Ha Long Bay Day Cruise With Kayaking

Included in the Price

The operator lists the Ha Long Bay entrance fee as per the itinerary, the cruise, an English-speaking guide, the set-menu lunch, the kayak or bamboo boat, visits to Sung Sot Cave, Luon Cave and Ti Top Island, swimming and the hike on Ti Top, the sunset party with tea, fruit and light foods, and mineral water on the bus. If you book the pickup option, pickup and drop-off in the Hanoi Old Quarter area are included too.

• Ha Long Bay entrance fees as per the itinerary
• Set-menu Vietnamese lunch on board, vegetarian on request
• Kayak (2 people per kayak) or bamboo boat at Luon Cave
• Sung Sot Cave, Luon Cave and Ti Top Island visits
• Sunset party with tea, fruit and light foods
• Mineral water on the bus

Not Included, and What You May Pay on the Day

Other drinks and meals are not included, nor is the optional speedboat service, which you can request and pay for at the site. Travel insurance and tips are on you. A New Year surcharge applies, and the amount is not stated.

The meeting-point note prices the Hanoi transfer at $10 per person when you book it. One honest gap: the listing does not state which option the $39 from-price covers, so confirm on the booking page whether your chosen option includes the bus before you pay. Children over 1 metre may face entrance fees according to the operator's policy, and children aged 4 to 8 travel at the child rate for the first child and the adult rate for the second.

Line by Line

This table pulls every money line from the operator's listing so you can see at a glance what sits inside the $39 and what does not.

Hanoi to the Harbour

If you book the pickup option, the bus collects you at your Hanoi Old Quarter hotel between 7:20 and 8:20 AM. The drive runs about 2.5 hours on the highway, and it stops for around 25 minutes at a pearl shop near the port to show how pearls are crafted and produced. If you travel independently, you reach Tuan Chau Marina Port yourself by 11:15 AM.

The operator confirms your exact pickup point and time within 24 hours after booking and reconfirms 24 hours before departure by email or WhatsApp.

Boarding and Lunch

The boat leaves Tuan Chau Harbor at 11:30 AM and the set-menu Vietnamese lunch is served on board while the boat cruises out among the rock formations. Vegetarian is available on request.

Sung Sot Cave, 1:30 PM

The guided visit lasts 1 hour. Sung Sot, the Surprise Cave, sits on Bo Hon Island and has two main chambers, reached by a staircase of about 50 steps. Sung Sot means Surprise in Vietnamese and refers to the contrast between the narrow entrance and the huge halls inside.

The French named it Grotte des Surprises.

Luon Cave, 2:45 PM

Kayaks take 2 people each, or you can take a bamboo boat if you would rather not paddle. This stop is also timed at 1 hour in the itinerary. Kayaking on the bay runs only where the authorities allow it, and the operator confirms the spot on the day.

Ti Top Island, 3:45 PM

An hour at the island. Swim at the crescent-shaped beach or trek to the summit for panoramic views of the bay. The island covers 3.7 hectares and sits about 12 km from Tuan Chau pier.

After the stop you return to the boat and relax before the sunset party with light foods, fruits and wine or juice.

Back to Hanoi

The cruise ends at Tuan Chau and the bus returns on the highway. You are back in the Hanoi Old Quarter by 9 PM. Drop-off points listed are Tuan Chau International Marina, Hanoi Old Quarter and Pho Hang Bac.

People Who Want Everything in One Price

The meeting-point note puts the Hanoi transfer at $10 per person, and the listing does not state which option the $39 covers. If you want the bus and the fees bundled in one clear price, the Deluxe Day Cruise from Hanoi bundles the bus and the entrance fees at $40, with kayaking at Luon Cave and drinks on board paid extra.

People Who Want a Calm Boat or a Small Group

Group size is not stated, so assume a shared big-boat day with other bookings, and the operator says travellers on separate bookings are placed in the same group. Ha Long Bay itself is crowded in June to August and at weekends. A 7-hour format in the next bay is on the Taliya Lan Ha Bay Day Cruise.

People Who Cannot Manage Stairs or a Long Bus Day

Sung Sot Cave is reached by a staircase of about 50 steps and the Ti Top summit climb is a real hike. Wheelchair access is not stated, so this is not a confirmed accessible trip. Add the 2.5-hour drive each way plus the 25-minute pearl shop stop, and the day runs from the 7:20 to 8:20 AM pickup to a return to the Old Quarter by 9 PM.

If the road day puts you off, stay over on the water instead on the Oriental Sails Junk Cruise, a 2-day 1-night trip with a group cap of 20.

Families and Solo Travellers

Children under 4 travel free sharing a bus seat and meals with parents. Ages 4 to 8 pay the child rate for the first child and the adult rate for the second, and entrance fees may apply above 1 metre. Solo travellers pay the full per-person rate with no supplement stated.

Weather-sensitive Planners

The Ha Long Bay Management Board, not the operator, decides on boat suspensions, and cancellations are cited at winds of Beaufort level 6 or higher. Storms have closed the bay several times in recent seasons, so keep a buffer day. The free 24-hour cancellation makes a weather check easy before you commit.

Compare conditions on the Halong Bay weather guide.

Reaching Tuan Chau Marina from Hanoi

Hanoi to Ha Long runs roughly 150 to 170 km depending on the route. The expressway route is about 150 km and the old National Highway 18 about 165 km. By car or limousine expect about 2 to 2.5 hours on expressways, or 2.5 to 3.5 hours by bus.

Tuan Chau International Marina sits on Tuan Chau Island about 12.5 km southwest of Ha Long city, linked by a causeway, and the marina has two ports, with Port 1 used for day cruises. Full options are in the Hanoi to Ha Long Bay guide. If you fly in, Noi Bai airport is about 165 km from Ha Long, 2.5 to 3 hours by private transfer.

Staying Longer

This day trip sees the highlights and leaves. A night in Ha Long city or on Cat Ba Island lets you visit Sung Sot Cave or Ti Top again without the dawn bus, or see the beaches at your own pace. The Cat Ba Island guide covers the island base.

The Other Bays

Lan Ha Bay, next door, is reached on the Taliya Lan Ha Bay Day Cruise. Bai Tu Long Bay lies to the northeast. Both are covered in the Lan Ha Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay guides, and the things to do in Halong Bay page lists what a second day adds.