Heritage & Beach Escapes: Vietnam & Thailand Self-Launched 18-Day Adventure

Land at Tan Son Nhat (SGN) and take a Grab bike or car into District 1 (about £3-5) instead of a pre-arranged transfer. Check into a hostel or budget hotel near Bui Vien / Pham Ngu Lao. Spend the late afternoon wandering Dong Khoi, the Notre Dame Cathedral exterior and the Central Post Office, then eat bun cha or banh mi on the street for under £3.

🚌Grab from SGN airport to District 1, ~£4

🛏Hostel dorm or private room in District 1, £10-16

• →Self-guided walk of District 1
• →Notre Dame Cathedral and Central Post Office (exterior)

Book a half-day Cu Chi Tunnels tour on Klook or GetYourGuide (about £12-16 including transport and entry) — the morning departure gets you there before the heat. Back in the city, visit the Reunification Palace (£2) and the War Remnants Museum (£2) independently; both are walkable from District 1. Try the wartime-style tapioca and sesame salt sold at the tunnels.

🚌Included in Cu Chi tour; walking in the city

🛏Hostel dorm or private room in District 1, £10-16

• →Cu Chi Tunnels half-day tour (Klook/GetYourGuide)
• →Reunification Palace
• →War Remnants Museum

Take a Mekong Delta day tour from HCMC on Klook (~£20-25) covering Vinh Trang Pagoda, a boat ride on the Mekong and a coconut-candy/handicraft island stop. Return to Saigon in the late afternoon, then take a sleeper train or sleeper bus north toward Da Nang — the Reunification Express from Saigon to Da Nang is roughly £30-40 in soft sleeper, or an open sleeper bus is £18-25. Note: this compresses two travel legs into one day; add a day if you'd rather split it.

🚌Mekong tour bus + Reunification Express sleeper (Saigon–Da Nang) ~£35

🛏Overnight sleeper train or bus

• →Mekong Delta day tour
• →Vinh Trang Pagoda
• →Mekong boat trip and island handicraft village

Arrive Da Nang in the morning and take a local bus or Grab (about £5-7, 45 mins) to Hoi An. Check in near the old town and buy a Hoi An Ancient Town ticket (£5) that covers five heritage buildings — the Japanese Covered Bridge, a Chinese assembly hall, an old merchant house, the Sa Huynh Museum and a traditional chapel. In the afternoon cycle or take a short boat to Kim Bong carpentry village (£3-4) to see woodworkers and shipbuilders.

🚌Grab/bus Da Nang–Hoi An ~£6; bicycle hire £2

🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Hoi An, £12-18

• →Hoi An Ancient Town heritage ticket (Japanese Covered Bridge, assembly halls, Sa Huynh Museum)
• →Kim Bong carpentry village by boat

Morning for tailoring, the market, An Bang beach or a £12 cooking class if you fancy it. Mid-afternoon take a Grab to Da Nang airport and fly VietJet/Bamboo to Hanoi (booked direct, roughly £35-55 one way). Land, take bus 86 or a Grab into the Old Quarter (~£2-4) and get your first bun cha dinner.

🚌Grab to Da Nang airport ~£6; domestic flight Da Nang–Hanoi ~£45; bus 86 to Old Quarter ~£1.50

🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter, £10-16

• →Free time in Hoi An old town and market
• →An Bang beach (optional)

Do the sights yourself on foot and by Grab. Start at Tran Quoc Pagoda, then the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex and gardens (free, mornings only, closed Mon/Fri), One Pillar Pagoda, the Temple of Literature (£2), the Museum of Ethnology (£2) and Hoa Lo Prison (£2). Combine them into a loop or join a £15-20 street-food walking tour on Klook in the evening.

🚌Walking + a couple of short Grabs ~£4

🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter, £10-16

• →Tran Quoc Pagoda
• →Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex and One Pillar Pagoda
• →Temple of Literature
• →Vietnam Museum of Ethnology
• →Hoa Lo Prison

Book a one-night Halong Bay cruise directly or via Klook/GetYourGuide (about £85-120 for a midrange junk with meals, transfers, kayaking and cave visit). These are far cheaper booked locally than via a tour package. Expect the Amazing Cave/Sung Sot stop, swimming and kayaking, a sunset deck and dinner on board.

🚌Shuttle bus Hanoi–Halong included in cruise price

🛏Overnight on a Halong Bay cruise boat

• →Halong Bay overnight cruise
• →Sung Sot (Amazing) Cave
• →Kayaking and swimming

Sunrise on the top deck, a morning bamboo-boat visit to a floating fishing village, then the shuttle back to Hanoi for mid-afternoon. Use the evening for the Old Quarter, bia hoi corner and a bun cha or banh cuon dinner.

