“Is Ha Long Bay actually worth it or is it a tourist trap?”

My answer is always kind of the same. Both.

If you come here expecting a silent, empty ocean where you can meditate on the deck of a wooden boat with zero other humans around, you are going to be miserable. The bay is massive, but the number of tourists is also massive. There are hundreds of boats out there. Sometimes there’s plastic in the water. Sometimes the karaoke from the boat next to yours is too loud.

But then the sun starts going down, the water turns this crazy deep green color, and you look up at these massive limestone rocks sticking straight out of the ocean… and you get it. You get why everyone comes here. It looks ridiculous. Like CGI, but real.

I still go back to Ha Long a few times a year. Mostly when visitors are in town, but sometimes just to get out of the city. You just need to know how to filter out the noise. You need to know what to spend your money on and what to completely ignore.

If you are trying to figure out the things to do in HaLong Bay right now in 2026, this is the actual ground reality of what you should do.

Quick answer: The absolute best things to do in HaLong Bay are booking a 2-day Lan Ha Bay cruise to avoid the massive boat crowds, hiking Ti Top Island for the classic view, and eating Cha Muc in Hon Gai. Skip the crowded central routes and exhausting 1-day bus tours to actually enjoy the water.
The Boat Experience
- Book an overnight cruise: Stay 2 days 1 night. It’s the only way to actually see the sunset and sunrise on the water.
- Route choice: Pick Lan Ha Bay or Bai Tu Long. The main Ha Long zone is way too crowded with boats.
- Kayaking: Do it at Luon Cave. Choose a kayak over the bamboo boat so you can explore the lagoon at your own pace.
Local Food & Life
- Eat Cha Muc (Squid Cake): Go to the Hon Gai side. It’s better and cheaper than anything in the tourist zone.
- Market visit: Check out Ha Long 1 Market in the morning for the real local seafood chaos.
Best Views & Activities
- Ti Top Island: Best for photos, but be ready for 400 steep steps and a lot of sweat.
- Tran Quoc Nghien Road: Rent a scooter and drive this coastal road at 5 PM. It’s where the locals hang out.
- Seaplane: Pricey, but the only way to see the scale of the islands from above.
Practical Basics
- Transport: Take a Limousine van from Hanoi (2.5 hours). Skip the local bus.
- Timing: October to December is the best weather. August is risky because of storms.

Short Videos

1. The Overnight Cruise (And why you are probably booking the wrong one)

Sleeping on a boat is obviously number one. It’s the whole point of going to Ha Long. But people mess this up constantly.

The bay is broken up into different management zones. If you walk into a random travel agency in Hanoi and buy the cheapest “Ha Long Bay cruise” they have, they are putting you on Route 1 or Route 2 in the very center of the bay.

You know what that means? Boat traffic jams. Literally dozens of white boats anchored right next to each other.

What you actually want to do is book a cruise that goes to Lan Ha Bay (down south near Cat Ba) or Bai Tu Long Bay (up northeast). The scenery is exactly the same. The limestone karsts are the same. But because they are further away or managed by a different province, there are way fewer boats.

Lan Ha is my favorite right now. The water is generally cleaner, and the tour operators there usually let you jump straight off the back of the boat to swim. In the main Ha Long zone, they are super strict about swimming and only let you do it at designated artificial beaches.

What does it cost?

Please, for your own sanity, do not book a $50 overnight boat. My friend Glacia did that last year. Her air conditioning was broken, the food was just cold cabbage and some fish, and she didn’t sleep a wink.

Expect to pay between 3,000,000 to 5,000,000 VND (about $120 to $200 USD) per person for a decent mid-range boat. It sounds like a lot for Vietnam, but remember this includes your bed, all your meals, and the transport.

2 Days 1 Night is usually the sweet spot. I only recommend the 3-day ones if you are completely exhausted and just want to lie on a deck chair reading a book for 24 hours straight without moving.

Check availability for night cruise

2. Getting out of the tourist bubble for Cha Muc

Most foreigners never leave Bai Chay. Bai Chay is the tourist side of the city. It’s full of massive hotels, seafood places with giant neon signs, and tour bus parking lots. The food there is okay, but it’s totally overpriced.

If you want to do what the locals do, you need to eat Cha Muc (squid cake).

Ha Long is famous all over the country for this. It’s basically fresh squid that they hand-pound with a heavy mortar and pestle until it turns into a sticky paste, then they deep fry it in massive woks of oil. It’s super chewy and salty.

To get the good stuff, take a Grab car across the big bridge to the Hon Gai side. This is where normal people actually live. Tell the driver to drop you off at an alley called Ngo Nha Hat. There’s a spot there called Goc Bang. They’ve been open forever.

