Best Halong Bay Cruises 2025

Why Take a Halong Bay Cruise?

• Explore further: Halong Bay cruises allow you to travel deeper into the heart of the bay and witness the limestone formations up close. These cruises sail along the bay, occasionally stopping at famous attractions like Sung Sot Cave and Ti Top Island, allowing you to fully experience their beauty and uniqueness.
• Enjoy interesting activities: Beyond sightseeing, Halong Bay cruises offer a range of activities and comfortable amenities. During your time on the cruise, you can participate in various activities, both onboard, such as cooking classes, sunset parties, and Tai Chi lessons, and offboard, like kayaking or swimming in the hidden lagoons of Halong Bay.
• They’re relaxing: Halong Bay cruises are also perfect places to relax and enjoy delicious food. They’re like floating hotels, with full amenities, from spacious cabins and sundecks to, in some cases, swimming pools. Their onboard restaurants serve delicious cuisine, blending Vietnamese and Western flavors.
• Hassle free way to travel: Most Halong Bay cruises offer all-inclusive packages, ideal for travelers who prefer minimal planning. These packages include most essentials, from full-board meals and activities to tour guides, entrance fees, and accommodations. Of course, some exclusions apply, such as drinks and tips, so be sure to check the inclusions and exclusions of your chosen cruise.

Choose Your Perfect Halong Bay Cruise

With over 2,000 cruises in Halong Bay, finding the right one can be challenging. Consider your priorities—duration or budget—before making a decision.

By Duration

There are two main cruise schedules in Halong Bay: Day Cruises and Overnight Cruises.

Day Cruises

This option is perfect if you have limited time. The day cruise will take you on a 4-6 hour journey through the bay, engaging in several exciting activities. For instance, you can explore mystical caves like Sung Sot Cave, hike to the summit of Ti Top Island, and partake in kayaking or bamboo boat tours through Luon Cave.

Note that this can be tiring if you’re traveling from Hanoi, as the round trip to the bay takes approximately five hours.

Some Halong Bay Day Cruises to consider include Symphony Cruise, Lavoya Boutique Cruise, and Ambassador Day Cruise.

Overnight Cruises

If your time allows, an overnight cruise is ideal. It offers a more relaxing stay, comfortable and modern cabins, and the chance to explore further parts of Halong Bay. A significant advantage of overnight cruises is the opportunity to see the bay at different times of the day, including magical sunset and sunrise moments.

However,  though overnight cruises offer all-inclusive packages, they tend to be more expensive than day cruises.

*Check out more overnight cruise here.

By Budget

If your top priority is budget, no worry, there’re various cruises with different budget for you to choose!

Budget Cruises: Under $130 USD per person per night
These cruises are a great option for budget-conscious travelers. For under $130 USD per person per night, they provide a decent trip with basic facilities. Their itinerary will still cover the main attractions, ensuring you don’t miss any highlights of the bay.

Mid-range Cruises: $130 USD – $150 USD per person per night
Mid-range Halong Bay cruises offer a perfect balance of price and comfort. They provide full onboard amenities and various extras, such as swimming pools, spas, and fitness centers.

Luxury Cruises: $150 USD and above per person per night
Luxury cruises offer the best experience in the bay. Designed in various styles (boutique or modern), they all feature luxurious amenities. From opulent cabins and private balconies to premium extras like mini-golf courses, fine dining, sky bars, and wine cellars.

Activities

Never worry of being bored in Halong Bay because your cruises will be filled with tons of different activities, both on and off board. 

Onboard Activities

• Cooking classes: Learn to prepare Vietnamese dishes like traditional spring rolls, guided by professional cruise chefs.
• Sunset parties: Relax on the sundeck with drinks and witness the magical sunset over the limestone formations.
• Squid fishing: Try your luck catching squid from the boat (seasonal, typically November to February).

Offboard Activities

• Kayaking: Explore limestone formations and underwater caves.
• Bamboo boat tours: Explore underwater caves and uniquely shaped limestone karst formations, sailed by locals.
• Cave visits: Discover beautiful caves like Sung Sot Cave and Thien Cung Cave, revealing millions of years of limestone formations.
• Swimming: Enjoy swimming onboard, jumping from the cruise, or relaxing at secluded beaches.
• Hiking: Climb to the top of islands for panoramic views of Halong Bay.

Covered Attractions

As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a cruise will sail you through many natural attractions of the bay, from magnificent cave systems to beautiful islands and beaches.

Caves

• Sung Sot Cave (Surprising Cave): The most famous and beautiful cave in Halong Bay, with two chambers showcasing stunning stalactites and rock formations.
• Thien Cung Cave: Features colorful lighting and intricate stalagmite formations.
• Dark and Bright Caves: Partially submerged caves, perfect for kayaking.

Islands and Beaches

• Ba Trai Dao Beach: A beach that appears only for a few hours a day, depending on the tides.
• Ban Chan Beach: A pristine beach with lush greenery and picturesque limestone mountains.
• Ti Top Island: Offers white sandy beaches and a hike to panoramic views of Halong Bay.

Itineraries

Halong Bay covers an area of nearly 1,553 square kilometers, including 1,969 islands, so you simply cannot cover it in just 1 cruise. At the moment, there are 3 different parts of Halong Bay that cruises operate on, including Halong Bay main route, Lan Ha Bay route or Bai Tu Long Bay route. Each will provide different features and view of the bay, but all with share the same beauty. 

