2-day Lan Ha Bay cruise from Hanoi: Luxury cabin with kayaking
The ship has three white masts that catch the eye from across the bay.
A 2-day cruise from Hanoi to Lan Ha Bay on the Le Journey Elegance, a steel ship with 20 luxury cabins and capacity for 50 guests, includes round-trip transfer, all meals, kayaking through Dark and Bright Cave, a cooking demonstration, Tai Chi class, and overnight accommodation. Day one brings you to Lan Ha Bay for cave exploration, swimming, and squid fishing. Day two adds a visit to Trung Trang Grotto on Cat Ba Island before return to Hanoi.
Options for this experience
2 optionsStep-by-step itinerary
Day 1: Tuan Chau to Lan Ha Bay cruise
- Pick up from Hanoi hotel
- Transfer to Tuan Chau International Port
- Take small boat to Calypso Cruise
- Lunch while cruising Ha Long Bay
- Anchor at Lan Ha Bay
- Explore Dark and Bright cave with guide
- Change and swim in sea or pool
- Enjoy happy hour on sundeck
- Cooking demonstration with chef
- Dinner at Calypso Cruises restaurant
- Relax, watch films, karaoke or squid fishing
- Overnight on cruise
Day 2: Cat Ba Island and return to Hanoi
- Morning Tai-chi on sundeck
- Breakfast in restaurant
- Bus to Trung Trang Grotto on Cat Ba Island
- Visit Quan Y Cave and Cat Ba National Park
- Return to Calypso Cruises for shower
- Check out of room
- Early lunch served
- Boat to Tuan Chau wharf
- Check out at Tuan Chau International Cruise Port
- Transfer back to Hanoi hotel
What’s included
- Round-trip transfer from your Hanoi hotel to Tuan Chau port.
- luxury cabin with private bathroom, hot water, and bay views.
- all meals including breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
- kayaking or sampan rides through Dark and Bright Cave.
- entry to Trung Trang Grotto and Tra Bau Village.
- cooking demonstration with the chef.
- Tai Chi class at dawn.
- swimming in the sea or sundeck pool.
- squid fishing from the tender.
- bottled water and free Wi-Fi in public areas.
Times
- Every day 08:00 11:00
Before you book
Operated by Le Journey Halong Bay Cruise
Prices and times updated 10 days ago
Traveler reviews
The experience
The journey starts with hotel pickup in Hanoi's Old Quarter in the early morning, then a three-hour drive to Tuan Chau International Port in Ha Long Bay. From there, a small boat ferries you to the Le Journey Elegance, where you board for lunch while cruising into Lan Ha Bay. The ship itself is built with a steel hull and sturdy double bottom, fitted with 20 cabins in classic Indochina style: high-grade wood, warm tones, modern amenities, and large windows facing the bay. Rooms come with private bathrooms, hot water, and free Wi-Fi in the public areas.
The first afternoon centers on exploration. A guide takes you by sampan or kayak through Dark and Bright Cave, where you paddle under limestone mountains to a lake formed inside the karst: a sight the operator notes visitors return to. Back on deck, you swim in the sea or the sundeck pool, then join happy hour with discounted drinks before dinner. Evening options include a cooking demonstration and food decoration with the ship's chef, squid fishing from a tender, karaoke in the restaurant, or a film in your cabin. You sleep aboard in Lan Ha Bay.
Day two opens at dawn with a Tai Chi lesson on the sundeck, followed by breakfast. A bus then takes you across Cat Ba Island for about twenty minutes to Trung Trang Grotto, where you walk through a cave that preserves millions of years of karst geology. The route passes through Cat Ba National Park's wild scenery. After returning to shower and checkout, an early lunch is served before a small boat returns you to Tuan Chau wharf. The transfer back to Hanoi takes roughly three hours, with drop-off at your hotel by mid-afternoon.
Is this one for you?Choose the option with transfer if you're arriving in Hanoi without a rental car or driver. The three-hour drive is included, so you travel from your hotel straight to the ship. Book transfer-free if you're arranging your own transport to Tuan Chau port or prefer to explore Hanoi before heading to the coast.
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Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 10 years); Infant (under 5): free.
What happens if it rains?
It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.
What's included in the 2-day Lan Ha Bay cruise from Hanoi?
Round-trip transfer from your Hanoi hotel, all meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), a luxury cabin with private bathroom, kayaking or sampan rides through Dark and Bright Cave, entry to Trung Trang Grotto and Tra Bau Village, a cooking class with the chef, Tai Chi instruction, swimming time, and squid fishing are all included. Bottled water and Wi-Fi in public areas are provided.
How long is the drive from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay?
The transfer from your hotel in Hanoi's Old Quarter to Tuan Chau International Port takes about three hours by bus or limousine, and the return journey is the same duration.
Can I kayak through the caves, or do I have to take a sampan?
You choose: on day one, the guide offers both kayaking on your own and shared sampan rides with a local rower through Dark and Bright Cave, so you pick the option that suits you.
What are Dark and Bright Cave and Trung Trang Grotto?
Dark and Bright Cave is in Lan Ha Bay itself. You paddle or row under a limestone mountain to reach an interior lake formed by karst geology, a formation the operator describes as a "dragon eye" inside the mountain. Trung Trang Grotto, on Cat Ba Island, is another cave system that preserves karst formations millions of years old and sits within Cat Ba National Park.
What time does the cruise depart and return to Hanoi?
Hotel pickup in Hanoi begins at 8:00 AM, and you arrive back at your hotel between 3:30 and 4:00 PM on day two. The ship departs Tuan Chau wharf at 12:15 PM on day one and returns there by 11:30 AM on day two.
Is the cooking class hands-on, or do I watch the chef?
The cruise includes a cooking demonstration and food decoration with the ship's chef on the evening of day one. The operator describes it as a participation activity, though the exact format of hands-on involvement is arranged on board.
2-day Lan Ha Bay cruise from Hanoi: Luxury cabin with kayaking
2d · EN
from US$ 175 per person
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