Planning a trip to Halong but still hasn’t decided where to go yet? You should surely know that there are a bunch of great things to do in Halong apart from cruising. From beautiful sightseeing spots to mighty mountain ranges, modern amusement complex, and traditional pagodas, Halong has it all. Thus, the article below will suggest several interesting itineraries for 2 days exploring the best parts of Halong.
This mini itinerary will give you plenty to see and do in four days around Northern Vietnam. Take in the historic charm of Hanoi before seeing the spectacular limestone karsts of Halong Bay and Ninh Binh.
There’s so much to see and do in Halong Bay. To make your trip a bit easier, we’ve compiled three different 3-day itineraries for a trip to Halong Bay.
If you’ve got 5 days to explore Northern Vietnam and you’re not quite sure what to do, we’ve got your back. This itinerary will take you from the ancient streets of Hanoi to the towering mountains of Halong Bay to come to an end in the hills and mountains of Sapa.
You could easily spend a week in Hanoi and Halong bay without feeling bored. However, for most people with limited time, a few days would be good. For example, a 3 days in Hanoi and 2 days in Halong bay itinerary would cover most of both destinations.
Seafood & Specialty
Restaurants
Accessibility to
Halong Bay Area
Halong Bay
Best natural attractions
HALONG BAY
Very diverse natural landscape, long sandy beach, thousand-year-old-lime karst.
Let's experience!
Halong Bay covers nearly 1900 islets of different size, some very large such as Thien Cung Cave or Surprise Cave, others as small as a few meters wide. Discover what you will see as you make your way to this natural wonder.
Beaches
Hong Van beach is an ideal destination for visitors looking to partake in fun beach and water activities. Surfing and snorkeling are possibilities at Co To and come highly recommended as the sea is beautifully clear and clean.
It’s a small beach shaped like a crescent which breathes a quiet and tranquil atmosphere. Its crystal-clear water makes it a wonderful place to relax. The beautiful white sand, clear water combined with a small surf makes it perfect for water based activities like swimming and snorkeling. There’s currently a bar on the island where you can rent all kinds of swimming gear. After a nice refreshing swim, be sure to enjoy the local seafood in the splendid sunshine!
Vung Ha (Vụng Hà) beach is located on one of the bigger islands in Halong Bay. It is located between Crescent Island and the Vung Vieng fishing village. It’s in one of the main locations of Halong Bay and lies about 18 miles (30 kilometers) east of Halong City. Today Vung Ha Beach functions as a stopover for many of the cruise ships visiting the Vung Vieng fishing village.
The beach on Soi Sim island is a small white shaped as a long crescent. It’s about 7.5 miles (12 kilometers) to the west of Halong city. It has a very old forest which contains plant and animal species only found in Halong bay.
Translated into English ‘Ba Trai Dao’ means ‘Three Peaches’; the beaches on Ba Trai Dao islet are certainly a sight for sore eyes. Located about 14 miles (23 kilometers) from Bai Chay Tourist Wharf, the beach is crescent shaped. Visiting the beach must be carefully planned as it’s only accessible for 3 hours a day maximum due to the tides.
The beach on Tuan Chau Island is a 2 mile (3 kilometers) long artificial beach. It’s located about 5 miles (8 kilometers) from Halong city. The sand on the beach is wonderfully white and has a silky smoothness to it.
CAVES
Another name for this magnificent cave is the Golden Turtle Cave. Located on the Dam Nam Island, the cave runs from north to south over 100 meters with the Dam Bac Islet on one end and the Soi Sim one on the other. The cave is approximately 5 to 10 meters in width, making it quite narrow, and 187 meters in height
Dau Go Cave or “Wooden Head" or "Wooden Stakes", is on Dau Go Island and is the biggest cave in the Halong area. Dau Go is quite far from Bai Chay Tourist Wharf at around 7 km, and 3.5 km from Tuan Chau Marina.
Located about 2 kilometers southwest of Ti Top beach, this cave can be found on Lom Bo island. This cave is believed to be one of the oldest caves in Halong Bay with archaeological evidence of life dating back 7000 to 10000 years ago. The cave is about 25 meters high on top of the island and about 100 meters long.
Thien Cung Cave is in the south-west of Halong Bay. The story of this cave is an interesting one as, until 1993, it had been a place of myth.
This cave is also known as the three-palace cave and is found in the middle of Halong Bay, around 5 kilometers from Sung Sot Cave. The cave is located on the luxurious island of May Den. An island known for its amazingly beautiful vertical cliffs and lush forests. As it’s alternative name suggests, the cave is split into 3 different parts. In the first part of the cave, the sounds heard can be mesmerizing. The way the wind flows through the cave and echoes of the rocks gives the sound it makes
Sat at the edge of Halong Bay, Dark & Light Cave can be found in Lan Ha Bay. Lan Ha Bay is a few kilometers away from the more frequently visited caves and closer to Cat Ba National Park, so it may take an hour or two to get here from other caves. Once you arrive, a dazzling combination of white limestone karsts, emerald green waters and the dark mystery of the caves create a wonderful atmosphere making this a trip worth taking.
ISLANDS
Cong Tay Island is just a 30-minute trip away from Bai Chay Tourist Wharf by speedboat. As it’s not as well-known as other islands in Halong Bay, Cong Tay offers undisturbed beaches that are perfect for a few days of relaxation.
