China & Vietnam: Chengdu to Ho Chi Minh — Self-Launched

Land at Chengdu Tianfu (TFU) or Shuangliu (CTU) and take the metro (Line 18/10, ~£1) to a hostel near Chunxi Road or the Wide and Narrow Alleys. Settle in, then wander People's Park — the Heming teahouse is the classic spot for a £2 bottomless jasmine tea — and walk 20 minutes to Tianfu Square for the Mao statue and evening lights. Grab a bowl of dan dan noodles or a hotpot dinner (hotpot for two runs £10-15 each). Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with your card before you arrive: China is nearly cashless.

🚌Airport metro ~£1; walking

🛏Hostel dorm near Chunxi Road (£10-14)

• →People's Park & Heming Teahouse
• →Tianfu Square
• →Sichuan hotpot dinner

Get to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding at opening (7:30am) — pandas are active early and it's far less crowded. Entry is ¥55 (~£6); take metro Line 3 to Panda Avenue then the free shuttle, or a DiDi for ~£5. Back in town, options include Wenshu Monastery (free, vegetarian lunch ~£3) or Kuanzhai Alley for snacks. In the late afternoon fly Chengdu–Lijiang (roughly 1h20, £45-70 booked ahead on Trip.com or Ctrip). Hostel pickup or bus 27 into Lijiang Old Town.

🚌Metro + DiDi ~£6; domestic flight ~£55

🛏Guesthouse in Lijiang Old Town (£10-15)

• →Giant Panda Breeding Base (book entry via Klook)
• →Wenshu Monastery
• →Kuanzhai Alley

Walk the UNESCO-listed Old Town early before the tour buses: Giant Water Wheel, Sifang Square, then climb Lion Hill to Wangu Tower (~£5) for rooftop views of the tiled roofs. Mid-morning head to Black Dragon Pool Park in the north of town — the classic marble bridge shot with Jade Dragon Snow Mountain behind it (free with the Old Town maintenance fee, ~£5). Afternoon: Mufu Museum (former Mu family mansion, ~£6) or a slow café afternoon. Evening: Naxi grilled fish and Lijiang baba flatbread.

🚌Walking

🛏Guesthouse in Lijiang Old Town (£10-15)

• →Lijiang Old Town walk
• →Black Dragon Pool Park
• →Lion Hill & Wangu Tower
• →Mufu Museum

Take a morning bus from Lijiang to Jianchuan (~2.5h, £5) then a local minibus or shared taxi 30 minutes to Shaxi (~£2). Shaxi is the best-preserved market town on the old Tea Horse Road: the 15th-century Sideng Market Square, the Old Theatre stage opposite the Xingjiao Temple, and Yujin Bridge just outside town. Do it yourself with a map — the temple is ¥30. Afternoon free to cycle to the surrounding Bai villages or sit in a courtyard café. Very quiet, genuinely lovely.

🚌Bus Lijiang–Jianchuan ~£5 + minibus ~£2

🛏Courtyard guesthouse in Shaxi (£10-16)

• →Sideng Market Square & Old Theatre
• →Xingjiao Temple
• →Yujin Bridge
• →Bai village cycling

Bus or shared van to Xizhou (~1.5h, ~£3), the thousand-year-old Bai trading village with beautifully preserved courtyard mansions — wander independently, and try Xizhou baba (sweet-savoury flatbread, ~£1). Mid-afternoon continue by bus to Dali Old Town (~1h, ~£2). Check into a guesthouse inside or just outside the walls, then walk the old town at dusk: Foreigner Street, the Wuhua Tower, and the lantern-lit lanes. Dinner at a Bai restaurant — try rushan cheese and pickled fish.

