Visiting Halong Bay on your own or on a tour means entering one of the most impressive landscapes in Southeast Asia and the world. With its thousands of limestone islands emerging from the emerald water, this natural wonder, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, seems like something out of this world.
Sailing among its rock formations, discovering caves and floating villages, and enjoying the tranquility of the surroundings make this experience a must-do on any trip to Vietnam.
In this guide to visiting Halong Bay, I'll tell you everything you need to know to organize your trip on your own, with practical tips to keep costs down and enjoy the experience as independently as possible. The idea is that you can discover this incredible place without relying on expensive tours and, at the same time, make the most of every moment in the bay.
Ha Long Bay – Vietnam
Table of Contents
What is Halong Bay
Halong Bay is one of Vietnam's most iconic natural landscapes and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a vast bay dotted with more than 1,600 islands and karst formations that emerge from the sea like limestone towers covered in vegetation. Its calm, green waters, along with caves, hidden beaches, and floating fishing villages, create a unique setting of indescribable beauty.
Beyond its scenic value, Halong Bay is also a destination steeped in local history and culture. For centuries, the communities that inhabit the area have lived in perfect harmony with the sea, developing floating villages where traditional life can still be seen. Visiting this place is both a natural and cultural experience, making it one of the most visited gems in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
What to do in Halong Bay
Navigate among the karst formations
The main activity in Halong Bay is undoubtedly cruising the bay by boat. You can enjoy stunning landscapes, with hundreds of islands and limestone mountains emerging from the water. The sensation of being surrounded by these formations is unique, perfect for relaxing and taking photos.
Sailing through Halong Bay
Kayaking or paddleboarding
Kayaking allows you to get close to hidden islets and beaches, explore caves, and observe floating fishing villages up close. It's a more active way to explore the bay and feel the freedom of moving at your own pace. If you prefer something more sedate, some boats offer paddleboarding for a more effortless experience.
Visit caves and grottos
Halong Bay has several impressive caves, such as Sung Sot and Thien Cung, which can be explored during excursions. Their rock formations and stalactites create a mystical, if somewhat exaggerated, atmosphere that is well worth a visit.
Sung Sot Cave in Halong Bay
Discover floating villages
Visiting floating fishing villages is a unique cultural experience. You'll be able to see how local communities live, interact with them, and even buy fresh produce directly from their floating homes.
Fishing Village in Cat Ba, Halong Bay
Enjoy beaches and small islets
Many tours allow you to stop at hidden beaches, where you can swim, relax, or simply admire the scenery. The combination of turquoise water, white sand, and karst mountains makes each beach a natural spectacle.
Explore Monkey Island and Cat Ba
Some excursions include Monkey Island, famous for its monkeys and small beaches, as well as the possibility of visiting Cat Ba, the largest island in the bay, with trails, viewpoints and accommodations for those who want to spend the night.
Cat Ba Center
Photography and contemplation
Finally, Halong Bay is an ideal place to take photos and simply admire the beauty of the surroundings. Every corner offers unique views, and whether it's sunny or cloudy, the scenery is always breathtaking.
Packages to visit Halong Bay in 1, 2 or 3 days
Tours visiting the bay are usually booked from Hanoi, the northern capital. All travel agencies offer more or less the same excursion to explore the area.
In general, they will offer you the following excursions:
1-Day Tour: Includes transportation from Hanoi to the port, a cruise around the bay, a visit to a cave, and some water activities, such as kayaking, returning to the capital on the same day. (between USD 10 and USD 50 depending on the agency and the activities included)
2-day, 1-night tour: the same as the previous one but with a night on the boat and more hours sailing around the bay, getting to know a particular island, such as Monkey Beach (between USD 30 and USD 90).
3 Days 2 Nights Tour: in addition to the above, but adding a night in a hotel on one of the islands, probably in Cat Ba, and more time exploring the Bay (more than USD 100)
Additionally, the price can vary depending on the type of boat and its amenities. Some are luxurious and others are more basic.
Unfortunately, being such a world-famous tourist destination with such high demand for packages, it's common for some agencies to take advantage of the situation. They often sell one thing, but once on the ship, they offer something completely different.
