What‘s Included

Meeting and Pickup

What To Expect

Reviews

• Great day out on Ha Long Bay... but its not without its issues.

  Carl H,

  Sep 1, 2025

  - Viator

  4.00

  We recently took a day tour of Ha Long Bay that included a climb up Ti Top Island, speedboat trip (but you could have done kayaking or bamboo boat) and exploration of Surprise Cave. Overall, it was a well-organized experience that showcased the natural beauty of this UNESCO World Heritage site, though with some drawbacks. The Good: The tour logistics were excellent - everything ran on time and felt professionally managed. Our guide Phong was reliable and kept the group informed about meeting points and schedules. The trip out from port was relaxing with a delicious meal. In regards to the attractions, Ti Top Island provided a moderate but rewarding 100 meter vertical walk to a viewpoint with panoramic vistas of Ha Long Bay. The climb is manageable for most fitness levels and the summit views are genuinely breathtaking. The speedboat ride offered fantastic views of the iconic limestone karsts rising from emerald waters, and the photo opportunities were endless. Surprise Cave lived up to its name with impressive stalactite and stalagmite formations. Things to be aware of: The reason it was hard to give this 5 stars (I would use 4 1/2 stars if it was an option) was the sheer number of visitors at every location. Ha Long Bay's popularity is clearly taking its toll. While the tour company were at pains to point this out before the day (saying crowds are outside their control), they also contribute to the problem with ever larger tour groups on bigger boats to meet demand - expect crowds at viewpoints, queues for photo spots, and a somewhat rushed feeling at each attraction. The crowds were most noticeable at Surprise Cave, with this attraction taking possivle twice as long to complete due to the queuing. This definitely impacts the sense of natural wonder you hope to experience. Like a lot of tours there was the standard pit stop at a retailer trying to flog you their products, on this trip it was the Ha Long Pearl Farm. The coffee wasn't great which didnt help. Overall the day was a solid, well-executed tour that covers the main highlights efficiently. Just manage your expectations regarding crowds. Great for first-time visitors who want to see the key sights without too much hassle.

• Brilliant experience

  Andre B,

  Aug 30, 2025

  - Viator

  5.00

  A really nice tour. The bay is stunning. This is a 'must do' for anyone traveling to Vietnam. No regrets at all.

• Very compact and eventful...

  Nick K,

  Aug 23, 2025

  - Viator

  5.00

  Very compact and eventful trip. Our Tour guide Nam was very energetic and helpful. Overall, a great experience.

• The cruise was great...

  Sheila A,

  Aug 15, 2025

  - Viator

  5.00

  The cruise was great, both for visits time and food and the guide could not be more attentive and friendly!! In my case I am allergic to shellfish, I notified it and I had no problem regarding the food they offered

• Fun day but be prepared to pay for water

  Sangeetha S,

  Aug 13, 2025

  - Viator

  4.00

  Took the trip as a group of 2, and it was largely enjoyable, fun and a great experience to see Halong Bay The good: we were picked up from hotel in old quarter( 10 mins late but traffic… can’t be helped). The tour guild was great, the drive to harbour and whole process of getting into the cruise was organized well, and our stops getting into and out of the cruise ship was well done. Prior to the trip, there is sufficient communication via WhatsApp with instructions on timing, activities, guidance and details on what to expect which is also very helpful since we took this trip the next day after we landed in Hanoi. The tour and activities: we take a bus to the halong bay harbour with two stops for coffee/ washroom and one of those stops included a presentation about pearls and of course the showroom to buy said pearls. No pushy sales, so that was ok too. We get on the cruise and there are three stops: hiking up to the top of the halong bay (400 steps up/ down in 20 mins if you want to swim or 40 mins to hike/swim… your pick) and tiptop island swimming (20 mins if you did the hike or can do 40 mins swimming/ hiking… your pick) or kayak/ bamboo boat for 20 mins and surprise cave which is a hike inside the cave and walk inside the wet cave for 30 mins and come out the other end. . Lunch is provided with lots of veg/ vegan options and complimentary snack and drinks given in the afternoon as well. The medium/bad: you have to pay additional cash only fees to enter halong bay and for kayak activities, which ain’t fully clear and if you go as a family, it can add up. tourists can’t bring plastic water bottle only reusable ones. So if you just land in Hanoi you might not know where to source reusable bottle… I didn’t and I decide to forego water. I left my bottle in the bus. The cruise doesn’t give free water, and you have lost ability to drink your bottled water at the bus or once you run out of water in your reusable bottle. I found this a bit ridiculous since we pay for hiking and spend day in the sun, hike everywhere , and we only get to bring reusable bottle or you have to pay for water if you run out. They sell water in the cruise and in every activity even in the caves but it’s 20k + Viet Dong.. which isn’t too much money but your body will be very dehydrated walking in the sun, hiking up the stairs and the expectation to pay for basic things like water is a bit much in my opinion and this didn’t happen to me anywhere else ( I hiked in Bali, and other countries)