Lan Ha Bay tours: day trips, overnight cruises and Cat Ba combos

Lan Ha Bay tours are sold under dozens of names, but they come in a handful of shapes. The one that suits you depends on three questions: where do you start (Hanoi, Ninh Binh or Cat Ba Island), how many nights do you have, and do you want land time on Cat Ba as well as time on the water? This page sorts the tours by length and starting point. If you want to compare ships rather than tours, the cruise guide lists every one.

Lan Ha (vịnh Lan Hạ; "vịnh" means bay) lies east of Cat Ba Island, in Hai Phong. Tours reach it from Tuan Chau in Ha Long, sailing 1–1.5 hours through Ha Long waters, or from Ben Beo pier next to Cat Ba town.

Lan Ha Bay tours at a glance

Prices are platform "from" prices per person. Bay fees (120,000 VND for a day visit, 400,000 VND for one night on the bay) are normally included; cheap Cat Ba tours marked "excl. tickets" add 120,000 VND at the pier.

Day tours from Cat Ba: the cheapest real Lan Ha

If you sleep on Cat Ba, a day boat from Ben Beo pier (2 km from town) is the shortest and cheapest way onto the bay: no bus, and you are in Lan Ha within minutes. Most operators pick you up from town hotels.

A typical day with Cat Ba Expedition (900,000 VND direct, plus 4% if you book online): pickup 08:00–08:30, the Cai Beo floating fishing village, a morning swim stop, lunch on board, islets in the afternoon, a swim at Ba Trai Dao around 14:00, a fish farm, back at 16:00–17:00. Beka Travel's wooden day boat (maximum 25 guests, USD 35 direct) runs a similar loop with the Dark and Bright Caves and a cooking class at a fish farm. On the platforms:

• Cat Ba: Lan Ha and Ha Long full day with biking from $28, 4.8 from 1,672 reviews.
• Lan Ha and Monkey Island full day from $29.
• Beka Travel day boat from $34, also bookable with a Hanoi bus (see our Beka review).
• Bioluminescent plankton boat tour from $44, an evening trip in the warm months (see plankton guide).

Larger Cat Ba day ships exist too. Serenity Premium and Serenity Grandeur leave Ben Beo; the Grandeur stops at the Viet Hai wharf for a bike or electric-car ride to Viet Hai village. Direct sale prices from Cat Ba town are USD 37 (Premium) and USD 52 (Grandeur) per person.

Day tours from Tuan Chau and Hanoi

The second kind of day tour starts in Ha Long. Big day ships board at Tuan Chau Marina and sail into Lan Ha and back. From Hanoi this is a long but simple day with no ferry.

Taliya, a 199-seat day ship launched in February 2025, is the clearest example: 07:00–07:30 Hanoi pickup, check-in at Tuan Chau around 10:00, lunch while sailing, the Dark and Bright Caves by bamboo boat rowed by a local, a swim (or kayak where allowed) at Ao Ech, a cooking demo, back at Tuan Chau at 17:15–17:30 and in the Old Quarter around 20:00. On GetYourGuide it is from $53.

Tropical, Cozy Bay's Lan Ha day ship, does something no other Tuan Chau day ship in our list does: it lands at Gia Luan on Cat Ba for an electric-car ride to Trung Trang cave and the national park museum, then sails to Tra Bau lagoon. Direct it costs from USD 58 including the Hanoi bus; on Klook it starts lower (check whether the bus is included):

A third group are Hanoi day tours that go through Cat Ba, such as Ha Long Bay to Lan Ha Bay – Cat Ba Island day tour (from $49) or the Hanoi version of the Beka day boat. They work, but they are long: Beka's Hanoi pickup is 05:15–05:30 and you are back in the Old Quarter at 20:30–21:00. More on the trade-offs in Lan Ha from Hanoi and day cruises.

