Halong Bay Cruise - Day Tours

We just got off a 3 day 2 night Orchid cruise on Cruise 2. Staff, food, facilities and adventures were all great. Chris our waiting stood out and made our stay exceptional.

I have pretty mixed emotions about my experience at Ha Long Bay. Our day tour package was professional and well managed and the scenery as we cruised around the bay was beautiful. However, the touristic stop offs at the ‘amazing cave’ and ‘Titov island’ were spoilt by the overwhelmingly vast number of groups being herded like cattle through the sites. I am very aware of the irony that I am a tourist… complaining about there being too many tourists, but it feels like a free for all that’s got out of hand and needs some regulating. Cap the number of boats allowed in the bay each day or the number of groups going through the stops at certain times maybe. Something needs to be done to make tourism in this area sustainable.

No one can control the weather. Our sightseeing boat trip has the unfortunate luck of sailing on a gloomy, cold, windy and rainy day. Visibility was limited and water looked dirty. Saw many orange floating buoys. After 15 minutes, seeing one limestone karst, you’ve seen them all. Boring. Similar to seeing the limestone karsts in Guilin. The saving grace of the day was visiting the awesome Hang Sung Sot cave.

Beautiful place with amazing places to stop like Ti Top island, bamboo boat ride and the Hang Sun Sot cave system. It took about two hours by bus from Hanoi but it was worth the wait. Even a bit of rain wasn't enough to spoil the day. The whole experience was peaceful, soothing and a photographers delight.

little bit tired from traveling on boat but it was ok, I love kayaking in the middle of Halong Bay, and into the cave

Previous negative reviews are accurate. Despite this being a UNESCO World Heritage sight, it is spoiled by the massive piles of trash in the water. Surely it can’t be that difficult to clean it up? The cruise companies surely have a responsibility here as well as the government to sort this out Such a shame as the Islands and bay are so picturesque. The town itself, at the harbour is very run down and many buildings seem empty. A real shame because the cruise company was excellent and deserve a great review (Orchid)

The bay itself is beautiful and all the islands make a great ambiance. The boat was fun and it was relaxing. The stops were nice but overcrowded. The photo opportunities were great. Especially from the top of ti top.

Not worth the time or the money. Lots of rubbish in the water and typical tourist places. Worst tour/boat trip of our lives. Booked a 6hr cruise. 1st stop, cave. 2nd stop another cave. 3rd stop some kind of beach. You are not allowed to take your own water onboard if it’s in a plastic bottle, so bear that in mind. You have to pay for water onboard or any other drinks. Lunch is included but the food is very dodgy. No toilet paper in toilets. Awful, horrible trip.

The pick and drop were comfortable. The host, Thanh was very cordial and explained a lot about the culture. Halong Bay is beautiful and relaxing.

Cloudy day,bit cold, but it was wonderful. Tranquility and serenity. Oarsman started singing when we were under the cavern opening,the sound of water and her voice made the trip truly memorable.

Loved the tour but very tiring, might be best to do like a 2-3 day tour if you want to make the most of it. A lot of beautiful sights crammed into a full day tour, with lunch included - you have a lot of options in terms of tour providers, Be very selective, read reviews exhaustively! I enjoyed the fresh air, sea water and meeting new folks and doing water activities together. The bus ride was hell, 2 hours or so each way but from what I learned it is much better compared to before because there is an expressway now. Can't imagine how much longer that travel could have taken without the highway.

PILES OF TRASH. Interesting and unique marine landscape but the water and shoreline are covered in trash and plastic. They sent us on kayaks from a floating fish farm, the first 200m of surrounding water near the farmsmelt distrusting! Water was full of trash. I didn’t want the water to touch my skin it was so dirty. You couldn’t not paddle without your paddle knocking into plastic in the water. The bay needs to be cleaned up, it’s disgusting

I've never visited a such amazing place: Halong Bay! You love nature? You love landscape? The answer is Halong Bay, the unique trip style in Vietnam recognized as a World Natural Heritage!

less tourists after the covid and not crowded. Great to be back again. Wonderful time and good weather, boat was nice and staffs was friendly and helpful

My experience in a long day is good though there are a lot of ships and tourist and the river is not so clean but the total experience is very good we go into the mountain go inside the cave go kayaking and the Vietnamese people are very kind and very hospitable I also love the food.

