Vietnam Discovery: Lanterns, Cooking, Sunset Kayaks & Halong Bay Cruising — Self-Launched
12 days · Vietnam
Footsteps Indochina Travel charges £965
No-markup version: ~£680 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Footsteps Indochina Travel's 12-day south-to-north Vietnam loop, done independently using hostels and budget guesthouses, local buses, the sleeper train or cheap domestic flights, and self-bookable tours for Cu Chi, the Mekong, Hoi An cooking/lantern classes and a Halong Bay overnight cruise. You hit the same highlights — Ho Chi Minh City's war history, the Mekong Delta, lantern-lit Hoi An, Tra Que herb village, Hanoi's Old Quarter, Tam Coc's karst caves and a Halong Bay boat night — without the group-tour price tag. Book activities 1-3 days ahead via Klook or GetYourGuide; Vietnam is extremely DIY-friendly with Grab, 12Go and local agents everywhere. All costs are approximate per person.
Day-by-day
Arrive Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Land at Tan Son Nhat (SGN). Skip the taxi touts and use the Grab app (or the 109 airport bus, ~£1) into District 1. Check into a hostel or budget hotel around Pham Ngu Lao / Bui Vien or District 3. Spend the afternoon easing in: iced coffee, a wander through Ben Thanh Market and a rooftop sunset drink. Organise tomorrow's Cu Chi tour and Mekong trip with a local agent on Bui Vien or online via Klook.
🚌Grab from SGN airport ~£5-7 or bus 109 ~£1
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, District 1 (~£10-14)
- →Airport transfer to District 1 by Grab or bus 109
- →Orientation walk around Ben Thanh Market and Bui Vien
- →Book Cu Chi + Mekong tours
Cu Chi Tunnels + city highlights
Ho Chi Minh City
Do the Cu Chi Tunnels in the morning — book a small-group half-day tour on Klook or GetYourGuide (~£15-20, includes transport and entrance) or take bus 13 to Cu Chi and hire a local guide at the gate. In the afternoon walk the city yourself: Reunification Palace (~£2), the red-brick Notre Dame Cathedral exterior, the grand Central Post Office, and the War Remnants Museum (~£1.50) — give the museum at least 90 minutes, it's the most affecting stop in the city.
🚌Tour minibus, then walking / Grab in town (~£3)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, District 1 (~£10-14)
- →Cu Chi Tunnels half-day tour (small group)
- →Reunification Palace
- →Notre Dame Cathedral and Central Post Office
- →War Remnants Museum
Mekong Delta day trip (My Tho / Ben Tre)
Mekong Delta
Book a join-in Mekong Delta day tour from District 1 (~£20-25 on Klook/GetYourGuide or a Bui Vien agent). Typical format: bus to My Tho, a boat along the Mekong to an island, honey tea and traditional music, a paddle-boat row through the narrow canals, a coconut-candy workshop and a short rickshaw loop. Back in Saigon by early evening — grab banh mi and a bia hoi. If you'd rather go solo, catch a local bus to My Tho (~£2) and hire a boat at the pier, but the join-in tour is better value for a single traveller.
🚌Included tour bus/boat, or public bus ~£2 if DIY
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, District 1 (~£10-14)
- →Mekong boat cruise and island stop
- →Paddle-boat through coconut canals
- →Coconut candy workshop and honey tea
- →Rickshaw ride around the island
Fly to Da Nang, transfer to Hoi An
Hoi An
Morning flight from SGN to Da Nang (~£35-55 one-way on VietJet/Bamboo — book 2-3 weeks ahead). From Da Nang airport take a Grab (~£8-10) or the local bus to Hoi An, about 45 minutes. Check into a budget hotel or hostel in the Old Town or An Hoi islet (~£12-18). Late afternoon is perfect for your first walk through Hoi An Old Town: buy the combined Old Town ticket (~£5) for the Japanese Covered Bridge, Phuc Kien Assembly Hall and an ancient merchant house, then watch the lanterns come on at dusk along the Thu Bon river. Riverside night market for cao lau and white rose dumplings.
🚌Domestic flight ~£45; Grab Da Nang-Hoi An ~£9
🛏Budget hotel/guesthouse in Hoi An Old Town (~£12-18)
- →Flight SGN to Da Nang
- →Hoi An Old Town walking route with combined ticket
- →Japanese Covered Bridge and Phuc Kien Assembly Hall
- →Riverside night market
Lantern-making + sunset kayak in Cam Thanh
Hoi An
Morning: book a lantern-making workshop directly with a Hoi An craftsman family or through Klook/GetYourGuide (~£10-15 for 1.5-2 hours) — you build a bamboo-and-silk lantern and keep it. Lunch on cao lau and banh mi. Around 14:00 join a sunset kayak tour through the Cam Thanh coconut-palm waterways (~£18-25, 3 hours, book a day ahead) — paddle past water-coconut forest and village lanes with a café stop, finishing with lantern reflections on the river. Alternatively rent a kayak/paddleboard independently (~£6) and explore the same canals.
🚌Bicycle hire (~£1.50) or Grab (~£2)
🛏Budget hotel/guesthouse in Hoi An Old Town (~£12-18)
- →Lantern-making workshop
- →Sunset kayak tour through Cam Thanh coconut palms
- →Hoi An street food lunch
Tra Que herb village + cooking class
Hoi An
Cycle out to Tra Que Herb Village (about 3 km, free bike from most hotels). Join a half-day farming-and-cooking experience (~£20-30 direct with a Tra Que family or via Klook): plant and water herbs in the vegetable beds, then a foot soak and foot massage with local herbs, followed by a cooking class — spring rolls, banh xeo pancakes and more — and lunch with the family. Cycle back slowly past rice paddies. Evening free for the night market or a cheap massage in town.
