Vietnam & Cambodia Self-Launched: Hanoi to Siem Reap in 12 Days
12 days · Vietnam & Cambodia
Legend Travel Group charges £1,345
No-markup version: ~£735 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Legend Travel Group's 12-day Hanoi-to-Siem-Reap group tour: Hanoi's old quarter and Ho Chi Minh complex, an overnight Halong Bay cruise, Hoi An and My Son, Ho Chi Minh City with the Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta, then Angkor's temples from Siem Reap. Instead of a guided group and private transfers you use open-tour sleeper buses, the Reunification Express, budget domestic flights and locally booked day tours — covering the same ground for roughly half the operator's price including intra-airfare and the guide fee.
Day-by-day
Arrive Hanoi — Old Quarter orientation
Hanoi
Land at Noi Bai (HAN) and take the public Airport Bus 86 (about 45,000 VND / £1.50) or a Grab bike/car (£4-6) into the Old Quarter. Check into a hostel or budget hotel around Ma May or Hang Bac. Skip the included airport transfer and spend the afternoon walking Hoan Kiem Lake, the 36 guild streets and the night market if it's a weekend. Book your Halong Bay overnight cruise and your onward Hoi An transport tonight — either at your hostel desk or via Klook/GetYourGuide a few days ahead.
🚌Airport Bus 86 Hanoi city centre, ~£1.50
🛏Old Quarter hostel or 2-3* budget hotel (dorm £5-8, private double £14-20)
- →Airport Bus 86 to Old Quarter
- →Self-guided Old Quarter walk
- →Hoan Kiem Lake at dusk
- →Book Halong cruise and onward transport
Hanoi's cultural big hitters on foot
Hanoi
Do the guided city circuit yourself — everything is walkable or a cheap Grab ride apart. Start early at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex and former stilt house (free, closed Mon & Fri), then One Pillar Pagoda and Tran Quoc Pagoda on West Lake. Afternoon: Temple of Literature, the Women's Museum (or Ethnology Museum, a 15-minute taxi away), and finish at Hoa Lo Prison. Street food day: bun cha, pho and egg coffee for well under £10 all in.
🚌Walking plus 2-3 Grab rides, ~£5
🛏Old Quarter hostel or 2-3* budget hotel
- →Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex
- →One Pillar Pagoda
- →Tran Quoc Pagoda
- →Temple of Literature
- →Hoa Lo Prison
- →Vietnamese Women's Museum
Halong Bay overnight cruise
Halong Bay
Swap the operator's private coach for a shuttle-bus pickup included in most budget cruise packages (2.5-3 hrs each way). Book a 2D/1N mid-range junk via Klook or GetYourGuide for roughly £90-130 per person sharing a twin cabin — this covers transfers, all meals, kayaking, cave entry and a floating village visit. Afternoon: cruise the karsts, swim, paddle through Luon Cave and walk the Amazing Cave. Sunset on deck and a seafood dinner on board.
🚌Shuttle bus Hanoi–Halong–Hanoi included in cruise package
🛏Overnight on a mid-range Halong Bay junk, twin cabin
- →Halong Bay overnight cruise
- →Kayaking among limestone karsts
- →Amazing Cave walk
- →Swimming stop
- →Sunrise on the bay (next morning)
Halong to Hoi An — fly and settle in
Hoi An
Early sunrise on the bay and a floating fishing village stop, then shuttle back to Hanoi. Rather than the operator's late-night internal flight, book a cheap afternoon VietJet or Bamboo flight Hanoi–Da Nang (roughly £35-55 booked 2-4 weeks out) or take the Reunification Express sleeper if you want to save money and see the coast (about £28-40, 16 hrs). From Da Nang it's a 45-minute Grab or local bus to Hoi An (£4-6). Evening: wander the lantern-lit Ancient Town (entry ticket 120,000 VND).
🚌Shuttle to Hanoi, VietJet/Bamboo flight to Da Nang ~£45, Grab to Hoi An ~£5
🛏Hoi An guesthouse or 3* hotel near Ancient Town (£10-18)
- →Sunrise and floating village on Halong Bay
- →Flight or train to Da Nang
- →Hoi An Ancient Town by lantern light
Hoi An craft villages and river life
Hoi An
Skip the guided museum circuit and rent a bicycle (£2) to ride out to Kim Bong carpentry village and Thanh Ha pottery village, crossing the Thu Bon River by local ferry. In town, see the Japanese Covered Bridge, the Assembly Halls and the Sa Huynh Museum on your Ancient Town ticket. Afternoon: a basket-boat ride in the Cam Thanh coconut palms (about £5 booked locally) or a cheap tailor fitting — Hoi An tailors can run up a shirt in 24 hours for £20-30. Cheap cao lau and white rose dumplings for dinner.
🚌Bicycle rental ~£2, local ferry ~£0.50
🛏Hoi An guesthouse or 3* hotel
- →Cycle to Kim Bong and Thanh Ha craft villages
- →Thu Bon River ferry
- →Japanese Covered Bridge
- →Basket boat ride
- →Tailor fitting or cooking class
My Son Sanctuary at sunrise
My Son / Hoi An
Book a shared minibus day trip to My Son (roughly £12-18 including entry and guide) or ride a rented scooter out yourself (£6 plus 150,000 VND entry) and beat the tour groups by leaving at 6am. The Cham towers and carvings are far better in early light. Back in Hoi An by lunchtime for a relaxed afternoon — beach at An Bang, a lantern-making workshop, or just a massage. Sort your transport south tonight.
