Since 20 April 2026, overnight cruises have been allowed to cross from Ha Long Bay into Lan Ha Bay on four licensed routes, and two of those routes end at the entrance to our valley or at Viet Hai pier itself. In the first month more than 2,200 passengers, most of them international, made the crossing, according to the Vietnam News Agency. For anyone staying on Cat Ba this changes the planning: you can sleep in the village, see both bays from one ship and never go near Ha Long city. This post sets out the four routes as licensed, which suits which traveller, and how the pick-up works from our side.
| Licensed | 20 April 2026, under an agreement between Quang Ninh and Hai Phong; the first ship sailed the same day |
| Routes | Four, numbered Ha Long Bay 3, 4, 5 and 6 – Lan Ha; Routes 3 and 6 were operating first |
| Where they end | Route 3: Cai Beo via the Viet Hai entrance; Route 4: Gia Luan pier; Route 5: Viet Hai entrance; Route 6: Viet Hai pier |
| Heritage | One World Heritage site, Ha Long Bay–Cat Ba Archipelago, since 16 September 2023; 1,133 islands across the listed area |
| Boarding | Passport required; in summer check the forecast 3–5 days ahead — a storm warning closes both bays |
| Day-tour alternative | Full-day boat from Ben Beo or Viet Hai pier; Lan Ha Bay ticket 120,000 VND adult / 60,000 VND child |
What changed on 20 April 2026?
Ha Long Bay is administered by Quang Ninh and Lan Ha Bay by Hai Phong, and until this year cruise ships kept to their own bay, even though UNESCO has treated the two as a single site — Ha Long Bay–Cat Ba Archipelago — since 16 September 2023. The two cities agreed a set of shared itineraries, and on 20 April 2026 the first ship sailed across the line. The official route descriptions below are from the Vietnam News Agency report; the authorities may adjust them, so we confirm the current version with the ship when you book.
The four Ha Long – Lan Ha cross-bay cruise routes
| Route | Ha Long side | Lan Ha side | Ends at | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ha Long Bay 3 – Lan Ha | Cua Van, Tien Ong cave, Ba Ham lake, Ba Men temple | Tra Bau, Bright and Dark cave, Ba Trai Dao, Viet Hai entrance, Turtle islet | Cai Beo | Fishing villages, caves, kayaking |
| Ha Long Bay 4 – Lan Ha | Co cave, Thay cave, Cap La cave, Vong Vieng | Bright and Dark cave, Ong Cam | Gia Luan pier | Families, activities |
| Ha Long Bay 5 – Lan Ha | Thien Cung, Dau Go, Stone Dog, Incense Burner, Trong Mai | Gia Luan, Tra Bau, Bright cave | Viet Hai entrance | First visit, the famous sights |
| Ha Long Bay 6 – Lan Ha | Elephant Foot islet, Ba Cua cove, Tung Lam island | Cap Bai islet | Viet Hai pier | Quiet water, mangroves, wildlife |
Route Ha Long Bay 3 – Lan Ha (operating — richest experience)
Cua Van floating cultural centre → Tien Ong cave (an archaeological site 8,000–10,000 years old) → Ba Ham lake → Ba Men temple, then into Lan Ha: Tra Bau fishing village → Bright and Dark cave → Ba Trai Dao → Viet Hai entrance → Turtle islet → Cai Beo village.
Route Ha Long Bay 4 – Lan Ha (culture and activities)
Co cave → Thay cave → Cap La cave → Vong Vieng fishing village, then Bright and Dark cave → Ong Cam → Gia Luan pier. Highlights: bamboo-boat rides, kayaking, dragon-boat racing, fresh seafood and a pearl-farm visit.
Route Ha Long Bay 5 – Lan Ha (the icons — best for first-timers)
Thien Cung grotto → Dau Go cave → Stone Dog islet → Incense Burner islet → Trong Mai “Kissing Rocks”, then Gia Luan → Tra Bau → Bright cave → Viet Hai entrance.
Route Ha Long Bay 6 – Lan Ha (operating — wild nature)
Elephant Foot islet → Ba Cua cove → Tung Lam island → Cap Bai islet, ending at Viet Hai pier. Limestone karst, mangrove forest and rich ecosystems on the quiet side of the bay.
Which cross-bay route should I choose?
First visit to northern Vietnam and you want the sights on the postcards — Thien Cung, the Kissing Rocks — then Route 5, which ends at the mouth of our valley. Fishing villages, caves and the most kayaking: Route 3. Quiet water and the best chance of wildlife: Route 6, the only one that docks at Viet Hai pier. Travelling with children or a group that wants things to do: Route 4, though it ends at Gia Luan pier in the north of the island, so the connection to the village is by road to Ben Beo and then boat. Whether you can step ashore at the Viet Hai stops depends on the ship’s programme; tell us the route you are looking at and we will say what is possible. Choosing a ship, a cabin and a season is covered in our Lan Ha Bay overnight cruise guide.
The 3-day cruise and homestay is our version of the two-bay trip: a night on the water, a cooking class, then the ship’s tender or our shuttle boat to the village for a night in the valley and the Navy Peak hike (259 m, about 3 hours return). If you would rather sleep on land every night, the full-day Lan Ha Bay boat tour covers the Lan Ha half of Routes 3 and 5 in a single day. Rates move with the season and group size — ask us for the current one.
Do I need an overnight cruise, or is a day tour enough?
Most of what makes Lan Ha Bay worth the journey fits into one day from Cat Ba. The cruise adds the Ha Long half and a night on the water; the day boat gives you the same caves and beaches, then a night in the village instead. The trade-offs are in Lan Ha Bay: cruise or day tour. The day version from our side runs like this.
