Ha Long tourism always attracts a large number of domestic and international visitors. Ha Long Bay leaves a lasting impression with its famous landscapes, delicious food, and interesting experiences.
What is there to do in Ha Long Bay? Where should you go, what should you eat, and which hotel should you choose? What are the reasons for you to choose Ha Long for your vacation? How can you have the best experience on a trip to Ha Long, Quang Ninh? All will be revealed in the comprehensive Ha Long travel guide below!
- Pocket 16 Ha Long tourist spots that will captivate visitors
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- Ha Long Bay travel review from A-Z: where to go, where to stay, what to eat
1. Introduction to Ha Long Bay
Ha Long Bay is located in Quang Ninh province, about 180km from Hanoi, and is known as the tourism paradise of the North. Thanks to its convenient location, modern infrastructure, and developed transportation system, Ha Long attracts tens of millions of domestic and international tourists every year.
Ha Long Bay has an area of 1,553km2 and includes 1,900 large and small limestone islands with extremely vivid shapes. The bay has been voted a world natural wonder by UNESCO many times and is known as a place you must visit at least once in your life.
2. Why You Should Visit Ha Long Bay at Least Once in Your Life
Why should you choose Ha Long as the destination for your trip? With the three reasons below, I believe anyone would want to pack their bags and go right away.
- One of the 7 World Natural Wonders: Being one of the top 7 world natural wonders, Ha Long Bay is certainly the dream destination for all tourists. Not only domestic tourists, but foreign visitors are also very excited and amazed by the natural creation here.
- Full of Quality Facilities and Services: In recent years, Ha Long has had an extremely high economic development rate. The system of facilities and infrastructure is modern and of high quality. Tourists will be provided with full amenities, meeting their needs for entertainment, relaxation, and shopping.
- Many Interesting and Attractive Entertainment and Discovery Spots: When you come to Ha Long, you can freely explore, experience, and have fun. The Ha Long travel experience of most people is not to miss attractive tourist spots such as Ha Long Bay, the old town, night market, and Tuan Chau.
Ha Long Bay is one of the 7 natural wonders of the world (Source: Collected)
3. When is the Best Time to Travel to Ha Long?
Travel experience in Ha Long: many tourists choose to visit Ha Long from April to June (Source of the photo: Collection)
The weather in Ha Long changes from month to month and is quite different in each season, so you should check the weather forecast carefully before your trip. The time to visit Ha Long can be divided into the following periods:
- April to June is the ideal time to visit Ha Long. At this time, the weather is mostly rain-free, warm, and pleasant, which is very suitable for a sightseeing and relaxing trip with family and friends.
- June to August is the peak season in Ha Long. Many families combine summer vacations for their children, so the number of visitors is high, and room and service prices are also likely to increase. This is summer. Especially in July and August, tropical depressions and storms are common, which directly affects the travel itinerary of tourists to Ha Long.
- Late November to Tet (Lunar New Year) is the time for foreign tourists to visit Ha Long. Most Vietnamese tourists have chosen to come here in the summer, so this time Ha Long is also more peaceful and has more private space for you to enjoy.
4. Summary of the Most Beautiful and Hottest Ha Long Tourist Attractions
4.1. Ha Long Bay
Ha Long Bay possesses a majestic and poetic natural beauty with thousands of large and small islands and many unique caves. The bay is also recognized by UNESCO as a world natural wonder, attracting a large number of tourists every year with beautiful destinations such as: Dragon’s Eye Island, Ti Top Island, Toad Islet, Ngoc Vung Island, and Surprise Cave.
Traveling to Ha Long Bay (Source of the image: Collected)
4.2. Tuan Chau Island
Located on Tuan Chau Island, the Tuan Chau tourist area attracts visitors with its beautiful and poetic space. When you come to Tuan Chau, you should participate in the water music show, have fun at the outdoor amusement park, or the newly opened dinosaur park that attracts many young people.
Check-in Tuan Chau Island (Source of image: Collected)
4.3. Quang Ninh Museum
Considered a miniature model of Quang Ninh, the Quang Ninh Museum contains the cultural characteristics of the Ha Long people, depicting the most typical features of the mining land. This is also a famous and beautiful check-in point.
