8 Island Day Trips in Hanoi Worth Boarding

1.Ha Long Bay Cruise Day Tour-Cave, Kayaking,Ti top island & Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 431 reviews · from $41Our pick

Travel by coach from Hanoi’s Old Quarter to Ha Long Bay for a full day on the water. You’ll visit Surprise Cave, kayak or take a bamboo boat through Luon Cave, climb Ti Top Island, and eat a set seafood lunch. Guides such as Tony, Toan, Max, and Nam are often assigned to this route.

“The trip was great. The one exception was that I believe both my son and me got sick from the food served on the boat. The rest was very good.”

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2.Cat Ba Island & Lan Ha Bay Day Trip Cruise with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 308 reviews · from $59

Spend a full day sailing Lan Ha Bay, cycling or riding an electric car to Viet Hai Village, kayaking, swimming, and eating lunch aboard a spacious boat. English-speaking guides such as Binh, Billy, and Charlie keep the day moving. Hanoi pickup is included, though the long road transfer makes this a packed day.

“Only thing that disappointed me was the weather all the rest met or exceeded my expectations.”

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3.Ha Long Bay Cruise Day Tour with lunch, kayaking, surprise cave & titop island

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 229 reviews · from $30Top rated

This full-day Ha Long Bay trip combines a Hanoi hotel pickup, scenic boat cruise, seafood lunch, Surprise Cave, Titop Island, swimming, hiking, and optional kayaking. Guides such as Phong, Long, Ken, and Phuong lead groups of up to 40 people. Expect a long day, busy stops, and strong value.

“This excursion surpassed our expectations! First, we were impressed with the lunch on our boat ride. We expected sandwiches but, instead, got a 7-8 course lunch including several salads, grilled fish, soup, chicken stir fry and more…so Read more”

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4.Halong Islands, Caves, Kayak, Lunch day tour w Dragonfly Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 159 reviews · from $16Best value

Spend about 10 hours from Hanoi exploring Halong Bay by boat, with a seafood lunch, a 45-minute visit to Heaven Palace Cave, and kayaking or a bamboo boat at Ba Hang. Pickup covers Hanoi’s Old Quarter hotels, while Airbnb and apartment guests meet at 31 Lo Su.

“It was a pleasant day trip to Ha Long Bay. I enjoyed the kayaking to go and see the caves outside. The internal caves was pretty good also. Lots of photo taking and pleasant cruising.”

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5.Ha Long Bay Cruise Day Tour visit Titop island & Cave

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 12 reviews · from $64

Cruise Ha Long Bay from Hanoi with an English-speaking guide such as Huy, stopping at Sung Sot Cave, Luon Cave, and Titop Island. You will kayak or ride a bamboo boat, eat seafood lunch, swim or hike, and finish with a sunset party.

“The whole day was amazing. Thank you to Huy, our tour guide, for taking good care of us. The bus ride was smooth, bonus points because we did stop halfway to stretch our legs and grab a coffee or a bite, the boat was superb, plenty of space to walk around and relax and admire the beautiful views. Every stop we had plenty of time to enjoy the activities and we never felt rushed. Food on the boat was yum! Absolutely recommended 😍”

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6.Optional Halong Bay Day Cruise with Caves, Islands & Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 10 reviews · from $43

You’ll cruise past Halong Bay’s limestone islands, visit Sung Sot Cave and Ti Top Island, and eat lunch onboard. SST Travel assigns your vessel by availability, from a 5.5-hour standard or premium boat to a 7.5-hour luxury cruise. English guides, including Mia on some departures, keep the day moving.

“It was an adventure that will not be forgotten. A big thank to Ms. Mia and her travel agent - SST travel, we had a wonderful time. The cruise is incredibly relaxing and very nice service. Highly recommended”

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7.Cat Ba Island and Lan Ha Bay Cruise Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 3 reviews · from $67

Travel from Hanoi to Cat Ba Island, cruise Lan Ha Bay, visit Viet Hai Village by electric car or bicycle, enjoy lunch, kayak or swim, and finish with fruit and tea at sunset. English-speaking guides, hotel pickup in Hanoi Old Quarter, and a full day of activities make this a busy but varied outing.

“All in all it was a nice trip but the reason why I vote 3 stars is because: 1. They don‘t pick you up at the hotel like they say in the description 2. There are about 50 people instead of 12 people like the say in the description”

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8.Lan Ha Bay & Cat Ba Island Day Trip on Luxury Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · from $58

Join a Vietnamese and English-speaking guide, including Stiwie on some departures, for a full day around Lan Ha Bay and Cat Ba Island. Cruise past Cai Beo fishing village, visit Viet Hai by electric car or bike, kayak, swim, and enjoy lunch and sunset snacks.

“A wonderful day! Highly recommended excursion. A day of total disconnection in the middle of a breathtaking landscape with very few boats around. Super! The guide, Stiwie, told us a lot of anecdotes about Vietnam, the bay and the island. In just one day we did a thousand things. Excellent!”

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