halong bay tours from Hanoi

Halong bay overnight cruise

Halong bay overnight cruise the best way to enjoy Halong Bay. Now kick start your journey by hiring a boat cruise through the bay that will let you indulge in the breathtaking vistas of islets. There are plenty of options when it comes to cruising in Halong Bay. Halong bay wins tourists’ heart by a number of junk boat cruises to select from. These are said to offer both day and overnight trips, with comparative prices. From the junk, it is quite possible to navigate some magnetic islands as well as reach concealed caves and less-visited bays by kayak. On board, you are able to enjoy freshly cooked spice squid and drink cool cocktails on the polished top deck when the sun goes down. Boats have different sizes, such as 10-, 20-, or 24-cabin vessels. In case you would like to gain an intimate experience, then booking a private boat is a fine choice.

Ti Top Beach

Some 14 km east of Bai Chay is Ti Top Beach, which takes the shape of a crescent encompassing the island. Small though it might be, it wins kudos for its quiet and airy atmosphere, its clean and clear waters, as well as its alluring landscape.
Got its name from Ghermann Titov, a former Soviet Union hero, Ti Top Island displays a beach shaped like a crescent moon and sand that has been washed to a snowy white by the tide.

History of  Titop Island

In 1962, this tiny island had the honor of receiving a visit from astronaut Ghermann Titov, a hero of the former Soviet Union, accompanied by President Ho Chi Minh. To perpetuate the remembrance of their visit, Uncle Ho named the place Ti Top Island. It has now become an attractive beach for tourists and has various of tourist services.
The beach boasts pristine white sand, clear and blue water and small waves, which make it ideal for recreational activities like swimming and other sea sports. At present, there has a bar in the island which also provides swimming costumes, floats and lukewarm shower. Fresh water was carried to the island from inland. Swimming at Ti Top Beach is really enjoyable. After swimming, you can enjoy fresh sea food specialties in an ideal environment of immense sky and sunshine.

What to do in Ti top Beach

This beach is very beautiful and is well worth a visit to cool off when the heats starts to get to you. If you spend a day at the beach and elect to take a deckchair, you will be asked to buy either a baguette, some lovely pineapple or a drink, otherwise you will have to pay for the seat. During the full moon, you are able to wander around until late at night.
The island has become a popular tourist destination. On summer holidays, the famous beach of Ti Top Island cools off visitors heading to Quang Ninh Province and you will surely have a chance to join in an interesting journey to the natural wonder…
Besides the opportunity to enjoy the magnificent landscape and beach activities, tourists will be pleased with a Halong bay cruise.

Can you swim at Halong Bay?

Yes, off course! You can swim in Halong Long!

The bay is favorably blessed with powdered beaches as well as clear and calm water. Hence, it is a stunning place for swimming. Visitors have an unlimited number of charming and beautiful beaches to chill out, such as Ba Trai Dao, Soi Sim, Ngoc Vung, Ti Top, etc. Most of these prominently feature idyllic sands and pure water so that you’re totally able to indulge in the sandbank while contemplating the eye-catching scenery. Avoid going swimming in later autumn and winter as the water is cold.

Halong Bay Pearl Farm

Halong Bay, the must see in Vietnam, where every traveler wish to visit at least once during their trip to this pretty country disclose a lot of beauty and secret. The Mother Nature blesses this bay not only magnificent geological creature, breathtaking scenery but also precious natural products, the most famous of which is Halong’s pearls. Although pearl harvesting is a long-time local tradition, the tour to visit pearl farms on the bay has been put into practice for 4 years. This is a very special experience besides enjoying Halong Bay cruise. The pearl farm on Halong where people visit is owned by Halong Pearl Join Stock Company, who developed pearl handicraft from a traditional sea product to a valuable item.

What to see in Halong Bay Pearl Farm

The Halong pearl farm is located in an isolated water area named Tung Sau, surrounded by undulating limestone islands. The pearl growing and handicraft system has been based on Vietnamese traditional experience and Japanese technology.
Visiting pearl farm, tourists witness the whole process to make a valuable pearl and expensive jewelry from the first step of growing and harvesting pearl from Halong Bay. Most of them are very surprised by the magical process to create the beautiful jewelry from the skillful hands of artisans. This is really a very interesting visit because not many people understand how the white and bright pearls are created. There are cages growing oysters in the water. Locals have many secret experiences in growing the oysters to have big and round pearls. Tourists can even observe the artisans working on their pearls after they are harvested from the water. They do sophisticated technique with their many specialized tools to create a perfect pearl. All are handmade in very intricate level. When watching the complete pearls in the same size, we cannot recognize the raw pearls when they are in the oysters anymore.

