Booking choice: The Ha Long Bay day cruise, from $40 per person. Check dates Tour details
The bus leaves the Old Quarter early, works its way out of the city and joins the expressway east. Then it's rice fields, a rest stop, long bridges toward the coast, and finally the first limestone hills behind Ha Long. By late morning you're walking down a pier to your boat.
Getting there is the part people plan least, and it shapes the whole day. This guide covers the road, the transfer on each tour here, the pickup times from the listings and the two ports where the cruises board.
The quick answer
Ha Long Bay is about 170 km from Hanoi, per Quang Ninh's tourism board, and the tour buses take about 2.5 to 3 hours each way on the expressway. The day cruise starts from $40 at Tuan Chau Marina, with the Hanoi bus as an option for about US$10 per person. Most 2-day cruises add a $25 per person shuttle, and the Ninh Binh tour includes its transfers. Day cruises board at Tuan Chau Marina; the Bai Tu Long Bay cruise boards at Ha Long International Cruise Port (Sun World Port).
How far is Ha Long Bay from Hanoi?
About 170 km, according to Quang Ninh's tourism board. The tour buses on this site take about 2.5 hours (the day cruise) to 3 hours (the Lan Ha day cruise) each way on the expressway, with a rest stop.
The road has changed a lot in a decade. When the Ha Long - Hai Phong expressway and the 5.4 km Bach Dang Bridge opened on 1 September 2018, VnExpress International reported that the new link cut the Ha Long to Hanoi route by 50 km, to about 130 km. The tour buses now take the expressway, per their listings.
What the listings say about the ride:
- The day cruise: around 2.5 hours via the highway, with a stop of about 25 minutes at a pearl shop near the port.
- The Lan Ha day cruise: a 3-hour journey on the expressway, with a rest stop of about 25 to 30 minutes.
- The Ti Top day trip: a break midway, then the boat at Tuan Chau around 12pm.
A day cruise with the Hanoi bus is a long day: the day cruise has you back in the Old Quarter by 9pm. Sleep on the way out. The scenery gets good in the last hour.
How do you get from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay?
Most visitors ride the bus that comes with their cruise, either included or as an add-on. Quang Ninh's tourism board also describes shuttle buses from Hanoi and flights into nearby airports with a car onward.
The main ways, from the official page and the listings:
- Your cruise's own bus. Pickup at your Hanoi Old Quarter hotel and a drop-off back there. It's the simplest option, and the tour times the bus to the boat.
- A tourist shuttle bus. Quang Ninh's tourism board describes shuttles leaving Hanoi around 8am, with hotel pickup in the Old Quarter and a taxi to the meeting point from elsewhere.
- A limousine van. The Ninh Binh tour uses limousine transfers from Hanoi to Ninh Binh and on to Ha Long, then a shuttle bus back to Hanoi.
- Flying in. The tourism board names Hanoi, Hai Phong and Van Don airports, each with a car transfer onward. Wikipedia puts Van Don International Airport about 50 km from Ha Long and notes it has no direct flights from Hanoi.
Already staying in Ha Long? You don't need the bus at all: the day cruises let you meet the boat at the harbor (see below).
The most booked way to do it: the day cruise, with the Hanoi bus as an option and back in the Old Quarter by 9pm.
Check dates for the Ha Long Bay day cruiseIs the Hanoi transfer included in a Ha Long Bay tour?
It depends on the tour. The day cruises show a harbor price with the Hanoi bus as an option, most 2-day cruises add a $25 per person shuttle, and the 3-day Ninh Binh tour includes every transfer.
Tour by tour, from the listings:
- The day cruise: from $40 if you meet the boat at Tuan Chau Marina; transfers from and back to Hanoi cost about US$10 per person extra.
- The luxury day cruise: a Tuan Chau option and a Hanoi round-trip bus option. With the harbor option, the listing offers a shuttle from the Old Quarter for US$15 per person.
- The Ti Top day trip and the Lan Ha day cruise: the Old Quarter bus is an option you pick when booking.
- The 2-day Ha Long and Lan Ha cruise and the 6-star cruise: a round-trip transfer from Hanoi or Ninh Binh for $25 per person.
- The Elite cruise: a round-trip shuttle from the Old Quarter for US$25 per person.
- The 3-day Bai Tu Long cruise: a shuttle bus for $25 per person both ways by highway.
- The Bai Tu Long Bay cruise: pickup from Hanoi or Ninh Binh on request, for an extra fee.