Me and dad were on a one day Halong Bay Trip bought from an agent at the airport. Excuse me for forgetting the name of the agent. The cost per person for this one day trip was USD39 (fees may vary when you travel). There was a hotel/ hostel pickup and then to the boat, stopping at different islands, lunch included, 10-15 mins toilet stops to and from Hanoi to to Halong Bay. It was a day well spent. Recommended. (I travel with my dad who is a senior)

Why substitute? The 36 hour cruise which we had booked was ccancelled at the last moment because of COVID19 so we took a three-hour trip round Ha long Bay. Even this was sufficient enough for us to see the beauty of the small islands and coves (and caves). Because of the circumstances our small party of six was obliged to book a whole boat so a bit more pricey - 450,000 VND each - but good value for money the crew were helpful and informative. The health authorities had to authorise the trip before we could set off after completed a comprehnsive health declaration.

I enjoyed halong bay cruise, it was officialy introduced by the Tuan Chau International Marina. Schedule was that: ------------------------ 21/FEB/2020 start AM9:15, finish PM16:00. ship NO. is"48 QN-6407". ship name is "HUY LOC TOUR" ------------------------ And I was stolen ¥20000(=4000,000vnd) from my bag that I left in the ship, when I played the kayak, or went to tea top island(1 hour) or went to Sung sot cave(1 hour). In the time, ship clue and tour guide is only persons in the ship. Tour guide and ship clue was 3-5 persons and one of them(or all) is the criminal. Sure, I was foolish about forgetting to lock the bag. But I was too exciting, and I didn't think ship clue did steal... I trusted ship clue and tour guide... And I noticed that my money stolen when I already went back to hanoi in the night of the day. So I couldn't go to halong police. (In the vetnam, I must go to Halong police in the case...) So, I texted to Tuan Chau International Marina by facebook but no reaction. And called to them but they talk in vetnamee only, so I couldn't comunicate with them. If clues of Tuan Chau International Marina read it, Please go to halong police about this ploblem, and try to find out. The criminal is only 3-5 persons, and the criminal may exchange \20000(two of \10000 paper money) in the money changer in the last February. It seems that criminal is easy to find. I'm OK that my money don't back to me. It's a fee to learn about life, I think so. But the criminal must be caught. If not, next traveler will be stolen again and again. I think Halong bay cruice is very good, but all of ship clue is not good. I hope Halong to be more good city for every traveler. thank you. ------ Ｉ　ｔｈｉｎｋ　Ｈａｌｏｎｇ　ｂａｙ　ｃｒｕｉｃｅ　ｉｓ　ｖｅｒｙ　ｇｏｏｄ， ｂｕｔ　ａｌｌ　ｏｆ　ｓｈｉｐ　ｃｌｕｅ　ｉｓ　ｎｏｔ　ｇｏｏｄ． Ｉ ｈｏｐｅ Ｈａｌｏｎｇ ｔｏ ｂｅ ｍｏｒｅ ｇｏｏｄ ｃｉｔｙ ｆｏｒ ｅｖｅｒｙ ｔｒａｖｅ ｔｈａｎｋ　ｙｏｕ．

I felt like one day cruise is just amazing, the trip I took with Cat Ba Adventures was quite well organized, the guide was speaking a great english. They normally take passengers to not so famous destinations around but very pretty, totally worth it!

Try Halong cruise with friends and was good. The cave and islands were so beautiful. Also having lunch on the boat was nice experience. Only thing that now Halong has many tourists and make this place so dirty and the water was also seems oily and many plastic. The tourists need to be discipline and do not trough garbage everywhere

We were in Hanoi on Dec 29, 2019 when we tried to book a Halong Bay one day tour. We checked a few tour companies and finally settled on VietLux travel as there was a TripAdvisor sign prominently displayed on the front of the store. Halley helped us book the tour and she called the tour company to make sure everything was set up. She then gave me her contact info (cell number and whatsapp) to stay in touch. On the day of the tour, she followed up via WhatsApp to make sure we got on the bus. Her attention to detail and her professionalism prompted me to write this review. You can trust VietLux to book your tour.

We have arranged a full day Halong Bay excursion with cruiseexcursions.asia instead of taking the half day one offering by the ship. It ends up this is a good decision. I met some of the fellow passengers and they found the half day excursion was too short. They need to look for something else to do as the ship staying in the port for 14 hours. I have contacted with Lynn from cruiseexcursions.asia and she is very helpful in answering my questions before the trip. We were picked up at the gangway and boarding the boat after a short drive from the cruise terminal. The boat is clean and very roomy for 15 peoples. Halong Bay is beautiful and is picture perfect. We had seafood lunch provided on the boat. We were told the shrimp, oyster, fish, are captured locally at Halong Bay and very fresh. Eight hours sound long but never a dull moment to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Halong Bay. This is the first time I visiting a cave that forms underneath the sea. The cave is huge! If I visit Halong Bay again, I probably will book an overnight cruise at Halong Bay.