Kayaking in Halong Bay

Halong Bay is one of the best places to swim in Vietnam. Diving and kayaking are other water sports that you can indulge in. Many private operators close to the bay offer equipment on rent for these adventure activities. The serene water and exquisite islands of the bay make it totally perfect for going kayaking. This activity is done by many travelers once they spend a cruise here. For them, it is a wonderful opportunity to discover the Halong’s beauty and essence by themselves. If you are not expert at kayaking, there is no need to worry. The reason is that the junk’s crew is willing to provide you with detailed instructions.

Where to visit for admiring the superb coral reef and various systems of sea creatures? Try some sea zones around Monkey Island, Co To Island, Cu Island, and Sen Island.

Have a dinner in a cave

Planning a trip to Halong Bay with your partner? Want to have the romantic set up to amaze his/her? Then dining in a stunning cave is an excellent choice. Several luxury cruises with 3 days and 2 nights offer this activity, such as Dragon Pearl Junk. The extra price is costly since it usually includes set-up fee, personnel, food, and hiring the cave. After stepping inside, you and your lover will be impressed by a thousand candles and rose petals. Sweet scenery, sparkling candles, and exotic dishes will certainly create a romantic space. Plenty tourists successfully proposed to their special ones within this sweet theme.

See Halong Bay from helicopter or seaplane

Get a bird’s eye view of this marvel of nature as you take a helicopter tour from Hanoi to Halong. Do not miss the experience of a lifetime! As one of the top things to do when you’re in Halong Bay, a view from helicopter/seaplane is truly a wonderful way to marvel at the beauty and grandeur of the bay. There are two convenient options for tourists to consider: By helicopter and by seaplane.
In fact, traveling to the bay by helicopter is quite expensive. In general, it can cost about over $7.000 by MI-17 (about 24 people) and $13.000 by EC- 155 (about 12 people). But, the cost is often fixed, no matter how many people take part in. For that reason, it is a good idea to travel in a large team. The more guests, the lower the charges.

Bicycling in Cat Ba Island at Viet Ha fishing village

Biking is one of the exciting outboard activities that gets much attention from tourists. In general, this activity is often included in an itinerary of 3 days 2 nights. Viet Hai Village – the “isolated oasis”, belonging to Cat Ba National Park and located about 18 kilometers from Cat Ba Island, is usually the most popular area to organize cycling tours. Perfectly surrounded by high mountains, vast ocean, and thick jungles, Viet Hai village is absolutely separated with the outside world. Riding a bicycle around the village, you will have a chance to visit old houses, enjoy the freshly airy ambiance, admire natural scene and take striking pictures of forest trees.

Visit a floating village in Halong Bay

Halong Bay is well-known for not only limestone cliffs, spectacular caves, and stunning beaches, but also common floating villages. Some of the must-visit fishing villages are Ba Hang, Cua Van, Cong Dam, and Vung Vieng.

After dropping by one of these villages, you may indeed mingle with an authentic natural setting where blue sky and ocean, fresh and cool air, as well as picturesque seascape are beautifully vivid in front of your eyes. Besides, it is also a good occasion to broaden your knowledge and take hands-on photos about local culture and daily life. People here are very sociable, friendly, and enthusiastic. Just asking, and they are always ready to guide you how to spread a net, row a sampan, or even bait a hook. It is very great, right?

Participate in a BBQ on beach

If traditional Vietnamese delicacies on a halong bay cruise trip are not tasty enough to tickle your taste bud, then a BBQ party in a unique way will surely make you inspired. Such BBQ party is often organized in reputable beaches on bay, like Soi Sim Beach, Ba Trai Dao Beach, and so on. Try imagining how romantic it is when you take a seat on a beach, spread your eyes over ocean’s waves, listen to the soothing melody of birds, sample array of mouthwatering and grilled seafood, as well as share joy with other members. Without a doubt, you should not skip this chance of a lifetime!

Join a Tai Chi exercises

Indulging yourself to a Tai Chi morning class session is a perfect way to build up the sense of calm, keep fit, improve your health of mind, and start a new happy day in the Bay. In fact, Tai Chi is a gently physical exercise that flawlessly combines deep breathing and relaxation with easy and slow movements. Without complicate and fancy equipment, this kind of exercise is gently suitable for tourists of all ages. Make sure to wake up early and attend one of the Tai Chi classes between 6.30 AM and 7 AM on sundeck. At that time, a Tai-chi master will instruct you how to harmoniously control your breath, mind, and body while enjoying the fresh air. How fun it is!

