Ha Long Bay Junk Boat CruiseLan Ha Bay: The Complete Guide
Lan Ha Bay is the bay south of Ha Long Bay, wrapped around Cat Ba Island in Hai Phong. This guide covers where it sits, how big it actually is, the beaches, the places boats stop on the water, the admission fee, and how it compares with Ha Long Bay for crowds, harbours and kayaking. It also points you to the Lan Ha cruises compared on Ha Long Bay junk boat cruises, with honest notes on what each price includes and what it does not. Cat Ba Island on land has its own page.
Floating fish farms among the karsts of Lan Ha Bay, seen from above. Photo: Saaremees, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Quick answer Lan Ha Bay in brief
Lan Ha Bay holds about 400 karst islands south of Ha Long Bay, around Cat Ba Island in Hai Phong. It is quieter than Ha Long Bay, it is often called the best of the three bays for kayaking, and its own admission is VND 120,000 per adult from 2026. Day and overnight cruises reach it from Tuan Chau harbour or from Cat Ba Island itself.
Key takeaways
- Short on time? The Taliya Lan Ha Bay Day Cruise runs 7 hours with a bamboo boat through Dark and Bright Cave for $53 per person.
- Want the bay overnight? The 2-Day Lan Ha Balcony Cruise costs $126 per person and includes all entry fees, meals and kayaking.
- Confused by the three bays? The homepage section on Ha Long, Lan Ha or Bai Tu Long sorts them out in one table.
- Planning the trip from the capital? See Hanoi to Ha Long Bay for the transfer options.
Where Lan Ha Bay Is and What Is There
Lan Ha Bay sits south of Ha Long Bay, in Hai Phong city, around Cat Ba Island.
Location, Size and the UNESCO Extension
Lan Ha Bay lies in Hai Phong city, south of Ha Long Bay, and Cat Ba Island sits inside it. The two bays are neighbours in the Gulf of Tonkin. How big it is depends on who you ask. One operator guide counts about 400 islands in about 70 square kilometres of core bay, with up to 139 white sand beaches. Another guide puts the whole bay at more than 7,000 hectares, of which 5,400 hectares fall under Cat Ba National Park management. Both figures are in circulation and neither source reconciles them.
What is settled is the status. The 2023 UNESCO extension joined the two bays into the Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Archipelago site, Vietnam's first inter-provincial World Heritage property. The Cat Ba side holds over 360 islands of its own. Boats from Quang Ninh and Cat Ba can cross between the two bays on the connecting routes.
Visitor counts differ by source. One operator count gives 1.2 million annual visitors to Lan Ha against 4.5 million to Ha Long. The IUCN separately reports 2.5 to 2.7 million visitors a year to the wider Cat Ba Archipelago. Whichever count you take, Lan Ha carries fewer visitors.
Cat Ba Island itself, with its national park, town, Cat Co beaches, Hospital Cave and Cannon Fort, is covered on its own page: see Cat Ba Island.
The Places Boats Stop on the Water
The table below lists the named places operators include on Lan Ha itineraries, what each one is, and which of the cruises compared here go there. Dark and Bright Cave, Ba Trai Dao, Ho Ba Ham and Tra Bau are named stops in Lan Ha programs.
Kayaking is the activity most of these stops exist for. Rules in Lan Ha changed and sources disagree on where paddles are allowed, so the honest position is that kayaking runs where the bay authorities allow it and your operator confirms the spot on the day. At least one operator offers bamboo boats instead. The 3-Day Lan Ha Bay Cruise adds cycling at Viet Hai village and a beach afternoon at Ba Trai Dao to its program.
| Place | What it is | Cruises that name it |
|---|---|---|
| Viet Hai village | A village of about 80 households inside Cat Ba National Park, reached by boat or by park trail, visited by bike on longer trips | 3-Day Lan Ha Bay Cruise |
| Ba Trai Dao | Three islets 23 m high shaped like peaches, with a beach open only 2 to 3 hours a day because of the tide | 3-Day Lan Ha Bay Cruise |
| Ho Ba Ham | Three saltwater lakes of 4.2, 23.2 and 1.05 hectares on Dau Be island, joined by cave tunnels of about 120 m, 40 m and 50 m that flood at high tide | not stated |
| Tra Bau | An area of about 1.5 square km commonly used for kayaking and swimming stops | not stated |
| Dark and Bright Cave | A cave leading to a hidden lagoon, with freshwater snail fossils in the limestone, usually entered by bamboo boat or kayak | Taliya Lan Ha Bay Day Cruise, 2-Day Lan Ha Balcony Cruise, 2-Day Junior Suite Cruise, 3-Day Lan Ha Bay Cruise |
| Ao Ech (Frog Pond) | A small lagoon near Tra Bau and Viet Hai, named the permitted kayaking area by one 2026 operator account | Taliya Lan Ha Bay Day Cruise |
| Cai Beo floating village | A fishing village about 1.5 km from Cat Ba town, with about 300 households and finds dated 7,000 to 5,000 years old. No listing compared here names it as a stop | Not named by any listing here |
Plankton, Villages and the Night Water
Lan Ha Bay is the better bay for bioluminescent plankton. Central Ha Long Bay has too many boats and lights for good viewing, while night kayaking with the glow runs mainly here. The organisms are microscopic dinoflagellates that flash blue or green when disturbed. The glow is faint and never guaranteed. Guides give different best months, somewhere between April and October, on dark moonless nights, with peak brightness usually between 20:00 and 22:00.
