Vietnam & Cambodia 14 Day Self-Launched Adventure: Hanoi to Siem Reap
14 days · Vietnam & Cambodia
Halong Tours Booking charges £940
No-markup version: ~£805 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Halong Tours Booking's 14-day Vietnam-Cambodia combo, rebuilt for independent travellers. Same route — Hanoi, a Ha Long Bay overnight cruise, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong Delta, Phnom Penh and the Angkor temples — but you book each leg yourself via hostels, sleeper trains, budget flights and GetYourGuide day tours. You'll spend roughly a third of the group-tour price, travel on your own schedule, and can extend or skip stops as you like. Costs are approximate backpacker/budget rates in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Hanoi — Old Quarter orientation
Hanoi, Vietnam
Land at Noi Bai (HAN) and take the Vietnamese Airlines/Circle Vietnam express bus #86 (~£1.20) or a Grab (~£8) into the Old Quarter. Check into a hostel or budget hotel near Hoan Kiem Lake and spend the afternoon wandering the 36 Streets, walking around the lake, and catching a water puppet show at Thang Long theatre (~£4). Settle in with a bia hoi corner beer and a bowl of bun cha for dinner (~£3).
🚌Airport bus #86 ~£1.20; walking in the Old Quarter
🛏Old Quarter hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, £8-14
- →Old Quarter walking orientation
- →Hoan Kiem Lake loop
- →Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre (~£4)
Ha Long Bay overnight cruise — Surprising Cave & Titop Island
Ha Long Bay
Book a 2-night/1-night budget junk-boat cruise via Klook or GetYourGuide the week before (~£70-95 including transfers, all meals, kayaking and activities). Pickup from your Old Quarter hotel around 8am, drive to the harbour, board for lunch, then explore Surprising Cave (Sung Sot), swim and climb the viewpoint at Titop Island, and join the sunset party and spring-roll cooking class on deck. Evening squid fishing from the boat.
🚌Shared shuttle bus from Hanoi, ~3.5 hrs each way (included in cruise)
🛏Overnight on a budget junk boat, twin/dorm cabin (included in cruise)
- →Surprising Cave
- →Titop Island swim and viewpoint climb
- →Sunset party and cooking class
- →Squid fishing
Luon Cave kayaking and return to Hanoi
Ha Long Bay to Hanoi
Breakfast on board as the boat cruises to the natural preservation area, then kayak through Luon Cave's limestone arch (~included). Early lunch on board, disembark around noon and shuttle back to Hanoi for the late afternoon. Free evening: try egg coffee at Cafe Giang and hunt down a banh mi stand for dinner.
🚌Return shuttle to Hanoi (included in cruise)
🛏Old Quarter hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, £8-14
- →Kayaking at Luon Cave
- →Egg coffee and street food crawl
Hanoi to Hoi An — Reunification Express
Hoi An, Vietnam
Rather than a flight, take the Reunification Express sleeper train from Hanoi to Da Nang (soft sleeper ~£28-35, roughly 16-18 hrs, overnight) — book via the official Vietnam Railways site or 12Go. Alternatively fly VietJet/Hanoi-Da Nang for ~£35-45 if you want to save a day. On arrival take a Grab or local bus (~£5 / ~£1.50) 45 minutes south to Hoi An and settle into a riverside guesthouse.
🚌Sleeper train Hanoi-Da Nang ~£30 (or ~£40 budget flight); bus to Hoi An ~£1.50
🛏Hoi An guesthouse or hostel, £10-16
- →Reunification Express scenic coastal rail
- →Evening stroll along the Thu Bon River
Hoi An old town and Tra Que cooking class
Hoi An
Morning cycling the lanes of the UNESCO-listed old town — Japanese Covered Bridge, old merchant houses and the assembly halls (multi-site ticket ~£5). In the afternoon take a bicycle cooking class into Tra Que vegetable village (~£20-25 via Klook): market visit, garden tour, and cooking banh xeo and fresh spring rolls. Evening: lantern-lit riverside, and consider a cheap £3 boat ride releasing paper lanterns.
