Vietnam Self-Launched: Hanoi, Halong Bay, Pu Luong & Hoi An

Fly into Noi Bai International Airport and complete the online Pre-Arrival Declaration within 3 days before arrival if required. Take the Vietjet/Vietbus express airport bus (route 86, ~£1.30) or a Grab/airport taxi (~£8-10) to a hostel or budget hotel in the Old Quarter. Spend the evening on a self-led wander of the 36 Streets, sample bun cha or pho at a street stall, and catch a water puppet show at Thang Long Theatre (~£4) if timing suits. Sort a local SIM/eSIM (Viettel or Mobifone, ~£5-8 for 30 days of data) and download Grab for cheap city rides.

🚌Airport express bus 86 (~£1.30) or Grab car (~£9)

🛏Old Quarter hostel or budget hotel (dorm ~£6-9, private double ~£16-22)

• →Old Quarter self-guided walk
• →Street food dinner (bun cha / pho)
• →Thang Long water puppet show (optional, ~£4)
• →Buy local SIM data plan

Book a women-led motorbike city tour (the same concept G Adventures uses) via GetYourGuide or direct with a local operator — roughly 4 hours with a female driver-guide, ~£28-35. Loop past Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum exterior, Ba Dinh Square, One Pillar Pagoda, Tran Quoc Pagoda and Huu Tiep Lake, then stop for a big bowl of pho in the Old Quarter. In the afternoon, walk the French Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake yourself, or join a cheap evening street-food walking tour (~£15, bookable on Klook).

🚌Walking + Grab motorbike rides (~£1-2 each)

🛏Old Quarter hostel or budget hotel

• →Women-led motorbike city tour (~£30)
• →Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum & One Pillar Pagoda
• →Tran Quoc Pagoda
• →Pho lunch in Old Quarter
• →Optional evening street food tour (~£15)

Take a mid-morning shuttle bus from Hanoi Old Quarter to Halong Bay (~2.5-3 hrs, ~£6-9 via local operator or Vietbus/limousine van). Join a 1-night junk boat cruise booked independently (Klook/GetYourGuide/local Halong operators: ~£65-110 pp including cabin, meals, kayaking and cave visits) — many depart from Hanoi with pickup, but the cheaper and more flexible route is a direct bus plus a Bai Chay-based cruise. Kayak through limestone caves, swim, and enjoy a seafood dinner on deck as the karsts light up.

🚌Shuttle bus Hanoi–Halong (~£7) + junk boat cruise

🛏Junk boat cabin (included in cruise price)

• →Overnight junk boat cruise
• →Kayaking through karst caves
• →Sunset on deck / squid fishing
• →Seafood dinner aboard

Return to Hanoi by shuttle bus (~£7, ~3 hrs), then take a bus or shared van to Pu Luong via Thanh Hoa or Ba Thuoc (~£8-12, 4-5 hrs; local buses depart from Giap Bat or Nuoc Ngam station, or arrange a direct shared transfer through your homestay). Settle into a homestay or eco-guesthouse with terrace views near Ban Don or Ban Hieu (~£10-18 pp). Spend the late afternoon walking the surrounding rice paddies and having dinner with your host family.

🚌Shuttle bus to Hanoi (~£7) + local bus/shared van to Pu Luong (~£10)

🛏Pu Luong homestay or eco-guesthouse (~£12-18, often with dinner)

• →Rice terrace walking
• →Homestay dinner with local family

Book a local village guide through your homestay or Pu Luong EcoTour (~£12-18 for a half-day). Trek through terraced paddies towards Ban Cong and Ban Hieu, passing stilt-house villages, then raft down the Ma River on bamboo rafts. Many homestays arrange a riverside BBQ picnic lunch (~£7-10). Afternoon: waterfall swim at Hieu or free time in the fields. This is the highlight day of the northern half — go slow and take lots of photos.

🚌Walking + bamboo raft on the Ma River

🛏Pu Luong homestay or eco-guesthouse

• →Guided rice terrace trek (~£15)
• →Bamboo rafting on the Ma River (~£6)
• →Riverside BBQ picnic lunch (~£8)
• →Waterfall swim

Transfer back to Hanoi (or fly from Thanh Hoa/Noi Bai) to Da Nang. Best value: shuttle back to Hanoi (~£8) plus a one-way flight Hanoi–Da Nang (~£35-55 on Vietjet/Bamboo, book early), then a Grab or shuttle van Da Nang–Hoi An (~£5, 45 min). Alternatively, overnight sleeper train (see day notes) or an open-tour bus. Check into a hostel or budget hotel in Hoi An's old town (~£9-16). Join an independently bookable cooking class — a half-day market-to-table class with a local chef runs ~£22-30 on Klook/GetYourGuide, including a three-course meal.

