The Perfect 3-Day Itinerary for Halong Bay, Vietnam
Halong Bay is settled in northeastern Vietnam and is most noteworthy for its thousands of limestone islets. Get ready to embark on a journey through the mesmerizing emerald waters as we dive into the enchanting world of Halong Bay, Vietnam. The most convenient way to explore the area is by booking a cruise on one of the many cruise lines that operates in the area. Keep reading to learn how we got there, what ship we chose, and what our experience was like.
Getting There
There are many buses and shuttles that make several daily trips to and from Halong Bay. These can be booked through various travel agencies located throughout the city or online. It seemed like an easy process to book a shuttle to pick up in Hanoi, and would drop you off at the cruise port in Halong Bay. Unfortunately that was not quite our experience.
We arrived at our predetermined pickup location outside the travel office nearby our accommodation in Hanoi 15 minutes early. Then 30 minutes goes by and our bus has still not arrived. We checked in periodically with the staff inside the travel office, and they assured us that our bus would be coming any moment now and that the driver was on his way now. Another hour goes by and still no bus. Finally, a random car pulls up and the staff from the office tells us to get in. We were sure this was going to be how we ended up kidnapped. Running out of options, we shrugged and climbed inside. The driver sped off so quickly and without saying a word about where we were headed. After about a 15 minute drive through the Old Quarter, the driver stops the car in the middle of the intersection, helps us get our bags out of the back, and points to a bus waiting also in the middle of the intersection.
We dodge traffic as we make our way to the bus, which is actually more like a 12 passenger van, and take empty seats near the back. Through Google translate and trying our best to communicate in broken English, we confirm that yes, this is the right place and it will drop us off at the cruise port in Halong Bay. The new driver of the van takes off through the busy streets
He stops probably four or five times for smoke breaks, to answer phone calls on his two phones, and to pick up other passengers from the side of the road until the van is full. When we get to Halong Bay, they tell us to get out at a cruise terminal a mile and a half away from where we are supposed to be. We decided to pay the few dollars and take a taxi directly to the cruise ship office and not risk trying to use public transportation again with time running out.
We ultimately made it to where we needed to be on time, but no I cannot recommend the route we took to get there! It has become one of our favorite stories to tell family and friends about our time in Vietnam, but at the time it was so stressful and chaotic.
How to Pick a Cruise
I spent hours reading countless reviews and blogs about the best option to choose for our Halong Bay cruise only to come to this conclusion…. A lot of them are pretty much all the same. That took a lot of pressure off of my decision to choose the perfect ship and itinerary. We chose the Genesis Regal luxury cruise for (originally) a one night stay. We ended up having so much fun and made friends with another couple onboard, they convinced us to book another night and explore more of the bay together. We booked via this website and were very happy with the process! Everything from payment to communicating with the cruise ship went smoothly and made for an enjoyable experience.
About the Ship
The Genesis Regal Cruise has three decks and 20 guest suites. There are 9 different types of suites to choose from, including basic budget suites (which we chose), to senior and executive suites that can accommodate up to four adults and two children. The rooms themselves were beautiful, with a king-size bed, a stunning clawfoot tub in the bathroom, and a private balcony to sit and enjoy the views of the bay/
The ship also featured an elegant dining room where we ate all of our meals, an outdoor jacuzzi open for all guests, and a bar and lounge area complete with comfortable chairs to enjoy the views. The crew onboard were excellent and made us feel like luxury throughout our entire cruise. The food was incredible, and we got to try many traditional Vietnamese dishes we would not have known about otherwise. I loved the setup and community feel of the top deck, where the bar and lounge area was located. In the evenings, everyone onboard would get a drink of choice and relax to watch the sunset over the bay. We met so many incredible people from all over the world, and sat down to swap stories and enjoy the experience together.
Here is an in-depth look into our all-inclusive itinerary on our 2-night, 3-day cruise onboard the Genesis Regal Cruise:
Day 1
After our chaotic journey trying to make it to Halong Bay from Hanoi, we forgot all our worries and were completely immersed in the luxury and relaxation of the Genesis Regal Cruise. From the cruise office at the port, all of the guests boarded a small ferry to shuttle us out to the actual ship, since the water is too shallow for it to dock at the port. Along the way, the cruise director told us of the history of Lan Ha Bay, where we were traveling, and gave us the general rundown of our itinerary.
Once aboard, we were greeted with fresh squeezed orange juice in champagne glasses to begin our journey. We checked into our room and were taken aback by how spacious even our basic suite was. We enjoyed a lunch of traditional Vietnamese dishes and then enjoyed the views from our balcony until it was time for our first excursion: a bamboo boat ride to the Sang Toi (Dark & Bright) Cave. We got on the small wooden boat with six other passengers while a local rowed us to the limestone cave. The clearance under the tunnel of rock and the clearance of the water was about eight feet, meaning we had to duck low while we passed through. We emerged into a new world of lush vegetation and towering limestone karsts above us in all directions.
After our boat ride, we were given some free time to relax however we chose, so naturally, we headed straight back to our room to enjoy the peace and tranquility of our private balcony. While we were soaking in the stunning views of the bay, we spotted an older Vietnamese woman in a rowboat selling various bottles of wine, beer, chocolates, and other snacks. We saw someone in a room further down the ship order this “room service” by the woman rowing her boat closer to the balcony and exchanging a bottle of wine for a few dollars via a basket attached to a long pole. It was something so fun and unexpected to see, and we have yet to encounter anything quite like that anywhere else in the world.
