Private Ha Long bay day trip(From Hanoi city or Halong harbour)
Recommended by 100% of travelers
Hanoi, Vietnam
- 8 to 11 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Travelers who don’t have time for an overnight cruise on Halong Bay will love this private day tour option. Departing Hanoi early in the morning, you’ll make the most of your limited time with a cruise on a traditional-style boat, a seafood lunch, and a tour of the incredible Thien Cung Grotto. Kayak or take a bamboo boat tour around a floating village to learn more about Vietnamese life.
- This private tour is customizable to suit your needs
- Includes all entry fees and tickets
- The tour lasts up to 11 hours; return to Hanoi in the evening
- Ideal for first-time visitors to Vietnam or Hanoi
What's Included
- Licenced English speaking tourguide (At least 5 years experience)
- Vietnamese food on boat
- Entrance and Sightseeing Fees. Cave tickets, Kayaking or bamboo boat.
- Private Cruise(Option 1) or Share Cruise with others if you choice option 2 and option 3..
- Private transfer between Hanoi and Halong bay for opt 1 and opt 3. Not included transfer for option2
- Note: If you choice the option "Share tour pickup harbor", it will NOT INCLUDED transfer from Hanoi
- Beverages
- Tips and Personal Expenses
- All other services not mentioned above
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
- We pick up at any Hotel in Hanoi. If you are stay at other cities, please let us know and the fee to pick up is required. - We also provide airport pick-up and drop-off services at airports such as Hanoi Airport or Cat Bi Airport in Hai Phong. However, an additional surcharge will apply for this service.
Itinerary
1
Halong Bay
4 hours • Admission Ticket Included
2
Dong Thien Cung
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
3
Dau Go Cave
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
4
Ba Hang
40 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Hon Ga Choi Island (Pass By)
Hon Dinh Huong Island (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Infant seats available
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
rohanrk
We had an absolutely fantastic day trip to Ha Long Bay. The scenery was breathtaking — limestone karsts, emerald waters, and peaceful surroundings that truly live up to Ha Long Bay’s reputation as a natural wonder. The entire tour was well organized, comfortable, and perfectly paced, allowing us to enjoy the cruise, activities, and sightseeing without feeling rushed.
A special mention goes to our tour guide, Mr. Johnny, who made the experience even more memorable. He was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and professional. His explanations about the history, culture, and geology of Ha Long Bay were very informative, and he was always kind, accommodating, and attentive to everyone’s needs. He ensured the group felt comfortable and genuinely cared about making the trip enjoyable for all.
Overall, this was a wonderful experience and highly recommended. If you’re visiting Ha Long Bay, you’re in great hands with Mr. Johnny and this tour — truly a memorable day!
Reviews
5.0
based on 696 reviews
Sherwin_G, Mar 2026
Very nice experience with our guide and driver! Quite knowledgeable about Vietnam history and details about our excursion.
Amisha_K, Feb 2026
Lovely trip & well executed. The boat was a good size for our small group & also very comfortable. Lunch on the boat was also good. Cruising through the bay was beautiful. Amazing to see all the rock formations. The drive to Ha Long bay was long though.
Gita_s, Jan 2026
Ha Long Bay is a must-visit!!!!! We also visited the pearl and the souvenir shops. Such a great day. Our guide, Peter, was also great!
Ford_F, Jan 2026
We visited Halong bay and had a tour guided by guide David through caves, the chance to kayak through the bay, and a huge lunch of seafood. The drive was smooth, we were well taken care of, and our guide was very knowledgeable. We had the chance to chat about other places to visit during our trip and David had a ton of suggestions not just in Halong bay and Hanoi. Great experience and was a highlight of our trip!
rohanrk, Dec 2025
We had an absolutely fantastic day trip to Ha Long Bay. The scenery was breathtaking — limestone karsts, emerald waters, and peaceful surroundings that truly live up to Ha Long Bay’s reputation as a natural wonder. The entire tour was well organized, comfortable, and perfectly paced, allowing us to enjoy the cruise, activities, and sightseeing without feeling rushed.
A special mention goes to our tour guide, Mr. Johnny, who made the experience even more memorable. He was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and professional. His explanations about the history, culture, and geology of Ha Long Bay were very informative, and he was always kind, accommodating, and attentive to everyone’s needs. He ensured the group felt comfortable and genuinely cared about making the trip enjoyable for all.
