Vietnam Intro 12 Day — Self-Launched Edition
12 days · Vietnam
INTRO Travel charges £1,379
No-markup version: ~£514 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of INTRO Travel's 12-day Vietnam intro, done independently from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. Same route, same highlights — Hanoi's Old Quarter by rickshaw, an overnight boat in Ha Long Bay, a Ninh Binh homestay, Hoi An's lanterns and cooking classes, and the Mekong Delta — but booked yourself via hostels, local buses, sleeper trains and GetYourGuide/Klook day tours. Costs are rough backpacker estimates in GBP and assume shared dorm rooms and street food; you'll move at your own pace and meet people along the way rather than travelling in a fixed group.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Hanoi
Hanoi
Land at Noi Bai Airport and take the Vietjet/Grab or the Noi Bai Airport Express bus 86 into the Old Quarter (~£1.50). Check into a hostel dorm in the Old Quarter and spend the afternoon wandering Hoan Kiem Lake and the 36 Streets. Evening: bia hoi corner for cheap draft beer and a bowl of bun cha or pho. Sort out a local SIM/eSIM (Viettel or Viettel-affiliate, ~£6 for 30 days data) and grab a Vietnamese bank account-free payment app if you want (MoMo accepts foreign cards). Book tomorrow's cooking class and Ha Long Bay trip today if you haven't already.
🚌Airport bus 86 or Grab car from Noi Bai, £1.50-5
🛏Old Quarter hostel dorm (e.g. Little Charm Hanoi, Hanoi Backpackers), £6-10/night
- →Hoan Kiem Lake walk
- →Old Quarter orientation wander
- →Bia hoi corner
Hanoi — walking & rickshaw tour, night out
Hanoi
Do the classic Hanoi day the DIY way: a self-guided Old Quarter walk hitting the Temple of Literature, Hoa Lo Prison ("Hanoi Hilton") and St Joseph's Cathedral, or join a free walking tour (tip-based, ~£3-5 tip). In the afternoon hire a cyclo (rickshaw) for an hour around the lake (~£4-6, agree the price first). Street food tour via Klook/GetYourGuide if you want a guided version (~£18-25). Evening: Ta Hien street for the backpacker night out, or a rooftop bar.
🚌Walking + cyclo, £4-6
🛏Old Quarter hostel dorm, £6-10/night
- →Self-guided Old Quarter walk / free walking tour
- →Cyclo (rickshaw) tour of Hanoi
- →Hoa Lo Prison & Temple of Literature
- →Ta Hien street night out
Hanoi to Ha Long Bay — overnight boat
Ha Long Bay
Book a 2-day/1-night Ha Long Bay cruise through Klook, GetYourGuide or your hostel (budget boats run £70-110 pp incl. transfers, meals and kayaking — INTRO's included version is comparable). Get picked up from the Old Quarter around 8am, transfer ~3.5-4 hrs, board, cruise among the limestone karsts, kayak, swim, and enjoy dinner + sunset on deck. Note: many boats now go to Lan Ha Bay, which is quieter and just as beautiful.
🚌Shuttle bus from Hanoi Old Quarter (~4 hrs), included in cruise
🛏Overnight on a budget junk boat, dorm/shared cabin (included in cruise price)
- →Ha Long Bay / Lan Ha Bay overnight cruise
- →Kayaking among the karsts
- →Sunset on deck
Ha Long Bay to Ninh Binh — homestay
Ninh Binh
Morning on the bay (Tai Chi, cave visit, brunch) before the boat returns to port around midday. Travel to Ninh Binh — either the boat's shuttle back to Hanoi then a bus/train south (~2 hrs, £4-7), or ask your hostel to help arrange a direct transfer. In Ninh Binh, check into a homestay in Tam Coc or Trang An. Evening is the classic local homestay experience: family dinner, rice wine, and total peace after Hanoi.
🚌Cruise shuttle + local bus/train to Ninh Binh, £5-10
🛏Ninh Binh homestay, Tam Coc (e.g. Tam Coc Garden Homestay), £10-15/night incl. dinner often
- →Morning on the bay
- →Local homestay dinner
Ninh Binh — cycling, river boat & Dragon Mountain
Ninh Binh
Rent a bicycle from your homestay (~£2/day) and ride the flat lanes between Tam Coc and Trang An. Do the Trang An or Tam Coc river boat cruise (rowboat through caves and rice paddies, ~£8-12, your own boat for 1-2 people). Then hike up Hang Mua (Dragon Mountain) — 500 steps for the famous viewpoint over the river (~£4 entrance). Late afternoon bus or train onward — most travellers take the sleeper train or an overnight bus toward Hoi An/Da Nang (Ninh Binh has its own train station).
🚌Bicycle hire £2; overnight bus/train Ninh Binh-Hoi An £18-30
🛏Overnight bus or sleeper train to Hoi An, or a second night in Ninh Binh, £12-18
- →Bicycle tour of Ninh Binh
- →Trang An / Tam Coc river boat cruise
- →Hang Mua (Dragon Mountain) viewpoint hike
Arrive Hoi An — old town & markets
Hoi An
Arrive in Hoi An/Da Nang in the morning and check into a hostel in the Ancient Town. Grab a bicycle and ride the paddy fields to An Bang or Cua Dai beach for a swim. Afternoon: wander the UNESCO Old Town, Japanese Covered Bridge, and the central market for coffee and cao lau. Optional big splurge here: Hoi An is the tailoring capital of Southeast Asia — get a suit or dress made in 24-48 hrs (£50-120).
