Explore Halong Bay in 3 Days: Best Halong Bay Cruise Itinerary

The best way to admire the natural splendor of Halong Bay is on a cruise, and you may stay on board for two days and one night or three days and two nights. However, to fully explore the bay’s popular attractions and hidden gems, or even venture into the neighboring bay, we highly recommend travelers choose a 3-day trip. Please continue reading for the best 3-day cruise itinerary from Halong Bay Cruises to explore the charms of the heritage bay.

What you can expect

For those who have more time and a generous budget, spending three days on board a Halong Bay cruise will be a true highlight of your Vietnam Tours. In comparison with a two-day voyage, the best 3-day itineraries offer a great chance to visit the most remote and unexplored areas, not only in Halong Bay but also in Lan Ha Bay. You will visit some of the most highlighted attractions in the bays, such as Luon Cave, Titov Island, Sung Sot Cave, Bright and Dark Cave, Tra Bau area, Viet Hai Village, Ba Trai Dao Islets, Frog Pond area, etc. The cruises will also pass by several iconic spots with nice opportunities for taking photos, like Con Vit islet (Duck Islet), Thumb islet, Da Chong islet, etc.

Detailed Itinerary HALONG BAY- LAN HA BAY 3 DAYS 2 NIGHTS

DAY 1: HANOI - HALONG BAY - LAN HA BAY (L/D)

08:20-8:50 Our tour guide and limousine pick you up at your hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter (if you use our transfer service)

09:00 Departure to Halong Bay for 2.5 hours.

10:30 Arrive in Hai Duong Province and have a 20-minute short break.

11:30-12:00 Arrive at Tuan Chau harbor.

12:00-12:30 Transferred by speedboat to the Main Cruise. Welcome onboard and enjoy a welcome drink. Meet the captain and crew to get a brief introduction to the cruise and safety guidelines. Check-in your cabin.

13:00-13h30 Enjoy Vietnamese seafood buffer or set menu lunch while cruising in the magnificent Halong Bay, admiring the fascinating rock formations in the bay.

Continue cruising through Con Vit islet (Duck Islet), Thumb islet, and Gia Luan Harbor which belongs to the Cat Ba area.

15:00 Mingling yourself in the stunning views of the bay and its dramatic limestone islets as we sail through the calm emerald waters heading to Dark & Bright Cave (Hang Sang & Toi). Customers will participate in outdoor activities and choose between kayaking OR sitting on bamboo boat for about 1 hour.

16:00 The Ship moves to the Tra Bau area, and reaching there at 16:50. Here, you are free to swim around the boat for a period of 45 minutes.

17:30-18:30 Enjoy Afternoon Tea Party with free freshly prepared snacks fruit, and your ordered favorite drinks while waiting for sunset on Lan Ha Bay. Take advantage of the Happy Hours “Buy 2 Get 1 Free” drink program at the bar.

18:30-19:10 Join a cooking class guided directly by the cruise chef. You have a chance to practice Vietnamese traditional dishes such as spring rolls or famous cuisine of Vietnam.

19:10-19:30 Dinner will be served at the restaurant.

After dinner, you have free time to participate in nightlife activities such as Squid Fishing, listen to music, enjoy drinks or singing karaoke, please contact the cruise manager to register.

DAY 2: LAN HA BAY - TRANSFER TO A DAILY BOAT - CYCLING AT VIET HAI VILLAGE - OVERNIGHT ON CRUISE (B/L/D)

Today we shall have a deeper exploration of Lan Ha Bay using our Small Day-Boat cruising through the multiple islands & islets, hidden beaches... also a short visit on bicycles to Viet Hai village, an isolated village in the very heart of Cat Ba National Park.

06:45 The breakfast is ready at the restaurant. Today you can wake up late then have breakfast before departure. Please be ready at the reception latest 08.30.

08:20-08:45 You will be transferred to the Small Day-Boat then go to the south of Lan Ha Bay and heading to Viet Hai village. Please note that you will spend whole daylight in the village and on the Daily Boat and only come back to Rita Cruise around 16:00-16:30.

09:00 Small Day-Boat goes through Lan Ha Bay before disembarking at Viet Hai dock.

10:00 Go cycling for a short trip of 5km to Viet Hai village, a small village in the midst of the jungle, surrounded by the high mountain ranges of Cat Ba National Park. The area has become popular with foreign tourists without attracting mass tourism, so it is still very rustic. For those who are not fancy with cycling will be arranged by electric car.

11:30 Return to the dock and board our Small Day-Boat again to sail further to the other side of Lan Ha Bay.

12:00 Enjoy lunch with a beautiful view.

13:00-14:00 Kayaking around Tai Keo cave area, a tunnel cave, to a lake like “Dragon Eye”.

14:00-14:30 We move on to some hidden beaches around the Ba Trai Dao (Three Peaches) area.

14:30-15:30 You are free to go swimming in this beautiful & clean area.

16:00-16:30 Transferring back to the Cruise, take time to refresh or enjoy the Jacuzzi pool or you can do the kayaking and swimming around the boat again.

17:15 The Cruise is moving to the sleeping area.

18:00 We serve you a small tea break on the sundeck under a beautiful sunset.

18:15 Come and join us in the cooking class “How to make deep fried spring rolls” at outside of the restaurant.

19:00 It’s time for dinner. After dinner, reward yourself with a large selection of cocktails at our bar, wine and cigars cellar, or enjoy the landscape of the bay at night. Take part in one of our on-board activities like squid fishing, watching TV in your room. Stay overnight on cruise.

DAY 3: LAN HA BAY - TAI CHI LESSON - FROG POND AREA - HANOI (B/L)

06:30: 07:00 Tai-chi exercise at the Sundeck to welcome a new day (Optional).

07:00- 7:45 Morning view of the bay’s landscape with a cup of tea or coffee, then having breakfast at our restaurant.

08:00 The Ship passes by the Frog Pond area for sightseeing, where the Hollywood blockbuster movie King Kong was filmed. Customers can go swimming or kayaking in 45 minutes around the mother boat.

09:30 Back to your cabin, relax and carefully check all the luggage before leaving your cabin.

Check-out from the private cabin and enjoy a fantastic cruise on the bay for room service. Complete check-out procedure.

10:00 Have a buffet brunch on the cruise while cruising towards the port.

11:00-11:20 Back to Tuan Chau Pier by tender boat. Farewell.

12:00-12:30 Return to Hanoi by Limousine (service reserved)

13:50-14:00 Stopover in Hai Duong Province to relax for 15 minutes.

The above itinerary is a classic example of the best 3-day cruising programs. There are more cruises operating 3-day, 2-night tours to explore the two bays, such as Hermes Cruise, Rita Cruise, and Au Co Cruises, etc, each with a distinct sailing itinerary. For detailed information on Halong Bay Cruise, please feel free to contact our consultants to find the cruise that suits you most perfectly.