Day Tour Serenity Cruise At Lan Ha Bay From Hanoi, Hai Phong

We did the Cat Ba/Lan Ha Premium Day Cruise with pick up/drop-off in Hanoi by Cat Ba Express and Serenity Cruises, and had a wonderful experience! Transportation was smooth, and the cruise was very relaxing. Our request for vegetarian lunch was accommodated well. There were about 80 people on our boat, which was not too crowded. We especially appreciated our guide Ha’s service. Would highly recommend! I recommend confirming if they can drop you off directly at your Hanoi hotel, as they were unable to on Sunday due to street closures and we did not know prior. Also please note all drinks are an extra cost.

Wonderful experience, everything went smooth, from start to finish. We got a great tour without many other tourist biat due to the early starting time. The boat is very comfy and new. Food was great, staff even better. They really took care of us from start to finish. Our guide had perfect english, very cheerful and motivated, you can tell they like what they do and share everything about this part of vietnam since some of em were born there. Again, thank you for this wonderful tour. 10/10

Tour was a highlight of our two weeks in Vietnam. Value of this excursion is phenomenal! The staff were friendly, the lead guide had a great sense of humour, and service was top notch. Our boat was the newest and nicest in all of Lan Ha Bay. If you find another serenity cruise listing with pictures of an older boat- that one is no longer in service, it's just the new boat now in operation. Everything from pick up to drop off at the end of the day (Cat Ba island for us) was perfection. Loved that the operator only books the boat to about 1/3 of capacity so there is lots of room for all passengers.

Everything was perfect,excellent preparation, no dead timing, the trip was perfectly managed! Our guide, Tony, demonstrated excellent human skills, empathic, excellent English,excellent entertainer -he was everywhere providing explanations and being thoughtful with every client and what I appreciated the most: sharing his true love for his motherland!! Good variety of the food with vegetarian choice . All activities were very carefully prepared ( fish massage, jumping in the water,kayaking,cycling) We enjoyed the most the kayaking,but not only; and being prepared: the name of the boat(serenity) is a prediction of what you can expect from this trip!

Billy was absolutely fantastic and truly made our trip from Hanoi to Lan Ha Bay unforgettable. From the moment we arrived, his humour and warm personality stood out, he had everyone smiling and instantly created such a relaxed, enjoyable atmosphere. The organisation at the port was honestly the best I’ve experienced anywhere in Asia. Everything ran smoothly, efficiently, and without stress, which made a huge difference to the start of our day. Billy was incredibly helpful throughout—always attentive, approachable, and ready to go the extra mile to make sure everyone was comfortable and having a great time. He’s a real credit to the team, and I couldn’t recommend him highly enough. Thank you, Billy, for making our day so special!

Ha was a great tour guide, professional, warm, earnest. Food was surprisingly great (I had low expectations for a buffet). The cruise ship had great internet, which was a godsend because I had an urgent family matter during the cruise.

Had a lovely time! The crew was very helpful and made the day very enjoyable

We had an absolutely incredible day on the Serenity Cruise through Lan Ha Bay – easily the highlight of our Vietnam trip. Our guide, Cong Hua (aka “Happy”), truly lived up to his name. He was energetic, positive, and had such an infectious personality that made the whole day even better. The day started cruising through the stunning karst landscapes (those limestone cliffs are unreal), followed by kayaking around the bay which was a lot of fun. We also explored a small island, then had the chance to swim and jump off the boat – such a great experience. Lunch on board was excellent, with plenty of food and great attention to dietary requirements and allergies. After maybe one too many coffees, we jumped on a bicycle ride through Viet Hai village, which was a really cool way to see local life. The fish foot massage was a funny and memorable bonus! We finished the day cruising back with fresh fruit and tea, which was the perfect way to wind down. Everything was super well organised, including hotel pickup from Cat Ba and drop-off back in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Highly recommend this tour – it covers so much in one day and is an unforgettable way to experience Lan Ha Bay!

From Hanoi, we woke up early, around 5:30a to be picked up and shuttled over to Cat Ba. The journey was a bit long but not too bad. Once we arrived at the ferry, we were greeted by our guide, Tony. Tony was very knowledgeable and presented our itinerary very clearly. We had a nice kayak experience in the morning around 10:30a, a short walk, a short swim, and then lunch. Lunch was served around 12:30p and it was tasty and cooked fresh on board. After lunch, we took a nice 30 min nap on the top level of the boat and enjoyed the lovely scenery. We then arrived at the national park for a bike ride to a village where we experienced a fish massage and some local rice wine. Only complaint here is that the time was too short! We wrapped up the day with tea and fruit as the boat brought us back to the dock and dropped us off at our hotels. Despite the light on/off rain, Tony made sure we had a perfect day!