This happens frequently: you may encounter boats in very poor condition or tours that don't deliver the promised activities. It's all kinds: some agencies offer decent service, but others leave much to be desired. Therefore, it is best to always book with agencies recommended by other travelers to avoid unpleasant surprises.
How to visit Halong Bay on your own?
I didn't want to stay just one day in Halong Bay, but I also didn't want to rely entirely on an agency. That not only makes the tour much more expensive, but also increases the risk of things not going as promised.
After evaluating options, I came to the conclusion that the best option was to book a one-day tour, the most economical, but with one condition: ask the agency that instead of returning me to Hanoi, they drop me off at the port of Cat Ba, the largest island in the bay.
From then on, I was completely free to explore. I ended up paying 18 USD for the tour, which included a visit to a cave. Chatting with other travelers, they told me some had gotten it a little cheaper, while others paid significantly more.
This mixed plan seemed ideal to me: the basic one-day tour was necessary for the transfer from Hanoi to the departure port, cruising Halong Bay for the entire day, and finally, being dropped off in Cat Ba.
These stops are very difficult to arrange on your own. But instead of spending the night on the boat or in a hotel assigned by the agency, I had the freedom to stay in Cat Ba and choose any accommodation I wanted (more details about the island later).
Visit Halong Bay on a day tour: from Hanoi to Cat Ba Island
The day starts early: we're picked up from our accommodations and, after a three-hour journey, we arrive at the port. There, we wait for the agencies to organize the boats and distribute the different groups.
The place is a real anthill of tourists and boats constantly setting sail. Sometimes you're lucky and boarding is quick, but you can also wait up to an hour and a half to get on the boat.
Sailing through Halong Bay
The boat I was assigned was in good condition, although I didn't get to see what the cabins were like where the rest of the group would spend the night.
As soon as we begin sailing, we can already see the first karst formations emerging from the water. You've probably seen them in photos, movies, or even animations (like in Dragon Ball!). They are limestone mountains that rise steeply and alone, creating a fantastic landscape unique in the world.
Ha Long Bay – Vietnam
This landscape will be repeated throughout Halong Bay. It's its uniqueness, its essence, and what makes it so unique and wonderful.
Ha Long Bay – Vietnam
Visit to Sung Sot Cave or Halong Bay Cave
The first stop on the Halong Bay day tour is Sung Sot Cave, an islet with a large cave with walkways and lights inside. It's striking, although the lights inside are a bit excessive. The guide gives us an explanation as we walk through. It's a brief visit.
As the boat moves forward, more and more karst formations appear around us. The landscape becomes more impressive with each meter traveled, to the point where you feel completely surrounded by these mountains emerging from the water.
More sailing and kayaking
The day was overcast, as is the case most days of the year in Halong Bay. That mist gave an air of mysticism and charm to the place, although if you are lucky enough to have a clear day, consider it a real gift.
Later, it was time to go kayaking in the bay, one of the most fun activities of the tour. The plan was to paddle for an hour, but after 30 minutes, they called me away, as it was time to continue on to Cat Ba.
Cat Ba It is the largest island in the bay and approximately half of its surface is covered by the Cat Ba National ParkIt is also one of the populated islands in Halong Bay.
They dropped me off on the northern part of the island, not at the official port located to the south. To cross the island and get to the area where the lodgings and locals live, you have to take a bus that crosses the island for $5 and drops you off in what would be the center of Cat Ba.
It was already nighttime when I arrived downtown, so the first thing I did was find some accommodation among the many available in the area, and then head out to dinner at one of the restaurants near the coast.
Day 2 in Halong Bay: Touring Cat Ba and the bay independently
With the light of day, the cool of the morning, and the clouds still covering the sky, I began to walk around the center of the island and discover a little of its daily life.
View of Cat Ba Harbor
In the morning, I walked along the entire waterfront. It's small, and you can walk from one end to the other in about 30 minutes to an hour. The landscape maintains the essence of the bay: mountains surrounding the horizon, fishing villages and boats entering and leaving the port. A very pleasant view that invites you to enjoy the leisurely stroll.
