Ha Long Bay Junk Boat CruiseHalong Bay Cruise With Balcony: The 2-Day Asia Fun Adventures Suite Cruise
This halong bay cruise with balcony sells from $150 per person on Viator, and the balcony is the whole point. Even the cheapest Junior Suite gives you 32 square meters with a private balcony and a bathtub. The Asia Fun Adventures boat sails two days and one night across Ha Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay, carries up to 45 guests and anchors overnight in a quiet part of Lan Ha Bay. Meals, kayaking or a bamboo boat, Tai Chi and a cooking class are in the fare. This page breaks down the real cost, the day to day program and who should compare other Ha Long Bay junk boat cruises before booking.
About This Tour
Asia Fun Adventures runs a 5-star overnight cruise through Ha Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay with every cabin on a private balcony. The two day program includes a welcome drink, a sunset party, live music at dinner, Tai Chi, a cooking class, fishing equipment, swimming at beaches and free kayaking or a local rowing boat. The boat anchors for the night in a quiet area of Lan Ha Bay.
The listing carries a 4.9 rating from 2,659 verified reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor. Groups run to 45 guests with an English speaking guide, and the trip is listed as suitable for all fitness levels. Entrance fee, government tax and on board insurance are in the price.
$150 per person from-price. Four cabin grades are sold and the listing gives no separate price for each. A peak season surcharge of $10 per person applies from October 1 to April 30.
2 days and 1 night on the bay.
None stated in the listing. A round-trip transfer from Hanoi Old Quarter costs $30 per person by shuttle bus or $35 per person by limousine. A limousine to or from Ninh Binh is $20 per person.
Up to 45 guests with an English speaking guide.
Lunch, dinner and breakfast included with Vietnamese seafood and vegetarian options, plus one bottle of water per person per room.
Drinks beyond the welcome drink and water bottle, the Hanoi transfer, the $10 peak surcharge and holiday surcharges on December 24 and 31, Lunar New Year, April 30, May 1 and September 2. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
Check Dates and Availability
Starting times are shown when you check availability for your date. Remember the $10 per person surcharge on dates from October 1 to April 30.
You'll confirm the exact date and time on the secure booking page.
Quick answer Balcony cruise at a glance
This halong bay cruise with balcony costs $150 per person for 2 days and 1 night, with a private balcony and bathtub in every cabin from the 32 square meter Junior Suite up. Meals, kayaking or a bamboo boat, Tai Chi and a cooking class are included, and the boat anchors overnight in a quiet part of Lan Ha Bay.
Key takeaways
- Add the $10 per person peak season surcharge from October 1 to April 30, and the $30 shuttle or $35 limousine transfer from Hanoi if you want it. See what the price covers.
- A lower balcony price is available on the 2-Day Lan Ha Balcony Cruise at $126 per person.
- Want a pool on deck instead of a suite size upgrade? Look at the Infinity Pool Overnight Cruise.
- Compare all Ha Long Bay junk boat cruises side by side before you book.
What the Price Actually Covers
The $150 from-price buys the cabin, three meals and the activity program, but the transfer, the peak surcharge and drinks sit outside it. Here is the line by line split from the operator's own listing.
In the $150
The fare covers the room with private balcony and bathtub, a welcome drink and cold handkerchief, one bottle of water per person per room, an English speaking guide, lunch, dinner and breakfast with Vietnamese seafood and vegetarian options, a cooking class, kayaking or a local rowing boat, Tai Chi, a sunset party, fishing equipment, the entrance fee, government tax and insurance on board. That entrance fee line matters, because some cheaper day listings charge it separately. One night on the 5-star boat is the core of it, and every cabin grade has a bathtub, with a balcony or a sun terrace.
The boat itself adds a mini swimming pool, fitness facilities and paid massage, so the evening is covered beyond the cabin.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cabin with balcony and bathtub | Yes | Junior and Senior Suites 32 sqm, Executive and President Suites 55 sqm with sun terrace |
| Lunch, dinner, breakfast | Yes | Vietnamese seafood, vegetarian options |
| Kayaking or local rowing boat | Yes | Run where the bay authorities allow on the day |
| Cooking class, Tai Chi, sunset party, fishing | Yes | Part of the fixed program |
| Entrance fee, tax, on board insurance | Yes | Included per the listing |
| Hanoi transfer | No | $30 shuttle bus or $35 limousine per person round trip |
| Peak season surcharge | No | $10 per person from October 1 to April 30 |
| Holiday surcharges | No | December 24 and 31, Lunar New Year, April 30, May 1 and September 2, amounts not stated |
| Drinks and massage | No | Only the welcome drink and one water bottle per room are included |
What You Pay on the Day
Budget the extras before you book. The transfer from Hanoi Old Quarter is $30 per person by shuttle bus or $35 by limousine for the round trip, or $20 per person by limousine to or from Ninh Binh. From October 1 to April 30 every booking adds a $10 per person peak surcharge.