Go squid fishing at night

Squid fishing is indeed an engaging activity to spend your free time on the Halong Bay cruise after having a dinner. But, this activity is just done, depending on the Halong Bay weather. Typically, months from August to December is considered the best time for squid fishing since this is when you can luckily catch the big squid. Once the darkness totally covers the bay, you will be welcomed to the side of boats to engage in this activity. Fishing rods and rackets are essential tools that you can get after that. Then, a local fisherman will guide you how to fish a squid in the sea. Lucky or seasoned guests may catch more than 15 squids per night. And these squids will be used to cook dishes for them.

Rock climbing at Halong Bay

Adventurous travelers in Ha Long are very keen on exploring the whole cliffs by rock climbing. It is one type of outdoor and thrilling activity that helps them enjoy the original nature with beautiful 3000 limestone cliffs, rising from the water. Typically, Cat Ba Island is the most favorite spot wholly chosen to take their climbing by many tourists.
People will challenge their bravery by reaching reach the summit of 30 meters. Of course, it is seriously recommended to make use of protect belts in some risky areas. Unlike climbing activity in the land, tourists are able to jump down to the sea to avoid other dangerous obstacles.

Halong Bay Cruise

Halong Bay is trusted to become one of the most glorious sunsets in the world. Seeing the dawn and dusk on desk here has long fascinated both Vietnamese and Western guests. In sunset, the bay becomes very magical among the vast sea. Furthermore, colorful lights from the spectacular Halong Bay cruises reflected into the water also create an amazing vista. In sunrise, the bay just likes an impressive natural painting with early sun-shines that still hide after mountains.It is highly advised to have a seat on the long lounge chair of your Halong Bay Cruise as well as enjoy the valuable moment with a camera on hand.

Shopping in Halong bay at a local market Halong City

One of the do-not-miss things for travelers in the bay is to go shopping. Through this activity, they can not only learn more about culture and society of Vietnam, but also bring back home a few lovely souvenirs for their family members and friends. Don’t forget to head towards one of the most popular shopping areas, namely the night market in Bai Chay Town. There are plenty open air stalls inside the market, which sell many types of delicious seafood and traditional products, like ceramic tea sets, chopsticks, conical hats, and so forth.

Attend a cooking class

Many cooking classes are held to help guests not only to try fine cuisine but also expand their knowledge about Vietnamese culinary culture. In general, a chef on the Halong Baycruise will expertly show and guide you how to make traditional dishes or how to impeccably carve different kinds of fruits and vegetables. Some of you can be also invited to take part in an interesting competition to find who makes the dish fast. After the competition, don’t mind sharing your achievement with other companions

Halong Bay Caves

Halong Bay is one of the places that have the greatest number of magnificent and mysterious caves in Vietnam. Thanks to the pristine feature of those caves, they have attracted a wide range of domestic and foreign tourists every year. Here is the list of top most beautiful caves in Halong bay that you should not miss when paying a visit to this beautiful place.

Dau Go Cave

Trinh Nu Cave – Virgin Cave

Trinh Nu Cave, along with other caves in the same cave system such as Sung Sot Cave, Dong Tien Lake, Luon Cave, is located on Bo Hon Island, which is about 15 kilometers from Bai Chay of Halong Bay. In the past, the French came here and called this cave as La Vierge (Virgin Cave). On the other hand, this cave is called “Trinh Nu Cave” by the Vietnamese. For the fishermen, Trinh Nu Cave is always their cozy home but for the lovers, this cave is even a symbol of their love. On entering this cave, you can easily see a stone statue of a girl lying in the center of the cave. The girl statue is very lively with long hair and the hoping, miserable look in her eyes. Opposite of Trinh Nu Cave is Trong Cave (or Male Cave). Inside Trong Cave is a stone statue of a man looking at the girl statue. You can even feel the despairing scream of the man and the sound of his knocking the stone wall for endless times.

Me Cung Cave (Maze Cave)

Me Cung Cave is about 25 meters from the sea level on Lom Bo Island, which is about 2 kilometers to the Southwest to Titop Island. The cave’s entrance has such a complicated structure with many rooms, floors, as well as the stone ceiling and 100-meter-long balcony. There is also a lake called Me Cung inside the cave.

Thien Cung Cave

Sung Sot Cave

Sung Sot Cave is one of the most beautiful caves of Halong Bay. This cave is located on Bo Hon Island, which is in the center of Halong Bay. Every year, Sung Sot Cave attracts a great number of visitors, who come here to contemplate its spectacular and magnificent beauty. Before entering the cave, you must pass the long stone staircases to pass the luxuriant forests. Tourists will have an interesting opportunity of climbing the mountain.