🚌Local buses ~£5 total

🛏Guesthouse in Dali Old Town (£10-16)

• →Xizhou Old Town & Bai architecture
• →Dali Old Town evening walk

Full free day. Best options: hire an e-bike or bicycle and ride the west shore of Lake Erhai toward Xizhou (~£5/day), stopping at small fishing villages and the eco-lodge cafés. Or take the cable car or hike up Cangshan Mountain (~£15 cable car) for views over the lake. The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple cost ¥120 (~£13) and are worth it if you like temples. In the afternoon, join a Bai tie-dye workshop in Zhoucheng village (~£10-15, bookable same-day locally or via Klook).

🚌Bike/e-bike hire ~£5

🛏Guesthouse in Dali Old Town (£10-16)

• →Lake Erhai cycling
• →Cangshan Mountain cable car
• →Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple
• →Bai tie-dye workshop

Take the morning high-speed train Dali–Kunming (about 2h, ¥145/£16 — book on Trip.com 3+ days ahead). Kunming is a green, breezy city at 1,900m. Lunch on crossing-the-bridge rice noodles near the station (~£3). Then visit the vast Dounan Flower Market (biggest in Asia — go around 4-6pm when wholesale trading peaks) and Green Lake Park (Cuihu), where locals dance, sing and play instruments in the evenings. Free and genuinely one of the best people-watching spots in China.

🚌Train ~£16 + metro ~£2

🛏Hostel or budget hotel near Green Lake (£10-15)

• →Dali–Kunming high-speed train
• →Dounan Flower Market
• →Green Lake Park (Cuihu)

Bus or train Kunming–Jianshui (~3h, £7-9). This small Ming-dynasty town is full of intact architecture. Walk or cycle the highlights yourself: the Seventeen-Arch Double Dragon Bridge just outside town, Zhu Family Garden (a vast Qing courtyard mansion, ~£6), the Chaoyang Tower gate in the old town, the Confucius Temple, and the old Xianghui train station if you have time. Evening: Jianshui's famous grilled tofu at the night market stalls (~£4).

🚌Bus ~£8

🛏Guesthouse in Jianshui Old Town (£10-15)

• →Double Dragon Bridge
• →Zhu Family Garden
• →Chaoyang Tower
• →Grilled tofu night market

Start with a small local tofu workshop in Jianshui's old lanes (ask your guesthouse to arrange, ~£4) and watch the morning pressing. Then shared minibus or bus south to Xinjie, the main town in Yuanyang county (~3.5-4h, £7-10) — services leave in the morning, so don't linger. Check in and walk into the terraces at dusk; the scenery here is UNESCO-listed Hani rice terraces carved across whole mountainsides. Stay in Xinjie or, better, a homestay in a Hani village with a terrace view.

🚌Shared minibus ~£9

🛏Hani village homestay with terrace view (£10-18)

• →Tofu workshop
• →Local bus to Yuanyang
• →Sunset over the terraces

Set an alarm: Duoyishu viewpoint at sunrise is the reason people come to Yuanyang. Hire a shared car for the day with other travellers from your homestay (~£10-15 each) — you cannot do this by public transport. Walk down to Pugao Old Village to see Hani village life, then hit the viewpoints through the day: Quan Fuzhuang and the Bada platform for sunset, when the flooded terraces turn mirror-gold. Buy lunch from the small village stalls or carry snacks.

🚌Shared car hire ~£13

🛏Hani village homestay with terrace view (£10-18)

• →Duoyishu sunrise viewpoint
• →Pugao Old Village hike
• →Bada & Quan Fuzhuang sunset viewpoints

Early bus from Xinjie to Hekou on the Chinese border (~3h, ~£6). Cross on foot at the Hekou–Lao Cai international land border (China exit stamp, then Vietnam entry — you need a pre-arranged Vietnamese e-visa; the land border is on the approved list). On the Vietnamese side, take a shared minibus from Lao Cai up to Sapa (1h, ~£3). Afternoon: Hmong batik painting session in Ta Van or Cat Cat village (walk in or arrange via your guesthouse, ~£10-15) and a Sapa-style hotpot dinner (~£5).

