Very Vietnam – 10 Days, Self-Launched from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City
10 days · Vietnam
On The Go Tours charges £1,310
No-markup version: ~£655 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of On The Go Tours' "Very Vietnam" route: Hanoi's Old Quarter, an overnight junk boat in Halong Bay, the sleeper train to imperial Hue, Hoi An's lantern-lit old town and Tra Que gardens, then the Mekong Delta and Ho Chi Minh City. Instead of a guided group, you book each piece yourself — local day tours via GetYourGuide/Klook or your hostel, open-tour buses and the Reunification Express, plus budget guesthouses. All figures are rough per-person estimates in GBP based on current backpacker rates and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Hanoi – Old Quarter orientation
Hanoi
Land at Noi Bai (HAN) and take the Vietnam Airlines city bus #86 (~£1.20) or a Grab bike/car (~£5–7) to a hostel or budget hotel in the Old Quarter (~£10–15 dorm, £18–24 private double). Spend the afternoon walking the 36 Streets loop and Hoan Kiem Lake, then catch sunset over West Lake (Ho Tay). If you want the motorbike-back backstreets experience from the original tour, book a Hanoi food/backstreet motorbike tour on Klook or GetYourGuide (~£22–28). Eat bun cha or pho bo at a street stall (~£2–3). Book tomorrow's Halong Bay overnight trip tonight from your hostel or an Old Quarter agency (shop around — £65–95 for the mid-tier boats).
🚌Vietnam Airlines bus #86 from airport, walking
🛏Old Quarter hostel dorm or budget guesthouse
- →Old Quarter 36 Streets walk
- →Hoan Kiem Lake & Ngoc Son Temple
- →Optional motorbike backstreets food tour
Halong Bay overnight junk boat
Halong Bay
Early pickup (~8am) from your Old Quarter hotel for the 3.5-hour shuttle to Halong Bay — a standard part of any overnight boat package. Board a traditional junk, cruise among the limestone karsts, visit Trinh Nu Cave, kayak and swim, and join an onboard Vietnamese cooking demo. Dinner and breakfast on board are normally included in the package price. Digital-detox note: many boats have limited wifi — download what you need in Hanoi.
🚌Included shuttle bus from Hanoi + junk boat cruise
🛏Overnight on a mid-range junk boat (twin/double cabin included in package)
- →Junk boat cruise among the karsts
- →Trinh Nu Cave visit
- →Kayaking and swimming
- →Vietnamese cooking demonstration
- →Optional sunrise tai chi on the sundeck
Sung Sot Cave, back to Hanoi, sleeper train to Hue
Halong Bay → Hanoi → Hue
Morning visit to Sung Sot Cave (Surprise Grotto), brunch on board, then shuttle back to Hanoi arriving around 3–4pm. Stash your bag at the boat company's office, wander the Old Quarter and get a £3–4 bun cha dinner. Collect your Reunification Express ticket (book 2–3 days ahead on dsvn.vn or 12go.asia; soft sleeper 4-berth ~£28–35) and board the ~19:30–20:00 SE train from Hanoi station for the ~13-hour overnight run to Hue. A hard/soft sleeper berth is the same experience as the tour's, just booked by you.
🚌Shuttle bus to Hanoi; Reunification Express SE train Hanoi–Hue (~£30, 13 hrs)
🛏Overnight on Reunification Express soft sleeper (4-berth)
- →Sung Sot Cave (Surprise Grotto)
- →Old Quarter evening wander
Hue – Citadel, pagodas and royal tombs
Hue
Arrive Hue mid-morning, check into a guesthouse in the backpacker strip around Pham Ngu Lao (~£10–14 dorm, £18–25 private). Join a small-group or private Hue day tour (GetYourGuide/Klook, ~£22–30) covering the Citadel and Imperial Purple Palace, Thien Mu Pagoda, and the tombs of Tu Duc and Khai Dinh. Cheaper DIY option: rent a bicycle (~£2.50) or Grab out to the tombs and grab a combo Citadel ticket (~£6). Optional sunset Perfume River dragon boat (~£4). Eat bun bo Hue for dinner (~£2.50).
🚌Walking, Grab, or rented bicycle
🛏Hue guesthouse near Pham Ngu Lao
- →Citadel & Imperial Purple Palace
- →Thien Mu Pagoda
- →Royal tombs of the Nguyen kings
- →Optional Perfume River sunset boat
Hue to Hoi An over the Hai Van Pass
Hoi An
Take a shared minibus or open-tour bus Hue–Hoi An (~£7–10, 3–4 hrs) that stops at Lang Co lagoon and the Hai Van Pass viewpoint — the classic Road of the Ocean Clouds ride. Alternatively book a one-way Hai Van Pass motorbike tour with an Easy Rider-style guide (~£25–30). Arrive Hoi An, check into a budget hotel or homestay in the old-town fringes (~£14–20), then do a self-guided walk of the old quarter: Japanese Covered Bridge, Chua Ong Pagoda, the Chinese Assembly Halls and the 200-year-old Tan Ky house. A combined old-town ticket is ~£5. Street-eats Vespa tour in the evening if you fancy it (~£28).
