Self-Launched Wonders of Vietnam — 21 Days, Ho Chi Minh City to Phu Quoc

Fly into Tan Son Nhat airport and take a Grab bike or car into District 1 (about £3-4, 25 min) — no need for a pre-booked transfer. Check into a hostel or budget hotel around Pham Ngu Lao / Bui Vien or District 3, then spend the evening wandering the Ben Thanh Market area and eating pho or banh mi for under £3. Pick up a local SIM (Viettel/Vinaphone, ~£5-7 for 30 days of data) — essential for Grab, maps and bookings.

🚌Grab from Tan Son Nhat airport, ~£3-4

🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, District 1 (£10-14/night)

• →Grab ride from airport
• →Local SIM card setup
• →Ben Thanh Market wander
• →Street food dinner

Do the city-centre sights on foot in the morning for free: Notre Dame Cathedral (exterior), the Central Post Office, and the Reunification Palace (entry ~£2.50). Then book a half-day Cu Chi Tunnels tour through Klook or GetYourGuide (~£18-22 including transport and guide) — the standard afternoon departure leaves around midday. Tours include the tunnels walk-through and the tapioca-and-salt snack locals ate during the war.

🚌Cu Chi tour minibus included; walking + Grab locally

🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, District 1 (£10-14/night)

• →Notre Dame Cathedral & Central Post Office (free)
• →Reunification Palace entry (~£2.50)
• →Cu Chi Tunnels half-day tour via Klook (~£20)
• →Tapioca tasting

Join a small-group Mekong Delta day tour from Saigon (Klook/GetYourGuide, ~£22-28) — boats through the canals, a stop at Vinh Trang Pagoda, coconut-candy and honey workshops on the islands, and lunch included. It's a long day (~8 hours) but the cheapest way to see the delta without overnighting. Alternatively, a public bus to My Tho (~£2) plus local boat hire works if you want to go fully DIY, but the tour is better value for one day.

🚌Group tour minibus + boats included (~£25)

🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, District 1 (£10-14/night)

• →Mekong Delta boat trip
• →Vinh Trang Pagoda
• →Island handicraft workshops
• →Coconut candy & honey tasting

Book a cheap morning flight with VietJet or Vietnam Airlines from SGN to Da Nang (~£35-50 one way if booked ahead). From Da Nang airport, take a Grab or shared shuttle to Hoi An (~£4-6, 45 min). Check into a guesthouse or hostel in the Old Town or just across the river (Cam Nam side is quieter and cheaper). Spend the late afternoon and evening strolling the lantern-lit Ancient Town — the old-town ticket is ~£4.50 and covers the Japanese Covered Bridge and several heritage houses.

🚌VietJet/Vietnam Airlines SGN–DAD ~£40; Grab to Hoi An ~£5

🛏Guesthouse or hostel, Hoi An (£10-15/night)

• →Domestic flight SGN–DAD
• →Grab to Hoi An
• →Hoi An Ancient Town evening walk
• →Old Town heritage ticket (~£4.50)

Self-explore the temples, assembly halls and 18th-century chapels of the Old Town on your old-town ticket, then walk or cycle to the riverside and take a short local ferry/boat across the Thu Bon River to Kim Bong carpentry village (a few pounds for the boat). Alternatively rent a bicycle for the day (~£2). Afternoon: get measured for a tailor-made outfit (a Hoi An speciality, from ~£25) or just sit in a riverside cafe. Evening: Cao Lau noodles and a lantern boat ride (~£2).

🚌Bicycle and local boat, ~£5 total

🛏Guesthouse or hostel, Hoi An (£10-15/night)

• →Hoi An Old Town temples & assembly halls
• →Boat to Kim Bong carpentry village
• →Bicycle rental (~£2)
• →Lantern boat ride on Thu Bon River

Take a shared minibus or Grab to My Son Sanctuary for the 6:30am opening — it's cooler and the Cham temples are near-empty before the tour buses arrive. Entry is ~£5.50 and the site is best paired with the free audio guide or a cheap local guide at the gate. Come back by midday (book a Grab ~£12 or a shared van ~£5). Afternoon free in Hoi An; optionally rent a bike and cycle out to the rice paddies and An Bang Beach.

🚌Shared van or Grab to My Son and back, ~£10

🛏Guesthouse or hostel, Hoi An (£10-15/night)

• →My Son Sanctuary Cham temples (~£5.50)
• →Sunrise visit before crowds
• →An Bang Beach afternoon
• →Hoi An street-food crawl

The cheapest and most fun option: take the public local bus to Da Nang (~£1) and then hire an Easy Rider motorbike guide over the Hai Van Pass (~£25-30 for the ~5-hour ride including stops at Lang Co Beach and the pass viewpoint) — this is the classic backpacker route. Budget alternative: local bus Da Nang to Hue (~£3) or the Reunification Express train (~£6, the coastal stretch is beautiful). Skip the Cham Museum unless you're a sculpture fan (~£2.50). Arrive in Hue, check into a guesthouse in the backpacker zone on Vo Thi Sau / Pham Ngu Lao.