The trip was very enjoyable. Guide was nice. Lunch was surprisingly good! Activity were varied with stopping at one island and climbing to the top of a small hill for the view, stopping at another island for kayaking or boating, going to third island to walk into a cave with stalactites and stalagmites and finally learning to make spring rolls on the boat. Unfortunately TripAdvisor did a or job of describing all these activities on their website. We were expecting nothing but sitting in a boat and were very pleasantly surprised. More people may take this trip if it is well described Also we boarded from Tuan Chau directly so did not have to come from Hanoi.

One of the most breathtaking nature views I’ve ever seen. And the weather was perfect- when you travel around December. Ha Long Bay is very diffident from Hanoi as it’s not as busy. Also the view is really mind blowing

Very nice experience. Tour well organized. We spent a wonderful day in Halong Bay. Natalie was a great help.

We were met at our hotel by a friendly chap who took us to the spot where the Luxury tour bus was able to stop (many small alleys in Hanoi cannot accommodate giant tour buses). The bus was clean and comfortable with a rack for bags overhead. Our tourguide (different person from the greeter) jumped on and was friendly and at different points, he gave us information about the happenings and recent developments in Vietnam. I focussed hard to comprehend. The Vietnamese language patterns make it quite difficult for them to speak/enunciate English well. For example, they drop off of a lot of endings such as plurals or consonants (the word French ends up shortened as "Fren"). The highway drive was smooth and we got to see the countryside heading to Halong Bay. There is a 21 kms cable car under construction to connect Cat Hai to Cat Ba island. We arrived at the port and boarded a boat that served us a nice seafood themed lunch. Surprisingly the lunch did not include drinks so if we wanted beer or pop (big mark up 40vnd for beer and 30 for pop), we still had to pay despite paying 65usd for the day tour. We thought it would have been fair for this excursion to include at least one free beverage. Well they served us about 3 oz of watermelon juice in a flute glass when we boarded the boat but it's questionable to count that as the free drink. Afterwards, we stopped and got onto a kayak to enjoy the bay with a small group of tourists as our excursion was done on a mild, sunny December 12th. For those who didn't want to kayak, they were offered the option of taking a boatride with a local rower and they were encouraged to offer a tip. Next, after approx 40 minutes of leisurely kayaking, we got back onto our boat and were offered fresh fruits. Soon after, the guide told us there's an opportunity to swim in the bay!! My husband was supremely disappointed to not have packed his swim trunks and there was not any rental provisions. To improve this kind of information gap, we recommend that Arcady Cruise provides a pamphlet outlining full-day excursion and activities and provide tips on what to pack. We were given a demonstration on rolling a Fresh Vietnamese roll and so had another healthy refreshing snack! Next stop Cat Ba Island Hospital...amazing. We met other travellers from around the world and had interesting conversations, shared travel tips. It was a great day. Our guide Cong is gracious, humourous and helpful.

We signed up for a one day Halong Bay cruise which included two stops - one at Sung Sot Cave (where we had a chance to go into the cave and observe the effects of the complex geological processes that took place inside the limestone cave) and Ti Top island (named after the Russian cosmonaut who had an island retreat with the late Ho Chi Minh there). Most tours would do an early hotel pick up in Hanoi itself before embarking on a 3 hour journey to the ferry terminal to take the cruise boat that took us to the Sung Sot cave. The journey lasted 45 mins and included a sumptuous lunch on board. The cave stopover involved a 40’min hike/walk through the inside of the cave before a short 15 min boat ride to Ti Top island where it was a 420 step climb to the summit. It was quite manageable but the experience was slightly compromised by the hoards of tourists arriving at the same time and a crowded climb to the summit which could only take place on relatively narrow stone staircases that did not have hand rails or ropes at certain sections to help those who were slightly older or had difficulty navigating the steep climb up. Halong Bay was beautiful but the tour seemed rushed given the crowded year end tourist season and the need to clear the area to accommodate the crowds. Looking back, it might have been more prudent to have opted for a 2D/1N cruise to another Bay like Bai Tu Long Bay which apparently had fewer crowds and the overnight stay on a cruise boat would have been less harried and rushed

We left at 0530 and came back to Hanoi at 3pm. Private van pick up from hotel English speaking and friendly helpful guide timing was perfect. We slept the first half of the journey woke up at the R and R for toilet break and breakfast and slept off again the second half which led us there. Crowne hotel Hanoi assistant chief concierge Le Duc Khoi helped to arrange all this.He is a very pleasant and helpful person I recommend this type of trip as it's just the right amount of time spent and u still can end the day with some shopping back at the old quarter.

