How to Book a Halong Bay Cruise – What to Check Before You Pay

From the listing to the pier

How to Book a Halong Bay Cruise on GetYourGuide, Step by Step

Booking takes a few minutes. The part that matters happens before you press the button: reading the includes list and choosing the right option. These are the steps on a GetYourGuide listing.

1. Choose the length

   A day, one night or two nights on the ship; one night gives about 23 hours on the water

2. Pick a date and guests

   Use Select date and Check availability to see what is free on your day

3. Choose the option

   For example a luxury or standard boat, or pickup in Hanoi or at the marina

4. Reserve or pay

   Reserve now and pay later, or pay now; free cancellation up to 24 hours before

5. Send your details

   Hotel address, passport details, dietary needs, in GetYourGuide messages

6. Wait for the operator

   Pickup time and place by email or WhatsApp, and again the day before

The option step is where most mistakes happen. On the luxury day cruise with buffet lunch, the same listing sells a Luxury Cruise with buffet and jacuzzi and a Standard Cruise with a set menu, each with pickup in Hanoi or at Tuan Chau Marina. Choose the marina option and the Hanoi bus is not included: the shuttle costs another $15 per person.

The ticket arrives at once as a mobile ticket in the GetYourGuide app. The pickup details come later, from the operator: on the most booked day cruise, within 24 hours after booking, then again 24 hours before departure. If you travel with friends on separate bookings, tell the operator and they will put you in the same group.

Online, at a desk, or with the operator

Where to Book Halong Bay Cruise

You have three places to book: a platform such as GetYourGuide, a travel desk in the Hanoi Old Quarter, or the cruise company directly. The same ships are often sold in all three. What differs is what you can see and what happens if plans change.

On a platform you see the cabin, the pier, the timetable, the includes list and thousands of reviews before you pay, and the cancellation terms are written on the page. The most booked day cruise has 13,998 reviews, and our one-night pick 6,049 reviews. At a desk you rely on a brochure and the seller's word about the boat; ask to see the ship's name and the not-included list in writing.

Booking directly with the operator can work if you already know the ship. You then deal with payment and cancellation on their terms. We link to GetYourGuide as a partner and earn a commission when you book; the price you pay is the same.

What the listings promise

Halong Bay Cruise Cancellation Policy

On every Halong Bay listing we read, the terms are the same: cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. That covers the cruises on this page, from the $39 day cruise to the $310 3-day tour. Inside the last 24 hours, the listings promise no refund; write to the operator through GetYourGuide messages.

Weather is different. When the port authority stops boats, the operator cancels or changes the programme. The Lan Ha 5-star cruise with balcony says a full refund is offered when weather, tides or operating conditions cancel it, and that if the cruise is overbooked you get another cruise of the same class or an upgrade.

Take weather cancellations seriously. On 19 July 2025 the day boat Vinh Xanh 58 (Wonder Sea) capsized in a sudden thunderstorm that forecasts had not flagged, and 39 people died. Since then Quang Ninh has announced a storm early-warning system for the bay and required about 500 tourist boats to carry AIS, VHF radio and GPS.