Vietnam & Thailand: Hanoi to Bangkok the Self-Launched Way (15 Days)
15 days · Vietnam & Thailand
Vietnam Tour Fun charges £1,260
No-markup version: ~£807 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Vietnam Tour Fun's 15-day "Explore Scenic Vietnam & Thailand" itinerary, starting in Ho Chi Minh City and ending in Bangkok. You'll do the same big-hitters — Mekong Delta sampan canals, Hoi An's lantern-lit old town, a Ba Vi tea farm cooking day, an overnight Ha Long Bay cruise, Chiang Mai's temples and an ethical elephant sanctuary, then Ayutthaya and Bangkok's royal temples — but booking each piece yourself: sleeper trains and cheap domestic flights instead of private transfers, hostel/guesthouse rooms instead of tour hotels, and day tours through GetYourGuide/Klook or direct with local operators. Costs are approximate per-person estimates in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Fly into Tan Son Nhat airport and take a Grab or the 109 airport bus (about 20,000 VND / £0.70) into District 1. Check into a hostel or budget hotel near Pham Ngu Lao or District 1, then wander at your own pace: Ben Thanh Market, the Notre Dame Cathedral and Central Post Office exteriors, and a sunset beer on a rooftop. Eat at a street stall — banh mi and a plastic stool pho dinner will set you back under £4.
🚌Grab or airport bus 109 from Tan Son Nhat (~£1)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, District 1 (~£12-18)
- →Self-guided walk of District 1
- →Ben Thanh Market
- →Street food dinner
Mekong Delta day trip (My Tho / Ben Tre)
Mekong Delta
Join a small-group Mekong Delta day tour booked via Klook or GetYourGuide (~£22-28) — the same My Tho/Ben Tre route the operator uses: Vinh Trang Pagoda, a hand-rowed sampan through Thoi Son canal, Unicorn Island orchards, a honeybee farm, coconut candy workshop and a short bike ride around Tan Thach village. Lunch is normally included. Back in Saigon by early evening; grab dinner on Bui Vien or a quieter local spot in District 3.
🚌Included in day tour (shared minibus)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, District 1 (~£12-18)
- →Group Mekong Delta day tour
- →Vinh Trang Pagoda
- →Sampan canal ride
- →Coconut candy workshop
- →Village cycling
Saigon to Hoi An by sleeper train/bus
Hoi An
Nothing scheduled today — travel day. The cheap classic route is a sleeper bus (about £18-25, 18-20 hrs) or the Reunification Express train to Da Nang (soft sleeper ~£35-45, 16-18 hrs) then a 45-min Grab or local bus to Hoi An. Cheapest and fastest option if you're short on time: fly VietJet/Bamboo from SGN to Da Nang (~£30-40, 1h20) and take the shuttle bus in. Settle into a Hoi An homestay or hostel in the old town fringes.
🚌Sleeper bus ~£20 OR Reunification Express soft sleeper ~£40 OR domestic flight ~£35 + Da Nang-Hoi An bus ~£1.50
🛏Hoi An homestay or hostel (~£12-18)
- →Travel day
- →Evening stroll by the Thu Bon River
Hoi An old town on foot
Hoi An
Buy a Hoi An Old Town ticket (~£5, covers five heritage sites) and do the operator's walking circuit yourself: Hoi An Market in the morning, Phuc Kien Chinese Assembly Hall, Tan Ky and Phung Hung ancient houses, the Museum of Folk Culture, the Japanese Covered Bridge and the Traditional Performing Arts House. Pre-book a cheap lantern-making or cooking class if you want more. In the evening hire a small wooden boat on the river (~£1-2) and release a flower lantern, then eat cao lau and white rose dumplings.
🚌On foot / bicycle (most homestays rent bikes free or ~£1/day)
🛏Hoi An homestay or hostel (~£12-18)
- →Hoi An Old Town ticket
- →Phuc Kien Assembly Hall
- →Tan Ky Ancient House
- →Japanese Bridge
- →Folk Culture Museum
- →Lantern boat ride
- →Cao lau dinner
Free day — optional Ba Na Hills / Golden Bridge
Hoi An
Do the optional Ba Na Hills day the operator upsells at USD 75 — book the same shared minibus + cable car day through Klook for roughly £38-45 including hotel pickup. Expect the Golden Bridge, Linh Ung Pagoda, French Village and Fantasy Park. If theme parks aren't your thing, a £4 bike or Grab to An Bang Beach plus a £6 seafood lunch is arguably the better day.