🚌Shared minibus to My Son ~£15 return, or scooter hire ~£6
🛏Hoi An guesthouse or 3* hotel
- →My Son Sanctuary UNESCO site
- →Cham temple carvings
- →An Bang Beach afternoon
- →Lantern-making workshop
South to Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Fly Da Nang–Saigon (about £30-50, 1h20) or take the sleeper bus from Hoi An (about £18-22, 18-20 hrs — leave the night before if you want the full day). Check into a District 1 hostel or budget hotel. Afternoon: DIY the city's history — War Remnants Museum (40,000 VND) and Independence Palace — then wander Ben Thanh market and the Bui Vien backpacker strip in the evening.
🚌VietJet/Bamboo flight Da Nang–Saigon ~£40, or sleeper bus ~£20
🛏District 1 hostel or budget hotel (£8-18)
- →Flight or sleeper bus to Saigon
- →War Remnants Museum
- →Independence Palace
- →Ben Thanh Market
- →Bui Vien evening
Cu Chi Tunnels and city landmarks
Ho Chi Minh City / Cu Chi
Take a half-day shared Cu Chi Tunnels tour (about £15-20 including entry and transport — leaves around 8am, back by 2pm) or DIY it on bus 13 from Ben Thanh to Cu Chi town then a local motorbike taxi to the site for under £5. Crawl the tunnels and try the tapioca and tea served at the site. Back in the city, walk the Notre Dame Cathedral exterior, the Central Post Office and Reunification Palace on foot.
🚌Shared tour minibus ~£18, or local bus 13 ~£1
🛏District 1 hostel or budget hotel
- →Cu Chi Tunnels
- →Notre Dame Cathedral
- →Central Post Office
- →Reunification Palace
- →Wartime tapioca tasting
Mekong Delta day trip
My Tho / Ben Tre
Book a small-group Mekong Delta day trip (roughly £20-30) or go independently: local bus from Mien Tay station to My Tho (about £2, 2 hrs), then a boat across to Ben Tre or the islands for a sampan ride, coconut candy workshop and bee farm. Vinh Trang Pagoda is worth a stop on the way back. Return to Saigon in the evening and pre-book your bus or flight to Siem Reap/Cambodia for tomorrow.
🚌Small-group Mekong tour ~£25, or local bus to My Tho ~£2 each way
🛏District 1 hostel or budget hotel
- →Mekong Delta boat trip
- →Vinh Trang Pagoda
- →Coconut candy and bee farm stop
- →Sampan ride through canals
Cross into Cambodia — Siem Reap and Angkor Thom
Siem Reap
Fly Ho Chi Minh City–Siem Reap direct (about £60-95, 1h) — the fastest and most reliable option; the overland route via Moc Bai and Phnom Penh takes 12+ hours. Sort your Cambodia e-visa in advance (about £28). Check in and buy your Angkor pass (1-day £30, 3-day £50 — a 3-day pass is better value here). Late afternoon: enter Angkor Thom via the South Gate and explore Bayon's faces, the Terrace of the Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King, then climb Phnom Bakheng for sunset.
🚌Flight HCMC–Siem Reap ~£75, tuk-tuk around the temples ~£12
🛏Siem Reap guesthouse or budget hotel, walkable to Pub Street (£10-20)
- →Flight to Siem Reap
- →Angkor Thom and South Gate
- →Bayon Temple
- →Terrace of the Elephants
- →Terrace of the Leper King
- →Phnom Bakheng sunset
Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm and Banteay Srei
Siem Reap / Angkor
Hire a tuk-tuk driver for the full day (about £20-25, negotiate the night before) and start at Angkor Wat for sunrise — free with your pass and far better than a midday visit. Then out to Ta Prohm's jungle roots, and the 45-minute ride north to Banteay Srei's pink sandstone carvings. Loop back via Thommanon, Chau Say Tevoda and Ta Keo. Skip the operator's set lunch and eat at a local Khmer spot near the park for £4-5.
🚌Full-day private tuk-tuk ~£22
🛏Siem Reap guesthouse or budget hotel
- →Angkor Wat sunrise
- →Apsara carvings
- →Ta Prohm jungle temple
- →Banteay Srei
- →Thommanon and Chau Say Tevoda
- →Ta Keo
Siem Reap at leisure and depart
Siem Reap
Use the morning for whatever the group tour skips: Tonle Sap floating village (£15-20 shared boat trip), the silk farms, or a Khmer cooking class (£20). Old Market souvenir shopping, then take a tuk-tuk or Grab to Siem Reap airport (about £5, 20 mins) for your onward flight. If you're staying on, hostels and guesthouses in Siem Reap run £8-15 a night.
🚌Tuk-tuk to REP airport ~£5
🛏None (departure day)
- →Tonle Sap floating village (optional)
- →Old Market shopping
- →Khmer cooking class (optional)
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. Legend Travel Group
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Legend Travel Group | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£735 | £1,345 |
| Duration | 12 days | 12 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £610 per person (45%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Legend Travel Group-style trips? Check them out here.~£735
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 Self-Launched: Hanoi to Siem Reap in 12 Days cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £735 per person for 12 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 Legend Travel Group?+
Yes — Legend Travel Group charges around £1,345 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £735 — a saving of roughly £610 (45%) per person.
How long is the Vietnam & Cambodia trip?+
This itinerary runs 12 days, covering 12 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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