About this trip
This 22-day overland route runs from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City, cutting through northern Thailand, the river towns of Laos and the length of Vietnam. It's a trip built on movement and contrast, from the sprawl of Bangkok to the quiet of Mekong villages to the pace of Hanoi and Saigon.
You'll travel by overnight train, boat and road, spending real time on the Mekong and getting to know small communities along its banks as well as the bigger cultural stops like Luang Prabang and Hue.
Expect long travel days mixed with slower, more local moments — this is as much about the journey between places as the places themselves.
What you'll do
- Overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai
- Boat journey down the Mekong through remote Lao villages
- Explore the old town charm of Luang Prabang
- Motorbike sightseeing tour around Hue with local drivers
- Walk the shoreline at Ha Long Bay
- Experience the contrast between Hanoi's calm lakes and Ho Chi Minh City's energy
- Covers a lot of ground, including two long overnight trains (Bangkok to Chiang Mai, and Hanoi to Hue, around 12 hours) in mixed-gender shared compartments
- Laos stretches can involve bumpy roads, delays and basic but clean accommodation — patience helps
- Between February and April, low Mekong water levels may mean parts of the river journey are done by land instead
The same-vibe trips, side by side — price, value per day, and how each is moving. Only we can lay two operators' trips out honestly.
Sorted by fit — never by who paid. Price moves and availability come from our own daily tracking.
Getting there
Opens Trip.com, pre-filled — one-way so you can book your return whenever. Prices & booking shown there.
Where to stay
A night before your tour in Bangkok · 2 Oct – 3 Oct
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