Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand Adventure in 18 Days — Self-Launched
18 days · Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand
Vietnam Tour Fun charges £2,170
No-markup version: ~£1,235 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Do the operator's 18-day Hanoi–Halong–Hoi An–Saigon–Siem Reap–Bangkok–Phuket route independently. You'll cover the same headline experiences — Ninh Binh by bicycle and sampan, an overnight Halong Bay boat, Hoi An's lantern-lit old town, the Mekong Delta and Cu Chi Tunnels, Angkor's temples, a floating market outside Bangkok and a beach wind-down in Phuket — using budget guesthouses, local day tours booked on GetYourGuide/Klook, and cheap regional transport: sleeper trains, open buses, low-cost flights and the overland Poipet border crossing. Costs are approximate backpacker-level estimates in GBP and will flex with season, how much you share rooms, and how many optional extras you add.
Day-by-day
Arrive Hanoi — Old Quarter on foot
Hanoi, Vietnam
Land at Noi Bai (NOI), take the Vietnam Airlines/Câu Bến shuttle bus or the #86 city bus into town (~£1.30) rather than a taxi (~£10-12). Check into a guesthouse or hostel dorm around Mã Mãy or Hàng Bạc in the Old Quarter. Spend the late afternoon on a self-led wander: Hoan Kiem Lake, the 36 streets, egg coffee and bún chả for dinner. Book your Ninh Binh day tour tonight via GetYourGuide or Klook — pickup from Old Quarter hotels is standard.
🚌Airport #86 bus or shuttle ~£1.30
🛏Old Quarter hostel or guesthouse (dorm £6-9 / private £14-20)
- →Shuttle transfer from Noi Bai to Old Quarter
- →Self-guided Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake walk
- →Egg coffee and bún chả dinner
- →Book Ninh Binh day tour
Ninh Binh: Hoa Lu, Tam Coc & Mua Cave
Ninh Binh (day trip from Hanoi)
Small-group day tour (~£28-35 via GetYourGuide/Klook) mirrors the operator's itinerary: Hoa Lu ancient capital, a bicycle loop through Hoa Lu village, a buffet lunch (Ninh Binh goat meat is the local speciality), a 1.5-hour rowed sampan through the limestone caves of Tam Coc, then the ~500 steps up Mua Cave's Dragon Peak for the classic viewpoint. Bring water and decent shoes. Alternative: take the ~2hr train or bus to Ninh Binh and stay the night for a quieter version (~£8 guesthouse).
🚌Minibus included in day tour
🛏Return to Hanoi guesthouse
- →Hoa Lu ancient citadel
- →Village cycling loop
- →Tam Coc bamboo boat ride
- →Mua Cave / Dragon Peak climb
Halong Bay overnight boat
Halong Bay
Book a 2-day/1-night budget-to-mid Halong cruise (Lan Ha or Bai Tu Long are quieter than the main bay) direct or via Klook from ~£95-135 including bus transfers, all meals, kayaking and cave stops. Depart early from Hanoi, board late morning, cruise among the karst islets over lunch, then swim, kayak or cave-visit before sunset on deck. Note: this is the single biggest line item — a hostel-arranged boat is often £20-30 cheaper than online.
🚌Shuttle bus included (~3.5hr each way)
🛏Budget Halong cruise cabin (twin share, included in cruise price)
- →Bus transfer Hanoi–Halong
- →Boat cruise among karst islets
- →Kayaking and swimming stop
- →Sunset on deck and dinner on board
Sunrise on the bay, then south to Hoi An
Halong Bay → Hoi An
Early tai chi or swim, breakfast on board, then disembark around 11am and take the shuttle back to Hanoi. Fly Hanoi–Da Nang in the evening (VietJet/Bamboo ~£35-50 booked ahead) and take a Grab (~£4) or local bus to Hoi An old town. The budget alternative is the Reunification Express sleeper from Hanoi to Da Nang (~£26-35 hard sleeper, ~16hrs) — swap Day 4 evening for the train and shift the Hoi An days accordingly.
🚌Shuttle back to Hanoi + domestic flight ~£40 + Grab ~£4
🛏Hoi An homestay or guesthouse just outside the old town (£10-16)
- →Sunrise on Halong Bay
- →Disembark and return transfer
- →Evening flight to Da Nang
- →Grab transfer to Hoi An
Hoi An old town on a day pass
Hoi An
Buy the Hoi An Ancient Town ticket (~£5) — it covers five heritage sites: Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, the Japanese Covered Bridge, the Museum of Folk Culture, Tan Ky or Phung Hung ancient house and the Traditional Performing Arts House art show. Browse the market and handicraft shops, then dinner of cao lầu and white rose dumplings. At dusk, hire a little boat on the Hoai River (~£2 shared) and release a paper lantern. Cycling is the cheapest way around — rentals ~£1.50/day.