Floating villages are part of the scenery too. Cai Beo, about 5 minutes by boat from Cat Ba town, holds about 300 households in wooden houses of 15 to 30 square metres. The archaeologist Madeleine Colani recorded the site in 1938, and it became a national relic in 2009. Its residents only got electricity and clean water in 2015. Longer cruises often pass villages like this on the way to the caves and lagoons, and overnight boats add squid fishing and sunrise tai chi on deck.
Sources: Vietnam Tourism, Paradise Vietnam
Lan Ha Bay or Ha Long Bay
Both bays share the same karst landscape and the same UNESCO listing since the 2023 extension. The differences are crowds, harbours, fees and where you can paddle.
The Comparison at a Glance
The table sets the two bays side by side on the points that actually change a booking: which province runs them, where boats leave from, how busy they are, what the government charges, and the kayaking picture. The figures come from the official route and fee notices for Quang Ninh and Hai Phong and from the operator guides already cited on this page.
| Feature | Lan Ha Bay | Ha Long Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Province | Hai Phong city | Quang Ninh province |
| Position | South of Ha Long Bay, around Cat Ba Island | Main bay, named on maps from the late 19th century |
| Islands | About 400 karst islands per one guide | 1,969 islands and islets, 989 named, in the wider bay |
| Harbours | Cat Ba Island (Ben Beo), and Tuan Chau for combined itineraries, plus route VHL6 linking Gia Luan | Tuan Chau and Ha Long International Cruise Port |
| Crowds | About 1.2 million visitors a year per one operator count | Over 4 million a year per IUCN |
| Admission fee | VND 120,000 adult, VND 60,000 child from 2026 | VND 250,000 per person on day routes VHL1, VHL2 and VHL5, VND 200,000 on VHL3 and VHL4 |
| Overnight fee | VND 400,000 to VND 650,000 depending on nights | VND 550,000 one night, VND 750,000 two nights on route 2 |
| Kayaking | Often called the best of the three bays, spots confirmed by the operator on the day | Allowed only where the authorities permit, confirmed by the operator |
Who Should Pick Which
Pick Lan Ha Bay if fewer boats matter more than the famous named sights. You give up Sung Sot Cave and Ti Top Island, which sit in Ha Long Bay and are covered in the caves and islands section of the homepage. In exchange you get Cat Ba as a base, beaches, and water dark enough for plankton at night. Day trippers who want Lan Ha without losing everything of Ha Long can take a combined route: the Serenity Lan Ha Bay Day Cruise sells nine pickup and drop-off combinations between Hanoi, Hai Phong and Cat Ba Town, with transfers, entrance tickets, kayaking and lunch in its price.
Pick Ha Long Bay if you want the headliners. Sung Sot Cave, Ti Top Island and Luon Cave are the sights most first-time visitors mean, and the day cruises there are cheaper on this site. A Lan Ha trip involves the Hai Phong admission of VND 120,000 per adult, and Ha Long routes carry their own Quang Ninh fee. How the two tickets combine on the connecting routes was not stated in the published sources.
One fee point worth knowing either way. The bay ticket is a government charge, separate from the cruise operator's price, and it is the same for foreign and Vietnamese visitors. The US dollar prices on the tour cards are the booking platform's card prices, and some listings include the fees while others add them on. Check the entry fees line on each card before you compare.
- Fewer boats and more beaches: Lan Ha Bay
- The famous caves and the Ti Top climb: Ha Long Bay
- Best kayaking reputation: Lan Ha Bay
- Cheapest day cruises from Hanoi: Ha Long Bay
- Combining both in one trip: possible on some 2-day Lan Ha itineraries
Sources: Hai Phong news, IUCN
Lan Ha Bay Boat Tour | Ha Long Bay Without Cruise Ships
A boat tour of Lan Ha Bay showing the karsts and quieter water. Third-party video by wanderlost. This site did not shoot it and has no relationship with the creator.