The island of Bo Hon lies in the middle of the Halong Bay area. It would take about an hour and a half to get to if you depart from Bai Chay beach. Bo Hon is considered to be one of the most splendid and biggest islands in the bay but it’s actually a group of islets that are linked together. High cliffs and lush rain-forest give this island a regal quality.
The Vang Island is home to great natural beauty and tranquil landscapes. Around 95% of the island is made up of mountains and hills with the highest point reaching approximately 184 meters above sea level. Don’t forget to take your hiking boots if you’re feeling up to it!
Ngoc Vung Island translates to ‘Luminescent Pearl Island’ in English. The island earned its name as, according to local tales, a rare and cherished species of pearl was once found in the waters surrounding Ngoc Vung Island. As the tale goes, at one point the number of pearl oysters were so many that the seas were lit up by the light of the pearls.
Dau Be Island is well-known for being the home of the famous beauty spot Ba Ham Lake. Ba Ham Lake is a stunning natural occurrence made of three hidden lakes connected by a long cave. Throughout the cave, there are stalactites decorating the ceilings. These impressive rock formations along with the strange natural landscape of this place, attract many visitors to Dau Be Island year-round.
Hon Co Island is in the Cong Do area of Bai Tu Long Bay. Hon Co is often known as Grass Island, due to the abundance of lush thick grass that grows there. The island is not yet well-known amongst tourists so it remains a relatively untouched gem in Halong Bay.
ISLETS
Trong Mai Islet is found in the Southwest of Halong Bay close to Dinh Huong Islet, around 3 miles (5 kilometers) from Bai Chay Tourist Wharf. This recognizable islet takes the form of two chickens: a rooster and a hen, said to be kissing. The islet stands at about 30 feet (10 meters) above sea level, and according to those with a more romantic outlook, the two chickens have stood by each other for thousands of years, representing the steadiness of faithful love.
Dau Nguoi Islet is found in the southern part of the Bo Hon Island range around 13 kilometers boat trip from Bai Chay Tourist Wharf and near two famous caves in Halong bay: Sung Sot, and Luon. Dan Nguoi is also close to Titop Island. Standing at about 23 meters tall and famous for strongly resembling a human head - when viewed from the side, Dau Nguoi has a clear human profile, complete with a large nose, lips and pointy chin!
Yen Ngua Islet is famous for its saddle-shaped silhouette rising out of the water. It’s found right at the very heart of Halong Bay and at its highest point, Yen Ngua sits about 10 meters above sea level. Though it appears to be made from two stones, a larger and a smaller one, Yen Ngua is actually connected in the middle, forming a kind of tunnel that small boats can go through to get a different perspective!
While in Bai Tu Long Bay, visitors with a keen eye may spot the Thien Nga Islet. Thien Nga Islet is one of Halong Bay’s rock islands and it appears to take the shape of a graceful swan. Thien Nga means ‘swan’ in English! This islet is located next to the Cong Tay and Cong Do islands. It’s a wonderful, natural rock formation made up of three large rocks, one forming the body of a swan, and the other two forming the neck and head. Thien Nga is roughly 15 meters above sea level.
Cho Da Islet, known in English as the Stone Dog Islet, is found in the west of Halong Bay, close to Dau Go Cave and Thien Cung Cave, about 30 minutes away from the mainland. Standing 26 feet (8 meters) tall Cho Da’s shape is commonly interpreted to be that of a dog, sat with its back to the sea, acting as a giant guard dog.
But Islet is named as such because its tall, long form looks like that on a pen! Unsurprisingly ‘cây bút’ means ‘pen’ in Vietnamese. This pen-shaped islet is found just a short boat ride away from Cat Ba Island and about 30 minutes from Con Coc Islet.
OTHER POINTS
Covering a vast area of over 17,000 ha including land and inshore water, Cat Ba National Park is a not-to-miss tourist destination for travelers to Cat Ba Island. The UNESCO-recognized world biosphere reserve encompasses a wealth of lush tropical forests, mangrove forests, limestone forests, wetlands, and coral reef systems. The ecosystem is also extremely diverse here with more 2,300 fauna and flora species and 65 golden-headed langurs and other endangered species.
The Lake is surrounded by towering mountains and is so secluded that it may only be reached by kayak or Vietnamese sampan boat. Sailing through the tunnels that connect Ba Ham, visitors can almost touch the waterfalls of stalactites hanging from the 4-meter tall ceilings.
Isolated from the mainland, the Cong Dam area is a destination not a lot of tourists get to visit. The area is unspoiled, clean and remains relatively undeveloped. Because of its natural and unspoiled splendor the area is often referred to as a ‘geological outdoor museum’. The Cong Dam area has stood the test of time and has been preserved in its present form for almost 340 million years.
Cua Van is the biggest of the four floating villages that are found in Halong Bay, with a population of more than 600 people. The village can be found around 12 miles (20 kilometers) away from Bai Chay Tourist Wharf and has become something of a tourist attraction in its own right, attracting many visitors who wish to see what life is like floating in Halong Bay.
About 32 miles (50 kilometers) out of Halong Bay, you find one of the most profoundly beautiful and important mountains in Vietnam: Yen Tu Mountain, which has been a center of Buddhist teachings since at least the 13th century.
Not so much a mountain as a hill, Bai Tho Mountain is only 650 feet (200 meters) high. This makes the mountain easy to climb and to get to the top should not take more than 30 minutes. Once you reach the top you will be rewarded with a splendid view of the Bay and of Halong City. It is said that here is where you’ll truly understand why it’s called Halong or in English: Descending Dragon.