🚌Bicycle rental ~£1.50
🛏Hoi An homestay or guesthouse
- →Hoi An Ancient Town heritage ticket
- →Phuc Kien Assembly Hall and ancient houses
- →Folk Culture Museum and Traditional Arts show
- →Hoai River lantern release
Ba Na Hills & the Golden Bridge (optional)
Hoi An / Da Nang
Optional excursion the operator sells at USD 75 — you can book the same Ba Na Hills day tour on Klook or GetYourGuide for ~£35-45 including cable car, buffet lunch and transfers (entrance alone is ~£28, so DIY by Grab is possible but not much cheaper). Expect French Village, the Golden Bridge, Linh Ung pagoda and Fantasy Park. Prefer a slow day? Old-town coffee, An Bang or Cua Dai beach, and a cooking class (~£20) are all excellent alternatives.
🚌Shared minibus included in day tour
🛏Hoi An homestay or guesthouse
- →Ba Na Hills cable car and Golden Bridge
- →French Village and Fantasy Park
- →Alternative: beach day or Hoi An cooking class
Hoi An to Saigon
Da Nang → Ho Chi Minh City
Morning free for a last old-town coffee, then transfer to Da Nang airport and fly to Saigon (~£30-45 with VietJet/Bamboo, 1h20). Check into a hostel around Pham Ngu Lao / District 1. Evening is yours: Ben Thanh night market street food, a walk down Nguyen Hue walking street, and a rooftop drink if you fancy it. Book the Mekong Delta and Cu Chi day tours with your hostel — locally priced tours are often cheaper than online (£16-22 each).
🚌Grab to airport ~£4 + flight ~£38
🛏District 1 hostel dorm (£7-10) or private room (£15-22)
- →Flight Da Nang–Saigon
- →Pham Ngu Lao arrival walk
- →Ben Thanh night market food
- →Book Mekong and Cu Chi tours
Mekong Delta — My Tho
My Tho, Mekong Delta
Small-group Mekong day tour (~£17-22 booked locally, £25 online) covering Vinhtrang Pagoda, a sampan along the Dragon/Unicorn/Phoenix/Tortoise islands, a walk through Unicorn Island orchards, tropical fruit and folk music, the hand-rowed sampan through Thoi Son canal, a bee farm and coconut candy workshop, and a local lunch. Optional cycling around Tan Thach village. Cheap, touristy in places, but a genuine look at delta life.
🚌Shared minibus included in day tour
🛏District 1 hostel or guesthouse
- →Vinhtrang Pagoda
- →Unicorn Island orchards and folk music
- →Hand-rowed sampan through Thoi Son canal
- →Honey tea and coconut candy workshop
Cu Chi Tunnels
Cu Chi, near Ho Chi Minh City
Half-day group tour to Cu Chi (~£16-20) — a guided walk through the tunnel sections and hidden trapdoors, a look at wartime cooking and resistance life, with optional (paid) AK-47 firing range. Back in Saigon by mid-afternoon: War Remnants Museum (~£1.50), Reunification Palace, and a strong iced coffee. Pick up your Cambodia e-visa online if you haven't already (~£23).
🚌Shared minibus included in half-day tour
🛏District 1 hostel or guesthouse
- →Guided Cu Chi Tunnels walk
- →War Remnants Museum
- →Reunification Palace
- →Apply for Cambodia e-visa
Overland Saigon → Phnom Penh → Siem Reap
Ho Chi Minh City → Siem Reap, Cambodia
The operator flies this leg; the cheap and well-trodden route is the Giant Ibis or Kumho Samco bus Saigon–Phnom Penh (~£12-16, 6-7hrs, passports handled by the bus company at Moc Bai). From Phnom Penh either continue on an overnight or daytime bus/sleeper to Siem Reap (~£10-14, 6hrs) or fly the short hop (~£35-45). Budget version: one long travel day. Tidy version: break the night in Phnom Penh and arrive Siem Reap on Day 11. Buy your Angkor pass now online (1-day ~£30, 3-day ~£50).
🚌Bus ~£13 + bus ~£12 (or flight ~£40)
🛏Siem Reap guesthouse (£8-14)
- →International bus Saigon–Phnom Penh (Moc Bai border)
- →Continue to Siem Reap by bus or short flight
- →Buy Angkor pass online
Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom & Ta Prohm
Siem Reap
Book a licensed tuk-tuk driver for the small circuit (~£14-18 for the day, split 2-3 ways) plus a shared or private guide if you want the commentary (~£12-20). South Gate of Angkor Thom with its face towers, Bayon, the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, Elephant Terrace and Terrace of the Leper King, then on to Ta Prohm in the afternoon and Angkor Wat for late light or sunrise if you start early. Ancient Angkor guidebook ~£8 is a solid substitute for a guide.
🚌Tuk-tuk day hire ~£16 split 2-3 ways
🛏Siem Reap guesthouse
- →Bayon and Angkor Thom
- →Elephant and Leper King Terraces
- →Ta Prohm
- →Angkor Wat
Tonle Sap floating villages & Western Baray
Siem Reap
Tuk-tuk out to Tonle Sap (~£10-14) and join a wooden boat through the floating villages of Chong Kneas or Kompong Khleang (~£12-18, cheaper booked at your guesthouse than online). The stilted houses are more atmospheric on Kompong Khleang. On the way back stop at Western Baray for the sunset over the water and the West Mebon island temple. Evening: Pub Street food stalls or a quiet spot by the river.
