Bai Tu Long Bay 2-Day Cruise from Hanoi & Cave Exploration

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.92 (154 reviews) 94% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/51

Duration2d

GroupUp to 50

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Two nights floating in Bai Tu Long Bay, minus the crowds of Ha Long

You get picked up from your Hanoi hotel, spend one night in a private cabin on the quieter side of Ha Long Bay, explore a limestone cave, kayak through karst, learn to cook a Vietnamese dish, and eat all your meals on board before returning to the city by afternoon. The small group size and included transport mean you're not arranging anything yourself once you book.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Hanoi to Bai Tu Long Bay cruise

Pickup from Hanoi hotel
Transfer to SunWorld Port
Register and board the boat
Welcome drink and safety briefing
Lunch on board
Kayak at Cap La Island
Swim in the bay
Sunset party on boat
Dinner on board
Evening activities and night fishing

Day 2 — Explore Bai Tu Long Bay and return

Morning Tai Chi on sundeck
Breakfast on board
Visit Thien Canh Son Cave
Relax at Hon Co Island beach
Freshen up and pack
Vietnamese cooking demonstration
Lunch on board
Return to harbor and disembark
Shuttle bus back to Hanoi
Arrive in Hanoi Old Quarter

The Experience

What if you could get the limestone cliffs, the caves, the kayaking—but without the tour boats stacked three deep? That's the real difference between Bai Tu Long Bay and its famous neighbor. The shuttle picks you up from your Hanoi hotel around 8 AM, and after a three-hour drive to the port, you board a boat with only a handful of cabins. By early afternoon you're already kayaking through karst formations at Cap La Island, swimming in water that's actually quiet, and watching the sun drop behind the bay from the deck with a drink in hand. The cabin is small but clean—twin or double bed, private bathroom, air-con, a window that opens onto the water. Dinner is set menu Vietnamese, cooked fresh on board, and if you want to try night squid fishing after, the crew will set you up with a line and a lamp.

Morning comes early if you want it. Tai Chi on the sundeck at six, or just coffee and the bay at whatever hour you wake. Breakfast is Western style, then you head to Thien Canh Son Cave—the stalactites and stalagmites are the real thing, not a gimmick—and afterward there's a white sand beach at Hon Co Island where you can swim or just sit. By nine-thirty you're back on board learning to make nem cuon (spring rolls) in a quick cooking demonstration, the kind of thing that sounds touristy but actually sticks with you. Lunch is traditional Vietnamese, and then it's the three-hour ride back to Hanoi, arriving around three in the afternoon. The whole package—pickup, all meals, the cave, the kayak, the cooking class, the cabin—is included. Vegetarian options are available if you book ahead and mention it.

The boat is small enough that you're not competing with a hundred other travelers for deck space, but it's not so small that you feel cramped. There's a fully stocked bar, free time to swim or sunbathe whenever you want, and night fishing if you're into that. The crew handles the logistics—registration, safety briefing, cabin check-in—so you just show up at the hotel at pickup time and let it happen. It's the kind of trip where you can be social or completely alone, depending on the hour and your mood.

What’s included

Your two-day cruise includes hotel pickup and return from Hanoi, one night in a private twin or double cabin with ocean views and air-con, all meals prepared fresh on board (breakfast, lunch, dinner), a welcome drink, kayaking or bamboo boat access, entry to Thien Canh Son Cave, a Vietnamese cooking class, night squid fishing, 24-hour room service, and free time for swimming and sunbathing. Vegetarian options are available with advance notice.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Halong Bay Lux Cruises

Is this one for you?Book this if you want the cave-and-kayak experience of Ha Long Bay but prefer a smaller boat and fewer crowds, and you'd rather not arrange your own transport from Hanoi—the pickup and all-inclusive meals mean you just show up and the trip unfolds.