🚌Bicycle rental ~£1.50/day
🛏Hoi An guesthouse or hostel, £10-16
- →Hoi An old town ticket
- →Tra Que village cooking class (~£22)
- →Lantern boat ride
My Son Sanctuary (or Ba Na Hills / beach day)
Hoi An
Choice day. Option A: My Son Sanctuary half-day tour via GetYourGuide (~£20) for the Champa temple complex and early-morning Cham dance — go for the 5am sunrise departure to beat the heat and crowds. Option B: Ba Na Hills and Golden Bridge full-day tour (~£30 including cable car and lunch). Option C: do nothing at An Bang Beach for ~£6 in sunbeds and a seafood lunch. Evening in Hoi An's night market.
🚌Shared minibus on tour, or bicycle to An Bang Beach
🛏Hoi An guesthouse or hostel, £10-16
- →My Son Sanctuary half-day tour (~£20) or Ba Na Hills (~£30)
- →An Bang Beach alternative
- →Hoi An night market
Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Bus or train to Da Nang then fly to Saigon (Da Nang–SGN VietJet/Bamboo ~£30-40, 1h20). Or take the sleeper train Da Nang–Saigon (~£35, 17-19 hrs) for the slow-travel route. Check into a District 1 hostel near Bui Vien or the Ben Thanh area, then ease in with a walk past the Notre Dame Cathedral and Central Post Office and a bowl of pho for dinner.
🚌Transfer to Da Nang + budget flight ~£35 (or sleeper train ~£35)
🛏District 1 hostel dorm or budget hotel, £9-15
- →Notre Dame Cathedral exterior
- →Saigon Central Post Office
- →Ben Thanh night market food
Cu Chi Tunnels and Saigon River dinner cruise
Ho Chi Minh City
Morning Cu Chi Tunnels half-day tour booked via Klook (~£15-20), including the tunnel systems, hidden trapdoors, wartime kitchens and the tea-and-cassava tasting, back by early afternoon. Later, walk the War Remnants Museum (~£2) or the Reunification Palace. Evening: a Saigon River dinner cruise (~£22 via GetYourGuide) with Vietnamese folk music, or a far cheaper Bui Vien street-food and beer night for ~£7.
🚌Tour minibus; Grab around town ~£2-4 per ride
🛏District 1 hostel dorm or budget hotel, £9-15
- →Cu Chi Tunnels half-day tour (~£17)
- →War Remnants Museum (~£2)
- →Saigon River dinner cruise (~£22) or Bui Vien night out
Mekong Delta day trip — My Tho and Ben Tre
Mekong Delta
Book a small-group Mekong Delta day tour via Klook or GetYourGuide (~£25-30). Typical inclusions mirror the operator's: Vinh Trang Pagoda, a sampan cruise past the Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix and Tortoise islands, a walking tour of Unicorn Island's orchards, local folk music, a fruit plantation stop, a hand-rowed sampan through Thoi Son canal, a honeybee farm with honey tea and coconut candy workshop, lunch at a local restaurant, and cycling around Tan Thach village. Back in Saigon by early evening.
🚌Tour minibus and boat (included)
🛏District 1 hostel dorm or budget hotel, £9-15
- →Vinh Trang Pagoda
- →Unicorn Island sampan and orchard walk
- →Honeybee farm and coconut candy workshop
- →Village cycling in Tan Thach
Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh by bus
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Take the Giant Ibis or Mekong Express VIP sleeper bus from Saigon to Phnom Penh (~£15-18, 6-7 hrs) — book on 12Go or directly. Cross the Moc Bai/Bavet land border (have your Cambodia e-visa printed, ~£25 online). Arrive mid-afternoon, check into a guesthouse near the riverside, and wander the Royal Palace gardens and Sisowath Quay at sunset. Dinner at a Khmer BBQ spot (~£4).
