Overview
Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site about 170 km east of Hanoi in the Gulf of Tonkin, features around 1,600 limestone karst islands and jagged sea stacks rising from emerald waters — one of the most photographed seascapes in the world. The name means 'where the dragon descends to the sea,' and that mystical mood is the bay's greatest charm. The most popular way to visit is by junk-boat cruise — day trips and 1- or 2-night cruises let you sail among the islands, explore caves like Sung Sot and Thien Cung, visit floating fishing villages, and kayak among the karsts. Day tour about VND 1,200,000-1,800,000 (lunch and shuttle included); overnight cruises from about VND 2,500,000. About 2.5 hours by car from Hanoi via the new expressway.
Opening Hours
Tours typically 08:00-17:00 (overnight cruises check in around 12:00)
Travel Tips
Overnight cruises are vastly preferable to day trips — you get to enjoy night skies and sunrise. Typhoons in July-August may cancel cruises, so allow flexibility in your itinerary.
Hotels near Halong Bay Day Trip
Hotels and guesthouses in Hanoi, Quang Ninh Province
Other attractions in Hanoi
Hoan Kiem Lake
A scenic lake at the heart of Hanoi's Old Quarter, famed for the turtle legend and Ngoc Son Temple.
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
The grand monument enshrining the embalmed body of Vietnam's founding father Ho Chi Minh.
Hanoi Old Quarter (36 Streets)
A thousand-year-old maze of alleys, each street historically selling a different trade's goods.
Temple of Literature
Vietnam's first national university and a Confucian temple founded in 1070, featured on the VND 100,000 bill.
Hanoi Train Street
Hanoi's iconic alley where trains thunder past houses with mere centimeters to spare.
West Lake (Ho Tay)
Hanoi's largest lake with a 12 km shoreline, home to Tran Quoc Pagoda and a thriving cafe scene.