🚌Bus ~£6 + border walk + minibus ~£3

🛏Guesthouse or homestay in Sapa (£10-18)

• →Hekou–Lao Cai land border crossing
• →Hmong batik workshop in Ta Van
• →Sapa hotpot dinner

Do a self-launched trek: either hire a local Hmong guide in Sapa town (~£15-20 for a half day, easy to arrange the night before through any café or your guesthouse) or follow the well-used route to Lao Chai, Ta Van and Giang Ta Chai through Muong Hoa valley. Expect 4-5 hours of walking with lunch at a village restaurant (~£4). Afternoon: back to town for a shower, then the Sapa night market for grilled skewers and thang co. Bring a light rain layer — this valley makes its own weather.

🚌Walking

🛏Guesthouse or homestay in Sapa (£10-18)

• →Muong Hoa valley trek (Lao Chai–Ta Van–Giang Ta Chai)
• →Village lunch
• →Sapa night market

Morning free in Sapa (or visit Cat Cat village, ~£3 entry). Take the afternoon sleeper bus Sapa–Hanoi (5.5-6h, ~£12-15; book on Klook or at any travel agent in town). Arrive Hanoi early evening — check into a hostel in the Old Quarter (£8-14 dorm), then hire a cyclo (pedicab) for a lap of the 36 streets (~£5 for an hour, negotiate first) and eat bun cha or pho at a plastic-stool spot (~£3). Book your Halong Bay trip tonight for tomorrow.

🚌Sleeper bus ~£13 + cyclo ~£5

🛏Hostel dorm, Old Quarter (£8-14)

• →Cat Cat village
• →Overnight sleeper bus
• →Hanoi Old Quarter cyclo tour
• →Street food dinner

Book a budget 2D/1N Halong or Lan Ha Bay cruise through GetYourGuide or your hostel in Hanoi (£70-100 including transfers, meals, kayaking and cave entry — the cheapest legit tier with a proper boat and guide). Pickup is around 8-8:30am, transfer ~3h, then board the junk for lunch, a cave visit, kayaking among the karsts and sunset on deck. Lan Ha is quieter than Halong proper if you can choose.

🚌Included shuttle bus from Hanoi

🛏Overnight on a budget junk boat (shared cabin)

• →Halong/Lan Ha Bay junk cruise
• →Kayaking
• →Cave visit
• →Sunset on deck

Morning tai chi on deck and brunch, then the shuttle back to Hanoi by mid-afternoon. Use the gap for the Old Quarter food walk: a self-guided version costs almost nothing (~£8 for 5-6 tastings — bun cha, banh cuon, egg coffee, che), or a small-group foodie tour via GetYourGuide from ~£20. Then take the night train from Hanoi's Ga Hanoi to Hue (~13h, soft sleeper berth ¥/VND ~£25-30; book on Vietnam Railways' official site, dsvn.vn — the SE1/SE3 services are clean and comfortable).

🚌Shuttle + food walk + train ~£28

🛏Overnight soft-sleeper train berth

• →Sunrise tai chi on deck
• →Hanoi Old Quarter street-food walk
• →Overnight sleeper train to Hue

Arrive Hue mid-morning, drop bags at a guesthouse in the backpacker area west of the Perfume River (£10-14). Visit the Imperial Citadel and Forbidden Purple City (~£4 entry) — it takes 2-3 hours and is best in the cooler part of the day. Then the classic Hue motorbike tour: hop on the back with a licensed local rider for the afternoon (~£12-15 via GetYourGuide or directly with riders at the guesthouses), hitting the Thien Mu Pagoda, the Perfume River, and a tomb or two (Khai Dinh or Tu Duc, ~£4). Evening: bun bo Hue, the city's own spicy beef noodle soup.

