Lan Ha Bay day trip

What is the best day cruise to Lan Ha Bay?

From Cat Ba, the Cat Ba full day (4.8 from 1,685 reviews) for the most in one day. From Hanoi, the Hanoi day cruise, which sails from Ha Long into Lan Ha with transfers included.

Four day trips, compared. The three Cat Ba boats are close in price, so choose on group size and on what the afternoon holds.

Which Lan Ha Bay day trip should you take from Cat Ba?

Pick the Cat Ba full day for the longest list of stops, the small-group cruise for a quieter boat, and the Beka day boat for an earlier finish and a sunset snack.

Cat Ba full day ($28). A minibus collects you from your hotel at 8:00 to 8:30, ten minutes to Ben Beo. The boat passes the floating village, then the crew takes you through Bright Cave, Dark Cave and Bat Cave into the lagoons, before a swim at Ba Trai Dao. Lunch is on board at noon, and at 14:30 you land at Viet Hai to cycle into the village. A dry bag and village tickets are included, and there is a green car if you would rather not bike.

Small-group day cruise ($32). Run by Cat Ba Local, with an option capped at 10 people. Cai Beo first, kayaking at around 10:30, lunch anchored at Ong Cam islet, then south past Dau Be island to Ba Trai Dao and a fish farm before the sunset run home. It holds the highest rating of the four, 4.9.

Beka day boat ($34). Kayaking in a protected conservation lagoon, a beach, and fresh spring rolls you roll yourself as the light goes. Back at the harbour by 16:15, handy if you have a bus to catch.

Can you do a Lan Ha Bay day trip from Hanoi?

Yes, two ways: a day cruise from Tuan Chau in Ha Long that sails into Lan Ha, or a 5:30am bus to Cat Ba for a Ben Beo day boat. Both are long days.

Via Ha Long. The Hanoi day cruise ($49) collects you in the Old Quarter between 7:10 and 7:45 and checks you in at Tuan Chau at 11:00. A buffet lunch is served as the ship crosses from Ha Long to Cat Ba. On the island an electric car takes you to Trung Trang Cave and the Cat Ba National Park museum, then the ship sails into the Tra Bau area of Lan Ha for kayaking and a swim, and the sunset party on the way back. With transfers it is up to 13.5 hours door to door; without, about 7.

Via Cat Ba. The Beka day boat has a Hanoi option with a 5:30 pickup (hotel on weekdays, the office at 214 Tran Quang Khai Street at weekends). You get the full Lan Ha day, and you are back in Hanoi around 8:30pm. It works. Spending a night on Cat Ba works better: Hanoi to Lan Ha Bay has the buses and ferries.

Lan Ha in one day from Hanoi with the transfers, a buffet lunch, Trung Trang Cave and a kayak in the Tra Bau area all included.

★ 4.8 · 7 to 13.5 hours · from $49

Explore the Hanoi day cruise to Lan Ha → Tour details

What does a typical Lan Ha Bay day trip route look like?

Ben Beo, Cai Beo floating village, the karst channels, a cave paddle, a swim at Ba Trai Dao, lunch on board, then Viet Hai village or a fish farm before heading back.

• Cai Beo floating village. A few minutes out of Ben Beo. One of the oldest floating communities in Vietnam: archaeologists date the Cai Beo settlement back thousands of years, and VietnamPlus counts about 300 households living off fishing and fish farms. Ask before you photograph people.
• The caves. Low tunnels such as Dark and Bright Cave lead into enclosed lagoons. Kayaking is on the itinerary, but on some days crews switch to a rowed bamboo boat at the caves, so check the listing for kayak or bamboo boat before you book.
• Ba Trai Dao. Three Peaches beach, on its own island, boat access only, and tide-dependent. Most boats let you jump from the deck.
• Viet Hai village. Inside the core zone of Cat Ba National Park. The Hai Phong city news site puts the road from the wharf at about 5 km of climbs and bends, walked, cycled or done by electric car. A stream with nibbling fish waits at the end.

What are some fun things to do in Lan Ha Bay?

Paddle into a lagoon, jump off the boat at a beach, cycle to Viet Hai, roll spring rolls at sunset. With a night to spare, kayak among glowing plankton.

• Kayak or bamboo boat into a lagoon. Ao Ech, Tra Bau and the caves near Ben Beo are the usual spots. Beka guests rate the paddle the high point, although one noted the route lasted about an hour.
• Swim and jump off the deck at Ba Trai Dao or Van Boi.
• Bike through Viet Hai and finish with the fish foot massage in the stream.
• Look for the Cat Ba langur. About 90 left, all on Cat Ba. The Cat Ba full day's crew watch for it in the kayaking area; bring binoculars and low expectations.
• Night kayak among glowing plankton. It is part of the 2-day kayak, hike and Viet Hai trip, which also sleeps you in a village bungalow.
• Climb. Cat Ba is known for rock climbing and deep-water soloing on the Lan Ha karsts; climbing outfits in Cat Ba town run their own boats.

What to do in Lan Ha Bay with only one day?

Take one full-day boat from Ben Beo and let it run the day; the bay is best seen from the water, and the boats cover the stops you would struggle to reach alone.

Families: the Cat Ba full day suits mixed ages, with calm lagoons and a green car as the alternative to the bike. Couples who want space: the small-group option. Early risers who want the afternoon free: the Beka boat, back at 16:15. And if you can only spare the day from Hanoi, the Tuan Chau day cruise is the least tiring of the two Hanoi options, because the road is shorter.

A tip that holds for all of them: the cooler months bring morning fog, mostly January and the first half of February, which usually lifts by about 8:30 to 9am. In summer the showers come in the afternoon, roughly 14:00 to 17:00. When to go covers each month.

★★★★★

Group size isnt too big and a steady pace so you can enjoy everything. [...] Lunch is big portions and very delicious after working up an appetite on the kayaks.

What should you bring on a Lan Ha Bay day trip?

Swimwear, a change of clothes, sunscreen, sunglasses and shoes that can get wet. Bring some Vietnamese dong for drinks, which are extra on every day boat.

• Swimwear and a towel, worn under your clothes, since changing space on a day boat is limited.
• Sports shoes or sandals with grip for the Viet Hai ride and slippery pontoons.
• A dry bag for your phone. The Cat Ba full day and the small-group cruise hand them out.
• Cash in dong for drinks and tips. Lunch and a bottle of water are included; beer and soft drinks are not.
• A rash guard from April to August, when jellyfish peak around Cat Ba. Blooms here are milder than in the south, but ask the crew before you jump.

More on the water side in swimming and kayaking in Lan Ha.

How much does a Lan Ha Bay day trip cost?

From Cat Ba, $28 to $34 per person with lunch, kayaking and the bay ticket. From Hanoi, $49 with transfers on the Tuan Chau day cruise.

All four day trips include the bay entry, which Hai Phong keeps at about 120,000 VND (roughly $5) per adult in 2026. What they leave out: drinks and tips, and holiday surcharges on some dates. The Hanoi day cruise, for example, adds 150,000 VND per person over Tet. If you are staying on Cat Ba and heading back to Hanoi after the Cat Ba full day, its operator sells a seat on a bus to the Old Quarter for $12, booked the day before. The fees post explains the ticket.

Children: on the Hanoi day cruise one child aged 0 to 2 goes free, ages 3 to 5 pay half, and from 6 they pay the adult price. Every trip here cancels free up to 24 hours before.

Frequently asked questions