The Beka Day Boat is a solid, good-value Lan Ha day trip if you stay on Cat Ba. A small wooden boat, a classic route past Cai Beo fishing village to the Dark and Bright Cave area and Ba Trai Dao, lunch and a cooking class at a fish farm, all for about $35 with hotel pickup in town. From Hanoi it works too, but you leave at 05:15 and return around 21:00.
Our scores
- Route
- 4/5Cai Beo, Dark and Bright Cave area, Ba Trai Dao, fish farm
- Value
- 4/5about $35 with lunch, fees and town pickup
- Boat and group
- 4/5wooden boat with toilet, maximum 25 guests
- Booking flexibility
- 4/5free cancellation to 24 h; refund or new date if the port authority stops sailings
- Activities as sold
- 3/5kayak listed despite the official suspension
Pros
- Small group, maximum 25 on the boat
- Lunch, cooking class and bay tickets included
- Hundreds of reviews on GetYourGuide with a high rating
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours; storm cancellations refunded or rebooked
Cons
- From Hanoi: 05:15 pickup and back about 21:00
- Kayak at the Dark and Bright Cave is listed but may not run
- Wooden hull; ask about the boat if that matters to you
- $10 surcharge on public holidays
Who runs the Beka Day Boat
"Beka Day Boat" is only the title of the GetYourGuide listing. The operator is Beka Travel Company Limited, with a Hanoi office at 975 Giai Phong Street and a Cat Ba office at 168 Mot Thang Tu (1/4) Street (bekatravel.com). On its own site, the trip is called the "Lan Ha Bay Day Tour" on a traditional wooden boat. The boat itself has no brand name.
Beka Travel also runs an overnight sister brand, Beka Premium Cruise (see below).
The route: a day aboard
The boat leaves from Ben Beo pier (bến Bèo), the day-boat harbor about 2 km from Cat Ba town. These are the operator's times, including the Hanoi bus option.
Pickup in Hanoi's Old Quarter (Hoan Kiem only)Hanoi package only
Pickup at Cat Ba hotelsuntil about 08:50
Boat leaves Ben Beo past Cai Beo fishing villagethe guide hands out the bay tickets
Kayak through the Dark and Bright Cave area and a lagoondepends on the current kayak rule
Lunch on board near the Lan Ha–Ha Long boundary
Cruise through southern Ha Long Bay
Swim and jump at Ba Trai Dao beachwhen access and tide allow
Fish farm and cooking class
Back on Cat Ba, hotel drop-offHanoi bus leaves 16:30
Back in Hanoi's Old Quarterabout 20:30–21:00
The guide's tickets cover both Lan Ha and Ha Long Bay, because the boat enters southern Ha Long waters after lunch.
The kayak caveat
Kayaking in the Cat Ba bays has been under an official suspension since November 2024, re-confirmed in late 2025 (VnExpress). Some boats offer it only in a designated area or replace it with a bamboo boat, tender or swim. A June 2026 report from a cruise company said kayaking at the Dark and Bright Cave was no longer permitted. Beka's programme still lists it. Ask the operator in writing what you will do at 11:00 on your date. More in our kayaking guide.
Ba Trai Dao is also uncertain: it was reported closed to access in November 2024, while operators still list swims there. Treat it as a swim stop when access, tide and weather allow.
Price and what is included
Beka's own booking page shows $35 per adult and $27 per child; its FAQ says "from $30 / $23", so check the price on the day. The tour includes the bay tickets, lunch, the kayak (where it runs) and hotel transfers according to the package you choose. Drinks and personal spending are extra, and a $10 surcharge applies on Christmas, New Year, Lunar New Year (Tết), 30 April, 1 May and 2 September.
On GetYourGuide the same trip shows from about $34, with hundreds of reviews and a 4.8 rating. Beka's own site shows 4.9 from about 30 reviews.