Sit down on a plastic chair. You don’t even really need to order, they just look at you and bring out Banh Cuon (steamed rice rolls with minced pork inside) topped with crispy fried shallots, and a side plate of hot squid cakes straight out of the oil. You dip the whole thing in fish sauce. It’s insane. And it costs like 40,000 VND.

Getting out of the tourist bubble for Cha Muc 3 scaled Vietadvisor

Getting out of the tourist bubble for Cha Muc 7 scaled Vietadvisor

If you want to buy some frozen squid cake to take home, go to Ha Long 1 Market. Just be prepared to pay. Real hand-pounded Cha Muc goes for about 400,000 to 550,000 VND per kilo right now. If someone offers it to you for 200,000, it’s mixed with cheap fish and flour. Don’t buy it.

3. The Bai Tho Mountain situation (What nobody tells you)

If you’ve looked up Ha Long Bay on Instagram, you’ve seen the photo. Someone sitting on a jagged rock right over the city, looking straight down at hundreds of boats in the bay.

That’s Bai Tho Mountain (Poem Mountain).

Here is the thing about Bai Tho in 2026: It’s officially closed. The local government locked the gates a few years ago because people were getting hurt and there was a fire.

But… do people still go up there? Yeah. All the time.

The entrance is hidden down a narrow alley on Hang Noi street. Usually, some local aunties sit around there, and if you give them a “tip” of about 50,000 to 100,000 VND, they will let you walk through their house to access the old broken trail.

I’m not going to sit here and tell you to break the rules. You’re an adult. But I will tell you that the hike is steep, the rocks are sharp, and there are absolutely no safety rails. If you slip and break an ankle up there, you are completely on your own.

If you want a view without the trespassing, just skip it and read point #8.

The Bai Tho Mountain situation 5 scaled Vietadvisor

The Bai Tho Mountain situation scaled Vietadvisor

4. Sweating on Ti Top Island

Since Bai Tho is tricky, the most popular way to get a high-angle photo is Ti Top Island. Almost every single boat tour stops here.

I’m just warning you now, it’s a workout. It’s only about 400 steps, but in July, when the humidity is 90% and the sun is beating down, you will be completely drenched in sweat halfway up.

Wear actual shoes. I see backpackers trying to do it in flip-flops all the time, and they end up slipping because the stone steps get wet from everyone else’s sweaty feet.

The viewing deck at the top is honestly pretty small. It gets packed with tour groups fighting for selfie space. Just grab a corner, wait your turn, take the photo, and try to catch your breath.

When you hike back down, there’s a small beach. The water around here isn’t amazing because of all the boats dropping anchor, but jumping in the ocean after that climb feels too good to care.

Sweating on Ti Top Island scaled Vietadvisor

Sweating on Ti Top Island 2 scaled Vietadvisor

5. Kayaking through Luon Cave

I almost always tell people to skip the bamboo rowboats and just rent a kayak.

When your cruise stops at Luon Cave, you have a choice. Pay a local to row you around in a big bamboo boat with ten other people, or get a two-person kayak and go yourself. Get the kayak.

Luon Cave is cool because it’s not actually a dark, underground cave. It’s a water tunnel that goes straight under a limestone mountain. You paddle through the tunnel and it opens up into a completely enclosed green lagoon on the other side. The big cruise ships can’t fit through the tunnel, so once you are inside, it’s dead quiet.

One thing though: watch out for the monkeys.

There are macaques living on the cliffs inside the lagoon. They look cute from far away. They are not cute. People keep trying to feed them, so now they are aggressive.

I was there last year and watched a monkey jump right off a rock onto a tourist’s kayak, grab a plastic water bottle, bite a hole in it, and throw it in the water. Do not paddle right up to the edge. Keep a safe distance.

Kayaking through Luon Cave scaled Vietadvisor

Kayaking through Luon Cave 2 scaled Vietadvisor

6. Coffee by the sea on Tran Quoc Nghien road

If you have some free time before or after your boat trip and want some things to do in HaLong Bay on land, rent a scooter. It costs maybe 150,000 VND ($6) for the day.

Get away from the Bai Chay side. Drive over to Hon Gai and find a street called Tran Quoc Nghien.

This is a long, winding coastal road that the city recently dumped a ton of money into upgrading. It’s wide, the pavement is perfect, and it runs right along the edge of the bay. On one side, you have the ocean. On the other side, you have these massive, absurd-looking mansions built by local coal mining bosses.

The best time to come here is around 4:30 or 5:00 PM. The locals all come out to jog, fly kites, and hang out.

There are a bunch of cafes along this strip. Stop at Bayside Cafe or just pull up to any of the plastic tables on the sidewalk selling iced tea (Tra Da). A tea costs 10,000 VND.