Lan Ha Bay Cruises Compared
The bookable cruises that cover Lan Ha Bay run from a 7-hour day trip to a 3-day itinerary. Prices below are the card prices per person on the booking platforms, not operator package rates.
The Line-Up at a Glance
The table compares the Lan Ha Bay cruises listed on this site. The price column is the card price per person. The transfer column shows what each listing itself says about getting there, because some include the bus and some charge it separately.
Data checked against the listings and sources on this page.
| Cruise | Price | Length | Transfer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taliya Lan Ha Bay Day Cruise | $53 | 7 hours | Old Quarter hotel pickup 6:30 to 7:00 AM on the From Hanoi option |
| Serenity Lan Ha Bay Day Cruise | $43.20 | 12 to 13 hours | Nine pickup and drop-off combinations between Hanoi, Hai Phong and Cat Ba Town |
| 2-Day Lan Ha Balcony Cruise | $126 | 2 days | Round-trip transfer priced at $25 per person in the Includes list |
| 2-Day Junior Suite Cruise | $146 | 2 days | Not included. Shared round-trip transfer $25 per person |
| Infinity Pool Overnight Cruise | $125 | 2 days | Round-trip shuttle from Hanoi Old Quarter $25 per person |
| 3-Day Lan Ha Bay Cruise | $301 | 3 days | Transfer priced at $25 per person, Ninh Binh pickup on request |
Day Trip or Overnight
A Lan Ha Bay day cruise costs $43.20 to $53 on this site and runs 7 to 13 hours door to door. The shorter Taliya Lan Ha Bay Day Cruise visits Dark and Bright Cave and Ao Ech. The Serenity Lan Ha Bay Day Cruise is the flexible one, with open-jaw starts in Hanoi, Hai Phong or Cat Ba Town.
An overnight adds the evening on the water, with squid fishing and Tai Chi on several programs. The 2-Day Lan Ha Balcony Cruise puts a balcony and bathtub in every cabin and includes all entry fees at $126. The Infinity Pool Overnight Cruise adds an infinity pool, with a spa and sauna on board, at $125. The 2-Day Junior Suite Cruise runs $146 with a pool on board but charges the transfer separately.
The longest option is the 3-Day Lan Ha Bay Cruise at $301, plus a $35 government VAT per person and a $25 per person peak season charge from October 1 to April 30. It adds cycling at Viet Hai village and a beach stop at Ba Trai Dao. Note the tide rule there: the beach is reachable only 2 to 3 hours a day.
More background sits on the main page for Ha Long Bay junk boat cruises, which compares every bay and every format side by side.
Floating houses and fish farms at Cai Beo village, backed by Lan Ha Bay karsts. Photo: Superbass, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Getting In: Fees, Harbours and Kayaking
Lan Ha Bay sits in Hai Phong, so it has its own admission ticket beside the Quang Ninh bay fee. Boats reach it from three places.
The Hai Phong Admission Ticket
From 1 January the Cat Ba bays admission for Lan Ha Bay is VND 120,000 per adult and VND 60,000 per child, set by Hai Phong city. Children under 6 enter free and students, elderly visitors and people with disabilities get 50 percent off. An overnight stay in Lan Ha costs VND 400,000 to VND 650,000 depending on the number of nights. These fees are the same for foreigners and Vietnamese citizens, and the ticket is a government fee separate from what any cruise operator charges.
How this sits beside the Quang Ninh ticket: day routes VHL1, VHL2 and VHL5 on the Ha Long side cost VND 250,000 per person and VHL3 and VHL4 cost VND 200,000. The connecting route VHL6, which links the Ha Long cruise port through Chan Voi islet, Ba Cua lagoon, Tung Lam island and Cap Bai islet to Gia Luan and Lan Ha Bay, costs VND 150,000, effective 1 May. An overnight on route 2 costs VND 550,000 for one night or VND 750,000 for two. From 1 May Cat Ba boats that meet requirements may run VHL3 to VHL6 and use the Tuan Chau and Ha Long ports, signing operating contracts with the Ha Long Bay Management Board. About 500,000 international tourists travelled from Quang Ninh to Cat Ba in 2024.
Three Ways Onto the Water
Tuan Chau International Marina is the main departure point from the Ha Long side. The marina sits on Tuan Chau Island about 12.5 km southwest of Ha Long city, roughly 150 km from Hanoi, and Lan Ha Bay is about 45 minutes to 1 hour by boat from there. Tuan Chau has two ports, Port 1 for day cruises and Port 2 for overnight boats. Port 2 can hold about 2,000 moored boats.
