Southeast Asia Explorer: Self-Launched Vietnam, Cambodia & Bangkok Adventure
17 days · Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand
Exodus charges £2,650
No-markup version: ~£915 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Exodus's 17-day Southeast Asia Explorer, covering Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hue, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Bangkok. Swap the guided group for hostel and guesthouse stays, local buses, the Reunification Express sleeper train and budget flights, and book day tours directly through GetYourGuide, Klook or your accommodation. You'll see the same headline sights — Ha Long Bay's limestone islands, Hue's Imperial Citadel, Hoi An's old town, the Angkor temple cities and Bangkok's energy — at roughly a third of the operator price. All costs are approximate per-person estimates in GBP for a budget-conscious solo traveller.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Hanoi & Old Quarter first night
Hanoi, Vietnam
Land at Noi Bai Airport and take bus #86 (about £1) or a Grab car (~£7) into the Old Quarter. Check into a hostel or budget hotel near Hoan Kiem Lake and spend the evening wandering the motorbike-choked lanes of the Old Quarter. Grab a bowl of bun cha or pho bo for dinner (£2-3) and pick up a local SIM/eSIM data plan.
🚌Bus #86 from Noi Bai Airport (~£1)
🛏Old Quarter hostel or budget guesthouse (dorm £6-9 / private £16-22)
- →Airport bus #86 into Old Quarter
- →Evening Old Quarter food walk
Hanoi walking tour, Temple of Literature & Hoan Kiem Lake
Hanoi, Vietnam
Join a free walking tour (tip-based, ~£4 tip) of the Old Quarter, or DIY a loop past Dong Xuan Market, St Joseph's Cathedral and Hoan Kiem Lake. Pay the small entry fee to the Temple of Literature (£2), Vietnam's first university, and stop for egg coffee at Cafe Giang (~£1.50). Afternoon free: walk around Truc Bach Lake or grab a £4 bia hoi beer on Ta Hien street.
🚌Walking / Grab bike (~£1)
🛏Old Quarter hostel or budget guesthouse (dorm £6-9 / private £16-22)
- →Old Quarter free walking tour
- →Temple of Literature entry (~£2)
- →Egg coffee at Cafe Giang
Ha Long Bay overnight junk boat cruise
Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
Book a budget 1-night overnight cruise on Klook or GetYourGuide (or directly with a Hanoi operator near your hostel) — expect 2-star junk options around £55-75 all-in, including transfers, meals and kayaking. You'll drive ~3.5-4hrs, board for a seafood lunch, kayak and swim among the limestone karst islands, then sleep in a twin-share cabin with private bathroom. Pre-book to save money; walk-up prices are higher.
🚌Shuttle bus from Hanoi included in cruise (~£60 all-in)
🛏Budget junk boat cabin included in cruise price
- →Overnight junk boat cruise
- →Kayaking among limestone karsts
- →Swim stop and cave visit
Ha Long Bay sail, back to Hanoi & overnight train to Hue
Hanoi to Hue, Vietnam
Enjoy morning cruising and a brunch on board before shuttling back to Hanoi (~4hrs). Have dinner in the Old Quarter, then board the Reunification Express overnight sleeper to Hue (soft-sleeper 4-berth, roughly £30-38 booked on the Vietnam Railways site or baolau.com). Depart around 19:30, arrive Hue ~10:00 next day.
🚌Reunification Express sleeper train Hanoi-Hue (~£34)
🛏Soft-sleeper 4-berth train berth
- →Morning cruise and brunch on the bay
- →Overnight Reunification Express sleeper train
Hue Imperial Citadel & Thien Mu Pagoda
Hue, Vietnam
Arrive in Hue and check into a guesthouse near the Perfume River; freshen up then cycle or walk to the Imperial Citadel and Forbidden Purple City (£5 entry). Take a river ferry or boat across to the seven-tiered Thien Mu Pagoda in the afternoon (£1-2 boat ride) — the iconic pagoda view over the river is a highlight. Eat bun bo Hue for dinner.
