Self-Launched Spirits of Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand in 16 Days
16 days · Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand
Realistic Asia charges £1,731
No-markup version: ~£1,190 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Realistic Asia's 16-day Hanoi-to-Phuket route: Hanoi and an overnight Halong Bay cruise, the lantern-lit streets of Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City with the Mekong Delta and Cu Chi Tunnels, the temples of Angkor in Siem Reap, and a beach finish in Phuket. Instead of private transfers, a guide in each city and 3-5* hotels, you book open-group day tours (GetYourGuide/Klook or direct with local operators), use sleeper trains, budget flights and local buses, and stay in hostels and guesthouses. Same route, roughly a third of the price.
Day-by-day
Arrive Hanoi — Old Quarter on foot
Hanoi, Vietnam
Land at Noi Bai (HAN) and take bus 86 (about £1.30) or a Grab car (about £7-8) into the Old Quarter. Rather than a private airport pickup, this is the standard budget route and drops you near Hoan Kiem Lake. Check into a hostel or budget hotel in the Old Quarter, then spend the late afternoon getting lost among the motorbike traffic, bia hoi corners and street kitchens — bun cha or pho bo for dinner is about £2-3.
🚌Bus 86 from Noi Bai ~£1.30; walking in the Old Quarter
🛏Old Quarter hostel or guesthouse, private en-suite room (~£14)
- →Bus 86 airport transfer
- →Self-guided walk of Hanoi Old Quarter
- →Hoan Kiem Lake at dusk
- →Street food dinner (bun cha / pho)
Halong Bay overnight cruise
Halong Bay / Lan Ha Bay
Book a 3-day/2-night or 2-day/1-night budget cruise in advance via GetYourGuide or Klook, or direct with a Hanoi-based operator — budget cruises including bus transfer from Hanoi, all meals, kayaking and cave visits run about £95-130 for 1 night. Pickup from the Old Quarter around 8am, drive ~3.5 hours to the harbour, then kayak through limestone karsts, swim off the boat and watch sunset from the deck. Note: Lan Ha Bay (from Cat Ba) is often cheaper and quieter than the Halong main channel.
🚌Cruise operator shuttle bus from Hanoi, ~£0 extra (included in cruise)
🛏Shared twin cabin on a budget junk boat (included in cruise price)
- →Shuttle bus Hanoi–Halong
- →Kayaking among the karst islands
- →Cave visit (Sung Sot or similar)
- →Sunset and sunrise on deck
Sunrise on the bay, back to Hanoi
Hanoi, Vietnam
Early tai chi or just coffee on deck as the boat cruises back to port, brunch aboard, then the shuttle bus returns you to Hanoi by mid-afternoon. Re-check into a hostel and use the evening for the night market (weekends on Hang Dao) or a cheap bowl of pho and a Bia Hoi corner with fellow travellers.
🚌Cruise shuttle bus back to Hanoi (included)
🛏Old Quarter hostel or guesthouse (~£14)
- →Sunrise on the bay
- →Hanoi night market or Old Quarter wander
- →Bia hoi corner
Overnight train to Da Nang / Hoi An
Hanoi to Hoi An
Spend the day exploring Hanoi independently — Temple of Literature (£2), Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (free, closed Mon/Fri), or a £4 egg-coffee-and-street-food walking tour on GetYourGuide. In the evening take the Reunification Express sleeper train from Hanoi to Da Nang, roughly £30-40 for a soft sleeper berth, departing around 7-8pm and arriving late morning. Alternatively fly VietJet or Vietnam Airlines Hanoi–Da Nang for £35-55 in about 1h20 and take a Grab to Hoi An (about £8).
🚌Sleeper train Hanoi–Da Nang ~£35; or flight ~£45 + Grab to Hoi An ~£8
🛏Sleeper train berth (soft sleeper) or Hoi An hostel if flying
- →Temple of Literature
- →Egg coffee in the Old Quarter
- →Optional street food walking tour
Hoi An countryside cycling & basket boats
Hoi An, Vietnam
Arrive and check into a guesthouse in the Old Town or An Bang side. Hire a bicycle for about £1.50 and cycle out to Cam Thanh coconut village; the basket boat ride plus net fishing demo can be booked direct on arrival or via Klook for about £8-10. Lunch at a local spot, then free afternoon. Hoi An's Old Town entry ticket costs about £4 and covers five heritage buildings.