🚌Bicycle hire £2/day
🛏Hoi An hostel dorm (e.g. Hoi An Backpackers Hostel, Bed Station), £7-12/night
- →Hoi An Old Town & markets
- →An Bang beach
- →Optional clothes tailoring
Hoi An — basket boat & cooking class
Hoi An
Book a combined basket boat + cooking class via Klook or GetYourGuide (~£18-28 pp, includes market visit and a multi-course lesson). You'll ride a round bamboo basket boat through the coconut palms of Cam Thanh, get spun around by the boatmen, then learn to make fresh spring rolls, banh xeo and pho. Back in town for the evening, or hit a beach club at An Bang.
🚌Bicycle or Grab to Cam Thanh, £1-3
🛏Hoi An hostel dorm, £7-12/night
- →Basket boat crab fishing (Cam Thanh)
- →Vietnamese cooking class
- →Market visit
Hoi An — lantern making & free day
Hoi An
Morning lantern-making workshop in the Old Town (~£6-10, ~1.5 hrs) where you build your own foldable silk lantern. Free afternoon: rent a motorbike or bicycle, swim at An Bang, get a cheap massage (£5-8/hr), or just cafe-hop. If your visit lands on the 14th day of the lunar month, the Old Town swaps electric lights for lanterns and silk lanterns float on the river — check the date. Evening dinner at a riverside spot, then boat lantern release (~£2).
🚌Bicycle/motorbike hire £2-6
🛏Hoi An hostel dorm, £7-12/night
- →Lantern making class
- →Beach club / An Bang beach day
- →Riverside lantern release
Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Fly Da Nang to Saigon — VietJet/Bamboo/Vietnam Airlines one-ways run £25-50 booked in advance; it's a 1hr 20min hop vs ~18 hrs by train. Alternatively the Reunification Express sleeper (Da Nang-Saigon, ~18-20 hrs, £30-45) if you have time and want the slow-travel experience. Check into a hostel in District 1 (Pham Ngu Lao/Bui Vien backpacker area). Evening: explore Bui Vien walking street, or a sky bar for the views (Chill Skybar, ~£6 drink minimum).
🚌Da Nang-Saigon flight £25-50, or sleeper train £30-45; airport Grab £3-5
🛏District 1 hostel dorm, Saigon (e.g. The Common Room, Vy Da Backpackers), £7-12/night
- →Bui Vien walking street
- →Optional sky bar
Ho Chi Minh City to Mekong Delta
Mekong Delta (Ben Tre / Can Tho)
Join a 2-day/1-night Mekong Delta tour via Klook/GetYourGuide or your hostel (~£55-90 pp incl. transport, guide, meals, homestay) — this covers the same ground as INTRO's included Mekong experience. You'll cruise canals by sampan, visit coconut candy and rice paper workshops, cycle through fruit orchards, and stay overnight in a homestay on the delta. Look for versions that include Ben Tre, Cai Be floating market and a village visit.
🚌Minibus from Saigon to Mekong (~2 hrs), included in tour
🛏Mekong Delta homestay (included in tour), or book your own £10-15/night
- →Mekong Delta sampan cruise
- →Local village visit & fruit orchards
- →Coconut candy / rice paper workshops
- →Optional: Cai Be floating market
Mekong Delta to HCMC — Cu Chi Tunnels
Ho Chi Minh City
Morning back on the delta (floating market if your tour includes it), then return to Saigon by early afternoon. En route or as a separate half-day, do the Cu Chi Tunnels — book a small-group tour via GetYourGuide/Klook (~£15-25 pp incl. transport and guide, or ~£5 if you get there yourself by public bus 13 from Ben Thanh). Crawl through the tunnel sections, see the booby traps and learn the history of the Vietnam War from a local guide's perspective. Evening back in District 1.
🚌Return minibus from Mekong (included in tour); Cu Chi transport included in day tour
🛏District 1 hostel dorm, £7-12/night
- →Cu Chi Tunnels half-day tour
- →War history with local guide
Ho Chi Minh City — depart or extend
Ho Chi Minh City
Final morning: War Remnants Museum (~£1.50), Reunification Palace, Ben Thanh Market and a last pho or banh mi. If you've got time, add a day trip to the Cao Dai Temple at Tay Ninh. Grab to Tan Son Nhat Airport (~£3-5) for your flight home. No rush — travel insurance, a flexible onward ticket and a bit of buffer cash make the solo version of this trip a lot smoother than a fixed group departure.
🚌Grab to Tan Son Nhat Airport, £3-5
🛏— (departure day)
- →War Remnants Museum
- →Ben Thanh Market
- →Optional Cao Dai Temple day trip
Self-launched vs. INTRO Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | INTRO Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£514 | £1,379 |
| Duration | 12 days | 12 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £865 per person (63%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more INTRO Travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£514
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.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does Vietnam Intro 12 Day — Self-Launched Edition cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £514 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 INTRO Travel?+
Yes — INTRO Travel charges around £1,379 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £514 — a saving of roughly £865 (63%) 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, backpacker, 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?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.