🚌Hotel bicycle hire ~£1.50
🛏Budget hotel/guesthouse in Hoi An Old Town (~£12-18)
- →Tra Que vegetable garden farming
- →Herb foot soak and massage
- →Cooking class with a local family
- →Lunch with the family
Travel Hoi An to Hanoi
Hanoi
Two good options. Cheapest: Grab to Da Nang station and take the Reunification Express sleeper (soft-berth, ~16-18 hours, ~£30-45) — book on 12Go or Vietnam Railways. Fastest: fly Da Nang to Hanoi (~£35-50, 1h20). If you fly, arrive by early afternoon and settle into a hostel in the Old Quarter (~£10-15). Evening walk around Hoan Kiem Lake, bia hoi corner and a bowl of pho. Sort your Halong Bay cruise and Tam Coc day trip tonight — book Halong 2-3 days ahead.
🚌Train ~£40 or flight ~£45 plus transfers ~£6
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Old Quarter (~£10-15)
- →Reunification Express sleeper or domestic flight to Hanoi
- →Hoan Kiem Lake evening walk
- →Bia hoi corner and street pho
Hanoi city highlights on foot and cyclo
Hanoi
Self-launched city day: start with a cyclo ride through the 36 Streets of the Old Quarter (~£5 for 45 min, negotiate). Then work your way out: Tran Quoc Pagoda on West Lake, the Ho Chi Minh Complex (outside view is free; the mausoleum and stilt house ticket is ~£1), One Pillar Pagoda, the Temple of Literature (~£1.50) and the Museum of Ethnology (~£2, worth it). Lunch in the Old Quarter (bun cha or banh cuon, ~£3). Finish at Ngoc Son Temple on Hoan Kiem Lake (~£1). Use Grab bikes between clusters (~£0.50-1 each).
🚌Cyclo ~£5 and Grab bikes ~£3
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Old Quarter (~£10-15)
- →Cyclo tour of the Old Quarter's 36 Streets
- →Tran Quoc Pagoda and West Lake
- →Ho Chi Minh Complex and One Pillar Pagoda
- →Temple of Literature and Ethnology Museum
- →Ngoc Son Temple
Hoa Lu and Tam Coc day trip
Ninh Binh
Join a small-group day trip to Ninh Binh (~£25-35 via Klook/GetYourGuide including transport, boat and lunch), covering the Dinh and Le dynasty temples at Hoa Lu and a two-hour rowing-boat ride through Tam Coc's limestone karsts and river caves — often called 'Halong Bay on land'. Bicycles through the paddies are often included. If you want to DIY: train from Hanoi to Ninh Binh (~£3, 2h) or a limousine bus (~£7), then hire a boat at Tam Coc pier (~£8) and a bike (~£2). Back in Hanoi for dinner.
🚌Join-in tour minibus, or train/bus ~£5-7 if DIY
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Old Quarter (~£10-15)
- →Hoa Lu ancient capital temples
- →Tam Coc rowing boat through caves and karsts
- →Optional cycling through rice paddies
Transfer to Halong Bay — overnight cruise
Halong Bay
Morning pickup for a 2-day/1-night Halong Bay cruise (~£70-110 per person for a decent mid-range boat booked direct or via Klook — shared cabin). Board around midday, fresh seafood lunch on deck, then sail past islets and floating villages with a stop at Surprising Grotto (Sung Sot) and a swim/kayak in the bay. Sunset on the sundeck, dinner on board, squid fishing or just watching the karst silhouettes.
🚌Shuttle bus Hanoi-Halong return included in cruise (~3.5h each way)
🛏Shared cabin on a mid-range Halong Bay cruise boat (included in cruise price)
- →Halong Bay overnight boat cruise
- →Surprising Grotto (Sung Sot Cave)
- →Swimming and kayaking in the bay
- →Floating fishing village views
Sunrise tai chi, back to Hanoi
Hanoi
Early sundeck tai chi or just coffee and fruit as the boat cruises back through the karsts. Brunch on board, disembark around 11:00 and shuttle back to Hanoi for mid-afternoon. Check back into your Old Quarter hostel and spend the evening on a self-guided street-food crawl: pho, bun cha, egg coffee, and a Water Puppet Theatre show at Thang Long (~£4-6) if you want a classic Hanoi night out.
🚌Return shuttle included in cruise
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Old Quarter (~£10-15)
- →Sunrise on the sundeck
- →Cruise back through Halong Bay
- →Hanoi street-food crawl
- →Optional Thang Long Water Puppet show
Depart Hanoi
Hanoi
Last morning for a strong Vietnamese coffee and a wander before heading to Noi Bai (HAN) — allow 45-60 minutes; the airport bus 86 costs ~£1.50 from the Old Quarter, or a Grab is ~£10-12. Aim to be at the airport 3 hours before an international departure.
🚌Bus 86 ~£1.50 or Grab ~£11
🛏None (departure day)
- →Morning coffee in the Old Quarter
- →Airport transfer to Noi Bai
Self-launched vs. Footsteps Indochina Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Footsteps Indochina Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£680 | £965 |
| Duration | 12 days | 12 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £285 per person (30%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Footsteps Indochina Travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£680
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 Discovery: Lanterns, Cooking, Sunset Kayaks & Halong Bay Cruising — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £680 per person for 12 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 Footsteps Indochina Travel?+
Yes — Footsteps Indochina Travel charges around £965 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £680 — a saving of roughly £285 (30%) per person.
How long is the Vietnam trip?+
This itinerary runs 12 days, covering 12 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, backpacker 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?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
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