Quang Ninh Museum attracts a large number of visitors to explore (Source: media.quangninh.gov.vn)
4.4. Cua Van Fishing Village
With the Ha Long travel experience of many tourists, you will not be able to fully enjoy the beauty of this place until you visit Cua Van fishing village. Cua Van is an ancient fishing village on the bay with the unique life of the fishermen. Here, you will be able to discover interesting activities such as fishing, squid fishing, and kayaking, and enjoy delicious fresh seafood right on the boat.
Cua Van fishing village is always among the top beautiful fishing villages in Vietnam (Source: Collected)
4.5. Bai Tho Mountain
Bai Tho Mountain possesses an enchanting but no less solemn beauty. From here, you can see the entire poetic scenery of Ha Long. However, climbing Bai Tho Mountain has been temporarily suspended due to safety concerns for tourists. Instead, you can visit and enjoy the scenery below. Please update information from the local government carefully before making a specific itinerary for your Ha Long trip!
From Bài Thơ Mountain, visitors can embrace the nature of the bay (Photo source: Collected)
4.6. Bai Chay Beach – a popular Ha Long tourist attraction
Bai Chay Beach is an artificial beach located right next to Ha Long Bay. According to the Ha Long travel experience of many tourists, this is considered the most beautiful beach in the city with clear blue water and a fine white sand beach stretching for nearly 1,000m. When you come here, you can freely swim, check in, and have fun.
Check-in at Bai Chay Beach, Ha Long (Source of image: Collected)
4.7. Lan Ha Bay
Lan Ha Bay is located to the east of Cat Ba Island and adjacent to the south of Ha Long Bay. Possessing a majestic natural landscape and unique pristine scenery, Lan Ha Bay is an ideal stop for those who like wild and peaceful places. Visiting Lan Ha, tourists will experience exciting activities on the sea and discover the rustic life of the fishermen here.
Rowing on Lan Ha Bay (Source of the image: Collected)
4.8. Bai Tu Long Bay
Bai Tu Long Bay includes hundreds of large and small islands that make many tourists fall in love with the rustic, magical beauty of the slate islands and limestone islands bobbing on the water. The pristine and fresh scenery of the beaches stretching along the white sand will also make you mesmerized.
Travel experience in Ha Long: prepare a really ‘good’ camera and beautiful outfits to check-in with Bai Tu Long Bay (Source of the photo: Collected)
4.9. Ha Long Old Town
Ha Long Old Town, also known as Bai Chay Old Town, has a unique architectural style that blends traditional and modern beauty, recreating the characteristics of Hoi An Old Town and Hanoi Old Quarter. Every corner of the street is meticulously designed, so every corner is an ideal place for young people to take photos.
The ancient town of Hoi An is authentically recreated in the ancient town of Ha Long (Source: Collected)
4.10. Ha Long Night Market
Ha Long Night Market is a place where countless interesting items typical of the bay area are sold, such as wind chimes made from snail shells, seashells, and fine art handicrafts. In addition, this place is also known as a “culinary paradise” with many seafood stalls and snack counters that will make you fall in love and forget the way home.
Many travelers’ experience in Ha Long is that one cannot miss the fresh seafood at the night market (Source: Collected)
4.11. Some Other Attractive Ha Long Travel Experiences
In addition to visiting, sightseeing, and having fun, when you come to Ha Long, you can also try many unique and impressive experiences such as:
- Kayaking: Enjoying the scenery of Ha Long Bay by kayak is an activity that tourists look forward to. You will sit on a tiny kayak, paddle yourself in the water, and see how small you are in the majestic scenery of the sky.
- Overnight on a cruise ship: If you love a poetic natural landscape, try sleeping overnight on a cruise ship once. Tourists will be able to welcome the rising sun with the sea on all four sides, no longer the smoke and noise of the city.
- Watching Ha Long Bay from a seaplane: This is a relatively new experience. On the seaplane, you will have a view like a bird flying high, looking out and taking in the majestic scenery of Ha Long Bay.
Traveling to Ha Long with unforgettable experiences (Source of image: Collected)
5. How to Get to Ha Long Bay
5.1. What Means of Transport to Use to Get to Ha Long?
With the synchronized development of transportation infrastructure, traveling to Ha Long is very fast and convenient. From Hanoi, tourists can use many types of vehicles to get to Ha Long, such as:
- Motorbike: The travel time by motorbike from Hanoi to Ha Long is about 4-5 hours. The long distance will cause fatigue and danger, but for those who like backpacking and exploring, this will be a great experience. However, if you travel by motorbike, keep a suitable speed and equip yourself with a helmet with a visor and a long-sleeved shirt to be safer on the journey.
