💰 From 3,500,000 VND (≈$140) / person
🛶 Kayaking & Swimming
👨🍳 Cooking Class
🦑 Squid Fishing
🧘 Tai Chi at Sunrise
🚴 Viet Hai Village
📍 Board 12:00, ashore 12:00 the next day at Ben Beo Harbour · already in Viet Hai? We collect you at Lan Homestay at 09:15 · 📞 +84 363 934 325
🗓 Itinerary
🏠 Option A — Pick-up at Lan Homestay, Viet Hai Village
Already staying with us in Viet Hai? We collect you at Lan Homestay at 09:15 and bring you out to the boat by speedboat.
☀️ Morning on the sundeck
For guests joining at Viet Hai. Nothing to do but enjoy it: settle on the sundeck with a drink and watch the bay go by while the boat makes its way across Lan Ha Bay towards Ben Beo.
⚓ Option B — Pick-up at Ben Beo Harbour, Cat Ba Island
Coming from Cat Ba Town: our staff meets you at Ben Beo Harbour (Cai Beo Cruise Port) at 12:00 noon. Coming from Hanoi? A shuttle leaves the Old Quarter at 07:30. It is not included in the tour price, but we are happy to book it for you — 320,000₫ (≈$13) per person, one way.
🛳 Check in to your cabin, welcome drink & briefing
Once everyone is aboard, cabins are handed out. A cold welcome drink on deck and a short briefing on how the two days will run — then straight through to lunch.
🍽 Lunch while cruising into Lan Ha Bay
Lunch is served as the boat glides past towering limestone karsts rising straight out of emerald water — dozens of them, with nothing built on any of them.
🛶 Ba Trai Dao or Dau Be — kayaking & swimming
The cruise sails deeper into the bay. Take a kayak in close to the karsts, ride the tender boat through the islets, or swim off a quiet beach. Two hours to spend as you like.
👨🍳 Sundeck, cooking demonstration & dinner
Back on board as the light turns gold on the cliffs. Join our authentic Vietnamese cooking demonstration on the sundeck, then sit down to dinner with fresh local seafood.
🦑 Free evening — or squid fishing
Relax on the sundeck, sip a drink at the bar, or drop a line over the side and try squid fishing under the stars. A Cat Ba tradition, and your catch can go straight to the galley.
Overnight on board
Sleep anchored in a quiet cove, with nothing around you but water and limestone.
🌅 Sunrise from the sundeck (free and easy)
Nothing is scheduled this early. If you want the sunrise between the karsts — the picture everyone goes home with — just come up to the sundeck on your own. Otherwise, sleep in.
🧘 Tai Chi on the sundeck (optional)
Join a slow Tai Chi session while the mist is still lifting off the limestone peaks — or stay where you are with a coffee and just watch. Entirely up to you.
☕ Breakfast on board
Tea or coffee with the morning view, then breakfast in the dining area as the boat heads for Viet Hai.
🚴 Viet Hai Village by bicycle or electric car
Ashore for an hour and a half in Viet Hai — a fishing and farming village inside Cat Ba National Park with no road leading in. Cycle or ride through rice paddies, fruit gardens and lanes of old houses, and see how people actually live out here.
🍽 Check out & lunch on the way back
Check out of your cabin. A set lunch is served on board as the cruise turns back towards port — one last hour of islands.
⚓ Disembark at Ben Beo Harbour, Cat Ba — end of tour
Ashore at 12:00, exactly 24 hours after you boarded, with the whole afternoon still ahead of you. 🙏
🚌 Onward bus to Hanoi or Ninh Binh (optional, not included)
There is a 12:30 departure from Cat Ba to Hanoi or Ninh Binh — half an hour after you step off the boat. We can book your seat: 320,000₫ (≈$13) to Hanoi / 350,000₫ (≈$14) to Ninh Binh per person. Tell us when you book the cruise so we can hold it.
