The 5 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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