Ha Long Bay Day Trip from Hanoi: Sung Sot Cave & Kayaking

Limestone cliffs rise straight from the water. You kayak between them for hours

You're picked up from your Hanoi hotel at 7:30am and driven 2.5 hours to Ha Long Bay, where you board a cruise boat and spend five hours visiting Sung Sot Cave, kayaking around limestone karsts, swimming at Titop Island, and eating lunch on the water. Afternoon tea and a return bus ride get you back to Hanoi by 9:30pm. All entrance fees, transport, meals, and an English guide are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Surprise Cave2h · entry included
2. Titop Island1h · entry included
3. Dau Go Cavepass by
4. Hon Ga Choi Island10m · entry included
5. Cua Van Floating Village30m · entry included
6. Lan Ha Bay8h · entry included
7. Bai Tu Long Bay6m · entry included

Halong Bay full day tour

• Pick up from hotel in Hanoi
• Transfer to Tuan Chau Island
• Check in boat at Tuan Chau Island
• Visit Sung Sot (Surprise) Cave
• Kayak or bamboo boat in Luon Cave
• Visit Titop Island, swim and hike
• Pass by Fighting Cocks islets
• Afternoon tea on boat and sunbathe
• Disembark and transfer back to Hanoi
• Drop off at hotel in Hanoi

The experience

The bus leaves Hanoi at 7:30am and takes 2.5 hours to reach Tuan Chau marina. You board the boat by 12:30, and that's when the day actually starts. The limestone karsts of Ha Long Bay don't photograph the way they look in person. They're taller, closer, more impossible. The boat cuts through passages so narrow you can touch the rock face from the deck, and the guide points out the shapes locals have named: Cock Fighting Island, Thumb Rock. It sounds corny until you see them and realize the names stick because the shapes are unmistakable.

Sung Sot Cave, the biggest in Ha Long Bay, comes first. You walk through chambers filled with stalactites and stalagmites that look like frozen waterfalls, and the air inside is cool and still in a way that makes the noise outside feel very far away. After that, kayaking around the karsts and through Luon Cave, where the lagoon is so sheltered it's almost glassy. The boat serves lunch on deck: Vietnamese dishes, nothing fancy, but you're eating while looking at the water and the cliffs, which changes how it tastes. Then Titop Island: you can swim off the beach or climb to the peak for a view that actually justifies the climb. By 4:30pm you're back on the boat with afternoon tea, sunbathing on the upper deck while the boat heads back toward the harbor. The return bus leaves at 5:45pm and drops you at your Hanoi hotel around 9:30pm.

The full day trip to Ha Long Bay includes everything: transfer both ways, entrance fees, kayak or bamboo boat, lunch, afternoon tea, English-speaking guide, and two bottles of water. What you're paying for is not having to arrange transport, book tickets separately, or figure out which cave to visit first. The schedule is tight but not rushed. Groups stay small enough that you're not jostling for space in the caves or fighting for a spot on the beach.

What’s included

• Round-trip air-conditioned bus transfer from your Hanoi hotel.
• boat cruise with English-speaking guide.
• entrance fees to Sung Sot Cave, Titop Island, and other attractions.
• kayaking or bamboo boat around caves and floating village.
• Vietnamese lunch on the boat.
• afternoon tea.
• two bottles of water per person.

Options for this experience

5 options

Guide in English or Vietnamese12:00

Guide in English or Vietnamese08:30

Guide in English or Vietnamese08:30

See 2 more options

Guide in English or Vietnamese08:30

Guide in English or Vietnamese07:30

You pick the guide language when booking. 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 07:30, 08:30 and 12:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (10 to 80 years) · Child (5 to 9 years): free · Infant (under 5): free

GroupUp to 20

Live guideEnglish and Vietnamese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

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 today

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleInfant seats availableInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Halong Bay Cruise Hunters

Is this one for you?Choose this tour if you want to see Ha Long Bay's main highlights (caves, islands, kayaking) in one day without arranging your own transport, tickets, or timing. The fixed schedule and included meals mean you show up at your hotel, and the rest is handled.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Vietnamese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 9 years): free; Infant (under 5): free.

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.

How long is the drive from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay?

2.5 hours by air-conditioned bus.

What time does the tour start and end?

Pickup from your Hanoi hotel is at 7:30am. You're dropped back at your hotel around 9:30pm.

Can you swim during the tour?

Yes, at Titop Island. You can also kayak or take a bamboo boat around the caves and floating village.

What's included in the price?

Round-trip transfer from Hanoi, boat cruise, entrance fees to caves and islands, kayaking, lunch with Vietnamese dishes, afternoon tea, English-speaking guide, and two bottles of water per person.

What's not included?

Beverages beyond water and afternoon tea, travel insurance, tips for the guide, and personal expenses.

Can you pick me up outside Hanoi Old Quarter?

Standard pickup is from hotels in Hanoi Old Quarter. Pickups outside that area may not be available on this tour.

What is Sung Sot Cave?

It's the largest cave in Ha Long Bay, featuring stalactites and stalagmites in various shapes. It's one of the main stops on the tour.