Self-Launched Vietnam & Cambodia: Hanoi to Angkor in 10 Days
10 days · Vietnam & Cambodia
Conical Travel charges £1,750
No-markup version: ~£604 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A DIY version of Conical Travel's private "Highlights of Vietnam & Cambodia" tour — Hanoi's temples and Old Quarter, an overnight cruise on quieter Bai Tu Long Bay, Hoi An's herb villages and basket boats, the Cu Chi Tunnels and Ho Chi Minh City's markets and museums, a Mekong Delta day trip, then overland/flight to Siem Reap for the Angkor temples and a final run to Phnom Penh. You swap the private car, guide and included domestic flights for sleeper trains, budget flights, local buses and self-bookable day tours — same route, roughly a third of the price. All costs are approximate backpacker/budget-traveller estimates for one person, excluding international flights.
Day-by-day
Hanoi old town, temples and water puppets
Hanoi, Vietnam
Land in Hanoi and settle into a hostel or budget guesthouse in the Old Quarter (£10-16/night for a dorm/private budget room). Walk the Ba Dinh political complex — Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (free, closed Mon/Fri, mornings only, dress modestly), the One Pillar Pagoda and the yellow Presidential Palace from outside — then the Temple of Literature (£2). Spend the late afternoon circling Hoan Kiem Lake, then book a water puppet show at Thang Long Theatre via Klook or at the door (~£5). Evening: bia hoi corner and a bowl of bun cha (~£2).
🚌Airport bus #86 from Noi Bai to the Old Quarter ~£1.20 (Grab ~£7); everything else on foot
🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel, Old Quarter (~£14)
- →Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (free)
- →One Pillar Pagoda & Presidential Palace
- →Temple of Literature (£2)
- →Thang Long Water Puppet Show (~£5)
Overnight cruise on Bai Tu Long Bay
Bai Tu Long Bay
Book a budget overnight cruise on Bai Tu Long Bay in advance (GetYourGuide/Klook, £90-130 including transfers, all meals and kayaking) — it's the same quieter route as the original tour, minus the private boat. Shared minibus picks you up from the Old Quarter around 8am for the 3.5-hour drive to Ha Long. Board mid-morning, cruise past karst islands, lunch on deck, then kayak or swim at Hon Co Island and explore Thien Canh Son Cave. Dinner and sunset on the water.
🚌Shared shuttle bus from Hanoi included in cruise package (~3.5 hrs each way)
🛏Twin-share cabin on a budget junk boat (included in cruise price)
- →Bai Tu Long Bay cruise
- →Thien Canh Son Cave
- →Hon Co Island beach & kayaking
Fishing village, back to Hanoi, sleeper train south
Hanoi → Hue (overnight train)
Early breakfast on the boat, then a row-boat visit to Vung Vieng floating fishing village before cruising back to the harbour. Shuttle returns you to Hanoi around 4-5pm. Grab your bags, eat near the station, and take the Reunification Express sleeper train south — book a soft-sleeper berth on the SE/LP series trains via the official Vietnam Railways site or a local agent (~£30-40 for the Hanoi–Hue leg, 13-14 hrs). Note this is a train rather than the tour's included Da Nang flight — add a day in Hoi An if you want to keep the pace relaxed.
🚌Cruise shuttle back to Hanoi; overnight train Hanoi → Hue (~£35)
🛏Soft-sleeper train berth (4-berth, ~£35)
- →Vung Vieng fishing village by row-boat
- →Reunification Express sleeper train
Hue to Hoi An — Hai Van Pass and lantern town
Hue → Hoi An
Arrive in Hue mid-morning; if time allows, a quick look at the Imperial Citadel (£3) or Thien Mu Pagoda. Then take a local bus or shared minibus over the Hai Van Pass to Hoi An (~£5-8, 3-4 hrs) — or hire a motorbike driver/ride the train to Da Nang and bus onward. Check into a Hoi An homestay or hostel (£10-15). Afternoon: wander the UNESCO Old Town (entry ticket £5, covers five heritage houses/assembly halls), the Japanese Covered Bridge and the riverside market. Evening: lantern-lit streets, cao lau noodles (~£2.50).
🚌Local bus/shared minibus Hue → Hoi An over Hai Van Pass (~£7)
🛏Hoi An homestay (~£12)
- →Hue Imperial Citadel (optional, £3)
- →Hai Van Pass crossing
- →Hoi An Old Town & Japanese Covered Bridge (£5)
Tra Que herb village by bike, basket boats and crab fishing
Hoi An
Rent a bicycle (~£1.50/day) and cycle the flat lanes to Tra Que herb village, where farmers will show you the beds and you can join a short gardening session for a few pounds on arrival. Continue to An Bang or Cam Thanh for a traditional basket boat ride with crab fishing (~£6-8 booked locally or via Klook, cheaper than through a hotel). Loop back via the riverside market and the art galleries/souvenir lanes of Tran Phu Street. Optional: a £10 cooking class or a £5 tailor fitting. Sunset at An Bang Beach.
