Kayaking Lan Ha Bay overnight cruise from Hanoi

Paddle hidden lagoons, sleep on the water, bike through rainforest to a village in the park

An overnight cruise departing Hanoi Old Quarter takes you to Lan Ha Bay and Cat Ba Island, where you kayak around limestone karsts, swim in emerald waters, and explore Viet Hai Village by bicycle the next morning. The boat includes an English-speaking guide, all meals, a cabin with private balcony, and pickup and drop-off from your Hanoi hotel; children are welcome from age 4.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Hanoi to Lan Ha Bay cruise

• Pick up from Hanoi Old Quarter
• Drive to Beo Harbour, Cat Ba Town
• Transfer by tender to cruise
• Check in and welcome drink onboard
• Lunch on cruise
• Cruise through limestone karsts
• Kayak around Ba Trai Dao Beach
• Swim in Lan Ha Bay
• Watch sunset from cruise
• Join traditional cooking class
• Enjoy happy hour onboard
• Dinner served on cruise
• Night squid fishing and karaoke
• Overnight on cruise

Day 2 — Viet Hai Village and return to Hanoi

• Enjoy sunrise and light breakfast
• Transfer to tender for Viet Hai Village
• Bicycle or electric car ride through rainforest
• Visit traditional house and village school
• Return to cruise and check out
• Lunch while cruising back
• Disembark at quay in Lan Ha Bay
• Drive back to Hanoi Old Quarter
• Drop off at Hanoi Old Quarter

The Experience

You're picked up from Hanoi Old Quarter between 7 and 7:20 AM and driven to Beo Harbour in Hai Phong, arriving around 11:30 AM. After boarding and a safety briefing, lunch is served as the cruise heads into Lan Ha Bay through a route most larger ships don't use — past limestone karsts that rise straight out of the water, through the Cat Ba Island and Coc Ngoi islet passages. This is the World Heritage site most tourists miss because the crowds stick to Halong Bay instead.

By 2:30 PM you're kayaking around Ba Trai Dao Beach and nearby islets, paddling into the wild limestone formations and swimming in the clear water. Back on deck by late afternoon, you watch the sunset over the Gulf of Tonkin, then join an optional cooking class where the chef teaches you to make Vietnamese dishes. Dinner is served at 7 PM in an intimate setting, and the evening is yours — try night squid fishing, sing karaoke, or stand on the top deck and watch the bay in darkness. You sleep in your cabin with a private balcony.

Day two starts early: coffee and sunrise from your cabin window, then a light breakfast. At 8 AM you transfer by tender to Viet Hai Village deep inside Cat Ba National Park, where you bike (or take an electric car) through a rainforest tunnel to meet locals in their homes and see the village school. After returning to the boat for checkout, you cruise back and are dropped in Hanoi Old Quarter between 3:50 and 4:30 PM. All meals aboard are included — two lunches, one breakfast, one dinner — plus welcome drink, jacuzzi access, and the guide.

What’s included

• Kayaking around limestone karsts and Ba Trai Dao Beach.
• swimming in Lan Ha Bay.
• bicycle or electric car ride through rainforest to Viet Hai Village in Cat Ba National Park.
• overnight cabin with private balcony.
• welcome drink and jacuzzi access.
• cooking demonstration with the chef.
• squid fishing and karaoke in the evening.
• English-speaking guide.
• all meals (2 lunches, 1 breakfast, 1 dinner).
• hotel pickup and drop-off from Hanoi Old Quarter.

Good to know

Easy physical level

Operated by Authentic Travel Ho Chi Minh

Is this one for you?Two days away from Hanoi means you sleep one night aboard and return by late afternoon the next day, leaving the rest of your trip open. The itinerary packs kayaking, village exploration, and meals into a fixed schedule, so nothing needs arranging once you're picked up.

Top questions

What's the kayaking like in Lan Ha Bay?

You paddle around limestone islets and Ba Trai Dao Beach in the World Heritage site, with time to swim in the clear water. The kayaking happens in the afternoon of day one, after lunch and the boat's journey through the karst passages.

Do I need to book the cooking class, or is it included?

The cooking demonstration is included in the cruise price. It's optional — you can join the chef onboard in the early evening or skip it and relax on deck instead.

What is Viet Hai Village like?

Viet Hai Village sits in a valley deep inside Cat Ba National Park, reached by biking or electric car through a rainforest tunnel. You visit local homes, meet residents doing daily work, and see the village school; it's a morning activity on day two before the boat returns to Hanoi.

Is the cabin private, and what's included in the room?

Yes, each cabin is private with a private balcony. You sleep overnight on the cruise; the cabin, welcome drink, and jacuzzi access are all included in the price.

How does pickup work from Hanoi?

Hotel pickup from Hanoi Old Quarter is included and happens between 7 and 7:20 AM on day one. The boat drops you back in the Old Quarter between 3:50 and 4:30 PM on day two.

Can children go on this cruise?

Yes, children are welcome from age 4. The itinerary includes swimming, biking, and village exploration, and all meals are provided aboard.