🚌Bus/shuttle Pu Luong–Hanoi (~£8), flight Hanoi–Da Nang (~£45), Grab Da Nang–Hoi An (~£5)

🛏Hoi An hostel or budget guesthouse (~£10-16)

• →Local market tour + Vietnamese cooking class (~£25)
• →Evening wander of Hoi An Old Town

Explore Hoi An Old Town on foot with a cheap old-town entry ticket (~£5). Book a short guided walking tour (~£8-12 on Klook) or self-navigate: Chua Cau (Japanese Covered Bridge), Ong Pagoda, the Assembly Halls, and the central market. Hunt down the town's best banh mi at Banh Mi Phuong or Madam Khanh (~£1.20 each). Afternoon options: a bicycle rental (~£1.50/day) to An Bang or Cua Dai beach, or Tailor Alley shopping.

🚌Walking + rented bicycle (~£1.50)

🛏Hoi An hostel or budget guesthouse

• →Old Town heritage ticket & walking tour (~£10)
• →Japanese Covered Bridge & Ong Pagoda
• →Banh mi tasting (~£3)
• →Bicycle to An Bang beach

Pick one of two self-bookable options. (A) My Son Sanctuary guided sunrise tour from Hoi An, ~£22-30 on Klook/GetYourGuide, including transport, guide, entrance and often a boat return down the Thu Bon River. (B) Kayak tour from Cua Dai Bridge through the nipa-palm mangroves to a fishing village, ~£18-25 including guide and gear. Both leave in the morning; spend the afternoon at a cafe or on the beach.

🚌Operator shuttle included in tour

🛏Hoi An hostel or budget guesthouse

• →My Son Sanctuary tour (~£26) OR mangrove kayaking (~£20)
• →Afternoon beach/cafe time

Take an early flight Da Nang–Ho Chi Minh City (~£35-50 on Vietjet/Bamboo) or, for a slower, cheaper option, the Reunification Express from Da Nang to Saigon (SE trains, ~20 hrs, hard sleeper ~£20-28 — depart the night before if using this). On arrival, check into a District 1 hostel (~£8-14). Enjoy a pedalled cyclo tour of the city centre (~£6-10 for an hour, plus tip), see Notre Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office and Ben Thanh Market, then join a sunset river cruise on the Saigon River (~£8-12 bookable on Klook).

🚌Flight Da Nang–HCMC (~£42) or sleeper train (~£25); cyclo tour & river boat

🛏District 1 hostel or budget hotel (~£9-15)

• →Cyclo city tour (~£8)
• →Saigon River sunset cruise (~£10)
• →Ben Thanh Market & central sights

Hire a bicycle in District 1 (~£5/day) or book a cycling-and-tunnel tour (~£28-35 on GetYourGuide, which includes bike, guide, entry and lunch) — a good option if you want the off-the-beaten-track countryside route with support. The self-led version: cycle or take bus 13/94 towards Cu Chi (~1hr, ~£0.50), pay the tunnels entry (~£4), and explore the Ben Dinh section, including the shooting range and tunnel crawl. Return in the late afternoon for a farewell dinner and beers on Bui Vien walking street (~£8).

🚌Bicycle hire (~£5) or bus (~£0.50); optional cycle tour with support

🛏District 1 hostel or budget hotel

• →Cu Chi Tunnels entry & tour (~£4, or ~£30 with guided cycle tour)
• →Countryside cycling
• →Bui Vien Street farewell dinner (~£8)

Check out at your own pace. Breakfast on pho or a banh mi, pick up any last souvenirs at Ben Thanh Market, and take bus 109 or a Grab to Tan Son Nhat Airport (~£1.50-6) for your international flight home. If you still have time, the War Remnants Museum (~£1.50) or the Independence Palace (~£2) are worth a morning.

🚌Bus 109 to Tan Son Nhat (~£1.50) or Grab (~£6)

🛏None (departure day)

• →War Remnants Museum (optional, ~£1.50)
• →Independence Palace (optional, ~£2)