You just sit there, watch the boats come in, and feel the breeze. It’s probably the most relaxing thing you can do in the city, and tourists almost never come over here.

Coffee by the sea on Tran Quoc Nghien road scaled Vietadvisor

Coffee by the sea on Tran Quoc Nghien road 5 scaled Vietadvisor

7. The colored lights of Sung Sot Cave

Sung Sot means “Surprise” in Vietnamese. It’s the biggest cave in the bay, and yeah, it is surprisingly massive. You could fit a few houses inside the main chamber.

I have to mention this because it causes arguments. Vietnam does caves differently than Western countries. Instead of keeping it dark and natural, they light up the stalactites with bright red, blue, and green neon lights.

Some foreigners get really mad about this and say it looks like a cheap nightclub. Honestly? I think people complain too much. It’s just how they do things here. The sheer scale of the rock formations is still impressive.

The walk through the cave takes about 45 minutes on a one-way path. Try to hang near a local tour guide. They love pointing out rocks that supposedly look like dragons, turtles, and… other very specifically shaped things. It’s funny.

The colored lights of Sung Sot Cave 2 scaled Vietadvisor

The colored lights of Sung Sot Cave 3 scaled Vietadvisor

8. Taking the Queen Cable Car at sunset

If you’re staying in a hotel in Bai Chay, you’ll look up and see these massive cable cars crossing the sky over the water. That’s the Queen Cable Car run by Sun World.

This thing is a beast. It’s a double-decker car that holds over 200 people. It takes you from the tourist side, way up over the bay, and drops you on top of Ba Deo Hill on the Hon Gai side.

Taking the Queen Cable Car at sunset 5 scaled Vietadvisor

Taking the Queen Cable Car at sunset 3 scaled Vietadvisor

Don’t do this at noon. The sun is blinding and it’s too hot. The only time you should buy a ticket for this is about an hour before sunset. The view looking down at the bridge and the islands turning orange is incredible.

When you get to the top, there’s a big Japanese-style Zen garden and a giant Ferris wheel. The garden is actually quite nice to walk around when it gets dark and the lanterns turn on. There’s also a weird indoor arcade up there, but you can just ignore that.

Tickets are around 350,000 VND. It’s a bit touristy, but the view is worth it.

Grab a seat – Queen Cable Car

9. Hiding in the Quang Ninh Museum

Let’s say it rains. Or let’s say it’s August, it’s 38 degrees outside, and you feel like you’re melting.

Go to the Quang Ninh Museum.

You literally can’t miss the building. It’s right on the coastal road in Hon Gai and it’s basically a giant square block covered entirely in black glass that mirrors the sky and the water.

I know provincial museums in Vietnam can sometimes be a bit boring, but this one is actually pretty good. More importantly, the air conditioning is phenomenal.

They have a giant whale skeleton hanging from the ceiling as soon as you walk in. Upstairs, they have exhibits about the coal mining industry. That might sound boring, but coal is the entire reason this province has so much money, so seeing how they mine it is kind of interesting.

It costs 40,000 VND to get in. Spend an hour or two here, cool down, then go find a cafe nearby for a strong Vietnamese iced coffee.

Hiding in the Quang Ninh Museum 5 scaled Vietadvisor

Hiding in the Quang Ninh Museum 7 Vietadvisor

10. The Seaplane flight

I’m putting this last because it’s expensive, but if you have the budget, it’s probably the most memorable thing you can do here.

Some people just hate boats. I get it. Or maybe you only have one day and don’t want to deal with the crowds at the harbor.

Hai Au Aviation runs these small Cessna seaplanes that take off directly from the water at Tuan Chau Marina. The flight is only about 25 minutes long.

When you’re on a boat, the islands look huge. But when you get 1,000 feet up in the air, the scale of the place finally makes sense. You can see the green water cutting through thousands of little islands stretching out to the horizon.

The best part is the landing. Hitting the water in a small plane is a massive rush.

It’ll run you about 6,000,000 to 8,600,000 VND (around $230 to $330 USD). Yeah, it’s a lot for 25 minutes. But if you’re splitting it with a partner or you just want to do something crazy, it’s an option.

Take 25 minutes flight on seaplane

The Seaplane flight ha long bay 2 scaled Vietadvisor

The Seaplane flight ha long bay 4 scaled Vietadvisor

What NOT to do in Ha Long Bay

I feel like a list of things to do in HaLong Bay isn’t actually useful unless I also tell you what to avoid. I see tourists making these mistakes constantly, and it ruins their trip.

Don’t buy the rowboat seafood.

When your big cruise ship anchors for the night, sometimes you’ll see small wooden rowboats paddle up next to you. Usually, it’s local women selling snacks, beer, and sometimes live crabs or fish.