It was of the best experiences in Vietnam, it was complete in all senses. It was not a really good weather but we make an extra of visiting a village in middle of no where in the island of Cat Ba. One of the best experiences I could have , Tony is the MVP.

Me and my girlfriend joined the first tour of the new year. The trip was very well managed, despite the foggy day we did all the activities and more ! The food was also amazing ! Tony our guide was very genuine, funny and professional! We had a lovely time in Cat Ba, definitely recommended.

This tour was amazing, so organised and so much fun. Toni the tour guide was fantastic. Food on board was really nice. Drinks were well priced. 💯% if I'm back in Vietnam I will you them again.

The number of 5-star ratings might seem too good to be true, but I have to admit that this tour truly lives up to the hype—our expectations were exceeded by far. Transportation from Hanoi was smooth and hassle-free, and unlike other tours we’ve experienced, there were no unnecessary stops just to sell us souvenirs. The boat was exactly as shown in the pictures, and the lunch was outstanding. During the trip, we went kayaking and visited several small caves and beaches. As a group, we decided to shorten the planned two long stops for kayaking and swimming into one, allowing us to visit Cat Ba Island in the afternoon instead. This turned out to be the best decision we could have made. Cat Ba was the most beautiful place we visited in Vietnam—it truly felt like stepping into Jurassic Park. Overall, this was probably the best tour of our entire three-week trip. Cat Ba is amazing, not crowded at all, and the quality of the tour was excellent. For me, it’s a clear 10/10 and an absolute must-do on a future visit. Tony was a fantastic guide, always sharing interesting facts without talking too much. The focus was consistently on the activities and the natural surroundings, which he enriched with just the right amount of insightful information. Thanks Tony :)

Beautiful ship, great lunch, pool, jacuzzy, sunbeds...everything was great! I want to thank capt. Harry to let us drive the boat few minutes👏

This tour was delightful from start to finish. Incredibly smooth transfers to and from Hanoi made the early morning much easier to manage. The lunch was delicious (I had the vegetarian option), the activities were beautiful and engaging, and the crew was lovely. Our tour guide Tony was incredibly kind, knowledgeable, and energetic! He was fantastic from start to finish, including organizing a last minute itinerary change because of weather, which was actually a highlight of my trip. We took a bike ride through Ca Ba National Park to a local village where you could wander and see the town and farms, get a snack or get a fish massage. Tony also noticed I was solo traveling and made a point to take pictures of me during activities throughout the tour without any prompting, which I greatly appreciated! I would HIGHLY recommend this tour and company - the cruise was genuinely “serene” and I’m so glad I picked Serenity Cruises. 10/10!

Wonderful experience with my wife. The lunch and snacks were awesome. The tour guide was very friendly and resourceful. Really enjoyed a lot.

Went for the day tour and it was great! Weather wasn’t best for swimming so our tour guide adjusted our schedule for an in land bike ride to a small village which was beautiful! Still went kayaking which was super fun! Great food also :)

I booked the Serenity Premium Cruise at Cát Bà Island, and right from the beginning, the experience was excellent. The online booking process was smooth and easy. They picked us up in a well-planned charter, and the entire cruise was organized perfectly. The hospitality on board was outstanding — the crew was warm, attentive, and truly professional. Our guide was fantastic and made the whole journey even more enjoyable. Even though there were only a few guests on the day, the team delivered a top-class experience without compromising on any part of the itinerary. They took us to all the key spots around the bay, and every moment felt thoughtfully planned and beautifully executed. It was a splendid day overall. I strongly recommend the Serenity Premium Cruise to anyone visiting Cát Bà Island. This is definitely a thumbs-up from me — just go for it, don’t even think twice!

I recommend this cruise 300%. This is the only operator that we found that can flexibly pick you up and drop you off at Hanoï, Cat Ba or Nin Binh. We had an amazing time, our guide Tony was extremely friendly, accessible but also respecting our time alone. The activities were fantastic: cruise, kayaking, jumping from the boat, swimming and our highlight: feeding the monkeys on the monkey island.... Tony took care of our safety and comfort all along the cruise. We had an excellent lunch and 2 hot showers after the swim. We will leave this cruise with plenty of good memories and nostalgy, until the next one (with Cat Ba Express!!)