🛏 Cabin Types
Grand Deluxe — Sea View
King bed · Private bathroom · Bay-facing windows · AC
Family Suite — Twin Beds
2 double beds · Panoramic windows · Private ensuite · AC
Twin Cabin — Bay View
2 single beds · Sea-view windows · Private bathroom
✅ What’s Included
❌ Not Included
- 👜 Personal expenses and souvenirs
- 🥤 Additional beverages beyond the welcome drink
- 💳 Bank charges for credit card payments
- 🚌 Bus transfers to and from Cat Ba — not included, but we book them for you at a flat 320,000₫ (≈$13) to Hanoi / 350,000₫ (≈$14) to Ninh Binh per person, one way: Hanoi Old Quarter departing 06:00 or 07:30 on the way in, and Cat Ba departing 12:30 to Hanoi or Ninh Binh on the way out
🚌 Getting to and from Cat Ba — in plain terms
Coming in. Two buses leave the Hanoi Old Quarter each morning — 06:00 and 07:30. For this tour take the 07:30, which gets you to Cat Ba in good time for boarding at Ben Beo at 12:00. If you are already staying with us at Lan Homestay in Viet Hai, you do not need it — we collect you at the homestay at 09:15.
Going home. You step off the boat at 12:00. A bus leaves Cat Ba at 12:30 for Hanoi or Ninh Binh — half an hour later, so there is no waiting around, but do tell us in advance so the seat is held.
Price. 320,000₫ (≈$13) to Hanoi / 350,000₫ (≈$14) to Ninh Binh per person, one way in either direction. This is not included in the tour price, so you only pay for it if you want it.
Heading somewhere other than Hanoi? The 12:30 bus also runs to Ninh Binh at 350,000₫ (≈$14). For Sapa, Ha Giang or Noi Bai Airport, message us and we will quote you the current fare and departure time. Ask when you book, not on the last morning — onward seats go early in high season.
You do not have to book it yourself. Just tell us which direction you need when you book the cruise, and we will reserve your seat and send you the pick-up details. Message us on WhatsApp +84 363 934 325 or email info@lanhomestay.com — we answer in English and Vietnamese, usually within the hour.
Frequently asked questions
Answered by the Lan family in Viet Hai — the people who run the boats, cook the dinner and pick you up at the pier.
How much does the 2-day, 1-night tour cost?
3,500,000 VND (about $140) per person for two days and one night, with everything listed under what is included on this page. Bus transfers from Hanoi are not included; we book them for you at 320,000 VND per person, one way.
Can we book the tour as a private group?
Yes. A private group starts from 14,000,000 VND. The final price depends on how many you are and the date, so message us with your numbers and we will confirm it.
How do we get there from Hanoi?
Take the 06:00 or 07:30 bus from the Hanoi Old Quarter; the boat meets you at Ben Beo harbour at 12:00. We book the seat for you at 320,000 VND to Hanoi / 350,000 VND to Ninh Binh per person, one way, and the 12:30 bus takes you back to Hanoi or Ninh Binh on the last day.
🌊 Ready to Sleep on the Bay?
Contact Lan Homestay to book your Night Cruise — board at Ben Beo Harbour at 12:00 and step ashore there at 12:00 the next day.
| When it runs | Two days and one night, sleeping in a cabin on the boat, leaving from Viet Hai pier. Cabin numbers are limited, so ask early. |
| What it costs | 3,500,000 VND (≈$140) per person for two days and one night, as listed under what is included. A private group starts from 14,000,000 VND — tell us how many you are. Bus transfers from Hanoi are extra, at 320,000 VND per person each way. |
| Fixed state fees | Lan Ha Bay ticket 120,000 VND (≈$5) adult / 60,000 VND (≈$2.40) child · electric cart between the pier and the house 50,000 VND (≈$2) per person each way. The same for everyone, set by the state. |
| Paying | Nothing is charged online. You settle at the homestay before you leave — see payment information. |
| If the weather turns | We do not sail when the harbour master closes the water. A cancelled trip is moved to the next clear day or refunded — we never run a boat we would not put our own family on. |
| Getting here | Three to three and a half hours from Hanoi, then about half an hour to the door. We arrange the whole chain — see getting to Lan Homestay. |
| Who answers you | Chilly and the family, at the house in Viet Hai. No agency in between. Usually within a few hours, Vietnam time (GMT+7). |