Ha Long Bay, one of Vietnam’s most famous tourist destinations, is a breathtaking natural wonder recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located in Quang Ninh Province, this magnificent bay is renowned for its emerald waters, thousands of limestone islands, and rich cultural heritage. Whether you’re looking for an adventurous trip, a relaxing getaway, or a cultural exploration, Ha Long Bay has something for every traveler.
Best Time to Visit Ha Long Bay
Ha Long City is located in the North, so the climate has all four seasons. April-June is warm and rainless, June-August is hot and sunny with possible storms, September-December is cool and cold. Each season here has its own beauty, in the summer you come to Ha Long to swim and sunbathe, while spring and autumn are cool and suitable for viewing a less noisy Ha Long and participating in outdoor activities as well as exploring entertainment areas. The peak season is from June to August, the city is crowded, especially on weekends.
Move
From Hanoi, visitors can travel by many means. In addition to private cars, there are Limousine cars that pick you up and drop you off at your destination upon request (Phuc Xuyen, Van Don Xanh, Ha Long Travel...) with ticket prices of 180,000 - 220,000 VND per person. In addition, you can take a bus at the stations in Hanoi city. The bus fare is about 150,000 - 200,000 VND per person.
The most ideal route is the Hanoi - Hai Phong and Hai Phong - Ha Long highways. The roads are beautiful, but you need to pay attention to the signs, drive at the correct speed, signal when changing lanes and always wear a seat belt. Travel time is about 2.5 to 3 hours.
Quang Ninh has Van Don airport. So from Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang, tourists can travel by air directly to Quang Ninh, then travel by road from the airport to Ha Long city, about 50 km. There are buses from the airport to the city center.
In Ha Long, if you do not have a personal vehicle, you can rent a motorbike for 120,000 - 200,000 VND per day. Tourists traveling in large groups such as families, groups of friends, colleagues... should rent a taxi (Mai Linh, Thanh Hung, Thinh Hung...), book a Grab (bike or car) or a private car.
Where to Stay in Ha Long Bay?
Accommodation options in Ha Long are diverse, including budget hotels, resorts, homestays , motels or cruise ships from high-end to budget. Rental prices range from a few hundred thousand to a few million VND.
Ha Long City is divided into two areas, Bai Chay and Hon Gai, by Bai Chay Bridge. Bai Chay side concentrates many tourist areas, hotels, restaurants while Hon Gai side is mainly residential areas.
If you choose to stay in a comfortable homestay with a more affordable price, you can refer to The Bay, Halong Ginger, Orestay, Deja Vu House... If you want something more upscale, visitors can rent rooms at hotels such as FLC Grand Hotel on Van Nghe hill, Wyndham Legend Halong, Novotel, Sai Gon Ha Long, Muong Thanh system, Royal Lotus... 5-star resorts include Vinpearl Resort and Spa, Premier Village Ha Long Bay Resort...
To fully enjoy the beauty of Ha Long Bay, you should stay overnight on a luxury cruise on the Bay, it is an unforgettable experience. As the sun sets over the emerald waters, you can relax on the sundeck, enjoying the breathtaking scenery of limestone karsts and serene islands. Most high-end cruises offer elegant cabins with private balconies, fine dining with fresh seafood, and various activities like kayaking, squid fishing, and cooking classes. Some of the top-rated luxury cruises in Ha Long Bay include Paradise Elegance, Stellar of the Seas, Orchid Cruise, and Ambassador Cruise. Whether you're looking for a romantic getaway or a tranquil retreat, an overnight cruise in Ha Long Bay promises an exceptional journey.
Exciting Activities to Experience
Ha Long Bay is a world heritage site with a natural beauty that attracts domestic and foreign tourists. The bay has thousands of large and small limestone islands of various shapes scattered around, creating a majestic and different landscape from the rest of the world. A popular choice is to take a sightseeing boat with itineraries passing through places such as Ga Choi Islet, Dinh Huong Islet, Sung Sot Cave, Thien Cung Cave, Titop Island...
For the most complete experience, you should relax on a yacht . You will enjoy the quiet space and fresh air while cruising among the vast waters of the closed bay, with little waves and wind.
In Ha Long, there are many cruise lines with 1-5 star service standards such as Heritage Cruises, Paradise Cruise, Stellar of the Seas, Indochine, Scarlet Pearl Cruises, Orchid, Starlight Ha Long, Dragon Legend... If you travel in a group or small family, you should choose tour packages. For large families or large groups, renting a boat to visit Ha Long Bay Kim's Travel can be a suitable choice.