GetYourGuideDay trip
Hanoi/Cat Ba: Beka Day Boat - Lan Ha Bay Full Day Boat Tour
4.8 (670)
from $34Check dates
GetYourGuide3D2N
Ninh Binh:Beka Premium Cruise 3-Day Lan Ha Bay,Cat Ba Island
5.0 (2)
from $273Check dates
GetYourGuide3D2N
Hanoi: Beka Premium Cruise 3-Day Lan Ha Bay, Cat Ba Island
4.3 (2)
from $273Check dates
Beka Travel day boat on GetYourGuide →Prices checked on October 16, 2026
Beka Premium Cruise: the overnight sister
Beka Premium Cruise is Beka Travel's boutique overnight boat, sold as a 2D1N and a 3D2N on Ha Long and Lan Ha. Its own site lists rooms at $276 (Emerald Deluxe), $296 (Executive Ocean View) and $338 (Family Suite Balcony) per night, and the whole boat can be chartered for up to 26 guests. The site does not name the pier, so check your voucher. On GetYourGuide the 2D1N shows from about $127 per person, with only a few reviews so far. See our overnight cruises guide for comparisons.
What travelers should check
We do not quote reviews here. Before you book, check:
- The package. There are versions from Cat Ba and from Hanoi; make sure the transfer matches where you sleep.
- The kayak. Ask whether it runs and what replaces it.
- The early start. From Hanoi, the 05:15 pickup and 20:30–21:00 return make a 15-hour day. If you can, sleep on Cat Ba Island the night before.
- Life jackets. Since June 2026 every passenger on a Lan Ha boat must wear a certified life jacket from boarding and throughout the trip (Tien Phong). Both 2026 tourist-boat accidents involved wooden boats, so expect the crew to enforce it.
How to book and cancel
Book on bekatravel.com or through GetYourGuide. Beka offers free cancellation up to 24 hours before the tour. If the port authority bans sailings, for example before a storm, Beka refunds or reschedules. Storms can stop all boats from June to November; keep a spare day.
Alternatives to the Beka Day Boat
- Cat Ba Expedition: a very similar day trip from Ben Beo for 900,000 VND, with a double kayak listed and the same caveats.
- Serenity Cruises: larger day boats from Ben Beo; Serenity Premium from $37 direct.
- Taliya: a big 199-seat day ship with a pool, sailing from Tuan Chau in Ha Long rather than Cat Ba.
| Platform | Listing | Rating | Price | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trip.com | Taliya Day Cruise to Halong Bay & Lanha Bay (Transfer included) | 4.8 (12) | $40 Lowest | See on Trip.com |
| Klook | Taliya Day Cruise: Ha Long Bay & Lan Ha Bay Day Tour | 4.9 (310) | $43 | See on Klook |
| GetYourGuide | Taliya Day Cruise - Lan Hạ Bay: Kayaking, Swimming & Cave | 4.8 (811) | $53 | See on GetYourGuide |
Lowest adult price per person in USD, checked on October 16, 2026. Cabin type, dates and what is included differ between listings: open each one before you pay.
Our day cruises guide compares every option, and Lan Ha operators lists the other companies we reviewed.
FAQ
Is Beka Day Boat a company?
No. "Beka Day Boat" is the GetYourGuide title for the Lan Ha day tour of Beka Travel Company Limited, a Cat Ba and Hanoi agency. The boat is a traditional wooden day boat without its own brand name.
How much is the Beka Day Boat?
About $35 per adult and $27 per child in the booking widget on Beka's site (its FAQ still says from $30 / $23, so check on the day), from about $34 on GetYourGuide. A $10 surcharge applies on Vietnamese public holidays.
Can I do the Beka Day Boat from Hanoi?
Yes. The bus picks up in Hanoi's Old Quarter at 05:15–05:30 and returns about 20:30–21:00. It works, but it is a 15-hour day; sleeping on Cat Ba the night before is more comfortable.
Does the Beka tour include kayaking?
It lists a kayak at the Dark and Bright Cave area, but kayaking in the Cat Ba bays has been officially suspended since November 2024. Ask Beka in writing what runs on your date.
How many people are on the Beka boat?
Up to 25 guests on a wooden day boat with a toilet.
