Vietnam Family Adventure — Self-Launched
12 days · Vietnam
G Adventures charges £940
No-markup version: ~£865 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of G Adventures' 12-day family route from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City — same shots (Hanoi Old Quarter by cyclo, water puppets, an overnight Halong Bay junk boat, the Hue Imperial Citadel, Hoi An's noodle workshops, the Reunification Express sleeper train, and a Mekong Delta homestay) booked independently through local operators, hostels and guesthouses instead of a small-group tour. Costs are per person, approximate, and based on budget-to-midrange family-friendly guesthouses (sharing a twin/triple) plus street food and local transport.
Day-by-day
Arrive Hanoi — Old Quarter orientation
Hanoi
Land at Noi Bai (HAN) and take the local option instead of a private transfer: the Vietjet/Noi Bai express bus #86 runs to the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake for about 45,000 VND (~£1.50), taking 45-60 minutes. Alternatively a Grab car (app-based, metered) is roughly 350,000 VND (~£11) for the whole family. Check into a family-friendly guesthouse or budget hotel around Ma May or Hang Bac street. Complete your online pre-arrival declaration in advance (required since 2026 for air arrivals). Spend the late afternoon wandering Hoan Kiem Lake, then eat bun cha or pho at a pavement stall for 50,000-70,000 VND (~£1.70-2.30) per bowl.
🚌Noi Bai express bus #86 (~£1.50 pp) or Grab car (~£11 per car)
🛏Family guesthouse in the Old Quarter (twin/triple room), ~£22-28 per room per night
- →Hoan Kiem Lake walk
- →Old Quarter street-food crawl
Hanoi by cyclo, water puppets and markets
Hanoi
Book a one-hour cyclo ride through the Old Quarter directly with drivers near Hoan Kiem Lake or via a local operator (around 200,000-300,000 VND / £7-10 per cyclo, negotiable). Then buy tickets at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre box office on Dinh Tien Hoang street — shows run several times daily and cost roughly 100,000-150,000 VND (~£3.50-5) per person; book a day ahead in high season. In the afternoon walk to Dong Xuan Market, or visit the Temple of Literature (30,000 VND) or the Women's Museum. Evening: bia hoi corner for cheap draught beer and grilled skewers.
🚌Walking + cyclo (~£8 per cyclo, shared)
🛏Family guesthouse in the Old Quarter
- →Cyclo tour of the Old Quarter
- →Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre
- →Dong Xuan Market
- →Temple of Literature
Halong Bay overnight junk boat
Ha Long Bay
Book an overnight junk boat directly or via GetYourGuide/Klook rather than through a tour — 2-day/1-night budget-to-midrange cruises (with kayaking, cave visit, all meals, and a shuttle pickup from Hanoi hotels) run roughly 1,600,000-2,200,000 VND (~£55-75) per person. Boats typically depart Bai Chay or Tuan Chau marina around midday after a 3.5-hour shuttle. Afternoon kayaking at Luon cave, a stop at Sung Sot (Surprise) cave, and a swim stop. Dinner is usually fresh seafood on deck; overnight anchored in the bay.
🚌Shuttle bus Hanoi → Ha Long (~3.5 hrs, included in cruise)
🛏Cabin on a traditional wooden junk boat (included in cruise price)
- →Halong Bay cruise
- →Kayaking at Luon cave
- →Sung Sot cave visit
- →Sunset on deck
Halong Bay → Hanoi → overnight train to Hue
Hue (via Hanoi)
Morning on the bay — many boats stop at Titop Island for the island lookout, or pass Man's Head and Tortoise islands, before returning to the marina around midday. Shuttle back to Hanoi arriving mid-afternoon. Then take the Reunification Express sleeper train to Hue: book a soft-sleeper berth (4 berths per compartment) directly on the official Vietnam Railways site (dsvn.vn) or via Baolau, roughly 700,000-1,000,000 VND (~£24-34) per person. SE trains leave Hanoi in the evening and arrive Hue the next morning. Stock up on bread, fruit and water before boarding.
🚌Junk boat + shuttle to Hanoi + overnight train (SE3/SE19) to Hue, ~£28
🛏Soft-sleeper berth on the Reunification Express
- →Morning swim and island viewpoint
- →Reunification Express sleeper train
Hue — Imperial Citadel and Royal Tombs
Hue
Arrive early and check in to a guesthouse in the backpacker strip around Pham Ngu Lao / Vo Thi Sau. Walk across the Trang Tien bridge to the Imperial Citadel (Dai Noi) — entry is 200,000 VND (~£6.50) per adult, children often half price — and give it 2-3 hours for the walled fortress, gates and gardens. Optional in the afternoon: a motorbike tour with a local rider (negotiate ~300,000-500,000 VND per person for half a day, or book via a Hue motorbike tour company), the Royal Tombs of Tu Duc and Khai Dinh (150,000 VND each), and Thien Mu Pagoda (free). Evening: bun bo Hue from a local stall, ~50,000 VND.
🚌Walking and Grab motorbike/taxi within Hue (~£5)
🛏Guesthouse in Hue, ~£20-25 per room
- →Imperial Citadel tour (self-guided with audio app)
- →Optional motorbike tour
- →Thien Mu Pagoda
- →Royal Tombs
Hue → Hoi An via the Hai Van Pass
Hoi An
The easy independent option is a public sleeper/seating bus (Hung Thanh or The Sinh Tourist, ~120,000-180,000 VND / £4-6, 3-4 hrs) or a shared limousine van booked the night before (~200,000 VND). For the scenery, hire a private car or shared taxi over the Hai Van Pass with a stop at Lang Co beach and the Marble Mountains — around 1,200,000-1,600,000 VND (~£40-55) per car, split between the family. Arrive Hoi An and settle into a guesthouse on or near the Ancient Town edge (quieter and cheaper than inside). Late afternoon: walk the lantern-lit old town — entry to the Ancient Town is 120,000 VND (~£4).