- Cai Beo floating village — about 1.5 km south-east of Cat Ba town, where working fish-farm rafts sit above a prehistoric site identified by Madeleine Colani in 1938, excavated between 1973 and 2006 and listed as a national relic in 2009. The rafts have been consolidated in recent years; there are far fewer than a decade ago.
- Monkey Island (Cat Dua) — a beach, a short trail to a viewpoint, and a troop of macaques that will take unguarded food. Not the langur.
- Bright and Dark cave — a low rock tunnel, about 70 m long, paddled by kayak into a lagoon walled by limestone. The busiest spot in the bay by late morning, and the reason to time the day.
- Ba Trai Dao (Three Peaches) beach — three small coves under three islets; the sand is partly under water for part of the day, so the swim depends on the tide.
- Floating fish farms — a family raft with pens of grouper and cobia beneath it; lunch is usually here, cooked on board.
- Viet Hai village — the day ends at our pier: an electric cart (50,000 VND per person, about 10 minutes) or a bicycle along the 3.4 km lane through the hill, the stream where small fish nibble your feet (most fish July–September), dinner at one table and the night in the valley.
Why start from Cat Ba rather than Ha Long city?
- You are on the water in minutes. Lan Ha Bay begins at Ben Beo harbour, beside Cai Beo; from Viet Hai pier the boat is already in the bay. No harbour queue, no transfer bus.
- You sleep inside the national park. Viet Hai is a farming valley of 87 households and about 295 people in the park’s core zone. No road links it to the rest of Cat Ba — not by regulation, but by geography; what vehicles exist stay in the valley. Mains electricity arrived on 16 August 2009, and in June 2025 Hai Phong recognised the village as its 13th community tourism site.
- Lan Ha is quieter. The same limestone as Ha Long, a fraction of the fleet, cleaner water for swimming.
- Getting here is simple. Hanoi to Cat Ba is 3–3.5 hours by bus or limousine via Dong Bai pier, then a speedboat from Ben Beo to our pier of about 15 minutes; the routes are in Hanoi to Cat Ba 2026.
How to book a cross-bay cruise through Lan Homestay
- Tell us at least a day ahead. Ask at reception when you check in, or email info@lanhomestay.com or WhatsApp +84 363 934 325 when you book your room. Cabins on the May–August ships go early.
- Pick your route. First visit, Route 5. Fishing villages and kayaking, Route 3 or the day tour. Quiet nature, Route 6. Family activities, Route 4. We will say which ships are running it that week.
- We handle the connections. The electric cart from the village to Viet Hai pier and the shuttle boat timed to the ship’s pick-up, or a transfer to Gia Luan or Ben Beo where the route needs it — see transport to Lan Homestay.
Bring your passport for boarding, and in summer look at the forecast three to five days out: a storm warning keeps every ship in port, sometimes for a day, occasionally for three, and a good operator will tell you before you travel rather than on the dock.
Frequently asked questions about the Ha Long – Lan Ha cross-bay cruises
Answered by the Lan family in Viet Hai — the people who run the boats, cook the dinner and pick you up at the pier.
Is a cross-bay cruise worth it, or should I just do Lan Ha Bay?
Worth it if you want the famous Ha Long sights and a night on the water in one trip; not needed if your aim is caves, beaches and kayaking, which Lan Ha does better and in one day. The cruise suits people with three days; the day boat plus a night in Viet Hai suits people with two.
How long does a cross-bay cruise take?
The four licensed routes are overnight itineraries — typically two days and one night on board, with pick-up on the Ha Long side and drop-off in Lan Ha or the reverse. Add the transfer to the pier at each end, and allow a spare half-day in summer for weather.
Can a cruise drop me at Viet Hai village?
Route 6 ends at Viet Hai pier, and Routes 3 and 5 pass the entrance to our valley. Whether the ship lets passengers step off there depends on its programme; tell us the ship and route and we will confirm, and time our cart and shuttle boat to it.
Which route is best for a first visit?
Route 5: Thien Cung grotto, Dau Go cave and the Trong Mai “Kissing Rocks” on the Ha Long side, then Tra Bau and Bright cave in Lan Ha, ending at the Viet Hai entrance. Route 3 is the richer day if you have seen Ha Long before.
Are cross-bay cruises suitable for children?
Yes; Route 4 is built around activities — bamboo boats, kayaking, dragon-boat racing, a pearl farm — and is the one we would point a family to. Check the ship’s minimum age and cabin layout, and note that a night on the water in July or August can be hot and stormy; October–November and March–April are the calmer months.
When is the best time to cruise both bays?
October and November, then March and April: clear air, warm water, few cancellations. May to September has the warmest sea but also storm warnings that close both bays. December to February is cool and misty, atmospheric from a deck, poor for swimming.
Do I need cash on the ship and in the village?
Most ships take cards on board, but the village does not: Viet Hai has no ATM and many local places cannot take international cards. Withdraw in Cat Ba town or Ha Long before boarding. At the homestay we accept VND, USD and EUR; cards carry a fee.
Planning a cruise across both bays?
Tell us your dates, which route you are considering and how many of you there are. We will check which ships are sailing it, lay out the connection to the village with current rates, and arrange whichever parts you want handled. WhatsApp +84 363 934 325 or send a message here — we answer in English, usually within the hour.
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Where to stay in Viet Hai
If this trip brings you into the village, the rooms and bungalows at Lan Homestay are a few minutes on foot from the centre: the garden bungalow (triple) works well for families, and the mountain-view double room for couples.