🚌VIP bus Saigon-Phnom Penh ~£16
🛏Riverside guesthouse or hostel, £8-14
- →Sisowath Quay sunset walk
- →Royal Palace exterior
- →Khmer BBQ dinner
Phnom Penh: Tuol Sleng, Killing Fields and Russian Market
Phnom Penh
Hire a tuk-tuk driver for the day (~£15-18 for the whole vehicle) or book a half-day Killing Fields tour (~£18 with audio guide). Visit Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21) in the morning and Choeung Ek Killing Fields outside town, then decompress at Psar Toul Tom Poung (Russian Market). Optional: an hour-long Mekong sunset boat (~£5). Entry fees ~£4 each site, plus the audio guide ~£2.50.
🚌Tuk-tuk day hire ~£8 per person shared
🛏Riverside guesthouse or hostel, £8-14
- →Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (~£4)
- →Choeung Ek Killing Fields (~£4)
- →Russian Market
- →Optional Mekong sunset cruise (~£5)
Phnom Penh to Siem Reap
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Choose a 6-7 hr Giant Ibis/Virak Buntham VIP bus (~£12-15) or, for speed, a domestic flight Phnom Penh–Siem Reap on AirAsia Cambodia (~£40-50, 45 mins). Arrive in Siem Reap, check in near Pub Street or Wat Bo Road, and buy your Angkor pass in the late afternoon — a 1-day pass is ~£30, 3-day ~£50 (passes bought after 5pm let you in for sunset that evening). Evening: Pub Street and a Khmer curry.
🚌VIP bus ~£13 (or domestic flight ~£45)
🛏Siem Reap guesthouse or hostel, £8-14
- →Buy Angkor pass (~£30 for 1 day)
- →Pub Street evening
Angkor temples: small circuit and Angkor Wat sunset
Angkor Archaeological Park
Rent a bicycle (~£3) or share a tuk-tuk for the day (~£15-18 per vehicle, ~£8 per person). Hit Angkor Thom's South Gate, Bayon's face towers, Baphuon, Phimean Akas, the Elephants Terrace and Leper King Terrace, then Ta Prohm's tree-strangled ruins, before finishing at Angkor Wat in the afternoon and climbing Bakheng Hill for sunset — mirroring the operator's included touring. Bring plenty of water and a street-food lunch (~£3). Consider a local licensed guide at Angkor Wat for ~£15 if you want context.
🚌Bicycle ~£3 or shared tuk-tuk ~£8 per person
🛏Siem Reap guesthouse or hostel, £8-14
- →Angkor Thom and Bayon
- →Baphuon, Phimean Akas, Elephants and Leper King Terraces
- →Ta Prohm
- →Angkor Wat
- →Bakheng Hill sunset
Siem Reap departure
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Last morning for a lie-in, a floating village trip on Tonle Sap if you have time (~£15), or a final iced coffee at a garden cafe. Tuk-tuk to Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI) is ~£10-12 (it's ~45 mins out of town). If you'd rather extend, buses run from Siem Reap to Bangkok (~£20, 8-9 hrs) or to Battambang (~£5) for onward travel.
🚌Tuk-tuk to SAI airport ~£11
🛏Departure day (or add extra nights £8-14)
- →Optional Tonle Sap floating village (~£15)
- →Onward travel planning
Self-launched vs. Halong Tours Booking
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Halong Tours Booking | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£805 | £940 |
| Duration | 14 days | 14 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £135 per person (14%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Halong Tours Booking-style trips? Check them out here.~£805
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 14 Day Self-Launched Adventure: Hanoi to Siem Reap cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £805 per person for 14 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 Halong Tours Booking?+
Yes — Halong Tours Booking charges around £940 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £805 — a saving of roughly £135 (14%) per person.
How long is the Vietnam & Cambodia trip?+
This itinerary runs 14 days, covering 14 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, adventure, 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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