🚌Cruise shuttle back to Hanoi (included)

🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter, £10-16

• →Sunrise on the bay
• →Floating fishing village boat trip
• →Old Quarter evening walk

Fly Hanoi to Bangkok on VietJet/AirAsia/Thai Lion (book direct, £55-80 one way). Take the Airport Rail Link from Suvarnabhumi to Phaya Thai (~£1) and stay near Khaosan or BTS Phaya Thai/Siam. Evening: street food on Soi Rambuttri or a wander along the river.

🚌Flight Hanoi–Bangkok ~£65; Airport Rail Link ~£1

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Bangkok, £12-18

• →Free evening in Bangkok
• →Street food exploration

Do the temple circuit yourself: Wat Traimit (Golden Buddha, £2), Wat Pho (Reclining Buddha, £5), Wat Arun (£2, cross by the £1 river ferry) and the Grand Palace with the Emerald Buddha (£12 — book online to skip the queue, dress code: covered shoulders and knees). Finish with a £5-10 river commuter boat ride or a Chao Phraya sunset hop.

🚌Chao Phraya Express Boat day pass ~£3; walking and short rides ~£3

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Bangkok, £12-18

• →Wat Traimit
• →Wat Pho
• →Wat Arun
• →Royal Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew

Join a small-group or shared minivan day trip from Bangkok on Klook/GetYourGuide (£18-28) covering Damnoen Saduak floating market, a long-tail boat through the small canals, a coconut farm stop with fresh coconut juice and a seasonal fruit tasting (about £3 for the boat ride if you buy locally at the market instead). Or DIY it: public bus to Ratchaburi/Maeklong then a songthaew, about £4 each way but slower.

🚌Shared minivan day trip (included) or public bus DIY ~£8

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Bangkok, £12-18

• →Damnoen Saduak floating market
• →Long-tail canal boat ride
• →Coconut farm and fruit tasting

Morning flight Bangkok–Chiang Mai (AirAsia/Nok, £30-45 direct booking). Afternoon: songthaew up to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep (£3-4 return shared) for the mountain views and temple. Evening: pre-book a khantoke dinner with hill-tribe dancing at a cultural centre (£12-18) — the standard local version of the tour's welcome feast.

🚌Flight Bangkok–Chiang Mai ~£38; songthaew to Doi Suthep ~£4

🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Chiang Mai old city, £12-20

• →Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
• →Khantoke dinner with traditional dance

Book an ethical, no-riding elephant sanctuary day trip that also includes jungle trekking and white-water rafting on the Mae Taeng River (about £45-65 with lunch, transport and a Mae Malai market stop) — pick one that offers the bathing and medicine-making activities rather than elephant rides. Back in Chiang Mai by early evening.

🚌Sanctuary minivan from Chiang Mai (included)

🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Chiang Mai old city, £12-20

• →Ethical elephant sanctuary: bathing and elephant medicine making
• →Mae Malai local market stop
• →Jungle waterfall trek
• →White-water rafting on the Mae Taeng River

Take a Golden Triangle day tour from Chiang Mai (£28-40) covering Mae Sai border market, the river confluence lookout at the Golden Triangle, the Opium House museum and a local lunch. Alternatively, take a Green Bus to Chiang Rai (£6, 3.5 hrs) and join a local tour from there for a slower pace.

🚌Shared tour minivan or Green Bus to Chiang Rai ~£10

🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Chiang Mai old city, £12-20

• →Mae Sai border market
• →Golden Triangle viewpoint
• →Opium House

Fly Chiang Mai to Phuket on AirAsia/Thai Lion (~£45-65 direct booking) or take an overnight bus/train combo for ~£25-30 if you have the patience. Check in near Phuket Town or Kata/Karon and spend the afternoon on the beach and evening trying Phuket old-town street food and Sino-Portuguese shophouses.

🚌Flight ~£55; airport minibus to Phuket Town ~£4

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Phuket Town / Kata, £14-22

• →Phuket old town walk
• →Beach time

Book a Phi Phi speedboat or big-boat day trip on Klook/GetYourGuide (£30-45 including lunch, snorkel gear and national park fees) hitting Maya Bay, Loh Samah Bay snorkelling, Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave, Monkey Beach and Khai Nok Island. Note: feeding fish and monkeys is now banned in most areas — keep food away. Go on the earliest departure to beat the boats.

🚌Speedboat day trip from Phuket (included)

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Phuket Town / Kata, £14-22

• →Maya Bay
• →Pileh Lagoon and Viking Cave
• →Snorkelling at Loh Samah Bay
• →Monkey Beach and Khai Nok Island

Your own day: climb or ride up to the Big Buddha (£4 shared songthaew), hit Kata Noi or Nai Harn beach, browse the markets and enjoy a night out in Patong or a quieter bar in Phuket Town. Optional: a £20 half-day Thai cooking class.

🚌Songthaews / Grab ~£5

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Phuket Town / Kata, £14-22

• →Big Buddha viewpoint
• →Beach day
• →Phuket markets and nightlife (optional)

Breakfast, then a smart bus or Grab to Phuket International Airport (HKT) — about £4-8 depending on area — for your flight home.

🚌Airport bus/smart bus ~£4-8

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• →Departure