21 daysVietnamAges 18–40
21 days · Bangkok, Koh Phangan & Hanoi
Thailand & Vietnam is a 21-day group trip for solo travellers aged 18 to 40. You start in Bangkok, ride the night train to Chiang Mai, then island-hop to Koh Phangan, before flying to Hanoi for a night on Lan Ha Bay (part of the Ha Long karst area), then Ninh Binh, Hue, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City. Your Trip Host is with the group the whole way.
Updated
From, per person
$2,240 / £1,680 / €1,965 / A$3,190 / CA$3,170 / NZ$3,950 / ₹2,14,500
Free to reserve
Sarthak's best travel memories come from going solo: hostel dorms, a new activity most days, new cultures and new food. SoloNomads grew out of that.
Sarthak travels with every group, from the first day to the last, so there's always someone on hand to sort things out when plans change and to make sure nobody gets left out.
In every country, a licensed local agency and licensed local guides look after the ground services, so you get local know-how too.
Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City, 10 stops in 21 days.
10 stops
21 days
Day 1
Fly in whenever suits you and check in at the hostel. The Trip Host gets everyone together in the late afternoon to go through the three weeks ahead. Then we take the metro to Chinatown for a welcome dinner along Yaowarat Road, working from stall to stall: noodles, grilled seafood and mango sticky rice.
Day 2
A morning at the Grand Palace and Wat Pho, home of the reclining Buddha. The afternoon is free: a canal boat, the Jim Thompson House or just air-conditioning and a nap. In the evening we board the overnight sleeper train north, second class with air-con bunks.
Day 3
The train is due into Chiang Mai at about 07:15 and can run 30 to 60 minutes late. After breakfast, a rest and a shower, we head to an elephant sanctuary in the hills, where you watch a small herd feed and roam. There's no riding on this trip. Lunch is included, and the evening is free in the old city.
Day 4
The morning is yours: temples, a massage or a coffee in the old city. In the late afternoon we ride a red songthaew up to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep for the gold chedi and the view over the city at sunset. In the evening we head to an organic farm for a cooking class: you pick herbs from the garden, pound your own curry paste and cook four or five dishes for dinner.
Day 5
A short free morning for a last Chiang Mai coffee. We fly to Koh Samui, about 1 hour 30 to 1 hour 45 minutes, and go straight from the airport to the pier for the boat across to Koh Phangan, which takes about 30 to 45 minutes. There's no overnight in Samui. We aim to be checked in by early evening, with time for a first walk along the beach before dinner on your own.
Day 6
A full day boat trip to Ang Thong Marine Park, a national park of 42 limestone islands: kayaking and snorkelling, and a steep climb to a viewpoint over the islands. The climb is optional and needs proper shoes. Lunch is included. The park is usually closed from about 1 November to mid-December, so a departure in that window can't make this trip; see the note on each departure date.
Day 7
Nothing planned. Take a longtail to Bottle Beach, book a yoga class, or just stay on the sand at Thong Nai Pan.
Day 8
A travel day. We take the boat back to Koh Samui and fly on to Hanoi, connecting through Bangkok. There's no direct flight from the islands, so allow most of the day. We land in Hanoi in the evening or later, depending on the flights. The Trip Host helps you sort a SIM or eSIM and check in, with a simple dinner near the hotel on your own.
Day 9
A full day in Hanoi. The morning covers Hoan Kiem Lake, the Temple of Literature and the Old Quarter's 36 streets, each once home to a single trade. In the evening we go on a street food walk: noodle soups, grilled skewers, fresh spring rolls and a stop for a cold beer on a plastic stool. That's dinner.
Day 10
We drive out to the coast, about 3 to 4 hours by road and ferry, and board a boat for a night among the limestone karsts of Lan Ha Bay, the quieter side of the Ha Long karst formations, off Cat Ba island. The afternoon is spent kayaking between the cliffs and swimming off the boat, with a cave stop where the tide allows. Lunch and dinner are on board, and you sleep in a cabin on the water.
Day 11
An early swim or tai chi session on deck, then breakfast as the boat cruises back to harbour. The transfer to Ninh Binh takes about 4 to 6 hours by road and ferry, so we arrive in the late afternoon, with time to settle in before dinner on your own.
