Short answerIf your ship calls at Ha Long, book a day boat that starts at the port: 6 of the cruises we compare meet at the cruise port itself, from $50 per person, and 3 more at Tuan Chau. Our pick is a 6-hour shore excursion from Ha Long International Cruise Port that promises your return to the ship on time; 4-hour boats suit a short call.
Ocean liners berth at Ha Long International Cruise Port, the Sun Group port in Bai Chay. Day boats also leave from it, so on the best-reviewed shore excursions you walk from the ship to the meeting point and board without a car.
The meeting point is written on each listing, and it differs. The 4-hour private boat asks ship passengers to go to ticket counter number 28 in the port building; the private 4-hour cruise with lunch meets you at the main entrance of the port, with a guide holding a sign with your name. The 6-hour shore excursion lists the port itself, in Bai Chay, as its meeting point.
Ha Long International Cruise Port · Bai ChayTuan Chau International Marina · most day boatsHon Gai port · a few Bai Tu Long boats
Two other piers matter. Tuan Chau International Marina, on Tuan Chau Island, is where most cruises from Hanoi board, and some half-day boats start there too; from the cruise port you would need a separate transfer. Hon Gai port, on the other side of Ha Long city, is used by a few Bai Tu Long departures. Check which one the listing names before you pay.
Bai Chay
The district of Ha Long city where the international cruise port is.
All-aboard time
The time your cruise line wants you back on the ship, usually earlier than departure.
Our pick for a day in port
Halong Bay Cruise Shore Excursion
The shore excursion we would book is the 6-hour day cruise from Ha Long International Cruise Port: $96 per person, ★ 4.9 from 8 reviews. Of the port boats we read, it is the one whose listing promises a timely return to your cruise ship. It is not the cheapest; you pay for a route built around ships in port.
The route is the classic one of the bay, with the times the partner gives for each stop:
Lunch on board
Vietnamese seafood lunch, about 1 hour, as the boat leaves the port
Sung Sot Cave
About 1 hour inside the Surprise Cave, with steps
Luon Cave
45 minutes, with 30 minutes by kayak or bamboo boat
Ti Top Island
45 minutes: climb to the viewpoint or swim
Pearl farm
An optional stop of about 30 minutes on the way back
Entrance fees, an English-speaking guide, lunch, one bottle of water, taxes and the kayak or bamboo boat are included. Alcohol, other drinks and tips are not. The operator contacts you after booking for your ship details.
For a short call, a 4-hour boat is the Halong Bay day cruise from Halong port shore excursion that fits. Three are worth knowing, and they are different products.
Private 4-hour cruise with lunch
A private shore excursion from the main entrance of the cruise port, with a limestone cave, a bamboo boat or kayak ride and lunch on board, from $150 per person with ★ 4.5 from 8 reviews. Drinks and tips are extra. The listing says 4 hours in its title; its itinerary block counts 5, so ask the operator for the exact return time.
The 4-hour boat tour from the cruise port lets you choose a start: 7:00, 7:30, 8:00 or 12:00, finishing four hours later. It visits Thien Cung and Dau Go caves and gives 40 minutes by kayak or bamboo boat at Cua Van floating village, with a set lunch. It costs $155; its average of 4.48 stars from 28 reviews is just below the 4.5 we require for a recommendation, so we list it without making it the pick.
4 hours from Tuan Chau
The 4-hour cruise with caving, kayaking and lunch starts at Tuan Chau International Marina, not at the cruise port: check-in from 11:50, back at 16:00 to 16:10. It visits Thien Cung Grotto and Ba Hang floating village for $55. You make your own way to Tuan Chau, which suits people staying in Ha Long better than ship passengers.
A Halong Bay day cruise from Cai Lan port is hard to find. One day tour on GetYourGuide names Cai Lan as its meeting point, but it has no reviews yet, so it does not meet our bar and we do not list it. None of the cruises we compare starts at Cai Lan.
If your cruise line's port page names Cai Lan rather than the international cruise port, ask the operator of a port boat before you book whether they collect there and how long the drive is. The 6 boats that meet at Ha Long International Cruise Port, from $50 per person, are the nearest options; the 6-hour shore excursion above has the best rating among them and promises your return to the ship.
The shared Pamela day cruise also leaves the international cruise port, with Sung Sot Cave, Luon Cave and Ti Top Island; it has the most reviews of the boats that start there. Whichever you book, send your ship's name and docking time through GetYourGuide messages right after booking.
If you sleep in Bai Chay or on Tuan Chau, the same port boats save you the five hours of road that a cruise from Hanoi costs. The most reviewed is the afternoon cruise with lunch, kayaking and swimming, from $40 with ★ 4.6 from 124 reviews: Sung Sot Cave, Ti Top Island and Luon Cave, with two meeting points depending on the option. The kayak or bamboo boat costs 80,000 VND per person, paid on the spot, and Tet carries a $15 surcharge.
The Pamela day cruise leaves Ha Long International Cruise Port for $52, with the same three stops, a welcome drink and an outdoor jacuzzi; the kayak or bamboo boat ticket and drinks are extra. For a night on the bay without the Hanoi road, the 2-day Bai Tu Long cruise also meets at the international cruise port, from $140 with ★ 4.6 from 44 reviews.