Cat Ba Island is the other gateway. Boats leave Ben Beo harbour in Cat Ba Town for the bay, Cai Beo floating village and Monkey Island. Cai Beo lies 1.5 km from town, about 5 minutes by boat, and holds around 300 households in floating houses. A new ferry route also links Gia Luan on northern Cat Ba to Tuan Chau on the mainland, a crossing of 45 to 50 minutes. A third option is route VHL6 itself, which starts at the Ha Long International Cruise Port and connects through to Gia Luan and Lan Ha Bay.
On land, Cat Ba Island has its own national park, town, beaches, Hospital Cave and Cannon Fort, all covered on the Cat Ba Island page.
Kayaking and the Night Glow
Kayaking has long been the reason guides call Lan Ha Bay the best of the three bays for paddling. The rules changed: some operators report kayaking limited to the Ao Ech area near Cat Ba, one operator cites a district dispatch suspending all Lan Ha kayaking from 1 February and offering bamboo boats instead, and other operators still sell kayaking at Tra Bau and Dark and Bright Cave. No official notice covers the whole picture, so confirm the exact spot with your operator. What the sources agree on: life jackets are mandatory for kayaking on Ha Long Bay, sessions commonly run 45 to 60 minutes and only licensed operators may offer the service.
The night draw is bioluminescent plankton, microscopic dinoflagellates that glow blue or green when disturbed. Night kayaking with the glow runs mainly in Lan Ha Bay, because central Ha Long Bay has too many boats and lights. Guides give different best months, somewhere between April and October, on dark moonless nights, with peak brightness usually 20:00 to 22:00. The glow is faint and never guaranteed.
Tips for Lan Ha Bay
Do
- Do book an overnight if you want to try for the plankton glow, because it peaks 20:00 to 22:00 on dark moonless nights and day boats are long gone by then.
- Do check the tide for Ba Trai Dao, because its beach is reachable only 2 to 3 hours a day.
- Do keep your life jacket on, because life jackets are mandatory for kayaking on the bay.
- Do confirm the kayaking spot with your operator before booking, because Lan Ha kayaking rules changed and sources differ.
- Do ask your operator which government tickets are included if your boat crosses between provinces, because the Cat Ba admission is VND 120,000 per adult and Quang Ninh routes carry their own fees.
Don't
- Don't plan a long beach stop at Ba Trai Dao, because the tide gives you only 2 to 3 hours there.
- Don't count on a bright plankton show, because the glow is faint and not guaranteed.
- Don't kayak outside the areas your operator is licensed for, because only licensed operators may run kayaking and the spot is confirmed on the day.
- Don't assume every listing includes the transfer, because the 2-Day Junior Suite Cruise charges $25 per person while some others fold pickup into the price.
Lan Ha Bay FAQ
Where is Lan Ha Bay?
Lan Ha Bay sits south of Ha Long Bay, in Hai Phong city, around Cat Ba Island. One guide counts about 400 islands in about 70 square kilometres of core water, and another puts the whole bay at more than 7,000 hectares. See the cruise options on the 2-Day Lan Ha Balcony Cruise.
Which is better, Lan Ha Bay or Ha Long Bay?
Both have the same limestone karst scenery. Lan Ha Bay has roughly 139 small beaches, is often called best for kayaking, and carries fewer boats than central Ha Long Bay, which IUCN counts at over 4 million visitors a year. Cruises such as the Taliya Lan Ha Bay Day Cruise reach both bays in one day.
How do you get to Lan Ha Bay?
Boats leave from Tuan Chau marina, from Cat Ba Island, or on route VHL6 from the Ha Long cruise port toward Gia Luan and Lan Ha. Cat Ba boats that qualify may run VHL3 to VHL6 since 1 May. The Serenity Lan Ha Bay Day Cruise sells nine pickup combinations between Hanoi, Hai Phong and Cat Ba Town.
What is the entrance fee for Lan Ha Bay?
From 1 January the Cat Ba bays admission is VND 120,000 per adult and VND 60,000 per child, with overnight stays at VND 400,000 to VND 650,000 depending on nights. Children under 6 enter free. This Hai Phong fee is separate from the Quang Ninh ticket for Ha Long routes, and it sits on top of the cruise price, so check what your 2-Day Junior Suite Cruise includes.
Can you kayak in Lan Ha Bay?
Lan Ha Bay is often called the best of the three bays for kayaking. Kayaking runs only where the bay authorities allow it, and operators report different rules for different spots, so confirm the spot with your operator on the day, for example on the 3-Day Lan Ha Bay Cruise.
Is a Lan Ha Bay day trip or an overnight cruise better?
A day cruise covers Dark and Bright Cave and a lagoon stop in about 7 hours, as on the Taliya Lan Ha Bay Day Cruise. An overnight adds the evening on the water, with squid fishing and tai chi on the boats that list them. The 2-Day Lan Ha Balcony Cruise is the most reviewed overnight option on this site.