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Ha Long Bay cruise: how to choose a trip from Hanoi
Ha Long Bay cruise choices come down to time and money. A day trip shows you a glimpse of the bay, while one or two nights on a boat lets you see it at sunset and sunrise. For most visitors, one night is the best balance, and booking through a Hanoi agent or hotel is safer than buying at the pier.
This guide compares the options, explains the trip from Hanoi and lists what to check before you pay.
Why the bay is worth the trip
Ha Long Bay lies in the Gulf of Tonkin, in Quang Ninh province in northeast Vietnam. UNESCO says it holds more than 1,600 islands and islets, most of them uninhabited and untouched by people. They form a seascape of limestone pillars. The bay was added to the World Heritage List in 1994, and the listing was extended in 2000.
UNESCO gives the distance from Hanoi as 165 km. Other guides round it to 170 km. That is a long day on the road, which is why the choice of trip matters.
Sources for this section: UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Ha Long Bay (list entry 672).
Getting there from Hanoi
Most travellers book a package that includes the transfer. If you go on your own, the minibus from Gia Lam bus station takes about four hours and stops often to pick up passengers. One guide lists a ticket at 90,000 dong. Tourist shuttle buses from the Old Quarter take four to six hours, depending on how many stops the driver makes.
Those road times matter when you weigh a day trip. Eight or more hours on a bus leaves little time on the water. Ask the agent exactly how many hours you will spend on the boat, not just the total hours of the tour.
Sources for this section: UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Ha Long Bay; Wikitravel, Ha Long Bay (traveller guide, how to get there from Hanoi).
Day trip or overnight cruise
Traveller guides give the same simple advice. A day cruise shows you a glimpse of the bay. If you want more, allow at least two days. The best moments come at sunset, at sunrise and on a starry or moonlit night, and you only see those if you stay on board.
| Trip | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Day trip | One spare day, a tight budget | Long bus rides and little time afloat |
| 2 days, 1 night | Most first visitors | Check what the price includes |
| 3 days, 2 nights | Time to spare, a night on Cat Ba Island | The boat's air conditioning may not work on cheaper trips |
A cruise that includes a night on Cat Ba Island, the most popular destination in the bay, adds a hotel stay and a visit to the national park. The Cat Ba langur, an endangered monkey, lives there.
Sources for this section: Wikitravel, Ha Long Bay (cruise tips and islands).
What a cruise costs
Prices vary a lot, and these figures come from traveller reports, so treat them as a guide only. One guide says an all-inclusive two day, one night cruise can cost under US$40. It puts a medium quality three day, two night trip at around US$65 when booked through a reputable Hanoi agent. That price covers one night on the boat, one night in a two star hotel on Cat Ba, bus transfers, cave and park entry, kayaking and meals.
If a price sounds too good to be true, it probably is. A very low price often means the tour leaves out entry fees or transfers.
Sources for this section: Wikitravel, Ha Long Bay (organised tours and cruise tips).
What to check before you pay
- Ask what is included and what is not. Kayaking and transfers are the usual surprises.
- Get a hotline number. If a storm warning cancels the cruise, you need someone to call.
- Book in Hanoi. A travel agent or your hotel is safer and cheaper than booking at the bay.
- Be careful at Bai Chay wharf. Touts may wear badges that look official. Some taxi drivers drop travellers at side entrances where friends wait to sell tours. Walk away from anyone who promises that everything is included.
- Ask about the boat. Is the cabin air conditioned, and how many guests share the boat?
Whichever trip you choose, keep a copy of what you were promised in writing. It gives you something to point to if the tour is different on the day.
Sources for this section: Wikitravel, Ha Long Bay (cruise tips).
When to go
You can visit all year, but the weather changes what you see. Bad weather spoils the view. One guide names March to June as the best time and suggests avoiding the crowded public holidays on 30 April and 1 May.
- June to September: low season, with better deals. Watch the storm forecasts.
- October and November: high season again, and still sunny.
- December: cool, cloudy but dry.
- January and February: cold, foggy and drizzly, and the showers hide the bay.
Our advice is simple. Pick the overnight cruise if you can spare the time, book it through a Hanoi agent, and ask what is included before you hand over any money.
Sources for this section: Wikitravel, Ha Long Bay (cruise tips).
Sources
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Ha Long Bay (list entry 672), as archived on 17 August 2013: whc.unesco.org
- Wikitravel, Ha Long Bay, as archived in July 2013: wikitravel.org