Ha Long Bay: 5-Star Cruise, Surprise Cave & Ti Top Island

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.55 (431 reviews) 71% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellation

1/23

Duration14h

GroupUp to 45

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Climbing 200 steps into Surprise Cave, then floating back across Ha Long Bay at sunset

You get picked up from your Hanoi hotel, driven to Ha Long Bay, and spend the day on a 5-star cruise that includes a seafood lunch, exploration of Surprise Cave with its 200-step climb, kayaking or bamboo boat rides at Luon Cave, and swimming at Ti Top Island beach. A sunset party on deck comes before the return drive to Hanoi late evening. Everything—transport, entry, boat, lunch, and kayak—is included.

14h

Step-by-step itinerary

Ha Long Bay cruise and island activities

Pick up from Hanoi Old Quarter
Drive to Ha Long Bay with rest stop
Arrive at Tuan Chau Marina Port
Board the 5-star cruise
Enjoy traditional Vietnamese lunch on cruise
Explore Sung Sot Cave after climbing steps
Kayak or bamboo boat at Luon Cave
Swim and relax at Titov Island beach
Enjoy sunset party on sundeck
Cruise back to Tuan Chau Marina Port
Return drive to Hanoi city

The Experience

The driver arrives at your Hanoi hotel around 7:30 AM if you've booked the transfer from the Old Quarter. It's a two-hour drive to Tuan Chau Marina, with a rest stop somewhere along the way—nothing fancy, just a chance to stretch and grab water. By the time you reach the port, the 5-star cruise is ready to board, and your guide handles the paperwork so you're not standing around in the heat.

Lunch comes first, served on deck while the boat moves through Ha Long Bay. It's a set menu of seafood and traditional Vietnamese dishes—fresh catch from Quang Ninh province, the kind of thing that tastes different when you're eating it on the water. They'll do vegetarian if you ask ahead. After that, the guide leads you to Surprise Cave, which means climbing about 200 steps up a limestone cliff face. It takes maybe 40 to 45 minutes to walk through the cave itself—it's one of the largest in the bay, with chambers that open up in ways you don't expect. The air inside is cool and damp, and the light comes through in strange angles.

After the cave, the cruise heads to Luon Cave, where you can either kayak or take a bamboo boat through the water. Most people kayak. Then it's on to Ti Top Island for swimming and a beach break—you can climb up to the viewpoint if you want the panoramic shot, or just stay in the water. The sundeck is where you'll be when the sun starts dropping. There's a sunset party with red wine, cakes, fruit, and the kind of quiet that only happens when you're floating on the bay and the light is turning gold.

The boat turns back toward Tuan Chau Marina in the evening. If you booked the transfer, your guide meets you at the port and drives you back to Hanoi, arriving around 9 or 9:30 PM. The whole day runs about 13 to 14 hours from pickup to drop-off, which sounds long until you realize you haven't had to arrange transport, book tickets separately, or figure out timing yourself.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup from Hanoi's Old Quarter at 7:30 AM, limousine bus transport to and from Tuan Chau Marina, a full-day cruise on a 5-star boat, a set seafood lunch with traditional Vietnamese dishes (vegetarian available on request), admission to Surprise Cave, kayak use at Luon Cave, and access to Ti Top Island for swimming and beach time.
A sunset party with red wine, cakes, and fruit is included on deck.
Your guide handles all formalities and leads each activity.
Return to Hanoi is around 9:00–9:30 PM.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditionsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Vietnam Open Tour Limited Company

Is this one for you?Book this if you want the main Ha Long Bay experience—caves, kayaking, island swimming, sunset—without arranging your own transport, tickets, or timing. The long day is what makes all four stops fit into one departure.