GetYourGuideDay trip

Cat Ba: Lan Ha, HaLong bay full day- biking, kayaking, lunch

4.8 (1,672)

from $28Check dates

GetYourGuideDay trip

Taliya Day Cruise - Lan Hạ Bay: Kayaking, Swimming & Cave

4.8 (811)

from $53Check dates

KlookDay trip

Tropical Day Cruise: Lan Ha Bay, Cat Ba Island, Trung Trang Cave

4.9 (1,916) · 10K+ booked

from $38Check dates

GetYourGuideDay trip

Hanoi: Ha Long Bay to Lan Ha Bay - Cat Ba Island Day Tour

4.8 (693)

from $49Check dates

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

2 days 1 night: the standard Lan Ha tour

The overnight cruise gives you the bay at sunset and early morning, when day boats have gone. Most branded Lan Ha ships check in at Tuan Chau at 11:30–12:30, sail into Lan Ha over lunch, run one main activity in the afternoon (bamboo boat, swim or Ao Ech), then dinner and squid fishing. Day 2 is tai chi, a short excursion, brunch and disembarkation at 11:00–12:00, with Hanoi around 14:30–16:00. In practice Day 2 is half a morning.

Some lines land on Cat Ba on Day 2: Peony and Mon Chéri go back to Gia Luan for Trung Trang cave by road. That is a Cat Ba land visit, not more bay time, but it is the only land Lan Ha gives you on a one-night trip.

Good-value examples on the platforms:

• Elite of the Seas 2D1N from $125, 4.9 from 2,817 reviews, 35 cabins (review).
• La Pandora 2D1N on Klook from $104.
• Venezia 2 days from Hanoi from $125: one of the few overnight boats that starts on Cat Ba, at Ben Beo, with 5 or 10 cabins, Viet Hai by bike on Day 2, and no cave.

Large GetYourGuide listings such as "5-Star Cruise with Balcony" are sold by agencies under generic titles; the ship's name is often only in the description. Check it before you pay. "5-star" and "6-star" are sales labels: Vietnam's star rating for cruise ships is voluntary and stops at five. Full comparison: 2 days 1 night cruises.

3-day tours: Ninh Binh combos vs a true 3D2N

"3 days" means two very different tours, and the listings do not always make it clear.

Ninh Binh + Lan Ha combos. Products like 3 Days Ninh Binh, Ha Long & Lan Ha Bay (from $225, 4.8 from 2,115 reviews) and g417077 (from $220) combine a day in Ninh Binh with a one-night cruise. You spend one night on board and one in a hotel. That is a good plan if you want both places with one booking. It is not a two-night cruise. The limousine timetables make it work: a 07:00–07:30 limousine from Ninh Binh reaches Tuan Chau in time for a midday check-in (see Lan Ha from Ninh Binh).

True 3D2N cruises. Two nights on board, and Day 2 is spent on a separate day boat while the main ship stays at anchor: typically cycling to Viet Hai village inside the national park, then a beach or lagoon. You may share that boat with guests from other ships. This is where Lan Ha pulls clearly ahead of a one-night trip. Examples: 3Day 5-Star Cruise with Viet Hai Cycling from $266 and 3-Day Ha Long/Lan Ha with Private Balcony from $305. Venezia also sells 3-day versions from Ben Beo.

Multi-day on Cat Ba: build your own tour

The most flexible Lan Ha trip is not a package at all. Take the combo bus from Hanoi to Cat Ba town (USD 11–15, 3–3.5 hours, including the Dong Bai – Cai Vieng ferry crossing), stay two or three nights, and add day trips:

• A Lan Ha day boat from Ben Beo (from $28 on the platforms, 900,000 VND direct).
• Cat Ba National Park: 120,000 VND for the central route (Kim Giao forest, Ngu Lam peak, Trung Trang cave), open 07:00–17:00.
• Rock climbing and deep-water solo with Cat Ba Climbing or Cat Ba Ventures; DWS needs high tide.
• A plankton evening on dark, moonless nights, roughly May–October. Not guaranteed, and it depends on night kayaking or swimming, so the kayak suspension applies.
• A bicycle (150,000 VND a day) or e-bike (300,000 VND) for Cannon Fort and the Cat Co beaches.