We did the day trip tour with Greentravel. They picked us up from the apartment and we took the boat about 9:00 am. We returned at 16.30. We paid 900.000 VND each and the price included a small welcome tea, a very nice seafood lunch and a walk through a cave. There were many things that they were optional extras like all drinks on the boat, ticket for kayaking and ticket for hiking up to an observatory on the top of an island. The services of the boat were very basic but the staff kind. The scenery was stunning but all places full of boats. It's a place that everybody must see is you like landscapes but maybe with another way (private tour?) So as to enjoy more the scenery and not feel packed with other tourists. There are many options on boats and prices, pick the one that suits you and the way you like to travel.

Most people book to Halong in advance or stay overnight(s) on the boat with an organized travel from and to Hanoi. However, you can also arrive to the harbour with your own car and book a private ship onsite. You will have to pay the ship owner + fixed government harbour fee for participants (children, defined as being under 120 cm are exempt from this fee). A 3-4 hour visit in a private ship will range between 120-150 USD all included depending on the number of persons that have to pay the harbour fee (without catering!). All ships are the same construction. Ask to see a photo of the ship to be sure you are safe. You will have to fill a few forms with your names, nationality, date of birth. Good to arrive around 11 am, so at 11h45 you can leave. Mind the sun at that time! The trip offers a cave visit and some scenic views of Halong, as well as a few interesting shopping options in the harbour.

Our group arranged a day tour (on the Princess Day Cruise) around the beautiful Halong Bay, and it’s wonderful !! We needed to get up very early (around 5am) to meet the boarding time of about 6:30-7 am, but it’s ok. The first stop was a cave (called Hang Sung Sot) where there’s a huge space with lots of stalagmites and stalactites... It’s amazing that such a large cave can fit inside a moderately sized island, where btw one of the 007 films (The man with a golden gun, I think) was shot. At the second stop we took small boats to see some wild monkeys... (how did they manage to get there in the first place? don't know..) Then a 30min speedboat ride (the roller coaster like 2-3G force from side to side makes it fun... ). After that we stopped by another island (called Titop ) and climbed to the top (in about 10-15 min) to see perhaps the greatest views of the bay! It’s very hot day and I sweat a lot from the climb, but it’s very worthwhile ! The buffet lunch on the cruiser was excellent and delicious as well, before we headed back to the port by around 2pm. Though there are 2-day tour options (spend a night on boat), I believe our one-day cruise covered most of the must-sees...

Halong Bay is a beautiful place and very iconic for Vietnam. We took a one-day cruise on Genesis Cruiselines and loved it! We saw the biggest cave, kayaked into a spectator cove, and boated for several hours through the islands of Halong Bay.

Great cruise 🚢, 8 hours. Visit the cave, do kiaks, swimming at the sea. We where family with 3 kids: 18,15,8 and all, including us, where very pleased 😀

The bay is particular because of the rocks that are found in the middle of the sea. The water is not as beautiful and green as you can see in the photos! I didn't take a bath because the water doesn't seem very clean. I saw some beautiful caves and did the kayak tour, all in 1 day. I expected better.....is it worth going??? The location is nice, but don't expect amazing things! 1 day in the bay is more than enough to see 4 rocks in the middle of the sea!

Although it was a few years ago, this time the whole family came down the dragon bay again, it was to appreciate missed sea monster rock. Lagoon Bay is a typical castle landscape, with numerous small islands on the bright blue sea surface, painting Lagoon Bay with a special flavor, with the name of "world wonder", UNESCO listed Lagoon Bay as a World Heritage Site in 1994. Because the small islands of the Bay of Lagoon are small rocked mountain peaks, and the shape is different, the view is beautiful, and the water of the Guilin mountain has a wonderful coherence, so the Bay of Lagoon has the name "sea guilin". We are on June 23, 2023, the day the sky is somewhat unfortunate, but still beautiful, surprise caves and ceiling caves are worth visiting.

I went on a day tour of Halong Bay Cruise. It was roughly 12 hours. After lunch, the cruise will include three stops for beach activities, kayaking, viewing the islands from high up and visiting caves. These are not all participants, so those who want to relax on the boat can do so. Lunch is enough. Among the options, I think the outlook from high places is good. The rest depends on your physical condition. The highlight of the Halong Bay cruise is the unique rocky islands that can be called Cappadocia in the sea.

