Vietnam to Cambodia: Hanoi Hostels, Beaches & Ancient Ruins (Self-Launched)

Land at Noi Bai, take the Vietnam Airlines shuttle bus (route 86) or a Grab to the Old Quarter for around £3–5. Check into a hostel dorm in the Old Quarter (Hanoi La Siesta Hostel, Little Charm, or Hanoi Backpackers are all solid). In the evening, hire a cyclo yourself from the corner of Hang Bac or ask your hostel to arrange one — expect £3–4 for an hour — and ride the loop around Hoan Kiem Lake. Finish with a plastic stool at Bia Hoi Corner on Ta Hien: draught beer is roughly 30p a glass. Dinner: bun cha or pho bo from any busy pavement spot, £1.50–2.50.

🚌Airport shuttle bus 86 or Grab (~£3–5); airport to city ~45–60 min

🛏Hostel dorm, Old Quarter (Hanoi La Siesta Hostel or similar) — ~£8–12/night

• →Cyclo tour of the Old Quarter
• →Bia Hoi Corner
• →Street food dinner

Pick from three self-bookable options: (1) a Hanoi city highlights walking tour booked on GetYourGuide from about £12; (2) a half-day Vietnamese cooking class with market visit, £20–25; or (3) a full-day Halong Bay day cruise booked on Klook from roughly £35–45 including lunch and transfers (a proper overnight junk is £70+ and worth it if you have time). All return to Hanoi by evening. Microbrewery/bia hoi crawl around the Old Quarter in the evening is free to organise — just walk.

🚌Walking; Halong transfers included in day tours if booked

🛏Hostel dorm, Old Quarter — ~£8–12/night

• →Optional: Hanoi city highlights walking tour
• →Optional: Vietnamese cooking class
• →Optional: Halong Bay day cruise
• →Evening bia hoi crawl

Book a Hanoi street food walking tour on GetYourGuide (~£18–22, 3 hours, small group) — these cover nem ran, banh goi, bun cha and finish with egg coffee at Cafe Giang. Otherwise self-guide it: start at Dong Xuan Market, work down to Hang Dieu, and finish with a ca phe trung. Optional evening at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre — tickets about £7 (200,000 VND), buy at the box office on the day.

🚌Walking

🛏Hostel dorm, Old Quarter — ~£8–12/night

• →Street food walking tour
• →Dong Xuan Market
• →Egg coffee at Cafe Giang
• →Optional: Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre

Take a local bus or limousine van from Hanoi's Giap Bat or My Dinh station to Ninh Binh — 2 hours, about £4–6 (limousine vans bookable through your hostel). En route or as a detour, stop at Tam Chuc Pagoda (free entry, small boat fee ~£2) — one of the largest pagoda complexes in Southeast Asia; a Grab from Ninh Binh town is around £6 each way. Check into a hostel or homestay in Tam Coc village, then rent a bicycle (~£2/day) and ride out between the karsts. Sunset at the rice fields is free and unbeatable.

🚌Local bus/limousine van Hanoi–Ninh Binh ~£4–6 (2h); bicycle hire ~£2

🛏Hostel dorm or homestay, Tam Coc — ~£8–12/night

• →Tam Chuc Pagoda visit
• →Cycle through Tam Coc rice fields
• →Sunset viewpoint

Morning: climb the 500 steps of Hang Mua Peak for the classic view over Tam Coc (entry ~£3). Afternoon: row your own boat (or hire a boatman) through the Trang An Grottoes — a self-booked boat is about £10–12 for the boat, shared; tickets at the Trang An ticket office. Back to the hostel, shower, then take a bus/Grab to Ninh Binh station for the overnight sleeper train south — Vietnam Railways SE trains towards Dong Hoi, soft sleeper 4-berth from about £25–32 (book on dsvn.vn or 12go; book a few days ahead in peak season).

🚌Bicycle or Grab to station (~£3); Vietnam Railways sleeper Ninh Binh–Dong Hoi ~£25–32 (approx 9–10h)

🛏Overnight sleeper train, 4-berth soft sleeper

• →Hang Mua Peak hike
• →Trang An Grottoes boat trip
• →Overnight sleeper train

Arrive Dong Hoi early. Walk the Dong Hoi fish market on the riverfront and get a banh mi breakfast for 60p. Then take the local bus (roughly £1.50, about an hour) or a Grab (£8–10) north to Phong Nha village. Check into Easy Tiger or Central Backpackers — both are the classic Phong Nha hostels with bike hire and cave-tour desks. Rent a bicycle (~£2) and ride the back lanes through rice paddies and karst cliffs. Evening: hostel BBQ and pool table.

