one day on the bay

Halong Bay 1 day cruise: how much of the day is on the water

A Halong Bay 1 day cruise from Hanoi gives you an afternoon on the water and two long drives. On the four listings that state their times, the boat leaves the pier between 11:00 and 12:00, is back by 18:15 at the latest, and spends 6 hours to 7 hours on Halong Bay (Vịnh Hạ Long). The road from Hanoi takes 2.5 to 3 hours each way on the expressway, as the listed shuttles state.

So a Halong Bay 1 day cruise is enough if you want one look at the karst, a cave and a beach, and can spend most of a day in a van. A Halong Bay day cruise from Hanoi with the shuttle both ways, per adult, comes to VND 1,680,000 (about US$65, AUD 95 or GBP 49). If you sleep in Bai Chay or Tuan Chau the night before, the same boats cost VND 1,070,000 from the pier, and the morning is yours.

The boats on this page, by the names their listings give: Cozy Bay, Diamond Era, Sunlight Grand and Jewels of the Bay from the Halong piers, and The Halong Catamaran with a pickup in Hanoi. The Halong Bay day boats here sail route 2, which carries the day fee the Quang Ninh Provincial People's Council sets, VND 250,000 per adult. Some listings include it; each card below says whether.

Children: every price on this page is per adult. Children's prices, where a seller has them, show at checkout. The bay fee itself is waived for children under 7 years and 20% lower from age 7 to under 16, so ask the seller what four tickets cost before you book.

6 hours 45 minutes on the water, pier to pier, on the Cozy Bay listing
2.5 to 3 hours by road from Hanoi, each way, as the listed shuttles state
VND 250,000 day fee on route 2, per adult

Written by Rainer Lang Updated 14 November 2026

Some links on this page are affiliate links: the guide earns a commission when you book through them. The partner sets the price; the guide adds no fee.

The Ti Top beach with swimming buoys and a cruise boat offshore.

hour by hour

Hanoi to Hanoi in one day: where the hours go

Each day cruise that states its times, laid on one clock from 5:00 to 21:00. The ledger gives the times as listed; the bars under it add the road as the shared limousine from Hanoi states it, and the hours the province lets boats be out.

A Halong Bay day cruise, hour by hourBoat times as each listing states them, read on 14 November 2026. Time on the water is departure to return at the pier.
Day cruise	Boat leaves	Back at the pier	On the water	From Hanoi, as listed	Route and day fee
Halong Bay Day Tour with Sung Sot and Ti Top by Cozy Bay Cruise	11:00	17:45	6 hours 45 minutes	from Halong, Hanoi by modern bus or luxury limousine	Halong Bay route 2 (VHL2); VND 250,000 per adult
Diamond Era Luxury Day Cruise: Halong Bay, Sung Sot, Ti Top	11:15	18:15	7 hours	from Halong, Hanoi by modern bus, Hanoi by luxury limousine	Halong Bay route 2 (VHL2); VND 250,000 per adult
Sunlight Grand Day Cruise: Halong Bay, Sung Sot and Ti Top Island	11:30	18:00	6 hours 30 minutes	from Halong, Hanoi by shuttle bus, limousine bus or Dcar limousine	Halong Bay route 2 (VHL2); VND 250,000 per adult
Jewels of the Bay Day Cruise: Halong Bay with Sung Sot and Ti Top	12:00	18:00	6 hours	from Halong, from Hanoi by standard bus, from Hanoi by limousine bus	Halong Bay route 2 (VHL2); VND 250,000 per adult
Luxury Halong Bay Cruise Full Day from Hanoi or Halong	Hanoi pickup 8:00; at the pier 12:00	Not stated	Not stated	Old Quarter pickup sold as an option	Route not stated in the listing
Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay Luxury Day Cruise by The Halong Catamaran	Hanoi pickup 8:00; at the pier 11:30	Not stated	Not stated	Old Quarter pickup sold as an option	Route not stated in the listing
A night in Bai Chay or Tuan Chau first	Any of the boats above with no road that morning, or the Ha Long Bay Management Board's route 1 itinerary, about 7:00 to 12:00 from the pier			The shuttle the evening before	Halong Bay route 1 (VHL1); VND 250,000 per adult

