Vietnam » Northern Vietnam » Ha Long Bay | 🏛 Catamaran Cruises · Ha Long Bay Tours · Hanoi Old Quarter Tours · Lan Ha Bay Tours

Ha Long Bay: Luxury Catamaran Cruise & Kayaking from Hanoi

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.74 (50 reviews) 80% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/21

Duration6h–12h

GroupUp to 99

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

The Only Catamaran in Northern Vietnam Takes You Through Ha Long Bay in One Day

You're picked up from Hanoi, driven to Ha Long Bay, and board a luxury catamaran for six hours of cruising, kayaking, and swimming in Lan Ha Bay. Lunch, a cooking demonstration, and a sunset tea ceremony are included, along with entrance fees and the return drive to Hanoi. The whole day, door to door, runs from early morning until around 9 PM.

6h–12h

Step-by-step itinerary

Pick up from Hanoi Old Quarter hotels
Drive to Halong Bay with short break
Board catamaran at Tuan Chau Harbor
Lunch on boat cruising Halong Bay
Kayaking or bamboo boat to Bright-Dark Cave
Visit Frog Pond and swim in Lan Ha Bay
Cooking demonstration on board
Sunset ceremony with tea and cakes
Disembark at Tuan Chau Harbor
Limousine bus drive back to Hanoi
Drop off at Hanoi Old Quarter hotels

The Experience

You're picked up from your Hanoi Old Quarter hotel between 7:30 and 8 AM, and the drive to Ha Long Bay takes about two and a half to three hours — there's a short break on the way. By 11:30 you're boarding The Halong Catamaran at Tuan Chau Harbor, and the boat is already moving. Lunch happens while you're cruising, Vietnamese fusion food served on deck as limestone karsts start rising out of the water. The catamaran heads toward Lan Ha Bay, which stays quieter than the main Ha Long tourist routes, and that's where the day opens up.

Around 2 PM you're either kayaking or rowing a bamboo boat into Bright-Dark Cave — the name makes sense once you're inside, the light cutting through the opening in a way that feels deliberate. After that, Frog Pond is a swimming stop in Lan Ha Bay itself, water warm enough that you don't hesitate. At 4 PM there's a cooking demonstration on the boat, and then the sunset ceremony arrives: Vietnamese tea, fresh fruit, little cakes, the kind of moment that doesn't need narration. You're back at Tuan Chau by 5:45 or 6 PM, and if you booked from Hanoi, the limousine bus takes you back to your hotel by around 8:30 or 9 PM.

What sets this cruise apart is the boat itself — it's the only catamaran operating in Northern Vietnam, which means the stability and the deck space feel different from the standard junk boats. The guide speaks English throughout, and the group stays small enough that you're not herded. Inclusions cover entry fees, the lunch, the cooking class, kayaking or bamboo boat access, and the return transport if you started in Hanoi. You don't arrange any of it separately.

What’s included

Hotel pickup from Hanoi Old Quarter (7:30–8:00 AM) and return transport by limousine bus (around 8:30–9:00 PM) for guests booking from Hanoi.
English-speaking guide for the full day.
six-hour cruise through Ha Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay aboard the catamaran.
Vietnamese fusion lunch served on board.
kayaking or bamboo boat rowing to Bright-Dark Cave.
swimming at Frog Pond in Lan Ha Bay.
cooking demonstration on the boat.
sunset ceremony with Vietnamese tea, fresh fruit, and cakes.
entrance fees for all sightseeing stops.
water slide and trampoline access on the boat.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfants must sit on laps

Operated by LOCAL TOURS VIETNAM

Is this one for you?Book this if you're staying in Hanoi and want to see Ha Long Bay without renting a car or coordinating multiple bookings — the catamaran, lunch, activities, and round-trip transport are all arranged, and the small-group format means you move at a pace that lets you actually swim and kayak instead of just passing through.