu Lao / Bui Vien or District 1. Spend the afternoon walking the colonial core — Notre Dame Cathedral (exterior, still under restoration), the Central Post Office, Reunification Palace and the War Remnants Museum (£2 entry) — then a £2 bowl of pho and a rooftop beer. Book tomorrow's Cu Chi tour and Wednesday's Mekong day trip tonight (Klook/GetYourGuide or any District 1 travel agent).
🚌Grab/BE airport ride ~£5; city walking + occasional Grab bike £1–2
🛏Dorm bed or private room in a District 1 hostel/budget hotel (e.g. Pham Ngu Lao area, £8–18)
- →Self-guided walk: Notre Dame Cathedral, Central Post Office, Reunification Palace
- →War Remnants Museum
- →Book Cu Chi + Mekong day tours locally
Cu Chi Tunnels half-day + city food crawl
Ho Chi Minh City / Cu Chi
Join a small-group Cu Chi Tunnels half-day tour (morning departure, ~£14–20 on Klook/GetYourGuide including transport and entry; some tours add a shooting range stop). You crawl sections of the tunnels, see the trap displays and try the boiled tapioca and tea that soldiers ate. Back in the city by early afternoon — use the time for Ben Thanh Market, the Fine Arts Museum, or a £10 street-food crawl (banh mi, bun thit nuong, che) and a cheap bia hoi. Confirm your flight north for tomorrow.
🚌Included in day tour; Grab bike around town £1–3
🛏Same District 1 hostel/budget hotel
- →Cu Chi Tunnels small-group half-day tour
- →Ben Thanh Market & District 1 street-food crawl
Mekong Delta day trip (My Tho) then fly to Hanoi
My Tho / Ho Chi Minh City → Hanoi
Take a group Mekong Delta day tour to My Tho (~£18–25 with Klook/GetYourGuide/or a District 1 operator): Vinh Trang Pagoda, a sampan boat along the river and canals, coconut-candy and honey workshops on Ben Tre's islands, and a simple lunch included. You're back in Saigon around 17:00–18:00 — head straight to the airport for an evening VietJet/Bamboo/Vietnam Airlines flight to Hanoi (book 2–4 weeks out, ~£40–60 one-way, 2h). Grab from Noi Bai to the Old Quarter is ~£8; the express bus 86 is ~£1.50. Check into a hostel or boutique guesthouse in the Old Quarter.
🚌Mekong tour minibus; domestic flight SGN–HAN ~£40–60; airport bus 86 or Grab ~£1.50–8
🛏Dorm bed or private room in an Old Quarter hostel/guesthouse (£8–18)
- →Mekong Delta & My Tho group day tour with boat trip
- →Vinh Trang Pagoda
- →Handicraft island visits (coconut candy, honey tea)
Halong Bay overnight cruise — Day 1
Halong Bay
Book a budget-to-midrange Halong Bay overnight cruise direct with the operator (or via Klook) — 2D/1N packages including Hanoi pickup, all meals, kayaking and cave entry run roughly £85–130 per person in a twin/dorm cabin. Depart Hanoi around 08:00, board after lunch, cruise among the karst islands, kayak or swim, visit a cave (Sung Sot or similar), and eat dinner on deck. This replaces the operator's houseboat night with an equivalent small-boat cruise.
🚌Shuttle bus Hanoi–Halong–Hanoi included in cruise package (~3.5h each way)
🛏Overnight on a budget/midrange Halong Bay cruise boat — twin cabin or dorm cabin
- →Halong Bay cruise & island sightseeing
- →Kayaking/swimming stop
- →Cave visit
- →Sunset on deck
Halong Bay sunrise, floating village, back to Hanoi
Halong Bay → Hanoi
Early tai chi on deck, then a tender ride past a floating fishing village before brunch on board. Disembark around 11:00–12:00 and shuttle back to Hanoi, arriving mid-afternoon. Evening in the Old Quarter: walk to Train Street for a coffee when a train is due (check timing — it's free and unguided), wander Hoan Kiem Lake, and eat bun cha or pho at a plastic-stool spot (£3–5). Hostels run cheap beer nights if you want company.
🚌Cruise shuttle back to Hanoi included
🛏Old Quarter hostel/guesthouse (same as Day 3)
- →Sunrise on the bay / tai chi
- →Floating fishing village visit
- →Hanoi Train Street coffee
- →Hoan Kiem Lake & Old Quarter street-food walk
Hanoi morning & departure
Hanoi
Breakfast, then a last self-guided loop: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (free, mornings only, closed Mon/Fri), the Temple of Literature (£2) or the Women's Museum, plus egg coffee at Cafe Giang. Take bus 86 or a Grab to Noi Bai for your flight home. If you have a late flight, drop bags at the hostel and squeeze in a £6–8 cooking class or a Water Puppet Theatre ticket.
🚌Bus 86 ~£1.50 or Grab ~£8 to Noi Bai Airport
🛏None (departure day) — hostel luggage storage free
- →Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum / Temple of Literature
- →Egg coffee at Cafe Giang
- →Optional Water Puppet Theatre
Self-launched vs. Legend Travel Group
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Legend Travel Group | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£352 | £705 |
| Duration | 6 days | 6 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £353 per person (50%) | |
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.~£352
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 South & North Vietnam in 6 Days — Self-Launched Version cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £352 per person for 6 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 £705 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £352 — a saving of roughly £353 (50%) per person.
How long is the Vietnam trip?+
This itinerary runs 6 days, covering 6 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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