The best excursions from Ha Long split by how you travel. Some go by road, one goes by car ferry and one heads out by boat from a different port. Costs are in Vietnamese dong (VND), about 26,000 to the US dollar, and every figure here is approximate. By road: Yen Tu Yen Tu mountain, in Uong Bi, is a pilgrimage site that takes roughly 1 to 1.5 hours to reach by car.

These walking routes cover Ha Long city and Cat Ba island. They are ordered from the easiest, a flat seafront stroll, to the hardest, a forest climb. Prices are in Vietnamese dong (VND), about 26,000 to the US dollar. Route 1: Hon Gai promenade (easy, 4 km) Begin at the Cho Ha Long 1 market, where fish and squid are sold, and continue to the foot of Bai Tho mountain. You will pass Chua Long Tien, a pagoda from 1941, and Den Tran Quoc Nghien, a temple for Tran Hung Dao’s eldest son.

Planning a romantic stay around Ha Long Bay takes a little care, because the choices are modest and the best of them are simple. There is no long list of couples’ packages here. What you can count on is a night on the water, a view from above, a hot spring and some quiet bays. Costs are in Vietnamese dong (VND), about 26,000 to the US dollar. Choose a cruise cabin carefully Sleeping on the bay is the headline experience.

Choosing a Ha Long day cruise is mostly a matter of choosing a route. Each route has a code from VHL1 upward, a fixed list of stops and a published fee, so two tours on the same code see the same places. The questions below help you pick one. Which route suits you? You want caves and the famous rock islets. Take VHL1. It leaves from Tuan Chau or the Ha Long port and takes about 5 hours, with Thien Cung grotto and Dau Go cave, then the Ba Hang caves and the islets Cho Da, Dinh Huong and Trong Mai.

Ha Long’s landmarks are easiest to take in as two lists: the stops you reach by boat and the ones in the city. Use the route code to tell which boat stops a tour includes. Prices here are in Vietnamese dong (VND), about 26,000 to the US dollar. Boat stops by route VHL1 (about 5 hours) goes to Thien Cung grotto and Dau Go cave on Dau Go island, the westernmost point of the bay.

Spending a night or two on the water changes how Ha Long feels, because the day boats leave and the bay goes quiet. This guide covers the common overnight formats, what official fees apply, and how to plan around storms. Costs are in Vietnamese dong (VND), about 26,000 to the US dollar. What a night on the bay looks like On a two day, one night cruise you usually join the boat near noon, eat lunch under way and spend the afternoon on an excursion, such as a cave, a kayak stop or the beach at Ti Top.

This page lists what to do around Ha Long by theme, starting with the most active choices and ending with the most relaxed. Money is in Vietnamese dong (VND), about 26,000 to the US dollar. Cash is useful at small stalls, while cards work at hotels and larger operators. Paddle through a tidal arch The best paddling in the bay is at Luon Cave, a stone archway of about 60 m on Bo Hon island that opens into a circular lagoon.

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.