⛔ This tour is paused and not taking bookings at the moment.
We have suspended the sunset and night kayaking tour for the time being. The page stays here so you can see what it involves, but we cannot accept a booking for it right now and we are not giving a restart date we might not keep.
If the kayaking is what you came for, our 3-Day Lan Ha Bay Cruise includes an afternoon paddle among the karsts and a sunset kayak from the village, and the Full Day Boat Tour includes kayaking through the caves. Or message us on WhatsApp +84 363 934 325 and we will tell you honestly what is running on your dates.
Bioluminescent night kayaking
Paddle through hidden caves
Vietnamese lunch + dinner
Stargazing on the bay
Included
- Golf cart pick-up at homestay
- Lan Ha Bay entrance ticket
- English-speaking guide
- Kayak equipment + life jackets
- Lunch + dinner on the boat
- Drinking water all day
- Headlamps for night kayaking
Not Included
- Accommodation — a room in Viet Hai is required, before and after
- Transfer to or from Cat Ba Town
- Buses to and from Hanoi (350,000₫ (≈$14) per person, one way — we book them for you)
- Alcoholic drinks
- Personal expenses
- Tips for the crew
Itinerary
Gallery
What to Bring
- Sunscreen and sunglasses
- Swimwear and towel
- A light jacket for the evening
- Sandals or shoes with straps
- Motion-sickness tablets (if needed)
- Cash for drinks and tips
🛖 Read this before you book: this tour is for guests staying in Viet Hai
The boat leaves from Lan Homestay in Viet Hai at 09:30 and does not get back until about 20:00, after dark. There is no transfer to Cat Ba Town at that hour, and no bus or ferry off the island. You need a room in Viet Hai the night before and the night after — this is a village tour, not a day trip you can tack onto a Cat Ba Town stay.
Getting here from Hanoi. Come over the day before. Buses leave the Hanoi Old Quarter at 06:00 and 07:30, 350,000₫ (≈$14) per person, and we meet you at Ben Beo with the speedboat across to the village. Viet Hai is reachable only by boat, so there is no way to arrive from Hanoi on the morning of the tour.
Leaving afterwards. You travel out the next day. The 12:30 bus from Cat Ba runs to Hanoi or Ninh Binh at 350,000₫ (≈$14) per person; for Sapa, Ha Giang or Noi Bai Airport, message us for a quote.
Book the room, the tour and the buses together and we handle the whole chain — you do not arrange anything yourself. WhatsApp +84 363 934 325 · info@lanhomestay.com
This tour is paused
We are not taking bookings for the sunset and night kayaking tour at the moment. Ask us what is running on your dates — we will tell you straight.
| When it runs | 09:00 to 20:00. The glowing plankton need a dark night with little or no moon, roughly April to October — message us with your dates and we will tell you honestly whether they fall in that window. |
| 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). |