2-Day Kayaking & Cooking in Lan Ha Bay from Hanoi

Kayak a less-crowded bay, cook spring rolls on a boat, wake to sunrise tai chi

A 2-day cruise from Hanoi to Lan Ha Bay with kayaking, a cooking demonstration, meals and overnight accommodation aboard. Hotel pickup is included. The drive takes 2.5 hours. You kayak in the quieter section of the bay, visit Dark and Bright Cave by rowing boat, and learn to make spring rolls before heading back to the city.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Hanoi to Lan Ha Bay cruise

• Pick up from Hanoi hotel
• Travel to Tuan Chau marina
• Board cruise and welcome briefing
• Enjoy lunch on board
• Sail through Lan Ha Bay
• Kayak or swim in Lan Ha Bay
• Sunset party on sundeck
• Dinner on board
• Evening activities or rest

Day 2: Lan Ha Bay to Hanoi return

• Sunrise and Tai Chi on sundeck
• Light breakfast served
• Visit Dark & Bright Cave by rowing boat
• Relax on cruise
• Cooking demonstration on board
• Lunch on board
• Disembark at Tuan Chau marina
• Shuttle bus return to Hanoi
• Arrive back at hotel

The experience

The shuttle picks you up from your Hanoi hotel between 8:15 and 8:45am and drives 2.5 hours to Tuan Chau marina, where a tender transfers you to the cruise. By 12:30pm you're aboard, welcomed with a drink and a safety briefing. Lunch (fresh seafood and Vietnamese appetizers) is served while the boat sails through Con Vit Islets toward Ong Cam, the quieter section of Lan Ha Bay where fewer tourists venture. The limestone karsts rise around you as you kayak or swim in the clear water, then return to the boat for a sunset party on the sundeck with local wine and fresh fruit.

Dinner is in the restaurant, and the evening is yours: fish from the boat, watch a film, use the wifi, or join the optional squid-fishing excursion. Your cabin has mineral water and a complimentary drink. The next morning starts at 6am with sunrise and a tai chi session on deck, followed by light breakfast. You visit Dark and Bright Cave by local rowing boat (a wild, limestone-carved site in the middle of the World Heritage area), then return to the cruise to relax before the cooking demonstration at 10:15am, where you learn to make the boat's signature spring rolls. Lunch is served at 10:45am, and by noon you disembark at the marina for the return drive to Hanoi, arriving back at your hotel around 3:30pm.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and return shuttle from Hanoi.
• all meals (lunch and dinner on day one, breakfast and lunch on day two).
• welcome drink and complimentary cabin drink.
• mineral water.
• kayaking in Lan Ha Bay.
• rowing-boat visit to Dark and Bright Cave.
• sunset party with local wine and fresh fruit.
• cooking demonstration (spring rolls).
• overnight cabin accommodation.
• fishing excursion option.
• wifi access aboard.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:30

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (11 to 70 years) · Child (4 to 10 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupUp to 50

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effort

Operated by Vietnam Northern Travel

Is this one for you?If you're staying in Hanoi without a car, the included pickup from your hotel and the short 2.5-hour drive mean you're on the water by lunchtime instead of spending a full day arranging transport. The overnight stay lets you kayak, swim and explore caves without rushing back the same day.

Traveler reviews

5.00★★★★★★★★★★

4 verified traveler reviews

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 10 years); Infant (under 4): 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.

How far is Lan Ha Bay from Hanoi, and how do I get there?

Lan Ha Bay is 2.5 hours from Hanoi by shuttle bus. Hotel pickup is included in the price. The bus collects you from your address in the old quarter between 8:15 and 8:45am on day one and returns you around 3:30pm on day two.

What's the difference between Lan Ha Bay and Halong Bay?

Lan Ha Bay is the quieter, less-touristy section of the broader Halong Bay area. Fewer visitors venture here, so the limestone karsts and waters feel more remote, even though it's part of the same World Heritage site.

What meals and drinks are included on the cruise?

Lunch and dinner on day one, breakfast and lunch on day two are all included and prepared by the onboard chef. A welcome drink, complimentary drink in your cabin, mineral water, local wine at the sunset party, and fresh fruit are also provided. Drink orders on the boat are available at an extra cost.

Do I need experience to kayak, or is there another water activity?

Kayaking is suitable for all fitness levels. If you prefer not to kayak, you can swim in the crystal-clear water instead, or both. The choice is yours when you arrive at Ong Cam.

What happens during the cooking demonstration?

On the morning of day two, the onboard chef teaches you how to make spring rolls, the cruise's specialty. The class runs from 10:15 to 10:45am, and lunch follows immediately after.

Where do I sleep, and what's in the cabin?

You sleep in a cabin aboard the cruise on the night of day one. Each cabin includes mineral water and a complimentary drink. Wifi is available throughout the boat.