Cambodia to Vietnam: Temples, Koh Rong Beaches & Big City Buzz (Self-Launched)
9 days · Cambodia & Vietnam
G Adventures charges £427
No-markup version: ~£342 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 9-day independent version of G Adventures' Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City trip. Watch sunrise over Angkor Wat, soak up Phnom Penh's history and street food, laze on Koh Rong's turquoise beaches, sleep in a community homestay near Chambok, then cross the Bavet–Moc Bai border into Vietnam for Ho Chi Minh City's buzz. Everything is bookable yourself via GetYourGuide/Klook, hostels and guesthouses, and local buses and ferries — at a fraction of the tour price.
Day-by-day
Arrive Siem Reap
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Land at Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport and take a tuk-tuk or PassApp/Grab to your hostel around Wat Bo or the Old Market area (~$3-5 USD / £3). Settle in, hire a bicycle or rent a tuk-tuk driver for tomorrow's sunrise, then wander Pub Street and the night market for dinner. Try a fish amok or lok lak at a local Khmer kitchen (~£3-4).
🚌Airport tuk-tuk/Grab ~£3
🛏Budget hostel or guesthouse in Siem Reap (dorm £6-10, private room £12-18)
- →Settle in around Old Market / Pub Street
- →Evening night market wander
Angkor Wat Sunrise & Khmer Food
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Leave your hostel around 5am by tuk-tuk to catch sunrise over Angkor Wat. Buy the 1-day Angkor pass at the ticket office ($37 USD / £29 — bring cash and a photo). Spend the morning riding the small circuit: Angkor Wat, Bayon's smiling faces, and Ta Prohm's tree-strangled ruins. Return for a late Khmer lunch (a Planeterra-style community restaurant like Haven or a local family spot), then rest before an optional Phare Circus show (book direct or via GetYourGuide, ~£18). Finish on Pub Street if you have energy.
🚌Hired tuk-tuk for the day ~£12-15 (split between 2-4 people)
🛏Budget hostel or guesthouse in Siem Reap
- →Angkor Wat sunrise (1-day pass $37/£29)
- →Small circuit temples: Bayon & Ta Prohm
- →Khmer lunch at a community restaurant
- →Optional Phare Circus (~£18)
Siem Reap to Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Travel to the capital. The cheapest option is a Giant Ibis or Virak Buntham VIP night/day bus (~$15-20 USD / £12-16, 6-7 hours); a shared minivan is a bit faster (~$20). Arrive in Phnom Penh's riverfront area, check into a guesthouse near Sisowath Quay, and do your own orientation walk past the Royal Palace and along the Mekong. Dinner at a riverside local spot — cheap noodles, grilled skewers and 50c draft beer.
🚌VIP bus Siem Reap–Phnom Penh ~£13 (6-7 hrs)
🛏Budget guesthouse near Sisowath Quay (dorm £5-8, private £12-20)
- →Riverside orientation walk
- →Royal Palace exterior & Sisowath Quay sunset
Phnom Penh History & Street Food
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Spend the day on Phnom Penh's history. Visit Tuol Sleng (S-21) Genocide Museum ($5 USD / £4) with an audio guide, then the Killing Fields at Choeung Ek ($6 USD / £5, ~30 mins by tuk-tuk, ~£5 return). Alternatively head to the Silver Pagoda and Royal Palace if you want a gentler day. In the evening, join a self-booked street food crawl via GetYourGuide/Klook (~£15-20) or DIY it around Psar Thmei and the Russian Market for num pang, prahok and Khmer desserts.
🚌Tuk-tuk to Choeung Ek & around the city ~£8
🛏Budget guesthouse in Phnom Penh
- →Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (£4)
- →Killing Fields of Choeung Ek (£5)
- →Street food crawl or DIY market eating
Phnom Penh to Koh Rong
Koh Rong, Cambodia
Take a morning bus from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville (~$12-15 USD / £10-12, 4-5 hrs), then a ferry from the Sihanoukville port to Koh Rong island (~$10-14 USD / £8-11 each way, 45 mins). Check into a beach bungalow or hostel dorm on Long Set or Koh Touch beach, swim in the turquoise water, and eat fresh grilled seafood or a Khmer curry at a beach bar as the sun sets. Power can be limited on the island — charge devices early.
