Lan Ha Bay limestone karst scenery, northern Vietnam

BAY GUIDE · THE QUIET SOUTH

Lan Ha Bay, beaches without the fleet

Same karsts, a fraction of the boats. South of Cat Ba the water turns clearer, coves get sand, and evenings are genuinely still. Our favourite bay, if we're honest.

LIMESTONE ISLANDS

400

south of Cat Ba Island

OVERNIGHT BOATS

~40 / night

spread over wide waters

FROM HANOI

2 hours

via the Got ferry pier

BEST MONTHS

Apr - Oct

warm water for swimming

WHAT YOU’LL SEE

The three stops that matter

Every itinerary is different - these are the ones worth checking your boat calls at.

KAYAK

Dark & Bright Cave

A tunnel paddle from a shadowed grotto into a sunlit lagoon - the best single kayak run in the gulf.

BEACH

Ba Trai Dao Beaches

Three crescent coves of real white sand under the 'Three Peaches' karsts. Swimmable most of the year.

VILLAGE

Viet Hai Village

Cycle from the jetty through rice fields to a fishing village tucked inside Cat Ba National Park.

THE HONEST BIT

Is this your bay?

CHOOSE IT FOR

✓Swimming and kayaking are the point here - clearest water of the three bays

✓Quieter anchorages: sunset with three boats in sight, not thirty

✓Home to the gulf's best boutique and luxury boats

✓Fastest transfer of all - 2 hours via Got pier

KNOW BEFORE YOU BOOK

·No Sung Sot-scale showpiece cave - the drama here is water, not chambers

·Fewer budget boats; most of the fleet is mid-range and up

OUR TAKE · If you've seen Ha Long once, or crowds ruin things for you, book Lan Ha and don't look back.

BOATS ON THIS ROUTE

39 boats sail the quiet south

VIEW ALL 39 CRUISES →

SAVE 44%

Capella Cruise

Capella Cruise (launched August 2020) is a 5-star yacht specialising in Lan Ha Bay and the Cat Ba Archipelago - 68m long with 30 suites over 6 decks.

2-4 daysfrom $192

SAVE 32%

Elite of the Seas Cruise

Elite of the Seas is a 6-star luxury yacht from the A-Class Group, sailing the quiet Lan Ha Bay.

2-4 daysfrom $340

SAVE 50%

Heritage Binh Chuan

A boutique heritage boat by Lux Cruises Group (launched 2019), themed on Bach Thai Buoi, Vietnam's early-20th-century shipping pioneer - a bronze stat…

2-4 daysfrom $178

EVERY BOAT ON THIS ROUTE

The other 36 cruises in Lan Ha Bay

The three above are our picks. Here is the rest of the route, alphabetically.

NOT CONVINCED? TRY THE OTHERS

Halong Bay

The icon. Sung Sot cave, Titop Island and the classic karst amphitheatre.

READ THE GUIDE →

Bai Tu Long Bay

The far frontier - few boats, fishing hamlets, untouched horizons.

READ THE GUIDE →