🚌Tuk-tuk hire ~£12 split
🛏Siem Reap guesthouse
- →Wooden boat through floating villages
- →Western Baray and West Mebon
- →Sunset over the reservoir
Siem Reap → Bangkok (overland)
Siem Reap → Bangkok, Thailand
Two options: (1) Budget overland — bus Siem Reap to Poipet/Ban Nong Ian border (~£7, 2.5hrs), walk through immigration, then a train from Aranyaprathet to Bangkok Hualamphong (~£1, 6hrs, 2nd/3rd class). (2) Faster — bus straight through to Bangkok (~£18-25, 8-9hrs total including border) or a direct flight (~£60-90). Thai entry is visa-exempt for UK passports for up to 60 days. Arrive and check into a Khao San or Silom hostel.
🚌Bus ~£7 + train ~£1 (or through-bus ~£22)
🛏Khao San or Silom hostel (£8-14 dorm / £18-26 private)
- →Poipet natural border crossing
- →Thai railway Aranyaprathet–Bangkok
- →Settle into Bangkok hostel
Damnoen Saduak floating market
Ratchaburi province, Thailand
Half-day small-group or DIY trip (~£20-28 booked on GetYourGuide/Klook, or DIY by public minibus from Sai Tai Mai for ~£5 each way plus ~£8 for a long-tail boat). See the sugar palm factory, ride the narrow canals by long-tail boat into Damnoen Saduak, and graze your way through the market — coconut juice, mango sticky rice, boat noodles. Back in Bangkok by early afternoon for a rest or a river ferry up to Wat Arun at sunset (~£1).
🚌Minibus or public bus + boat
🛏Khao San or Silom hostel
- →Sugar palm factory visit
- →Long-tail boat canal ride
- →Damnoen Saduak floating market
- →Optional sunset at Wat Arun
Bangkok temples, then fly to Phuket
Bangkok → Phuket
Do the royal temples early: Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew (~£12 combined, cover shoulders and knees), the Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho (~£6), and Wat Benchamabophit marble temple (~£1). Cheapest way to string them together is the Chao Phraya orange-flag boat (~£0.35/stop) plus walking. Late afternoon fly Bangkok–Phuket (~£30-45 AirAsia/Nok booked ahead; the overnight bus/train is ~£20-30 and adds a day). Phuket airport bus to Patong/Kata is ~£3.
🚌Chao Phraya boat ~£1 + flight ~£38 + airport bus ~£3
🛏Phuket guesthouse or hostel in Kata or Karon (£12-20)
- →Grand Palace and Emerald Buddha
- →Wat Pho Reclining Buddha
- →Wat Benchamabophit
- →Evening flight to Phuket
Phi Phi Islands speedboat day
Phuket
The operator's optional Phi Phi trip costs USD 75; shop it on Klook/GetYourGuide for ~£30-42 including speedboat, snorkel gear, life jackets, Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave, Monkey Beach and a buffet lunch on Phi Phi Don. Book a day ahead so you get a morning departure with fewer crowds. If you'd rather keep it cheap, take the public ferry to Phi Phi and back (~£12) and beach-hop independently.
🚌Pickup included in the boat tour
🛏Phuket guesthouse or hostel
- →Speedboat to Bamboo and Phi Phi Islands
- →Snorkelling at Pileh Lagoon
- →Maya Bay and Viking Cave
- →Beach time on Phi Phi Don
Free day in Phuket
Phuket
A nothing-day to end on: swim at Kata Noi or Nai Harn, hire a scooter (~£7) or use local songthaews to reach quieter beaches, walk the coastal trail to the Karon viewpoint, or hike to Bang Pae waterfall for a picnic. Big Buddha is free (donations welcome). Cheap eats: Thai curries and som tam at roadside stalls for £2-4 a plate. Optional Thai massage ~£7.
🚌Scooter hire ~£7 or songthaew ~£2
🛏Phuket guesthouse or hostel
- →Beach day at Kata Noi or Nai Harn
- →Karon viewpoint coastal walk
- →Bang Pae waterfall hike
- →Street food dinner
Depart Phuket
Phuket
Check out, pick up last souvenirs at a local market (Phuket Weekend Market if the timing lines up, otherwise a Tesco Lotus or the talat along Thepkrasattri Road), and take the airport bus or a Grab to Phuket International (HKT) — ~£3 by bus, ~£10-13 by Grab from Kata/Karon. If your flight is late, a beach morning costs nothing.
🚌Airport bus ~£3 or Grab ~£12
🛏—
- →Local market souvenir shopping
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. Vietnam Tour Fun
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Vietnam Tour Fun | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,235 | £2,170 |
| Duration | 18 days | 18 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £935 per person (43%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Vietnam Tour Fun-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,235
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 Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand Adventure in 18 Days — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,235 per person for 18 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 Vietnam Tour Fun?+
Yes — Vietnam Tour Fun charges around £2,170 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,235 — a saving of roughly £935 (43%) per person.
How long is the Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand trip?+
This itinerary runs 18 days, covering 18 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, foodie, adventure 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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