Road, drawn as the upper end of 2.5 to 3 hours each way, the time the listed shuttles from Hanoi state
On the water, from the listed departure to the listed return
The winter port window, 5:30 to 19:00: boats may leave from the first time and must be back by the second (Quang Ninh Decision 43/2024; in summer 5:00 to 20:00)

A Halong Bay day trip from Hanoi has the same shape on every boat: road in the morning, the bay from late morning to early evening, road again after dark. The time on the water runs from 6 hours on the Jewels of the Bay listing to 7 hours on Diamond Era. Lunch, the cave, the island and the kayak or bamboo boat fit inside it.

The two listings that pick you up in Hanoi state the clock from the other end: pickup at 8:00 in the Old Quarter and the pier at about 12:00 on one, 11:30 on the other. Neither states when you are back in Hanoi; with the road the shuttle states, plan on a late evening. The boats themselves must stay inside the winter port window of 5:30 to 19:00 that Quang Ninh Decision 43/2024 sets.

the other way

A day cruise from Hanoi or a night in Bai Chay first

The road is the price of a day trip. Move it to the evening before and the same day on the water costs less, starts when you like and ends without a drive.

From Hanoi in one day. You sit in a van for both legs and get the middle of the day on the bay. A Halong Bay day cruise from Hanoi with the shuttle both ways, per adult, comes to VND 1,680,000. Good if Hanoi is your base and you have one day to spare.

A night in Halong City first. Take the shuttle the afternoon before, sleep in Bai Chay or on Tuan Chau, and walk to the pier. A day cruise on route 2 from the Halong pier, per adult, comes to VND 1,070,000 (about US$42, AUD 61 or GBP 31). Add the shuttle, Hanoi to Halong limousine shuttle, one way, per adult at VND 300,000, and a room.

Rooms in Bai Chay and Tuan Chau as Booking.com listed them on 14 November 2026, per room per night: Tuan Chau Marina Hotel US$18, Ha Long Essence Hotel US$24, the Novotel on the Bai Chay waterfront US$45 and the Hyatt Place in Bai Chay US$70. Where each area suits which pier is on where to stay for a Halong Bay cruise.

A night on land also opens the early boats: the Ha Long Bay Management Board's route 1 itinerary runs about 7:00 to 12:00 from the pier, a morning no Hanoi shuttle reaches.

Bai Chay waterfront and Ha Long City — Panorama of the Bai Chay waterfront, cable car tower and bridge.Photo: Pdhadam / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

the stops

What a Halong Bay day cruise sees on route 2

All four timed listings sail Halong Bay route 2, the day route the Ha Long Bay Management Board lists as port - Soi Sim beach - Ti Top Island - Sung Sot Cave - Tung Sau inlet - Me Cung Cave - Bo Nau Cave - Luon Cave - Trong Cave - Trinh Nu Cave - Ho Dong Tien. A day boat takes three or four of those stops, not all of them.

Sung Sot Cave interior — Stalagmites and rock formations lit in the main chamber of Sung Sot Cave.Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

Ti Top Island beach and viewpoint — Islands and tour boats seen from the Ti Top lookout.Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

Luon Cave (boat or kayak through the arch) — Rowing boats passing through the low arch of Luon Cave.Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

Route 2 carries the same day fee as routes 1 and 5, VND 250,000 per visit per person, set by the Quang Ninh Provincial People's Council (Resolutions 62/2017 and 51/2025) and collected by the bay's management board. Routes 3 and 4 cost VND 200,000 per visit per person by day. The board states that day routes depart from Tuan Chau International Marina or Ha Long International Cruise Port.

Route 1 is the other classic day: Thien Cung Cave, Dau Go Cave and a loop past Dinh Huong Islet and Trong Mai Islet, as the board lists its stops. Its sightseeing time is a morning, so it suits a night in town better than a drive from Hanoi. All eight official routes, with their stops and fees, are on the official Halong Bay routes.

to compare

Halong Bay day cruises from the pier

Five Halong Bay day cruises that board at Tuan Chau or Ha Long International Cruise Port, most reviews first. The all-in line adds the bay fee where the listing leaves it out; the Hanoi transfer is left out, because you may already be in Halong City. Prices are per adult as listed.

