Halong Bay Kayaking 2-Day: Surprise Cave & Titop Island
Paddle through limestone karsts, then watch sunrise over the bay from your cabin.
A 2-day kayaking cruise on Halong Bay departing from Hanoi, with overnight accommodation aboard a traditional boat. You paddle around the bay's islands, visit Surprise Cave and Titop Island for swimming, enjoy a cooking class making spring rolls, and wake to sunrise over the water before returning to Hanoi by midafternoon on day two.
Options for this experience
4 optionsStep-by-step itinerary
Day 1: Halong Bay cruise and sightseeing
- Pick-up from Hanoi hotels
- Travel to Halong Bay with stops
- Arrive at Halong harbor and board cruise
- Enjoy welcome drinks and safety briefing
- Lunch on board with Vietnamese seafood
- Visit Surprise Cave
- Visit Titop Island for swimming and climbing
- Return to cruise for sunset party
- Participate in cooking class
- Dinner on board
- Join fishing or karaoke activities
- Overnight on board
Day 2: Pearl farm, kayaking and return
- Wake up and enjoy sunrise
- Breakfast on board
- Cruise to Pearl Farm
- Kayaking around the bay
- Check out cabin and housekeeping
- Lunch on board
- Return to harbor and bus to Hanoi
- Arrive Hanoi and drop off at hotel
What’s included
- Kayaking around the bay.
- swimming at Titop Island (weather permitting).
- squid fishing and karaoke entertainment.
- entrance fees to Surprise Cave and Titop Island.
- two lunches, one dinner and one breakfast aboard.
- cabin with air conditioning, private bathroom and hot shower.
- welcome drink and two bottles of mineral water per cabin.
- English-speaking tour guide.
- shuttle bus pickup from Hanoi Old Quarter or Opera House (depending on your option).
Times
- Every day 08:00 11:30
Before you book
Operated by Easy Tours
Prices and times updated 6 days ago
Traveler reviews
The experience
The shuttle picks you up from Hanoi Old Quarter or Opera House between 8:00 and 8:30 AM, then drives to Halong Bay harbor. You board a traditional cruise boat by midday, check into your cabin, and settle in with a welcome drink. Lunch arrives while the boat sails through the bay's islands: fresh seafood and Vietnamese dishes prepared onboard. By early afternoon you're inside Surprise Cave, the largest in the bay, then heading to Titop Island where you climb to the summit for a panoramic view across the water and swim on the sandy beach below.
Back on the boat, you join a sunset gathering on deck, then take a cooking class making fresh spring rolls with the crew before dinner. The evening is yours: join the squid fishing excursion, sing karaoke at the bar, or simply watch the water. You sleep in your air-conditioned cabin with a private bathroom. The next morning starts early, around 6 AM, so you can watch sunrise break over the islands from the deck (weather permitting). After breakfast, you paddle a kayak around the bay at your own pace, exploring the karsts and smaller islands. A stop at a pearl farm shows how pearls are raised in these waters. By late morning you're back aboard for checkout and lunch, then the bus returns you to your Hanoi hotel by 3 PM.
The boat carries a small group and an English-speaking guide throughout. All meals aboard (two lunches, one dinner, one breakfast) are included, along with entrance fees to Surprise Cave and Titop Island. Bring a swimsuit, hat, sunscreen and a light rain jacket. The bay can be crowded in summer and weekends, and floating debris occasionally appears due to tidal shifts.
Is this one for you?Book the Hanoi pickup option if you're staying in the Old Quarter or central Hanoi and want transport handled from your hotel. Choose the harbor option if you prefer to arrange your own way to Halong Bay and meet the boat at 11:30 AM. The 2-day format fits a first visit to the bay with time to kayak, swim and sleep aboard without rushing back the same day.
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Top questions
What languages is the tour guided in?
Live guide in English and Vietnamese.
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Youth (10 to 17 years); Child (4 to 9 years); Infant (under 4): 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.
What is Surprise Cave like inside Halong Bay?
Surprise Cave is the largest cave in Halong Bay and a main stop on day one. You enter by tender from the boat and explore the interior formations. The cave is named for its size and the views it opens up across the bay.
Can I swim at Titop Island, and what is it like?
Yes, swimming is included at Titop Island on day one, weather permitting. The island has a sandy beach at water level, and you can also climb to the summit for a panoramic view of the entire bay before returning to the boat.
How does the kayaking work on day two?
On the morning of day two, you paddle a kayak around the bay at your own pace, exploring the limestone islands and smaller passages. The guide and boat are with you. You return to the boat by late morning for checkout and lunch.
What meals are included, and when are they served?
All meals aboard are included: lunch and dinner on day one, breakfast and lunch on day two. Meals feature fresh seafood and Vietnamese cuisine prepared by the onboard kitchen staff and served in the restaurant.
Do I need to arrange my own transport from Hanoi, or is pickup included?
Shuttle pickup from Hanoi Old Quarter or Opera House is included in the morning departure. You confirm your hotel location and pickup time before the tour. If you book the 11:30 AM option, you arrange your own transport to Halong Bay harbor and meet the boat there.
What is the cooking class on day one?
The cooking class takes place on deck in the late afternoon and teaches you to make fresh spring rolls with ingredients and guidance from the crew. It happens before dinner, as part of the sunset gathering.
Halong Bay Kayaking 2-Day: Surprise Cave & Titop Island
2d · EN +1
from US$ 180 per person
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