The 15 Best Boat Trips from Hanoi

1.Ha Long Bay Day Cruise – Swimming, Meal, Kayaking

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 7,415 reviews · from $41Our pick

Escape Hanoi for a full day on Ha Long Bay. Cruise among limestone islands, visit Sung Sot Cave, kayak or take a bamboo boat through Luon Cave, swim or hike on Titop Island, and enjoy lunch plus a sunset snack. Guides such as Sunny, Alex, Ken, and Tom add humor and local insight.

“My partner and I had a great time! Our guide, Sunny was amazing! He gave us lots of informations about the Vietnamese culture, which we loved. The cruise was really fun! The view is amazing and all the activities were really cool. The only thing which wasn’t as amazing was the food on the cruise… But other than that, I would highly recommend it! Thank you, Sunny!”

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2.Ninh Binh Full-Day Tour from Hanoi to Hoa Lu, Tam Coc & Mua Cave Via Boat & Bike

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4,384 reviews · from $33Best value

Travel from Hanoi to Ninh Binh by air-conditioned bus for Hoa Lu’s royal temples, a 1.5-hour Tam Coc bamboo boat ride, a buffet lunch, and a short village bike ride. Finish with nearly 500 steps at Mua Cave. Guides such as Sunny, Linh, and Viet are known for lively storytelling.

“Scenery is beautiful but the tour was painful. Typical tourist trap bus stop followed by half an hour of being lectured about tips which was also brought back up at the end. The boat ride is very slow and you don’t have an option to paddle Read more”

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3.Amanda Cruise – Ha Long, Lan Ha Bay – All Inclusive 2D1N & 3D2N

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4,358 reviews · from $56

Spend two days aboard Amanda Cruise between Hanoi and Ha Long Bay, with a private sea-view cabin, meals, kayaking, cave visits, swimming, Tai Chi, cooking, and squid fishing. Guide quality varies, so confirm your boat, route, cabin, and transfer details before paying.

“Highly recommended: although the room has no terrace, it has windows from where the views are beautiful. Varied activities, very friendly and professional staff and comfortable boat.Auto-translated”

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4.Cozy Bay Halong 5-Star Day Cruise, Buffet, Cave, Kayak, Swimming

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3,512 reviews · from $48

Spend 11 to 12 hours traveling from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay by shuttle bus, then cruise for five to six hours with guide-led visits to Sung Sot Cave and Titop Island, plus kayaking or a bamboo boat, buffet lunch, and a sunset party. Guides such as Minh, Duc, Binh, and Tim are praised for clear service.

“So much that is good but we were super impressed with our tour guide (Minh) who made contact with everyone the night before departure and so no last minute worries about pick up points and times”

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5.2-Day Halong & Lan Ha Bay 5-Star Cruise with Balcony

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 3,300 reviews · from $188

Travel from Hanoi by limousine to a 5-star boat in Halong and Lan Ha Bay. You get a private balcony cabin, meals, kayaking, swimming, cave visits, spring-roll making, tai chi, and squid fishing. Cruise schedules vary, so your cave or beach stops depend on the boat assigned.

“The kayaking was great and the stop in the bay beautiful Guides where super helpful and fun - we played a bit of volleyball”

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6.Mon Chéri Cruise 5 star: Unique 2 Days Tuan Chau – Halong bay – Lan Ha Bay

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,422 reviews · from $195

Board Mon Chéri Cruise at Got Pier for a two-day sailing through Lan Ha and Ha Long Bays. You’ll have time for kayaking, swimming, bamboo-boat cave visits, sunset and sunrise photos, Vietnamese meals, a cooking class, and squid fishing. Hanoi limousine transfers cost extra.

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7.Doris Cruise 5 star cruise 2 days visiting Halong Bay Lan Ha Bay private balcony

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,338 reviews · from $235

Spend two days aboard Doris Cruise among Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay limestone islands. You get a private balcony, meals, kayaking or a rowboat, swimming, Tai Chi, a cooking class, and Hanoi Old Quarter transfers. Emily, Mona, and Jessica are praised for warm, attentive service.

“The whole experience was great . Specially Emily treated us very well . She took care the whole group , asked for well being and food and everything . Big thanks 😊”

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8.CozyBay Cruise-The Best Small Group 2D/1N inHalong-All inclusive

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,199 reviews · from $122

Spend one night on a small CozyBay cruise from Hanoi, with meals, a private air-conditioned cabin, kayaking, Sung Sot Cave, Titop Island, a cooking class, and squid fishing. Guides such as Tam, James, and Michael are praised for their friendly help and clear explanations.

