Self-Launched Vietnam & Cambodia: Hanoi to Angkor in 18 Days
18 days · Vietnam & Cambodia
Vietnam Allure Travel charges £1,460
No-markup version: ~£985 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A DIY version of Vietnam Allure Travel's 18-day Hanoi-to-Siem Reap group tour. You'll cover the same headline experiences — an overnight Halong Bay cruise, Ninh Binh's karst valleys, Hue's imperial tombs, Hoi An's craft villages, the Mekong Delta, Cu Chi Tunnels, Phnom Penh's Killing Fields and the full Angkor complex — but booked yourself on sleeper trains, Open Bus tickets, local boats and GetYourGuide day trips. Expect hostel/guesthouse and budget-hotel stays instead of 4-star hotels, plenty of street food, and roughly a third of the guided-tour price. Costs are estimates in GBP per person.
Day-by-day
Arrive Hanoi — Old Quarter orientation
Hanoi
Land at Noi Bai (NOI) and take the Vietjet shuttle bus or bus 86 into the city (~£1.20, 45-60 mins) or a GrabCar for ~£8. Check into a hostel or budget hotel in the Old Quarter, then do a self-launched loop of Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son Temple, the Opera House and the 36 Streets. Evening: bia hoi corner and a bowl of bun cha. Book your Halong Bay cruise tonight (GetYourGuide or direct with a budget operator) so you have a pickup sorted.
🚌Bus 86 or GrabCar from Noi Bai airport
🛏Old Quarter hostel or budget hotel (dorm ~£8-12, private ~£18)
- →Hoan Kiem Lake & Ngoc Son Temple walk
- →Old Quarter street-food crawl
- →Book Halong Bay overnight cruise
Halong Bay overnight cruise (day 1)
Halong Bay
Cruise shuttle pickup from your Old Quarter hotel (usually included in the boat price). Board a budget junk — Amanda Cruise, Le Journey or similar mid-range boats are bookable directly or via GetYourGuide from ~£90-120 per person including meals. Afternoon: cruise among the limestone islands, visit Sung Sot (Surprise) Cave, swim or climb the viewpoint on Titop Island, then a sunset party and a spring-roll cooking demo. Night fishing and karaoke on deck if you're keen.
🚌Shared shuttle bus Hanoi-Halong Bay (included)
🛏Overnight cabin on a budget Halong Bay junk (included in cruise price)
- →Limestone island boat trip
- →Sung Sot Cave
- →Titop Island swim/viewpoint
- →Sunset party & spring-roll cooking class
Halong Bay sunrise, kayaking, back to Hanoi
Halong Bay → Hanoi
Sunrise on the sundeck with coffee, then kayaking among the karst outcrops (usually included). Optional pearl farm stop, then cruise back to Tuan Chau Harbour for lunch and the shuttle back to Hanoi by late afternoon. Re-check into your Old Quarter bed and head out for bun bo Nam Bo or a banh mi dinner.
🚌Shared shuttle bus + local bus back to Hanoi
🛏Old Quarter hostel or budget hotel
- →Sunrise on sundeck
- →Kayaking in Halong Bay
- →Pearl farm visit
Ninh Binh — Hoa Lu, Trang An, Mua Cave
Ninh Binh
Take a Limousine/minibus from Hanoi to Ninh Binh (~£6-8, 2 hrs). Rent a bicycle from your guesthouse (~£2/day) and ride to Hoa Lu, the 10th-century ancient capital. Afternoon: a self-booked sampan boat ride through Trang An or Tam Coc (~£9 — buy at the ticket office) and, if your legs are up to it, the 500 steps up Mua Cave for the classic karst panorama. Stay in Tam Coc village.
🚌Limousine minibus Hanoi-Ninh Binh
🛏Tam Coc guesthouse or homestay (~£14)
- →Hoa Lu ancient capital
- →Trang An or Tam Coc boat ride
- →Mua Cave viewpoint climb
- →Village cycling
Ninh Binh back lanes — Thai Vi, Bich Dong, Thung Nham
Ninh Binh → Hanoi
Morning cycle to Thai Vi Temple and Bich Dong Pagoda, then out to Thung Nham Bird Valley and Hang But cave for the boat ride and bird watching (best in late afternoon, so swap the order if you like). Afternoon limousine back to Hanoi (~£7). Evening free in the Old Quarter.
