Private tailor-made journeys of a life time
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Private tailor-made journeys of a life time
May 22, 2023
By Jinnie Lee
With nearly two thousand large and small islands, alternating mountains, and sea valleys, Halong Bay is a harmonious combination of elements: rock, water, and sky, becoming one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Vietnam. Halong Bay was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1994 and it is today one of the most well-known tourist destinations in Vietnam that anyone desires to come to Halong Bay one day if they have a trip to Vietnam. A trip to Halong Bay will be a meaningful gift for your family, loved ones, or simply yourself to get away from the hustle and bustle of life. The charming landscape of the bay with the majestic cliffs and the freshwater surface will definitely make the mind relax. Only 165 km north of Hanoi, you can come by motorbike, car, or public transport. If you do not have much time, let's take the Halong Bay 1 day tour. In this article, I will help you choose the best itinerary (4 hours, 6 hours, 8 hours) with suitable cruising boat options (wooden boats, steel boats) as well as provide several activities you will experience in a Halong Bay one-day tour.
Halong Bay day boat is a perfect choice for those people who don’t have much time to stay in Halong Bay for 2 days or 3 days as well as have tight budgets. During the Halong Bay day tour, you will admire the stunning beauty of nature, and explore the highlights of Halong Bay. The day boat will pick you up from the harbor, enjoy the Vietnamese lunch on a boat before you spend your time cruising some islands and islets and participating in some activities. There are many options for you to choose the day boat, however, to make your trip worth it, the most important thing you need to do is choosing the right tour.
Please make a specific schedule, as detailed as possible, including the day's activities, transportation, accommodation, and what you expect from the trip. These 3 following itineraries below are 3 programs that every day boat goes on tour that you should consider to choose the right tour as you expect.
This traditional tour takes you to the most famous spots of Halong Bay. If you don't want to spend too much time on the boat, 4 hours is a good period of time. The cruise program schedule starts from 12 p.m to 4 p.m. The tour includes a visit to Thien Cung Cave, Dau Go Cave, Fighting Cocks Islet and go kayaking.
Itinerary of 4-hour boat program
8:00 - 08:30: Our bus and guide pick you up from the hotel and follow the new expressway to depart for Tuan Chau Island, Halong City, stop over for a rest on the way. 11:30: Arrive Tuan Chau Harbor
12:00 - 12:30: Welcome aboard, the cruise starts to visit Halong Bay. Take a cruise and have lunch on a boat.
13:30 - 15:30: Explore Ba Hang area by kayaking or bamboo boat. Or alternatively, relax on the boat and then admire Fighting Cock Islet, a symbol that once entered poetry. Visit Thien Cung Grotto and Dau Go Cave
16:00: Disembark at Tuan Chau Harbor
16:30 - 19:30: Shuttle bus takes you back to the hotels
Thien Cung Cave
Halong Bay day cruise, a day tour package with transfer from Hanoi with a 6-hour cruise duration on Halong Bay. With 6 hours on a day cruise around Halong Bay, you can see the most highlight of Halong Bay including Sung Sot Cave - the biggest cave in Halong Bay, Titov Island for relaxing on the beach and climbing to the top or you can choose to go kayaking around the limestone island or bamboo boat rowing in Luon Cave. With this program, you can choose a deluxe cruise or a luxury cruise for your tour. However, we strongly recommend that you should consider a luxury cruise for your 6-hour journey. Because a luxury cruise can offer you several convenient services such as pick-up service by limousine, 5-star cruise with high-end facilities that brings you the most comfortable feelings.
Itinerary of 6 - hour cruise program
08:30 – 09:00: The shuttle bus and tour guide pick you up from the hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter to Halong Bay.
12:00: Arrive at Tuan Chau Harbor, welcome aboard, and safety briefing start the 6-hour journey to explore Halong Bay, passing through thousands of limestone islets, including Cock Fighting and Thumb, sitting on the boat, savoring a delectable Vietnamese meal.