🚌Bus to Da Nang + Easy Rider ~£28, or train ~£7

🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse, Hue (£8-13/night)

• →Hai Van Pass viewpoint
• →Lang Co Beach stop
• →Easy Rider motorbike crossing or coastal train
• →Hue evening walk along the Perfume River

Rent a bicycle or take a Grab between sights. Morning: Imperial Citadel and Forbidden Purple City (entry ~£5.50), then Thien Mu Pagoda. Cross the Perfume River by local ferry or on a cheap dragon-boat ride (~£3) and continue on to the Khai Dinh and Tu Duc tombs (each ~£4.50). Stop at Thuy Xuan incense-making village on the road to the tombs — free to wander, incense bundles make great photos. Finish at Dong Ba Market for bun bo Hue (~£2).

🚌Bicycle or Grab between sights, ~£8

🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse, Hue (£8-13/night)

• →Imperial Citadel & Forbidden Purple City (~£5.50)
• →Thien Mu Pagoda
• →Khai Dinh & Tu Duc tombs (~£9 combined)
• →Thuy Xuan incense village
• →Dong Ba Market food stop

Spend the morning exploring Hue's abandoned waterpark or doing a free walking loop of the old French quarter, then board the Reunification Express (SE trains) north — soft sleeper in a 4-berth cabin is ~£25-30 and takes about 13 hours. Book at the station or via a Vietnamese booking app/agent 1-3 days ahead. Alternatively fly VietJet Hue–Hanoi (~£30) if you'd rather spend the evening in Hanoi. Overnight on the train.

🚌Reunification Express train, ~£28

🛏Soft-sleeper berth on overnight train (~£28)

• →Hue free morning wandering
• →Reunification Express overnight train
• →Sleeper cabin with fellow travellers

Arrive early morning, drop bags at a hostel in the Old Quarter (Ta Hien / Hang Bac area, £8-13 dorm), then walk the city. Temple of Literature (~£2.50), Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex and One Pillar Pagoda (free, but mornings only and closed Mon/Fri), Tran Quoc Pagoda and West Lake, Hoa Lo Prison (~£2), and the Museum of Ethnology or Vietnamese Women's Museum (~£2.50) if you have energy. Evening: bia hoi corner and bun cha for under £4.

🚌Walking + occasional Grab, ~£4

🛏Hostel dorm, Old Quarter Hanoi (£8-13/night)

• →Temple of Literature (~£2.50)
• →Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex (free)
• →Tran Quoc Pagoda & West Lake
• →Hoa Lo Prison (~£2)
• →Old Quarter bia hoi evening

Take the sleeper train (Hanoi–Lao Cai, ~£15-22 berth) or a sleeper bus (~£12-15) overnight so you arrive in Sapa early morning. Drop bags, then do a guided day trek into Muong Hoa Valley — book through your guesthouse or Klook (~£20-25 with a Black Hmong guide and lunch) covering Y Linh Ho, Lao Chai and Ta Van village. Alternatively, self-hike the well-marked valley trail and pay village entry fees (~£3) — but a local guide adds real context and supports the community.

🚌Sleeper bus or train Hanoi–Sapa ~£14

🛏Budget guesthouse or homestay, Sapa (£10-16/night)

• →Overnight train/bus to Sapa
• →Muong Hoa Valley trek
• →Y Linh Ho & Lao Chai villages
• →Ta Van village (Giay people)
• →Green tea with a local family

Morning walk down to Cat Cat Village (~£3 entry, 3km from town) to see H'mong homes, hemp dyeing and weaving demonstrations — or trek further to Sin Chai village for quieter views. Grab a late lunch in Sapa town, then take the afternoon sleeper bus or evening train back to Hanoi (~£14). If you have clear weather, you can instead ride the cable car up Fansipan (~£28) — expensive but a jaw-dropper on a sunny day.

🚌Sleeper bus or train Sapa–Hanoi ~£14

🛏Overnight bus/train to Hanoi (or hostel on arrival, ~£10)

• →Cat Cat Village walk (~£3)
• →H'mong weaving & hemp dyeing demo
• →Sin Chai village option
• →Optional Fansipan cable car (~£28)

Book a shared minibus or local bus from Hanoi's My Dinh station to Mai Chau (~£6-9, 3.5 hours). Check into a homestay or budget bungalow in Ban Lac or Pom Coong village (£10-15 with dinner often included). Afternoon: walk to the Thai village of Khan Ha and up the west hill for valley views. Many homestays arrange a traditional Thai dance performance in the evening for a few pounds — ask on arrival.

