Private & tailor-made · 1–4 guests
Private Ha Long Bay Tour from Hanoi, with Luon Cave by Kayak
Your own car from your Hanoi hotel and your own boat at the harbour, with the kayak first, before the shared boats from Hanoi reach Luon Cave in the afternoon. Every entry fee is in the price, and nothing is collected from you at any gate.
A sample day at a glance
What changes when the day is yours
A private car for your group alone
Private, 1-4 guests, and nobody outside your party is added to it
Your own licensed local guide
Fluent in English and explains the story behind each cave and island — to your group alone, not a whole boatload
Collected at your own hotel
Anywhere in central Hanoi. No meeting point to reach on your own, and you can stay on in Ha Long at no extra cost
Every entry fee in the price
Sightseeing ticket, port fee and kayaks are arranged for you. Nothing is collected from you at any gate
No shop stops, in writing
No detour to a pearl farm or souvenir showroom that pays to have you delivered
Luon Cave before the shared boats from Hanoi
Shared boats from Hanoi reach the tunnel around mid-afternoon. You are on the water by about 10:30
Duration
About 11 hours
Departure
07:00 from Hanoi
Pickup
Any central Hanoi hotel
from · $163 · / person · ›Check your price ›
Choose your group size · price is the total for the group
Solo traveller$525 BOOK →2 guests$570 BOOK →3 guests$610 BOOK →4 guests$650 BOOK →Free cancellation up to 3 days before · every tour tailored on request
The day from Hanoi, stop by stop
This is a sample day: add, skip or linger over any stop and we will adjust it. Times are a guide and move with traffic on the expressway.
Hotel pickup · 07:00 · anywhere in central Hanoi
Expressway to the harbour · about 2.5 hours · your own car, boarding at Tuan Chau around 09:45
Luon Cave by kayak
10:30 · about 75 minutes including getting in and out · double kayaks, life jackets on
Kayaks and fee included
4 photos · tap to enlarge
A tunnel through the rock on Bo Hon island, which can feel low at high water, and on the far side a lagoon with cliffs all the way round. Monkeys live on the walls, and your guide knows where to look, though nobody can promise them. Shared boats from Hanoi get here around mid-afternoon, so you have it before them.
Sail on · about 15 minutes · your own boat, your own deck
Sung Sot Cave
12:00 · about 45 minutes · about 50 steps, then about 10 more
Entry included — no ticket booth for you
1 photo · tap to enlarge
The largest cave on the bay, recorded by the French in 1901 as the Grotte des Surprises. The first chamber is lit in colour, and the second opens out so far that people stop talking. The path is paved and can be slippery when damp.
Lunch on board
12:45 · about 45 minutes · sailing to Ti Top
Meal included
1 photo · tap to enlarge
A seafood lunch cooked on board, at your own table, while the islands go past. Tell us about allergies or vegetarian meals when you book.
Ti Top island
13:45 · about 45 minutes · about 400 steps to the top
Entry included
4 photos · tap to enlarge
About 400 steps to a lookout over the bay, or stay down on the small beach, where you can swim in the warmer months. You arrive before the coach-tour boats of mid-afternoon, though in summer it is busy at any hour.
Back to Tuan Chau and Hanoi · boat in around 15:15 · about 2.5 hours by road
Back at your hotel · around 18:00 · About 11 hours after pickup, or your Ha Long hotel if you stay on
One long day, one boat, one group
No stops we did not tell you about, nothing to pay at any gate, and any part of it can be changed.
Group total · everything included
Solo traveller$525 BOOK →2 guests$570 BOOK →3 guests$610 BOOK →4 guests$650 BOOK →Price is the total for the group · free cancellation up to 3 days before
WhatsApp · +84 368 938 081Want a different route, pace or group size? We will plan your day and send you an all-inclusive quote. ›What is in the price
Included
- Private car and driver from your central Hanoi hotel, and back or on to a Ha Long hotel
- Your own licensed local guide, fluent in English
- A whole tourist boat for your group on Route 2
- Bay sightseeing ticket, port fee, Sung Sot cave and Ti Top island
- Double kayaks and life jackets at Luon Cave, about 75 minutes including getting in and out
- The bamboo rowing boat in place of the kayak whenever you want it and it is running, at no extra charge
- Seafood lunch on board
- Drinking water
Not included
− Drinks beyond the water we provide
− Anything you choose to buy on the bay
− A tip for your guide, driver and boat crew — never expected, always welcome
− Travel insurance, which we recommend you carry
Is this the right tour for you?
