Vietnam North to South: Hanoi to Saigon Self-Launched
10 days · Vietnam
Bravo Indochina Tours charges £625
No-markup version: ~£447 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A DIY version of the classic Hanoi–Halong–Hue–Hoi An–Saigon route, rebuilt for solo travellers who'd rather assemble it themselves. You'll cover the same headline sights — Old Quarter temples, an overnight boat in Halong/Lan Ha Bay, the Hue Citadel and royal tombs, Hoi An's old town, Saigon's war history and a Mekong Delta day trip — using hostel dorms and budget guesthouses, sleeper trains and domestic flights, and self-bookable day tours for the places where going it alone isn't practical (the bay cruise and the Mekong). Approximate total is a third to half of the packaged price, and the flights are included here unlike the operator's version.
Day-by-day
Arrive Hanoi & Old Quarter orientation
Hanoi
Land at Noi Bai (NOI), take the Vietjet low-cost bus 86 or the express bus 86 route into the Old Quarter for around £1.50 — cheaper and just as quick as a grab taxi in daytime traffic (£8-10). Check into a hostel dorm around Ma May or Ta Hien, then do a free self-guided wander: Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son Temple, the 'train street' section on Phung Hung (check current access rules — officials sometimes restrict it), and a bia hoi corner beer for 50p. Book tomorrow's tours and the Halong trip online tonight.
🚌Airport bus 86 (~£1.50)
🛏Hostel dorm in Old Quarter (£6-9)
- →Hoan Kiem Lake & Ngoc Son Temple walk
- →Old Quarter street food crawl
- →Bia hoi corner
Hanoi city highlights DIY
Hanoi
Recreate the guided city tour independently. Start early at Tran Quoc Pagoda on the lake island, walk the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex and One Pillar Pagoda (free; mausoleum closed Mon & Fri and typically 8-11am only — dress code enforced). Continue to the Temple of Literature (£2), the Museum of Ethnology (£2.50) and Hoa Lo Prison (£1.20). Lunch: a bun cha set or banh mi for £2-3. A cheap alternative to a guide is a GetYourGuide/Klook half-day street-food walking tour (£15-20) if you want context on the cuisine.
🚌Walking + occasional Grab bike (£1-2)
🛏Hostel dorm in Old Quarter (£6-9)
- →Tran Quoc Pagoda
- →Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum & One Pillar Pagoda
- →Temple of Literature
- →Museum of Ethnology
- →Hoa Lo Prison
Halong / Lan Ha Bay overnight cruise
Halong Bay
Book a 2D/1N cruise direct with an operator rather than through a tour package — budget junk boats (e.g. Cozy Boutique-style 3-star boats) run £75-110 per person including transfers from Hanoi, meals, kayaking and cave visits, which is what the packaged tour was charging extra for. Pickup is usually 8-8.30am from your hostel. Afternoon: kayak around Cua Van or a floating fishing village, swim off the boat, and explore Surprise or Me Cung cave. Sunrise tai chi on the top deck is usually free.
🚌Shared minibus Hanoi–Tuan Chau/Ha Long (~3.5-4h, usually included)
🛏Overnight on board a budget junk boat (included in cruise price)
- →Kayaking around the bay
- →Cave visits
- →Floating fishing village stop
- →Swimming & optional tai chi
Bay sunrise, back to Hanoi, overnight train to Hue
Halong Bay to Hue
Early sunrise on deck, brunch on board, and back at the pier by 11.30am with the shuttle dropping you in Hanoi's Old Quarter around 4pm. Tonight take the Reunification Express sleeper — SE3 or SE19 departs Hanoi around 7-8pm and arrives Hue around 8-9am. Book a soft sleeper berth (4-berth) direct on the Vietnam Railways site or 12Go Asia for roughly £22-28; a hard sleeper is cheaper but noisier. Buy snacks and drinks for the ride.
🚌Bay shuttle to Hanoi (~£0, included) + Reunification Express sleeper Hanoi–Hue (~£25)
🛏Soft sleeper train berth
- →Sunrise on the bay
- →Overnight train experience
Hue Imperial City & Perfume River
Hue
Arrive Hue, drop bags at a guesthouse in the backpacker strip around Pham Ngu Lao / Vo Thi Sau, then explore on foot and by bike. Hire a bicycle for £2-3 a day: cross the Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda (free), then into the Citadel for the Imperial Enclosure (£6). In the afternoon cycle to Khai Dinh and Tu Duc tombs (£4-5 each) — Minh Mang is a 20-minute ride further out. Skip a paid dragon boat and take the local ferry crossing for pennies if you just want the river view. Dinner: bun bo Hue for £2.
