Lan Ha Bay Day Trip from Hanoi: Kayaking, Lunch & Cruise
A 3.5-hour drive unlocks Lan Ha Bay's limestone islands and a full day on the water
You get picked up from your Hanoi hotel, driven 3.5 hours to Beo Pier, then spend the afternoon kayaking, swimming and exploring Viet Hai Village from Serenity Cruise. Lunch, welcome drink, water equipment and a bilingual guide are all included. The return bus reaches Hanoi around 8:30pm.
Options for this experience
9 optionsSee 6 more options
Step-by-step itinerary
Lan Ha Bay full-day cruise and activities
- Pick up from Hanoi Old Quarter hotel
- Travel to Hai Phong via 5B expressway
- Cross sea from Tan Vu to Lach Huyen port
- Transfer to Beo Pier on Cat Ba Island
- Drive scenic road to Cat Ba Pearl Island
- Cruise past Cai Beo ancient fishing village
- Welcome on board Serenity Cruise with drink
- Enjoy buffet lunch on cruise
- Sail to Viet Hai Port and disembark
- Take electric car or bicycle to Viet Hai Village
- Experience fish-foot massage and village walk
- Kayaking and swimming in Lan Ha Bay
- Relax on top deck with drinks
- Attend small sunset party with fruit and tea
- Return to Beo Pier and board bus to Hanoi
- Arrive back at Hanoi Old Quarter
What’s included
Your day includes hotel pickup in Hanoi Old Quarter, round-trip bus and ferry transfers to Beo Pier, entrance to Lan Ha Bay, a welcome drink upon boarding Serenity Cruise, a guided visit to Viet Hai Village, buffet lunch on the boat, kayak and swimming equipment with life jackets, water activities (swimming, kayaking, boat jumping, water slide), fresh fruit and tea during the return journey, and a bilingual Vietnamese and English-speaking guide throughout.
Times
- Every day 07:00 08:30 10:30
Before you book
Operated by Serenity Cruises
Prices and times updated today
Traveler reviews
The experience
Someone leans back on the top deck with a cold drink in hand, watching the limestone cliffs slide past. That person is you, around 3pm, after the morning's drive north from Hanoi and the boat ride out to Serenity Cruise. The journey to get here takes time (a bus pickup from your hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter around 7am, then the expressway to Hai Phong, a short ferry crossing, and a final bus to Beo Pier), but that distance is what keeps Lan Ha Bay quieter than the more famous Ha Long. The cruise itself doesn't start until you're already out there, which means no wasted hours in a port town.
Once aboard, the itinerary moves steadily. Welcome drink and a briefing from your guide, then the boat heads toward Viet Hai Village, a 7,000-year-old fishing settlement with floating houses tucked against the mountainside. You'll have time to walk through it by electric car or bicycle, or sit with a local resident if you want to talk. By 1pm you're back on the boat for lunch (a buffet served in the restaurant area), and then the captain picks the best spot for the afternoon's water activities. That means kayaking, swimming in the bay itself, or sliding off the top deck into the emerald water. Life jackets are provided and recommended. The whole thing has a rhythm to it: move, stop, swim, move again.
Around 3:40pm the boat turns back toward Beo Pier, and you spend the last stretch on the rooftop with fresh fruit and tea while the sun drops. The bus ride back to Hanoi takes until about 8:30pm. It's a long day, thirteen hours door to door, but the Lan Ha Bay day trip from Hanoi spreads that time across water, villages, and activities instead of cramming everything into a rush. Your guide speaks Vietnamese and English, the boat has separate areas so you're not crowded, and the transfer is included both ways.
Is this one for you?Book this if you want a full Lan Ha Bay experience without arranging your own transport or timing the village visit and water activities yourself: the fixed schedule and included transfers mean you leave Hanoi in the morning and return in the evening with nothing else to organize.
Compare the 12 alternatives
Top questions
What languages is the tour guided in?
Live guide in English and Vietnamese.
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: 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.
How long is the drive from Hanoi to Lan Ha Bay?
About 3.5 hours total, including a bus to Hai Phong, a short ferry, and a final bus to Beo Pier.
What time does the tour start and end?
Pickup is 7:00–7:30am from Hanoi Old Quarter. The bus returns to Hanoi around 8:30pm.
Is lunch included?
Yes, a buffet lunch is served on the cruise around 11:30am.
What water activities are available?
Kayaking, swimming, boat jumping, and a water slide from the top deck. Life jackets are provided.
Do I need to visit Viet Hai Village?
It's part of the itinerary. You can walk through it, take an electric car or bicycle, or chat with locals. Time there is roughly 1.5 hours.
What's included in the price?
Round-trip transfer from Hanoi, entrance fees, lunch, welcome drink, kayak and swimming equipment, and a professional guide.
Can I bring my own snorkel gear?
The itinerary includes swimming and kayaking. Bring your own snorkel if you prefer, but the tour does not list snorkeling as a scheduled activity.
Lan Ha Bay Day Trip from Hanoi: Kayaking, Lunch & Cruise
12h–13h · EN +1 · at your hotel
from US$ 48 per person
Next, you choose your date and number of travelers and see the final price.