🚌Bicycle hire ~£1.50/day; walking in the Old Town
🛏Hoi An guesthouse or budget hotel, private room (~£15)
- →Cycle through rice paddies and riverside lanes
- →Cam Thanh bamboo basket boat ride
- →Traditional net fishing demo
- →Hoi An Old Town heritage ticket
Free day in Hoi An — tailors, beach and lanterns
Hoi An, Vietnam
A slow day. Cycle to An Bang Beach (about 4km) or take a Grab (about £2). Tailors in the Old Town can turn around a shirt or dress in 24 hours for £20-40. Come evening the Old Town is at its best: lanterns, the Japanese Covered Bridge, street performances and boats on the Thu Bon River. Cao lau noodles and white rose dumplings are the local eats to try.
🚌Bicycle or Grab (~£2 each way to the beach)
🛏Hoi An guesthouse or budget hotel (~£15)
- →An Bang Beach swim
- →Tailor fitting
- →Old Town lantern walk after dark
- →Cao lau noodles and white rose dumplings
Fly to Ho Chi Minh City
Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh City
Morning free for a last swim or coffee, then a Grab to Da Nang airport (about £8) and a 1h20 VietJet/Vietnam Airlines flight to Saigon for £30-50. Check into a hostel around District 1 or the backpacker strip of Pham Ngu Lao. Evening: walk Nguyen Hue walking street, see the Bitexco Tower, and eat at a street stall or Ben Thanh night market.
🚌Grab to Da Nang airport ~£8; flight ~£40
🛏District 1 / Pham Ngu Lao hostel, private room (~£13)
- →Flight to Ho Chi Minh City
- →Nguyen Hue walking street
- →Ben Thanh night market food
Mekong Delta day trip (My Tho / Ben Tre)
Mekong Delta, Vietnam
Skip the private car and join a small-group Mekong day tour from Saigon — GetYourGuide and Klook list My Tho/Ben Tre day trips for about £18-28 including hotel pickup, boat rides, sampan through the canals, honeybee farm, coconut candy workshop and lunch. If you'd rather do it independently, take a local bus from Mien Tay station to My Tho (about £1.50) and hire a boatman at the riverfront. Back in Saigon by early evening.
🚌Small-group tour minibus (included in tour price)
🛏District 1 / Pham Ngu Lao hostel (~£13)
- →Vinh Trang Pagoda
- →Hand-rowed sampan through coconut canals
- →Honeybee farm and coconut candy workshop
- →Cycling in Ben Tre village lanes
Cu Chi Tunnels half-day, Saigon by night
Cu Chi / Ho Chi Minh City
Book the Cu Chi Tunnels half-day tour via Klook or GetYourGuide for about £15-22, including hotel pickup, guide and entrance. Also consider the more authentic Ben Duoc site rather than Ben Dinh. Fire an AK47 at the range if you want (£1-2 per bullet). Afternoon back in the city: War Remnants Museum (£2), Reunification Palace (£3) or the Notre Dame Cathedral and Central Post Office. Dinner in District 4 or a banh mi from a street cart for £1.
🚌Tour minibus pickup; Grab around the city ~£3
🛏District 1 / Pham Ngu Lao hostel (~£13)
- →Cu Chi Tunnels guided half-day
- →War Remnants Museum
- →Central Post Office and Notre Dame Cathedral exterior
- →Banh mi street dinner
Bus or fly to Siem Reap
Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap, Cambodia
Two realistic options: fly direct Saigon–Siem Reap with VietJet/AirAsia for £60-90 in about 1 hour, or the budget-adventure route — bus from Saigon to Phnom Penh (Giant Ibis, about £12, 6 hours) then an overnight or daytime Giant Ibis/Virak Buntham bus to Siem Reap (about £12, 6 hours). Cambodia e-visa is about £25 online in advance. Check into a guesthouse near Pub Street or Wat Bo, then walk to Pub Street for a £3 dinner and an Angkor beer.
🚌Flight ~£75, or bus via Phnom Penh ~£24 total
🛏Siem Reap guesthouse or budget hotel with pool (~£15)
- →Flight or overnight bus to Siem Reap
- →Cambodia e-visa (apply online in advance)
- →Evening on Pub Street
Angkor Wat and the small circuit by tuk-tuk
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Buy the Angkor pass directly at the ticket office — one-day pass is $37 (about £29), three-day $62. Hire a tuk-tuk driver for the day privately for about £15-20 (split among two or three travellers) and agree the route: sunrise at Angkor Wat, then Angkor Thom's South Gate, Bayon's faces, the Terrace of the Elephants, the Terrace of the Leper King, and finish at Ta Prohm under the jungle roots. Alternatively a small-group guided tour on GetYourGuide runs about £18-25 plus the pass. Carry water, wear shoulders-and-knees-covering clothes.
