Day cruises from Hanoi
4.9/5
6,325 reviews on GetYourGuide
The best-rated of the big Ha Long day trips, at 4.9 from more than 6,300 reviews, and the one that lets you choose your boat: a standard boat with a set-menu lunch, or a luxury boat with a buffet and a jacuzzi on the same route. From €37.22 (GetYourGuide, 15 Nov 2026).
Starts inHanoi Old Quarter
Both boats follow the same itinerary; what you pay for is the lunch and the deck. The standard boat serves a Vietnamese set menu and an afternoon tea with local wine, biscuits, fries and fruit. The luxury boat serves a buffet and has a jacuzzi, with juice, cake and fruit in the afternoon.
From Hanoi, the bus collects you from Old Quarter hotels between 07:30 and 08:15 (from a nearby meeting point if your street is too narrow), with a last pick-up at 160 Tran Quang Khai Street for anyone staying outside the quarter. It takes the expressway with a rest stop, and if time allows, visits a pearl farm before you board at Tuan Chau Marina.
The boat passes the Fighting Cocks islet, the bay’s best-known symbol, on the way to Sung Sot Cave, the largest cave in the bay: about 40 to 60 minutes of walking, including stairs. At Luon Cave you choose a two-person kayak or a bamboo boat for 10 to 12, and at Ti Top you swim or climb to the top for the panorama. Boats are not allowed to anchor at Ti Top, so yours drops you and returns at a set time.
Guests who start in Ha Long are back at Tuan Chau at about 18:00; from Hanoi you are back in the city between 20:30 and 21:00, depending on traffic.
Our summary of the reviews GetYourGuide shows on the product page.
Worth knowing: Reviewers note the famous stops are busy
07:30Hanoi Old Quarter
Pick-up 07:30 to 08:15; last pick-up 160 Tran Quang Khai at 08:00 to 08:10.
Pearl farm
If time allows.
11:30Tuan Chau Marina
Board; set-menu or buffet lunch, depending on the boat.
Sung Sot Cave
About 40 to 60 minutes on foot, with stairs.
Luon Cave
Kayak or bamboo boat, about 35 minutes.
Ti Top Island
Swim or climb, about 50 minutes.
18:00Tuan Chau Marina
Back at the harbour.
20:30Hanoi
Back in the city 20:30 to 21:00.
It has the highest rating of the Ha Long day cruises with thousands of reviews, and the boat choice is clear and honest about what changes. The classic day cruise is a few euros cheaper on a similar route; the Amethyst day cruise is a single, named luxury boat with a big jacuzzi.
Checked against the GetYourGuide listing on 15 November 2026. Prices and options change: the calendar shows the current ones.
The listing says the cave visit is about 40 to 60 minutes of walking, including stairs, and that guests with limited mobility can stay on the boat.
What to do. Wear shoes with grip; the boat is an easy place to wait if steps are hard for you.
The route is the same. The luxury boat has a buffet lunch and a jacuzzi; the standard boat serves a Vietnamese set menu.
Yes, in a reusable bottle. Drinks on board are paid for, and the listing says there is no refill point on the boat.
Between about 20:30 and 21:00, depending on traffic.
The best-selling day cruise: Sung Sot Cave, Luon Cave kayaking and Ti Top, with Hanoi pick-up.
Departs from Hanoi Old Quarter · About 13 hours
✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
The Amethyst luxury day boat, with a jacuzzi for 20.
Departs from Ha Long cruise port · 6 hours on the bay
✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
The classic route at the lowest price, on a deluxe or luxury boat; tagged wheelchair accessible.
Departs from Hanoi Old Quarter · About 13 hours
✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Sources: getyourguide.com. Checked November 2026. Photos: GetYourGuide.