A good fit if
You are based in Hanoi and have one day for the bay.
You want the kayak to be a proper part of the day rather than a stop at the busiest hour.
You are travelling as a couple, a family or a small group and want the day to bend around you.
You want one number that covers everything, with nothing to settle at any gate.
Look elsewhere if
You are one person on a tight budget. A shared coach and boat from Hanoi costs far less.
Five hours in a car is too much. If you can sleep in Ha Long, the half day saves the drive.
Steps are a problem and you want every stop. Ti Top is about 400 steps and Sung Sot about 60, though your guide can skip either.
You need to be back early. The day ends around 18:00 and we would not promise an evening flight after it.
If you are already sleeping in Ha Long, the half day keeps the kayak and drops the long drive, with Ba Hang and two caves on Route 1. See the half day from Ha Long. Or tell us what you want to see, and we will plan a day around it.
Questions before you book
About the day
How long is the tour and when does it start?
Door to door: About 11 hours, leaving at 07:00 from your hotel and returning around 18:00, depending on traffic.
Where do you pick us up?
At your own hotel, anywhere in central Hanoi, with no meeting point to reach on your own. Your guide waits in the lobby for 20 minutes. If you are staying on in Ha Long, we can drop you at your hotel there at no extra cost.
Do we need kayaking experience?
No. The kayaks are doubles and the lagoon behind the tunnel is sheltered. Your guide shows you how to hold the paddle first and stays on the water with you. The tunnel can feel low at high water. Everyone wears a life jacket the whole time on the water.
How much walking is there?
About 50 steps up to Sung Sot and about 10 more into the cave, on a paved path that can be slippery when damp, and about 400 steps up Ti Top. If the steps are not possible for anyone in the group, they can stay on the deck or the small beach.
Can children come in the kayak?
Children under 8 ride in the bamboo rowing boat with a parent. If the rowing boats are not running, they stay on board with a parent. From 8 to 15 a child shares a double kayak with an adult or the guide, and from 16 guests paddle as adults. Everyone wears a life jacket the whole time on the water.
Can we change the route or the pace?
Yes. This is a sample day and every part of it can be adjusted, within the bay’s route, ticket and boat-hour rules: skip Ti Top, or spend longer in the lagoon. Tell us before you book and we confirm the plan and an all-inclusive price in writing.
Does the guide speak good English?
Yes. Your guide is a licensed local who speaks fluent English and explains the customs of the old fishing villages and the story behind each cave as you go.
Booking and practicalities
Is the price per person or for the whole group?
For the whole group, from one to four guests: four people pay less each than two, in the same car and on the same boat. Children under 5 travel free and do not count towards the group size; from 5 a child counts as one guest; groups of five or more need a larger vehicle — message us for a quote.
How do I pay, and when?
Two ways: pay the full price online by card or PayPal, or pay a 30% deposit online and the rest in cash on the day of the tour, in US dollars or Vietnamese dong. We can also send a secure payment link on WhatsApp. The booking is confirmed once the online payment goes through, and your pickup time and guide’s name arrive in writing.
Can I cancel or reschedule?
Yes - free cancellation up to 3 days before departure for a full refund, and free rescheduling subject to availability. Within 3 days of departure, 30% of the tour price is charged because the car, boat and guide are already committed. Date changes are arranged over WhatsApp.
What should I bring, and do I need cash?
Quick-dry clothes, shoes that can get wet, a hat and sunscreen; swimwear from May to October if you want the Ti Top beach. Bring a dry bag if you want a phone in the kayak. You do not need cash at any gate; if you chose to pay the balance in cash, bring it for your guide.
What about lunch and food allergies?
A seafood lunch is cooked on board, between Sung Sot and Ti Top. Tell us about allergies or vegetarian meals when you book so the crew can plan for them.
What happens if the weather turns?
If the harbour authority stops tourist boats because of a storm, you can move to another date free of charge or take a full refund. If the harbour stays open but a squall or rough water makes paddling unsafe that day, your guide cancels the kayak and swaps it for the bamboo rowing boat if those are running. If neither is running you stay on board. Either way there is no partial refund. Light rain does not stop the tour.
Book your day from Hanoi
Private car, whole boat and licensed local guide, hotel pickup, every fee already settled.
Group total · everything included
Solo traveller$525 BOOK →2 guests$570 BOOK →3 guests$610 BOOK →4 guests$650 BOOK →Price is the total for the group · free cancellation up to 3 days before
WhatsApp · +84 368 938 081Want a different route, pace or group size? We will plan your day and send you an all-inclusive quote. ›