🚌Bicycle rental (~£1.50)
🛏Hoi An homestay (~£12)
- →Tra Que herb village visit (~£3)
- →Basket boat ride & crab fishing (~£7)
- →Hoi An riverside market & galleries
Fly to Saigon, afternoon at the Cu Chi Tunnels
Hoi An → Ho Chi Minh City
Early shared shuttle to Da Nang airport (~£6) and a budget flight to Ho Chi Minh City (VietJet/Vietnam Airlines, £25-45 if booked ahead). Drop bags at a District 1 hostel (£10-15). In the early afternoon join a small-group Cu Chi Tunnels half-day tour from District 1 (~£15-20 via Klook/GetYourGuide, includes the introductory video, tunnel crawling and transport). Back in the city by early evening — head to Ben Thanh night market for dinner and cheap eats.
🚌Shuttle Hoi An → Da Nang airport (~£6); domestic flight Da Nang → Ho Chi Minh City (~£35); tour minibus included
🛏Hostel/budget hotel, District 1 (~£13)
- →Cu Chi Tunnels half-day tour (~£18)
- →Ben Thanh Market by night
Self-guided Saigon city walk
Ho Chi Minh City
Do the tour's big city day yourself on foot and by Grab bike. Start at Tao Dan Park at dawn (locals doing tai chi), then the Ho Thi Ky flower market, the Thich Quang Duc Monument, Cho Lon's Binh Tay market and Nhi Phu Temple in Cholon. Cross back for the General Post Office and Notre Dame Cathedral exterior (still under restoration), the Reunification Palace (£3), Dong Khoi Street, the Opera House and the People's Committee Building. Finish at the War Remnants Museum (£2) — allow 2 hours. Budget £4-5 for Grab bikes across town.
🚌Grab bike/taxi hops around the city (~£5)
🛏Hostel/budget hotel, District 1 (~£13)
- →Tao Dan Park & Ho Thi Ky flower market
- →Cholon markets & Nhi Phu Temple
- →Reunification Palace (£3)
- →War Remnants Museum (£2)
Mekong Delta day trip — My Tho and Ben Tre
Ho Chi Minh City / Mekong Delta
Book a small-group Mekong Delta day tour (Klook/GetYourGuide, £20-28) — it covers what the private tour did: Vinh Trang Pagoda in My Tho, a boat ride past stilt houses and fruit plantations to Tortoise Islet, a garden lunch, the An Khanh sampan row through coconut canals, honey tea and seasonal fruit tasting, southern folk music and a coconut candy workshop. Back in Saigon by 6pm. Alternatively, do it independently by local bus to My Tho (~£2) and hiring a boatman at the pier, but the group tour is better value for one traveller.
🚌Air-conditioned minibus from District 1 (included in tour price)
🛏Hostel/budget hotel, District 1 (~£13)
- →Vinh Trang Pagoda
- →Mekong boat & sampan ride
- →Coconut candy & honey tea tasting
- →Folk music performance
Fly to Siem Reap — Angkor's small circuit
Ho Chi Minh City → Siem Reap, Cambodia
Morning flight Ho Chi Minh City → Siem Reap (~£55-80 with VietJet/Angkor Air; alternatively a long bus via Bavet ~£15 plus a Cambodia e-visa £25 — but the flight saves a full day). Check into a Siem Reap hostel/guesthouse (£8-14) and buy your Angkor pass: 1-day £29, 3-day £55 (do 1-day if time is short). In the afternoon hire a tuk-tuk driver for the small circuit (~£15/day) and catch sunset over Angkor Wat or Phnom Bakheng.
🚌Flight HCMC → Siem Reap (~£65); tuk-tuk hire (~£15/day)
🛏Siem Reap guesthouse/hostel (~£11)
- →Angkor pass (£29)
- →Sunset at Angkor Wat/Phnom Bakheng
Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm and on to Phnom Penh
Siem Reap → Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Start at 5am to catch sunrise at Angkor Wat, then have your tuk-tuk driver run the classic circuit: the South Gate of Angkor Thom, Bayon's stone faces, the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King, then Ta Prohm (the Tomb Raider temple — go early to beat the crowds). Back to town for a late lunch, then take the Giant Ibis or Virak Buntham express bus to Phnom Penh (~£10-13, 6 hrs) or a shared taxi (~£15 pp). End at Phnom Penh International Airport or a riverside guesthouse if you're flying out the next day.
🚌Tuk-tuk circuit (~£15); express bus Siem Reap → Phnom Penh (~£12)
🛏Overnight bus or Phnom Penh guesthouse (~£12)
- →Angkor Wat sunrise
- →Angkor Thom & Bayon
- →Elephant & Leper King Terraces
- →Ta Prohm
Self-launched vs. Conical Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Conical Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£604 | £1,750 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,146 per person (65%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Conical Travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£604
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 Self-Launched Vietnam & Cambodia: Hanoi to Angkor in 10 Days cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £604 per person for 10 days in Vietnam & Cambodia. 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 Conical Travel?+
Yes — Conical Travel charges around £1,750 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £604 — a saving of roughly £1,146 (65%) per person.
How long is the Vietnam & Cambodia trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 day-by-day stops through Vietnam & Cambodia.
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, budget trip through Vietnam & Cambodia, 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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