One of my highlights on my Vietnam trip You shouldn't miss it. Booking went through Buffalo Hostel on Cat Ba. Wonderful nature, passing the boating people, kayaking tour, swimming, exploring island and having a great meal on board for lunch. Great food variation with 10 dishes shared.

Halong Bay in the Gulf of Tonkin is definitely worth a boat trip with overnight stay Sailing through the islets both day and night will leave you with a pleasant memory Not at home chosen by directors as eye-catching scripts, for big hit films

After 4 hours by plane from Singapore, and 4 hours by car (all organized) we finally embarked on a day cruise, with breakfast, lunch and dinner and overnight stay, in one of the comfortable motorboats. The landscape is definitely fabulous, with all those islets that sprout by the hundreds and offer a show that takes you back in time. Not for nothing has it been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. What you are left with in a negative way is unfortunately the state of these waters that have a great history, plastic, oil and fuel residues and so on in considerable quantities, and of course sea polluted in a disastrous way. Too bad that such a wonder is reduced to this, unfortunately tourism has presented a very large bill to nature.

Like in another world! More than 2,000 spectacular rocks lie offshore in still water. The warm mist hanging over everything makes the scene seem mystical, almost unreal. We took a boat trip through Halong Bay, which I highly recommend. Halong Bay (“Bay of the Submerged Dragon”) is definitely worth a day trip.

Halong Bay is beautiful. For hours you sail through a fascinating landscape with a junk. The overwhelming rocks make you dream of fighting dragons.

Travelers in China and South Korea have been canceled due to the coronavirus. It was a great way to enjoy the Wildlife Preserve and Takhini Hot Spring tour. The highway has opened from Hanoi city to Ha Long Bay, and resort hotels are starting to form around Ha Long Bay, so I think we will not see this subtle and profound view in 2-3 years. If you go, go early.

A place that was listed as a UNESCO natural heritage site. It was a place that I wanted to see for the first time, and I had many expectations, but the situation was bad and it was so easy.

We visited this great place. As majestic as it is surprising. You can find all the references in many films:o). The sea is green but very clean. Frankly, if you are going to Vietnam, you absolutely must not miss this place.

The weather was good and the view was already great from the road like the highway in front, but the longer length from the deck, which was even more open on the cruise, was really great. The ship was very old and wobbly, such as railings, but I personally like this. At the scenic point, there was a battle for places with other ships, and wooden boats were bumping into each other and making a thud. Objectively, it was interesting. I switched to a rowboat and over two eroded tunnels, a woman on the boat was shouting 'Zee-zee-zee' and signaling to me to shout with her, so I kept shouting at full speed and she said 'zee-zee-zee-zee'.

It was a place I would have loved to go if I went to Hanoi. I applied for a tour company that only incorporates Ha Long Bay. I was comfortable on the highway on my way to and from, and SA on the highway? And I was able to take a toilet break. The ship I took this time was the newest and largest ship for day trips, so it was comfortable. Unfortunately, the weather was cloudy, but it was neither hot nor cold, and we could relax on the second floor deck drinking coffee except for the food There was no such thing as a pushover of souvenirs as there were other reviews. I think I would have regretted not seeing this view, so it was good to go

Ha Long Bay was certainly a beautiful sight. There are also caves and other places that are reasonably satisfying for active people. You can also enjoy meals on the boat with friends without worrying about time. However, Ha Long Bay I felt was a very pleasant place to wind. Nap after dinner on the dining couch. I had the opportunity to spend time that I couldn't experience in my daily life.

It will take about 2 hours to travel from the hotel in Hanoi. The weather was nice and pleasant. We ate lunch and laid back on the Bee Tibet on the upper deck to enjoy the view. However, it also came with a seafood-centric meal, but drinks were extra and quite expensive, unlike the city prices. At the entrance to the ship, I was made to dispose of plastic bottles to protect the environment, but when I asked for water on board, plastic bottles came out ... There was also a certain thing in the tourist area.

We took a luxury boat to Ha Long Bay, where we could lie on the sun terrace and enjoy the weather and the super beautiful landscape. When you approach the islands, it mostly resembles the movie Jurassic Park, completely untouched nature. We were sailing in kayak in a small bay surrounded by several islands. This was very fun and interesting, and here you sail through a tunnel. Back home we saw the sunset, which was also super nice. Although it is Vietnam’s most famous attraction, I would definitely recommend it.