🚌Bicycle + limousine minibus to Hanoi
🛏Old Quarter hostel or budget hotel
- →Thai Vi Temple
- →Bich Dong Pagoda
- →Thung Nham Bird Valley boat ride
- →Hang But cave
Hanoi to Hue by sleeper train
Hanoi → Hue
Full day in Hanoi: Ho Chi Minh Complex, Temple of Literature, Tran Quoc Pagoda and Hoa Lo Prison (self-guided, ~£4 total in tickets). Take the evening Reunification Express (SE3/SE5) soft-sleeper 4-berth from Hanoi to Hue — roughly 13 hours, ~£25-30 booked directly on dsvn.vn or via 12Go Asia. Buy snacks for the journey.
🚌Reunification Express train Hanoi-Hue (~£28)
🛏Soft-sleeper 4-berth on the Reunification Express train
- →Ho Chi Minh Complex & Temple of Literature
- →Tran Quoc Pagoda
- →Hoa Lo Prison Museum
Hue imperial city & Perfume River
Hue
Arrive early, drop bags at your hotel and hire a bicycle or motorbike (or grab a Grab) to the Royal Citadel and Forbidden City (~£5 entry). Combine with the Hue Royal Museum. Afternoon: Thien Mu Pagoda, then a Perfume River boat back to town (~£3-5 shared). Or take a self-booked GetYourGuide half-day tour to the Minh Mang and Khai Dinh tombs with a conical-hat/incense-village stop (~£18) — the tombs are 10km out, so a tour or a hired scooter is the practical option.
🚌Local bicycle, Grab or shared tour vehicle
🛏Hue budget hotel or hostel (~£15)
- →Royal Citadel & Forbidden City
- →Hue Royal Museum
- →Thien Mu Pagoda
- →Minh Mang & Khai Dinh mausoleums (GetYourGuide half-day)
- →Perfume River boat
Hue to Hoi An over the Hai Van Pass
Hoi An
Book an Open Bus tourist sleeper Hue-Hoi An (~£8, 3-4 hrs) — or, if you ride, hire a scooter one-way or take an Easy Rider motorbike transfer over the Hai Van Pass (~£25-30, worth every penny). Check into a Hoi An hostel or budget hotel near the Ancient Town, then explore on foot after dark when the lanterns come on. Buy a 12-ticket Ancient Town entry pass (~£4) if you want into the merchant houses.
🚌Open Bus Hue-Hoi An (~£8) or motorbike transfer
🛏Hoi An hostel or budget hotel (~£14)
- →Hai Van Pass drive
- →Hoi An Ancient Town lantern walk
Hoi An craft villages by bicycle
Hoi An
Rent a bicycle (~£2) and take a self-booked Hoi An craft-village cycling tour or simply ride yourself: Thanh Ha pottery village (throw a pot for ~£3), Kim Bong carpentry village across the bridge on Cam Kim island, and Tra Que vegetable village where you can do a farming-and-cooking experience (~£15-20 via Klook). Lunch on cao lau and white rose dumplings.
🚌Bicycle hire
🛏Hoi An hostel or budget hotel
- →Thanh Ha pottery-making
- →Kim Bong carpentry village
- →Tra Que vegetable farm experience
- →Hoi An cooking class (optional)
Hoi An free day — beach or tailor
Hoi An
Slow day. Cycle to An Bang or Cua Dai beach (~25p parking, free sand), get a £5-8 massage, and order something made at one of Hoi An's legendary tailors (suits from ~£70, but 24-48hr turnaround). Optional: sunrise My Son Sanctuary tour via GetYourGuide (~£20) or a basket-boat trip in the Cam Thanh coconut palms (~£6).
🚌Bicycle
🛏Hoi An hostel or budget hotel
- →An Bang beach
- →Tailor fitting
- →Optional My Son Sanctuary tour
- →Optional basket boat ride
Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Da Nang airport is an hour from Hoi An (shared shuttle ~£4; Grab ~£13). Fly VietJet/Bamboo to Saigon (~£30-45 one-way, book early) or take a sleeper train/bus if you're watching every penny (train soft-sleeper ~£30, 18 hrs). Land, check into a District 1 hostel, then wander Bui Vien, Ben Thanh Market and the Notre Dame / Central Post Office area at night.
🚌Shared shuttle to Da Nang airport + domestic flight to SGN
🛏District 1 hostel or budget hotel (~£13)
- →Bui Vien walking street
- →Ben Thanh Market
- →Saigon riverfront
Mekong Delta day trip — My Tho & Ben Tre
Ho Chi Minh City / Mekong Delta
Self-book a small-group Mekong Delta day tour via GetYourGuide or Klook (~£25-30). Typical inclusions: Vinh Trang Pagoda, a boat along the Mekong past stilt houses and fruit plantations, Tortoise Islet, a hand-rowed sampan under the coconut palms, folk music and honey/coconut-candy workshops. Back in Saigon by early evening.
