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Ha Long Bay in brief
Ha Long Bay is one of the best-known images of Vietnam: roughly 2,000 limestone islands and rocks rising out of green water, with caves, grottoes and floating fishing villages. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994, and in September 2023 UNESCO extended the listing to include the Cat Ba archipelago, making it Vietnam’s first inter-provincial natural heritage site, shared between Quang Ninh province and Hai Phong city. It was also one of the New7Wonders of Nature, a title chosen by popular vote.
Most visitors come from Hanoi. Staying in Ha Long City itself is not worth it: entertainment is sparse, and a cruise puts you where the scenery is.
Cruise or day trip?
- Overnight cruise (two days, one night): the standard choice. You are driven from Hanoi in the morning, board a boat for lunch, cruise, swim and kayak, sleep aboard, then have breakfast and return to Hanoi by early afternoon.
- Two nights: quieter, often reaching Lan Ha Bay and Cat Ba.
- Day trip: tolerable if you are in a hurry, but the road time eats most of the day.
Prices in 2026 listings: about $130 to $145 for 2-day cruises on 4-star boats, $150 to $200 on 5-star, and from about $270 on luxury yachts, typically including transfers and meals. Quality varies and you get what you pay for. Even budget trips offer the scenery, but the boat itself may be less pretty than the view.
Do not be put off by the crowds at the dock. Most tours leave at the same time, so the harbour looks packed, but soon after leaving, boats split up and head in different directions. It is easy to find a quiet corner behind one of thousands of islands.
Sightseeing routes and tickets
The bay is sold in routes of different lengths. In 2026, ticket prices were listed at about 310,000 dong per person for the two main cave routes (Thien Cung and Dau Go caves, or Sung Sot and Titop Island) and about 260,000 dong for the Cua Van floating village route. Prices and routes change, so confirm with your cruise operator whether the ticket is included.
Floating villages
One of the features of the bay is its floating fishing villages, in sheltered bays between the rocks. Houses are built on planks that border nets, where families raise fish, crabs and shrimp in the sea below. Some are now part of tourist routes, so expect to see them from a boat.
Getting there from Hanoi
The Hanoi to Hai Phong to Quang Ninh expressway runs most of the way. A private car takes about 2 to 2.5 hours; a limousine bus 2.5 to 3 hours, and longer if it picks up in the Old Quarter first. Most cruises include the transfer. For the capital’s own sights before or after, see the Hanoi guide. The limestone-and-paddies alternative is Ninh Binh, and the wider country is on the Vietnam destinations index.