13:30: Visit Surprising (Sung Sot) Cave to see a lot of stalagmites and stalactites with different shapes of rock formation, then go kayaking or bamboo boat rowing in Luon Cave to discover a beautiful lagoon. Make landfall on Titov Island, unwind on the fine-sand beach, or climb up the peak for a birds-eye perspective of the Bay.
16:30: Return to the boat for Afternoon Tea and Sunset party while cruising back toward Tuan Chau Harbor. While waiting for the boat to dock, sunbathing and listening to music are also very interesting.
17:45 - 21:00: Disembark at Tuan Chau Harbor and transfer back to Hanoi
Titov Island
To fully explore the beauty of the bay, an 8-hour cruise is a more reasonable choice. During this 8 hour journey, you will enjoy the stunning beauty of Halong Bay by visiting Sung Sot Cave, relaxing on the beach of Titov island, hiking to the top of the mountain for a panoramic view, and kayaking to explore the bay by yourself. Since this trip takes longer hours, you will depart earlier, normally at 9:30, and you will have to leave Hanoi at 6:30. There are some luxury cruises offering 8-hour journeys such as La Casta cruise, Jade Sails cruise or Amethyst cruise. All of them are on the top of the most luxurious cruise in Halong Bay with the best services so that you don't have to worry about planning an itinerary or making travel arrangements.
Itinerary of 8-hour cruise program
06:00 – 06:30: Pick up at hotels in Hanoi Old Quarter
09:30: Arrive at Tuan Chau Marina and check in on the cruise.
10:00: Enjoy a welcome drink. The cruise departs from Tuan Chau Harbor. The cruise will pass through thousands of majestic limestone islands including Stone Dog Islet and Fighting Cocks Islet. You will have the opportunity to see these majestic limestone islands.
11:30: Enjoy the flavorful lunch on boat
12:30: Visit Sung Sot ( Surprising) cave which is the most beautiful and the widest cave in Halong Bay.
14:00: The boat will explore the Luon Cave area, a water cave for kayaking, rowing a bamboo boat or just staying on board for relaxing and the boat will move around slowly to sightsee more the bay.
15:00: You will visit Titop Island, you can conquer Titop’s peak to admire a panoramic view of Halong Bay from above. You will go to the white sandy beach to swim.
16:00: Come back to the boat and enjoy a Sunset party with coffee and tea, assorted homemade pastries, and fresh juices.
17:30: The cruise ends at Tuan Chau Harbor
18:00 - 21:00: Back to Hanoi by shuttle bus.
La Casta Cruise
Referring to Ha Long Bay, people will immediately think of the paradise of caves. Here, the clear blue sea water blends with the limestone hills spread over millions of years of geological tectonics to create stalactite caves with spectacular beauty and full of charm. Landing on the bay, you can rent a boat to explore one of these caves in Halong such as Dau Go Cave, Thien Cung Cave which are standing out with their stalagmites and stalactites.
One of the must-visit places when visiting Halong Bay is Luon Cave. The cave is classified as a beautiful place that has been exploited for tourism in recent years. Visitors coming to the cave will feel the excitement, and at the same time get beautiful virtual live pictures. Visitors will have around 45 minutes to kayak and explore the lovely Luon Cave area here. A kayaking session through Luon Cave will become an unforgettable memory for visitors. Most day cruises provide free kayaking, and if you’re new to the activity, you’ll be given instruction on how to kayak.
Another must-try activity in Halong Bay one day tour is climbing to the top of Titov Island. If you want to reach the Titov peak, you must walk up over 400 steps. From the top of Ti Top Island, you will get one of the most comprehensive and gorgeous views of Halong Bay. If you have a good camera, be sure to bring it with you to capture panoramas. You will capture the magnificent scenery of the limestone islands undulating like waves. But you also need to be careful because the cliff here is very steep.
Generally, this article provides for you some information for your Halong Bay day tour. We truly hope that all information provided above will be useful for you as a reference when planning your ideal vacation in Vietnam. Furthermore, please contact us immediately if you need more details or have any questions about the tour.
