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Halong Bay is the prime reason a lot of tourists come to Vietnam. In all honesty, I too was attracted to Vietnam first by looking at the stunning pictures of Halong Bay. It’s only natural that Halong Bay is one of the best things to do in Hanoi.
There are several Halong bay 1 day tour packages available – Halong bay 1 day tour, Halong bay 1 night cruise and so on. If you are on a budget I will recommend you the Halong bay backpacker tour.
Is Halong bay boat tour really worth the hassle of a long, tiring day trip, specially if you haven’t been to Ninh Binh… Oh, ah! Wait a minute… Ninh Binh, what’s that?
If you are short on time and had already been to Ninh Binh, you can even consider skipping Halong bay, which actually looks like a tourist trap. Check the detailed review of Halong Bay boat trip, Vietnam in my Halong Bay trip guide.
How much the day trip to Halong Bay costs?
Let’s say Halong Bay trip isn’t that cheap, a typical day tour to Halong bay costs around U.S. $34. Yes, that ‘s correct $34, this is exactly what I paid for. This very basic tour includes the transfer fees by bus, the boat fees, and lunch.
If you are getting it cheaper than this, ask what fees are included in the Halong bay package and what’s not.
Importantly, when it comes to food preference, if you are vegetarian do specify your preference beforehand. I didn’t do it and really had a tough time being the only vegetarian on the boat.
What do in Halong Bay?
Halong bay cruise itinerary: You can do kayaking or rowboat (a local will row for you) from makeshift the island, right in the middle of the Halong Bay. The Halong Bay kayak boat ride takes you through some really wonderful caves. The tour lasts for 30 minutes. Note, that you have to pay a separate fee for the kayak as it is not included in your Halong Bay day trip package.
Kayak or the rowboat cost the same – 130,000 V.N.D
Halong bay day tour itinerary also include the trip to beautiful Thien Cung Cave. You need to do a bit of hiking to reach the entrance. Colorfully lit, the Thien Cung caves are relatively small and take around 15-20 minutes to pass through them.
Entry fee to cave is 50,000 V.N.D which is included in the basic package. Do remember to confirm this before buying the Halong Bay day trip package.
Where to buy the ticket for Halong Bay day trip?
There are hundreds and hundreds, if not more, tourist agencies in the Hanoi Old Quarters selling the Halong bay one day cruise. Just walk in and inquire the tour package you are looking for.
Alternatively, you can just walk into the front desk of your hostel/ hotel and buy the Halong Bay tour ticket from them.
Note, that almost, all of them offer the exact same service, so ask around to find the best price for Halong Bay trip. Good thing is due to the intense competition Halong bay one day tour price is dirt cheap.