Bai Tu Long Bay: The Quieter Bay Next to Ha Long

A National Park and More Than 600 Islands

Bai Tu Long Bay covers about 1,200 square km of water and holds more than 600 islands, according to operator guides. At its heart sits Bai Tu Long National Park, founded on 1 June 2001 in Van Don district. The park spans 157.83 square km in total, split into 61.25 square km of islands and 96.58 square km of sea, with a core zone of about 15,000 hectares. Around 40 islands fall inside the park in three groups named Ba Mun, Tra Ngo and Sau. The park became an ASEAN Heritage Park in 2016.

The reason travelers cross town for this bay is simple: it is the least crowded of the three bays, while Ha Long is the most touristy. The same limestone scenery continues across the water. Key stops include the floating village of Vung Vieng, the Cong Dam karst area, Thien Canh Son Cave, Cap La and Ban Chan. Beyond the cruise zone, the inhabited islands of Quan Lan and Co To draw beach travelers who come by ferry rather than by cruise ship. Cong Do, an area of caves and beaches such as Da Xep and Tra Gioi, lies about 30 km from Ha Long city.

The Main Stops, One by One

Cruise itineraries in Bai Tu Long concentrate on a short list of places, and independent travelers add the ferry islands. The table below gathers the stops named in the source guides with what each one is and a practical note. Distances and entry details come from the same sources.

The Three Bays Compared

Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay both lie in Quang Ninh province, while Lan Ha Bay lies in Hai Phong city and is the bay around Cat Ba Island. Bai Tu Long sits northeast of Ha Long, Lan Ha sits south of it. The figures below come from the operator and tourism guides cited below, and each number is attributed to its guide.

Who Bai Tu Long Suits

Pick Bai Tu Long if your priority is a quiet boat and empty water rather than the famous name stops. The bay shares the same karst scenery. It suits second-time visitors to Vietnam, photographers who want sunrise without a crowd, and anyone who has already seen Sung Sot Cave and Ti Top Island on a first trip. It also suits travelers with an extra day, because ports such as Ao Tien sit closer to Van Don and the ferry islands, which makes a cruise plus a Quan Lan or Co To beach stop a realistic plan.

Pick Ha Long if you want the headline sights, with day cruises from $23 per person before the bay fee on the day cruises from Hanoi list. Pick Lan Ha if kayaking is the main event, or if you want to combine the water with time on Cat Ba Island, which the Cat Ba Island guide covers. Note that kayaking rules changed across the bays, so confirm the kayaking spot with your operator when booking, since the authorities set where paddles may go.

The Three Bai Tu Long Ports

Bai Tu Long cruises typically depart from Hon Gai in Ha Long city, about 165 km from Hanoi. The second main port is Ao Tien in Van Don district, put at about 180 km from Hanoi by Vietnam Tourism and about 227 km by Best Price Travel, with road time quoted at 3 to 4 hours. Ao Tien international ferry terminal opened in March 2023, covers nearly 30 hectares, has five berths and a capacity of 3 million passengers a year, and sits about 48 km from Ha Long and about 12.4 km from Van Don airport. The third port is Vung Duc in Cam Pha, about 170 km from Hanoi. Note that the Hon Gai side of Ha Long city is separated from the Bai Chay tourist side by the Bai Chay Bridge, 903 metres long by one guide's figure, so allow crossing time if your hotel is in Bai Chay.

From Hanoi, the expressway covers most of the trip in 2.5 to 3.5 hours. Express buses run 250,000 to 400,000 VND and limousine vans 350,000 to 450,000 VND per Vietnam Tourism, with private cars at 1,200,000 to 1,800,000 VND one way. There is no direct passenger train from Hanoi to Ha Long, and a Hanoi to Quang Ninh high-speed railway is under construction and due to operate in 2028.

Ferries to Quan Lan and Co To

Quan Lan and Co To are the main inhabited islands of Bai Tu Long, reached by ferry or high-speed boat. For Quan Lan, ferries leave from four ports: Hon Gai at 60 to 90 minutes, Vung Duc in Cam Pha seasonally, Cai Rong at 40 to 45 minutes, and Ao Tien as the main summer port. Quan Lan fares run 150,000 to 230,000 VND with a port access fee of 30,000 VND per passenger.

From Ao Tien, the Quan Lan crossing takes 45 to 60 minutes at $7.60 to $9.50, Minh Chau takes 45 to 60 minutes at $6.80 to $8.40, and Co To takes 60 to 70 minutes at about $11.40 to $14.50. One guide puts the Co To crossing at 90 to 120 minutes from Cai Rong, so check the departure port when you book. The best months for Co To are April to June and September to October per North Vietnam, while the best months for Bai Tu Long cruising overall are October to April per Bhaya, with July and August carrying peak crowds and storm risk.

The Dedicated Small Boat

The pick for this bay is the Bai Tu Long Bay Small Boat Cruise at $158 per person for 2 days and 1 night, rated 4.9 from 1,777 reviews on the booking platform. The boat caps at 25 guests and sails Bai Tu Long Bay and Ha Long Bay. The price includes all meals on board, meaning 2 lunches, 1 dinner and 1 breakfast, a Deluxe Seaview Cabin, kayaking, squid fishing, a cooking demonstration and an English speaking guide.

It does not include hotel pickup in the base price: transport from and to Hanoi costs $35 per person for both ways, and one booking option marked all inclusive has pickup included. Solo travelers pay $75 extra, Lunar New Year adds $40 per person, and the December 24 and 31 gala dinner adds $38 per person. Free cancellation applies 24 hours ahead.

The Bai Tu Long Bay cruise page goes deeper on the boat itself.

The Choose Your Bay Overnight

The second route into the bay is the Overnight Cruise, Choose Your Bay from $149 per person for 2 days and 1 night, rated 4.7 from 3,533 reviews on the booking platform. The listing sells boats across Ha Long, Lan Ha and Bai Tu Long Bay by option, from 3-star to 6-star cabins, with groups capped at 30. Entrance fees and sightseeing, kayaking or a bamboo boat, a private air-conditioned cabin and lunch, dinner and breakfast are listed as included, though a party option includes kayaking only with no cave or island visits.

Hanoi Old Quarter pickup comes on the options marked with transfer, and pickups in Ha Long city and on Tuan Chau island are also offered. Credit card, single cabin and holiday gala dinner surcharges apply, with the amounts not stated on the listing. Free cancellation applies 24 hours ahead.

What a Bai Tu Long Trip Cannot Give You

Be honest with yourself about trade-offs. Bai Tu Long has no stop on the same scale as Sung Sot Cave or Ti Top Island, which sit on Ha Long route VHL2, and Ha Long day cruises start from $23 per person before the bay fee. The bay ticket is also a government fee separate from the cruise price on Ha Long routes, where day routes VHL1, VHL2 and VHL5 cost VND 250,000 per person, so check whether your quoted fare already covers it.

What Bai Tu Long gives back is quieter water, a national park shoreline and villages such as Vung Vieng where residents still fish. If you want to compare every format on the water in one view, the homepage comparison table lays the listings side by side.