Great tour, Tony and his crew were very well organized and excellent hosts. The food and facilities on boat were perfect, as indicated. Tour itself had nice sporty kayaking, also exciting through caves (if tide allows). Totally recommend.

We did a day tour with a guide named ~Hậu Nguyễn Công Mr.Happy, he was amazing, kind, happy and full of good energy, definitely improves the atmosphere and makes everyone happy as soon as he starts talking. The boat was clean and tidy and the food was really delicious, highly recommend

Tony & his team very amazing! We had a wonderful experience throughout this. Highly reccomend this tour for everyone!!

Excellent day trip with Mr Hậu and Tinh! Beautiful area to experience. Must see! But be aware of the long transfer time, about 3h each way.

Our trip with Serenity Premium Cruise at Cat Ba Island was amazing from booking to drop-off. The team stayed in touch and made sure the pickup was smooth. Our guide, Hậu Nguyễn Công (Mr. Happy), was exceptional — full of energy, humor, and genuine care. He made sure everyone stayed cheerful throughout the cruise, shared fascinating stories about Lan Ha Bay, and even captured amazing group photos with great enthusiasm. Even though it rained for a short time and we couldn’t visit a few places, the kayaking and beautiful views made the trip unforgettable. The cruise offered plenty of comfortable seating to relax and enjoy the stunning scenery. Overall, a memorable and well-managed experience.

The tour was well worth it. Our director, Bin, was comical, entertaining, knowledgeable and helpful. He gave us interesting insight into Vietnam culture and history. Everything went smoothly and the boat was impressive and food delicious. It was a beautiful area and away from the busy tourist areas. Great tour and director.

Great day trip. Ha the tour guide was so friendly and informative! Yummy fresh lunch, good activities! Peaceful, family friendly, quiet and chill!

We were pleasantly surprised by the quality of this tour, the boat and the staff especially our tour guide Happy. we are not usually the kind of tourists that do tours but our parents insisted and it was totally worth the money, it does not feel like the classic rip-off tour. We chose to be picked up in Cat Ba Town and dropped down in Hanoi and there was no problem, the boat is pretty well maintained with everything being clean, and the food was so much more than we expected. I’ll recommend to do this tour if you really enjoy water activities as that is the main thing you’ll do.

What a great cruise. Phuc aka Tony is a legend! He takes care of everything. Lunch was amazing. Kayaking is the best thing I’ve experienced.

Amazing experience with Serenity Cruise. Tony, our guide, is really nice and friendly. No words for the boat. Modern and fully equipped. I will repeat!

Brilliant day on the serenity cruise. Guides where very good, delicious food, stunning scenery and fun activities including bike riding and kayaking. Highly recommend

Very relaxing, adventurous and fun filled experience. Great food, kayaking and diving. Must visit, our tour guide happy made it a lot more fun and engaging. The boat was clean and well maintained

It was the best day of my whole week. They picked me up from Hanoi. The ride was great and the cruise experience was so much good. I loved it, for sure everyone will. The food on the cruise was top notch. The best food in Vietnam I had for my entire trip. The crowd I met was cool here and would love to bring me family for this someday!

Tony was such a nice guide and the tour went perfect. Really safe about the sea. Not overcrowed or too touristc, but authentic and beautiful places. I'm vegetarian and they adapted perfectly the food. Then we booked a bus to Hanoï through Cat Ba express to be easy with the hour of return and it went perfectly. I highly recommend for the best experience, full of nature and preserved places, in a respectful way. Kayaking of swimming tour were so funny. The person on board were also really nice. Thanks a lot !

The boat tour was an amazing experience. The staff were friendly, professional, and always attentive to our comfort and safety. They shared interesting information about the places we visited and made the trip enjoyable. The service on board was excellent, and the views were unforgettable. I highly recommend this tour!

From start to finish, Serenity Cruises delivered an incredible experience. The team coordinated hotel transfers seamlessly, checking in with everyone ahead of time to make sure pickups were smooth and stress-free. Once onboard, the yacht itself was stunning – grand, comfortable, and truly impressive. The activities were just as memorable: kayaking through beautiful waters, biking with amazing views, and exploring the area in such a fun, active way. Everything felt well organized and thoughtfully planned. Overall, it was such a cool and amazing experience – definitely a 5 out of 5. Highly recommend Serenity Cruises!

