Kayaking in Lan Ha Bay: the suspension, the spots and who still paddles

Lan Ha Bay kayaking is the activity in every brochure photo, and it is also the one with the least certain legal footing. The local authority suspended all kayak services on the bays of the Cat Ba archipelago, Lan Ha included, and has kept that suspension in place. Many cruise lines and Cat Ba operators still list kayaking in their programmes. This page explains the rule, what ships actually do now, where paddling used to happen and still sometimes does, and how to avoid paying for something that turns into a bamboo-boat ride.

Can you kayak in Lan Ha Bay right now?

On paper, no. From 15 November 2024 the authorities of Cat Hai ordered all businesses, organizations and individuals to stop kayak services on the Cat Ba bays "until legal conditions are met". The reasons given were unregulated activity, safety risk and public order; Hai Phong's tourism department backed the decision (VnExpress report).

The legal background is a permit regime. Organizing water recreation in Vietnam requires a license under Decree 48/2019, and kayaking can only restart once Hai Phong approves an ecotourism plan for the bay's water areas. In late 2025 the Cat Hai Special Zone (đặc khu, the local government unit that replaced the district) issued notice 483/TB-UBND, continuing the suspension. Two Hera Group brands, Amanda and Le Journey, stopped kayaking on their Lan Ha route from 27 November 2025 and say so publicly (Amanda's notice).

No document lifting the suspension has been published. A cruise company's blog from June 2026 reports that guests may kayak only around Ao Ech (Frog Lake), near Cat Ba, and no longer at the Dark and Bright Cave or Ba Trai Dao beach, which are still visited by tender (Bhaya Cruises blog). That is the best current description available, but it comes from an operator, not from the authority.

So the honest summary: kayaking is suspended on paper, still advertised by most operators, and in practice offered by some ships in one designated area or swapped for something else. Your experience depends on the operator and the day.

What cruises do instead of kayaking

Most programmes still have a water activity on the first afternoon. What it is depends on the ship:

• Bamboo boat rowed by a local. The standard replacement at the Dark and Bright Cave (hang Sáng – hang Tối). La Regina Grand, Taliya and the V'Spirit ship all list a bamboo or rowing boat there; several others offer "kayak or bamboo boat".
• Tender rides into lagoons. Amanda and Le Journey replaced kayaking with tender rides into a "ranger lagoon", swimming in the Tra Bau area, floating swim platforms and a stop at Ao Ech.
• Ao Ech (Frog Lake). La Regina Grand lengthened its Ao Ech stop for kayaking and swimming from 1 April 2026; Azura lists swimming or kayaking there; Heritage Line's Lan Ha programmes end with a Frog Lake kayak.
• Tra Bau swim and kayak. Peony and Mon Chéri list a Tra Bau kayak and swim stop; Cozy Bay's Tropical day boat lists kayaking, swimming and a water slide in the Tra Bau lagoon.

If paddling is a priority, look for itineraries that put the water activity at Ao Ech or Tra Bau rather than at the caves, and still ask. When a ship replaces kayaking with a bamboo boat, unused services are usually not refunded: Scarlet Pearl, for example, states that a weather-cancelled kayak is not refunded.

Compare ships and their afternoon activities in the Lan Ha cruise guide, or read the day-cruise guide for the shorter options.

Where people kayak in Lan Ha: the spots

Before the suspension, cruises let guests paddle freely near their anchorage, usually in the afternoon, and many paddled to Ba Trai Dao or into the Dark and Bright Cave, where crowding became a problem. These are the places that still appear in itineraries.

Ao Ech (Frog Lake or Frog Lagoon). A lagoon area near Cat Ba and, with Tra Bau, the main anchorage and activity zone for Lan Ha cruises. It is the only place reported as a current kayak zone. Not confirmed by the authority.

Tra Bau. A sheltered bay used for overnight anchoring, swimming and, on some programmes, kayaking.

Dark and Bright Cave (hang Sáng – hang Tối). Sea-level tunnel caves about 70 m long, around 12 km from Ben Beo, on the Lan Ha side of the bay. Visits are now mainly by bamboo or rowing boat; kayaking there is reported as no longer permitted.

Hang Luồn (Lan Ha). A sea tunnel about 4 m wide, 3 m high and 100 m long that opens into an enclosed lagoon. Kayak only, which makes it the spot most affected by the rules. Not the same as Luon cave on the Ha Long side.

Ba Trai Dao ("Three Peaches") beach. Often a swim stop when access, tide and weather allow. The press reported it closed to access in November 2024; operators still list swims there. Status is disputed.