🚌Bicycle hire (£2-3)
🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel in Hue (£7-10)
- →Thien Mu Pagoda
- →Hue Citadel
- →Royal tombs of Khai Dinh, Tu Duc & Minh Mang
- →Perfume River ferry crossing
Hue to Hoi An via Hai Van Pass
Hoi An
Two DIY options: the local bus (Hue–Hoi An, ~3-4h, £6-8) with a Lang Co Beach lunch stop, or rent a motorbike/join a Hai Van Pass day trip (£25-35 with a rider, one of Vietnam's best coastal roads). Arrive Hoi An early afternoon and explore the Old Town on the £5 combined ticket covering the Japanese Covered Bridge, Fujian Assembly Hall and Tan Ky Old House. A short Thu Bon River boat ride is £2-3 from the riverside, and the Thanh Ha pottery village is a £1-2 bike ride plus a small workshop fee.
🚌Local bus Hue–Hoi An (~£7) or Hai Van Pass trip (~£30)
🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Hoi An (£7-11)
- →Hai Van Pass & Lang Co Beach
- →Hoi An Old Town ticket sights
- →Thu Bon River boat ride
- →Thanh Ha pottery workshop
Hoi An free day — beach, tailoring, lanterns
Hoi An
The tour's rest day, made better by having total control. Cycle or take a £1 Grab bike to An Bang Beach (free sunbed with a drink) or Cua Dai. Get something tailored in 24h for £20-40, do a cooking class (£18-25) if the mood strikes, or take a day trip to My Son Sanctuary (£20-25 including transport and entry) — the easiest way to see the Cham ruins without a tour group is a shared shuttle booked the night before. Riverside lanterns light up after 6pm and are free to enjoy.
🚌Bicycle or Grab bike to beach (£1-2)
🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Hoi An (£7-11)
- →An Bang Beach
- →Optional My Son Sanctuary day trip
- →Lantern-lit Old Town evening
- →Optional cooking class
Fly to Saigon & city history walk
Ho Chi Minh City
Fly Da Nang (DAD) to Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) with VietJet or Bamboo — booked 2-4 weeks ahead this route is £30-45 one way, with a 1h20 flight. (The sleeper train alternative is ~30h — not worth it on a 10-day trip.) From Tan Son Nhat, bus 109 or 152 into District 1 costs 20-30p. Afternoon self-guided walk: Notre Dame Cathedral (exterior), Central Post Office, the Presidential Palace (Reunification Palace, £2.50), then the War Remnants Museum (£2) which needs two hours. Evening: a Vietnamese lesson pod, then iced coffee on a plastic stool in a District 3 alley.
🚌Flight DAD–SGN (~£38) + bus 109/152 into town (~£0.30)
🛏Hostel dorm in District 1 (£6-9)
- →Notre Dame Cathedral & Central Post Office
- →Reunification Palace
- →War Remnants Museum
- →Saigon coffee street culture
Mekong Delta: Ben Tre & My Tho DIY
Ben Tre / My Tho
The Mekong is the one place where a tour still makes sense. Book a small-group Ben Tre day trip (GetYourGuide/Klook, £18-28) — it bundles the boat ride on the Ba Lai River, coconut candy and charcoal workshops, the rowing boat through the coconut canals, the tuk-tuk loop and a riverside southern lunch that the packaged itinerary lists. Doing it independently is possible via public bus to My Tho (£2) plus local boat hire, but you'll pay nearly as much and lose half a day to logistics. Back in Saigon by 6pm — go straight to a banh xeo stall.
🚌Included in day tour pickup
🛏Hostel dorm in District 1 (£6-9)
- →Ba Lai River boat ride
- →Coconut candy & charcoal workshops
- →Rowing boat through coconut canals
- →Tuk-tuk loop and riverside lunch
Saigon farewell
Ho Chi Minh City
Slow morning: Banh mi breakfast, Ben Thanh or better the Binh Tay/Cho Lon market in District 5, a wander through the Fine Arts Museum (£1) if you have time. Bus 109 or a Grab to the airport for around £2.5-4 depending on traffic. Optional extra night at a hostel is £7-9 if your flight leaves late.
🚌Bus 109 to airport (~£0.50-1) or Grab (~£4)
🛏Checkout (optional extra night £7-9)
- →Cho Lon market
- →Banh mi breakfast
- →Fine Arts Museum
Self-launched vs. Bravo Indochina Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Bravo Indochina Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£447 | £625 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £178 per person (28%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Bravo Indochina Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£447
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 North to South: Hanoi to Saigon Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £447 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 Bravo Indochina Tours?+
Yes — Bravo Indochina Tours charges around £625 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £447 — a saving of roughly £178 (28%) 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, backpacker, foodie 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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