Overall, this was a wonderful experience and highly recommended. If you’re visiting Ha Long Bay, you’re in great hands with Mr. Johnny and this tour — truly a memorable day!
StenOve_D, Dec 2025
Upon arrival at the port, our driver seamlessly handed us over to the cruise staff. The boat was immaculate, and the crew provided a warm welcome and exceptional service throughout our time on the bay. The scenery, of course, is breathtaking—those iconic limestone karsts rising from the emerald water are a sight to behold.
We indulged in a delicious multi-course seafood lunch (with great vegetarian options!), which was a highlight in itself. We enjoyed activities like kayaking through caves and relaxing on the sundeck. The guide on board was knowledgeable and shared fascinating stories about the area. The personalized attention and smaller group size made the experience feel exclusive and tailored to our preferences.
chris_s, Dec 2025
We were staying in Hanoi for only two days and really wanted to visit Ha Long Bay. This private tour was perfect for our trip. The hotel pick up and drop off was very convenient because we were staying outside of old quarter. Our guide Johnny was very knowledgeable and explained many history not only about Ha Long bay but also about Hanoi and Vietnam. We took the morning cruise and it was definitely worth going on the cruise in the morning because most of the tourist groups come in the afternoon and you might have to wait a very long time to go through different caves. We had a really great time enjoying the cruise and exploring the caves to ourselves and it was definitely worth the price. Highly recommend!
Vidya_M, Dec 2025
A day out on Hu Long Bay is an excellent addition to our holiday. The whole experience was made memorable by our lovely tour guide, Minh. He was knowledgable, took care of everything and made sure we had a wonderful time. The lunch provided on the boat was really tasty and freshly prepared. Couldn’t fault any of it and would recommend it highly to everybody.
Spiros_P, Nov 2025
The tour was excellent beginning to end, especially because of Hien’s hospitality and professionalism. We had limited time to see Ha Long Bay, but everything was organized and executed with precision, from pickup in Hanoi, to the return to our hotel on time.
Hien continually enhanced our comfort and ensured we experienced all we could in our short amount of time.
Highly recommend Hien and his company.
jpq, Nov 2025
If you’re based in Hanoi and want to see Halong Bay but don’t want to sleep over this is a great way of seeing everything. Lee was our tour guide. Great English and very accomodating to our group. The bus was huge and brand new. Driver was great and patient. The private boat was a ship and amazing. The on board food was fantastic and more than enough. We the. Visited all the sites we wanted to see and we were back in Hanoi at the hotel by 6pm. Fantastic. Book this tour. Can’t fault it.
Petr_V, Nov 2025
We booked a private tour and had a guide and the entire boat all to ourselves. The journey from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay was a bit longer, but it was definitely worth it. Everything went very smoothly and we were lucky with beautiful weather and a clear blue sky.
We first arrived in the Ha Long Bay area and enjoyed the stunning panoramic views. During the cruise, lunch was served, featuring a selection of local dishes and it was delicious!
After that, we switched to kayaks and paddled between the limestone cliffs and through caves. It was an amazing experience and I highly recommend it! We then made a stop at the Dong Thien Cung caves before heading back.
Everything went perfectly. Our guide spoke very good English and we truly enjoyed the entire trip. 👌🏼
Benedicto_L, Nov 2025
Best time of our lives. Definitely a bucket lister. The islets are beautiful. Thanks to Hein on our private tour!
Garrett_D, Oct 2025
Wonderful private tour of Ha Long Bay for my friend and I from Hien. I’ve wanted to visit for years and he helped make our day feel very special. He was very thorough with his explanation of history, we never felt lost or confused, and his kindness and friendliness makes him a wonderful addition to your memories made in Ha Long Bay.
Michele_L, Jul 2025
Really beautiful experience and such a lovely morning. Am so grateful to the captain and crew of the ship and to my guide Hien. Knowledgeable and friendly with helpful advice for the day and for other activities!
gswedel, Jul 2025
This was an amazing experience for me, my daughter-in- law and 5 year granddaughter. From the start… our driver Bing and wonderful guide Hien picked us in a beautiful, clean and comfortable SUV. We didn’t know in advance but we made a stop at a pearl farm. We watched and learned exactly how pearls are made by injecting a piece of shell. Very interesting, great presentation, and wonderful surprise! When we arrived at the Ha Long pier, we waited just a few minutes to board our boat to cruise Ha Long . It was hot, but a beautiful day. Our boat was clean and the crew was friendly. After cruising for a while, we stopped to take a sampan through two caves and into two different lagoons. Our rower had a beautiful voice and sang to us as we entered the caves. She also took some amazing photos of us. After the sampan we enjoyed a nice seafood lunch. We cruised some more and then stopped to explore Heavenly Dragon cave before heading back to the pier. It was a perfect day made special by our friendly and knowledgeable guide, Hien. Highly recommend!!