🚌Local bus or Grab Dong Hoi–Phong Nha ~£1.50–10; bicycle hire ~£2

🛏Hostel dorm, Phong Nha (Easy Tiger or similar) — ~£8–12/night

• →Dong Hoi fish market
• →Banh mi breakfast
• →Countryside cycling in Phong Nha

Book through your hostel the day before: Paradise Cave is the big walk-in boardwalk cave (~£10 entry plus ~£6 shared transfer), while Dark Cave is the zipline-and-mud-swim one (~£22 with zipline and kayak). If you want the serious stuff, Hang Va or Tu Lan day tours with Oxalis start around £70–90 — book ahead. Alternative for a cheaper day: cycle the Nuoc Mooc eco-trail (~£3 entry) and swim in the river. Evening bar crawl in Phong Nha village — the hostels all run one.

🚌Shared cave-tour transfers; bicycle

🛏Hostel dorm, Phong Nha — ~£8–12/night

• →Paradise Cave
• →Dark Cave zipline and mud bath
• →Optional: Oxalis Tu Lan cave expedition
• →Optional: Nuoc Mooc eco-trail

Hire a Grab or join a shared day bus to the Vinh Moc Tunnels (~£5 entry) — the DMZ village tunnels built by local families in the war, far quieter than Cu Chi. Continue south to Hue by local bus (~£4) or Vietnam Railways (~£5–8, 2.5–3h). Easy Tiger-style booking desks or 12go can sort this. Check into a hostel in the backpacker pocket west of the Perfume River. Afternoon free: walk the Imperial Citadel (entry ~£5) or take a motorbike tour with a driver from your hostel — around £9 for a half day.

🚌Grab/shared bus to Vinh Moc; local bus or train Phong Nha–Hue ~£4–8

🛏Hostel dorm, Hue — ~£7–11/night

• →Vinh Moc Tunnels
• →Optional: Imperial Citadel
• →Optional: motorbike city tour

The classic: hire an Easy Rider–style motorbike driver for the Hue–Hoi An run (about £20–25 one way, bookable through any Hue hostel or on Klook) — they stop at An Bang cemetery, Lang Co Beach for a swim and seafood lunch, and the Marble Mountains. Cheaper option: the Hue–Danang train (about £3, a stunning coastal leg) then a Grab into Hoi An. Check into a hostel or homestay in Hoi An's old town fringe (~£8–12 dorm) and walk the lantern-lit streets after dark — free.

🚌Motorbike driver Hue–Hoi An ~£20–25; or train Hue–Danang ~£3 + Grab

🛏Hostel dorm or homestay, Hoi An — ~£8–12/night

• →Hai Van Pass ride
• →An Bang cemetery
• →Lang Co Beach
• →Marble Mountains
• →Hoi An old town at night

Choose your Hoi An. My Son Sanctuary half-day tour on GetYourGuide from about £25–30 including transport and guide. Or hire a bicycle (~£1.50) and ride to An Bang or Cua Dai beach, or take a basket boat trip in the Cam Thanh coconut palms (~£6). Ba Na Hills and the Golden Bridge is ~£35 including cable car — an early start. Evening: cao lau, white rose dumplings and grilled skewers from the night market for under £5 total, then a riverside beer.

🚌Bicycle hire ~£1.50; tour transfers included

🛏Hostel dorm or homestay, Hoi An — ~£8–12/night

• →Optional: My Son Sanctuary tour
• →Optional: Ba Na Hills and Golden Bridge
• →Bicycle to An Bang beach
• →Hoi An night market
• →Cao lau and white rose dumplings

Morning Vietnamese cooking class — the Oodles of Noodles school that the original tour uses is bookable directly or via Klook for about £25–30; plenty of cheaper options in town at £15–20 with a market visit and four dishes. Eat your lunch. Afternoon: get measured for a suit if that's your thing (from ~£70), or do a lantern-making workshop (~£5). Evening: overnight train from Danang or Tam Ky south — Vietnam Railways soft sleeper to Dieu Tri/Qui Nhon from about £20–28. Book on dsvn.vn and grab a Grab to the station (~£6 from Hoi An to Danang).

🚌Grab Hoi An–Danang ~£6; Vietnam Railways sleeper ~£20–28

🛏Overnight sleeper train, 4-berth soft sleeper

• →Vietnamese cooking class
• →Optional: tailor fitting
• →Optional: lantern-making workshop
• →Overnight sleeper train

Hop off the train in the morning. Breakfast on bun thit nuong or banh xeo at a local stall. Visit the Thap Doi Cham Towers (free/£1). Take a Grab or local bus out to Ky Co beach (~£4–6, 30 min) — white sand, clear water, far fewer people than Nha Trang. Stay for a seafood dinner back in town: banh beo chen, grilled scallops, squid — around £4–6 for a feast. Hostel in Qui Nhon town centre ~£7–10 dorm.