🚌Shared minibus/bus Hanoi–Mai Chau ~£8

🛏Thai stilt-house homestay, Mai Chau (£10-15/night, often incl. dinner)

• →Bus to Mai Chau
• →Khan Ha village walk
• →West hill viewpoint
• →Traditional Thai dance performance

Morning trek on the East Mountain route through rice paddies and Thai villages (2-3 hours, self-guided with a map from the homestay or ~£8 with a local guide). Lunch at the homestay, then catch the afternoon bus back to Hanoi (~£8). Re-check into an Old Quarter hostel and spend the evening eating street food — banh cuon on Hang Bo or a bowl of pho on Bat Dan.

🚌Bus Mai Chau–Hanoi ~£8

🛏Hostel dorm, Old Quarter Hanoi (£8-13/night)

• →East Mountain route trek
• →Rice paddy scenery
• →Bus back to Hanoi
• →Hanoi Old Quarter street food

Book a 2-day/1-night budget cruise through Klook, GetYourGuide or your hostel — expect £75-110 per person for a mid-tier junk including transport from Hanoi, all meals, kayaking and cave visits. (You can go cheaper with a day trip at ~£35, but the overnight on the water is the whole point.) Leave Hanoi around 8am, board after lunch, kayak and swim in the afternoon, visit Amazing Cave, and watch sunset from the top deck.

🚌Cruise shuttle from Hanoi included

🛏Budget-to-mid junk boat cabin, Halong/Lan Ha Bay (included in cruise price)

• →Shuttle from Hanoi to Halong Bay
• →Kayaking and swimming
• →Amazing Cave visit
• →Sunset on the top deck
• →Seafood dinner on board

Wake for sunrise on deck, take a small boat to a floating fishing village or do a morning tai-chi session if your boat offers it, then cruise back to port and shuttle to Hanoi by mid-afternoon. Free evening in the Old Quarter: street food tour on foot, souvenir browsing on Hang Gai, and a beer at the bia hoi corner.

🚌Cruise shuttle back to Hanoi included

🛏Hostel dorm, Old Quarter Hanoi (£8-13/night)

• →Sunrise on the bay
• →Floating fishing village visit
• →Shuttle back to Hanoi
• →Old Quarter street food & shopping

Book a cheap VietJet or Vietnam Airlines flight HAN–PQC (~£50-75 one way if booked ahead; this is the priciest domestic leg). Land in Phu Quoc and take the local bus or a Grab to Long Beach or Duong Dong (~£3-6). Check into a beach guesthouse or hostel (£12-18/night). Evening at the Dinh Cau Night Market for grilled seafood and sunset views at Dinh Cau Rock.

🚌Flight HAN–PQC ~£65; local bus/Grab ~£5

🛏Beach guesthouse or hostel, Phu Quoc (£12-18/night)

• →Domestic flight HAN–PQC
• →Dinh Cau Rock sunset
• →Dinh Cau Night Market seafood dinner

Hire a scooter (~£6/day) or join a shared island tour (~£15-20) to cover the south of the island. Stops: Phu Quoc Prison Museum (free-£1), Suoi Tranh Waterfall (~£1.50), and Sao Beach for the afternoon — one of the best white-sand beaches in Vietnam with cheap beach-shack lunches. Come back via the pepper farms and fish sauce factories for free tastings.

🚌Scooter rental ~£6 (or shared tour ~£18)

🛏Beach guesthouse or hostel, Phu Quoc (£12-18/night)

• →Phu Quoc Prison Museum
• →Suoi Tranh Waterfall
• →Sao Beach afternoon
• →Pepper farm & fish sauce factory stops

Book a small-group boat trip to the An Thoi archipelago for snorkelling over the coral (~£20-28 including lunch and pick-up) — this is the best-value way to get on the water. Alternatively, a self-organised day at Ong Lang or Ganh Dau beach costs almost nothing beyond a sunbed and lunch. Evening: cheap seafood BBQ on the beach.

🚌Tour pick-up included / scooter locally

🛏Beach guesthouse or hostel, Phu Quoc (£12-18/night)

• →Snorkelling boat trip, An Thoi islands (~£24)
• →Beach time at Ong Lang
• →Seafood BBQ dinner

No plan needed — swim, laze on the sand, or cycle to a fishing village. If you want one more activity, the night squid-fishing boats leave from An Thoi (~£18) or you can rent a kayak for a couple of hours (~£5). Restock on snacks at a local market, and pack for tomorrow's flight.

🚌Walking / scooter locally (~£5)

🛏Beach guesthouse or hostel, Phu Quoc (£12-18/night)

• →Beach day
• →Optional night squid fishing (~£18)
• →Optional kayak rental (~£5)
• →Local market browsing

Take a morning VietJet flight back to Saigon (~£40-55, ~1 hour) and connect to your international departure — book a flight home departing after 7pm to give yourself a buffer for domestic delays. If you have a long layover, District 1 is 25 minutes and 40,000 VND away by Grab for one last bowl of pho.

🚌Flight PQC–SGN ~£45; Grab to airport ~£3

🛏None (departure day)

• →Flight PQC–SGN
• →Airport transfer by Grab
• →International departure