- Car: If you go by car, you just need to follow the signs on the Hanoi-Ha Long expressway, and you can get to Ha Long quickly and safely. The travel time is only about 2-2.5 hours, which is very convenient.
- Public Transport: In addition to personal vehicles, you can also use public transport such as taxis, buses, and trains. If you depart from southern provinces, tourists can also take a plane to Cat Bi Airport in Hai Phong or Van Don Airport in Quang Ninh and travel to Ha Long quickly.
Traveling experience in Ha Long by motorbike requires having all necessary protective gear such as helmets with visors, gloves… (Source of photo: Collected)
5.2. Means of Transportation in Ha Long City
In the city of Ha Long, there are quite a few suitable means of transportation:
- Motorbike Taxi (Xe Om): You can easily hire a motorbike taxi at a suitable price. However, with the Ha Long travel experience of many tourists, remember to ask for the price before getting on the vehicle to avoid being overcharged.
- Bus: Ha Long has a continuous bus system that connects to famous tourist destinations. The average bus ticket price is about 7,000 – 10,000 VND/trip.
- Electric Car: Electric cars are a quite common means of transportation, especially in the city center and Ha Long tourist attractions. The city has 5 electric car routes serving tourists, departing from the Bai Chay tourist area or the center of Ha Long city.
- Taxi: This is a convenient form of transportation. The tourist attractions in Ha Long are not far from each other, so the cost of travel and transportation is not a worrying issue. The taxi price in Ha Long ranges from 5,000 – 11,000 VND/km depending on the taxi company and the travel distance.
Electric vehicles are a very popular means of transportation in Ha Long (Source: Collected)
6. Suggested Ha Long Hotels and How to Book at a Good Price
In Ha Long, there are many resorts, hotels, and guesthouses, from budget to high-end, serving the diverse needs of tourists. However, for the most complete stay, tourists can choose to relax at Vinpearl Resort & Spa Ha Long – a resort located on Reu Island floating on the sea, right in the city center.
Inspired by the design of a French theater, the hotel looks like a magnificent and splendid castle in a royal style with a dominant white color. All hotel rooms have an extremely romantic sea view. You will be able to welcome the first rays of the new day or capture the moment of sunset over the bay. In addition, tourists will be able to enjoy a royal life with a synchronized and modern 5-star utility system.
Vinpearl Resort & Spa Ha Long is located on Reu Island, offering an unobstructed view.
7. What to Eat in Ha Long Bay
? Delicious Ha Long Dishes You Should Try
7.1. Fried Squid Cakes
Fried squid cakes are a famous specialty of the Ha Long sea. The golden, fragrant cakes are elaborately prepared. When you bite into a piece of the cake, you will feel the crispy crunch and sweet taste when dipped in chili sauce or sweet and sour fish sauce.
The squid-paste cakes are crispy, chewy, and full of flavor (Source: muckhobien.com)
7.2. Stir-fried Snails with Sauce
The people of Ha Long stir-fry snails with culantro, dried coconut, and kaffir lime leaves. The dipping sauce for the snails is taken from the chili sauce used to stir-fry the snails. The stir-fried snails are crispy, rich, and spicy, making tourists gasp with delight.
People in Ha Long stir-fry snails with coriander, dried coconut, and lime leaves (Source of the image: Collected)
7.3. Steamed “Cu Ky” Crab
“Cu ky” is a type of sea crab with two very large and meaty claws. Although the meat is not as rich as regular crab meat, it is better than ghẹ (swimming crab) and the price is very affordable. Steamed “cu ky” is an attractive dish that many tourists choose to enjoy when they come to Ha Long.
Steamed bighead catfish is one of the specialties not to be missed when visiting or traveling to Ha Long (Source of the image: Collected)
7.4. Ha Long Peanut Worms
Peanut worms are an extremely valuable type of sea worm. 1kg of dried peanut worms can cost up to 4-5 million VND. When you come to Quang Ninh, don’t forget to enjoy specialty dishes from peanut worms. If you buy dried peanut worms as a gift, choose ones with a thick body and uniform size.