- The Ninh Binh tour: limousine and shuttle transfers included.
The full side-by-side is in the table at the end, and our prices guide covers what else each fare includes.
Caves, kayaking and Ti Top island in a day, from the harbor or with the Hanoi bus as an option.
Explore the Ha Long Bay day cruise Tour detailsWhat time is pickup from Hanoi for a Ha Long Bay cruise?
Between about 6.30am and 8.45am, depending on the tour, and the day cruises are back in the Old Quarter around 9pm. The operator confirms your exact pickup time after booking.
The pickup windows printed on the listings:
- Lan Ha day cruise: 6.30am to 7am.
- Day cruise: 7.20am to 8.20am; back in the Old Quarter by 9pm.
- Luxury day cruise: 7.30am to 8.15am in the Old Quarter. Staying elsewhere? The last pickup is at 160 Tran Quang Khai Street, 8am to 8.10am.
- 6-star cruise: 7.30am to 8am, for guests who booked the transfer.
- Ti Top day trip: 8am to 8.45am; back at your Old Quarter hotel at about 9pm. Outside the Old Quarter, the meeting point is 131 Hang Bong Street.
The Old Quarter bus rule. From 1 July 2026, Hanoi bars fossil-fuel passenger vehicles with more than 16 seats from the Old Quarter and the Hoan Kiem Lake area from 6am to 9am and from 4pm to 7.30pm, per Vietnam Television (VTV). The city set up four pick-up points for large vehicles. The day cruise listing flags the same rule, and the luxury day cruise and the Ninh Binh tour say they'll arrange a nearby meeting point if your hotel is on a restricted street.
Keep WhatsApp on the day before. The day cruise and the Bai Tu Long Bay cruise both reconfirm 24 hours before departure by email or WhatsApp.
Up early? The Lan Ha day cruise collects you at 6.30am and reaches Tuan Chau Marina at about 10am.
Check dates for the Lan Ha day cruiseWhere do Ha Long Bay cruises depart from?
Most day cruises board at Tuan Chau Marina, on Tuan Chau island in Ha Long. The Bai Tu Long Bay cruise here boards at Ha Long International Cruise Port, which the listings also call Sun World Port.
Which port, tour by tour:
- Tuan Chau Marina: the day cruise (meet at 11.15am), the luxury day cruise (11.30am to 11.45am), the Ti Top day trip (11.45am), the Lan Ha day cruise (10am to 10.15am) and the 6-star cruise, which arrives at Tuan Chau at 11.30am to 12pm and takes a speedboat out to the cruise.
- Ha Long International Cruise Port (Sun World Port): the Bai Tu Long Bay cruise, ready at about 11.30am to 11.40am.
The Ha Long Bay Management Board's official route VHL8 links the two ports by sea, and the Ninh Binh limousine bus picks up at either. Waiting at Tuan Chau for the luxury day cruise? The listing says the guide meets you at Milano Coffee, next to the large black wooden Laughing Buddha statue.
For the other 2-day cruises, the operator confirms the pier after booking, and the shuttle drops you there.
The quieter north-east route: board at Ha Long International Cruise Port and sleep among the islands of Bai Tu Long Bay.
Explore the Bai Tu Long Bay cruise Tour detailsCan you get to Ha Long Bay on your own and meet the boat?
Yes. The day cruises sell a harbor option for travelers already in Ha Long: you make your own way to Tuan Chau Marina, and that's the from-price on this site.
Meeting times on the harbor options:
- Day cruise: be at the Tuan Chau Marina day cruise site by 11.15am.
- Luxury day cruise: be ready by 11.30am; the guide collects you between 11.30am and 11.45am.
- Ti Top day trip: pickup at Tuan Chau island at 11.45am, drop-off at 6pm.
It's the smart way to do it if you spend a night in Ha Long first, or arrive from somewhere other than Hanoi. Flying in? Van Don airport serves Ha Long, though Wikipedia currently lists only Sun PhuQuoc Airways flights to Ho Chi Minh City. Coming from Ninh Binh instead? See the next question.
Staying in Ha Long? Meet the luxury day cruise at Tuan Chau Marina at 11.30am for the buffet, the jacuzzi and the kayaks.
Check dates for the luxury day cruiseCan you go from Ha Long Bay to Ninh Binh?
Yes. The Ha Long to Ninh Binh limousine bus picks up at the cruise ports at midday and reaches Ninh Binh in the late afternoon, about 185 km. Or book the 3-day Ninh Binh and Ha Long tour, with every transfer included.