Day
Klook, Cozy Bay Cruise

Halong Bay Day Tour with Sung Sot and Ti Top by Cozy Bay Cruise

Sails: Halong Bay route 2 (VHL2). Pier: Cozy Vietnam Travel - Halong Cruises, Tuan Chau Harbor.
- Day cruise, no night on board
- Bay fee in the price
- Hanoi transfer at extra cost
- Kayak or bamboo boat listed
- Free cancellation 24 hours before (as listed)
from about US$42 listed as AUD 60.75 per person for the lowest option on the listing, on 14 November 2026

All in from the pier: VND 1,070,000 (about US$42)

4.9 from 7,000 reviews

Check dates: Halong Bay Day Tour with Sung Sot
Day
Klook, Diamond Era Cruise

Diamond Era Luxury Day Cruise: Halong Bay, Sung Sot, Ti Top

Sails: Halong Bay route 2 (VHL2). Pier: Tuan Chau International Marina.
- Day cruise, no night on board
- Bay fee in the price
- Hanoi transfer not in the price
- Kayak or bamboo boat listed
- Free cancellation 24 hours before (as listed)
from about US$45 listed as AUD 64.99 per person for the lowest option on the listing, on 14 November 2026

All in from the pier: VND 1,150,000 (about US$45)

4.9 from 6,200 reviews

Check dates: Diamond Era Luxury Day Cruise
Day
Klook, Sunlight Grand Cruise

Sunlight Grand Day Cruise: Halong Bay, Sung Sot and Ti Top Island

Sails: Halong Bay route 2 (VHL2). Pier: Tuan Chau International Marina.
- Day cruise, no night on board
- Bay fee in the price
- Hanoi transfer at extra cost
- Kayak or bamboo boat listed
- Free cancellation 24 hours before (as listed)
from about US$47 listed as AUD 69.05 per person for the lowest option on the listing, on 14 November 2026

All in from the pier: VND 1,220,000 (about US$47)

4.9 from 4,100 reviews

Check dates: Sunlight Grand Day Cruise

Show 2 more day cruises

Day
Klook, Jewels of the Bay

Jewels of the Bay Day Cruise: Halong Bay with Sung Sot and Ti Top

Sails: Halong Bay route 2 (VHL2). Pier: Halong International Cruise Port, Bai Chay.
- Day cruise, no night on board
- Bay fee in the price
- Hanoi transfer not in the price
- Kayak or bamboo boat listed
- Free cancellation 24 hours before the activity date (as listed)
from about US$40 listed as AUD 57.59 per person for the lowest option on the listing, on 14 November 2026

All in from the pier: VND 1,010,000 (about US$40)

4.9 from 2,600 reviews

Check dates: Jewels of the Bay Day Cruise
Day
Viator, Sunlight Travel & Cruise

Best Seller Halong Bay Day Cruise

Sails: Halong Bay route 2 (VHL2). Pier: Meeting point chosen at booking.
- Day cruise, no night on board
- Bay fee not in the price: VND 250,000 per adult (Quang Ninh Provincial People's Council, Resolution 51/2025)
- Hanoi transfer not named as included
- Kayak or bamboo boat listed
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience for a full refund (as listed)
from US$25.95 per person for the lowest option on the listing, as listed on 14 November 2026

All in from the pier: VND 920,000 (about US$36)

4.9 from 1,233 reviews

Check dates: Best Seller Halong Bay Day Cruise

The four Klook boats run nearly the same day: Halong Bay Day Tour with Sung Sot and Ti Top by Cozy Bay Cruise leaves first and states 6 hours 45 minutes on the water; Diamond Era Luxury Day Cruise: Halong Bay, Sung Sot, Ti Top boards at Tuan Chau International Marina and is the longest of the four. Sunlight Grand Day Cruise: Halong Bay, Sung Sot and Ti Top Island names afternoon tea and cake; Jewels of the Bay Day Cruise: Halong Bay with Sung Sot and Ti Top is the one that boards at Ha Long International Cruise Port in Bai Chay.

