Vietnam Starter Route: Hanoi to Saigon Self-Launched
7 days · Vietnam
Up Travel Vietnam charges £590
No-markup version: ~£352 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A solo-friendly, self-launched version of Up Travel Vietnam's 7-day north-to-south intro, done with hostel/guesthouse stays, local buses and shared day tours instead of private transfers and 3-5* hotels. Cover Hanoi's Old Quarter highlights and the Quang Phu Cau incense village, a Ninh Binh day of karsts and sampan rowing, a budget Lan Ha Bay overnight cruise, then fly south for the Mekong Delta and Ho Chi Minh City. Costs are rough backpacker estimates in GBP and assume a dorm or budget private room, street food and local transport.
Day-by-day
Land in Hanoi, settle into the Old Quarter
Hanoi
Fly into Noi Bai (HAN). Skip the private airport transfer and take the Vietnam Airlines shuttle bus No. 86 (~£1.30) or Grab bike/car (~£8-10) into the Old Quarter. Check into a hostel dorm or budget guesthouse near Ma May / Hang Bac. Spend the afternoon walking the Old Quarter loop: Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son Temple (temple ticket ~£1), the 36 streets, and a bia hoi corner for a £0.30 beer. Evening street-food crawl: bun cha, pho and a egg coffee. Book tomorrow's day tour and Wednesday's Ninh Binh trip via GetYourGuide or Klook, and pre-book your Lan Ha Bay cruise directly with a budget operator (e.g. a 1-night Lan Ha Bay cruise in the £85-110 range including meals, kayaking and transfers).
🚌Airport shuttle bus No. 86 ~£1.30; walking in the Old Quarter
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Old Quarter (~£8-12/night)
- →Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple
- →Old Quarter street-food walk
- →Bia hoi corner
- →Book Ninh Binh + Lan Ha Bay tours
Hanoi city highlights plus the incense village
Hanoi
Do a self-booked small-group Hanoi city tour (GetYourGuide/Klook, ~£25-30) that bundles Quang Phu Cau incense village with the city sights — this is far cheaper than booking each separately. Morning at the incense village (best light ~8-9am, photos of the red incense bundles), then back into town for Train Street (buy a drink at a trackside cafe to sit legally), Hoa Lo Prison (~£1.20 entry), Temple of Literature (~£1.20), an outside look at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Ba Dinh Square, and Tran Quoc Pagoda on West Lake. Finish with a complimentary-style egg coffee (budget ~£1.20). DIY alternative: Grab a car to Quang Phu Cau (~£10 each way, shareable) and do the city sights on foot.
🚌Group tour minibus included in tour price; otherwise Grab ~£10 each way to Quang Phu Cau
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Old Quarter (~£8-12/night)
- →Quang Phu Cau incense village
- →Train Street
- →Hoa Lo Prison
- →Temple of Literature
- →Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (exterior)
- →Ba Dinh Square
- →Tran Quoc Pagoda
- →Egg coffee
Ninh Binh: Hoa Lu, Tam Coc and Mua Cave
Ninh Binh
Book a Ninh Binh small-group day trip (Klook/GetYourGuide, ~£28-35) covering Hoa Lu ancient capital with the Dinh and Le temples, a bike ride through village lanes, a bamboo sampan row through Tam Coc's limestone caves (~£10 if done independently), and the 500-step climb up Mua Cave to the Lying Dragon Mountain viewpoint. If you'd rather self-launch it: local bus or train from Hanoi to Ninh Binh (~£5-7, 2-2.5 hrs), rent a bicycle (~£2) or Grab, and buy individual site tickets. Lunch of goat meat and fried rice at a local spot ~£4. Return to Hanoi in the evening.
🚌Day-tour minibus included; DIY option local bus/train ~£5-7 each way
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Hanoi Old Quarter (~£8-12/night)
- →Hoa Lu ancient capital
- →Dinh and Le temples
- →Village bike ride
- →Tam Coc bamboo sampan
- →Mua Cave and Lying Dragon Mountain viewpoint
Lan Ha Bay overnight cruise from Tuan Chau
Lan Ha Bay
Early pickup from Hanoi Old Quarter (shared shuttle, usually included in cruise price, ~2.5-3 hrs to Tuan Chau Harbor). Board a budget/mid-range Lan Ha Bay cruise — cheaper and quieter than the Halong Bay overnight boats. Afternoon cruising past Con Vit Islet, Thumb Islet and Gia Luan Harbor, then swimming and kayaking in the bay lagoons. Book directly with a local operator rather than via an aggregator for the best rate; expect a basic en-suite cabin, all meals, kayak and transfers for roughly £85-110 per person. Sunset from the sundeck, squid fishing after dark, and a beer with the crew.
