Home › Tours › 3-Day Lan Ha Bay Cruise
3-Day Lan Ha Bay Cruise – Overnight on the Water & Viet Hai Village
From $210 USD (5,250,000 VND) / person
Two nights, two completely different beds. The first is on a wooden boat anchored in a cove in Lan Ha Bay, where you wake to sunrise over limestone islands through the cabin window. The second is in a family home in Viet Hai — a village inside Cat Ba National Park with no road leading to it, reached only by boat.
In between: kayaking in among the karsts, a Vietnamese cooking class on the sundeck, squid fishing under the stars, Tai Chi as the mist lifts off the water, the climb to Navy Peak for the best view on Cat Ba — and a full adventure day in Viet Hai: cycling into a village hidden in the jungle, the trek to Navy Peak and Bat Cave, and an afternoon out on the water in a kayak.
This is not a Ha Long Bay coach tour. It leaves from Ben Beo Harbor on Cat Ba Island, stays in the quiet southern reaches of Lan Ha Bay well away from the big cruise routes, and is run in small groups by the people who actually live here. Booked direct with Lan Homestay — no middleman.
✨ Why This Trip Is Different
- Two nights, two worlds — one asleep on the water in a quiet cove of Lan Ha Bay, one in a village with no road in, reached only by boat. Both rooms are private with an en-suite bathroom, air conditioning and hot water — remote does not mean roughing it
- A full adventure day — cycle into Viet Hai, trek to Navy Peak and Bat Cave, then kayak between the limestone karsts in the afternoon
- Cook it yourself — a Vietnamese cooking class on the sundeck, then eat what you made as the light goes off the karsts
- Squid fishing under the stars — a Cat Ba tradition, lamps over the side, nothing but the water and the islands
- Navy Peak — the climb everyone remembers, and the single best panorama over Ha Long and Lan Ha Bay
- Viet Hai Village — cycle into a village hidden in the middle of the jungle, put your feet in the fish massage pool, sleep in a family home
- Tai Chi at sunrise on the sundeck, with the bay waking up around you
- Small groups, local guides — the people showing you around are the people who live here
✅ Included
- Welcome drink on arrival
- 1 night in a cruise cabin — en-suite bathroom, air conditioning, hot water
- 1 night in a bungalow at Lan Homestay — en-suite bathroom, air conditioning, hot water
- All meals as per the itinerary
- Tour guide on board and in the village
- Every activity listed: kayaking, cooking class, squid fishing, Tai Chi, Navy Peak & Bat Cave trek, cycling, afternoon kayaking
- Entrance fees and permits
❌ Not Included
- Personal expenses
- Additional beverages and snacks
- Bank charges on credit card payments
- Bus transfers to and from Cat Ba — not included, but we book them for you at a flat 350,000₫ (≈$14) 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
🗓️ Day by Day
We meet you at Ben Beo Harbor between 11:10 and 11:40 and take you out to the boat. Cat Ba town falls away behind you within minutes.
A cold welcome drink, your cabin key, and a short briefing on how the next three days will run. Your cabin is private, with its own bathroom, air conditioning and hot water.
Lunch is served as the boat threads its way into Lan Ha Bay, past limestone islands that rise straight out of the water with nothing built on them.
Two hours to spend as you like: take a kayak in among the karsts, swim off a secluded beach, or stay on the sundeck and watch the bay slide past.
Back on board as the light turns gold on the cliffs. Dinner on deck.
Learn to cook a Vietnamese dish with our crew — or drop a line over the side and try squid fishing under the stars. Overnight on the cruise.
A slow Tai Chi session on the sundeck while mist still sits between the islands. Breakfast at 07:00 with the bay in front of you. Day 2 is the full adventure day.
Leave the boat at the Viet Hai pier and cycle into the village — a small community hidden in the middle of the jungle, inside Cat Ba National Park. Stop for a fish massage on the way — the small fish do the work.