🚌Bus Phnom Penh–Sihanoukville ~£11 + return ferry ~£18
🛏Beach bungalow or hostel dorm on Koh Rong (dorm £6-10, bungalow £15-25)
- →Swim off Long Set or Koh Touch beach
- →Sunset beach bar dinner
Koh Rong Free Day
Koh Rong, Cambodia
A full day to do whatever you missed. Options: snorkelling or diving trips (~£20-30), kayak rental to remote beaches (~£5/hr), a jungle hike to Long Beach or the Koh Rong viewpoint, or a boat trip to see the bioluminescent plankton after dark (~£8). Otherwise, do the classic thing — hammock, beach, cold drink, repeat.
🚌Walking on the island; optional boat trips ~£8
🛏Beach bungalow or hostel dorm on Koh Rong
- →Snorkelling or dive trip (~£20-30)
- →Kayaking to Long Beach
- →Jungle hike to the viewpoint
- →Optional night plankton boat
Koh Rong to Chambok Homestay
Chambok Village, Cambodia
Take the morning ferry back to Sihanoukville, then a bus or shared minivan inland toward Chambok village at the edge of Kirirom National Park (~£8-12). Stay with a local family in the community-based ecotourism project — simple rooms, cold water and a homemade Khmer dinner included. Join your hosts for a traditional meal, learn about the community projects and the nearby waterfall, then sleep under the stars in a quiet, remote pocket of Cambodia.
🚌Ferry Koh Rong–Sihanoukville ~£8 + bus/shared taxi to Chambok ~£10
🛏Community homestay in Chambok (dorm/basic private, incl. dinner ~£8-12)
- →Community homestay dinner with local family
- →Evening village walk & stargazing
Chambok to Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Cross the border at Bavet–Moc Bai. Take a bus from Phnom Penh (or a direct Chambok/Phnom Penh–HCMC service, ~$18-25 USD / £14-20, 6-7 hrs including immigration). Bring your Vietnam e-visa pre-arranged online (~$25 USD / £19). Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City's District 1 backpacker hub around Pham Ngu Lao, check into a hostel and head out for a banh mi and a bowl of pho to celebrate making it to Vietnam.
🚌Bus Chambok/Phnom Penh–HCMC ~£17 (incl. border crossing)
🛏Hostel in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City (dorm £6-10, private £15-25)
- →Bavet–Moc Bai border crossing
- →Pham Ngu Lao backpacker district
- →First pho & banh mi in Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh City Buzz & Departure
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Your final day. Take a self-guided walk through the city — the Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica and Central Post Office, the War Remnants Museum (~£3), and Ben Thanh Market. Join a self-booked Cu Chi Tunnels half-day trip if time allows (~£15-20 via Klook/GetYourGuide), or eat your way through a street food crawl (banh xeo, com tam, egg coffee). Fly out or extend your stay.
🚌Grab motorbike or taxi around the city ~£5
🛏Hostel in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
- →War Remnants Museum (£3)
- →Notre-Dame & Central Post Office
- →Ben Thanh Market
- →Optional Cu Chi Tunnels half-day (~£18)
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£342 | £427 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £85 per person (20%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£342
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 Cambodia to Vietnam: Temples, Koh Rong Beaches & Big City Buzz (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £342 per person for 9 days in Cambodia & 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 £427 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £342 — a saving of roughly £85 (20%) per person.
How long is the Cambodia & Vietnam trip?+
This itinerary runs 9 days, covering 9 day-by-day stops through Cambodia & 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, beaches, backpacker trip through Cambodia & 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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