We were lucky to be advised on arrival that our trip would be on Serenity’s new boat - it was stunning! Spacious, with many different sitting areas, inside and out. The food was amazing. We really enjoyed the side trip to Viet Hai where we rode bikes through the village. We returned to the boat for kayaking around the limestone bays, the water was mostly clean where we anchored. It’s a long day with a few hours of travel but well worth it! Our guide for the day was Binh and he was wonderful - knowledgeable, interactive and fun.

Lots of variety, fun activities. Great views. More quiet than Ha Long Bay. Quaint town that you can bike through.

We had an amazing experience with Serenity Premium Cruise. The food was great, and the team and guide were fantastic. Overall, it was a truly memorable experience. We loved it and highly recommend it to everyone. Go for it, guys!

The tour was a great and relaxing experience. It's a beautiful and comfortable boat with 3 floors, 2 toilets including showers. The kayaking was nice though it was crowded, and apparently it wasn't even high season. You literally bumped into others when going through the cave. The area is gorgeous! The jumping of the boat and swimming was fun and refreshing. No snorkeling though, nothing to see. The lunch was superb! The crew was super kind and smoothies were delicious. But be aware of the super slippery floor on the boat. You wouldn't be the first to fall... Overall, I can highly recommend it.

What an incredible day. We booked online and had all the information sent out to us. Travelling from Hanoi, stayed in cat ba town which isn’t what you expect as a lot of construction happening at the moment, however the minute you’re on the cruise, it’s all forgotten about The staff were outstanding. Our tour guide Happy was enthusiastic and so friendly. Had a lot of fun with him. Very knowledgable about the islands as that’s his home town. Would highly recommend the cruise. My only regret is not doing the 2 day cruise

Really enjoyed this tour and so worth it. Everything described on the website was exactly presented. Our tour guide Binh is very helpful, friendly and knowledgeable.

An amazing one day tour with Serenity Cruise at Lan Ha Bay from Hanoi. Pickup from Hotel, the tour guide Bigh (Billy) was fantastic from start 7am to 8pm finish. Billy made you feel welcome, positive, was very informative. The boat was nice a medium size which was nice as so not too many people, easy to chill and relax. Lunch was amazing enjoyed the local oysters and large prawns. The kids enjoyed the spring rolls and fries as not so adventurous with food. I jumped off the top of boat 4 times and raced my son down the water slides. The cycle tour and fish around feet was a highlight along with the amazing views throughout the boat tour including a floating village like the movie Water World. Others I have met on the street in Hanoi did Halong bay and did not enjoy as far too busy, so many boats unlike this tour. A big thanks for a special day would highly recommend. Ellis family New Zealand.

Honestly I've been reading the bad reviews only for Han la bay not to have too many expectations but was really pleasantly surprised. We visited Cat Ba national park, not that many people, same for the place we stopped for kayaking and swimming. Maybe because the weather was misty and drizzling ? I don't know but I had a good time even though I'm not much of a 'big tour' person

This tour is much more authentic and less crowded than Halong Bay. They take you to cat ba, where you navigate on the waters, then visit a small village in the national park. There were barely no other boats and tourists with us during the whole tour, making this experience much more pleasant. The staff is super friendly and the buffet on board was outstanding, one of the best meal of my trip. ***Cat Ba island is currently getting a new cable car so I recommend doing this tour ASAP, as maybe in one year it will become very touristy.

The trip was pleasant: The travel. I don’t think the swimming component is nécessaire and it would have been nice to maybe spend 40 minutes actually in Cat Ba itself. The rest stop prices were very expensive. The guide was considerate and professional.

This is a great trip! Our guide was very informative, helpful and funny! After seeing some of the other tour boats around, ours was definitely the best one. The lunch was absolutely delicious with loads of options to suit dietary needs. I don’t usually do reviews, but seeing as I’m always using them to make my decisions I thought I’d return rhetorical favour! 🩷

The tour was simply excellent. Great food (even for vegetarians or vegans), extra surprise was one way travel by the tallest cable car in the world, the programme was fully kept despite colder weather (but most people went kayaking, remember to take extra clothing to get wet, we didnt so could not go kayaking and some people even went swimming despite colder weather). The guide Binh (Billy) was amazing, very funny, with detailed information , a real professional. Thank you, Binh.

So fun and relaxing. We packed a lot in and I felt like I got a great taste of Lan Ha bay. Everyone was friendly and Tony was great company.

All of the tour guides we had on this trip spoke great English, were enthusiastic to share information about their country and more.