Ha Long Bay Guide

Ha Long Bay Guide…

Named one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World, it’s no surprise that Ha Long Bay is at the top of everyones bucket list.

In February of 2020, I had the opportunity to explore the bay by spending the night on a traditional junk boat. With Ha Long Bay being at the top of my own bucket list, this was definitely the highlight of my Vietnam trip.

Since I had such an amazing experience, here is my ultimate guide to visiting Ha Long Bay!

Where is Ha Long Bay and how can I get there?

Ha Long bay is located in the Northeastern Vietnam Gulf of Tonkin, in the Quang Ninh Province. With that being said, the closest, and most convenient, airport is Noi Bai International Airport 30 km (19 miles) away from Hanoi. If you are looking at using a Vietnam based airline, check out my Vietnam Travel Guide to see which airlines are the top rated!

Once you are in a city close to Ha Long Bay, you will need to find transportation to/from the bay. Many of the junk boat companies offer transportation so I would be sure to check before you pay for a Grab or any other taxi service since that can get expensive. By car, it takes about 2-2.5 hours to get to the bay from Hanoi. If your Ha Long Bay tour does not offer transportation, check TripAdvisor (or another tour operator), they will have a ton of options!

What are my Ha Long Bay cruise options?

Ha Long Bay is full of hundreds of different tour companies all looking to have you stay on their junk boat during your visit.

Since there are so many different companies, I have done my best to put together a list of the best ones depending on your wants/needs.

1. One Day Boat Tour

If you are not wanting to spend the night in the bay, a one day tour is probably the best option for you.

This one day tour on TripAdvisor is one of the best rated and includes so much for the price of $25. With this 8 hour tour, you will get:

lunch, entrance ticket, kayak, snorkel, and a tour guide
Entry/Admission – Monkey Island
Entry/Admission – Lan Ha Bay

There are many other one-day tours if this one does not work for you. Here are a couple others within different price ranges:

2 . Overnight Cruise

For those of you wanting to spend more than a day in Ha Long Bay, an overnight cruise is definitely the way to go!

Many of these overnight cruises are offer multiple different lengths of stay so I would recommend checking the official website. On average, an overnight cruise (2 days, 1 night) in the bay will include:

Kayaking, snorkeling, Hiking, Swimming, and a tour guide
Lunch (x2), Dinner, Breakfast
Entry/Admission – Monkey Island
Entry/Admission – Lan Ha Bay

Here are the top rated overnight cruises in Ha Long Bay sorted by number of nights available: (remember to check official link to see about different lengths of stay)

Cozy Bay Classic Cruise 2D1N kayaking,swim, mountain hiking, cave & pearl farm (Cozy Bay Cruise: 1 night cruise only)
2-Day, 1-Night Halong Bay Discovery Cruise from Hanoi (Ha Long Bay Phoenix Cruiser: 1 night cruise)
Indochina Sails (Indochina Sails Cruises: 2 night cruises)
2 Days Full Range Cruises-Meals,Kayak,Hiking,Cooking class,Tickets,Taichi (Ha Long Lavender Cruises: 1 and 2 nights available)
Halong Cruise 2D1N ( Sunlight Cruise: 1 and 2 nights available)
All-Inclusive 2D/1N at BEST CRUISES: Transfer, Meals, Kayak, Cave, Island, Beach (Ha Long Bay Cruise Hunters: 1, 2, and 3 night cruises available)

3. For my future SAS voyagers…

Deciding how you are going to visit Ha Long Bay can be a stressful process. There are so many different companies to pick from that offer different accommodations which appeal to different people. My biggest tip for deciding which company to go with: pick the one that appeals to you the most. Yes, your friend group may not want to do the same, but I promise there will be someone on the ship that is wanting to do the same as you.

There are going to be many students that decide to go with one major company (you will know what i’m talking about once you are on the ship). Personally, my friends and I did not sail with the popular SAS company, and we were more than happy with our decision.

Obviously you should base your decision on what you want, but just remember this is a once in a lifetime opportunity!!

My overall experience

Ha Long Bay was absolutely beautiful. Between sailing through the bay on the top deck of the junk boat, kayaking between the limestone islands, hiking to the top of Titop Island, and exploring a cave, I felt like I got to see all of what makes this beautiful bay so famous.

I hope this little guide I put together helps you decide on how you are going to visit the bay. If you have any questions about Ha Long Bay or the companies above, ask below in the comments!