Kayaking in Lan Ha Bay: Electric car, cave, sunset party

Paddle through hidden caves, then slide into emerald water under limestone walls

This full-day tour from Hanoi combines cruising Lan Ha Bay with kayaking, swimming and water activities in Tra Bau Lagoon, plus a guided electric car ride to Trung Trang Cave and Cat Ba National Park. The itinerary runs 14 hours door-to-door, includes a 5-star buffet lunch aboard the Tropical Cruise, a Jacuzzi, a sunset party with wine and music, and an English or Vietnamese-speaking guide. Pickup options range from Hanoi hotels to Cat Ba Town to Tuan Chau Harbor.

Step-by-step itinerary

Lan Ha Bay and Cat Ba Island tour

• Pick up from Hanoi Old Quarter
• Arrive at Tuan Chau Harbor and check in
• Enjoy 5-star buffet lunch on cruise
• Electric car ride on Cat Ba Island
• Visit Trung Trang Cave
• Visit Cat Ba National Park Museum
• Return to cruise by electric car
• Cruise through Lan Ha Bay
• Kayak, swim, and play on water
• Relax in Jacuzzi and Sunset Party
• Cruise returns to Tuan Chau Harbor
• Transfer back to Hanoi hotel

The experience

Lan Ha Bay sits just south of the more crowded Ha Long Bay, with the same limestone peaks rising from emerald water but fewer tour boats. This day starts with a pickup in Hanoi's Old Quarter or at the Opera House around 7:15am, then a 30-minute expressway ride to Tuan Chau Harbor, where you board the 5-star Tropical Cruise. By 11:20am you're eating a fresh seafood buffet while the boat sails toward Cat Ba Island. The meal happens underway, so you're already moving through the landscape while you eat.

At Cat Ba, you trade the boat for an electric car and drive along a forest road to Trung Trang Cave, a limestone cavern carved over millions of years and filled with stalactites and stalagmites. The cave sits inside what the operator calls a "living geological museum." After the cave, the electric car takes you to Cat Ba National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, where you can walk through the Natural History Museum and photograph the rare species and forest canopy. By 2pm you're back on the cruise, heading deeper into Lan Ha Bay toward Tra Bau: the heart of the bay where the water narrows between towering limestone cliffs.

From 3:15pm onward, the day becomes water-based. You kayak through the limestone passages and hidden caves, swim in the open bay, slide down a water slide mounted on the boat, and float on a giant inflatable playground. The Jacuzzi on the sundeck stays open the whole time. At 4:30pm the Sunset Party begins. Wine, tea, fresh fruit, cakes and live music as the cruise heads back to harbor. You're back in Hanoi between 8:30pm and 9pm depending on your pickup option.

What’s included

• Pickup and drop-off (varies by option, Hanoi, Cat Ba Town, or Tuan Chau Harbor).
• electric car rides on Cat Ba Island.
• entrance fees to Trung Trang Cave and Cat Ba National Park.
• kayaking, swimming, water slide and giant inflatable playground access.
• 5-star buffet lunch aboard the cruise.
• welcome drink.
• Jacuzzi access.
• Sunset Party with wine, tea, fruit and cakes.
• freshwater shower.
• English or Vietnamese-speaking guide.

Options for this experience

6 options

Pickup and drop-off at Tuan Chau HarborGuide in English · 11:00Length: 7 hours, with a buffet lunch on the cruise. Not including pickup and drop-off. Meet at Tuan Chau Harbor, Block 7, at 11:00 a.m.

Pickup and drop-off in Hanoi by busGuide in English · 07:15Length: 14 hours. Shuttle bus: pickup and drop-off from Hanoi Old Quarter in a 32-seat shuttle bus. Pickup and drop-off in Hanoi by bus: pickup and drop-off from Hanoi Old Quarter. Pickup is included.

Pickup in Cat Ba, drop-off in HanoiGuide in English · 12:00Length: 9 hours, no lunch. Start at your hotel in Cat Ba Town at 12:00 p.m., then join the trip at Trung Trang Cave. Note: lunch is not included. Pickup in Cat Ba town, drop-off in Hanoi: pickup in Cat Ba town and drop-off in Hanoi Old Quarter by 32-seat shuttle bus. Pickup is included.

See 3 more options

Pickup and drop-off in Hanoi by limousine busGuide in English · 07:15Length: 14 hours, with a buffet lunch on the cruise. Route: Hanoi, Lan Ha, Cat Ba, back to Hanoi. Limousine bus: pickup and drop-off from Hanoi Old Quarter in a 22-seat limousine bus. Pickup is included.

Pickup in Hanoi, drop-off in Cat BaGuide in English · 07:15Length: 11 hours, with a buffet lunch on the cruise. Pickup in Hanoi, drop-off in Cat Ba town: pickup at your hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter by shuttle bus, with drop-off in Cat Ba town after the trip. Pickup is included.

Pickup and drop-off in Cat Ba TownGuide in English · 12:00Length: 6 hours. Pickup and drop-off in Cat Ba town. No lunch. Pickup in Cat Ba town at 12:00 p.m., then join the trip at Trung Trang Cave. The trip ends in Cat Ba town at 5:00 p.m. Pickup and drop-off in Cat Ba Town: pickup in Cat Ba town at 12:00 p.m., then join the trip at Trung Trang Cave, ending in Cat Ba town at 5:00 p.m. Pickup is included.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 07:15, 11:00 and 12:00

Book up to10h before

AgesAdult (6 and older) · Child (3 to 5 years) · Infant (under 3): free

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.Operator's directions: “Pick up from block 7 Tuan Chau Marina at 10:45 -11:00am if customers choose option Depart from Tuan Chau Marina”

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.

Paid on siteUS$ 13.51

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for heart conditionsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Cozy Bay Cruise

Is this one for you?Choose this tour if you want kayaking and swimming combined with sightseeing: the electric car exploration of Trung Trang Cave and museum visits are unique to this itinerary. If you're staying in Cat Ba Town, pick the Cat Ba pickup to start directly at the harbor instead of traveling from Hanoi.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 5 years); Infant (under 3): 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's the difference between Lan Ha Bay and Ha Long Bay?

Lan Ha Bay lies south of Ha Long Bay with the same limestone landscape but significantly fewer tour groups. The same towering peaks and emerald water, less crowded.

Do I need to know how to kayak?

No prior experience is required. The kayaking happens in Tra Bau Lagoon in calm, sheltered water between the limestone cliffs, and the guide is with the group.

What happens if I'm not a strong swimmer?

Swimming is optional during the water activities window. You can stay on the boat, use the Jacuzzi, or float on the giant inflatables instead of swimming in open water.

Is lunch included, or do I need to bring food?

A 5-star buffet lunch with fresh seafood is included and served aboard the cruise while it sails through Lan Ha Bay. One pickup option (Cat Ba Town) does not include lunch, but the other five do.

How long is the full day, and when do I get back to Hanoi?

The tour runs 14 hours total from pickup to drop-off. If you're picked up in Hanoi, you leave around 7:15am and return between 8:30pm and 9pm. If you're picked up at Cat Ba Town, timing is different and you may be dropped at Tuan Chau Harbor or back at Cat Ba instead.

What's included in the Sunset Party?

Wine, tea, fresh fruit, sweet cakes, and live music with dancing as the cruise returns to harbor at dusk. It happens on the sundeck after the water activities end.