On the "floating hotels", visitors are also served luxury meals, bathed in outdoor pools, and watched the night seascape. Some cruise tours also include experiences such as morning tai chi, swimming, kayaking, night squid fishing, visiting fishing villages, pearl farms, and cooking lessons.
Coming to Ha Long, not only can you go on a cruise or a bamboo boat, you can also see the bay from above when flying by helicopter or seaplane. Traveling by helicopter or seaplane will give you a new perspective on the beautiful scenery across the bay. If you choose Halong Heli Tours, you can take a 12-minute, 25-minute or 40-minute sightseeing tour, with ticket prices ranging from 1.9 to 5.4 million VND/person with a journey through Thien Cung Cave, Dau Go Cave, Reu Island, Bai Tu Long... If you choose to fly by seaplane of Hai Au Aviation, the 25-minute sightseeing tour costs 1.5 million VND/person.
Bai Chay Beach , an artificial beach located behind Sun World Park, has been extended to the sea nearly 1 km longer than before. The wide beach and clean sand are suitable for organizing group games, swimming, sunbathing or walking to watch the sunrise...
Public services such as showering, changing clothes, and cleaning are charged 20,000 VND per turn. In addition to Bai Chay, Ha Long has many beautiful beaches for tourists to explore such as Titop Island, Marina Bay Ha Long, Ba Trai Dao, or beaches in Tuan Chau, Sun World...
Bai Tho Mountain is 200 m high and is considered an interesting sightseeing spot overlooking Ha Long Bay and the city. The mountain was originally called Truyen Dang, meaning Illuminating Light, referring to the important watchtower of the Northeast Pass thousands of years ago, with the task of guiding boats on the bay.
Since 1468, when King Le Thanh Tong had a poem carved on the cliff, Truyen Dang was renamed Bai Tho. Today, this place has become a famous tourist destination in Quang Ninh.
Because the road to Bai Tho mountain is hidden in a small alley of families on Hang Noi street, Bach Dang ward, not everyone knows about it.
Usually, tourists who come to Ha Long climb Bai Tho Mountain because their friends who are locals recommend it. Otherwise, you need to ask the locals on Hang Noi Street for directions if you want to conquer it yourself.
Note: Visitors should check with the management of this location as there are times when climbing is not allowed due to safety issues.
Quang Ninh Museum - Library is located on Tran Quoc Nghien Street, Tuan Chau. Opening hours: 8:00-11:30, 13:30-17:00. The museum welcomes visitors every day of the week except Monday, ticket price is 30,000 VND/adult, 20,000 VND for students, and 10,000 VND for children.
Inside the Quang Ninh Museum, the first floor is a natural ocean space, the second floor displays valuable historical relics and artifacts, and the third floor recreates the history of the coal mining industry in a vivid mine model.
The 3D Funny Art Museum is an interesting check-in place on the journey, with more than 40 paintings themed after animals, adventure, science fiction... Ticket price is 80,000 VND per visit. The museum is located in the Marine Plaza Shopping Center, open from 9am to 10pm.
Tuan Chau Park located on Tuan Chau Island is a diverse amusement park with fairy-tale trains, slides, roller coasters, flying saucers, swings, etc. Opening hours: 8am - 10pm, ticket price 350,000 VND per person, children under 1m are free. Tickets to see dolphins or water music are 100,000 VND for adults, 60,000 VND for children.
Tran Quoc Nghien coastal road is located in Hon Gai, 4.7 km long, starting from Bai Tho bridge, ending with Ha Long - Cam Pha coastal road, inaugurated in May 2020. This is an area with a spacious coastal area, creating a landscape highlight for the city, where people can exercise, tourists can admire Ha Long Bay, many amenities such as playgrounds, parking lots, beaches, sports areas...
Sun World Park is one of the largest amusement parks in the country with an area of 214 hectares. In addition to swimming, visitors can have fun at the Tornado Bay Water Park, Dragon Park, Typhoon Water Park, check-in on the famous Koi bridge, worship the spiritual complex Bao Hai Linh Thong Tu or visit the Japanese garden, visit the wax museum, the upside down house.
The park consists of two complexes on the coast and on the top of Ba Deo. Highlights such as the Queen Cable Car and the Mysterious Hill cost VND250,000 - 350,000/person. Dragon Park sells tickets for VND200,000 - 300,000/person with unlimited number of rides. Typhoon Water Park sells tickets for VND350,000/person.