🚌Private tuk-tuk for the day ~£18 (shared); Angkor day pass ~£29
🛏Siem Reap guesthouse or budget hotel (~£15)
- →Sunrise at Angkor Wat
- →Angkor Thom and Bayon Temple
- →Terrace of the Elephants and Leper King
- →Ta Prohm (Tomb Raider temple)
Tonle Sap floating villages & countryside
Siem Reap / Tonle Sap, Cambodia
Book a half-day Kompong Khleang or Kompong Phluk floating-village tour through your guesthouse or Klook for about £15-22, including transport and boat. Kompong Khleang is the largest and least touristy of the floating villages on the Tonle Sap. Afternoon free — rent a bike (£2) and ride out to the Western Baray, or visit the Angkor National Museum (£10). Massage and a cheap Khmer curry for dinner.
🚌Tour pickup and boat (included); bicycle hire ~£2
🛏Siem Reap guesthouse or budget hotel (~£15)
- →Tonle Sap floating village boat tour
- →Western Baray by bicycle
- →Optional Angkor National Museum
- →Khmer curry dinner
Fly Siem Reap to Phuket
Siem Reap to Phuket, Thailand
Fly Siem Reap (REP) to Phuket (HKT) with AirAsia via Bangkok or a direct seasonal service — budget fares £70-110 depending on stopover. Thai entry is visa-exempt for UK passports for 60 days. Take the airport bus or a Grab from HKT to Kata or Karon (about £8-12). Check into a guesthouse a short walk from the beach and ease into beach-town pace with a £4 pad thai and a sunset swim.
🚌Flight ~£90; airport Grab to Kata ~£10
🛏Kata or Karon guesthouse, private room (~£18)
- →Flight Siem Reap–Phuket
- →Sunset swim at Kata Beach
- →Beachfront dinner
Phi Phi, Maya Bay & Bamboo Island speedboat day
Phuket, Thailand
The group tour sells this as an optional $75 extra; booked independently on Klook or GetYourGuide the same Phi Phi/Maya Bay/Bamboo Island/Pileh Cove speedboat day with snorkel gear, lunch and national park fees runs about £40-55. Boats leave around 8am and return mid-afternoon. National park entry to Maya Bay is now restricted and boats don't land on the beach itself — check with your operator. Back on Phuket, eat at a local Thai restaurant in Kata for £5-8.
🚌Speedboat tour with hotel pickup (included)
🛏Kata or Karon guesthouse (~£18)
- →Speedboat to Phi Phi Leh
- →Maya Bay viewpoint and Pileh Lagoon swim
- →Snorkelling off Bamboo Island
- →Monkey Beach and Viking Cave sightseeing
Free day — beaches, waterfall or Big Buddha
Phuket, Thailand
Choose your own day: a scooter hire for £6-8 gets you to Kata Noi, Nai Harn and Yanui beaches, and up to the Big Buddha (£0 entry, donations) and Wat Chalong. Kathu Waterfall is a short ride inland. If you want a slower day, just swim, read and eat. Overnight buses to Krabi, Ao Nang or Khao Sok leave from Phuket bus terminal if you want to extend.
🚌Scooter hire ~£7 (bring a licence) or songthaews
🛏Kata or Karon guesthouse (~£18)
- →Beach-hopping by scooter or songthaew
- →Big Buddha and Wat Chalong
- →Kathu Waterfall walk
- →Thai seafood dinner
Departure from Phuket
Phuket, Thailand
Breakfast, a last beach walk, and the airport bus (about £2 from Kata/Karon) or Grab (about £10) to Phuket International. If you've got time before your flight, the Phuket Weekend Market or a local souvenir shop near the airport road is the last stop.
🚌Airport bus ~£2 or Grab ~£10
🛏N/A — departure day
- →Last beach walk
- →Airport bus or Grab to HKT
Self-launched vs. Realistic Asia
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Realistic Asia | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,190 | £1,731 |
| Duration | 16 days | 16 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £541 per person (31%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Realistic Asia-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,190
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 Spirits of Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand in 16 Days cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,190 per person for 16 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 Realistic Asia?+
Yes — Realistic Asia charges around £1,731 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,190 — a saving of roughly £541 (31%) per person.
How long is the Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand trip?+
This itinerary runs 16 days, covering 16 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, beaches, 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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