For the afternoon, the ship docked near a sparkling emerald lagoon and we were able to jump off the back and swim in the pristine waters. We laughed and enjoyed the company of other guests onboard and began to make friends with them. After an hour or so of swimming and diving, we showered and got ready for a formal dinner in the dining room. Just like our first lunch, the food was amazing and even though I don’t usually like grilled fish, I opted for the fish option and ate the entire thing. We sat next to some of our new friends and continued laughing and enjoying wine together. This was about the time we were regretting our decision to only book a one night cruise. Some of the friends we made were feeling the same way and asked our waiter if there was any way to extend our stay one more night. Thankfully, we had booked an extra night in Hanoi before our flight back to the United States, and could make the extra night work. Through some hard work and convincing by our waiter, he was able to get us another night, and even worked out a discounted rate!
After dinner, we headed up to the top deck for a cooking demonstration where we got to participate in making fresh Vietnamese spring rolls. One of the crew was kind enough to show us the best techniques for folding and sealing the wrap, and let us customize our our spring roll by choosing from a variety of fresh ingredients like shrimp, tofu, cucumber, carrot, and glass noodles. The spring rolls were served with the choice of peanut sauce and a sweet chili sauce for us to enjoy while watching the sunset. The first night was fairly overcast and did not result in the stunning sunset we were hoping for, but thankfully our second night onboard allowed for us to witness one of the most beautiful sunsets I have seen anywhere in the world.
Later in the evening, the crew invited us to try our hand, quite unsuccessfully, at squid fishing. They gave us poles and showed us the right depth to hold the line to catch a squid. After letting us struggle on our own for a while, they finally took over and showed us all up by catching several in a matter of minutes. Our first day onboard was full of laughs and new experiences. We headed back to our room to get a good night sleep before the early morning ahead for the following day.
Day 2
We got up early the next morning to join the crew and other guests for the first excursion of the day: sunrise kayaking through the small nooks and crannies of Lan Ha Bay. We boarded a double kayak and set off to paddle at our leisure for about an hour before it was time to head back to the boat.
We had breakfast in the dining room, where we decided to order an iced coffee to get a caffeine boost to get us through the day with plenty of energy. Through a bit of a language barrier and probably speaking too quickly on our part, the waiter heard “egg coffee” rather than iced coffee. Egg coffee is a specialty in Vietnam that resulted during a time when fresh milk cream was scarce and expensive in the country. It is prepared by beating a mixture of egg yolks, sugar, condensed milk, and alcohol to create a thick egg-cream, and then poured over the coffee. Thus, egg coffee was born and started to emerge in coffee shops in 1946. We were able to laugh off the misunderstanding and actually ended up really enjoying a drink we probably would not have chosen normally. I even ordered it again at breakfast the next morning, and tried another when we were back in Hanoi.
A boat took us and a small group of passengers to the nearby Cat Ba Island, the largest island in Halong Bay and home to a local village. Once on land, we got on bike and leisurely rode a few miles to the village. Our guide was so excited for us to get luxurious pedicures, which turned out to be fish pedicures and I unfortunately could not get myself to participate. I enjoyed watching some of the other guests stick their feet into the small pool where hundreds of tiny fish cleared away all of the dead skin.
We continued through the village to a small restaurant where we were given the option to get food if we wanted. In the back of the restaurant, our guide pointed out several large jars containing snakes, scorpions, and other creatures suspended in a liquid substance. He explained to us that it was snake wine, and the history of it in Vietnamese culture. For a small donation, the owner of the restaurant let some people in our group take a shot and sample some of their other homemade liquors. We rode back through the village and back to where the boat was docked along the shore. Next, the speedboat took us to Ba Trai Dao beach, a lesser known secret beach within the bay. We swam in the warm, emerald waters, almost completely undisturbed by any other visitors for the few hours we lounged on the shores.
Night two led to another happy hour on the top deck. While enjoying our cocktails and a beautiful sunset, we took the opportunity to take some pictures and show our gratitude to the crew and newfound friends we had spent the last 48 hours with.
Day 3
On the second and final morning of our cruise, we had the option to go kayaking again in a different location, but I took the opportunity to enjoy the ship and take a bath in our gorgeous clawfoot tub and read my book. We had just spent the last three weeks traveling through Southeast Asia and this was the perfect end to a dream trip to relax and reflect on our amazing journey. When the kayakers returned from their excursion, it was time for our last brunch on board while cruising back to the harbor. We were treated to an extensive buffet of fruits, salad, noodles, and rice dishes. For dessert, we had the option of different flavored rice puddings that were the perfect treat to end our cruise. Back at the harbor, we once again boarded the smaller boat and were transferred back to land.
We were smart for this leg of the journey and decided to book our transfer through the cruise office and enjoyed a normal, relaxing ride in an airconditioned van back to Hanoi. We said goodbye to our new friends and went our separate ways to continue on our journeys.
Through the exploration of the tranquil waters, vibrant fishing villages, and hidden caves, we fell in love with the ethereal beauty that makes Halong Bay a timeless jewel waiting to be discovered. As always, if you’re looking to plan your trip to this area of the world, don’t hesitate to reach out to me via Instagram or email. I am happy to share other tip and details that made our trip such an incredible experience!