🚌Public bus (~£5 pp) or private car over Hai Van Pass (~£45 per car)
🛏Family guesthouse in Hoi An, ~£22-30 per room
- →Hai Van Pass viewpoint
- →Lang Co beach stop
- →Hoi An Ancient Town lantern walk
Noodle-making class and Hoi An free afternoon
Hoi An
Do the noodle-making experience independently: several Hoi An cooking schools and family-run workshops offer 2-3 hour noodles-and-market classes for around 450,000-700,000 VND (~£15-24) per person, including lunch — easily booked same-day through your guesthouse. Oodles of Noodles, the community project G Adventures supports, is worth asking about locally too. Afterwards, free time: tailor shops (a shirt in 24 hrs from ~£20), the Japanese Covered Bridge, and the riverside. Evening: release a paper lantern on the Thu Bon river (~20,000 VND) or take a 30-minute wooden boat ride for ~100,000 VND per boat.
🚌Walking / bicycle hire (~30,000 VND per bike per day)
🛏Family guesthouse in Hoi An
- →Vietnamese noodle-making workshop
- →Hoi An market visit
- →Japanese Covered Bridge
- →Thu Bon river boat ride
Hoi An free day — beach, bikes or My Son
Hoi An
Pick your own day: cycle to An Bang or Cua Dai beach (30,000 VND bike hire, sun loungers ~50,000 VND), hire a riverboat to the Thanh Ha pottery village, or book a shared minibus tour to the UNESCO My Son ruins (roughly 250,000-350,000 VND / £8-12 per person including entry and a guide, departing early morning to beat the heat). Cooking classes run around £18-22 if you want a second one. Flat day for laundry and repacking.
🚌Bicycle hire or shared minibus to My Son (~£10)
🛏Family guesthouse in Hoi An
- →An Bang beach
- →My Son ruins (optional)
- →Thanh Ha pottery village (optional)
- →Cooking class (optional)
Fly to Ho Chi Minh City — cyclo tour of Saigon
Ho Chi Minh City
Book a budget domestic flight Danang (DAD) → Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) directly on VietJet Air or Bamboo Airways — roughly £30-50 per person with a 20 kg checked bag. A taxi or Grab from Danang is ~350,000 VND, or take the public shuttle. From SGN airport, Grab or the #109 bus gets you into District 1 for ~£1.50-5. In the afternoon, take a cyclo ride through central Saigon past the Opera House, Notre Dame Cathedral, Central Post Office and Ben Thanh Market — negotiate ~150,000-250,000 VND (~£5-8) per cyclo for an hour, or book a fixed-price cyclo tour on Klook. Evening: Dong Khoi street or a rooftop for sunset, then banh mi dinner for under £2.
🚌Flight Danang → HCMC (~£40) + airport transfer (~£3)
🛏Budget hotel or guesthouse in District 1, ~£25-32 per room
- →Cyclo city tour of central Saigon
- →Notre Dame Cathedral & Central Post Office
- →Ben Thanh Market
Mekong Delta boat trip and homestay
Mekong Delta (Ben Tre / Can Tho)
Book a 2-day/1-night Mekong Delta tour with a homestay directly or via GetYourGuide — small-group options including transport from Saigon, boat rides, a coconut-candy workshop and a family dinner run roughly 1,200,000-1,700,000 VND (~£42-58) per person. Alternatively, DIY it: public bus Saigon → My Tho or Can Tho (~120,000 VND / £4, 3 hrs), then hire a sampan locally. If you go to Can Tho, the Cai Rang floating market leaves at dawn the next morning — a private small boat for the family is about 400,000-500,000 VND. Evening: traditional dinner with the homestay family and bikes around the canals.
🚌Minibus Saigon → Mekong (~3 hrs, included) or public bus (~£4)
🛏Mekong Delta homestay (included in tour price)
- →Mekong Delta boat trip
- →Coconut candy / rice paper workshop
- →Homestay family dinner
- →Canal cycling
Back to Saigon — museums and markets
Ho Chi Minh City
Return to the city by late morning. Afternoon options, all cheap and walkable or a short Grab away: the War Remnants Museum (40,000 VND / ~£1.30), the Reunification Palace (65,000 VND), the Thien Hau Pagoda in Cholon, or Dam Sen Water Park for the kids (~£4). Ben Thanh Market for souvenirs, then a final dinner — com tam or a banh xeo, roughly £3-4 per person. Alternatively, a street-food motorbike tour booked on Klook runs about £20-25 per person.
🚌Grab within the city (~£5)
🛏Budget hotel or guesthouse in District 1
- →War Remnants Museum
- →Reunification Palace
- →Ben Thanh Market
- →Optional street-food motorbike tour
Depart Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Check out and head to Tan Son Nhat airport. Grab car from District 1 is roughly 150,000-200,000 VND (~£5-7), or the #109/#152 public bus for ~£0.50. International flights are not included in either the original tour price or this estimate — budget separately for the return flight to the UK.
🚌Grab to Tan Son Nhat airport (~£6)
🛏—
- →Departure
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£865 | £940 |
| Duration | 12 days | 12 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £75 per person (8%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£865
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 Family Adventure — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £865 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 G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £940 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £865 — a saving of roughly £75 (8%) 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, 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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