The 15 Island Day Trips in Vietnam That Earn Their Price

1.From Ha Noi/Cat Ba: Full-Day Cruise to Lan Ha bay – Ha Long Bay

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 504 reviews · from $32Our pick

Spend about nine hours cruising Lan Ha and Ha Long bays from Cat Ba. You will kayak through cave-lined lagoons, visit Cai Beo fishing village, swim, enjoy a seafood lunch, and relax on deck. Guides known as Jack and Tiny Tiger have helped make this trip lively and well paced.

“Great informative tour guide, really nice lunch, beautiful views. Snorkelling is not really snorkelling as there were no breathing tubes but it was still nice swimming.”

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

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

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

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

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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5.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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6.Cat Ba Island: Full-Day Cruise to Lan Ha Bay and Ha Long Bay

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 40 reviews · from $32

Spend nine hours cruising from Cat Ba through Lan Ha Bay and southern Ha Long Bay. Guide Jackie or another English-speaking guide leads kayaking through Bat, Dark, and Bright Caves, swimming stops, lunch, a fish-farm visit, and a sunset return.

“The guide was amazing and was very imformative! lots extra swimming stops included and at a very good price!”

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7.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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8.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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9.Sunset on Lan Ha Bay – Half Day Cruise From Cat Ba Island

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · from $139

Spend 3.5 hours on Dcharme Luxury Cruise from Cat Ba, passing Cai Beo Floating Fishing Village, kayaking through Lan Ha Bay, swimming, and relaxing in a rooftop jacuzzi. Guide Minh is noted for warm, helpful service and excellent English. Pickup from central Cat Ba hotels is included.

“Amazing trip! The staff were always happy and supportive. I did kayaking and swimming. The water was cold but nice, they have a warm jacuzzi in the boat and provide fruits. I really recommend it! :)”

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10.Luxury Ha Long Symphony Day Cruise With Lunch, Cave & Island

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 8 reviews · from $72

You’ll cruise Ha Long Bay from Bai Chay on a seven-hour VIP boat with an English-speaking guide, Vietnamese lunch, Sung Sot Cave, Luon Cave, and Titop Island. Kayaking or a bamboo boat costs an extra 150,000 VND per person, while swimming and hiking are included.

“A visit to Ha Long Bay is a once in a lifetime experience. Unfortunately it is for the hundreds of other people having their day there too !”

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11.Cham Island Boat Day Trip with Snorkeling and Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★3.4 · 7 reviews · from $41

Take a morning speedboat from Da Nang to Cu Lao Cham for snorkeling, a seafood lunch, Hai Tang pagoda, and Tan Hiep market. An English-speaking guide, equipment, hotel transfers, entrance fees, water, and insurance are included. Guide Phuong Le has earned special praise, but organization and English ability can vary.

“Bad organization. Wrong pick-up point provided (airport). Additional charges to rush to other pick up point. English-speaking guide required. Sweet person but he could hardly speak English”

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12.Lan Ha Bay & Cat Ba Island 1 or 2-Day Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★3.3 · 6 reviews · from $59

Choose a one-day or two-day cruise through Lan Ha and Ha Long Bays, with Cat Ba Island, Dark and Bright Caves, Viet Hai Village, kayaking, swimming, and a Vietnamese cooking lesson. Guide Billy has led the one-day route, while the overnight option adds a cabin, meals, Tai Chi, and Trung Trang Grotto.

“It was an amazing tour! Our lovely tourguide billy showed us all the highlights of Cat Ba island in one day. We had some great food, went on a bike trip, kayaking and swimming! And still had some time to relax on the boat and take in the amazing views around the island! If u want to take a tour we can highly recommend this one. Thank u for the amazing day billy and the lovely staff on the boat.”

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13.3 Island Hopping and Snorkeling Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 4 reviews · 9 hours · from $35

Spend nine hours island hopping from Phu Quoc to Coconut Islet, Gam Ghi, May Rut Trong, and May Rut Ngoai. An English-speaking guide, snorkeling gear, fishing equipment, hotel transfers in Duong Dong, and a boat lunch are included. Flyboarding, parasailing, jet skiing, and sea walking cost extra.

“Brian und sein Team waren sehr bemüht Es allen Leuten gut gehen zu lassen. Insgesamt natürlich schon sehr viele Leute Um in Ruhe zu Schnorcheln, trotzdem eine Empfehlung wert.”

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14.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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15.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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