Planning Ha Long Days With Young Children
Travelling to Ha Long with young children goes better when you plan by type of day. Pick one big outing a day, keep the steps and the water in mind, and leave slack for the weather. All costs are in Vietnamese dong (VND), about 26,000 to the US dollar.
A sunny weekend day
Sun World in Bai Chay is the obvious choice. Its Dragon Park reopened in March 2026, charges about 150,000 VND and opens only from Friday to Sunday, with the Friday session starting about 13:00 and the weekend sessions running from 09:00 to 17:00. The water park nearby reopened in April 2026 at about 150,000 VND and runs on a seasonal calendar. Its official site is the place to confirm days.
After the park, the Queen Cable Car gives a short, calm ride. The round trip is about 380,000 VND for adults and about 280,000 VND for children between 1 m and 1.4 m, and it covers the Sun Wheel and Kidoland on Ba Deo hill. Weekend hours are 09:00 to 20:00.
A hot or rainy day
The Quang Ninh Museum in Hon Gai is indoors and cheap. Adults pay 40,000 VND, students 20,000 VND and children 10,000 VND, and the doors are open 08:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 17:00. The building is a black glass block meant to recall coal, and a 28 tonne anthracite block stands outside. Ask at the desk whether it closes on Monday.
A beach morning
Bai Chay beach is free and about 3.5 km long. Lifeguard cover cannot be assumed, so adults should stay in the water with small children. On a boat day, Ti Top island has golden sand, but there is no snorkelling and the water is murky. The viewpoint path has about 400 steps and no stroller access.
A boat day
Day cruises suit children better than overnight ones. A child under 1.2 m or under 7 pays no sightseeing fee, and a child aged 7 to under 16 pays 20 percent less. Boats must dock by 20:00 in summer and 19:00 in winter.
Things to settle before you board:
- Kayak and bamboo boat sessions need life jackets for the entire time, and children need the right size.
- Caves such as Sung Sot and Thien Cung have steep steps that get slippery after rain.
- Hold small children’s hands on every jetty.
What to keep children away from
Macaques live on Monkey Island near Cat Ba and around Luon Cave. They bite, and bites can lead to serious infection. Do not feed them or let children touch them, and keep food and bags out of sight. Soi Sim beach is closed, and swimming inside Luon Cave’s tunnel is unsafe because boats pass through. Note that typhoon warnings stop sailings at short notice.
Read more: Sightseeing in Ha Long describes the caves and islets in more detail.
Child friendly cruises are listed on GetYourGuide . For boat safety see the Foreign Office advice for Vietnam .