All four sell a Hanoi bus or limousine as an option at checkout, so the same listing works for a day trip from Hanoi. The Viator Best Seller Halong Bay Day Cruise picks you up at a meeting point you choose and states a full day; its listing leaves the entrance fee out and states its own figure for it.

door to door

Halong Bay day trips from Hanoi with the transfer

Three listings built around the Hanoi pickup. The all-in line adds the transfer where it is an option, so the figure is Hanoi to Hanoi.

Day
GetYourGuide, Cozy Vietnam Travel Company Limited

Hanoi: Halong Bay to Lan Ha Bay and Cat Ba Island Day Tour

Sails: Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay in the title, but day boats do not cross between them: ask the seller which bay you sail. Route not stated in the listing. Pier: Block 7 Tuan Chau International Marina.
- Day cruise, no night on board
- Bay fee in the price
- Hanoi transfer in the price
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before start for a full refund (as listed)
from US$49 per person for the lowest option on the listing, as listed on 14 November 2026

All in from Hanoi: VND 1,260,000 (about US$49)

4.8 from 722 reviews

Check dates: Halong Bay to Lan Ha Bay and Cat
Day
Viator, BCFamilyTour.com

Luxury Halong Bay Cruise Full Day from Hanoi or Halong

Sails: Halong Bay. Route not stated in the listing. Pier: Hanoi Opera House meeting point or Halong harbor.
- Day cruise, no night on board
- Bay fee in the price
- Hanoi transfer at extra cost
- Kayak or bamboo boat listed
- Non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason (as listed)
from US$62 per person for the lowest option on the listing, as listed on 14 November 2026

All in from Hanoi: VND 2,200,000 (about US$86)

No rating shown

Check dates: Luxury Halong Bay Cruise Full Day from Hanoi
Day
Viator, Viland Travel

Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay Luxury Day Cruise by The Halong Catamaran

Sails: Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay in the title, but day boats do not cross between them: ask the seller which bay you sail. Route not stated in the listing. Pier: Tuan Chau Marina.
- Day cruise, no night on board
- Bay fee in the price
- Hanoi transfer at extra cost
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience for a full refund (as listed)
from US$67.15 per person for the lowest option on the listing, as listed on 14 November 2026

All in from Hanoi: VND 2,330,000 (about US$91)

5.0 from 870 reviews

Check dates: Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay Luxury Day

Luxury Halong Bay Cruise Full Day from Hanoi or Halong states its clock most plainly: 8:00 pickup, the bus on the expressway, the pier at about 12:00. Its listing is non-refundable and cannot be changed, as listed, so book it only once your dates are fixed.

The cheapest day tour from Hanoi on this page, Hanoi: Halong Bay to Lan Ha Bay and Cat Ba Island Day Tour, includes the round trip from the Old Quarter or the Opera House. It is not the listing behind the day-trip figure above, which is the middle of the Halong Bay day boats on the route with Sung Sot Cave, with the shuttle added. Read its itinerary before you book: most of its day is spent beyond Halong Bay, as the next section explains.

Kayaks in Halong Bay — Kayakers paddling in a sheltered stretch of water between steep limestone walls.Photo: Christophe95 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

read the itinerary

Day cruises that name Lan Ha Bay

Lan Ha Bay is a separate bay off Cat Ba Island, run by Hai Phong, not part of Halong Bay. Three day listings from Tuan Chau name both bays in their titles.

The Ministry of Construction states that the connecting cruises from Halong Bay into Lan Ha Bay, running since 20 April 2026, are all overnight cruises with no day tours. So read a day listing that names both bays for what it states, not for a crossing: Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay Luxury Day Cruise by The Halong Catamaran boards at Tuan Chau and lists the Dark and Bright Cave and Lan Ha Bay stops; Hanoi: Halong Bay to Lan Ha Bay and Cat Ba Island Day Tour lists a one-hour Lan Ha Bay sightseeing cruise, Trung Trang Cave and the Cat Ba National Park museum.

Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay Luxury Day Cruise from the Harbour checks in at Tuan Chau International Marina and lists lunch, a mini pool, a cooking class and a sunset party, without naming its stops.