“Cabin a little basic but a fabulous small boat experience with a nice group of people. Loved the kayak experience”

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9.Halong Bay – Hera Cruise – All Inclusive Multi Days Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,967 reviews · from $56

Spend two days aboard Hera Cruise in Halong Bay, with Hanoi pickup, meals, an ocean-view Junior Cabin, kayaking or a bamboo boat at Luon Cave, Ti Top Island, swimming, Tai Chi, and a cooking class. On some departures, guide Minh adds extra warmth and energy to the trip.

“Was a beautiful cruise with a fantastic crew, nice views all around, room was very comfortable and exceeded my expectations. Good food and good drinks! All around great time”

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10.Ninh Binh Day Trip: Hoa Lu-Trang An/Tam Coc-Mua Cave-Cycling-Boat

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,886 reviews · from $43

Spend 11 to 12 hours exploring Ninh Binh with an English-speaking guide, visiting Hoa Lu by bicycle, rowing through Trang An grottoes, eating a Vietnamese buffet, and climbing about 500 steps at Mua Cave. Guides may include James, Max, Tim, Liam, or Jason.

“Max (our tour guide) was friendly, energetic, informative and very funny. He gave us a lot of information, told plenty of jokes and made sure we were all safe and sound. He really ensured we had a great experience. The places we visited were amazing. Thank you and see you again!”

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11.Renea Cruises – BEST Small Boat in Bai Tu Long & Halong Bay

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,485 reviews · from $139

Renea Cruises takes you from Hanoi to quieter Bai Tu Long Bay for a 2-day, 1-night cruise. Expect Vietnamese meals, a seaview cabin, Cap La Island kayaking, Thien Canh Son Cave, Tai Chi, squid fishing, and a cooking class. Guides such as Cong, Hung, and Vic have led recent departures.

“It was a wonderful experience to wake up in Bai Tu Long Bay. The team was also wonderful ! If you have time, an overnight cruise is a must.”

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12.3-Day Ninh Binh, Ha Long, & Lan Ha Bay 5-Star Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,401 reviews · from $313

Travel from Hanoi with an English-speaking guide such as Peter, James, Leo, or Dat, depending on the departure. Visit Bai Dinh, Trang An, and Mua Cave, then spend a night on a 5-star Lan Ha Bay cruise with a private balcony, meals, kayaking, swimming, Tai Chi, and a cooking class.

“Such a great tour! The guides were great, the busses were luxurious and comfortable. We had a lot of fun at all the stops and the boat on Halong Bay was amazing. Fun and lovely!”

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13.Islands & Caves Ha Long Cruise with Lunch & Kayaking

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,317 reviews · 4 - 13 hours · from $34

Spend a full day from Hanoi cruising Ha Long Bay on Dragonfly Cruise, with a seafood lunch, Thien Cung Cave, island views, and 45 minutes of kayaking or bamboo boat time. Guides such as Harry, Benjamin, Linh, and Bobby add local stories. Choose the pier-only option or request Hanoi transport.

“Perfect on time. Bus was fine. The stop at the pearl farm was nice. I've never seen this, so it was new and interesting to me. Food was fine, they had vegetarian options. The kayaking was included and a lot of fun. I also enjoyed the walk through the cave. They weren't annoying with tips oder selling. I really recommend the trip.”

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14.Halong Bay Day Tour By Diamond Era Cruise,Titop,Sung Sot & kayak

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,301 reviews · from $48

Travel from Hanoi’s Old Quarter by limousine bus to Halong Bay aboard the Diamond Era 5-star cruise. You’ll visit Sung Sot Cave, kayak or take a bamboo boat through Hang Luon, climb or swim at Titop Island, and enjoy a buffet lunch and sunset deck party. Guides include Richie, Johnny, Tom, and Andy.

“The experience overall was average, but the service and friendliness of the staff and crew elevated it. While I probably wouldn't go again, I would recommend this to others.”

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15.Best seller Halong Bay Day Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,233 reviews · from $37

Spend about 12 hours traveling from Hanoi’s Old Quarter to Halong Bay, with a seafood lunch, Sung Sot Cave, Titop Island, and optional kayaking or a bamboo boat at Luon Cave. The guide may vary, though Milano received special praise for making the day smooth and enjoyable.

“This trip was fine - it’s a good way to see Ha Long Bay if you just have one day. However, there was no sunset party (we returned to the van immediately after the swim) and the day felt quite rushed.”

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