The World Heritage seascape of Halo

The World Heritage seascape of Halong Bay, dotted with jagged limestone pinnacles, is one of Vietnam’s biggest attractions. The most popular way to experience the bay is on a cruise, and unsurprisingly every travel agency and hotel in Hanoi has tours to sell.

Choice is a great thing, but the multitude of trips on offer can be overwhelming. Here’s the skinny on Halong Bay touring to get you started.

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Boats touring Halong Bay. © Matt Munro / Lonely Planet

Luxury cruises

Want to spoil yourself? Halong Bay has some sumptuous cruise options that are basically luxury hotels on water. You’re paying for the experience of five-star amenities here – not for any particular divergence from the typical cruise itinerary – but if you want to live it up from a swanky sun-lounger while watching the sun set over a vista of craggy jungle-topped islands, you can’t really go wrong.

For a luxury cruise, bank on spending around US$220 for an overnight trip.

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Pros It’s a serious treat; and the romantically inclined are sure to score brownie points with their partner.

Cons Those looking for good value should probably look at midrange options. Overnight trips (marketed as two-day-one-night trips) usually involve 24 hours or less on the actual boat, which can rankle given what you pay for the experience.

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A Halong Bay cruise ship. © Vladyslav Danilin / Shutterstock

Budget and midrange cruises

Most Halong Bay visitors go for midrange or budget cruises, but there is a huge range when it comes to price and value for money. At one end of the scale are some ultra-budget boats where on-board safety is not top priority; at the other end are some excellent midrange options offering cosy hotel-style cabins, knowledgeable on-board tour guides, and kayaking stops. If purse strings are tight, for facilities, comfort and safety considerations it’s sometimes better to choose a day cruise with a midrange operator rather than a bargain-basement overnight trip.

Budget cruise prices start from a rock-bottom US$60 per person for a day trip. Paying between US$110 and US$130 should get you a worthwhile overnight midrange cruise.

Pros Competition is fierce, which means plenty of operators add freebies into the itinerary, such as kayaking and private minibus transfers from Hanoi.

Cons You have to wade through a lot of options, which can be confusing. It’s worth doing a bit of pre-trip research.

Bai Chay tourist boats

Get ready for a truly local experience. Bai Chay Tourist Wharf in Halong City is the bustling hub of Halong Bay’s day-tripping tourist boats, which whisk visitors out onto the water for excursions of four to six hours. If you’re not fussed about added frills, don’t mind sharing boat space with gaggles of other folk, and just want to cheaply get out on the water and quickly see a couple of highlights, this is a good option.

A four-hour trip, stopping at big-hitter cave highlights Hang Dau Go and Hang Thien Cung, costs 100,000d (around US$5). The Halong Bay entrance fee (120,000d) and individual cave entry fees (30,000d) are additional.

Pros These are cheap and easily organised tours right on the spot in Halong City. Plus there’s free entertainment on board provided by karaoke.

Cons Crowded. Did we mention the karaoke?

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Inside Hang Thien Cung, a cave at Halong Bay. © Takashi Images / Shutterstock

Kayaking

Most decent midrange Halong Bay cruises will offer an hour or so of kayaking. Paddling around the karsts allows you to experience the limestone towers from a completely different angle: up close, at sea level and without the constant thrum of an engine in the background. For more experienced kayakers, there are also kayak-only trips. These trips are run by a handful of operators based in nearby Lan Ha Bay (off Cat Ba Island) rather than Halong Bay itself, t

Kết quả (Việt) 1:

