Lan Ha Bay Cruises

As one of the World’s New Seven Wonders of Nature, Halong Bay is getting more and more crowded each year. It received 6 million tourists in 2019 and they are expecting to increase in the future. Therefore, people now are considering an alternative choice for Halong Bay – Lan Ha Bay. 

Lan Ha Bay lies in the east of Cat Ba Island and the south of Halong Bay. This beautiful Bay belongs to Cat Ba Island in Hai Phong City, while Halong Bay belongs to Quang Ninh Province. With hundreds of islands and islets, Lan Ha Bay has become a paradise for travelers who love nature and love to go swimming, kayaking and stay away from the bustling life of big cities.  

Nowadays, tourism continues to develop very quickly in Halong Bay, there are more and more Halong Bay Cruises built to accommodate the need of travelers. Along with that, Halong Bay’s water and surface are getting polluted and don’t have enough capacity for hundreds of cruises. This makes tour operators and government decide to open a new and but equally outstanding area for tourists – Lan Ha Bay. This destination is expected to provide more opportunities for visitors because it belongs to Cat Ba Island – the biggest island in the region. Cat Ba Island has a wonderful atmosphere, providing fantastic activities for the tours operated in this area. Taking Lan Ha Bay Cruises, you can join trekking through Cat Ba National Park, cycling through Viet Hai Village or climb the mountains for an outstanding view to villages and rice fields. There is no better place to do this than Lan Ha Bay. 

Any of the Lan Ha Bay Cruises such as Lan Ha Bay luxury cruise or Lan Ha Bay budget cruise listed below will be your gateway to observe the beauty of this World Heritage Site but without the crowds. The list of Lan Ha Bay Cruises selected by Vietnam Escape Tours will take you to visit the colorful fishing village, amazing caves, relaxing beaches and spectacular islands of this unblemished land. 

What to see in Lan Ha Bay? 

Being an unknown area, Lan Ha Bay has a special fascination with hundreds of limestone mountains and beautiful white-sand beaches. Because all of its attractions are within easier reach than Halong Bay, travelers will have more choices for excursions in Lan Ha Bay.

Viet Hai Village

One of the most favorite destinations of Lan Ha Bay Cruises is to the peaceful village on Cat Ba Island – Viet Hai Village. This local village attracts travelers by its rustic houses built of wood, tranquil atmosphere and the smiling, friendly local people. Cycling through Viet Hai Village, you will feel relaxing in nature, see the rice fields stretching to the mountains and verdant rainforests of Cat Ba National Park. 

Cai Beo Fishing Village

Similar to Cua Van Fishing Village in Halong Bay and Vung Vieng Fishing Village in Bai Tu Long Bay, Cai Beo Fishing Village is a colorful floating village, which is owned by fishermen and their families. 

The historical documents told that life was found in Cai Beo Fishing Village for over 7.000 years ago, but the lifestyle here changed very little since that day. This means that visitors coming here will see the true local life of residences. Before tourism was developed, their main income was the huge fishing farms. Now they also welcome tourists to come here for kayaking or see how they do fishing, their lives have been improved significantly in recent years.

Ba Trai Dao Beach

Ba Trai Dao Beach is one of the most beautiful and unexplored beaches in Lan Ha Bay. Ba Trai Dao Beach is also called Three Peaches Island. It is formed by a group of three limestone islets which shapes like three peaches, which explains for its name. This is an ideal beach for those who love swimming and relaxing on the white-sand beach. This is normally included in the itinerary of all Lan Ha Bay Cruises. 

Dark and Bright Cave

Dark and Bright Cave is one combined name but describes two separate wet cave systems and it obviously tells the different amount of light in each one. The Dark Cave is long and we can’t see the exit from the entrance. In contrast, the Bright Cave is shorter and water flanks for about 50 meters by limestone walls and stalactites from the ceiling.

Ba Ham Lake

The name “Ba Ham Lake” can be translated to “Three pits lake”, which means the combination of 3 large lakes connected by a tunnel going through the mountains surrounding. From here, you can enjoy the pure serenity of Lan Ha Bay. The limestone walls that encircle this area make sure you will have the utmost peaceful atmosphere. With the reflecting water, travelers will feel a truly magical lake that Lan Ha Bay Cruises allow for kayaking or swimming activity.

When to visit Lan Ha Bay?

If you love going swimming or kayaking, summer would be the best time to visit Lan Ha Bay.

Otherwise, autumn could be a good time to visit Lan Ha Bay or Cat Ba Island for trekking or mountain climbing. However, travelers should be careful with the stormy and windy weather during this period. 

Besides, winter or spring could also be good to take Lan Ha Bay Cruises if you don’t have time. 

You can contact our travel consultant at Vietnam Escape Tours for more information about Lan Ha Bay Weather.

Itinerary for Lan Ha Bay Cruises

We will give you an example of 2 days 1 night Lan Ha Bay Cruise and also 3 days 2 nights Lan Ha Bay Cruises so that you will have a general view of what to do in Lan Ha Bay.

Day 1: Hanoi – Got Pier – Lan Ha Bay (L/D) 

09.00 – 09.30: Get on the shuttle bus transfer from your hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter. The driver will take you to Hai Phong City to board your Lan Ha Bay Cruise.

12.00 – 12.30: Enjoy your welcome drink once you board the Lan Ha Bay Cruise. We will pass by Da Chong Islet and an ancient French lighthouse. 

12.40: After a short briefing by the captain, you will have a delicious lunch in the restaurant. 

15.00: Our Lan Ha Bay Cruise stops at Ba Trai Dao Beach for swimming, kayaking or relaxing on the beach. 

18.00: We come back to the cruise by the time of HAPPY HOUR and a cooking class. You can also enjoy massage service in the spa (massage service normally comes with additional cost)

19.30: A wonderful dinner will be served under the sparkling sky of Lan Ha Bay.

21.30: Your free time onboard. You can have some cocktails at the bar or play board games with other passengers. Then, proceed to your cabin to get some rest, prepare for the next day.

Day 2: Lan Ha Bay – Viet Hai Village – Lan Ha Bay Cruise (B/L/D) 

06.00: Join our Tai Chi Class led by our master or enjoy the morning light of Lan Ha Bay from the sundeck. Then head downstairs for breakfast. 

08.30: A day boat will come to transfer travelers to Viet Hai Village, where we can cycle or trek through the rainforest. We will meet the local residents of the village, talk to them about how they live in these beautiful surroundings.

13.30: Enjoy our tasty lunch and then head to Ba Ham Lake – one of the most magical areas of Lan Ha Bay.

16.00: Back onboard Lan Ha Bay Cruise, relax after a day of the excursion. The HAPPY HOUR time begins again and you will join another cooking class on the sundeck.

19.30: We enjoy another fantastic dinner in the restaurant. Afterward, maybe you want to head to your cabin to rest or try squid fishing with the crew members.

Day 3: Lan Ha Bay – Hanoi (B/L) 

06.00: In the fresh air of Lan Ha Bay, we join Tai Chi session on the sundeck.

08.00: We head to Dark & Bright Cave to do kayak. 

10.00: Time to check-out of your cabin and have a light lunch before departure.

11.35: Step off your Lan Ha Bay Cruise, say goodbye to all staff on board and jump into the shuttle bus to come back to Hanoi. Your Lan Ha Bay Cruise finishes here. Thank you for coming and we hope to see you again!

In short, all trips from Hanoi to Lan Ha Bay is very easy and accessible and one of the best way to enjoy this beautiful area is to take a Lan Ha Bay Cruise. All cruises in the list below are selected carefully by Vietnam Escape Tours – the most reliable travel company in Vietnam.