Drop your bags at your bungalow at Lan Homestay, in a valley ringed by Cat Ba National Park — again with an en-suite bathroom, air conditioning and hot water.
The climb of the trip. From the top of Navy Peak, Ha Long Bay on one side and Lan Ha Bay on the other — the best panorama on Cat Ba, and you will have earned it. On the same trail through the National Park you explore Bat Cave, the most beautiful cave in our area. About 4 hours round trip.
Back at the homestay for a traditional Vietnamese lunch — what the family eats, cooked the way they cook it. Time to rest before the afternoon.
Back down to the water for two hours of paddling in the calm, sheltered water around Viet Hai, between the limestone karsts. Back to the homestay at 17:30.
Home cooking at the long table, with the family and the other guests. Afterwards the valley goes quiet — tea, conversation, and a sky full of stars with no town for miles. Overnight at Lan Homestay.
Breakfast at the homestay, then check out at your own pace.
Back through the valley to the pier and aboard the cruise for the last leg.
Lunch on board while the boat makes its way back across the bay — one last hour of islands.
Ashore between 11:30 and 11:45, with the afternoon still ahead of you.
The order of activities may shift with the weather and the sea — your guide will tell you the night before.
📸 Gallery
🎒 What to Bring
- Lightweight clothing for 3 days (washing available at homestay)
- Swimwear and towel
- Hiking shoes for Navy Peak (Day 2)
- Water shoes or sandals with a grip — for the kayak, the beach landing and the wet rocks
- Sunscreen and a sunhat
- Mosquito repellent — the valley at Viet Hai gets mosquitoes at dusk
- Camera and power bank
- Cash in VND for drinks and personal purchases
- Small dry bag for electronics on the kayak
- A head torch — the village has no street lighting after dark
- A light long-sleeve layer for the kayak on Day 2
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the tour start and end?
The tour starts and ends at Ben Beo Harbor on Cat Ba Island. From Cat Ba Town, Ben Beo is a 5-minute taxi ride. Coming from Hanoi, the 07:30 bus from the Old Quarter gets you there in time for the 11:10 pick-up; going home, the 12:30 bus leaves an hour after you disembark. We book either one for you at 350,000₫ (≈$14) per person, one way. Transfers from Ha Long City can also be arranged on request.
What are the rooms like — on the boat and at the homestay?
Both nights you have a private room with its own en-suite bathroom, air conditioning and hot water. Night one is a cabin on a traditional wooden cruise boat; night two is a garden bungalow at Lan Homestay in Viet Hai Village. Comfortable and properly equipped — just not a five-star hotel, and that is the point.
Is the Navy Peak hike mandatory?
No — it is recommended but optional. Guests who prefer a rest day in Viet Hai Village can enjoy the village, garden walks, the fruit gardens and the local market instead.
Do I need kayaking experience?
No. Both paddles go out in sheltered, calm water with a guide leading the group, life jackets for everyone, and a short briefing before you set off. Beginners do it every week. The afternoon kayak on Day 2 stays in calm, sheltered water close to Viet Hai.
Can I book for just 2 people?
Yes — private tours available for 2 or more people. Shared tours run with minimum 4 guests. Contact us for pricing and availability.
🚌 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 the 11:10 pick-up at Ben Beo Harbour.
Going home. You step off the boat at 11:30 on Day 3. A bus leaves Cat Ba at 12:30 for Hanoi or Ninh Binh — one hour later, so there is no rush and no waiting around.
Price. 350,000₫ (≈$14) 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 the same 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 tour, 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.
The Complete Lan Ha Bay Experience
3 days, 2 nights, all-inclusive. Book directly with Lan Homestay for the best price.
| When it runs | Three days, two nights, leaving from Viet Hai pier. Cabins are limited, so this one is worth asking about well before you arrive. |
| What it costs | Rates move with the season and the size of the group, so we quote per booking rather than print a price that goes stale. Ask and we send the current one, with what is included and what is paid at the gate. |
| 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 thirty minutes across the water. 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). |