Tours/Hanoi/Shore Excursion: Amazing Day Cruise at Ha Long Bay
Viator · group up to 35 pax

Shore Excursion: Amazing Day Cruise at Ha Long Bay

4.8(59)Hanoi1 hour
VIATOR4.8(56)TRIPADVISOR4.3(3)

Description

Explore the breathtaking beauty of Ha Long Bay on this full-day cruise. Located in the Gulf of Tonkin, the bay is home to around 1,600 islands and islets, creating a dramatic seascape of towering limestone pillars. Most islands are uninhabited, preserving their natural charm and rich biodiversity. Enjoy a day surrounded by stunning scenery and experience one of Vietnam’s most iconic natural wonders.

Tour Options

Full Day Cruise
  • Pickup included

Itinerary

Admission included420 min

Full day cruise itinerary: 08:30am : Meeting up at Ha Long International Cruise Port and make procedure to check – in on boat. 09:00am : Start visiting Halong bay – one of New Seven Wonder of the world. Stop at Sung Sot Cave ( Surprise Cave) – one of the biggest caves of Halong bay with more than 10.000m2. Go through the cave to explore how imaginary it is. Have lunch on boat with Set menu. ( 6 person/ set ) Stop at Luon Cave for kayaking or bamboo boat Cruising and stop at Titop beach – where you can swim, sunbathing or climb to the peak to take panoramic view picture of Halong Bay. 3:00pm : Enjoy sunset time on sundesk while cruising back to the port. 4:30pm : Arrive at Ha Long International Cruise Port. End of tour.

Highlights

Bottled Water
Kayaking or Bamboo Boat
Lunch on board
All indicated in our itinerary
Port pickup and drop-off
All Entrance Fees
English Speaking Tour Guide

What's included

Included
Bottled Water
Kayaking or Bamboo Boat
Lunch on board
All indicated in our itinerary
Port pickup and drop-off
All Entrance Fees
English Speaking Tour Guide
Not included
Personal Expenses

Traveller Ratings

4.8
59 reviews
5
49
4
8
3
2
2
0
1
0

Important Information

  • Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
  • Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
  • Not recommended for pregnant travelers
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Reviews(59)

L
Linda_B
April 1, 2026
This was my first tour...

This was my first tour with Viator and I was extremely impressed. Our guide, Johnny, was fantastic He was prompt, very knowledgeable and kind in every way All the staff were so obliging and helpful. An excellent day. Thank you.

S
Sheila_M
March 16, 2026
It will take your breath away!

It was an amazing day. Our tour guide Johnny was the best. He took such good care of us. The views were spectacular.

N
Neil_L
January 17, 2026
Worth It

Ms. Lily (Mi Van), our guide, was very good. She met us exactly where we were told she would be (information centre). Small group, which was good. Ha Long Bay was lovely. My favourite part of the excursion was the speedboat ride (I felt like James Bond 007 being chased). The onboard meal was more than enough for all of us at our table. It was a cultural treat, and so well prepared. The whole excursion was worth every penny spent. Even the obligatory shopping stop was a pleasant surprise, as the surroundings were so picturesque.

A
Amit_G
December 29, 2025
Excellent experience

Quite a well organised set of activities. Johnny, our guide, was a wonderful companion. I would recommend the speed boat experience, although it was not included in the package, it is totally worth it. The caves and the boats were excellent too.

C
C4688UFsandrae
December 10, 2025
Paradise spoilt

Amazing scenery. The cave was spectacular. The hour long stop at the pearl store was unnecessary. The speedboat was an upsell and chaotic.. The “beach” water was filthy.

L
Lindy_C
December 8, 2025
Wonderful guide but shame about overcrowded attraction

Firstly want to say Sonny our guide was fantastic. As we're the boat staff. Very attentive and informative. However, this was not a luxury boat as described. A few stools on the astro turf deck. Then secondly do not expect to have Halong bay to yourself. It is awfully overcrowded. Hundreds of boats and thousands of tourists trying to see the same sights. You are taken around a pearl farm and shop. The caves are super impressive but with thousands of Chinese tourists, all with tourists guides shouting on mega phones, it was far from a pleasant experience. Amazing speed boat experience. However you wear life jackets which were filthy and absolutely stink. We had greasy dirty hands after touching them. Then the sampan / kayak experience. I have no idea how someone isn't seriously injured. There is no regulation and our sampan driver went straight into and nearly capsized 2 inexperienced kayaks. Again way too many tourists in a small area. Chinese tourist boats all feeding the local monkeys to get photos; surely this isn't ethical?. Then finally the beach stop. A tiny beach with thousands of tourists. It was filthy and utter utter chaos. I have loved Vietnam but am embarrassed to be a part of the tourist problem at this stunning location. This really needs controlling and safety / hygiene needs overhauling.

Operator response

Dear Ms. Lindy, Thank you again for booking our day cruise at Halong Bay on 8 December, as well as your feedback about our tour guide, crew, and our services. We are pleased you felt we were providing excellent services to you. However, we deeply regret that your experience at Sung Sot Cave and Titop Isle was impacted by the large crowds. We completely understand your frustration regarding this matter. As a highly popular destination, the cave and the island occasionally see high visitor traffic, which typically occurs only a few days each month—often when major tour groups from Hanoi City are visiting the bay, as was the case on your cruise date. While the volume of visitors is unfortunately an external factor beyond our control, we sincerely apologize that this specific issue affected your overall experience at the bay. We truly value your feedback and regret that this issue affected your visit to Sung Sot Cave and Titop Isle. Thank you again for your understanding, and we wish you all the best, Ms. Lindy. Best regards, Thu Ho

J
Joseph_B
November 23, 2025
Eight hour tour of the bay with lunch

Great Tours great prize the boat not particularly comfortable, but that’s not super important. Vy was s great host.

K
Karin_V
November 20, 2025
Cruise

Tourist tour that you should experience anyway. Good intelligible guide. Lots and good food on board.excellent trip

P
Pauline_R
November 14, 2025
David contacted us the...

David contacted us the day before with exact details of where to meet in the Terminal. We visited a pearl farm, Hang Sung Sot cave which required a lot of climbing steps. Lunch was local Vietnamese dishes and plentiful. After lunch we transferred to a bamboo boat (or kayak) and sailed through another cave where we saw monkeys. We paid an extra 300000 dong each to do an optional speedboat, but it was well worth the money. There is only one free drink per person so remember to take some cash with you. We finished the day at Ti Top beach which was extremely busy and there wasn’t enough time to climb the steps to the Temple. David our guide was fantastic, he learnt everyone’s name, was very patient, attentive, fun and helpful. He also spoke perfect English. A perfect tour guide.

B
Bernard_D
November 14, 2025
Day cruise of Halong Bay

This was a fantastic cruise around the most stunning Halong Bay. The tour was with Maximus travel and the tour guide David was excellent. He spoke English extremely well, was really informative and very friendly. He guided the group carefully ensuring everyone’s needs were met. The cruise vessel was well appointed and very clean. The lunch provided was extensive and tasty. They also catered separately for my partner who is coeliac and follows a gluten free diet. Halong Bay is a Unesco site not to be missed.

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