Holiday dates carry surcharges the listing does not price. Anything you drink beyond the welcome drink and the bottled water is billed on board, and the massage is paid separately. Tipping is customary on Ha Long cruises, though the listing states no amount.
Sources: UNESCO, Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago, Ha Long Bay Management Board
Tour boats moored beneath karsts in Ha Long Bay. Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Day Is Really Like
The listing describes a two day loop through Ha Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay with a quiet overnight anchorage. It does not print exact departure times, so check availability for your date.
Day One, Out to the Bay
If you book the transfer, a shuttle bus or limousine collects you in Hanoi Old Quarter for the road east to the harbour. The drive is the longest part of the morning, roughly 2 to 2.5 hours over about 150 km according to one source, with other guides citing up to 3.5 hours. You board at the marina, get the welcome drink and cold handkerchief, and the boat sets out through the limestone islands of Ha Long Bay toward Lan Ha Bay. Lunch with Vietnamese seafood is served on board as the scenery starts.
The afternoon is the activity block. You get free kayaking or a local rowing boat, swimming at beaches and fishing equipment from the included list. The program also has a cooking class and a sunset party, and dinner comes with live music. The night is spent anchored in the quietest area of Lan Ha Bay.
Day Two, Tai Chi and the Ride Home
Day two opens with Tai Chi and breakfast. The listing does not describe the rest of the morning. The boat returns to the harbour for the road back to Hanoi, or onward to Ninh Binh if you booked that limousine.
The listing does not state the exact return time or drop-off point, so confirm both with the operator when you reconfirm your booking.
Who This Tour Rules Out
The balcony suite and the 45-guest size are strengths, but several travellers should book something else. Check this list before you pay.
Who Should Look Elsewhere
Children under 5 cannot join, the ages run from child 5 to 9 and adult 10 to 78, so a toddler family needs a different trip. The boat is not described as wheelchair accessible and no wheelchair rule is stated, so mobility-limited travellers should ask the operator directly before booking. The listing states no single supplement for solo travellers, but with up to 45 guests this is not the trip if you want a small boat. The Bhaya Classic Overnight Cruise caps its group at 10.
Hotel pickup is not included, so you either buy the transfer or make your own way to the harbour. Storm closures are real on this coast, and the bay management board, not the operator, suspends boats, and cancellations are cited at winds of Beaufort level 6 or higher. If you cannot spare two days, a day cruise from Hanoi covers the highlights in one.
If the $150 price with its $10 seasonal surcharge is above budget, the 2-Day Lan Ha Balcony Cruise sells the same balcony and bathtub format from $126, and the Infinity Pool Overnight Cruise adds an infinity pool at $125.
Aerial view of Ti Top Island with small boats on the water. Photo: Kris Martyn, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Getting There and What to Add
The transfer is optional, so here is how to reach the harbour yourself and how to stretch the trip before or after.
Getting to the Harbour from Hanoi
Overnight cruises on this coast leave from Tuan Chau Marina on Tuan Chau Island, linked by causeway and about 12.5 km southwest of Ha Long city. Tuan Chau is about 150 km from Hanoi by one operator's measure, with sources citing 2 to 2.5 hours up to 3.5 hours via the expressway. The listing's own option is the simple one, a $30 round-trip shuttle or $35 limousine from the Old Quarter. Going alone means a private car, a limousine bus or the local bus, and you still need to reach the marina itself in time for boarding. If you are coming from Ninh Binh instead, the operator sells a $20 per person limousine to or from Ninh Binh.
Tuan Chau is not the only port. The Ha Long International Cruise Port sits in Bai Chay ward, and Lan Ha Bay cruises can also leave from Cat Ba Island, so always check which harbour your boat uses.
| Option | Cost from the listing | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shuttle bus round trip from Hanoi Old Quarter | $30 per person | The listing's standard transfer |
| Limousine round trip from Hanoi Old Quarter | $35 per person | Limousine option |
| Limousine to or from Ninh Binh | $20 per person | To or from Ninh Binh |
| No transfer | $0 | Make your own way to the marina, meeting point not stated |
Adding Days on Either End
A night in Ha Long city or on Cat Ba Island turns the cruise into a longer bay trip. Cat Ba sits in Lan Ha Bay, the same water this boat cruises, and its town makes a good base for beaches and the national park. If you want Sung Sot Cave or Ti Top Island, note that this itinerary is not stated to visit them, so a Lan Ha Bay or Cat Ba Island stay with a local boat can fill that gap.
