Halong Bay itinerary, day by day

Thousands of limestone islets rising out of a green sea: a junk cruise, caves and kayaks, then the quieter waters of Lan Ha Bay, with the map, what is worth booking, everything that costs nothing, and where to sleep at three budgets.

🗓️ 2 or 3 days📍 2 stops☀️ Best time: October to April

Baie d'Halong · Photo Haneul Trac / Pexels

Route map (numbers = order of the stops).

Halong Bay in 2 days

2 stops · 9 things to do · Boat & ferry

1Halong Bay cruise

Days 1-2

Roughly 1,600 limestone islands and islets, UNESCO-listed since 1994. The classic way to see them is a night aboard a junk, anchored among the towers.

🎟️ Worth booking

Two-day, one-night junk cruise2 days · from €150
A day threading between the karst towers, with a cave, a kayak outing and a night on board, which is the only way to see the bay quiet at first light.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The karst towers · Surprise Cave (Sung Sot) · Kayaking between the islets · The floating fishing villages

🛏️ Where to sleep · Mid-range: Orchid Trendy Cruise (5★) (€145 a night) · Luxury: Paradise Elegance (€260 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Nhà Hàng Hải Sản Đại Dương Vàng 9999 LUXURY (Hải sản Ngon) ★ 4.9 · 2028 reviews

Photo Luke Hayden / Pexels

⛴️ Boat · 1h · to Cat Ba

2Cat Ba Island and Lan Ha Bay

Day 3

The largest island in the area, much of it a national park, and Lan Ha Bay just offshore: the same scenery as Halong, with fewer boats.

🎟️ Worth booking

Boat trip into Lan Ha BayHalf day · from €35
A half-day among the towers, small beaches and fishing villages of the bay next door, away from the crowds.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Cat Ba National Park · The Cat Co beaches · Lan Ha Bay

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Woodstock Beach Camp (€20 a night) · Mid-range: Hung Long Harbour Hotel (€50 a night) · Luxury: Cat Ba Paradise Hotel (€55 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Bamboo Bistro 1 ★ 5 · 663 reviews
The One Indian Halong Restaurant ★ 5 · 363 reviews
Đức Anh Restaurant ★ 5 · 363 reviews
Tam Vegetarian Hidden Restaurant ★ 5 · 191 reviews
Lan Happy Restaurant ★ 5 · 146 reviews

Photo Pexels

Halong Bay in 3 days

2 stops · 9 things to do · Boat & ferry

1Halong Bay cruise

Days 1-2

Roughly 1,600 limestone islands and islets, UNESCO-listed since 1994. The classic way to see them is a night aboard a junk, anchored among the towers.

🎟️ Worth booking

Two-day, one-night junk cruise2 days · from €150
A day threading between the karst towers, with a cave, a kayak outing and a night on board, which is the only way to see the bay quiet at first light.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The karst towers · Surprise Cave (Sung Sot) · Kayaking between the islets · The floating fishing villages

🛏️ Where to sleep · Mid-range: Orchid Trendy Cruise (5★) (€145 a night) · Luxury: Paradise Elegance (€260 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Nhà Hàng Hải Sản Đại Dương Vàng 9999 LUXURY (Hải sản Ngon) ★ 4.9 · 2028 reviews

Photo Luke Hayden / Pexels

⛴️ Boat · 1h · to Cat Ba

2Cat Ba Island and Lan Ha Bay

Day 3

The largest island in the area, much of it a national park, and Lan Ha Bay just offshore: the same scenery as Halong, with fewer boats.

🎟️ Worth booking

Boat trip into Lan Ha BayHalf day · from €35
A half-day among the towers, small beaches and fishing villages of the bay next door, away from the crowds.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Cat Ba National Park · The Cat Co beaches · Lan Ha Bay

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Woodstock Beach Camp (€20 a night) · Mid-range: Hung Long Harbour Hotel (€50 a night) · Luxury: Cat Ba Paradise Hotel (€55 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Pexels

Hotel prices are per room per night, activity prices per person, checked when written. Some links are affiliate links (Booking, GetYourGuide): we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

Take this itinerary with you

The free printable Halong Bay guide: map, stops day by day, hotels by budget. Works offline.

📥 Get the free guide

Good to know before you go

🍽️ What to eat

Cha muc: Halong squid cakes, pounded by hand and fried until golden.
Seafood fresh from the fish farms of Cat Ba: clams, crab and steamed fish.
Pho: noodle soup with beef or chicken, eaten at breakfast.
Bun cha: grilled pork, cold noodles and a bowl of herbs, the Hanoi lunch before or after the bay.
Banh mi: a baguette filled with pork, pate and pickles.
Coffee beaten with egg yolk, or iced over condensed milk.

⚠️ What to avoid

Very cheap cruises cut corners on boats, food and safety: read recent reviews before you book.
Agree the price first, every time: taxi, boat, market stall.
Use Grab, or Mai Linh and Vinasun, rather than an unmarked taxi.
Do not drink the tap water, and keep small notes: change is often short.

Plan this trip

📒 The free printable Halong Bay guide→ 🗓️ Best time to visit Halong Bay, month by month→ 🎟️ What to book before you go→

Similar itineraries

Phuket and the southern islands itinerary→Japan itinerary→Thailand itinerary→Vietnam itinerary→Indonesia itinerary→Sri Lanka itinerary→