Bai Tu Long Bay Overnight Cruise from Hanoi & Kayaking

Two nights on the water: what happens when you leave Hanoi for Bai Tu Long

You get picked up from your Hanoi hotel, driven to the wharf, and board a private cruise into Bai Tu Long Bay for two nights. Your days include kayaking through limestone formations, swimming, a visit to either Thien Canh Son Cave or a fishing village, tai chi at sunrise, a cooking class, and meals on board. The boat returns you to Hanoi by late afternoon on day three, with cabin, guide, and all food included in the price.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Hanoi to Bai Tu Long Bay cruise

• Pick-up at hotel in Hanoi
• Drive to Halong Tourist Wharf
• Check in private waiting hall
• Embark on boat and welcome drink
• Check in cabin
• Lunch while cruising to Bai Tu Long Bay
• Visit Cap La Island
• Kayak and swim at Cap La Island
• Return to cruise and relax
• Happy Hour and cooking class
• Dinner and evening activities onboard

Day 2: Bai Tu Long Bay to Hanoi return

• Morning Tai Chi on sundeck
• Breakfast with bay view
• Visit Thien Canh Son Cave or Vung Vieng village
• Return to boat and check-out cabin
• Early lunch on board
• Disembark from boat
• Transfer back to Hanoi hotel

The experience

The drive from Hanoi Old Quarter to Halong Tourist Wharf takes three and a half hours, and somewhere around hour two you stop thinking about the city behind you. By the time you board around 1pm, you're standing on a private boat with maybe a dozen other people, holding a welcome drink, watching limestone islands start to rise out of the jade-green water. Lunch happens while you're cruising into Bai Tu Long Bay, not the famous Ha Long, but the quieter cousin, where the rock formations feel less photographed and the caves are still being mapped. The difference matters if you've done the crowded version before.

Your first afternoon lands you at Cap la Island for kayaking through the karst formations, then swimming if the water calls to you. After that, the boat becomes your base. You shower in your private cabin, watch the sun drop from the sun deck, maybe join the cooking class with the chef or just sit with a drink and let the day settle. Dinner's at seven, and after that the boat stays open: some people fish for squid under the lights, others dance or sing until ten, and nobody minds if you're the one reading in your cabin instead. The rhythm is yours.

Morning two starts at six-thirty with tai chi on the sundeck if you want it, coffee if you don't. Depending on the tide and weather, you'll either visit Thien Canh Son Cave (where stalactites have been forming for thousands of years and the space feels genuinely old), or take a bamboo boat to Vung Vieng fishing village to watch how people actually live out here. By ten you're back on the main boat, by noon you've disembarked, and by four you're dropped at your hotel in Hanoi. The whole thing moves without rushing, which is the point.

The boat includes your cabin with a private bathroom, all meals, the guide, and the kayak or rowing boat trip, so you're not hunting for lunch money or worrying about transport logistics once you leave the Old Quarter. Weather and tides can shift the itinerary without notice, which is just how it works in the bay, but the core stays the same: two nights floating, one cave or village visit, and enough space to either join in or disappear into quiet.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off from Hanoi Old Quarter in an air-conditioned bus.
• private cabin with private bathroom on the cruise.
• breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
• English-speaking tour guide.
• kayaking with guide or rowing boat trip with a local rower.
• access to either Thien Canh Son Cave or Vung Vieng fishing village.
• tai chi class at sunrise.
• cooking class with the chef.
• round-trip transfer via the new highway.

Options for this experience

9 options

Guide in English08:00

Guide in English08:00

Guide in English11:30

See 6 more options

Guide in English08:00

Guide in English08:00

Guide in English08:00

Guide in English08:00

Guide in English08:00

Guide in English08:00

Options with the same name differ in details you'll see when you pick a date.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:00 and 11:30

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (10 and older) · Child (5 to 9 years) · Under 5: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 26

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.Operator's directions: “*If you are staying outside of Hanoi Old Quarter, please visit our meeting points or request a pick-up with a private car; we will offer the best price!”

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 6 days before the start.Between 2 and 6 days before the start, 50% refund.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 4 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical level

Operated by BCFamilyTour.com

Is this one for you?Right for travelers leaving Hanoi who want the bay without arranging a dozen separate bookings: the pickup, the boat, the meals, and the guide all move together, which is what makes two nights away from the city actually restful instead of logistically exhausting.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 9 years). Under 5: they can't be included in the booking.

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 6 days before the start.

How long is the drive from Hanoi to the boat?

Three and a half hours to Halong Tourist Wharf, where you board around 1pm.

What's included in the cruise?

Private cabin with bathroom, all meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner), English-speaking guide, kayaking or rowing boat trip, and round-trip transport from your Hanoi hotel.

Can the itinerary change?

Yes. Weather, tides, and local regulations can shift which cave or village you visit and other details, but the boat operator will adjust the day to what's possible.

Is there time to swim?

Yes, swimming happens at Cap la Island in the afternoon of day one, and you can also swim from the boat if conditions allow.

What time does the boat leave Hanoi?

Hotel pickup starts at 8am, and you board the boat around 12:30pm after the drive.

When do you get back to Hanoi?

Around 4pm on day three, after disembarking at noon and the drive back.

Is there a single supplement?

Yes, a single supplement applies if you're traveling alone or want a single room instead of sharing.

What should I bring?

Sunglasses, sunscreen, insect repellent, swimwear, warm clothes if you're traveling in winter, and your passport.