Ninh Binh, south of Hanoi, is the limestone landscape people most often pair with the bay. Three ways to link them:
- The limousine bus: pickup at Ha Long International Cruise Port or Tuan Chau from 11.40am to 12.15pm, drop-off in Ninh Binh at 4pm to 4.30pm. The morning bus leaves Ninh Binh at 6.30am to 7am and reaches the ports at 11.30am to 11.50am. About 185 km with a 15 to 20 minute rest stop, from $20 per person.
- The 3-day tour: night 1 in a Ninh Binh hotel with the Mua Cave climb, a bike ride and a bamboo boat, night 2 in a junior suite on a 5-star cruise, transfers included.
- The cruise shuttles: the 2-day Ha Long and Lan Ha cruise and the 6-star cruise sell their $25 transfer with a Ninh Binh leg in either direction.
Tamsin, on the limousine bus (November 2026): "Great transfer that was on time, comfortable chairs with massage and recliner options, reasonable bathroom break."
Cruise first, Ninh Binh after: the limousine bus collects you at the port at midday, in reclining seats.
Check dates for the Ha Long to Ninh Binh busWhich Hanoi transfer option fits each tour?
The table sets out every tour on this site: where it boards, how the Hanoi transfer works and when pickup starts, from the listings.
Transfers and boarding, side by side:
| Tour | Boards at | Hanoi transfer | Hanoi pickup | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day cruise | Tuan Chau Marina | Option, about US$10 per person | 7.20am to 8.20am | $40 |
| Luxury day cruise | Tuan Chau Marina | Bus option, or a US$15 shuttle | 7.30am to 8.15am | $41 |
| Ti Top day trip | Tuan Chau | Bus option | 8am to 8.45am | $40 |
| Lan Ha day cruise | Tuan Chau Marina | Bus option | 6.30am to 7am | $57 |
| 2-day Ha Long and Lan Ha | Ha Long, pier confirmed after booking | $25 per person | Confirmed after booking | $126 |
| Elite cruise | Ha Long, pier confirmed after booking | US$25 per person | Confirmed after booking | $125 |
| 6-star cruise | Tuan Chau, then a speedboat | $25 per person | 7.30am to 8am | $179 |
| Bai Tu Long Bay cruise | Ha Long International Cruise Port | On request, extra fee | On request | $140 |
| 3-day Bai Tu Long | Ha Long, pier confirmed after booking | $25 per person | Confirmed after booking | $323 |
| Ninh Binh and Ha Long | Ha Long, after a night in Ninh Binh | Included | Old Quarter, reconfirmed the day before | $220 |
| Ninh Binh limousine bus | Sun World Port or Tuan Chau | Runs between the ports and Ninh Binh | 6.30am to 7am in Ninh Binh | $20 |
From-prices are GetYourGuide prices in USD and move with the date, and every tour here cancels free up to 24 hours before. Deciding between a day and a night? Our day or overnight guide weighs it up, and the best time guide covers the seasons.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the bus from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay?
About 2.5 to 3 hours each way on the expressway, per the tour listings, including a rest stop. Quang Ninh's tourism board puts the bay about 170 km from Hanoi.
Can I be picked up outside the Hanoi Old Quarter?
Most tour buses pick up only in the Old Quarter. The luxury day cruise has a last pickup at 160 Tran Quang Khai Street, and the Ti Top day trip a meeting point at 131 Hang Bong Street.
What city is closest to Ha Long Bay?
Ha Long itself, the city on the bay's shore in Quang Ninh province, where the cruise ports are. Hai Phong is the nearest other big city: VnExpress reported a 25 km route between the two after the 2018 expressway opened.
Can you visit Ha Long Bay as a day trip from Hanoi?
Yes. The day cruises pick up in the Old Quarter between about 6.30am and 8.45am and are back around 9pm, with about 2.5 to 3 hours on the road each way.
Ready to book
Choose your cruise
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Ha Long Bay Day Cruise with Kayaking and Lunch
- Day cruise with set-menu lunch
- Sung Sot, Luon Cave and Ti Top
- Entrance fees
Ha Long Bay Luxury Day Cruise with Buffet Lunch
- Luxury or Standard cruise
- Buffet or set-menu lunch
- Entrance fees
Ninh Binh and Ha Long Bay 3-Day Tour with Cruise
Ninh Binh's rice fields and a night on the bay, transfers included