Day 12
A morning cycling the flat roads around Tam Coc, through rice paddies and past the limestone peaks, with a stop to climb the roughly 500 steps at Hang Mua for the view over the valley. Lunch is included. In the evening we board the overnight sleeper train south to Hue, a journey of about 10 to 11 hours.
Day 13
The train pulls in between about 08:00 and mid-morning, depending on the service. After checking in, the rest of the day is free: walk the citadel walls, browse the Dong Ba market, or rest up from the overnight ride. The Trip Host can point you to a good bowl of bun bo Hue for lunch.
Day 14
A morning boat along the Perfume River to visit two of the royal tombs, Khai Dinh and Minh Mang, with lunch on the way back. In the afternoon we drive over Hai Van Pass, with a photo stop at the top, and on to Hoi An, which takes about 3.5 to 4 hours in all. In winter it can be dusk by the time we arrive.
Day 15
A walking tour of the old town's merchant houses, the Japanese covered bridge and the central market, timed to end as the lanterns come on at dusk. In the evening we release a paper lantern on the river together, then have dinner nearby.
Day 16
Nothing planned. Get a suit or dress made by one of the tailors, cycle out to An Bang beach, or book a basket-boat ride through the coconut village on your own. The Trip Host can point you to a few tailors.
Day 17
A short flight from Da Nang gets us into Ho Chi Minh City by early afternoon. After checking in, the rest of the day is free to explore District 1, grab a coffee on a rooftop or just get your bearings.
Day 18
A morning at the War Remnants Museum and the Reunification Palace, followed by lunch near Ben Thanh Market. The afternoon is free for the market itself, a rooftop bar or the Jade Emperor Pagoda.
Day 19
A full day out to the Mekong Delta: a small boat through narrow canals, a stop at a local workshop making coconut candy, and lunch of fresh delta fruit and grilled fish. We're back in the city by early evening.
Day 20
A free day to finish any shopping or sightseeing you've missed, including an optional half day at the Cu Chi Tunnels if you book it with the Trip Host. In the evening the whole group meets for a farewell dinner at a restaurant near the Saigon River.
Day 21
The trip ends after breakfast. Tan Son Nhat airport (SGN) sits close to the centre and most people take a Grab, so a flight from late morning onwards works.
Prices are per person, and reserving is free. A date goes ahead once about 10 travellers have joined. You pay nothing until then. Once it's confirmed, we send you an invoice for the full price, and you have 7 days to pay it (or until the trip starts, if that's sooner).
7 Nov – 27 Nov 2026
AvailableClear and mild in northern Vietnam, but the Gulf islands are in their rainy season and Ang Thong (Day 6, Thu 12 Nov) is usually closed from about 1 November to mid-December. Hue and Hoi An (Days 13 to 16, 19 to 22 Nov) fall in central Vietnam's wettest weeks, when floods are most likely. The Full Moon Party (24 Nov) is after the group leaves ThailandMax 16 people
Price
$2,240 / £1,680 / €1,965 / A$3,190 / CA$3,170 / NZ$3,950 / ₹2,14,500
9 Jan – 29 Jan 2027
AvailableDry in Thailand and the south of Vietnam, though Samui can see showers early in January. Hanoi and Ninh Binh are cool and often grey (about 14 to 20°C) and Lan Ha Bay can be misty. Ang Thong is open (Day 6, Thu 14 Jan). The trip ends on Fri 29 Jan, a week before TetMax 16 people
Price
$2,240 / £1,680 / €1,965 / A$3,190 / CA$3,170 / NZ$3,950 / ₹2,14,500
6 Feb – 26 Feb 2027
AvailableDay 1 is Sat 6 Feb, Chinese New Year in Bangkok and the first day of Tet. Chiang Mai (Days 3 and 4, 8 and 9 Feb) comes before the northern Thailand smoke builds, from about 20 Feb. The group reaches Hanoi on Sat 13 Feb, when the Tet break may still be running (4 to 10 Feb or 5 to 14 Feb proposed) and many small businesses stay closed for about a weekMax 16 people
Price
$2,240 / £1,680 / €1,965 / A$3,190 / CA$3,170 / NZ$3,950 / ₹2,14,500
You reserve your spot for free and pay nothing to join. Once enough travellers have signed on, usually around 10, we confirm the departure and email you a confirmation with an invoice for the full trip price, paid by card or bank transfer within 7 days. You can pay in US dollars, pounds, euros, Australian dollars, Canadian dollars, New Zealand dollars or Indian rupees, and the price shown for each date is what you pay. Reservations close 7 days before the start.
