3-day Lan Ha Bay kayaking cruise from Hanoi with cooking class

Kayak through three tunnel systems and wake to sunrise over the bay twice.

A 3-day cruise from Hanoi to Lan Ha Bay combines kayaking in lagoons and through Ba Ham Lake's winding tunnels, swimming off the boat, a half-day bike ride through Viet Hai village, and a cooking class making Vietnamese spring rolls. The boat holds a small group. Pickup from Hanoi old quarter or Opera House is included in some options, and meals (three lunches, two dinners, two breakfasts) are served onboard. Two nights in a private cabin with air-conditioning and hot shower. An English-speaking guide leads the group throughout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Hanoi to Lan Ha Bay cruise and activities

• Pick up from Hanoi old quarter
• Pick up from Cai Beo Harbour, check-in onboard
• Enjoy special Vietnamese seafood lunch
• Cruise through Lan Ha Bay and kayak
• Swim near the boat
• Attend cooking class making spring rolls
• Dinner on board
• Join squid fishing and karaoke
• Happy hour on sundeck
• Overnight on boat

Day 2: Ba Ham Lake visit and cruising

• Wake up and enjoy sunrise
• Breakfast in quiet bay
• Transfer to tender boat to visit Ba Ham Lake
• Kayak and swim if weather permits
• Lunch on local tender boat
• Return to sleeping boat
• Overnight on boat

Day 3: Biking Viet Hai Village and return to Hanoi

• Wake up and enjoy sunrise
• Breakfast on board
• Biking trip to Viet Hai Village
• Lunch on boat
• Disembark at Beo Harbor
• Bus transfer back to Hanoi
• Drop off at hotel

The experience

The day starts with pickup from Hanoi old quarter between 7 and 7:30 a.m., or you can meet the group at Hanoi Opera House by 7:30 a.m. The bus reaches Cai Beo Harbour around noon, where you board a small traditional boat and set sail through Lan Ha Bay. Lunch (fresh seafood and Vietnamese appetizers) is served while the boat moves through the karst landscape toward Cua Van Area. By early afternoon you're kayaking around the bay's limestone islands. Later you jump from the boat deck into the water to swim in a sheltered lagoon.

Back onboard by evening, you make Vietnamese spring rolls in a cooking class with the crew before dinner is served in the restaurant. After eating, the group can join squid fishing or karaoke on the sundeck, or simply rest in your private cabin. The second day begins before dawn. If the weather allows, you'll watch sunrise break over the islands. Breakfast comes next, then a tender boat transfers you to Ba Ham Lake on Dau Be Island, where three wide basins connect through narrow winding tunnels. Kayaking and swimming happen here if conditions permit, and lunch is served on the tender boat before you return to the cruise for a second night aboard.

On the final morning, another sunrise precedes breakfast. You transfer to Viet Hai harbour and bike 5 kilometers through the village for about half an hour, passing through countryside before returning to the boat for lunch. By noon you disembark at Cai Beo Harbor, board the bus back to Hanoi, and arrive around 4 p.m. The guide will drop you at your hotel if you request it.

What’s included

• Two nights in a private cabin with air-conditioning, hot shower and private bathroom.
• three lunches, two dinners and two breakfasts.
• kayaking equipment and all entrance fees to Ba Ham Lake and Lan Ha Bay.
• a bike for the Viet Hai village ride.
• a hands-on cooking class making Vietnamese spring rolls.
• an English-speaking guide for the full three days.
• shuttle bus from Hanoi old quarter (included in Hanoi pickup options).

Options for this experience

2 options

Guide in English11:30

Guide in English07:00

Options with the same name differ in details you'll see when you pick a date.

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 11:30

Book up to15h before

AgesAdult (18 to 65 years) · Senior (66 to 80 years) · Youth (9 to 17 years) · Child (4 to 8 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupUp to 25

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 3 pickup points.

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 3 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for back problems

Operated by Lan Ha Legend Cruise Day Tours

Is this one for you?Book the Hanoi pickup option if you're staying in the old quarter or near Opera House and want transport arranged from the start. Choose the harbour option if you're already on Cat Ba Island or prefer to drive yourself and board at noon. Either way, the small group size and fixed schedule mean meals, timing and activities stay coordinated without you managing logistics across three days.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (9 to 17 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 24 h before the start.

What's included in the 3-day Lan Ha Bay cruise?

The cruise includes two nights in a private cabin with air-conditioning, hot shower and bathroom; all meals (three lunches, two dinners, two breakfasts); kayaking equipment and all entrance fees; a bike for the Viet Hai village ride; an English-speaking guide; and a cooking class making spring rolls. Shuttle bus pickup from Hanoi old quarter is included in some options. If you book the 11:30 a.m. harbour option, you arrange your own transport to Cai Beo Harbour.

When do I kayak, and where exactly am I paddling?

You kayak twice. On day one, you paddle around Lan Ha Bay's limestone islands in Cua Van Area in the early afternoon. On day two, you kayak through Ba Ham Lake's three tunnel systems on Dau Be Island: narrow winding corridors connect the basins, and the water is calm enough for paddling and swimming if weather permits.

Is the cooking class hands-on, and what do I make?

Yes, you make Vietnamese spring rolls with the crew onboard on the first evening. It's a hands-on class where you prepare the dish before dinner is served.

How much biking is involved on day three?

The bike ride through Viet Hai village covers 5 kilometers and takes about half an hour. It's a leisurely pace through countryside. The scenery is the main point, not speed or difficulty.

What time does the tour start, and when do I get picked up?

Pickup from Hanoi old quarter hotels runs between 7 and 7:30 a.m., depending on your hotel location. If you don't stay in the old quarter, meet the group at Hanoi Opera House, 01 Trang Tien Street, by 7:30 a.m. The bus reaches the harbour around noon. If you book the 11:30 a.m. harbour option instead, you arrange your own transport to Cai Beo Harbour and meet the boat there.

Can I choose to start from the harbour instead of Hanoi?

Yes. You can book either a Hanoi pickup option (shuttle bus included) or a harbour option where you meet the boat at Cai Beo Harbour around 11:30 a.m. Both are available for double/twin and family/triple cabin configurations.