Jalal_A, Jun 2025
The journey to the Bay was well taken care. The guide told us the history of Vietnam that were new to us. Full of fascinating stories and facts . The driver drive us safely and comfortably. . Lunch was delicious and the scenery was perfect. A tour that you must do.
Don_M, Apr 2025
This was a fantastic experience. Hien was so friendly and knowledgeable making our trip a fantastic one. I would recommend this to all.
Liam_W, Apr 2025
This was a nice slow paced trip. Our guide Ha collected us from our hotel at the agreed time in the morning. The car was nice and comfortable and our driver Binh was good. We stopped at a pearl production facility on the way, where we were able to use the rest rooms and buy a coffee. You could obviously buy pearls too. The boat was quiet, only a few other people on board. We were given way too much food, but it was tasty. Drinks were reasonably priced and the crew were very nice. The bay is absolutely beautiful and clean despite what we’d been told by other travellers. It wasn’t too busy either. We stopped to kayak, which was so peaceful and relaxing. Then visited the cave, which Ha told us all about and pointed out various characters / animals in the rocks. Then a gentle trip back on the boat with some watermelon and tea. 100% recommended, especially if you don’t want to travel in a big group. Ha was a great guide, spoke very good English and was fun and engaging the whole time.
Ritsuko_M, Apr 2025
We had an excellent time taking a day trip from Hanoi - Hien did a great job explaining everything. Great natural beauty and stunning caves. The pickup from hotel, ride to Ha Long and the boat ride was flawless
Houwen_L, Apr 2025
Fun private tour of Ha Long Bay from Hanoi.
Pick up and drop off at the hotel. Great guide and driver. Had a whole boat to ourselves with lunch.
If you are short on time and don’t want to do an overnight cruise, this was the perfect tour.
Paul_B, Apr 2025
We had a great trip to Ha Long Bay with Emma. The weather could have been better but apart from that everything went very smoothly and we had a great time. Emma was very friendly and knowledgeable and helped to make the experience a really unforgettable one!
Connie_M, Apr 2025
We did the private tour and it was so worth it.
Everything from beginning to end went smoothly. Tony our guide was exceptional and knowledgeable and HaLong Bay was very pretty to see.
Highly recommended.
jaisimha_i, Apr 2025
Nam was an amazing guide. He was kind, knowledgeable, smart and took very good care of me and my wife. The private cruise and the bamboo boat experience leaves one with unforgettable memories. Strongly recommend the tour
Mike_v, Mar 2025
All we wanted we got: a private transfer to Halong Bay and a cruise. As we booked the private tour option, we had the ship for our own.
Food was great on the boat (way too much for 2 persons) but outside the tour company. It is prepared by the ship owner.
The tourguide was ok, we figured out she is doing mainly group tours and not really set for private tours. The details were missing, sometimes there were misunderstandings due to the languague barrier. Several jokes she made can be done on a group, but when you are not familiar with the EN-languague - just donˋt do it.
The stop at the pearl farm was completely for nothing (we did not want it, but the tourguide mentioned that the driver needs to have a rest).
Time-wise: it is exactly the schedule for the group tour. As you are always faster on a private tour, the boat was floating on minimum speed just to waste the time (and weˋre not getting back too early). There should be a difference in between the group tour and the private option.
Based on the price we paid it was ok for European Standard and not to discuss. As I started with the review: we got what we wanted.
But if you have more expectations - maybe just book the group tour.
Vera_L, Feb 2025
The tour was very nice, beautiful scenery, only me and my husband, it was amazing
The seafood lunch was very delicious. The tour guide Ha was very nice, friendly and knowledgeable
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Dear Vera,
Thank you so much for your fantastic review.
Your feedback is incredibly valuable to us, and it motivates us to continue improving every day. Ha was delighted to read your review. Our goal is always to provide exceptional services to our customers who put their trust in us.
We would be honored to welcome you and your friends back to Vietnam again in the future.
Best wishes to you.
Janice_M, Jan 2025
No issues meeting up with our guide. Our guide, Angela, spoke very good English and was so knowledgeable. She was sweet and kind as well.
