Visitors Planet

How long does it take to backpack from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City?

I am planning an overland journey starting in Bangkok to Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, and ending up Ho Chi Minh City. My hope is to do the trip in 7 days with one day in each city and one day for transit in between. Based on some research online, it seems to take between 5-10 hours for each leg but before I book the flights into Bangkok and out of HCMC, can anyone who's done this trip before tell me whether this is reasonable? Thanks!

Public Comments

1. You will begin young and end up old.
2. It would be a shame to miss Angkor Wat - one of the greatest wonders of the world - -
3. Seven days is not enough time to adequately see one country! If only acquiring arrival and departure stamps in your passport is what you want you can probably do it flying. But you will be wasting your money traveling that way. Why not just pick two places and stay longer? Some travelers spend weeks in Bangkok and Angkor Wat alone! For each international flight you have to be at the airport at least 2 or 3 hours before flight time. Why only such a short visit to these countries, are on you on that TV show "Amazing Race?" If you intend to purchase a one way flight to Bangkok and another one way flight out of Vietnam back to your country you may be paying more than just getting a round trip to either BKK or Vietnam. Run the figures for a round trip to Bangkok and then run the figures for a one way trip to Bangkok and a one way trip home out of VN. You have to sort your visas out ahead of time too so you don't waste time there. Try to stay longer if you intend to really see something. Good luck.
4. We're planning the same trip in March but we'll be doing the trip in 18 days. You CAN do it in 7 days but you won't have much fun. Unless your idea of fun is the road trip itself. For the price of your plane ticket, I suggest staying another week; that way, you're able to absorb where you're really at. Go to travel fish to find out how to backpack through thailand, cambodia, and vietnam.
5. Backpacking as in walking or flying with a backpack? It's 363 Km from Bangkok to Siem Reap and 422 Km from Siem Reap to HCMC. No you can't do that in 7 days with one day in each city if you're walking or taking a bus. If you're flying, then it's no problem as it only takes about 1 hour to fly between each city, which gives you a day and a half in each city. Doesn't sound like fun though.
6. BKK to Angkor 3 -4 days Angkor to PP 3 days PP to HCM 3 -4 days 2 weeks taking it medium pace
7. Take an airasia flight between BKK and Saigon and have sometime to enjoy both cities and cultures. With 7 days you are just collecting stamps for your passport not enjoying yourself.