2-Day Lan Ha Bay Cruise: Kayaking, Cooking & Viet Hai Village

Limestone islands, squid fishing at night, a cooking class on deck, and a village deep in a rainforest valley

A 2-day cruise through Lan Ha Bay's less-visited islands, departing from Hanoi with hotel pickup and returning the same way. The boat carries a small group only, with an English-speaking guide, all meals cooked on board, and stops for kayaking, squid fishing, a cooking demonstration, and a bicycle ride through Catba National Park to meet locals in Viet Hai Village. Pickup and drop-off in Hanoi Old Quarter are included. Beverages are not.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Hanoi to Lan Ha Bay cruise

• Bus pickup from Hanoi Old Quarter
• Transfer to Venezia cruise by tender
• Welcome onboard and safety briefing
• Lunch on board
• Cruise through limestone karsts
• Arrive at Ba Trai Dao beach area
• Kayaking or swimming in the bay
• Sunset watching on sundeck
• Join traditional cooking class
• Happy hour with fresh fruits
• Dinner on board
• Night squid fishing and karaoke

Day 2: Viet Hai Village and return to Hanoi

• Sunrise viewing and light breakfast
• Visit Viet Hai Village by tender
• Bicycle or electric car tour in village
• Meet locals and visit traditional house
• Return to cruise and check out
• Lunch on board while cruising back
• Disembark at quay side
• Transfer back to Hanoi

The experience

The bus collects you from your Hanoi hotel early morning and drives to Ben Beo port in Catba town, where you board Venezia Cruises: a boutique ship with modern design, a restaurant, bars and sundeckes. By midday you're on the water moving through limestone karst formations that rise straight out of the sea, passing through routes most cruise ships skip. The islands here are forested and small, and the water stays quiet. This part of Lan Ha Bay sits apart from the crowded main channel of Halong Bay.

Day one anchors around Ba Trai Dao beach, where you kayak in clear water or swim, then return to watch the sunset from the sundeck. Before dinner, join the chef for a cooking class on board. You learn to make Vietnamese dishes and eat what you've made. The evening fills with a Happy Hour on deck with fresh fruit, squid fishing under the stars, and karaoke with other guests. Dinner is served in an intimate setting, and you sleep in a cabin with an ocean view.

Day two starts with sunrise from your window or the top deck. After a light breakfast, a tender takes you to Viet Hai Village on Cat Ba Island, where you ride a bicycle (or electric car if you prefer) through a rainforest tunnel into a valley deep inside the national park. You visit a traditional house, meet locals going about their day, and see the village school. The boat picks you up for the return cruise, lunch is served while you travel back to port, and a driver returns you to Hanoi by 4pm.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Hanoi Old Quarter.
• all meals on board (breakfast, lunch and dinner).
• English-speaking guide.
• kayaking in less-visited areas of Lan Ha Bay.
• cooking demonstration with the ship's chef.
• squid fishing and karaoke on the evening of Day 1.
• Happy Hour with fresh fruit on the sundeck.
• bicycle tour (or electric car ride) through Catba National Park to Viet Hai Village.
• entrance fees and sightseeing.
• overnight accommodation in a cabin with ocean view.

Options for this experience

3 options

Catba pickup and drop-offGuide in English · 11:00Taxi: hotel pickup and drop-off in Catba town (Catba island), between 11:20 and 11:40.

Hanoi to Catba via cruiseGuide in English · 07:00Bus: pickup in the Hanoi Old Quarter, drop-off at the Ben Beo harbour cruise port in Catba.

Round trip, Hanoi to Catba and backGuide in English · 07:00Bus: pickup and drop-off at hotels in the Hanoi Old Quarter are both included.

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

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 07:00 and 11:00

Book up to3h before

AgesAdult (10 and older) · Child (5 to 9 years) · Infant (under 5): free

GroupUp to 18

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: “Ben Beo Harbour, Catba town. Catba island”

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. 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 yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Venezia Cruises

Is this one for you?Book this cruise if you want to see Lan Ha Bay's quieter islands and meet locals in a working village, rather than the main Halong Bay route: the small group size and the two-day format make both possible without feeling rushed. The cooking class and squid fishing are on board, so you're learning and trying things as part of the day, not as add-ons.

Traveler reviews

4.86★★★★★★★★★★

338 verified traveler reviews

5 ★308

4 ★20

3 ★4

2 ★5

1 ★1

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 9 years); Infant (under 5): 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 Viet Hai Village like, and how do you get there from the boat?

Viet Hai Village sits in a valley inside Catba National Park on Cat Ba Island. A tender takes you from the cruise to the village, where you ride a bicycle through a rainforest tunnel to reach it. An electric car is available as an alternative. You visit a traditional house, meet the people who live there, and see the village school before returning to the boat.

Are meals included on the 2-day cruise, and can I join the cooking class?

All meals on board are included: breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can join a cooking demonstration where the ship's chef teaches you to make Vietnamese dishes. The food you prepare is part of your meal. Beverages at the bar are not included.

What activities happen on the first night after dinner?

After dinner on Day 1, you can try squid fishing at night from the deck, join karaoke with other guests, and relax on the top deck with drinks from the bar. A Happy Hour with fresh fruit happens earlier in the evening on the sundeck.

How does pickup work if I'm staying in Hanoi?

The bus picks you up from your hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter between 7:05 and 7:30am on Day 1 and drives you to Ben Beo port in Catba town. On Day 2, after the boat returns to port at noon, a driver takes you back to your Hanoi drop-off point, arriving around 4pm.

What is the group size on Venezia Cruises?

The cruise runs with a very small group only, which keeps the boat uncrowded and the experience more intimate than larger ships in the area.

Is the kayaking included, and what happens if I don't want to kayak?

Kayaking in Lan Ha Bay is included on Day 1 at Ba Trai Dao beach. If you prefer not to kayak, you can swim in the same area or stay on deck and watch the limestone islands and the water.