If Lan Ha Bay is what you are after, the shorter way in is from Cat Ba Island. Cat Ba: Lan Ha & Halong Bay Full-Day Tour with Biking, Kayaking, Lunch starts at your Cat Ba hotel, not in Hanoi, and is a full day on the water with a bike ride. Getting to the island is on Hanoi to Cat Ba Island, and the bay itself on Lan Ha Bay.

Wide Halong Bay seascape with karst islands — Forested limestone islands under a cloudy sky.Photo: Helenakfronczak / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

read the small print

What a Halong Bay day tour price leaves out

Four things decide what you pay on top of a Halong Bay boat tour's listed price:

The bay fee. VND 250,000 per visit per person on route 2. Klook's boats name admission in what they include; the Viator Best Seller leaves the entrance fee out. Each card above says in or out.
The Hanoi transfer. An option on most pier listings, in the price on the GetYourGuide day tour. Bought on its own, a limousine shuttle from Hanoi to Halong, one way, per adult, costs VND 300,000 (about US$12, AUD 17 or GBP 8.8), so both ways double that.
Drinks and tips. Left out on every listing here; lunch is in.
Holiday surcharges. Several listings add one on Lunar New Year and public holidays, each with its own figure in the listing.

Cancellation terms differ too: the Klook boats offer free cancellation up to a day before, as listed, while the Viator Hanoi day trip is non-refundable. After a storm closure, refunds follow what each operator or partner states. Overnight prices, with the same fee and transfer added, are on Halong Bay cruise prices.

before you go

Boat hours, weather and the season

A day boat runs inside the hours the province sets, and only when the port authority lets boats out.

Under Quang Ninh Decision 43/2024, tourist boats on Halong Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay may leave port 5:00 to 20:00 from 1 April to 31 October, and 5:30 to 19:00 from 1 November to 31 March. Every listed return on this page falls inside both windows.

From summer into autumn, storms can stop all boats for a day or more, and a day trip has no spare day to wait. Storm odds by month are on the best time to visit Halong Bay, and past closures on the cruise suspension log.

Trong Mai Islet (Fighting Cocks Islet) — Photo: Kuroczynski / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

the verdict

Is a Halong Bay day trip from Hanoi enough?

For one look at the bay, yes. For the bay at dusk and dawn, no: those hours are outside every day boat's clock.

Take the day cruise if Hanoi is your base, you have one day, and a cave, a beach and lunch among the islands is enough. Pick a listing that states its times and includes the fee.

Sleep in Bai Chay first if you can spare a night but not the price of a cabin: the drive moves to the evening and the morning is yours.

With children aged 7 to 11, count the van time first: the road takes 2.5 to 3 hours each way, and a night in Bai Chay takes one leg off the day. Ti Top Island means a climb to the summit if you want the view. Kayak age or height limits are the operator's, so ask, and ask for child-size life jackets.

Take one night on board if the evening matters. A one-night cruise splits the same drive over two days and keeps you on the water until the next morning; what that buys hour by hour is on the Halong Bay overnight cruise guide.

Every way to the piers, with the shuttles, buses and private cars and the time each operator states, is on Halong Bay from Hanoi. Other things to do around the bay are on things to do in Halong Bay.

Ha Long International Cruise Port (Bai Chay) — The Bai Chay cruise pier with a large cruise ship and tour boats alongside, from the cable car.Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

asked often

Halong Bay day cruise questions

How long is a Halong Bay day cruise on the water?

On the four listings that state their times, the boat leaves the pier between 11:00 and 12:00 and spends 6 hours to 7 hours on the water. From Hanoi, add the road both ways: 2.5 to 3 hours each way, as the listed shuttles state.

Can I do Halong Bay as a day trip from Hanoi?

Yes. The pier listings sell a Hanoi bus or limousine as an option, and some day trips include the round trip from the Old Quarter. Expect an early pickup, an afternoon on the bay and a late return. A night in Bai Chay first takes the drive out of the day and frees the morning.

How much is a Halong Bay day cruise?

A Halong Bay day cruise from Hanoi with the shuttle both ways, per adult, comes to VND 1,680,000. From the pier, without the transfer, the middle listing comes to VND 1,070,000 per adult with the bay fee. Prices are per adult as each partner lists them, and drinks and tips come on top.