Halong Bay main route

This is the main route of Halong Bay, covering all the main attractions and help you enjoy the whole beauty as well as discover the most breathtaking spots in Halong Bay. The route is the most beautiful on a 3-day 2-night cruise, but also pretty touristy due to it’s huge reputation. 

Here’s the standard itineary of what will cover during

Day 1: Ha Long – Sung Sot Cave – Titop Island

Morning

Start at Tuan Chau Marina. At the cruise’s waiting lounge, the staff will welcome you with a warm smile, instruct you to check in, and offer you a refreshing drink. As the cruise departs at 12:30 PM, you will enjoy a delicious lunch while admiring the stunning views of Ha Long Bay on the boat, then take time to witness several attractions like Thumb Islet, Burning Incense Island, etc.

Afternoon

The journey continues with a visit to Sung Sot Cave and Titov Island. You can kayak, swim, or climb to see a panoramic view of Halong Bay before returning to the cruise. Back to board, take a Vietnamese cooking class and learn how to cook traditional dishes. Sunset party.

Evening

Enjoy tasty dinner 

Day 2: Lan Ha Bay – Dark and Bright Cave – Tra Bau Pearl Farm

Morning 

The day 2 cruise will kick off by attending a Tai Chi class and admiring the sunrise on board. You will taste the delicious buffet breakfast, then transfer to day boat and sail to Lan Ha Bay – the side part of Halong Bay.

Explore Dark and Bright Cave by kayak before sailing back to the day boat. Savor the lunch

Afternoon

Three Peach (Ba Trai Dao) Beach will be the first stop for the afternoon. Thereafter, the guide will transfer the stop to Tra Bau Pearl Farm to gain more knowledge about the process of producing high-quality pearls.

Back to the main cruise in the afternoon.

Evening

Dinner

Day 3: Halong Bay – Tuan Chau Marina

Day 3 of our Halong Bay Cruise starts with an incredible buffet breakfast, and then we go to discover Luon Cave by kayaking. Following that, we will return to the cruise to check out, have brunch/lunch (depending on the cruise), and back to Tuan Chau Marina. Cruise end.

Lan Ha Bay Route

Lan Ha Bay is the neighbor of Halong Bay. It is less touristy with newer cruises, and famous for its relaxation type of cruise.

Here’s the standard itinerary

Day 1: Halong Bay – Lan Ha Bay – Tra Bau Pearl Farm

Morning

Let’s check in and enjoy lunch on the boat.

Afternoon

After taking a short break, sail to Tra Bau area. Here, you can swim in the tranquil waters of Lan Ha Bay or kayak. If you do not want to join offboard activities, you can choose to stay on board to relax on the cruise.

Evening

You will join a sunset party and taste drinks from a special offer: “Happy Hours” at the sky bar. Cooking classes will be held for you to join and learn how to cook traditional Vietnamese specialties. 

Dinner and free time on board.

Day 2

Morning

Have breakfast. You will change to a tender boat to explore the furthest corner of Lan Ha Bay 

Stop by Cat Ba Island to visit Viet Hai Village. You can cycle or take an electric car to wander around the village and Cat Ba National Park to explore the natural scenery here.

Then, we will return to the boat for lunch and take a short break.

Afternoon

The afternoon gives you time to kayak and swim around Lan Ha Bay. Next, you need to get back to the boat for the Sunset Party and cooking classes.

Evening

You will enjoy the buffet dinner and stay overnight on board

Day 3: Lan Ha Bay – Dark and Bright Cave – Tuan Chau Marina 

The morning starts with some moves from Tai Chi lessons on deck and a breakfast. Next, discover Dark and Bright Caves by kayak or bamboo boat. 

Then, we will come back and have brunch on board during the cruise sailing back to the Tuan Chau Marina. After docking, our cruise ended.

Bai Tu Long Bay Route

Bai Tu Long Bay is the least touristy and most authentic of the 3. Cruises traveling this route are normally designed in traditional junk style. 

Here’s the standard itinerary

Day 1: Bai Tu Long Bay – Cong Do – Cap La Island

Morning

Check in at Halong International Port. The staff will give you a welcome drink, introduce the cruise, and guide you to finish the check-in process. Then, enjoy lunchtime on board.

Afternoon

Cap La Island will be the first place explored in Bai Tu Long. You can engage in several activities, like kayaking or swimming.  Then, we will return to the cruise to prepare for onboard activities such as the Sunset Party or Cooking Class.

Evening 

After enjoying your dinner, there are a lot of onboard activities for passengers to join, like karaoke and squid fishing.

Day 2: Vung Vieng Fishing Village – Cong Dam – Bai Tu Long Bay 

Morning

Attend Tai Chi lessons, and have breakfast. After that, pick up by a day cruise to start the adventure to the core of Bai Tu Long Bay. We will visit Vung Vieng Village to meet locals and get to know more about the fishing culture in local daily life. Lunch on the day cruise.

Afternoon

After lunch, you will have leisure time to swim and relax on the beach before going back to the main cruise. 

Evening

Time for dinner

Day 3: Bai Tu Long Bay – Thien Canh Son Cave – Hon Gai Pier

Morning: 

The final day starts with a light breakfast before discovering the stunning beauty of limestone and karst inside Thien Canh Son Cave. Then, we will get back on the cruise to check out and have brunch offered on board. The cruise will transfer you back to the Port. Cruise end.