🚌Shared shuttle Hanoi-Tuan Chau included in cruise (~£0 extra); boat cruising included
🛏Budget Lan Ha Bay cruise cabin (twin/double, en-suite)
- →Con Vit Islet and Thumb Islet
- →Gia Luan Harbor
- →Swimming and kayaking in Lan Ha Bay
- →Sunset on deck
- →Optional squid fishing
Frog Pond morning, fly south to Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Breakfast on board, then an early kayak or swim at Frog Pond before a farewell brunch as the boat heads back to Tuan Chau. Shared shuttle back to Hanoi (included). Book a cheap VietJet or Bamboo Airways one-way Hanoi-Saigon flight yourself in advance — ~£35-50 if booked a few weeks out — rather than paying an operator's £120+ local-payment markup. Alternatively the Reunification Express train takes ~30 hrs and isn't worth it on a 7-day trip. Land at Tan Son Nhat, Grab into District 1 (~£3), check into a hostel in the backpacker quarter (Pham Ngu Lao / Bui Vien) and eat a bowl of pho for dinner.
🚌Cruise shuttle to Hanoi included; domestic flight Hanoi-Saigon ~£35-50; Grab airport transfer ~£3
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, District 1 (~£8-14/night)
- →Frog Pond swim/kayak
- →Farewell brunch on board
- →Evening wander of Pham Ngu Lao
Mekong Delta day trip from Saigon
Mekong Delta / My Tho and Ben Tre
Join a small-group Mekong Delta day tour (Klook/GetYourGuide, ~£22-30) to My Tho and Ben Tre. Stops typically include Vinh Trang Pagoda, a sampan boat ride along the Mekong, Unicorn Island for tropical fruit and southern folk music, a hand-rowed sampan down Thoi Son Canal, a bee farm with honey tea, coconut candy making, and a bicycle loop around Tan Thach village (or a hammock and a book). Lunch at a local restaurant is normally included. DIY version: local bus from Saigon's Mien Tay station to My Tho (~£1.50), then hire a boat at the pier and rent a bike — cheaper but slower and more haggling.
🚌Group tour minibus and boats included; DIY bus ~£1.50 each way
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, District 1 (~£8-14/night)
- →Vinh Trang Pagoda
- →Mekong sampan cruise
- →Unicorn Island fruit tasting and folk music
- →Thoi Son Canal rowboat
- →Bee farm and honey tea
- →Coconut candy workshop
- →Village bicycle ride
Saigon highlights and departure
Ho Chi Minh City
Self-guided morning in the city: War Remnants Museum (~£1.70), the Independence Palace (~£2.70), Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office exterior, plus Ben Thanh Market for last-minute shopping and a banh mi breakfast (~£1.20). If time allows, a cheap Grab bike to District 4 for a coffee and a look at the skyline. Grab to Tan Son Nhat airport (~£2.50-4) for your onward flight, allowing 2.5 hrs before departure.
🚌Walking plus Grab to airport ~£3
🛏None — departure day
- →War Remnants Museum
- →Independence Palace
- →Notre-Dame Cathedral and Central Post Office
- →Ben Thanh Market
- →Banh mi breakfast
Self-launched vs. Up Travel Vietnam
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Up Travel Vietnam | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£352 | £590 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £238 per person (40%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Up Travel Vietnam-style trips? Check them out here.~£352
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Vietnam Starter Route: Hanoi to Saigon Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £352 per person for 7 days in Vietnam. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Up Travel Vietnam?+
Yes — Up Travel Vietnam charges around £590 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £352 — a saving of roughly £238 (40%) per person.
How long is the Vietnam trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 day-by-day stops through Vietnam.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, budget, foodie trip through Vietnam, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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