A Perfect 3 Day / 2 Night Cruise in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

If you start planning a trip to Vietnam, inevitably, you’re going to come across Ha Long Bay. It’s without a doubt one of the most iconic and beautiful regions of the country. Ha Long Bay cruises can of course be extremely touristy. But frankly, that happens with a place as beautiful as this. The trick is picking the right Ha Long Bay cruise–and the perfect duration. Finding a good cruise can be the difference between a seasick ride you can’t wait to get off of–and an experience that you will never forget.

We absolutely loved our cruise to Ha Long Bay. A little research went a long way for us. And we hope you’ll see why.

What is Ha Long Bay?

Halong Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its renowned for its natural beauty and has become an extraordinarily popular tourist destination in Vietnam. Just Google some pictures and you’ll see why (or check out the ones we took below).

The bay is peppered with thousands of little islands with lush vegetation and giant limestone rock formations rising from the stunning blue-green water, making it a no-brainer for anyone visiting the region. 

How long should you spend on your Ha Long Bay cruise?

There are several different options for cruises in Halong bay, everything from day trips to 5 day/4 night cruises. 

If your time in Vietnam is limited, you can book a day trip from some of the surrounding cities. However, it may feel a little more rushed and will probably just be a taste of the bay. Plus, you’ll be relegated to some of the busiest, most tourist-populated areas.

In our opinion, that means you’ll miss out on the real beauty of the bay. When you escape the crowds, you can really enjoy the bay and all its natural beauty.

Most people usually spend just a one night on a Ha Long Bay cruise. However, we highly recommend at least 3 day/2 night cruise. You’ll get a much fuller experience. Longer Ha Long bay cruises feel a little more relaxed and allow you to explore more remote, less crowded areas. While we didn’t go on a longer cruise, we think this is a good minimum.

Some of the longer cruises definitely look good. We can see the allure of getting deeper into the bay, away from the hordes. Worth it for the pics and the serene beauty of it all.

But at the bare minimum, try to go for the 3 day/2 night Ha Long Bay cruise.. You’ll visit gorgeous places that people doing a one-night cruise will miss.

What cruise did we take? 

We went with the 3 day/2 night Glory Legend Cruise through Halong Bay Tours because it was rated well on cruise quality, accommodations, food, and activities. You can definitely find cheaper cruises, but if you can swing it, we think it’s worth paying a little more for one that is rated better, since that could make or break your experience. We’ve heard horror stories about crappy cruises where people had multiple strange roommates, including some of the four-legged rodent variety. Definitely do your due diligence here. We were very, very happy with our cruise. The staff aboard the ship was excellent, our rooms were surprisingly comfy, the food was good, and our schedule was nicely balanced between cool things to do and relaxation time. And yeah, this was the most expensive overall experience+lodging on our trip to Vietnam, but when picking Ha Long Bay cruises, we think it’s worth spending the extra buck or two. It truly does make a difference here.

What was included in our cruise?

Day 1

On our first, we visited Tung Sau and Ti Top Island. At Tung Sau, you can kayak or learn about the pearl production process. And at Ti Top Island, you can hike up to a viewpoint with a good view of the bay and relax and swim on the beach. Be forewarned, because this island is so busy, you NEED to bring your own toilet paper and hand sanitizer if you plan to use the bathrooms. Trust us on this one…

Day 2

Day 2 was our favorite day because it was less crowded and more relaxed. This is where it makes a huge difference doing our 2 night cruise verse the typical 1 nighter.

On this day, you can visit Cua Van, a small fishing village, swim in the bay, and visit Me Cung Cave. We were transferred to another smaller boat, where we took turns jumping off the boat into the water, ate some great food, and saw some giant jellyfish while swimming in the bay. At the end of the day, you rejoin the big cruise ship and once again visit Ti Top Island. Instead of hiking to the top again this day, we just enjoyed beers and hung out at the beach.

After you reboard, you can attend a little cooking class where you learn how to make spring rolls, which was fun and tasty! They offered this on both nights when we were there, and we happily took part. There’s also some opportunities to try some squid fishing on our cruise. Never saw anyone catch anything. But it was kind of fun to throw the bait out there and have a beer.

Day 3

After recharging with a delicious breakfast, our cruise continues to Sung Sot (Surprise) Cave, which is the most beautiful and primitive cave of Halong. Spend approximately 1 hour there before returning to the vessel for packing up and finally departing. We arranged with our cruise company to take us to one of our favorite spots in Vietnam: Ninh Binh.

What’s included and what’s not

• All meals were included in the cost of the cruise and were quite good and filling. 
• Alcoholic beverages were available for purchase and were a fun way to relax at the end of the evening. 
• Morning Tai Chi was also available on the sundeck, but we chose to sleep in ; )
• Guests who booked the 2 day cruise missed out on Cua Van fishing village, swimming in the bay, and Me Cung Cave. 

Getting There

Generally, people start off in Hanoi and shuttle to Halong Bay (approximately 2.5-3 hours), which you can usually arrange directly through a Halong Bay cruise company. And if your cruise does not provide transportation, no worries! Because there are plenty of other options.

Aside from arranging transportation with the cruise company, you can hire a private driver, a shared van, or a shared bus.

Final Tips

• Ti Top Island is very popular and can get quite crowded, particularly during peak seasons from December-January. We went in November, which was still quite crowded, but probably a little better. While going off season may seem appealing to avoid the crowds, we wouldn’t recommend veering too far off since July to September is their rainy season. 
• We also think it’s good to note that Ti Top Island is a popular spot for large organized tour groups who maybe aren’t used to seeing many westerners. When we were there, we were traveling with my sister who has very fair skin and hair and became somewhat of a tourist attraction for the other tourists. We just thought it was kind of funny, but the attention may be unwanted or uncomfortable for some people.  
• Going multiple days also gave us a chance to see the bay with different weather. You’ll see in our pictures we had some really sunny times and some hazier, foggier days. The difference in colors and mood of the bay is astounding, so stack the odds in your favor and spend more time there.