🚌Grab to Ky Co ~£4–6 each way

🛏Hostel dorm, Qui Nhon — ~£7–10/night

• →Thap Doi Cham Towers
• →Ky Co beach
• →Qui Nhon seafood dinner

Take the morning local bus or train south to Nha Trang (~£4–6, 3–4h). En route (or as a half-day detour) visit Ganh Da Dia, the basalt-column rock formation near Tuy An — entry ~£1, Grab ~£10 from Qui Nhon if you're doing it as a morning trip. In Nha Trang, check into a hostel near the beach (~£8–12 dorm) and book a mud bath yourself — Thap Ba or I-Resort hot spring and mud bath entry is roughly £12–18 for a package. Evening on the promenade.

🚌Local bus/train Qui Nhon–Nha Trang ~£4–6

🛏Hostel dorm, Nha Trang — ~£8–12/night

• →Ganh Da Dia basalt columns
• →Nha Trang mud bath and hot springs
• →Beach promenade

Self-book a four-island snorkelling boat trip on Klook from about £20–25 including lunch and pickup, or a street food crawl — Nha Trang's bun ca, nem nuong and banh canh are all under £1.50 per plate. Alternatively, walk to the Po Nagar Cham Towers (~£1) and the beach. Nha Trang is a lively, brash beach town; the mud baths and islands are its best value.

🚌Walking; tour pickups included

🛏Hostel dorm, Nha Trang — ~£8–12/night

• →Optional: four-island snorkelling boat trip
• →Optional: Nha Trang street food crawl
• →Po Nagar Cham Towers
• →Beach day

Travel day. Cheapest is the sleeper bus (~£9–12, 8–9h, book on 12go or at a hostel desk) or a Vietnam Railways soft seat/sleeper (~£12–18). Arrive HCMC, check into a hostel in District 1 (the backpacker strip around Bui Vien / Pham Ngu Lao, ~£7–11 dorm). Evening: walk to Ben Thanh Market (free) and do a self-guided street food crawl — banh mi, com tam, che — for under £5.

🚌Sleeper bus or train Nha Trang–HCMC ~£9–18

🛏Hostel dorm, District 1, HCMC — ~£7–11/night

• →Ben Thanh Market
• →Self-guided street food crawl in District 1

Morning Cu Chi Tunnels half-day tour, bookable on GetYourGuide or Klook from about £22–28 including transport and guide. Back by early afternoon. Visit the War Remnants Museum (entry ~£2). Evening: a proper HCMC street food tour on GetYourGuide (~£22) or go DIY in District 4/Cholon, and finish with a karaoke room in District 1 (private room ~£8/hour for the group).

🚌Tour pickup included; Grab around town ~£2–3 per ride

🛏Hostel dorm, District 1, HCMC — ~£7–11/night

• →Cu Chi Tunnels tour
• →War Remnants Museum
• →Street food crawl
• →Karaoke night

Take the Phuong Trang or Thanh Buoi sleeper bus from HCMC to Chau Doc (~£8–10, 5–6h). Check into a guesthouse. In the afternoon, hire a motorbike driver to take you up Sam Mountain for the pagoda overlook and sunset (~£5–7). Book a sunrise rowing boat trip for tomorrow through the guesthouse (about £6 for a shared boat to the floating market and fish farms). Dinner on the riverfront — a local hotpot for £5.

🚌Sleeper bus HCMC–Chau Doc ~£8–10 (5–6h); motorbike driver ~£6

🛏Guesthouse or hostel dorm, Chau Doc — ~£7–10/night

• →Sam Mountain excursion by motorbike
• →Chau Doc riverfront
• →Book sunrise boat trip

5:30am sunrise boat trip through Cai Rang/Chau Doc's floating markets and fish farms. Back for breakfast, then cross the Tinh Bien or Ha Tien border into Cambodia — the cheap way is a shared van to Ha Tien (~£5) then a bus to Kampot (~£8–12, 3–4h). Cambodian visa on arrival is $30 (~£24) plus possible small fees; bring a passport photo and USD cash. Check into a guesthouse or hostel in Kampot town (~£8–12 dorm) and have a riverside beer.

🚌Shared van to Ha Tien ~£5; bus Ha Tien–Kampot ~£8–12

🛏Hostel dorm or guesthouse, Kampot — ~£8–12/night

• →Sunrise floating market boat trip
• →Border crossing at Ha Tien
• →Kampot riverside evening

Hire a scooter (~£5/day plus fuel) or a tuk-tuk for the day (~£12–15). Ride to a pepper farm (La Plantation is free with a tour), then up to Bokor National Park — the old French hill station, a haunting abandoned Catholic church and the Popokvil waterfall (park entry ~£2). Stop at Kep on the way back for crab at the market (about £6 for a plate of fresh crab cooked to order) and the Kep ruins. Sunset back on the Kampot river.

