You’ve probably heard of Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located around 170km from Hanoi. Known for its emerald waters and over 1,600 limestone karsts topped with lush rainforest, it attracts millions of visitors every year.

But if you’re looking for a quieter, more authentic experience, there’s a hidden gem nearby: Bai Tu Long Bay.

Less crowded but just as beautiful, Bai Tu Long Bay offers the same dramatic scenery without the mass tourism. The landscapes are almost identical, but the atmosphere is far more relaxed- perfect for couples, solo travellers, and anyone trying to avoid crowds. In this guide, I’ll walk you through exactly what to expect on a Bai Tu Long Bay cruise, including itinerary, prices, tips, and the best time to visit.

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Can you visit Bai Tu Long Bay as a day trip from Hanoi?

Technically yes – but I wouldn’t recommend it.

The journey from Hanoi takes around 4 hours each way, meaning you’d spend most of your day travelling rather than exploring. It’s a better idea to book a 1-night or 2-night cruise, which allows you to fully experience the bay, including kayaking, caves, and fishing villages.

Should I book my Bai Tu Long Bay cruise in advance?

It depends on your travel style.

Book in person once you’re in Vietnam if you’re flexible with dates and boats, and want to save money. There are hundreds of travel agencies in Hanoi’s Old Quarter offering competitive prices. My husband and I booked in-person through Adventure Indochina Travel and paid $95 USD each (roughly €85) for one night aboard the Lemon cruise. However, as not enough people booked this ship on our selected day, we were upgraded to the fancier Christine Diamond cruise for free. Result!

Book in advance if you’re travelling in peak season, want a specific luxury cruise, or want the peace of mind of having a reservation secured. You can book a well-rated Bai Tu Long Bay tour here:

What is the itinerary of a typical Bai Tu Long Bay river cruise?

Here’s a typical itinerary based on our experience:

Day 1: Hanoi → Bai Tu Long Bay

08:00 – Depart Hanoi – Travel by air-conditioned bus with a short rest stop, where you can use the toilet and buy snacks.

12:00 – Arrive at Hon Gai Harbour – Transfer by a small boat to the cruise ship you’ll be staying overnight.

13:00 – Lunch on board – Ours was buffet-style; very tasty, with a good variety of meat, fish and vegetarian options.

Afternoon Activities

• Kayaking or bamboo boat ride – I wanted to take photos and enjoy the scenery so opted for the bamboo boat.
• Visit Vung Vieng Fishing Village – Very small but interesting.
• Stop at a pearl farm – This part felt like a typical ‘tour filler’ activity but at least no one tried to hard sell us pearls.
• No swimming – We weren’t allowed to go swimming in the bay because of conservation reasons.

18:30 – Dinner & Evening Activities – It was a fixed menu and we were very impressed with the food, especially the fresh seafood. After dinner, we were given a glass of wine and some fresh fruit and were left to relax and chat with the other passengers. There were some optional activities like board games, squid fishing and karaoke but we didn’t partake. We slept really well and luckily weren’t disturbed by any karaoke!

Day 2: Caves, Cooking Class & Return

06:30 – Tai Chi (optional) – The cruise crew offered a Thai Chi lesson, which we missed because we woke up at half 5 for sunrise then went back to bed!

07:00 – Breakfast – Again, buffet-style, tasty and filling.

08:00 – Visit Thien Canh Son Cave – We left the main cruise ship to take a smaller boat to Thien Canh Son cave. We had time to walk around the cave and nearby beach, paddle and take photos.

09:30 – Check out cabins – Back to the boat to check out of our rooms. We could leave our luggage in the ship’s reception area.

10:00 – Cooking class – A short cooking class to learn how to ‘make’ Vietnamese spring rolls. The pork mince filling was already prepared for us and we were shown how to fill and wrap the rolls up tightly. The crew then took them away to cook them.

11:00 – Early lunch – An early lunch, eating the spring rolls we’d made earlier, along with bun cha (Vietnamese pork meatballs with rice noodles, lettuce and dipping sauces).

12:00 – Return to harbou – – We left the cruise ship to return to Hon Gai harbour. From there, we got into a minibus and headed back to Hanoi.

I hope this blog post has given you a useful overview of a typical visit to Bai Tu Long Bay. If you are staying on a fancier ship, there might be some extra excursions but the above is very typical.

One night might be enough but if you’d like to extend your stay, nearby Cat Ba island is apparently gorgeous! It is very mountainous so you can enjoy rock climbing and hiking, along with kayaking and scuba diving.

Planning to spend more time in northern Vietnam? Check out my Ultimate 3-Day Hanoi Travel Guide (perfect for first-time visitors!), Ninh Binh and Mai Chau.

Ciao for now

Izzie, the Curious Sparrow