🚌Shared minibus included in day tour, or Grab to An Bang Beach (~£3)
🛏Hoi An homestay or hostel (~£12-18)
- →Optional Ba Na Hills & Golden Bridge day tour (via Klook)
- →Alternative: An Bang Beach day
Hoi An to Hanoi
Hanoi
Travel north. Fly Da Nang to Hanoi (~£30-40, 1h20) with VietJet or Bamboo — cheapest way and matches the operator's own transport. Alternatively take the full Reunification Express north for scenery and a night on the rails (~£45-60 soft sleeper). Arrive and stay in the Old Quarter; first stop is a £1.50 bowl of bun cha or pho and a walk around Hoan Kiem Lake.
🚌Da Nang-Hanoi domestic flight ~£35 (or overnight train ~£50)
🛏Old Quarter hostel or budget hotel (~£12-18)
- →Travel day
- →Hoan Kiem Lake evening walk
- →Old Quarter street food
Ba Vi eco day — tea farm and cooking class
Ba Vi / Hanoi
Book a small-group Ba Vi eco tour directly with a Hanoi day-tour operator or via Klook (~£35-45 incl. lunch and transfers). You'll harvest tea leaves at Ri village's 30-year-old plantation, try the rolling/production workshop, cook a traditional lunch with a Muong host family in Moc village, cycle through rice paddies, visit local craft workshops and finish with a herbal foot soak. Back in Hanoi for the evening.
🚌Shared minibus included in the day tour
🛏Old Quarter hostel or budget hotel (~£12-18)
- →Ri village tea harvesting
- →Tea production workshop
- →Muong family cooking class
- →Village cycling
- →Herbal foot soak
Hanoi to Ha Long Bay — overnight cruise
Ha Long Bay
Book a budget overnight Ha Long cruise independently through Klook/GetYourGuide or a local Hanoi agent (~£90-120 per person sharing, including bus transfer, guide, all meals, kayaking and cave visit). The operator's version is the same product. Board by midday, cruise between the limestone karsts, kayak and swim, walk through a cave, and watch sunset from the top deck.
🚌Shuttle bus from Old Quarter included in cruise package (~3.5 hrs each way)
🛏Budget Ha Long Bay junk boat, twin share (~included in cruise price)
- →Ha Long Bay boat cruise
- →Kayaking
- →Swimming
- →Cave visit
- →Sunset on deck
Ha Long Bay back to Hanoi
Hanoi
Morning tai chi or coffee on deck, then brunch on board and the shuttle back to Hanoi for mid-afternoon. Free evening — catch a water puppet show at Thang Long theatre (~£4) or just do a bia hoi corner crawl on Ta Hien street.
🚌Included shuttle back to Hanoi
🛏Old Quarter hostel or budget hotel (~£12-18)
- →Sunrise on the bay
- →Water puppet show (optional)
- →Old Quarter bia hoi
Hanoi to Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai
Fly to Chiang Mai. Direct flights are limited, so the realistic budget route is AirAsia/VietJet Hanoi-Bangkok (~£45-60) then a domestic hop to Chiang Mai (~£25-35), or a through ticket on Thai Vietjet if available. Check into a hostel inside the old city moat. Evening: Sunday Walking Street if it's the right day, otherwise the Night Bazaar and khao soi for dinner (~£3).
🚌Hanoi-Bangkok flight ~£50 + Bangkok-Chiang Mai flight ~£30
🛏Old City hostel or guesthouse (~£10-15)
- →Travel day
- →Night Bazaar or Walking Street
- →Khao soi dinner
Chiang Rai temples day trip
Chiang Mai / Chiang Rai
Join a small-group Chiang Rai day tour booked through GetYourGuide or Klook (~£25-35 incl. transport and lunch): Maekhachan Hot Springs, the White Temple (Wat Rong Khun), the Blue Temple (Wat Rong Suea Ten) and Baan Dam, the Black House museum. It's a long day (roughly 12 hours round trip from Chiang Mai) but exactly what the operator bundles. Alternatively, take the public bus to Chiang Rai (~£5, 3 hrs) and overnight there if you'd rather not rush.