🚌Walking / bicycle rental (~£1.50)
🛏Budget hotel in Hue (~£15-20)
- →Imperial Citadel entry (~£5)
- →Perfume River boat to Thien Mu Pagoda (~£2)
- →Cycling around the citadel
Tomb of Tu Duc, paper flower craft & free afternoon
Hue, Vietnam
Grab a bike or Grab bike to the tomb of Emperor Tu Duc (or Thieu Tri) — ~£4 entry, a peaceful moated complex. In the afternoon, join a short craft workshop with a local artisan group or book a paper-flower class via Klook (~£12-15) — a nod to the original's Lavin Home experience. Free evening by the Perfume River.
🚌Bicycle / Grab bike (~£2)
🛏Budget hotel in Hue (~£15-20)
- →Royal tomb entry (~£4)
- →Paper-flower craft workshop (~£14)
- →Perfume River evening walk
Hai Van Pass to Hoi An via Lang Co
Hoi An, Vietnam
Take a bus from Hue to Hoi An (~4hrs, ~£7, via TheSinhTourist or a local sleeper bus) — sit on the left for the Lang Co lagoon views, and optionally ask about stopping at the Hai Van Pass. Alternatively, hire a motorbike driver for the scenic route (~£18). Afternoon: self-guided orientation walk through the UNESCO old town — buy the multi-site ticket (~£5) for the merchant houses, assembly halls and Japanese Covered Bridge.
🚌Bus Hue-Hoi An (~£7)
🛏Hoi An guesthouse or hostel (£8-14)
- →Scenic bus ride past Lang Co and Hai Van Pass
- →Hoi An old town multi-site ticket (~£5)
- →Riverside market browse
Free day in Hoi An: cooking class, My Son or cycling
Hoi An, Vietnam
Choose your own adventure: book a half-day cooking class in Tra Que village on Klook (~£18-22), a sunrise My Son Sanctuary tour (~£20 with entry), or hire a bicycle (~£1) to cycle through rice paddies and stop at An Bang beach. Evening: tailors, lantern-lit lanes and cao lau noodles.
🚌Bicycle rental (~£1) or tour pickup
🛏Hoi An guesthouse or hostel (£8-14)
- →Hoi An cooking class (~£20)
- →My Son Sanctuary tour (~£20) OR cycling to An Bang beach
- →Lantern-lit old town evening
Fly to Ho Chi Minh City & city history walk
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Take a cheap domestic flight from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City (~£30-40 booked with VietJet or Vietnam Airlines; Da Nang airport is ~45min from Hoi An — a shared shuttle is ~£5). Check into a hostel in District 1, then walk to Ben Thanh Market, Notre Dame Cathedral (exterior) and the War Remnants Museum (~£2 entry) for crucial context on the war.
🚌Shared shuttle to Da Nang airport (~£5) + flight (~£35)
🛏District 1 hostel or guesthouse (£8-15)
- →Domestic flight Da Nang-Saigon
- →War Remnants Museum (~£2)
- →Ben Thanh Market and walking loop
Cu Chi Tunnels or Mekong Delta day trip
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Book either a half-day Cu Chi Tunnels tour (~£15-18 including entry) or a full-day Mekong Delta tour via Klook/GetYourGuide (~£22-28). Alternatively stay local and take an evening street-food scooter tour (~£25). All are easy to arrange the day before — pick up directly from District 1 hotels.
🚌Tour bus included
🛏District 1 hostel or guesthouse (£8-15)
- →Cu Chi Tunnels half-day (~£16)
- →OR Mekong Delta full-day tour (~£25)
- →Evening Ben Thanh street food
Cross the border into Cambodia & on to Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Take a direct bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh via Moc Bai-Bavet — book with Giant Ibis or Mekong Express (~£13-16, 6-7hrs including border formalities). Sort your Cambodia e-visa first (£30). Arrive Phnom Penh and settle into a guesthouse near the riverside; wander the Central Market or walk the Sisowath Quay riverfront at sunset.
🚌Giant Ibis / Mekong Express bus (~£15)
🛏Riverside guesthouse or hostel (£8-14)
- →International bus across Moc Bai-Bavet border
- →Riverside sunset walk
- →Central Market browse
Tuol Sleng, Choeung Ek & the Royal Palace
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Visit Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (£4) and Choeung Ek Killing Fields (£4) — hire a tuk-tuk for the day (~£12 split, or take a tuk-tuk app). Both are deeply sobering; take your time. In late afternoon, visit the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda (£8 entry, closed midday) — dress respectfully with shoulders and knees covered.
