Ha Long Bay cruise prices

How much is a Ha Long Bay cruise in 2026?

From $40 for a day cruise boarding at Tuan Chau Marina to $323 for two nights on board. The table runs from the lowest from-price to the highest.

The three classic day cruises sit close together. The Ha Long Bay day cruise is $40, the Ti Top day trip $40 and the luxury day cruise $41, all on the same loop: Sung Sot Cave, Luon Cave by kayak or bamboo boat, then Ti Top island. For $57 you get a 7-hour cruise that swaps Ti Top for Lan Ha Bay and Ao Ech.

Overnight prices jump, then flatten. The two most-booked 2-day boats are a dollar apart, $125 and $126, both with a balcony cabin and a bathtub. Bai Tu Long Bay costs a bit more at $140, and the 6-star boat starts at $179. The limousine bus to Ninh Binh is in the table too; it is a road transfer, not a cruise.

What costs extra on a Ha Long Bay cruise?

Mostly the Hanoi transfer, drinks and, on some boats, a solo supplement. Tips are not included on any listing, and the Ti Top day trip listing says they are not required.

The transfer is the big one. On the day cruise the from-price means you meet the boat at Tuan Chau Marina at 11.15am, and the Hanoi bus is about US$10 per person on top. On most overnight boats the listings print $25 per person for the shuttle. The one tour with the road already in the price is the 3-day Ninh Binh trip.

Solo travelers should look at the third column. A private single room is $90 extra on the 2-day Ha Long and Lan Ha cruise and $170 on the 3-day Bai Tu Long cruise. Drinks are extra everywhere. On the luxury day cruise there is no water refill on board, so bring a reusable bottle.

What are the Ha Long Bay route fees since 1 May 2025?

The Quang Ninh People's Council added fees for three routes from 1 May 2025: VND 150,000 for VHL6, VND 600,000 for VHL7 and VND 70,000 for VHL8, per the Ha Long Bay Management Board.

The bay is split into numbered routes, VHL1 to VHL8, and each has its own fee. Resolution 51/2025, passed on 26 February 2025, priced the three newest ones. VHL6 heads out to Hon Chan Voi, Ba Cua and Tung Lam island. VHL7 strings routes 1 to 4 together into one long trip. VHL8 is the coastal run from Tuan Chau Marina or the Ha Long International Cruise Port along the Bai Chay shore.

You do not pay any of this at the pier. Every tour on this site includes the entrance fees for its own itinerary, which is why the from-prices above are the whole sightseeing bill. For the curious: on the board's list, Sung Sot Cave, Ti Top and Luon Cave all sit on route VHL2, and Thien Canh Son Cave, Cap La and Cong Do on VHL4, the Bai Tu Long side.

Which cruises now include taxes and peak surcharges?

The Elite cruise includes taxes and peak-season surcharges for bookings made from 1 July 2026, and the 2-day Ha Long and Lan Ha cruise includes taxes for bookings from 26 June 2026.

That matters right now. Two other listings print a peak-season charge that runs from 1 October to 30 April, the season we are in: US$10 per person on the Bai Tu Long Bay cruise (US$15 on its 6-star option), payable on the day, and $20 per person on the 3-day Bai Tu Long cruise, which also lists government VAT of $35 per person.

Holiday surcharges are a separate line on most overnight listings. The Elite cruise names its dates: 24 and 31 December, and 5 to 8 February 2027 for Lunar New Year. We cover those in our holidays post.

Scott, on the 2-day Ha Long and Lan Ha cruise (Nov 2026): “For the price this is amazing! You can’t go wrong!”

A night on Lan Ha and Ha Long Bay with a panoramic pool, a balcony cabin and the taxes already in the price.

★ 4.9 · 2 days · from $125

Explore the Elite cruise with pool → Tour details

What changed for Hanoi pickups in 2026?

From 1 July 2026, buses with more than 16 seats may not pick up in the Hanoi Old Quarter from 6am to 9am or drop off from 4pm to 7.30pm, per the day cruise listing.

It does not change the price. It changes where you stand in the morning. The listing for the Ha Long Bay day cruise says your exact pickup point and time are confirmed within 24 hours of booking and reconfirmed the day before, by email or WhatsApp. The 3-day Ninh Binh trip adds that if your hotel is on a street the big vehicles cannot use, the team contacts you to arrange a meeting point nearby.

Pickup windows on the listings run from 6.30am to 8.45am, and the drive is about 2.5 to 3 hours each way. For how the road and the two ports fit together, see our Hanoi to Ha Long guide.

Day cruise or overnight: what does the extra money buy?

A cabin, dinner, breakfast and the bay after the day boats have gone home. A 2-day cruise costs about three times a day cruise here, and you spend the night on the water instead of on the road.

A day cruise gives you the afternoon on the bay, and with the Hanoi bus it is a 12-hour day. A 2-day cruise adds sunset on deck, squid fishing after dark and tai chi at sunrise. We think the night is the better value if you have the time. If you only have one day, the luxury day cruise is a cheap way to upgrade the boat.

Fanny, on the Ti Top day trip (Jan 2026): “Lovely activity. Apperently we saw everything on this tour that some tours do on 2 days and I thought this was great!”

For the full comparison, read our day or overnight guide, and for a tour-by-tour price breakdown, our cruise prices guide.

Frequently asked questions