Cat Ba Island & Lan Ha Bay 2-day boat tour from Hanoi

Limestone caves form on the water, and you paddle straight into them during the kayaking hours.

A two-day boat tour from Hanoi explores Cat Ba Island and Lan Ha Bay with a night in a central Cat Ba hotel, meals included, and a full day cruising to Cai Beo floating village, Three Peaches beach and Castaway Island. The itinerary pairs hotel time on Cat Ba with a guided boat day that includes kayaking through natural caves, swimming at turquoise beaches and lunch cooked by local chefs on board. An English-speaking guide leads the group, and the shuttle bus picks you up in Hanoi's Old Quarter early morning, returning you the same afternoon.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Cat Ba Island12h
2. Lan Ha Bay3h

Day 1: Travel to Cat Ba and relax

• Pick up at Hanoi hotel
• Arrive at Cat Ba hotel
• Lunch at hotel restaurant
• Check in at hotel
• Free time to explore Cat Ba
• Dinner at hotel restaurant
• Rest in Cat Ba

Day 2: Lan Ha Bay cruise and return

• Breakfast at hotel
• Transfer to Beo Dock
• Board cruise to Lan Ha Bay
• Visit Cai Beo floating village
• Kayaking and explore caves
• Lunch on board with seafood
• Visit Ba Trai Dao beach
• Boat to Hoang Tu Island
• Rest and explore Castaway Island
• Return to Ben Beo
• Transfer back to hotel

The experience

The shuttle leaves Hanoi at 7:15 am and reaches Cat Ba town by mid-morning, giving you time to settle into the hotel in the center of town before lunch at the hotel restaurant. The afternoon is free: walk the beaches, explore Cat Ba town or rest before dinner. Day two starts with breakfast at the hotel, then a guide meets you at 8:30 to take you to Beo Dock for the boat departure into Lan Ha Bay.

The cruise first stops at Cai Beo floating village, the oldest and largest floating settlement in Northern Vietnam, home to over 400 households. From 10:30 to noon you kayak through limestone caves formed over millions of years, paddling into small lakes ringed by steep mountains. The water is clear enough to see down, and if the timing is right you might spot the Cat Ba langur, a primate found nowhere else on earth. Lunch, seafood prepared by local chefs, is served on board at 11:30.

By early afternoon the boat reaches Three Peaches beach, known for its hundreds of limestone peaks rising from turquoise water. You swim, dive to see coral, or lie on white sand for a few hours. At 2 pm the boat moves to Castaway Island, a bungalow resort with architecture that won an ARCASIA Award, where you walk the grounds and soak in the quiet before heading back to Beo Dock by 4 pm. The shuttle returns you to Hanoi the same evening.

What’s included

• Two-way shuttle bus from Hanoi's Old Quarter.
• one night in a Cat Ba hotel in the town center.
• breakfast, lunch and dinner at the hotel restaurant plus lunch on the cruise boat.
• boat trip through Lan Ha Bay with visits to Cai Beo floating village, Three Peaches beach and Castaway Island.
• kayaking in the limestone caves.
• filtered water.
• travel insurance up to 30,000,000 VND per person.
• English-speaking guide.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 07:15 and 10:00

AgesAdult (10 to 75 years) · Child (5 to 9 years) · Infant (1 to 4 years)

GroupUp to 45

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

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 12 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by Best Price Tour Co.ltd

Is this one for you?The early 7:15 am pickup and full boat day on day two mean you're moving from dawn onward, so this tour suits travelers who start early and don't mind an active pace. The kayaking and swimming are optional within the day, but the schedule itself doesn't slow down.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 9 years); Infant (1 to 4 years).

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 is Cai Beo floating village like when we arrive?

Cai Beo is the oldest and largest floating village in Northern Vietnam, home to over 400 households that supply seafood to the region. You visit it on the boat during the Lan Ha Bay cruise on day two.

Do we kayak in the caves, or just look at them from the boat?

You paddle kayaks through the natural limestone caves yourself during the 10:30 to noon kayaking program on day two, exploring small lakes surrounded by the mountains.

What meals are included over the two days?

Breakfast and dinner are served at the hotel restaurant on day one, lunch at the hotel on day one, and lunch cooked by local chefs on the boat during day two, four meals total. Drinks at meals and any extra orders are not included.

Is the guide English-speaking?

Yes, the guide speaks English and leads the group through the Lan Ha Bay cruise, meeting you at the hotel at 8:30 on day two.

What time does the shuttle pick me up in Hanoi, and when do I return?

The shuttle picks you up at 7:15 am in the Old Quarter area of Hanoi and returns you the same evening after arriving back at Beo Dock at 4 pm on day two.