Is the Halong Bay fee included in a day cruise?

Not always. The Quang Ninh Provincial People's Council sets VND 250,000 per visit per person on route 2. Klook's day boats name admission in what they include; the Viator Best Seller leaves the entrance fee out. Each card on this page says whether the fee is in the price.

Can a day cruise visit Lan Ha Bay?

The Ministry of Construction states that cruises from Halong Bay into Lan Ha Bay are overnight only, with no day tours. Some day listings from Tuan Chau name Lan Ha Bay in their title; read what their itinerary states. For a day in Lan Ha Bay, start from Cat Ba Island.

Sources

The Halong Bay sightseeing fee for day route VHL1 (Thien Cung, Dau Go, Ba Hang, Trong Mai), set by the Quang Ninh Provincial People's Council and collected by Ha Long Bay Management Board (now named the Ha Long Bay - Yen Tu World Heritage Management Board), is VND 250,000 per visit per person. Ha Long Bay Management Board (halongbay.com.vn), 'Mức phí tham quan vịnh Hạ Long', citing Quang Ninh Provincial People's Council Resolutions 62/2017/NQ-HĐND and 51/2025/NQ-HĐND, 31 March 2025.
The Halong Bay sightseeing fee for day route VHL2 (Ti Top, Sung Sot, Luon Cave, Me Cung), set by the Quang Ninh Provincial People's Council and collected by Ha Long Bay Management Board (now named the Ha Long Bay - Yen Tu World Heritage Management Board), is VND 250,000 per visit per person. Ha Long Bay Management Board (halongbay.com.vn), 'Mức phí tham quan vịnh Hạ Long', citing Quang Ninh Provincial People's Council Resolutions 62/2017/NQ-HĐND and 51/2025/NQ-HĐND, 31 March 2025.
The Halong Bay sightseeing fee for day route VHL3 (Cua Van, Tien Ong Cave, Ho Ba Ham), set by the Quang Ninh Provincial People's Council and collected by Ha Long Bay Management Board (now named the Ha Long Bay - Yen Tu World Heritage Management Board), is VND 200,000 per visit per person. Ha Long Bay Management Board (halongbay.com.vn), 'Mức phí tham quan vịnh Hạ Long', citing Quang Ninh Provincial People's Council Resolutions 62/2017/NQ-HĐND and 51/2025/NQ-HĐND, 31 March 2025.
The Halong Bay sightseeing fee for day route VHL5 (route 1 sights, ending at Gia Luan pier, Cat Ba), set by the Quang Ninh Provincial People's Council and collected by Ha Long Bay Management Board (now named the Ha Long Bay - Yen Tu World Heritage Management Board), is VND 250,000 per visit per person. Ha Long Bay Management Board (halongbay.com.vn), 'Mức phí tham quan vịnh Hạ Long', citing Quang Ninh Provincial People's Council Resolutions 62/2017/NQ-HĐND and 51/2025/NQ-HĐND, 31 March 2025.
The Ha Long Bay Management Board waives the Halong Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay sightseeing fee for children (Vietnamese or foreign) shorter than 1.2 m or under age 7 years. Ha Long Bay Management Board, 'Miễn, giảm phí tham quan vịnh Hạ Long', applying Resolutions 62/2017/NQ-HĐND and 131/2018/NQ-HĐND, 2 November 2024.
The Ha Long Bay Management Board reduces the Halong Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay sightseeing fee for children of any nationality aged 7 to under 16 by 20%. Ha Long Bay Management Board, 'Miễn, giảm phí tham quan vịnh Hạ Long', applying Resolutions 62/2017/NQ-HĐND and 131/2018/NQ-HĐND, 2 November 2024.
The Ha Long Bay Management Board lists the stops of Halong Bay route VHL1 as port - Thien Cung Cave - Dau Go Cave - Cho Da islet - Ba Hang - Dinh Huong islet - Trong Mai islet. Ha Long Bay Management Board (halongbay.com.vn), fee page listing the 8 Halong Bay routes, 31 March 2025.
The Ha Long Bay Management Board lists the stops of Halong Bay route VHL2 as port - Soi Sim beach - Ti Top Island - Sung Sot Cave - Tung Sau inlet - Me Cung Cave - Bo Nau Cave - Luon Cave - Trong Cave - Trinh Nu Cave - Ho Dong Tien. Ha Long Bay Management Board (halongbay.com.vn), fee page listing the 8 Halong Bay routes, 31 March 2025.
The Ha Long Bay Management Board states that day routes depart from Tuan Chau International Marina or Ha Long International Cruise Port. Ha Long Bay Management Board, route pages 'Ha Long Bay Itinerary 1-5' (halongbay.com.vn/en/tours).