🚌Walking + motorbike tour ~£13

🛏Guesthouse in Hue (£10-14)

• →Imperial Citadel & Forbidden Purple City
• →Hue countryside motorbike tour
• →Thien Mu Pagoda
• →Royal tomb visit

Either take a public bus Hue–Hoi An (~4h, £6), or — far better — the train to Da Nang (2.5h, £4, sit on the left for coastal views) and then a Grab 45 minutes to Hoi An (~£8), or hire a rider over the Hai Van Pass (~£20 with a luggage transfer). Check into a guesthouse in Hoi An's old town or An Bang beach (£10-18). Afternoon: get measured for a tailored outfit if that's your thing (suits from £70, dresses from £30, ready in 24h). Evening: lantern-lit old town, cao lau noodles (~£3).

🚌Train + Grab ~£12

🛏Guesthouse in Hoi An (£10-18)

• →Hai Van Pass / coastal train
• →Hoi An Old Town at night
• →Tailor fitting

Morning cooking class — book directly with one of the well-regarded local schools (Red Bridge, Vy's Market, or Morning Glory; £20-30 via GetYourGuide), which includes a market tour and four or five dishes. Afternoon: the Hoi An Old Town ticket (~£5) covers the Japanese Covered Bridge, Chinese assembly halls, old merchant houses and the ceramics museum. Borrow a bike from your guesthouse to ride the rice paddies to An Bang beach for sunset, or take a Thu Bon river boat (~£4).

🚌Bike hire ~£2

🛏Guesthouse in Hoi An (£10-18)

• →Vietnamese cooking class
• →Hoi An Old Town ticket & Japanese Bridge
• →An Bang beach by bicycle
• →Thu Bon river boat

Take an early shared tour or Grab to My Son Sanctuary (45 min, ~£2 by Grab split, entry ~£6) — the Cham temple ruins are at their best and least crowded at 7-8am. Return by noon, then take the afternoon bus Hoi An–Ho Chi Minh City (18h sleeper, ~£20) or, if you'd rather not, a cheap domestic flight Da Nang–SGN (from £30 on VietJet or Bamboo, 1h20). Check into a hostel in District 1 or the backpacker strip on Bui Vien (£8-14).

🚌Sleeper bus ~£20 (or flight ~£35)

🛏Hostel dorm, District 1 (£8-14) — or on the bus

• →My Son Sanctuary sunrise visit
• →Overnight sleeper bus or domestic flight

Book a half-day Cu Chi Tunnels trip (~£15-20 via Klook or GetYourGuide, including transport and entry; go early to beat the heat). Back by lunchtime, then do the city independently on foot and by Grab: the War Remnants Museum (£2 — devastating and essential), the Reunification Palace (£2), Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office, then Ben Thanh Market at dusk. Evening: banh xeo in District 3 or a rooftop beer on Nguyen Hue walking street (~£3).

🚌Tour transport + Grab ~£6

🛏Hostel dorm, District 1 (£8-14)

• →Cu Chi Tunnels half-day tour
• →War Remnants Museum
• →Reunification Palace
• →Ben Thanh Market

Choice day. Option A: a small-group Mekong Delta day trip to Ben Tre or My Tho (~£25-35 via Klook/GetYourGuide) with a boat through coconut canals, a honey farm and a rowing sampan — long day (7am-6pm) but good value. Option B: stay local and explore Cholon (Chinatown) on foot — Binh Tay Market, Thien Hau Pagoda, Giac Vien Pagoda — plus the FITO Museum of traditional medicine (~£5), for under £10 total. Final night: bia hoi and grilled seafood on the street.

🚌Tour transport or Grab ~£5

🛏Hostel dorm, District 1 (£8-14)

• →Mekong Delta boat trip (or Cholon walking day)
• →Thien Hau Pagoda
• →Binh Tay Market
• →Farewell street-food dinner

Last morning for a proper Vietnamese coffee, a walk along the Saigon River or a final bowl of pho. Tan Son Nhat Airport is a 20-30 minute Grab ride from District 1 (£3-5), or catch bus 109/152 for under £1. If you've got time, leave luggage at the hostel and do the Fine Arts Museum (~£1) before you go.

🚌Grab to airport ~£4

🛏—

• →Saigon River walk
• →Final pho breakfast
• →Fine Arts Museum (optional)