Vietnam Explorer — Self-Launched (Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi)

Land at Tan Son Nhat (SGN) and take Grab or the yellow bus 109 into District 1 (~£1-2). Check into a hostel in the Pham Ngu Lao / Bui Vien area or District 1. Spend the evening on a self-guided wander: Ben Thanh Market food stalls, the riverside, and a cheap bia hoi on Bui Vien. Sort a local SIM/eSIM in the airport or a Viettel shop (~£6-8 for a 30-day data plan) and download Grab.

🚌Grab or bus 109 from SGN airport (~£1-2)

🛏Hostel dorm, District 1 / Pham Ngu Lao (~£8-12)

• →Grab/bus 109 airport transfer
• →Ben Thanh Market food wander
• →Bui Vien street food and bia hoi

Do the walking-tour circuit yourself: War Remnants Museum (entry ~£1.50), Independence Palace (~£2.50), Notre Dame Cathedral exterior, and the Central Post Office. Later, join a free walking tour (tip-based, ~£5 tip) or a street food tour booked on Klook/GetYourGuide (~£15-20) to hit District 4 and District 5 markets.

🚌Walkable in District 1; Grab for District 5 (~£1-2)

🛏Hostel dorm, District 1 (~£8-12)

• →War Remnants Museum
• →Independence Palace
• →Notre Dame Cathedral & Central Post Office
• →Optional Klook street food tour

Book a half-day Cu Chi Tunnels group tour direct or via Klook (~£12-18 including transport, entry and guide) — the Ben Duoc site is less crowded than Ben Dinh. Back in the city by mid-afternoon, grab dinner, then take the Reunification Express sleeper train from Saigon station to Da Nang (~£25-35 for a soft sleeper, ~17-19 hours), or fly if you'd rather save a day (~£35-50 with VietJet/Bamboo). From Da Nang it's a ~£3 Grab or local bus to Hoi An.

🚌Group minibus to Cu Chi (~£12-18 incl. entry); sleeper train Saigon–Da Nang (~£25-35); Grab Da Nang–Hoi An (~£3)

🛏Overnight soft-sleeper train (~£30) or Hoi An hostel if flying

• →Cu Chi Tunnels half-day tour
• →Reunification Express overnight sleeper

Arrive, check into a guesthouse in the old town or An Hoi islet, and shake off the train with a slow morning. Buy the Old Town entry ticket (~£4.50) covering the Japanese Covered Bridge, assembly halls and merchant houses. In the afternoon do a lantern-making workshop (~£8-12, book direct with a workshop on Tran Phu or via Klook) or get measured for a tailored outfit (24-hour turnaround, ~£30-60). Evening: sunset on the Thu Bon river with a 30-minute boat ride (~£2).

🚌Walk; rent a bicycle (~£2/day)

🛏Guesthouse double/dorm, Hoi An (~£10-15)

• →Hoi An Old Town ticket & heritage houses
• →Lantern-making workshop
• →Tailor fitting
• →Thu Bon river boat ride

Choose your own adventure: cycle to An Bang or Cua Dai beach (~20 min, sunbed ~£2), or book a Ba Na Hills + Golden Bridge day trip via Klook/GetYourGuide (~£30-38 including cable car and transfer — go early, 7am pickup, to dodge crowds). Evening back in Hoi An: coffee tasting at a roastery such as Reaching Out or Hoi An Roastery (~£3-5) and a beach-club sunset drink at An Bang.

🚌Bicycle rental (~£2); Klook transfer included on Ba Na Hills day trip

🛏Guesthouse, Hoi An (~£10-15)

• →An Bang beach day
• →Optional Ba Na Hills & Golden Bridge tour
• →Vietnamese coffee tasting

Rent a bicycle and cross to Cam Kim island by local ferry (~£0.30) for a flat, quiet loop through rice paddies and villages. Stop at a family workshop for rice paper or sleeping mats. In the afternoon, head to Cam Thanh Coconut Village and book a basket boat ride on the spot (~£5-7, 45 min). Round off with a home-cooked meal at a village family restaurant (~£5) or a market cooking class (~£15-20 via Klook).