🚌Scooter hire ~£5 + fuel; or tuk-tuk ~£12–15 for the group

🛏Hostel dorm or guesthouse, Kampot — ~£8–12/night

• →Pepper farm visit
• →Bokor National Park
• →Kep crab market

Take a shared van or bus to Sihanoukville (~£7–10, 3h), then the ferry to Koh Rong (~£10–12 return, book with Buva Sea or Speed Ferry Cambodia). Pick a beach bungalow on Long Set (4K) Beach or Koh Touch — dorm beds from about £7–12, basic beach bungalows similar. Afternoon swim, sunset from the sandbar, and a beach bar evening. Bring cash — ATMs on the island are unreliable.

🚌Van Sihanoukville ~£7–10; return ferry ~£10–12

🛏Beach bungalow or hostel dorm, Koh Rong — ~£7–12/night

• →Ferry to Koh Rong
• →Beach time on Long Set Beach
• →Sunset swim

Book a snorkelling and fishing boat trip from the beach (~£12–15 including lunch) — or a bioluminescent plankton night swim from the hostel bar (~£8). Alternatively walk to Sok San village and the long empty beach on the far side. This is a deliberate rest day: hammock, book, cheap noodles, £1 beers.

🚌Walking; boat tours from the beach

🛏Beach bungalow or hostel dorm, Koh Rong — ~£7–12/night

• →Optional: snorkelling boat trip
• →Optional: bioluminescent plankton swim
• →Walk to Sok San Beach

Morning ferry back to Sihanoukville (~£6 return leg), then the Giant Ibis or Virak Buntham bus to Phnom Penh (~£10–13, 5–6h). Arrive evening, check into a hostel around Street 172/Sisowath Quay (~£7–11 dorm). Take a cyclo loop through the riverside and around the Royal Palace at dusk (~£3–4), then dinner at a local Khmer restaurant — fish amok and lok lak for under £5.

🚌Ferry ~£6; bus Sihanoukville–Phnom Penh ~£10–13; cyclo ~£4

🛏Hostel dorm, Phnom Penh — ~£7–11/night

• →Ferry to Sihanoukville
• →Cyclo ride around Phnom Penh
• →Khmer dinner

Book the combined S-21 (Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum) and Choeung Ek Killing Fields half-day guided tour on GetYourGuide (~£18–24 including transport; entry fees about £4 and £3 extra). It's heavy but essential. Afternoon: recover with a walk along the Mekong, the Central Market's art deco dome, or the National Museum (~£8). Evening: a street food walk around Psar Thmei, or a rooftop beer.

🚌Tour transport included; tuk-tuk around town ~£2–3

🛏Hostel dorm, Phnom Penh — ~£7–11/night

• →Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
• →Choeung Ek Killing Fields
• →Central Market
• →Optional: National Museum

Take the Giant Ibis or Virak Buntham bus to Siem Reap (~£10–13, 6h) and break the journey at Skun market for the (in)famous fried insects, or hire a private tuk-tuk for the whole run (~£35–45 for the day, shareable) so you can stop at Sambor Prei Kuk — the pre-Angkorian brick temple complex (~£3 entry). Arrive Siem Reap, check into a hostel near Pub Street (~£6–10 dorm). Evening: Pub Street or a quiet Khmer BBQ.

🚌Bus ~£10–13, or private tuk-tuk ~£35–45 for the group (shareable)

🛏Hostel dorm, Siem Reap — ~£6–10/night

• →Skun market stop
• →Sambor Prei Kuk temples
• →Pub Street evening

Book a tuk-tuk driver the night before (about £13–16 for the whole day, which splits between 2–4 people) and a guide if you want one. Buy your Angkor pass at the Angkor Enterprise ticket office or online: 1-day pass $37 (~£29), 3-day pass $62. Leave at 4:45am for sunrise at Angkor Wat, then Bayon's faces, Ta Prohm's tree roots and Banteay Kdei. Back by mid-afternoon for a pool/hostel break. Evening: Phare Circus, bookable direct or on GetYourGuide from about £12–18 — a genuinely brilliant acrobatics and theatre show run as a social enterprise.

🚌Tuk-tuk for the day ~£13–16 (shared)

🛏Hostel dorm, Siem Reap — ~£6–10/night

• →Angkor Wat sunrise
• →Bayon temple
• →Ta Prohm
• →Phare Circus

Morning: optional trip to the Tonle Sap floating villages at Kompong Khleang (~£18–25 including boat and transfer, book on GetYourGuide) — go early to beat the crowds. Or use the morning for a Khmer cooking class (~£15) or the Angkor National Museum (~£10). Then transfer to Siem Reap airport (~£5 by tuk-tuk) or take the bus onward to Bangkok or Phnom Penh if you're continuing.

🚌Tuk-tuk to airport ~£5

🛏N/A — departure day

• →Optional: Tonle Sap floating village trip
• →Optional: Khmer cooking class
• →Optional: Angkor National Museum