Before you choose
Check whether the kayak is included: two of these boats charge for it
Plastic bottles are not allowed on board; bring a reusable one
Halong Bay: Day Cruise from Halong Port Shore Excursion$96 from, per person
Halong Bay Shore Excursion: 4-Hour Cruise with Lunch$150 from, per person
Ha Long Bay Cruise: Day Trip with Lunch & Activities$52 from, per person
Hours on the water
Halong Bay: Day Cruise from Halong Port Shore Excursion≈5.5 of 6.5 h on the water · our estimate
Halong Bay Shore Excursion: 4-Hour Cruise with Lunch≈4 of 4 h on the water · our estimate
Ha Long Bay Cruise: Day Trip with Lunch & Activities≈5.5 of 6 h on the water · our estimate
Pickup
Halong Bay: Day Cruise from Halong Port Shore ExcursionHalong cruise port
Halong Bay Shore Excursion: 4-Hour Cruise with LunchHalong cruise port
Ha Long Bay Cruise: Day Trip with Lunch & ActivitiesHa Long International Cruise Port
Cabin
Halong Bay: Day Cruise from Halong Port Shore ExcursionNo cabin
Halong Bay Shore Excursion: 4-Hour Cruise with LunchNo cabin
Ha Long Bay Cruise: Day Trip with Lunch & ActivitiesNo cabin
Rating
Halong Bay: Day Cruise from Halong Port Shore Excursion★ 4.9 · 8 reviews
Halong Bay Shore Excursion: 4-Hour Cruise with Lunch★ 4.5 · 8 reviews
Ha Long Bay Cruise: Day Trip with Lunch & Activities★ 4.6 · 41 reviews
For whom
Halong Bay: Day Cruise from Halong Port Shore ExcursionShip in port for the day, return promised
Halong Bay Shore Excursion: 4-Hour Cruise with LunchShort call, private boat, 4 hours
Ha Long Bay Cruise: Day Trip with Lunch & ActivitiesShared boat, most reviewed at the port
Halong Bay: Day Cruise from Halong Port Shore ExcursionCheck dates
Halong Bay Shore Excursion: 4-Hour Cruise with LunchCheck dates
Ha Long Bay Cruise: Day Trip with Lunch & ActivitiesCheck dates
What to check before you leave the ship
Practical Details at the Port
PierBai Chay
Ha Long International Cruise Port, where liners berth.
Meeting pointCounter 28
Or the main entrance with a name sign, by listing.
Length4–6 h
On the boat, from the port and back.
Start times7:00–12:00
The 4-hour private boat lets you choose.
Send in advancePassport details
Name, year of birth, nationality, passport number.
ExtrasDrinks, tips, kayak
The kayak is extra on some shared boats.
Halong Bay Cruise from Halong Port FAQ
where do cruise ships dock in ha long?
Ocean liners berth at Ha Long International Cruise Port, the Sun Group port in Bai Chay, and most shore excursions we compare meet you there. None of the cruises on this site meets at Cai Lan port; the one listing we found that does has no reviews yet. Your cruise line names the berth in its port information; match it to the meeting point on the listing before you pay.
how long is a halong bay shore excursion?
Four to six hours on the boats that start at the cruise port. The 4-hour private boat and the 4-hour cruise with lunch return to the same port; the 6-hour day cruise adds Ti Top Island and more time at Luon Cave. The 4-hour cruise from Tuan Chau checks in from 11:50 and is back at about 16:00, but you need your own transfer from the cruise port to the marina.
what if my ship arrives late?
Give the operator your ship's docking time when you book; the 4-hour boat listing asks for it so that it can set the pickup. Operators contact you through GetYourGuide messages or email right after booking. If your ship's schedule changes more than 24 hours before the tour, you can cancel for a full refund on every listing we checked; after that, write to the operator at once.
what is included in a halong bay shore excursion?
On the 6-hour shore excursion: entrance fees, an English-speaking guide on board, a seafood lunch, one bottle of water, taxes and service, and the kayak or bamboo boat. Alcohol, other drinks and tips are extra. The cheaper shared boat from the port charges extra for the kayak or bamboo boat ticket, so compare the includes list, not only the price.
do i need my passport for a shore excursion?
You need the details, and sometimes the passport itself. The 4-hour private boat asks every guest for full name, year of birth, gender, nationality and passport number, which the Ha Long Bay Management Board requires to register the boat. Send them through GetYourGuide messages after booking, and carry your passport or the ship card your cruise line tells you to take ashore.
which cave will i see on a shore excursion?
It depends on the route. The 6-hour shore excursion and the shared Pamela day cruise visit Sung Sot, the Surprise Cave, then kayak at Luon Cave and stop at Ti Top Island. The 4-hour private boat from the port and the 4-hour cruise from Tuan Chau visit Thien Cung, the Heavenly Palace Grotto, which is closer to the harbour and fits a shorter trip.
can i kayak on a 4-hour cruise from the port?
Yes on most of them. The 4-hour private boat from the cruise port gives 40 minutes by kayak or bamboo boat around Cua Van floating village; the 4-hour cruise from Tuan Chau goes to Ba Hang floating village, two to a kayak. On the afternoon cruise from Tuan Chau the kayak costs 80,000 VND per person, paid on the spot.
what happens to a shore excursion in bad weather?
When a storm warning is issued, the Quang Ninh port authority stops all tourist boats until the last bulletin, and the tour cannot run. Typhoon season is late May to early November; from December to February thick fog can also cancel tours, a decision taken by the Ha Long Bay Management Board. Every listing we checked allows free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