The total area of Sung Sot Cave is 10 000 kilometer square. Inside the cave is a wide range of stalagmites and stalactites in mysterious and weird shapes. You may be overwhelmed when contemplating the pristine beauty of this fairy-tale-cave. The French used to call this cave as “Grotte Des Surprises” (The cave of surprises) thanks to its unique feature. When visiting caves in Halong Bay, you should not forget to explore and contemplate the marvelous beauty of this cave. Most of the halong bay overnight cruise will visit this cave.

Luon Cave

Luon Cave is located on Bo Hon Island, which is about 14 kilometers to the South of Bai Chay. The location of this cave is a steep rock with quiet crystalized water. The total length of Luon Cave is about 60 meters, and the cave’s ceiling is between 2.5 meters and 4 meters, depending on the water level. On entering the cave, if the level of water is high, you must lower your head to pass it. This must be the reason why the cave is called “Luon” in Vietnamese. The cave’s ceiling has so many beautiful and magnificent stalactites that you will surprise and amaze by the talent of Mother Nature. After passing the entrance, you will see a large lake surrounded by luxuriant forest and spectacular mountains. It can be said that the beauty of Luon Cave is such a masterpiece of nature.

Tam Cung Cave

Tam Cung Cave is located in the center of Halong Bay, which is about 5 kilometers to the Northeast of Sung Sot Cave.
The cave is divided into 3 rooms with a lot of beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. The cave’s ceiling has many stalactites, which look like a white orchid cacti’s bud. Especially, the 2nd room of the cave is a lively natural museum with many stone sculptures of the lion, the seal, the water deities, etc. There is a long stream inside the cave, too. The cave’s wall looks like a magnificent stalactites curtain. And at the last room, tourists will have the opportunity to contemplate the spectacular and skillful sculptured artworks of the Mother Nature.

Hanh Cave

The French used to call Hanh Cave as Le Tunnel (or The Tunnel in English). A special feature of Hanh Cave is that its entrance is very low, therefore, if you want to explore this cave, you must travel by small boat. Hanh Cave is one of the most beautiful and the longest caves in Halong Bay.
This cave attracts a great number of foreign tourists, who love adventure coming here to contemplate and explore the cave by kayak. The total time of a full trip to Hanh Cave is about 60 to 90 minutes.

Shopping in Halong Bay

When travelling, shopping might be among the most favorite as well as popular activities of tourists. When visiting Halong, you not only enjoy the breathtaking scenes here but also have many chances to shop fresh seafood and souvenirs. Typically, in Halong Bay, shopping is not about big malls with famous branded items. You could totally expect a different experience of shopping in this area.
Shopping in Halong Bay could be a fantastic experience though the options are rather limited for tourists. The most interesting thing about shopping in Halong Bay, as well as in other coastal cities of Vietnam, is that you will see local people selling products on those small boats. Such floating stores could catch your own eyes almost instantly when you are on junk boat tours. According to experienced foreign tourists, they are surprised by such images so much.
Here bellowed is the most detailed guide of shopping in Halong Bay:

Halong Market

This market is built and officially ran in 2003. Being a new market in Halong, this is one of the most attractive places in the city for both locals and tourists coming for shopping in Halong. Situated in the center area of Halong city, the market is reckoned as the largest market of this city. The products displayed and sold here are very various, ranging from normal to luxurious goods with pretty competitive prices. Guests coming here could easily find anything they want, such as clothes, electrical devices, and accessories. Besides, the drinks and food here are sold out in restaurants inside the market. These restaurants are often small in area. Some detailed information about this market includes:

What to buy in Halong Market ?

The first floor: you can find jewelries, pearls, embroidered paintings, electronics, and mother-of-pearl mosaic paintings
The second floor: you can find clothing, footwear, marine products and seafood
If you want to buy some most featured specialties of Halong, including seafood and dried squid, at reasonable prices, and then Halong market is your ideal destination. Halong Market is most crowded during weekend.

Opening hours: 6:00 – 18:30 every day
Location: Bach Dang (Bạch Đằng) Street, Halong City

Halong Night Market

The market is situated in the center area of Halong City and near the beach. Thanks to the good location, this market attracts a large number of people, including locals and visitors. It is crowded with most domestic tourists from April to July.
Opening hours: 6:00 – 22:30 every day

What to buy in Halong Night Market ?