Self-Launched Vietnam Legend: Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City in 10 Days

Fly into Noi Bai International Airport. Take the 86 public bus or a Grab taxi (~£5-8) into the city centre — skip the pricey private airport transfers. Check into a boutique guesthouse or hostel in the Old Quarter (Hoan Kiem district), which puts you walking distance from everything. Spend the evening wandering Hoan Kiem Lake, grabbing a bia hoi (street beer) on Ta Hien Street, and settling in. The Old Quarter is buzzing at night — a great introduction to Hanoi.

🚌Bus 86 from airport to Old Quarter (~£0.50) or Grab taxi (~£7)

🛏Hanoi Boutique Hotel & Spa or similar Old Quarter guesthouse (£18-25/night)

• →Arrive at Noi Bai International Airport
• →Take bus 86 or Grab taxi to Old Quarter (~£5-8)
• →Check in to Old Quarter guesthouse
• →Evening stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake
• →Street food and bia hoi on Ta Hien Street

Hanoi's highlights are largely walkable and low-cost. Start early at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (free exterior, small fee inside) and the nearby One Pillar Pagoda. Head to the Temple of Literature (entry ~£1.50), then stroll to Hoan Kiem Lake and the Turtle Tower. Visit St. Joseph's Cathedral (free), and the Opera House (exterior). Drop into the Bao Tang Lich Su (National Museum of Vietnamese History, ~£1). In the evening, book a Water Puppet Show at the Thang Long Theatre (~£5-8 via direct booking or GetYourGuide) and finish with a cyclo ride through the Old Quarter (~£4-6, negotiate directly with cyclo drivers).

🚌Walking and cyclo within the city

🛏Hanoi Boutique Hotel & Spa or similar Old Quarter guesthouse (£18-25/night)

• →Visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and One Pillar Pagoda
• →Explore Temple of Literature (~£1.50 entry)
• →Walk Hoan Kiem Lake and Tortoise Pagoda (free)
• →Visit St. Joseph's Cathedral and Opera House exterior (free)
• →Bao Tang Lich Su museum (~£1)
• →Water Puppet Show at Thang Long Theatre (~£6 direct booking)
• →Evening cyclo tour of Old Quarter (~£5)

Book an overnight Halong Bay cruise independently — this is the best value way to do it and the experience is near-identical to what's on the luxury tour. Operators like Indochina Junk, Bhaya Classic, or budget options like Stellar of the Seas offer 2-day/1-night cruises from ~£80-120 per person including transport from Hanoi, all meals, kayaking, and cave visits. Book directly or via GetYourGuide/Klook. Shared minibus transfers from Hanoi are included in most cruise packages (~3.5hrs). Enjoy boat exploration of the bay, swimming, and karst scenery at sunset with dinner onboard.

🚌Shared minibus Hanoi–Halong Bay included in cruise package

🛏Overnight on Halong Bay cruise boat (included in cruise price ~£80-120 total for 2 days)

• →Shared minibus transfer Hanoi to Halong Bay (~3.5hrs, included in cruise package)
• →Board overnight cruise boat
• →Boat exploration of Halong Bay karst formations
• →Swimming in the bay
• →Kayaking through caves and lagoons
• →Dinner onboard with fresh seafood

Rise early for a morning swim and visit Sung Sot Cave (Surprise Cave) — the most spectacular cave in the bay, included in most cruise packages. Enjoy brunch onboard as you cruise back to harbour. The shared minibus returns you to Hanoi by early afternoon. From Hanoi, take the Reunification Express overnight train to Hue (SE train, departs ~19:00, arrives ~06:00) — book a soft sleeper berth via baolau.com or 12go.asia for ~£20-25. This saves a night's accommodation and is a classic Vietnam travel experience.

🚌Cruise return minibus to Hanoi (included); Reunification Express train Hanoi–Hue (~£22, book via baolau.com or 12go.asia)

🛏Overnight train sleeper berth Hanoi–Hue (~£22)

• →Early morning swim in Halong Bay
• →Visit Sung Sot Cave (included in cruise)
• →Brunch onboard while cruising back to harbour
• →Minibus return to Hanoi
• →Evening: board Reunification Express overnight train to Hue (~£20-25 soft sleeper via baolau.com)

Arrive in Hue by morning. Check into a guesthouse near the Citadel — Hue has excellent budget options. Hue's Imperial Citadel is one of Vietnam's most impressive UNESCO sites: entry ~£5 covers the Imperial City, Thai Hoa Palace, Halls of the Mandarins, Nine Dynastic Urns, and the ruins of the Forbidden Purple City. Rent a bicycle or motorbike (~£5/day) to visit royal tombs in the afternoon (Khai Dinh or Tu Duc, ~£3 entry each). Try Hue's famous bún bò Huế noodle soup for lunch from a street stall (~£1.50). In the evening, walk the Truong Tien Bridge at sunset.

🚌Bicycle or motorbike rental in Hue (~£5/day)

🛏Hue Backpackers or Jade Hotel Hue — guesthouse near Citadel (~£15-20/night)

• →Arrive Hue by morning train, check in to guesthouse
• →Visit Imperial City Citadel — Thai Hoa Palace, Halls of the Mandarins, Nine Dynastic Urns, Forbidden Purple City (~£5 entry)
• →Rent bicycle or motorbike (~£5/day)
• →Visit Khai Dinh or Tu Duc Royal Tomb (~£3 each)
• →Lunch: bún bò Huế street noodles (~£1.50)
• →Sunset walk on Truong Tien Bridge

Take a shared tourist minibus from Hue to Hoi An (~£8-12, bookable at any guesthouse) that stops en route at the famous Hai Van Pass viewpoint, the Cham Museum in Da Nang (~£2 entry, one of the world's best Cham sculpture collections), My Khe Beach (a quick stop or a proper swim), and the Marble Mountains (~£2 entry). Arrive in Hoi An by late afternoon. Check into a guesthouse in or near the Ancient Town. Hoi An's lantern-lit streets are magical at dusk — explore on foot, grab a cao lầu noodle dish (~£2) at a local restaurant.