The Ha Long Bay Management Board's itinerary for route 1 gives its sightseeing time (port departure to last islet) as about 7:00 to 12:00 time window. Ha Long Bay Management Board, route pages 'Ha Long Bay Itinerary 1-5' (halongbay.com.vn/en/tours).
Booking.com lists Ha Long Essence Hotel at US$24 per night (struck US$65), total US$27 with taxes. Booking.com product page (as listed on the read date).
Booking.com lists Hyatt Place Ha Long Bay, Bai Chay at US$70 per night, total US$81. Booking.com product page (as listed on the read date).
Booking.com lists Novotel Ha Long Bay Hotel at US$45 per night, total US$52. Booking.com product page (as listed on the read date).
Booking.com lists Tuan Chau Marina Hotel at US$18 per night, total US$19. Booking.com product page (as listed on the read date).
Ha Long Bay to Lan Ha Bay connecting cruises (itineraries VHL3, VHL4, VHL5 and VHL6 to Lan Ha Bay) are all overnight cruises with no day tours, according to the Ministry of Construction, and started on 20 April 2026. Ministry of Construction news, 'Chính thức vận hành tàu chạy tuyến kết nối Vịnh Hạ Long - Vịnh Lan Hạ', 21/04/2026, 21 April 2026.
In summer (1 April to 31 October) tourist boats on Halong Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay may leave port from 5:00 and must be back by 20:00, under Quang Ninh Decision 43/2024/QD-UBND 5:00 to 20:00 local time. Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee, Decision 43/2024/QD-UBND, Article 14(1), 8 October 2024.
In winter (1 November to 31 March) tourist boats on Halong Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay may leave port from 5:30 and must be back by 19:00, under Quang Ninh Decision 43/2024/QD-UBND 5:30 to 19:00 local time. Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee, Decision 43/2024/QD-UBND, Article 14(2), 8 October 2024.
Times and inclusions of overnight cruises. Each partner listing's itinerary, inclusions and cabin text as read on its read date, set against the latest anchorage time in Quang Ninh Decision 43/2024/QD-UBND (Halong Bay, Bai Tu Long Bay) and Hai Phong Decision 253/2025/QD-UBND (the Cat Ba bays)
Partner listing details. Each partner listing page as read on its read date (pier, cancellation terms, rating)
Headline costs. Added up from the listed prices, bay fees and fares each cost names; each part has its own source in this list
Bay sightseeing fees. Quang Ninh Provincial People's Council Resolution 51/2025 (Halong Bay, published by the Ha Long Bay Management Board); Hai Phong City People's Council Resolution 47/2025 (Cat Ba bays, from 1 January 2026)
Bay and route of each cruise. Each partner listing's itinerary as read on its read date, set against the route list of the Ha Long Bay Management Board

Photographs

Ti Top Island beach and viewpoint. Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Sung Sot Cave interior. Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Luon Cave (boat or kayak through the arch). Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Trong Mai Islet (Fighting Cocks Islet). Photo: Kuroczynski / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Ti Top Island beach and viewpoint. Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Kayaks in Halong Bay. Photo: Christophe95 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Thien Cung Cave. Photo: xiquinhosilva from Cacau / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Dau Go Cave. Photo: Mustang Joe / Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Ha Long International Cruise Port (Bai Chay). Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Bai Chay waterfront and Ha Long City. Photo: Pdhadam / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Wide Halong Bay seascape with karst islands. Photo: Helenakfronczak / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Wide Halong Bay seascape with karst islands. Photo: Christophe95 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0