It seems really authentic to buy a fresh crab from a local fisherman. Don’t do it.

First, they will overcharge you because you’re a tourist. Second, if you bring a raw crab onto your cruise ship, the kitchen is going to charge you a massive “cooking fee” to prepare it. Just eat the food that’s already included in your cruise price.

Don’t book the 1-day bus tour from Hanoi.

A lot of backpackers try to squeeze Ha Long Bay into a single day to save money.

Here is what that looks like: You sit in a bus for 2.5 hours. You get to the harbor, which is pure chaos. You get shoved onto a boat for 4 hours. You rush through a cave. You get back on the bus for another 2.5 hours in the dark.

You spend more time sitting in a car on the highway than you do looking at the water. It’s exhausting. Spend at least one night.

Don’t come in August if you panic over changes.

Summer in the north is typhoon season. The weather can change in an hour. The port authority here does not mess around. If there is a storm coming, they will cancel all boat departures immediately. Zero notice.

If your boat gets canceled, you are stuck in a hotel in Bai Chay in the rain. If you travel during late summer, you just have to accept that your plans might change.

Let’s talk logistics for a minute

If you’re building your itinerary, here is the boring but necessary stuff you need to know.

How to get there from Hanoi

Don’t take the train. The local train takes like 7 hours and it’s uncomfortable.

Don’t take the local bus from My Dinh station either. They stop constantly on the side of the road to pick up random people and boxes of chickens.

Book a Limousine Van. Ask your hotel to do it, or use an app like 12go. These are usually Ford Transits that have been gutted and fitted with 9 big, plush leather seats. They take the new expressway. The drive from Hanoi Old Quarter to the harbor in Ha Long takes exactly 2.5 hours now.

A seat costs around 250,000 to 350,000 VND ($10 – $14 USD). It’s cheap, fast, and easy.

If you need more details on this, I wrote a whole separate post about How to get from Hanoi to HaLong Bay: Transport Guide.

Where should you sleep on land?

If you are arriving a day early or staying a day after your cruise, you have to pick a side of the bridge to sleep on.

Bai Chay: This is tourist central. It’s where Sun World is, the big night market, and the massive international hotels. It’s loud, bright, and convenient. If you want to drink beers late at night and don’t care about “authentic” local culture, stay here.
Hon Gai: This is across the bridge. It’s where normal life happens. The food is way better, the cafes are cooler, and it’s quieter. If you want to eat good street food and rent a bike to explore, stay here.

Not sure which one? Read my breakdown on Where to stay in Ha Long Bay: Best hotels and areas.

When is the weather actually good?

People assume Vietnam is always hot and sunny. It’s not. The north has real seasons.

October to December: This is the best time. The humidity finally drops, the sky is clear, and it’s cool enough at night to sleep well.
January to March: It’s cold. You will need a jacket. The bay usually gets covered in this thick, grey fog. It looks really moody and cool in photos, but you are absolutely not going swimming.
April to May: Spring. Really nice weather before the crazy heat starts.
June to August: Peak summer. You will sweat constantly. High chance of rain and storms. Also, this is when all the local Vietnamese families take their summer holidays, so the bay is packed to the absolute limit.

Wrapping it up

Honestly, figuring out the things to do in HaLong Bay doesn’t need to be this massive headache.

Keep it simple. Pick a good route (Lan Ha or Bai Tu Long), pay a bit extra for a decent boat, eat some squid cake on the street, and just accept that there will be a lot of other tourists around.

Because at the end of the day, when you’re sitting on the top deck with a cold Hanoi Beer, looking out at those ridiculous rocks jutting out of the water, none of the crowds or the noise really matters anyway. It’s a special place.

If you are trying to figure out where to go after the bay, you can check out my 2-Week Northern Vietnam Itinerary to see how I usually connect Ha Long with places like Ninh Binh and Sapa. Have a good trip.

3 thoughts on “10 best things to do in HaLong Bay you should do in 2026”

Türkiye
Rebelstar says:
It will be a must when you go Ha-long bay , a quiet scape from the chaotic world we live now. Beautiful landscapes with enigmatic silence around you will love it.

2 months ago at
Singapore
Pedesty M says:
beautiful and natural scenery. The feeling of being immersed in nature is extremely comfortable.
I will come back ……..

5 months ago at
Australia
Sterling Shiner says:
If you have the opportunity, a 3-day, 2-night boat journey allows you to fully immerse yourself in the breathtaking beauty of this World Heritage site. This extended trip provides ample time to truly appreciate its grandeur and soak in every detail of this remarkable destination.

7 months ago at

From the field

10 best things to do in HaLong Bay you should do in 2026