🚌Tuk-tuk for the day (~£10)
🛏Riverside guesthouse or hostel (£8-14)
- →Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (~£4)
- →Choeung Ek Killing Fields (~£4)
- →Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda (~£8)
Bus to Siem Reap with a Skuon spider stop
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Take the bus from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap (~6-8hrs, ~£12-15 with Giant Ibis or Virak Buntham) — most services stop at Skuon, where roadside stalls sell fried spiders if you're feeling brave. Arrive Siem Reap, check into a guesthouse, and buy your Angkor pass: 1-day $37 (~£29), 3-day $62. Evening: wander Pub Street and the night market.
🚌Bus Phnom Penh-Siem Reap (~£14)
🛏Siem Reap guesthouse or hostel (£8-14)
- →Long-distance bus to Siem Reap
- →Skuon fried spider stop
- →Buy Angkor temple pass (£29)
Sunrise and full day at Angkor's temples
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Book a tuk-tuk driver for the day the night before (~£12-15 for a shared tuk-tuk, split between 2-3 travellers). Do the classic circuit: Angkor Wat for sunrise, then Bayon's faces and Ta Prohm's tree roots. A Klook/GetYourGuide small-group guide costs ~£18-22 extra if you want the history brought to life. Bring water, sun protection and energy — it's a long, hot, unforgettable day.
🚌Shared tuk-tuk day hire (~£7)
🛏Siem Reap guesthouse or hostel (£8-14)
- →Angkor Wat sunrise
- →Bayon and Ta Prohm temples
- →Optional small-group guide (~£20)
Khmer cooking class or artisan day in Siem Reap
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Take a half-day Khmer cooking class (~£18-22) with a market visit, or visit ARTISANS Angkor and a silk farm to meet local craftspeople. In the afternoon, take a boat to the floating village on Tonlé Sap lake (~£12-15) — the season affects water levels. Evening: Phare Circus performance (~£14) is a fantastic local arts highlight.
🚌Tuk-tuk (~£4)
🛏Siem Reap guesthouse or hostel (£8-14)
- →Khmer cooking class (~£20)
- →OR artisan workshops and Tonlé Sap boat (~£14)
- →Phare Circus evening show (~£14)
Fly to Bangkok & explore Thailand's capital
Bangkok, Thailand
Fly Siem Reap to Bangkok on AirAsia or Thai Smile (~£55-75; alternative: overnight bus Siem Reap-Bangkok ~£22). Check into a Khaosan Road or Silom hostel, then spend the late afternoon and evening: Wat Pho reclining Buddha (~£4), a river ferry across the Chao Phraya (~£0.40), Khao San Road or a rooftop bar for the last-night splurge.
🚌Flight Siem Reap-Bangkok (~£65) + airport rail link (~£1)
🛏Bangkok hostel or budget hotel (£9-16)
- →Flight to Bangkok
- →Wat Pho (~£4)
- →Chao Phraya river ferry (~£1)
Bangkok farewell & departure
Bangkok, Thailand
Spend the morning grabbing a 7-Eleven khao tom breakfast and doing a final wander around Chinatown or the Grand Palace (if you have time and want to pay the £14 entry). Head to the airport via the Airport Rail Link from Phaya Thai (~£1) or a Grab (~£9). Trip ends.
🚌Airport Rail Link (~£1)
🛏None (departure day)
- →Chinatown morning walk
- →Optional Grand Palace (£14)
- →Airport Rail Link to Suvarnabhumi (~£1)
Self-launched vs. Exodus
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Exodus | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£915 | £2,650 |
| Duration | 17 days | 17 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,735 per person (65%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Exodus-style trips? Check them out here.~£915
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 Southeast Asia Explorer: Self-Launched Vietnam, Cambodia & Bangkok Adventure cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £915 per person for 17 days in Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand. 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 Exodus?+
Yes — Exodus charges around £2,650 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £915 — a saving of roughly £1,735 (65%) per person.
How long is the Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand trip?+
This itinerary runs 17 days, covering 17 day-by-day stops through Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand.
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, adventure, backpacker trip through Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand, 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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