Van Boi. A sandy beach with calm water where some kayak tours end. The fatal boat collision of June 2026 happened at the Van Boi mouth, and boat traffic there is now inspected closely.

The wider list of bay sights is on things to do in Lan Ha Bay.

Kayak tours from Cat Ba: day boats and guided trips

Cat Ba town is where nearly all independent kayak trips start, from Ben Beo pier, 2 km from town. Operators there still advertise kayaking; check with them as you would with a cruise.

Blue Swimmer's full day is the only proper sea-kayak trip in the list: single and tandem touring kayaks, a guide, lunch on a beach, a lagoon in the afternoon and a final swim at Van Boi beach before the boat back to Ben Beo around 17:00. Insurance is not included. If kayaking is running, it gets cheaper per person the bigger your group.

The others are day boats with a kayak session of an hour or so. Read the full comparison on Cat Ba day boats and the reviews of Cat Ba Expedition, Beka and Serenity.

Kayak tours on GetYourGuide

GetYourGuide sells the widest range of Lan Ha kayak products: Cat Ba day boats, small-group cruise-and-kayak days, night plankton paddles and overnight cruises with "kayaking" in the title.

GetYourGuideDay trip

Lan Ha Bay FullDay Cruise and Kayak (small group guaranteed)

4.9 (332)

from $32Check dates

GetYourGuide2D1N

Ha Noi: 2 days Lan Ha Bay - hiking, biking, kayaking

4.6 (184)

from $109Check dates

GetYourGuide2D1N

Lan Ha Bay Cruise with private balcony: biking, kayak, meals

4.8 (142)

from $113Check dates

GetYourGuide2D1N

Ha Long & Lan Ha Bays: 2-Day Cruise with Meals & Kayaking

4.4 (216)

from $169Check dates

GetYourGuide4.5 - 13 hours

Cat Ba: Sunset and Night Kayak with Bioluminescent Plankton

4.5 (189)

from $44Check dates

GetYourGuide2D1N

Ninh Binh: Lan Ha Bay 2D 1N cruises- bike tour, kayak, meals

4.7 (138)

from $109Check dates

See everything on GetYourGuide →See everything on Klook →Prices checked on October 16, 2026

These listings may deliver a kayak session, a shorter session in a designated area, or a substitute. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on most of them gives you room to ask first and cancel if the answer is unclear.

Tides, seasons and night kayaking

Lan Ha has one high tide and one low tide a day, with a range of up to about 3 m. That matters more for kayaking than for anything except climbing. Tunnel caves and lagoon entrances that are open at one tide can be closed or too shallow at the other, which is why Blue Swimmer calls some caves tide-dependent and why day boats swap the order of their stops. Ask what time the kayak session is and expect it to change.

Season: the water is warm from roughly May to October, which is also the wet and storm season. October and November are the best balance of calm, dry weather and warm water. In winter the paddling is cool but the bay is quieter. Month-by-month detail is on the best time to visit.

Night kayaking is how most bioluminescent plankton tours work: a boat out at dusk, dinner on a floating house, then a guided paddle in a dark lagoon. Those tours fall under the same suspension, so the same question applies. Go in the new-moon week, on a calm night, and do not expect the glow to show up on a phone camera. See plankton tours.

Safety on the water

Since the collision at Van Boi on 14 June 2026, in which a wooden boat sank and a tourist died, the Cat Hai Special Zone requires every passenger to wear a certified life jacket from boarding and throughout the trip, with a safety briefing from the crew (Tiền Phong report). That applies to the boat that takes you to the kayaks as much as to the kayak itself.

Practical points:

• Wear the jacket even when the guide does not insist. The rule is there, and inspections focus on the small wooden tenders.
• Stay with the group. The lagoons look enclosed but the channels between them carry boat traffic.
• Avoid paddling when a storm warning is out. Hai Phong closes the sea in bad weather; boats are stopped by the authority, not the operator.
• Bring shoes that can get wet, sun protection and a dry bag for your phone.

Is Lan Ha still worth it if kayaking is restricted?

Yes, if you adjust expectations. The scenery is the reason to come, and a bamboo boat through the Dark and Bright Cave shows you the same walls at a slower pace. Swimming at Tra Bau or Ao Ech, cycling to Viet Hai village on a 3-day cruise, and hiking in Cat Ba National Park fill the gap. All the alternatives are listed on Lan Ha Bay activities.

If paddling matters most to you, choose a small Cat Ba operator, ask directly, and keep your plans flexible enough to switch to a hike, a climbing day or a swim if the answer is no.

Lan Ha Bay kayaking FAQ