Why travel this route
Ha Long's problem is not the scenery, it is the traffic. Bai Tu Long, the eastern half of the same limestone archipelago, has a fraction of the boats and identical islands. We route every overnight cruise there.
The boat is a modern wooden junk with a small cabin count, so the deck never feels crowded. The day is deliberately unhurried: cave in the afternoon, kayaks before sunset, seafood at anchor, and the bay to yourself after dark.
- Sail into Bai Tu Long, away from the main cruise corridor
- Explore Thien Canh Son cave, lit and walkable, with a view back over the bay
- Kayak into hidden lagoons that only open at certain tides
- Swim from a small island beach with almost nobody on it
- Fresh seafood dinner on deck as the light goes
- Sunrise, tai chi and coffee before the bay wakes up
- A water puppet performance and a scenic drive back to Hanoi
Where you sleep, night by night
One night on board. Road transfer from Hanoi is about two and a half hours each way on the expressway.
| Stop | Nights | Why we stop here |
|---|---|---|
| Ha Long Bay | 1N | Thousands of limestone towers rising out of jade water, best seen from a small boat on the quieter Bai Tu Long side. |
What you actually do
No effort required. Kayaking, swimming and the cave walk are all optional.
- Overnight cruise on a small wooden junk
- Thien Canh Son cave visit
- Kayaking through lagoons and around karsts
- Swimming from an island beach
- Seafood dinner and sunrise tai chi on deck
- Floating fishing village and rowboat visit
- Water puppet show
Good to know before you book
Cabins have private bathrooms, air conditioning and windows to the water. Life jackets are on board for all ages, and the crew watches the deck.
Plan this trip with us
Tell us your dates, how many of you are travelling and what you would like to change. A trip planner in our Hanoi office replies within one working day with a day-by-day plan and a price.