🚌Shared minivan included in day tour, or public bus ~£5 each way
🛏Old City hostel or guesthouse (~£10-15)
- →Maekhachan Hot Springs
- →White Temple (Wat Rong Khun)
- →Blue Temple
- →Baan Dam Black House
Ethical elephant sanctuary day
Chiang Mai
Book a no-riding elephant sanctuary day direct with Elephant Jungle Sanctuary or Elephant Nature Park (~£55-75 including pickup, lunch and a Karen shirt). You'll feed the elephants, walk with them, make mud spa, and bathe them in the river — the same experience the operator includes. Ethical operators sell out in high season, so book at least a week ahead online.
🚌Sanctuary pickup and drop-off from your accommodation included
🛏Old City hostel or guesthouse (~£10-15)
- →Elephant Jungle Sanctuary full day
- →Feeding and mud spa with elephants
- →River bathing
Chiang Mai to Bangkok
Bangkok
Take a domestic flight Chiang Mai-Bangkok (~£25-40, 1h15) or, for the backpacker classic, the overnight sleeper train from Chiang Mai station (~£18-25 second class sleeper, ~13 hrs). Land in Bangkok and base yourself near Khao San or in Silom. Evening: riverside walk, a long-tail boat if you fancy it, and street food at Yaowarat (Chinatown) for under £6.
🚌Flight ~£30 OR sleeper train ~£22 + BTS/MRT ~£1
🛏Khao San/Rattanakosin hostel (~£10-16)
- →Travel day
- →Yaowarat Chinatown food crawl
- →Riverside evening
Ayutthaya day trip
Ayutthaya
Skip the private tour and take the ordinary train from Hua Lamphong/Thonburi or Bang Sue Grand Station to Ayutthaya (~£1-2, 1.5-2 hrs) then hire a bike at the station (~£2/day) or a tuk-tuk driver for the day (~£15). Hit Wat Mahathat (the Buddha head in the tree roots), Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Wat Ratburana, Wat Mongkhon Bophit, Wat Yai Chaimongkhol and the Bang Pa-In Summer Palace. Combined entry tickets run around £8-10. Return by train in the evening.
🚌Third-class train Bangkok-Ayutthaya ~£1.50 each way
🛏Khao San/Rattanakosin hostel (~£10-16)
- →Wat Mahathat
- →Wat Phra Si Sanphet
- →Wat Ratburana
- →Wat Yai Chaimongkhol
- →Bang Pa-In Summer Palace
- →Bicycle rental
Bangkok royal temples and depart
Bangkok
Do the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew early (opens 8:30, entry ~£13, cover shoulders and knees), then walk ten minutes to Wat Pho for the Reclining Buddha (~£6) and, if time allows, Wat Benchamabophit (Marble Temple, ~£2). Finish with a £2 boat ride on the Chao Phraya and a last pad thai before heading to Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang for your flight home. Extend south to Krabi or Phuket on a cheap AirAsia hop if you want a beach finish.
🚌Chao Phraya Express boat ~£1 + airport rail link ~£1.20
🛏—
- →Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaew
- →Wat Pho Reclining Buddha
- →Wat Benchamabophit
- →Chao Phraya boat ride
Self-launched vs. Vietnam Tour Fun
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Vietnam Tour Fun | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£807 | £1,260 |
| Duration | 15 days | 15 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £453 per person (36%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Vietnam Tour Fun-style trips? Check them out here.~£807
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 Vietnam & Thailand: Hanoi to Bangkok the Self-Launched Way (15 Days) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £807 per person for 15 days in Vietnam & Thailand. 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 Tour Fun?+
Yes — Vietnam Tour Fun charges around £1,260 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £807 — a saving of roughly £453 (36%) per person.
How long is the Vietnam & Thailand trip?+
This itinerary runs 15 days, covering 15 day-by-day stops through Vietnam & Thailand.
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, adventure, foodie trip through Vietnam & Thailand, 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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