Halong Bay Junk Cruises

Halong Bay is a place of thousands of limestone mountains, rainforests shrouded in mist and emerald water. Famous for the rock formations, Halong Bay is a magnificent scene of nature that meets everyone’s expectation. Being one of the most famous travel destinations in Vietnam, Halong Bay is also known for the junk boat cruises and kayaking experience. 

The Junk Boats have been sailing all around the word from long time ago and up to now, in our modern world, they are still one of the most successful shipping ways in history. The boats are usually made of softwood, designed to be flexible, to be easy to control and to sail easily into the wind. This is why Halong Bay Junk Cruises fit perfectly with the scenery of the Gulf of Tonkin with sails flying high and stable, making tracks between the giant mountains. This flawless image of Halong Bay Cruises made the tour companies come up with an idea of building the vessels in a beautifully rustic way for tourists. They are spacious, luxurious in an old-world kind of way and their cabins are decorated with traditional Vietnamese style. The Junk Boats in Halong Bay also have comfortable deck for outstanding view so tourists will have enough space to relax and enjoy the scenery. With Halong Bay Junk Cruises, travelers will have the chance to complete their dreams and sail through the poetic seascape of Halong Bay.  

How many days for Halong Bay Junk Cruises?

With over 6 million visitors each year, Halong Bay is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Vietnam. The majority of travelers chose the cruise boats to explore this region. The beauty of Halong Bay Junk Cruise is not only enjoying the seascape but also having the time to relax on the boat. Therefore, in our opinion, tourists should spend more than one day in Halong Bay. A 2 day 1 night with junk cruise in Halong Bay will take you to the attractions that 1 day cruise couldn't and a 3 days trip with Halong Bay junk boat will take you even further, to an untouched area of this World Heritage Site.  

What to expect from Halong Bay Junk Boats? 

Visit Ti Top Beach

Ti Top Beach is the main destination of almost every Halong Bay Cruises for swimming and climbing to the top for a panoramic view. This first impression of Halong Bay surely won’t disappoint anybody. Famous for the clear water and white sand beach, Ti Top has all the qualities of a lifetime island experience. This is an ideal place for relaxing, sunbathing, swimming and sipping a cocktail.

However, there’s a fact that it might be crowded sometimes with the number of boats delivering and collecting customers. Despite that fact, this is a spot worth visiting during your Halong Bay Trip. 

Visit Pearl Farm and Kayaking

After visiting Ti Top Beach, the normal route will continue with pearl farm visiting. Tourists will be shown the process of growing and harvesting pearls in Halong Bay. Another highlight activity of this stop is kayaking. Visitors will have spare time to kayak around the floating pearl farm or further. From your kayak, you will observe a spectacular view to the bay, touch the emerald water. It is also an interesting experience to enter little caves along the shoreline or enjoy the quiet atmosphere of this region. Although each cruise will have a slightly different itinerary, the kayaking part is still the main activity. If you are keen on visiting the pearl farm, you may want to consider it with your travel company about it.

Join activities of the program

Some of the main activities for Halong Bay Junk Boats are cooking classes, fancy dinner, squid fishing at night and tai chi class in the next morning. 

Before dinner, many junk cruises in Halong Bay will hold a cooking class on the sundeck. This is quite a fun experience for tourists, they will have a chance to learn some basic Vietnamese traditional dishes. After that, you will sit down in the dining room to enjoy the delicious dinner cooked in regional Vietnamese cuisine. 

After dinner, travelers will have free time to explore their junk boats. The crew will be on the deck for a spot of squid fishing. All the equipment needed for this will be provided by the cruise, you only have to follow their instruction to catch the squids. 

In the next morning of your Halong Bay Trip, the cruise will offer a Tai Chi session on the sundeck. Tai Chi is a very popular sport in Vietnam and it’s usually practiced in public space early in the morning. With the help of Tai Chi Master, you will gain all the energy needed for another day in Halong Bay. This is a lovely experience although you need to get up very early. 

Visit Sung Sot Cave (Surprising Cave)

The Sung Sot Cave (or also known as Surprising Cave) was discovered by the French in 1901. This is one of the biggest and most spectacular caves in Halong Bay.

The cave is around 10,000 square meters large and features two vast caverns. The first chamber, also known as the waiting room, provides a grand entrance for tourists. Following a narrow path, tourists will be led to a larger cavern which is the “surprise” part. Entering the second chamber, travelers will admire an enormous space, which can occupy up to 1000 people. The magnificent stalactites and stalagmites formed throughout million years ago will make you feel overwhelmed. 

Visit Cua Van Fishing Village

This destination is normally featured in the 3 day Halong Bay cruise itinerary. A new day on board to go deeper into Halong Bay, visitors will see the small fishing village named Cua Van. This is a small floating village of 700 residents lied at the foot of Ngoc Mountain. The residents here live mainly on their fishing boats, always on the move to earn the living. 

Thanks to the development of tourism here, they built a school for children of this village to ensure every child will be well-educated in the future. A cultural center of Vietnam was also built on this village to preserve and protect the history of Cua Van Fishing Village. 

Coming here, tourists will have the chance of kayaking through it or take a bamboo boat rowed by a local to explore the village. This is a unique experience that everyone should try on their Halong Bay Cruise trip. 

Below is the list of Halong Bay Junk Cruises carefully selected by Vietnam Escape Tours. Those junk cruises of Halong Bay feature unique designs and practical advancements to make sure all travelers will have the best experience during their trip.