Ha Long Bay: top things to do, hidden gems and key tips

Book an overnight cruise on Route 2 from Tuan Chau, which covers Sung Sot Cave and Ti Top island. Allow two days from Hanoi: the expressway drive is about 2.5 hours.1Vietnam Tourism (opens in a new tab)vietnam.travel The bay charges its own entrance fee on top of your cruise price, and boats stop sailing when a typhoon is near.

How long have you got?

• Half a day: Route VHL8 runs from Tuan Chau marina or Ha Long cruise port to the Nam Cau Trang area for 70,000 VND.2Ha Long Bay Management Board (opens in a new tab)halongbay.com.vn
• One day: a day cruise on Route 2 (Sung Sot, Ti Top, Luon Cave). The entrance fee is 250,000 VND.3Ha Long Bay Management Board (opens in a new tab)halongbay.com.vn In winter boats leave from 05:30 and must be back by 19:00.4Management Board (opens in a new tab)halongbay.com.vn
• One night: the same Route 2 costs 550,000 VND in fees for one night and 750,000 VND for two.5Ha Long Bay Management Board (opens in a new tab)halongbay.com.vn
• Three days or more: add Cat Ba and Lan Ha Bay.

When are you going?

• September to November: the best weather. Autumn and spring bring clear, calm days; summer is hot with a chance of storms.6Vietnam Tourism (opens in a new tab)vietnam.travel
• July to October: typhoon suspensions. Quang Ninh halted all tourist boats from 20 July 2025 ahead of Storm Wipha.7Dan Tri (opens in a new tab)dtinews.dantri.com.vn From 05 October 2025 it also suspended permits for overnight stays during Typhoon Matmo.8Ha Long Bay Management Board (opens in a new tab)halongbay.com.vn Typhoon Yagi hit Quang Ninh on 07 September 2024 and sank 27 tourist boats.9VnExpress (opens in a new tab)e.vnexpress.net Book a cruise you can cancel.
• December to February: cool and drier, with light mist over the bay.10Vietnam Tourism (opens in a new tab)vietnam.travel Pack a warm layer.
• From 01 November: winter site hours apply, 07:30 to 17:00 at Sung Sot, Ti Top and Luon Cave.11Management Board (opens in a new tab)halongbay.com.vn

Top things to do

• Sung Sot Cave: the largest cave found in the bay, with a freshwater lake in the first chamber, reached by a steep path from about 20 m above the sea. It is on Route 2.12Management Board (opens in a new tab)halongbay.com.vnTip It opens 07:30 to 17:00 in winter, so check your cruise reaches it before closing.13Management Board (opens in a new tab)halongbay.com.vn
• Ti Top island: a crescent of golden sand with a hill to climb for the view, named after cosmonaut Gherman Titov.14Management Board (opens in a new tab)halongbay.com.vnTip Same hours as Sung Sot, so climb it first.
• Kayaking: quiet lagoons and fishing boats up close; no experience needed.15Vietnam Tourism (opens in a new tab)vietnam.travelTip Go just before sunset, and wear a life jacket whenever you paddle away from the shore.16VnExpress (opens in a new tab)e.vnexpress.net
• Route 3, Cua Van floating village: Cua Van cultural centre, Tien Ong Cave and Ba Ham Lake; the fee is 200,000 VND for a day trip and 500,000 VND for one night.17Management Board (opens in a new tab)halongbay.com.vnTip Cua Van opens from 08:00, not 07:30.18Management Board (opens in a new tab)halongbay.com.vn
• Lan Ha Bay: about 400 islands east of Cat Ba island, in Hai Phong, with a boat ticket from Beo Wharf of 80,000 VND one way.19VnExpress (opens in a new tab)e.vnexpress.netTip Kayaking is best in autumn and winter, and floating restaurants in the bay are no longer allowed.20VnExpress (opens in a new tab)e.vnexpress.net
• Cat Ba National Park: entry 80,000 VND, with hikes starting at 08:30 or 09:00.21VnExpress, December 2023 (opens in a new tab)e.vnexpress.netTip Autumn and early winter are the cool months for trekking.

Do this instead

• Instead of the 600,000 VND combined route VHL7: take Route VHL6 for 150,000 VND a day. It runs through Chan Voi islet, Ba Cua lagoon and Tung Lam island, and ends where it connects with Gia Luan on Lan Ha Bay.22Management Board (opens in a new tab)halongbay.com.vn
• Instead of a day cruise on a single bay: since 20 April 2026 overnight cruises link Ha Long and Lan Ha bays from Tuan Chau.23VietnamPlus (opens in a new tab)en.vietnamplus.vn

Hidden gems

• Soi Sim island: a protected island with a beach for swimming, before Ti Top on Route 2.24Management Board (opens in a new tab)halongbay.com.vn
• Cai Beo floating village: Vietnam’s oldest fishing village of its kind, passed on Lan Ha boat tours.25VnExpress (opens in a new tab)e.vnexpress.net

Getting there and around

• From Hanoi: the Ha Long expressway is 130 km.26VnExpress (opens in a new tab)e.vnexpress.net Cruises leave from Tuan Chau or Bai Chay.27Vietnam Tourism (opens in a new tab)vietnam.travel
• To Cat Ba: Cat Ba is about 124 km from Hanoi. Drive about two hours to Got ferry, then cross to Cai Vieng. Ferries leave Got 05:30 to 18:30 and Cai Vieng 05:00 to 18:00, every half hour.28VnExpress, December 2023 (opens in a new tab)e.vnexpress.net
• Cat Ba to Lan Ha: buy a boat ticket at Beo Wharf, or rent a private boat.29VnExpress (opens in a new tab)e.vnexpress.net

If it doesn’t go to plan

• Typhoon warning? Port permits are suspended, so no boat leaves. Ask the operator about a refund or a date change before you travel.
• Cruise cancelled? Lan Ha Bay is in Hai Phong, with its own port rules. Check with that operator separately.
• Safety: after the Vinh Xanh 58 capsized on 19 July 2025, Quang Ninh ordered boats to brief passengers on safety before departure and to stay in port if they fail checks.30VnExpress (opens in a new tab)e.vnexpress.net Pay attention to the briefing.