Lan Ha Bay & Cat Ba Island: 3-Day Kayaking & Trekking from Hanoi

Three days paddling Lan Ha Bay's quiet side, then trekking Cat Ba's limestone peaks

You get picked up from your Hanoi hotel, driven to Ha Long, and board the Vega Legend cruise for two nights anchored in Lan Ha Bay's quieter waters. Days include kayaking through limestone channels and hidden lagoons, a moderate trek up Cat Ba Island's Ngu Lam peak with views across three bays, village cycling, and a cooking class. All meals, guide, kayak gear, and park entry are included. You return to Hanoi by mid-afternoon on day three.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Hanoi to Lan Ha Bay cruise and kayaking

• Pick up from Hanoi hotel
• Drive to Ha Long city with break
• Arrive at Tuan Chau wharf
• Board Vega Legend cruise
• Enjoy welcome drink and check in
• Have fresh lunch on board
• Cruise Ha Long Bay to Lan Ha Bay
• Kayak in Lan Ha Bay and swim
• Watch sunset and join cooking class
• Dinner and overnight on cruise

Day 2: Trekking Cat Ba Island and kayaking

• Watch sunrise on sun deck
• Buffet breakfast on board
• Tender boat to Cat Ba Island
• Drive to National Park center
• Trek to Ngu Lam peak
• Visit Trung Trang and hospital caves
• Lunch at local restaurant
• Walk cliff path from Cat Co 1 to 3
• Swim at Cat Co 3 beach
• Return to cruise and kayak or swim
• Dinner and overnight on cruise

Day 3: Cycling Viet Hai village and return

• Breakfast with bay sunrise
• Tender boat to Viet Hai dock
• Cycle to Viet Hai village
• Visit local house and school
• Cycle back and tender to cruise
• Relax or swim on board
• Check out and cruise through islands
• Buffet lunch on board
• Arrive Ha Long dock and disembark
• Drive back to Hanoi
• Drop off at hotel or Vega office

The experience

The boat leaves Tuan Chau Harbor at 1 p.m., and by then you've already been picked up from your Hanoi hotel around 8 a.m., driven three hours through the Red River Delta, and settled into a deluxe sea-view room on the Vega Legend cruise. That pickup-to-boat timeline matters because it means you're not rushing. You arrive calm, eat lunch on deck with the first views of Ha Long Bay already behind you, and then the real thing starts: sailing past the crowded center toward Lan Ha Bay, the quieter side that most tour groups never reach. Your guide steers the kayak through narrow limestone channels, under tunnel grottoes, past fishing villages that don't feel staged. You paddle into emerald lagoons, swim in water so clear you see the bottom, and if the tide allows, slip into a hidden lagoon that opens like a secret room carved into rock.

Day two is the trek. A tender boat takes you to Cat Ba Island in the morning, then a car climbs into the national park for a moderate hike up to Ngu Lam peak: about two and a half to three hours up and down depending on your pace. The summit gives you three landscapes in one frame: Cat Ba Island, Lan Ha Bay, and Ha Long Bay stacked behind it. After that you walk the cliff path between Cat Co beaches, swim at Cat Co 3, and return to the boat for dinner. Night fishing is optional if you want it. Most people just sit on deck and listen to the water.

The last morning you're up early for breakfast, then a 30-minute bike ride through shaded paths to Viet Hai village (a real place in a valley, not a tourist stop), where you can visit a local house and see how people actually live there. After that it's back to the boat, a final cruise through thousands of limestone islands while you eat lunch, then the drive back to Hanoi, arriving between 3 and 3:30 p.m. The whole thing is built so you don't have to book transport separately, find a guide, negotiate meals, or figure out which route avoids the crowds. It's all arranged, and the boat is small enough that you're not one of thousands.

What’s included

Your three days include hotel pickup and return transport from Hanoi, a shared transfer by bus or minivan, two nights in a deluxe sea-view room on the Vega Legend cruise with ocean view and balcony, all meals (lunch and dinner on days one and two, breakfast and lunch on day three), a full-time English-speaking guide, kayak and paddle, a cooking class on the first evening, entrance fees to Ha Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay national park, and optional night fishing. Bicycle rental for the Viet Hai village ride on day three is included.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (14 to 70 years) · Senior (71 to 87 years) · Youth (9 to 13 years) · Child (4 to 8 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupUp to 40

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 6 days before the start.Between 2 and 6 days before the start, 50% refund.After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Vega Travel

Is this one for you?Pick this if you want the main Lan Ha and Cat Ba highlights without arranging your own transport, guide, meals, and park tickets: the fixed itinerary and small-group boat are what make it possible to see three different landscapes and a real village in three days without the stress of logistics.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (9 to 13 years); Child (4 to 8 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 6 days before the start.

How long is the drive from Hanoi to the boat?

About three hours through the Red River Delta, with a short break on the way. Pickup from your hotel in the Old Quarter starts around 8 a.m.

What's included in the price?

Hotel pickup and return, shared transfer by bus or minivan, two nights in a deluxe sea-view room on the Vega Legend, all meals (lunch and dinner on days one and two, breakfast and lunch on day three), English-speaking guide, kayak, cooking class, and entrance fees to Ha Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay.

Is the Cat Ba trek difficult?

It's moderate. The hike to Ngu Lam peak takes two and a half to three hours round trip depending on pace. The path is established, and the guide leads the group.

How many people are on the boat?

The Vega Legend is a smaller cruise designed to avoid the crowded main routes, though exact group size varies by departure.

Can I do night fishing?

Yes, squid fishing at night is optional on both evenings you're on the boat.

What if I'm vegetarian or vegan?

The boat can cater vegetarian or vegan meals on request. Mention this when you book.

Do I need to be fit for this tour?

The trek is moderate and the kayaking is leisurely. The tour is suitable for all fitness levels, though you should be comfortable walking and paddling for a few hours each day.

What time do I get back to Hanoi?

Between 3 and 3:30 p.m. on day three. You're dropped at the Vega office or your hotel in the Old Quarter.