Cat Ba Center
Kayaking through fishing villages on Cat Ba Island
I went to the Ben Beo Port (15 minutes walk from the center) and I rented a kayak for $8 all day, which although I wasn't going to be rowing 24 hours a day, gives you the flexibility to go wherever you want for as long as you want.
Fishing Village in Cat Ba, Halong Bay
As soon as you start rowing and move away from the shore, the large floating fishing villages appear. I'd never seen anything like it in my life; I felt like I was in the movie Waterworld.
There are dozens of floating cottages, one next to the other, connected by walkways and separated by wide avenues of water. As I approached in the kayak, the locals greeted me, and some even invited me into their homes. A unique spectacle that will never be forgotten.
A constant, seeing the fishermen working
If we continue paddling and go a little further, past the villages, we reach small islets with hidden beaches. There, you can stop, rest a while, or simply enjoy the surroundings. The feeling of freedom is incredible: going at our own pace, stopping whenever we want, or getting lost among the karst mountains without anyone rushing us. Just don't forget to manage your energy well... because you'll have to paddle back later.
I spent hours paddling at a leisurely pace, observing everything around me. Trying to remember which mountain I'd passed or which path I'd taken so I could find my way back. Because if you go too far, you can get lost in such a labyrinthine place. In any case, there's always a boat nearby that we can ask in universal sign language 🙂 (very few speak English).
View from my kayak
Boat trip from Cat Ba
When my arms were already tired from rowing so much, I returned to Cat Ba. Just then, a one-and-a-half-hour motorized boat tour was about to leave, so I decided to join it.
Monkey Island cloudy
At first I thought they would take me much further than I had been by kayak, but in reality we did almost the same route, except we added a few islands, like the famous Monkey Island.
Fishing Village in Cat Ba, Halong Bay
Anyway, I really enjoyed it. This time, more relaxed and without the physical exertion, I was able to do what was difficult for me in the kayak: taking pictures of everything I saw.
Third day in Halong Bay on your own: Other activities in Cat Ba
Hike to the Northern Beaches
In the morning, I went along the coast to explore some beaches north of downtown Cat Ba. They are beaches with cabins and hotels.
Beaches north of Cat Ba (the weather was not good)
Another activity you can do on the island is explore the nearby extensive National Park. You can do this by motorbike or with a local agency. I didn't have time to do this, but other travelers told me the views are fantastic as you climb the island.
How to get from Halong Bay to Ninh Binh
To get to Ninh Binh from Cat Ba Island in Halong Bay, the route is generally: first a bus to the port on the island, then a speedboat to the mainland, and finally another bus to get to the city. The entire trip takes about 5 hours and is very reasonably priced.
In the center of the island, there are many agencies that sell tickets, whether to Hanoi or other destinations.
In future stories I will tell you what there is to do in Ninh Binh or as they usually call it, the Halong Bay Land.
What is the best time to visit Halong Bay?
The best time of year to visit the Halong Bay es durante la primavera o el otoño, es decir entre marzo y mayo y finales de septiembre y noviembre. En estos meses, disfrutaremos de temperaturas agradables y evitaremos masificaciones de turistas.
Because the bay is located in the northern part of the country, it can get colder in late autumn and winter. However, generally speaking, Halong Bay can be visited year-round.
Final thoughts on my visit to Halong Bay and Cat Ba
I was very happy with the entire experience. I feel I made the best decision that suited my needs. Combining the one-day Halong Bay tour with the rest of the tour on my own gave me the freedom I was looking for.
Having the freedom to explore this magical place at my own pace was incredible. The landscapes are straight out of a fairy tale. It deserves to be declared a World Heritage Site.
Before coming here, I had read stories from travelers who recounted how bad their experiences were on their tours, but they always blamed the agency that rushed them or changed the conditions. They say they keep you waiting too long, the boat is rubbish, the agreed-upon activities aren't included, the guides speak little or no English. We're held hostage by this situation, and when it happens, there's not much we can do.
It's a shame, because those kinds of negative experiences create a less-than-pleasant perception of the place, and you'll remember Halong Bay with bittersweet feelings. I hope your experience isn't the same.
