Best of Vietnam: Hanoi to Saigon Self-Launched 11-Day Adventure
11 days · Vietnam
Legend Travel Group charges £868
No-markup version: ~£420 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An independent, self-launched version of Legend Travel Group's 11-day north-to-south Vietnam loop: Hanoi's Old Quarter, an overnight junk boat in Halong Bay, a homestay-style stay in the Mai Chau valley, the Reunification Express south to Da Nang, lantern-lit Hoi An, and Ho Chi Minh City with a Mekong Delta day trip. You book everything yourself — hostels and budget guesthouses instead of 3-4* tour hotels, sleeper trains and open-tour buses instead of private vans, and self-bookable day trips instead of a group guide — for roughly a third of the tour price. All costs are approximate backpacker rates in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive Hanoi — Old Quarter orientation
Hanoi
Land at Noi Bai International Airport (HAN). Skip the private transfer and take bus 86 (runs to the city centre, ~£1.20) or a Grab car (~£7-8). Check into a hostel or budget hotel in the Old Quarter, then spend the late afternoon walking the 36 streets, circling Hoan Kiem Lake and eating bun cha or pho bo at a plastic-stool street stall (~£2). Book tomorrow's tours and your Halong Bay cruise tonight — hostels can arrange both, or use Klook/GetYourGuide.
🚌Airport bus 86 or Grab from Noi Bai (~£1.20-8)
🛏Old Quarter hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, £7-12
- →Hoan Kiem Lake walk
- →Old Quarter street food crawl
- →Book Halong Bay cruise and city tour
Hanoi full day — mausoleum, temples and water puppets
Hanoi
Do the sights independently: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex and the One Pillar Pagoda (free entry, closed Monday/Friday — arrive before 10:30am), then the Temple of Literature (~£1.20). Lunch on pho. In the afternoon choose the Museum of Ethnology or the Women's Museum (~£1.50 each). Finish with the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre (book ahead online, ~£4-5) and bia hoi on Ta Hien street.
🚌Walk or Grab motorbike within the city (~£1-2 per hop)
🛏Old Quarter hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, £7-12
- →Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum & Presidential Palace
- →Temple of Literature
- →Museum of Ethnology or Women's Museum
- →Thang Long Water Puppet Show
Halong Bay overnight junk cruise
Halong Bay
Get picked up from your Old Quarter hostel by the cruise shuttle (~08:00, shared minibus included in the cruise price — 3.5-4 hrs with a rest stop). Board a budget junk boat (book direct with a mid-range operator such as a Phoenix-style cruise, or via Klook/GetYourGuide from ~£65-85 for a 2D/1N trip with all meals). Afternoon kayaking or swimming in the emerald water, then the Sung Sot (Amazing) Cave walk. Dinner on deck at sunset and squid fishing in the evening.
🚌Shared shuttle bus Hanoi-Halong Bay included in cruise package
🛏Overnight on a budget junk boat, twin/dorm cabin, included in cruise price
- →Halong Bay overnight cruise
- →Kayaking/swimming
- →Sung Sot (Amazing) Cave
- →Sunset on deck, squid fishing
Sunrise on the bay, back to Hanoi
Hanoi
Wake early for tai chi on deck and sunrise over the karsts, then a short visit to a floating fishing village (some budget boats include a rowboat stop at Luon Cave instead). Brunch on board, disembark around 11:00 and take the shared shuttle back to Hanoi by mid-afternoon. Shower, nap, and use the evening to sort tomorrow's Mai Chau bus ticket and a laundrette (~£2-3/kg).
🚌Shared shuttle bus Halong Bay-Hanoi (included in cruise)
🛏Old Quarter hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, £7-12
- →Sunrise on the bay & tai chi
- →Floating fishing village / Luon Cave rowboat
- →Evening in the Old Quarter
Mai Chau valley — Thai village stay and rice fields
Mai Chau
Take a local bus or shared limousine van from Hanoi's My Dinh bus station to Mai Chau (~3.5-4 hrs, ~£6-9). Check into a stilt-house homestay or small valley guesthouse in Ban Lac or Khan Ha village (~£10-15 with dinner and breakfast included, as is typical for homestays). Hire a bicycle (~£2) and pedal out to the viewpoint above the valley, walk through the Muong/Thai villages and rice paddies, and catch a village dance performance in the evening if one is on.
🚌Local/shared bus Hanoi-Mai Chau, ~£6-9
🛏Stilt-house homestay in Mai Chau, £10-15 incl. meals
- →Bicycle ride through rice paddies
- →Valley viewpoint walk
- →Village walk in Khan Ha
- →Traditional Thai dance evening
Morning trek, then the Reunification Express south
Mai Chau → Da Nang (sleeper train)
Short morning trek up to the East Mountain / Pa Co area or around the valley before the heat (~2 hrs, self-guided on well-worn paths; hire a local guide for ~£10 if you want a Malay-village detour). Catch an afternoon bus back to Hanoi, shower at your day hotel or a luggage-storage cafe if needed, then board the SE-series Reunification Express from Hanoi station around 19:00-20:00. Book a soft sleeper 4-berth directly on the Vietnam Railways (dsvn.vn) site ~£25-35. The operator's own guests rate this train as the standout 'local' experience of the trip.
