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Cat Ba & Lan Ha Bay: 3-Day Kayak, Trek & Boat Tour Quiet Areas

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/39

Duration3d

GroupUp to 18

LanguagesEN · VI

Mobile ticketAccepted

Lan Ha Bay’s quiet lagoons cycling Viet Hai village and sleeping on the water

You’ll paddle under rock arches in Lan Ha Bay, cycle through rice paddies to Viet Hai village, sleep on a boat in silent lagoons, and share home-cooked meals with locals. The days are full of small surprises—like squid fishing at night or misty views from Navy Peak—and you’ll leave feeling like you’ve actually lived here for a bit.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Boat trip and kayaking in Lan Ha Bay

Take small junk for cruising
Visit floating fishing village
Have lunch on the boat
Change to sleeping boat Cat Ba Ventures
Kayak through rock arch and lagoons
Swim in the bay
Enjoy sunset on the bay
Have dinner and overnight on boat
Optional squid fishing at night

Day 2 — Cycling and trekking at Viet Hai village

Breakfast on the boat
Move to small boat to Viet Hai pier
Cycle 5km through lagoon and rice fields
Trek 2-3 hours through rainforest and valleys
Climb Navy Peak for panoramic views
Have lunch at local house
Walk and meet local villagers
Cycle back to dock
Boat to another part of Lan Ha Bay
Return to sleeping boat
Have dinner and overnight on boat

Day 3 — Cruising and kayaking in Ha Long Bay

Breakfast on the boat
Cruise to Ha Long Bay and Cong Tau lagoon
Visit Dau Be Island and deserted beach
Kayak to discover Ho Ba Ham lagoons
Have lunch on the boat
Cruise another part of Lan Ha Bay
Return to Cat Ba Town at 15:00

The Experience

I’ll never forget that first jump off the boat — the water in Lan Ha Bay was colder than I’d guessed and I think I yelped loud enough for our guide Minh to laugh from the deck. We’d started from Cat Ba island (which is way less crowded than Ha Long City, by the way), and right away it felt different. The junk boat creaked softly as we cruised past floating fishing villages, with kids waving at us from their boats. Lunch was already steaming when we climbed back aboard; fish so fresh you could still smell the salt on it.

Kayaking through those rock arches was wilder than I expected. You have to duck sometimes — my hat nearly floated away once — and inside Bat Cave it was so quiet you could hear your own paddle echoing off the limestone. Minh pointed out a spot where local fishermen tie up during storms. Later, after sunset painted everything gold (I know that sounds cheesy but really), we anchored in this lagoon with no other boats around. Squid fishing at night was optional but honestly, just lying on deck listening to water slap against the hull felt perfect.

The next morning we cycled from Viet Hai pier through rice fields and a tunnel-cave that dripped cold water onto my arms. The climb up Navy Peak was tough (I’m not gonna lie — bring good shoes), but Minh kept us laughing with stories about his school days here. At the top, there’s this wild view over Cat Ba and Ha Long bays — misty islands everywhere. Lunch at a local house tasted like someone’s grandma had cooked it; sticky rice, fried fish, something green I still can’t name.

On our last day we kayaked again to Ho Ba Ham — three hidden lagoons linked by little tunnels only wide enough for one kayak at a time. It smelled like wet stone and seaweed in there. By the time we got back to Cat Ba town I felt sunburned and salty but weirdly peaceful. If you want a day trip to Lan Ha Bay or something quick from Cat Ba, this isn’t it — but if you want three days of real quiet (and don’t mind sore arms), I’d do it again tomorrow.

What’s included

Your three days include all meals—freshly cooked on board or at a village home—plus guided kayaking sessions whenever you feel like paddling out, cycling through Viet Hai valley with your local guide leading the way, trekking up Navy Peak for those wild bay views, two nights sleeping anchored in quiet lagoons on a comfortable boat (with squid fishing gear if you’re curious), all transfers between activities by boat or bike, and plenty of time just floating or exploring as you wish before returning to Cat Ba town in the afternoon.

Good to know

Demanding physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Cat Ba Ventures