Bai Tu Long Bay is the quieter bay next to Ha Long if you have a fourth day. The Hanoi to Ha Long Bay guide covers the road options in detail.
Two-Day Itinerary
The listing does not print clock times for this program, so steps are given in phases. Confirm exact boarding and return times when you check availability.
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Start
Hanoi pickup or arrival at the marina
Guests with the transfer option are collected in Hanoi Old Quarter by shuttle bus or limousine for the road to the harbour, which the listing does not name. Travellers without the transfer make their own way, as no meeting point is stated in the listing.
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After boarding
Welcome and cruise out
A welcome drink and cold handkerchief start the trip. The 5-star boat leaves the harbour and cruises through Ha Long Bay toward Lan Ha Bay with an English speaking guide.
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Midday
Seafood lunch on board
Lunch is served with Vietnamese seafood and vegetarian options as the boat works through the islands.
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Afternoon
Kayaking, rowing boat, swimming and fishing
The included activity block runs free kayaking or a local rowing boat, swimming at beaches and fishing equipment, wherever the bay authorities allow on the day.
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Evening
Cooking class, sunset party and dinner
The program includes a cooking class and a sunset party. Dinner comes with live music, and the boat anchors overnight in the quietest area of Lan Ha Bay.
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Early on day two
Tai Chi and breakfast
Tai Chi opens the second day, followed by breakfast.
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Later on day two
Return to harbour
The listing does not describe the rest of the morning. The boat returns to port for the road back to Hanoi or the $20 per person limousine to Ninh Binh.
Pros and Cons
An honest read of the listing, its price and its reviews.
What we genuinely like
- Every cabin has a private balcony and bathtub, even the base Junior Suite at 32 square meters
- Entrance fee, government tax and on board insurance are included, which some cheaper listings charge separately
- Lunch, dinner and breakfast with Vietnamese seafood and vegetarian options are all covered
- 4.9 rating from 2,659 verified Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure
- Two higher grades of 55 square meters with sun terrace if you want to upgrade
The honest downsides
- The $150 fare is only the start. The $10 per person peak surcharge from October 1 to April 30, unpriced holiday surcharges on six dates, the $30 or $35 transfer and all drinks beyond one water bottle sit outside it
- Up to 45 guests makes it a large boat, so expect a busy boat
- Hotel pickup is not included and no meeting point is stated, so arrival logistics need the paid transfer or your own planning
- No clock times, return point or exact site list are printed, so the itinerary stays vague until you reconfirm
- The two day format is a long commitment if you only have one day in the region
Who it's NOT for: Not for families with children under 5, travellers who need guaranteed wheelchair access, or anyone who wants a small boat with fewer than a few dozen fellow guests.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every cabin on this halong bay cruise with balcony really have a private balcony?
Yes. The listing states the Junior Suite on the first floor and the Senior Suite on the second floor both measure 32 square meters with a private balcony and bathtub, and the 55 square meter Executive and President Suites add a sun terrace. Compare the two grades in the price breakdown.
What does the Hanoi transfer cost?
The round-trip transfer from Hanoi Old Quarter costs $30 per person by shuttle bus or $35 per person by limousine, and a limousine to or from Ninh Binh is $20 per person. The getting there guide covers self-drive options too.
Is the Ha Long Bay entrance fee included?
Yes. The listing includes the entrance fee, Vietnamese government tax and insurance on board in the $150 fare. That is not universal, so check each listing in the Ha Long Bay Junk Boat Cruise.
How many people are on board?
The group runs to 45 guests with an English speaking guide, which makes this a mid to large overnight boat. If you want fewer people, the Bhaya Classic Overnight Cruise caps its group at 10.
What happens if a storm closes the bay?
The Ha Long Bay Management Board, not the operator, suspends boats when conditions require it, and the listing allows cancellation for bad weather. Read how storm closures work before booking a fixed date.
Where does the boat spend the night?
The operator states the boat anchors in the quietest area of Lan Ha Bay for the night. The Lan Ha Bay guide covers that part of the bay.
Is there a cheaper cruise with a balcony?
Yes. The 2-Day Lan Ha Balcony Cruise sells from $126 per person with a balcony and bathtub in every cabin and all entry fees included.
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
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