No, this trip is sold as one 21-day booking. If you only want one country, our shorter single-country trips cover similar ground: see Thailand Express and Vietnam North to South.
Solo travellers aged 18 to 40. Most people come on their own, and some come with a friend. The maximum for each departure is shown with its dates, and it's never more than 16.
The Trip Host travels with the group for all 21 days, sorts out every transfer, ticket and check-in, and is the person you go to if anything goes wrong. Where an activity needs a local guide, one leads that visit. Nothing on the itinerary is compulsory, so tell the Trip Host if you want to skip something and nobody will wait for you.
It starts at our hostel in Bangkok in the late afternoon of Day 1, and we send the address when you book. Fly into Bangkok (BKK) for Day 1. It ends in Ho Chi Minh City after breakfast on Day 21, so book a flight out of Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) leaving from late morning.
As far as we could find, there isn't one. The nearest airport is Koh Samui, and the routings from there to Hanoi connect through Bangkok, so Day 8 is a full travel day. Day 7 on Koh Phangan is a free day, so you get a quiet day before it.
Our departures run from November to February, and each region has its own weather. Northern Vietnam is clear and mild in November, then cool and often grey from December to February, and the bays can be misty. The Gulf islands have their rainy season from October to December, and Ang Thong Marine Park is usually closed from about 1 November to mid-December. Central Vietnam, where Hue and Hoi An sit, is very wet from September to December and floods are most likely in October and November, so a flood or storm can change plans there. January and February are drier on the central coast. Tet, the Vietnamese New Year, falls on 6 February in 2027, and many small businesses stay closed for about a week. We don't run this trip from March to April (smoke in northern Thailand) or in the June to September typhoon season.
For Thailand, many nationalities, including the UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the EU and India, can enter visa-free for 30 days. You also need the free online Thailand Digital Arrival Card, filed in the 3 days before you land. For Vietnam, UK, German, French, Spanish, Italian and Swedish passport holders can stay up to 45 days without a visa. Americans, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, Irish and Indian citizens need an e-visa, applied for only at evisa.gov.vn before you travel. Rules change, so read our Thailand visa guide and Vietnam visa guide before you book flights.
Social hostels and guesthouses picked for location and cleanliness, plus one night in a cabin on the Lan Ha Bay boat and two nights on sleeper trains. You share a twin or small dorm room with travellers of the same gender. On the sleeper trains you sleep in second-class air-conditioned berths with bedding provided, in Thailand behind a curtain and in Vietnam in a shared cabin. It's not luxury, but it covers the distance overnight instead of losing a travel day.
A soft bag or backpack rather than a suitcase. Bring clothes that cover shoulders and knees for temples, swimwear for the islands and Lan Ha Bay, a light layer for cooler Hanoi and Ninh Binh mornings, sandals for the boat days, and a padlock for the sleeper train and dorm lockers. You'll want some Thai baht and Vietnamese dong, and ATMs are easy to find in most towns on this route.
Insurance is a condition of joining. It must cover medical treatment and evacuation, and it should cover the activities on this trip, including snorkelling, kayaking and cycling. For vaccinations, see a travel clinic at least eight weeks before you go. The UK's TravelHealthPro and the US CDC both publish up-to-date advice for Thailand and Vietnam.
Averagely fit. There's a day of cycling in Ninh Binh, some kayaking and swimming, steps up to Doi Suthep and Hang Mua, and a fair amount of walking in hot, humid weather.
Ask here and someone on the team will email you back within 1 to 2 business days.
From
$2,240 / £1,680 / €1,965 / A$3,190 / CA$3,170 / NZ$3,950 / ₹2,14,500