Things to do on Halong Bay Vietnam

Ha Long Holiday Weather today

Date/time of update: October 14, 2025, 12:06 am, Timezone: GMT+7
Overcast Clouds

Temperature: 26.22°C
Temperature feels like: 26.22°C
Minimum Temperature: 26.22°C
Maximum Temperature: 26.22°C
Atmospheric pressure: 1011hPa
Humidity:88%
Visibility: 10000m
Wind speed: 2.76m/sec
Wind Direction: 44 degrees
Cloudiness: 88%
Sunrise: 2025-10-13 10:46:28
Sunset: 2025-10-14 10:28:40

Halong Bay is certainly the most famed tourist attraction in Vietnam and among the top must-sees of for all foreign visitors to the country.

Travel Guide to Things to do on Halong Bay Vietnam

With the newly completed Van Don Airport, traveling to Halong Bay from within Vietnam and from overseas destinations is getting more and more convenient. Van Don Airport is 60km from Halong Bay and the road trip takes less than 1 hour; Hanoi is 3 hours from Halong Bay via the Expressway.

Let’s find out what to do in Halong Bay to get the most out of your trip from this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

1/ Boat cruises on Halong Bay

1.1 1-day boat tour on Halong Bay

If you have only 1 day, then it is possible to day trip to the bay from Hanoi. You’ll have 4-5 hours cruising on the emerald water of the bay littered with 3,000 islands. On the cruise you can visit a cave and have some brief time on a beach. A sumptuous seafood on board the boat should be be missed.

Sail boats at the Bo Nau Cave in Halong Bay Vietnam

1.2 2-day boat tour on Halong Bay

Embark on an overnight luxury boat cruise to explore the Dragon Bay. A typical cruise would bring you to the most popular attractions on the bay: visiting a cave, relaxing on a beach, climbing on the Ti Tov Mountain for panoramic photos of the bay at sunset, visiting a lagoon and a fishing community inhabiting on the waters of the bay. Most cruise would include cooking demonstrations and a Taichi lesson.

1.3 3-day boat tour on Halong Bay

The itinerary is similar to that for a 2-day cruise. The difference is that on the 2nd day, you’ll embark on a day boat to visit less visited area of Halong Bay. You’ll have time kayaking in the peaceful area of the bay that is not seen by most travelers.

2/ Kayaking on Halong Bay

This is not automatically included on a day boat trip or an overnight. But you can request this as an addition to your cruise package. In the case you have a private boat, then it should be easy to rent kayaks from an agency on the bay, in the cruise area. For more enthusiastic travelers, you can charter a boat and kayak from site to site out there on the bay.

3/ Beach vacations on Halong Bay

Most people do not go to Halong Bay for beach holidays, but you certainly can do it though. There is no beach resort in Halong City, but there are a few on the Tuan Chau Island. The service may not be outstanding, but it is good enough and your time should be relaxing.

4/ Rock-climbing on Halong Bay

This is rare as the service doesn’t get enough clients, but it is possible to arrange your trip though. May you be reminded that it is a really dangerous activity and you must have good experience as well as excellent fitness. Use your experience to test the safety and professionalism of your tour operator before committing to anything.