🚌Bicycle + local ferry (~£2.50 total)

🛏Guesthouse, Hoi An (~£10-15)

• →Cam Kim island bicycle loop
• →Coconut Village basket boat ride
• →Village family meal or cooking class

Do the Hai Van Pass the easy-rider way: hire an Easy Rider motorbike guide for the Hoi An–Hue run (~£25-35 per person, ~5 hours with stops at Marble Mountains, Lang Co lagoon and the pass summit) — book via your guesthouse. Cheaper alternative: local bus Hoi An–Hue (~£4-6, ~3.5 hours). Arrive Hue and stay in the backpacker cluster around Pham Ngu Lao / Chu Van An.

🚌Easy Rider motorbike (~£30) or public bus (~£5)

🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Hue (~£8-14)

• →Hai Van Pass by motorbike or bus
• →Marble Mountains stop
• →Lang Co lagoon viewpoint

Walk the Imperial Enclosure and Citadel (~£6 entry) in the morning, then a boat across the Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda (~£1). Lunch on bun bo Hue (~£2). In the afternoon join a garden-house cooking class (~£18-25 via Klook or direct with a family such as Thanh Toan village) — market shop, cook five dishes, eat them. Evening stroll along the Perfume River promenade and the Dong Ba market.

🚌Walk + river boat (~£1-2)

🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Hue (~£8-14)

• →Imperial City / Citadel
• →Thien Mu Pagoda boat trip
• →Garden-house cooking class

Take the morning train Hue to Ninh Binh (~£10-14, ~7-8 hours) or a sleeper bus (~£10). Base in Tam Coc village. Late afternoon, cycle out to Hang Mua and climb the ~500 steps for the classic Tam Coc panorama (entry ~£4.50) before sunset. Dinner on the Tam Coc strip (~£3-5).

🚌Train (~£12) or sleeper bus (~£10); bicycle rental (~£2)

🛏Homestay or hostel, Tam Coc (~£8-14)

• →Hue–Ninh Binh train journey
• →Hang Mua viewpoint hike
• →Tam Coc village cycling

Early morning rowboat tour through Tam Coc's caves and karst towers (~£8-10, book at the jetty, 2 hours — go at 7am to beat the crowds). Then take a shared minibus or private transfer to Ha Long/Tuan Chau harbour (~£15-22, ~3.5 hours). Board a budget overnight cruise booked via Klook, GetYourGuide or the hostel (~£60-90 per person including cabin, all meals, kayaking, a spring-roll demo and cave/beach stops).

🚌Shared minibus Ninh Binh–Ha Long (~£18)

🛏Overnight on a budget Ha Long Bay junk (~£60-90 all-in)

• →Tam Coc rowboat tour
• →Ha Long Bay overnight cruise with kayaking and spring-roll making

Wake for tai chi on the open deck and breakfast as the boat cruises back. Swim or kayak once more if the itinerary allows, disembark around 10:30-11am, then take a shared limousine bus to Hanoi (~£8-12, ~2.5-3 hours). Check into a hostel in the Old Quarter and find dinner — bun cha or banh mi (~£2-3).

🚌Shared limousine bus Ha Long–Hanoi (~£10)

🛏Hostel dorm, Hanoi Old Quarter (~£7-12)

• →Deck breakfast & tai chi on the bay
• →Kayaking/swim
• →Old Quarter evening wander

Do Hanoi on foot: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (free, mornings, closed Mon/Fri), Temple of Literature (~£1.50), Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple (~£1), then a self-booked egg coffee demo or just order one at Cafe Giang (~£1.50). Optional: water puppet theatre (~£4-6), Hanoi Opera House exterior, or a Klook street food tour through the Old Quarter (~£18-22).

🚌Walk; Grab for longer hops (~£1-2)

🛏Hostel dorm, Hanoi Old Quarter (~£7-12)

• →Temple of Literature
• →Hoan Kiem Lake & Ngoc Son Temple
• →Egg coffee at Cafe Giang
• →Optional Old Quarter street food tour

Slow breakfast and a last Old Quarter wander, then Grab or the Express Bus 86 to Noi Bai airport (~£1.50 / ~£1.30, 45-60 min). If your flight is late, drop bags at the hostel and hit a bia hoi corner before heading out.

🚌Bus 86 or Grab to Noi Bai (~£1.50)

🛏None (checkout day)

• →Old Quarter shopping
• →Airport transfer