Boats drifting between limestone karst islands in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

Coastal · Vietnam

Ha Long Bay

Karst Islands & Overnight Junks

Best time
October to April
Location
Vietnam

About Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay is around 1,600 limestone islands and karst towers rising straight out of shallow green water, drowned by rising seas about seven thousand years ago. Most day-trippers see the crowded eastern end; the bay is far better a little further out, in Bai Tu Long or over in Lan Ha, where the boats thin to a handful. The bay is also only two and a half hours from Hanoi, which means it works as part of a northern trip rather than an errand — the old quarter, the Red River delta, and the terraced hills up towards the Chinese border. October to April is dry and cool, and the mist between the towers is the reason to come then.

Good to know

Flight time
4h 30m from Kolkata, 5h 30m from Delhi
Currency
Vietnamese Dong (VND)
Language
Vietnamese; English in cities and on the boats
Visa
e-Visa, 3 – 5 working days, 90 days single entry

What you'll do

The four we'd book first

  1. Waking up in the bay

    Out on deck at half past six with tai chi going on behind you, mist between the towers, and no other boat in sight if you chose the right route.

  2. Kayaking into Luon cave

    A low arch you paddle through at the right tide into an enclosed lagoon, ringed by cliff, with langurs in the trees above.

  3. Hanoi's old quarter after dark

    Thirty-six streets, each once a single trade, and bia hoi on plastic stools where the beer is brewed that morning.

  4. The Sapa terraces

    Rice cut into the Muong Hoa valley in steps, walked between Hmong and Red Dao villages rather than looked at from a viewpoint.

Curated itineraries

Ha Long Bay packages

An overnight junk between the limestone karsts, kayaks into caves only reachable at low tide, and Hanoi's old quarter once the heat drops.

*Per person on twin sharing. Prices move with season and availability — we confirm yours in writing before anything is booked.

Still deciding

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Plan this trip

Tell us how you'd like to see Ha Long Bay.

Any of these six is a starting point, not a fixed menu. Send us the dates and who's travelling, and a planner will come back with a version built round you — usually within twelve hours.

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