Bai Chay Old Quarter is located on Ha Long Street, Bai Chay. This is one of the destinations suitable for tourists who like to check-in. Tourists can visit and take photos for free.
Ha Long Night Market is a shopping and dining paradise at night. The market is located on Ha Long Marine Boulevard, Bai Chay, open from 6pm to 12am. The market has hundreds of large and small stalls with a variety of goods from souvenirs, specialties, candies to jewelry and clothes.
Local Cuisine: What to Eat in Ha Long Bay?
The famous delicacies in Ha Long are mostly made from seafood such as sea cucumber, mantis shrimp, sea worm, cockle, shrimp, crab, fish, squid... Seafood noodle dishes are very popular.
Mantis shrimp vermicelli is a popular breakfast and lunch dish in Quang Ninh, especially in Ha Long city. Mantis shrimp (also known as mantis shrimp, mantis shrimp, hammer shrimp) is a seafood found in abundance in the Ha Long sea area, with firm, sweet and nutritious meat. A bowl of vermicelli costs about 30,000 - 40,000 VND.
Bun cu ky is a dish that can only be found in Quang Ninh. Cu ky is as small as a stone crab but has a lot of shell and little meat, but in return has a pair of big claws with a lot of meat. Therefore, cu ky claws are the main ingredient to prepare this dish. Cu ky meat is sweet, with a taste completely different from crab meat. It is removed and fried with onion and garlic to make it fragrant, then put into a bowl of white vermicelli with the cracked claws.
Eggs and blood pudding with mugwort are nutritious snacks often sold in the afternoon in Ha Long. Blood pudding with mugwort and duck eggs are recommended by gourmets in Ha Long to try when visiting this city.
The sweetness from the square pieces of blood makes the bitter mugwort leaves milder when stewed together, and the mugwort leaves make the blood less fishy. Restaurants also add a balut egg to the bowl of stewed blood. The price is cheap, 10,000 - 20,000 VND per portion. To enjoy this dish, diners should go to Cot 3 market, Ha Long market 1, 2.
Banh cuon cha muc is a famous specialty of Ha Long. In Ha Long, diners can find banh cuon cha muc at any time of the day. Some famous addresses include Mrs. Ngan's restaurant, Mrs. Yen's restaurant, Goc Bang restaurant, or in the local market during the day. A portion costs 30,000 - 55,000 VND depending on whether diners want to order more squid sausage.
Sam is processed into many dishes such as sweet and sour stir-fry, making rolls, sam eggs... which are very strange and delicious. However, sam is a cold seafood, so if you have a "history" of allergies or cold stomachs with seafood, you should not eat it or only eat a little. The famous sam address in Ha Long is Sam Ba Ty in lane 6 Cao Thang, or Sam Quang Yen restaurant, located on the road from Ha Long to Hanoi. In the afternoon, in the snack area of Ha Long 1 market, there is also a stall selling sweet and sour sam legs, sam rolls... which are quite delicious.
Stir-fried snails are a popular snack among locals, and the price is affordable, only about 35,000 VND/plate depending on the type. You should go to sidewalk restaurants to eat stir-fried snails, which will feel more comfortable and delicious with the rustic way of cooking. Snails stir-fried with soy sauce, lemongrass, tamarind sauce, coconut... are very delicious and addictive. In Ha Long, there are also many types of snails for you to choose from, the most popular are snails, sucking snails, apple snails...
Pearl yogurt is a must-try dessert. Yogurt with pearls has appeared for about 10 years. This famous snack has become a trademark of Ha Long and has taken other cities by storm. The shops make their own yogurt, which is smooth, ice-free, and cool. Only 10,000 - 30,000 VND per serving of yogurt. Ms. Nghi's shop or Tuan Lien's are two familiar places for tourists because of their spacious and comfortable parking lots. Tourists can try Ms. Phuong's yogurt, which is recommended by many locals.
In addition, if you have time, you should enjoy more Not Gu cakes, Quang Yen sour sausage, Hoanh Bo sticky rice wine, Nem Chao, Balut, Mussel porridge... These snacks are often sold at the markets. In addition, Ms. Huyen's grapefruit tea is also a recommended snack, note that it is only sold from 10am to around 5pm.
What to buy as a gift
Dried seafood such as dried squid, dried fish, dried shrimp... along with hand-pounded squid cakes, or items made from sea shells or coal are all typical Ha Long gifts. Seafood and souvenirs are easiest to find when visiting Ha Long night market, Cai Dam market and traditional seafood shops.