🚌Shared minibus/open-tour bus over Hai Van Pass (~£8)
🛏Hoi An homestay or budget hotel
- →Hai Van Pass viewpoint & Lang Co lagoon
- →My Khe Beach stop
- →Hoi An old quarter walk
- →Japanese Covered Bridge, Tan Ky House, assembly halls
Tra Que Village cooking class by bicycle
Hoi An / Tra Que Village
Rent a bicycle (~£1.50) for the 10-minute ride out to Tra Que vegetable village, or join a half-day organic-farming and cooking class (~£22–28 on Klook/GetYourGuide). You'll tend the herb beds, learn about traditional farming and medicine, then cook and eat a multi-course lunch. Afternoon back in Hoi An: get a shirt or dress made at a tailor (measure in the morning, collect next day, from ~£25), swim at An Bang Beach, or laze by the pool with a £1 beer. Cao lau noodles for dinner (~£2.50).
🚌Rented bicycle
🛏Hoi An homestay or budget hotel
- →Tra Que Village farming experience
- →Hands-on cooking class & lunch
- →An Bang Beach afternoon
- →Optional Hoi An tailor
Hoi An free day – My Son or Ba Na Hills
Hoi An
Pick your own optional day out. My Son Sanctuary by early-morning minibus tour (~£20–25, includes guide) beats the crowds and the heat; DIY is possible by Grab (~£12 return) plus ~£6 entry. Or book a Ba Na Hills day trip including the record-breaking cable car and Golden Bridge (~£32–38). Lazy alternative: rowboat trip on the Thu Bon River and café-hopping. Book your Hoi An → Mekong Delta transfer/route tonight (see next day).
🚌Tour minibus or Grab
🛏Hoi An homestay or budget hotel
- →My Son Sanctuary (UNESCO) half-day tour
- →Or Ba Na Hills cable car & Golden Bridge
- →Or Thu Bon river rowboat & old-town cafés
Hoi An to the Mekong Delta (Cai Be – Can Tho)
Cai Be / Can Tho
Long travel day — the original flies to Ho Chi Minh City; do it cheaper by taking the early Hoi An–Da Nang minibus (~£3), a cheap domestic flight Da Nang–Ho Chi Minh City if you book ahead (~£35–55 on VietJet/Bamboo) or the Reunification Express (~£25, ~16 hrs, so flight is preferable). From Saigon, take a local bus or shared shuttle to Cai Be (~£5–7, 2.5 hrs) and join an afternoon sampan cruise among the coconut canals with stops at small cottage industries (popcorn, coconut candy, paper). Continue by local bus to Can Tho (~£3) and check into a riverside guesthouse (~£12–16).
🚌Minibus to Da Nang, budget flight to Ho Chi Minh City (~£45), bus/shuttle to Cai Be and Can Tho
🛏Can Tho riverside guesthouse
- →Cai Be sampan cruise
- →Cottage industry visits
- →Lunch in a traditional wooden home
Can Tho floating market and Ho Chi Minh City
Can Tho → Ho Chi Minh City
Hire a small boat with a local skipper at the Ninh Kieu pier for a sunrise run to Cai Rang floating market and Con Son Islet (~£8–12 per person if you share). Stroll the floating bridges, see the fish farm on the Hau River, and try the ticklish fish massage. Back to Can Tho, then a comfortable limousine bus or local coach to Ho Chi Minh City (~£6–9, 3.5 hrs). Check into a District 1 hostel (~£9–14 dorm, £20–28 private) and do an evening self-guided walk: Notre Dame Cathedral exterior, the Old Post Office, Nguyen Hue walking street, and the War Remnants Museum if time allows (closes 17:30, ~£1.50).
🚌Local boat, bus Can Tho–Ho Chi Minh City (~£8), Grab/walking
🛏Ho Chi Minh City hostel or budget hotel, District 1
- →Cai Rang floating market at sunrise
- →Con Son Islet walk & fish farm
- →Notre Dame Cathedral & Old Post Office
- →War Remnants Museum
Cu Chi Tunnels and departure
Ho Chi Minh City / Cu Chi
Book a half-day Cu Chi Tunnels tour (~£18–25 via Klook/GetYourGuide, includes hotel pickup and entry) for the morning — crawl the tunnels, see the trap doors and booby traps, and optionally fire an AK-47 at the range (~£1 per bullet). Alternative DIY: bus #13 from Ben Thanh to Cu Chi (~£1) plus ~£4 entry. Back in town, hit Ben Thanh Market for souvenirs, grab a £3 banh mi and iced coffee, and visit the Independence Palace with its secret bunker (~£3) before your onward flight. End of the self-launched route.
🚌Tour minibus or local bus #13, Grab to airport (~£5)
- →Cu Chi Tunnels half-day tour
- →Ben Thanh Market shopping
- →Optional Independence Palace & bunker
- →Final foot massage (~£7)
Self-launched vs. On The Go Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | On The Go Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£655 | £1,310 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £655 per person (50%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more On The Go Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£655
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 Very Vietnam – 10 Days, Self-Launched from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £655 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 On The Go Tours?+
Yes — On The Go Tours charges around £1,310 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £655 — a saving of roughly £655 (50%) 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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