🚌Shared tourist minibus Hue–Hoi An with sightseeing stops (~£10, book at guesthouse)

🛏Hoi An Chic Hotel or Anio Boutique Hoi An — guesthouse near Ancient Town (~£15-22/night)

• →Shared minibus Hue to Hoi An with stops (~£8-12)
• →Photo stop at Hai Van Pass viewpoint
• →Visit Cham Museum, Da Nang (~£2 entry)
• →Stop at My Khe Beach
• →Visit Marble Mountains (~£2 entry + ~£1 lift)
• →Arrive Hoi An, evening stroll of Ancient Town by lantern light
• →Dinner: cao lầu noodles at a local restaurant (~£2)

Hoi An's UNESCO Ancient Town is best explored on foot or by bicycle. Buy a combined Ancient Town ticket (~£4) which gives access to five heritage houses, assembly halls, and museums including the Sa Huynh Museum and the 17th-century Japanese Covered Bridge. Visit a temple with gilded statues and the Fujian Assembly Hall dedicated to sailors. Book a Thu Bon River boat trip to Cam Kim Island (~£5-8 via local boatwomen at the riverside) to see woodworking and traditional boat-building families at Kim Bong Village. Afternoon: cycle to Cua Dai Beach (4km, free). Evening: join the monthly Full Moon Lantern Festival if timing allows, or enjoy the nightly lantern-lit streets.

🚌Bicycle rental (~£2/day); river boat trip (~£6)

🛏Hoi An Chic Hotel or Anio Boutique Hoi An (~£15-22/night)

• →Purchase Ancient Town combo ticket (~£4) — covers Japanese Covered Bridge, assembly halls, Sa Huynh Museum, heritage houses
• →Visit gilded-statue temple and Fujian Assembly Hall (sailors' pagoda)
• →Boat trip on Thu Bon River to Cam Kim Island — Kim Bong carpentry village (~£6)
• →See traditional woodworkers and shipbuilding families
• →Cycle to Cua Dai Beach (~4km, free)
• →Evening: lantern-lit Ancient Town streets, local restaurants

Fly from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) — VietJet or Bamboo Airways offer fares from ~£25-50, book in advance via Skyscanner. Take a Grab from Hoi An to Da Nang airport (~£8). Check into a guesthouse in District 1, walking distance from the main sights. Spend the afternoon on a self-guided walking tour: Notre Dame Cathedral (free exterior), the stunning French colonial Central Post Office (free), City Hall exterior (Hotel de Ville), and the sobering War Remnants Museum (~£2 — unmissable). Browse Ben Thanh Market (Cho Ben Thanh) for street food and souvenirs. Evening: rooftop bar in the Bui Vien backpacker street area.

🚌Grab taxi to Da Nang airport (~£8); domestic flight Da Nang–HCMC (~£35 avg, book via Skyscanner)

🛏The Common Room Project or Hideout Hostel, District 1 (~£12-20/night)

• →Grab taxi Hoi An to Da Nang airport (~£8)
• →Fly Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City — VietJet/Bamboo (~£30-50, book ahead)
• →Check in to District 1 guesthouse
• →Self-guided walk: Notre Dame Cathedral (free)
• →Visit Central Post Office (free)
• →City Hall (Hotel de Ville) exterior (free)
• →War Remnants Museum (~£2 — essential visit)
• →Browse Ben Thanh Market (Cho Ben Thanh)

Book a Mekong Delta day tour from HCMC via GetYourGuide or Klook (~£20-30 per person) — these cover the same ground as the hi-end tour: boat trip on the Mekong River, visits to My Tho islands for traditional handicrafts, coconut candy producers, bee farms, and Vinh Trang Pagoda. Alternatively, take a public bus from Cho Lon bus station to My Tho (~£2.50, 1.5hrs) and hire a local boat guide independently (~£10-15 for a 2hr river tour). Return to HCMC by early evening for a farewell dinner of bánh mì and pho on the street.

🚌Mekong Delta day tour transport included in tour price (~£25 via GetYourGuide/Klook)

🛏The Common Room Project or Hideout Hostel, District 1 (~£12-20/night)

• →Day tour departs HCMC to Mekong Delta — book via GetYourGuide (~£20-30)
• →Boat trip on Mekong River
• →Visit My Tho islands — traditional handicraft workshops
• →See coconut candy producers
• →Visit local bee farms and try honey
• →Visit Vinh Trang Pagoda (free entry)
• →Return to HCMC, farewell street food dinner

Check out and head to Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Take a Grab taxi (~£5-7) or the 109 airport bus (~£1) from District 1. If your flight is in the afternoon, spend the morning exploring the Reunification Palace (Independence Palace, ~£2.50 entry) — a fascinating Cold War time capsule — or pick up last-minute souvenirs at Ben Thanh Market. Depart with a full Vietnam experience under your belt and money to spare.

🚌Grab taxi to Tan Son Nhat airport (~£6) or airport bus 109 (~£1)

🛏N/A — departure day

• →Optional morning visit: Reunification Palace (~£2.50 entry)
• →Last-minute souvenir shopping at Ben Thanh Market
• →Grab taxi or bus 109 to Tan Son Nhat Airport (~£1-7)
• →Depart Ho Chi Minh City