🚌Bus Mai Chau-Hanoi ~£6-9; Reunification Express soft sleeper Hanoi-Da Nang ~£25-35
🛏Soft-sleeper 4-berth on the Reunification Express (included in train fare)
- →Morning valley trek
- →Overnight Reunification Express train
Arrive Da Nang — transfer to Hoi An
Hoi An
The train rolls in around 13:00-14:00 with a spectacular stretch along the Hai Van Pass coast. From Da Nang station take a local bus or Grab to Hoi An (~45 mins, £3-5) and check into a budget hotel or hostel with a pool (~£10-15). Spend the late afternoon wandering the Ancient Town free of charge (the £5 old-town ticket is only needed for the main heritage houses), then eat cao lau (~£2) and watch the lanterns come on along the Thu Bon River — release a paper lantern for about £1.
🚌Train arrival Da Nang; bus/Grab Da Nang-Hoi An ~£3-5
🛏Hoi An budget hotel/hostel, £10-15
- →Hai Van Pass coastal views from the train
- →Hoi An Ancient Town evening walk
- →Lantern release on the Thu Bon River
Hoi An — heritage houses, river boat and craft villages
Hoi An
Buy the Ancient Town ticket (~£5) and cover the Japanese Covered Bridge, Tan Ky merchant house, the Assembly Halls and the Sa Huynh Museum yourself on foot. Mid-morning walk to the river pier and hire a shared boat to Kim Bong/Cam Kim village (~£2-4 per person for the crossing) to see woodworking and boat-building families. Afternoon: cycle out to An Bang or Cua Dai beach (~£1 bike hire, 15 mins), or book a self-bookable cooking class (~£20-25) or lantern-making workshop (~£5). Evening free for the night market.
🚌Bicycle hire ~£1; local river boat to Kim Bong ~£2-4
🛏Hoi An budget hotel/hostel, £10-15
- →Ancient Town heritage ticket & Japanese Covered Bridge
- →River boat to Kim Bong woodworking village
- →An Bang beach cycle
- →Optional cooking class or lantern workshop
Fly to Saigon — city highlights
Ho Chi Minh City
Take a shared shuttle or Grab to Da Nang airport (~£5) and fly VietJet or Vietnam Airlines to Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat (~1h20, ~£30-45 if booked a few weeks ahead — this replaces the operator's internal flight). Airport bus 109 or Grab to District 1 (~£1-2). In the afternoon walk the Notre Dame Cathedral exterior and the Central Post Office, then spend two hours in the War Remnants Museum (~£1.50). Evening: street food around Ben Thanh market or a rooftop beer for the skyline.
🚌Grab/shuttle to Da Nang airport ~£5; domestic flight Da Nang-Saigon ~£30-45; airport bus 109 ~£1
🛏District 1 hostel dorm or budget hotel, £8-15
- →Notre Dame Cathedral & Central Post Office
- →War Remnants Museum
- →Ben Thanh night market food
Mekong Delta day trip (My Tho & Ben Tre)
Mekong Delta / Ho Chi Minh City
Book a small-group Mekong Delta day tour via GetYourGuide or Klook (~£18-25, includes transport, boat rides and lunch) — or DIY it by public bus to My Tho (~£2, 1.5 hrs) and arrange a rowboat sampan on arrival. Either way you get the My Tho canals, coconut-candy workshops and bee farms, the Vinh Trang Pagoda, and a rowboat through the palm-lined waterways. Back in Saigon by early evening for a final pho and a bia hoi.
🚌Small-group tour minibus or public bus My Tho (~£2)
🛏District 1 hostel dorm or budget hotel, £8-15
- →Mekong Delta boat trip
- →Vinh Trang Pagoda
- →Coconut candy & bee farm stop
- →Rowboat through the canals
Depart Saigon
Ho Chi Minh City
Last breakfast and a morning wander through the Cho Lon (Binh Tay) market or the FITO museum before heading to Tan Son Nhat airport on bus 109 (~£1) or a Grab (~£4). If you have a late flight, leave bags at the hostel and squeeze in a final banh mi.
🚌Bus 109 or Grab to Tan Son Nhat airport ~£1-4
🛏—
- →Cho Lon market
- →Departure
Self-launched vs. Legend Travel Group
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Legend Travel Group | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£420 | £868 |
| Duration | 11 days | 11 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £448 per person (52%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Legend Travel Group-style trips? Check them out here.~£420
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 Best of Vietnam: Hanoi to Saigon Self-Launched 11-Day Adventure cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £420 per person for 11 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 Legend Travel Group?+
Yes — Legend Travel Group charges around £868 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £420 — a saving of roughly £448 (52%) per person.
How long is the Vietnam trip?+
This itinerary runs 11 days, covering 11 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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