Seascape di sản thế giới Vịnh Hạ Long, rải rác với đá vôi gồ ghề pinnacles, công viên là một trong thu hút du khách lớn nhất của Việt Nam. Cách phổ biến nhất để trải nghiệm Vịnh là trên một hành trình, và unsurprisingly mỗi cơ quan du lịch và khách sạn tại Hà Nội có tour du lịch để bán.Lựa chọn là một điều tuyệt vời, nhưng vô số các chuyến đi trong ngày giao dịch có thể được áp đảo. Dưới đây là các skinny trên Vịnh Hạ Long chuyến lưu diễn để giúp bạn bắt đầu.Pin này hình ảnhTàu thuyền tham quan Vịnh Hạ Long. © Matt Munro / Lonely PlanetDu lịch trên biển sang trọngBạn muốn hư hỏng chính mình? Vịnh này có một số tùy chọn hành trình xa hoa mà về cơ bản là khách sạn sang trọng trên mặt nước. Bạn đang trả tiền cho những kinh nghiệm của các tiện ích 5 sao ở đây-không cho bất kỳ phân kỳ cụ thể từ hành trình hành trình tiêu biểu- nhưng nếu bạn muốn sống nó lên từ sun khoe khoang một-người đi lang thang trong khi xem cảnh mặt trời lặn trên vista lởm chởm rừng đứng đầu đảo, bạn không thể thực sự đi sai.Cho một hành trình sang trọng, ngân hàng chi tiêu khoảng US$ 220 cho một chuyến đi qua đêm.Bài viết liên quan:Ngoài vịnh: ít được biết đến điểm nổi bật của đông bắc Việt NamKhám phá công viên quốc gia Phong Nha-Ke BangTop 10 phim Việt NamThuận nó là một nghiêm trọng điều trị; và lãng mạn nghiêng chắc chắn sẽ điểm brownie điểm với đối tác của họ.Nhược điểm những người tìm kiếm giá trị tốt nên có thể xem xét lựa chọn tầm trung. Qua đêm chuyến đi (thị trường như là chuyến đi hai ngày-một trong những đêm) thường liên quan đến 24 giờ hoặc ít hơn trên thực tế tàu, mà có thể rankle được những gì bạn phải trả cho những kinh nghiệm.Pin this imageA Halong Bay cruise ship. © Vladyslav Danilin / ShutterstockBudget and midrange cruisesMost Halong Bay visitors go for midrange or budget cruises, but there is a huge range when it comes to price and value for money. At one end of the scale are some ultra-budget boats where on-board safety is not top priority; at the other end are some excellent midrange options offering cosy hotel-style cabins, knowledgeable on-board tour guides, and kayaking stops. If purse strings are tight, for facilities, comfort and safety considerations it’s sometimes better to choose a day cruise with a midrange operator rather than a bargain-basement overnight trip.Budget cruise prices start from a rock-bottom US$60 per person for a day trip. Paying between US$110 and US$130 should get you a worthwhile overnight midrange cruise.Pros Competition is fierce, which means plenty of operators add freebies into the itinerary, such as kayaking and private minibus transfers from Hanoi.Cons You have to wade through a lot of options, which can be confusing. It’s worth doing a bit of pre-trip research.Bai Chay tourist boatsGet ready for a truly local experience. Bai Chay Tourist Wharf in Halong City is the bustling hub of Halong Bay’s day-tripping tourist boats, which whisk visitors out onto the water for excursions of four to six hours. If you’re not fussed about added frills, don’t mind sharing boat space with gaggles of other folk, and just want to cheaply get out on the water and quickly see a couple of highlights, this is a good option.A four-hour trip, stopping at big-hitter cave highlights Hang Dau Go and Hang Thien Cung, costs 100,000d (around US$5). The Halong Bay entrance fee (120,000d) and individual cave entry fees (30,000d) are additional.Pros These are cheap and easily organised tours right on the spot in Halong City. Plus there’s free entertainment on board provided by karaoke.Cons Crowded. Did we mention the karaoke?Pin this imageInside Hang Thien Cung, a cave at Halong Bay. © Takashi Images / ShutterstockKayakingMost decent midrange Halong Bay cruises will offer an hour or so of kayaking. Paddling around the karsts allows you to experience the limestone towers from a completely different angle: up close, at sea level and without the constant thrum of an engine in the background. For more experienced kayakers, there are also kayak-only trips. These trips are run by a handful of operators based in nearby Lan Ha Bay (off Cat Ba Island) rather than Halong Bay itself, t