The catch is weather. The Cat Ba car ferry stops at around Beaufort 4, and in storm season the island can be cut off: on 22 August 2026 more than 1,700 tourists were stranded on Cat Ba during a sea ban. Keep a buffer day before an international flight. See Cat Ba Island for where to stay and eat.

What a Lan Ha tour includes, and what it does not

Almost every Lan Ha tour includes the boat, lunch (plus dinner and breakfast on overnights), an English-speaking guide and the bay fees. What varies:

• Transfers. Hanoi shuttles to Tuan Chau are often extra on brand sites: Peony charges about $35 return, Sena USD 30, Era USD 40. Platform listings that start "Hanoi:" usually include them. Compare like with like.
• Drinks. Almost never included, except mineral water. Settle the bar bill on Day 2.
• VAT. Some lines quote without it (Venezia 8%, Era and Aspira also exclude it).
• Holiday surcharges. Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve and Tết carry gala surcharges of about USD 40–60 per person on many ships; Beka adds USD 10 on Vietnamese public holidays.
• Children. Usually under 4 free (one per cabin), 4–11 at 75%, 12 and over adult, but bands vary by ship.
• Life jackets. Since a fatal collision near Van Boi on 14 June 2026, Cat Hai Special Zone requires every passenger to wear a certified life jacket from boarding and throughout the trip (Tien Phong).
• Passport. Operators register passengers with the port authority; most ask for passport details 24 hours ahead and the original at check-in.

Booking a Lan Ha tour: platform or direct

On GetYourGuide most Lan Ha tours offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before and "reserve now, pay later". Klook sells many cruise brands under their own names and shows how many people booked. Booking direct with an operator is often cheaper on paper but much stricter: fees from 14–45 days out and 100% inside 7 days are common. In storm season that flexibility is worth more than a small discount.

Storm cancellations are ordered by the port authority, not the cruise line. A typical operator rule is a 100% refund if the trip is cancelled before sailing; platforms follow their own terms. Our booking guide covers the details.

Our picks by trip length

1

One day, staying on Cat Ba

The cheapest real Lan Ha day from Ben Beo, with a bike leg; ask what replaces kayaking.

GetYourGuideDay trip

Cat Ba: Lan Ha, HaLong bay full day- biking, kayaking, lunch

4.8 (1,672)

from $28Check dates

2

One day from Hanoi

Tropical sails from Tuan Chau and also lands on Cat Ba for Trung Trang cave.

KlookDay trip

Tropical Day Cruise: Lan Ha Bay, Cat Ba Island, Trung Trang Cave

4.9 (1,916) · 10K+ booked

from $38Check dates

3

First overnight

Elite of the Seas: 35 cabins, strong reviews and a Lan Ha route.

GetYourGuide2D1N

Hanoi: 2D1N Elite Lan Ha & Ha Long Cruise with Infinity Pool

4.9 (2,817)

from $125Check dates

4

Ninh Binh and Lan Ha together

One booking for both sights; remember it is one night on board, not two.

5★

GetYourGuide3D2N

Hanoi: 3 Days Ninh Binh, Ha Long & Lan Ha Bay 5-Star Cruise

4.8 (2,115)

from $225Check dates

5★

GetYourGuide2D1N

2 Days Ha Long Lan Ha Bay 5-Star Cruise w/Balcony & Bathtub

4.7 (1,231)

from $131Check dates

Klook2D1N

2D1N Halong & Lan Ha Bay Cruise Tour by Aspira Cruise

4.9 (824) · 6K+ booked

from $146Check dates

GetYourGuide2D1N

Hanoi: 2 Days Lan Ha Bay Cruise with Meals & Activities

4.7 (873)

from $125Check dates

GetYourGuideDay trip

Hanoi/Cat Ba: Beka Day Boat - Lan Ha Bay Full Day Boat Tour

4.8 (670)

from $34Check dates

GetYourGuideDay trip

Hanoi/Cat Ba: The most luxurious day cruise in Lan Ha Bay

4.8 (637)

from $53Check dates

GetYourGuideDay trip

Cat Ba: Lan Ha Bay Bioluminescent Plankton Boat Tour

4.8 (636)

from $44Check dates

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