Is a Ha Long Bay Day Trip from Hanoi Worth It? [2024]

View over Ha Long Bay from Ti Top Island

Ha Long Bay is not only one of Vietnam’s most stunning attractions, it’s also a UNESCO World Heritage Site globally celebrated for its cerulean waters, other worldly limestone rocks and stunning lagoons.

While travellers with a lot of time up their sleeve will opt for a 2 or 3-day boat cruise, visiting Ha Long Bay on a full-day trip and witnessing a taste of its beauty is still possible from the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi.

Typical limestone rocks of Ha Long Bay found at the entrance of Sung Sot Cave.

Although it’s likely you won’t get to see the full beauty of Ha Long Bay’s many treasures, you may still be wondering – Is a Ha Long Bay Day Trip from Hanoi Worth It? Read on to find out!

About Ha Long Bay Day Trips and Day Tours from Hanoi

Here’s what you can expect from a Day Tour of Ha Long Bay from Hanoi.

Many of the tour operators offering tours to Ha Long Bay from Hanoi essentially offer the same things, with minor points of differences. Here’s what you can expect from a typical tour.

In the morning, at around 7:30am, you’ll either be picked up from Hanoi or meet your tour guide at the Tuan Chau Marina, where the boat to Ha Long Bay will depart. Getting picked up from Hanoi will be slightly more expensive but it will definitely be worth it. Finding your own transport from Hanoi to Tuan Chau Marina won’t be a very smart idea considering that it’s quite some distance away from Hanoi city, unless you’re already staying around that area.

Our first activity of the day was going to a seashell museum – a bit random, but still pretty interesting nonetheless.

After your pick-up, there will be usually a “filler” activity on the way to Ha Long Bay. On our tour, we were taken to a seashell museum which was a pretty interesting way to kill time and stretch our legs after a long bus ride. This will differ greatly depending on your tour (some tours will simply stop at a petrol station; some will stop at a coffee stall).

One of the stops on the tour is Sung Sot (Surprise Cave).

Then, once you’ve finally reached Tuan Chau Marina and you’re ready to embark on your Ha Long Bay adventure, you’ll start cruising around the bay and taking in the ridiculously scenic views around you. A Ha Long Bay Day Tour from Hanoi typically has two stops, and they are:

• Sung Sot (Surprise) Cave – This is one of Ha Long Bay’s most beautiful caves, renowned for its stalactites, stalagmites and other limestone formations. The way the lighting has been arranged just makes the cave formations even more special – this was probably my favourite part of the day trip.

• Ti Top Island – You might not be too impressed when you first arrive at Ti Top Island, but don’t be fooled. The real attraction begins when you start your short climb to the top of the island, where you’ll be treated to gorgeously panoramic views of the Bay.

Ti Top Island, Ha Long Bay

At some point during the day, lunch will be served (again, the quality greatly varies between tours) before you head back to the Hanoi area. Tours generally wrap up around 9:00pm.

One of the dishes we had for lunch on our tour.

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Handpicked Tours

We’ve handpicked these Ha Long Bay Day Tours for you, so you don’t have to.

There are tons of Ha Long Bay Tours out there, and we wouldn’t really recommend buying a tour when you get there unless you’ve done extensive research beforehand. The quality of tours can vary quite a lot, and you want to ensure that you’re getting the best experiences, vetted by other travellers. To take the guesswork out of the equation, we’ve come up with some handpicked tours for you that you can trust:

• Ha Long Bay Cruise All-Inclusive Day Tour – Kayaking, Swimming, Hiking, Lunch – This is the best-selling, best-reviewed tour on Viator and the one we did on our trip to Ha Long Bay. It was really well ran – our guide was super friendly and entertaining, and we spent ample time at each of the spots. Lunch was delicious too. We would highly recommend this one if you can’t be bothered doing any more research than absolutely necessary!

• Alternate Ha Long Bay/Lan Ha Bay – Bai Tu Long Bay Luxury Tour – This tour has several options for you to choose from, including some less visited, ‘alternate’ destinations such as Lan Ha Bay. It also gives you the option for a luxury buffet lunch.

• Private Ha Long Bay Day Trip – This private option for a Ha Long Bay Day Trip lets you explore Ha Long Bay on your own, without the throngs of tourists from big tour groups. You also get to choose your own pick-up time. This tour visits Thien Cung Cave (Heavenly Palace Cave) as well as Sung Sot Cave.

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What are the possible downsides of a Ha Long Bay Day Tour from Hanoi?

Ralph in front of Ha Long Bay, on top of Ti Top Island.

There are some obvious cons to embarking on a day trip to Ha Long Bay from Hanoi. Firstly, almost every tour group is on the same itinerary, so it gets naturally busy very quickly as more and more tour groups arrive. For example - the panorama at the top of Tip Top Island is beautiful, but you certainly won’t have it all to yourself.

Caption: Although Ti Top Island was beautiful, it can also get pretty crowded!

Another downside is a lack of customisability in the destinations visited. With a longer or private cruise, you’ll get to see more of Ha Long Bay’s hidden treasures and less-visited attractions. If you’re someone who wants to explore Ha Long Bay in-depth, then I would recommend a multi-day cruise instead.

Going kayaking around Ha Long Bay on our tour.

Obviously, going on a day trip to Ha Long Bay from Hanoi means you won’t get to stay over on a boat – which is an experience itself. Going to sleep and waking up to the sounds of the lagoon is something that a lot of travellers remember forever, and although cruising for a day gives you a taste of that, you won’t get the full experience.

Have More Time? Check out these Multi-Day Cruises of Ha Long Bay

• 3-Day Ha Long Bay All-Inclusive Tour – Including Lan Ha Bay and Cat Ba Island – this affordable 3-day tour hits all the highlights of Ha Long Bay.

• Stellar of the Seas 5-Star Ha Long Bay Luxury Cruise – this is a premium cruise featuring luxury cabins with private balconies and bathtubs. The food served is also of a premium quality. Onboard amenities include a swimming pool, mini golf, fishing, cookies classes and morning Tai Chi!

• 2-Day, 1-Night Halong Bay Cruise from Hanoi – this is a shorter version of the 3-Day tour, but still gives you plenty to see during the 2 days at sea.

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Final Verdict – Is a Ha Long Bay Day Trip from Hanoi Worth It?

So is going on a Ha Long Bay Day Trip from Hanoi Worth it? Here’s our final verdict.

If one day is all you have to see the wonderful Ha Long Bay, then yes, it most definitely is worth it. Without a doubt, it’s better to visit on a day trip from Hanoi than to not visit at all. Ha Long Bay is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I’m so glad to have ticked off my bucket list, and I don’t regret visiting on a day trip at all.

Another look inside Surprise Cave in Ha Long Bay.

However, I do wish I had more time to explore all that Ha Long Bay has to offer, and to do this, I would like to come back in the future and embark on a multi-day cruise. So if you have at least 2 days and 1 night up your sleeve, then I would encourage you to go on a multi-day cruise to Ha Long Bay instead.

Are you visiting Ha Long Bay in Vietnam soon? Have any questions for us? Let us know below!