🚌Shared minibus + boats (included in day tour)
🛏District 1 hostel or budget hotel
- →Vinh Trang Pagoda
- →Mekong boat ride & Tortoise Islet
- →Sampan through coconut canals
- →Coconut candy workshop & folk music
Cu Chi Tunnels
Ho Chi Minh City
Half-day Cu Chi Tunnels trip via GetYourGuide or Klook (~£18-22 with transport and entry included — or take local bus 13/79 for ~£1 and pay the ~£5 entry yourself). Crawl a section of the tunnels, see the traps and the shooting range. Afternoon back in Saigon: War Remnants Museum (~£2) or the Reunification Palace.
🚌Shared minibus (included) or local bus
🛏District 1 hostel or budget hotel
- →Cu Chi Tunnels
- →War Remnants Museum (optional)
- →Reunification Palace (optional)
Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh by bus
Phnom Penh
Take the Giant Ibis or Kumho Samco VIP bus Saigon-Phnom Penh (~£15-18, 6-7 hrs, direct booking online) — bring your e-visa printout for the Bavet/Moc Bai border. Flights are available (~£60-90) if you'd rather save the day. Arrive Phnom Penh, change money to riel, and take a tuk-tuk into town (~£2). Sunset drinks on the Sisowath Quay riverside.
🚌Giant Ibis / Kumho VIP bus Saigon-Phnom Penh (~£16)
🛏Phnom Penh guesthouse or budget hotel (~£14)
- →Border crossing by bus
- →Riverside sunset walk
Phnom Penh — Tuol Sleng, Killing Fields, Russian Market
Phnom Penh
A heavy but essential day. Hire a tuk-tuk for the morning (~£12-15 for the half-day) to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21, ~£4) and the Choeung Ek Killing Fields (~£4, audio guide included). Lunch at a local spot, then shop Psar Toul Tom Pong (Russian Market) for silk and trinkets. Late afternoon: a one-hour Mekong sunset boat cruise (~£5-6, buy at the riverside pier).
🚌Hired tuk-tuk for the half-day
🛏Phnom Penh guesthouse or budget hotel
- →Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
- →Choeung Ek Killing Fields
- →Russian Market
- →Mekong River sunset cruise
Phnom Penh to Siem Reap
Siem Reap
Giant Ibis or Virak Buntham bus Phnom Penh-Siem Reap (~£12-14, 6 hrs, book online or at the guesthouse). Or fly if you want the day back (~£50-70). Arrive in Siem Reap, check into a guesthouse near Pub Street, and buy your Angkor pass in the late afternoon — passes bought after 5pm are valid for sunset that day plus the next full day (1-day pass ~£28-30).
🚌VIP bus Phnom Penh-Siem Reap (~£13)
🛏Siem Reap guesthouse or budget hotel (~£13)
- →Angkor pass purchase
- →Pub Street evening
- →Old Market
Angkor complex — Thom, Ta Prohm, Angkor Wat
Siem Reap
Hire a tuk-tuk driver for the day (~£15-18, split between 2-3 people) or join a small-group Angkor tour via GetYourGuide (~£18-25 with a guide). Do the classic circuit: Angkor Thom via the South Gate with Bayon, Baphuon, Phimean Akas, the Elephant and Leper King terraces, the Royal Palace and the pools; then Ta Prohm, the jungle-strangled temple; finishing at Angkor Wat. Circular route so you can chase the light. Sunset from Phnom Bakheng or Pre Rup.
🚌Tuk-tuk for the day (shared)
🛏Siem Reap guesthouse or budget hotel
- →Angkor Thom & Bayon
- →Baphuon, Phimean Akas, Terraces
- →Ta Prohm
- →Angkor Wat
- →Sunset at Pre Rup or Phnom Bakheng
Siem Reap — last morning and depart
Siem Reap
Easy morning: sunrise back at Angkor Wat if you still have the pass, or a wander through the Old Market and Made in Cambodia market for last-minute shopping. Tuk-tuk to Siem Reap International Airport (~£5) or onward bus to Bangkok/Phnom Penh if you're extending.
🚌Tuk-tuk or Grab to Siem Reap airport
🛏—
- →Optional Angkor sunrise
- →Old Market shopping
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. Vietnam Allure Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Vietnam Allure Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£985 | £1,460 |
| Duration | 18 days | 18 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £475 per person (33%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Vietnam Allure Travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£985
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 18 Days cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £985 per person for 18 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 Vietnam Allure Travel?+
Yes — Vietnam Allure Travel charges around £1,460 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £985 — a saving of roughly £475 (33%) per person.
How long is the Vietnam & Cambodia trip?+
This itinerary runs 18 days, covering 18 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 adventure, culture, foodie 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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