It was a very comfortable, clean boat with restrooms. The tour took us to a beautiful cave where we walked through with Angela. It was amazing! We then had the choice of kayaking or taking a wooden boat tour around beautiful grottoes. Both fun options!
We slowly made our way back, and had several rock formations pointed out to us. A delicious Vietnamese lunch was then served.
Alcohol beverages were available for purchase.
It was a wonderful day! Highly recommend this tour. You will be well taken care of, and totally delighted!
Thank you Angela!
Bryant_L, Jan 2025
Incredible private Tour. Picked us up at our Airbnb and had a wonderful trip to Ha Long Bay. Our guide Hien, explained the history along the way and our private boat was waiting for us in the Marina. Our meal was excellent, and the kayak trip amazing, finished it off with some cave exploration. It was great to get out of the city for a day. Thank you.!
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Dear Bryant,
Thank you for your kind words and for sharing your incredible experience with us! We’re so happy to hear that you had a wonderful private tour to Ha Long Bay.
It’s fantastic that Hien made your trip special by sharing the history along the way and ensuring a smooth start with your private boat ready at the Marina. We’re glad you enjoyed the excellent meal, kayaking, and cave exploration—truly a perfect way to escape the Ha Long Bay for a day!
We look forward to welcoming you back for more adventures in the future. Thank you once again for choosing us!
Warm regards,
Anonymous, Jan 2025
It was a very nice tour. The scenery is so beautiful and we are amazed by the wonders of nature. Our guide Hien was very nice and professional. He called me the night before to confirm the pick up location. He was waiting for us in the hotel lobby in the morning. Hien did an outstanding job of explaining what to expect, at each point of the tour. Walking through the cave was amazing. The food on the boat was very delicious. The car was very comfortable, our driver Binh was great . We had a wonderful time!
Ethan_P, Dec 2024
Our tour guide Hiem was fantastic. We chose the full private tour and were picked up from our hotel in Hanoi. We headed to the ferry terminal and quickly got on our private boat, which was huge and really comfortable for us. Immediately after setting off we were served a sumptuous array of Vietnamese food which was really delicious.
Throughout the journey we could enjoy the beautiful view of the rock formations of Ha Long Bay. We stopped by Fighting Cock and Incense Burner Islets, then visited Ba Hang floating village (not so much a village anymore, just a platform for big boats to park and for tourists to get on sampans/small boats). We got on a small boat and were brought through two caves to enjoy the brilliant scenery of Dao Go Island. After that, we visited the famous and touristy Thien Cung Cave, and we were given a choice whether to visit the second Dao Go cave. The first cave was already amazing - Hiem gave us a really good explanation of the various rock formations and the different animals / things the rocks looked like. We decided to go to the Dao Go cave and it was even better - there were 0 other tourists in the half an hour we were there, and Dao Go cave was unreal. It was HUGE and had much more impressive rock formations, and we could just take our time to admire them rather than having to care about other people around us. That was the end of the tour, and we headed back to Ha Long city, and were driven back to Hanoi. We really enjoyed the tour and especially the privacy and flexibility we were offered by Hiem. Highly recommend especially for a family or group of friends wanting to see Ha Long Bay!
edgar_g, Dec 2024
The "privacy" of the tour is limited to the car transportation.
Despite what is indicated on your site, the boat was occupied by 42 persons and not max 8 persons .
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thank you for leaving a review on our page.
However, there seems to have been a misunderstanding regarding this matter. You booked the service "Private transportation, private guide, and a shared boat with other guests when visiting Ha Long Bay." While many tourists have chosen this service, no one has requested a maximum of 8 people per boat. Our cruise ship has a capacity of 48 guests, and since you only had 2 people in your group, there was no issue with the boat's capacity.
After you completed your booking, we contacted you to confirm the service details, but you did not inform us that you preferred to join a smaller group (which would incur additional costs). Therefore, we are unable to accommodate the request for the cruise to carry only a maximum of 8 people.
The tour program displayed mentioned an English-speaking guide, but you requested a French-speaking guide. We arranged for an experienced French-speaking guide to accompany you, which we believe was a good-faith effort to meet your needs. However, it seems that this was overlooked.
We have noted the issue and have reached out to you to resolve it.
We hope for your understanding and look forward to welcoming you on your next trip to Vietnam.
Best Regards,
From $159.10
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Private Ha Long bay day trip(From Hanoi city or Halong harbour)
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