Sá sùng has high nutritional value and economic value (Image source: Collected)
7.5. Grilled Oysters
Grilled oysters with scallion oil is a rustic dish in Quang Ninh that many tourists love. The plump oysters are pried open on one side, with scallion oil added, and grilled over hot charcoal.
Grilled oysters with onion oil, delicious and attractive (Source of image: Collected)
7.6. Horseshoe Crab
Horseshoe crab is also a Ha Long delicacy you can’t miss. Famous dishes from horseshoe crab include blood pudding, sweet and sour stir-fried horseshoe crab legs, crispy fried horseshoe crab eggs, steamed horseshoe crab, and more.
Sam is a nutritious dish with a distinctive flavor in Ha Long (Source: Collected images)
7.7. Ha Long Ragworm Cakes
If you travel to Ha Long in the early winter, you will see fishermen here catching ragworms. This is a nutritious and delicious specialty that many tourists love. The ragworm cakes are fried until golden brown, giving off a fragrant aroma, and the outside is crispy but not dry.
Delicious and authentic rươi cake (Source of the photo: Collected)
7.8. “Tai Long Ep” Cake
“Tai long ep” is a snack of the San Diu people in Ha Long. The cake is made from rice flour and a mixture of rock sugar and molasses, which creates a fragrant and chewy cake.
Coiled cake is a signature dish of the San Diu people in Ha Long (Source: Collected)
7.9. Ha Long Seafood Vermicelli
As a coastal area with a lot of valuable seafood, Ha Long is very famous for its dishes prepared from seafood. The rich, sweet flavor of the broth along with the firm slipper lobster meat, golden dried shrimp, and chewy fried squid cakes have created a delicious bowl of seafood vermicelli that captivates every visitor.
8. What to Buy as a Gift When Traveling to Ha Long?
In addition to enjoying relaxation, dining, and fun, when traveling to Ha Long, you can also bring home many specialties as gifts.
- Sun-Dried Squid: Sun-dried squid is easy to buy and transport, making it a suitable gift. The price ranges from 400,000 – 2,000,000 VND/kg.
- “Ngan” Snail Wine: “Ngan” is a nutritious seafood that has the effect of improving health. If you have an elderly person or someone who has just recovered from an illness in your family, “Ngan” snail wine is the most suitable gift.
- “Gat Gu” Cake: This cake is made from rice flour, long and soft, and when you hold it in your hand, it “nods” in many directions as if it were falling asleep. It’s a great gift for family or children.
- Razor Clams: Razor clams are a very common seafood in the Ha Long sea. The price is only from 80,000 – 120,000 VND/kg, and they can be prepared into many delicious and attractive dishes.
- “Banh Mi Mo” (Mining Bread): This dense, soft bread is a wonderful memory for coal miners. The bread has its own unique flavor and is especially delicious when eaten with condensed milk.
9. Suggested Detailed Ha Long Travel Itineraries
To have a complete trip to visit and admire the nature and beautiful scenery here, please refer to these unforgettable Ha Long travel itineraries!
9.1. 3-Day, 2-Night Ha Long Travel Itinerary
- Day 1: Arrive in Ha Long, check into the hotel, then take a boat tour of Ha Long Bay in the afternoon. In the evening, explore Ha Long at night.
- Day 2: In the morning, have fun at Tuan Chau Island. In the afternoon, swim at Bai Chay Beach. In the evening, go shopping at the night market and visit Ha Long Old Town.
- Day 3: Visit the seafood market early in the morning, buy some specialties as gifts, then check out of the hotel and head back.
9.2. 2-Day, 1-Night Ha Long Itinerary
- Day 1: Arrive in Ha Long, check in, then explore Tuan Chau Island in the afternoon. In the evening, enjoy dinner on a raft or have fun in the old town or Ha Long night market.
- Day 2: Take a boat tour of Ha Long Bay in the morning, then check out of the hotel and head back at noon.
9.3. 1-Day Ha Long Trip
This is a short but action-packed trip:
- 8:30 a.m.: Get on the bus to Ha Long.
- 12:00 p.m.: Take a tourist boat to visit Ha Long Bay and enjoy lunch on the boat. On the trip, you will visit Thien Cung Cave, Dog Stone Islet, Incense Burner Islet, Fighting Cock Islet, and Cua Van fishing village.
- 4:30 p.m.: The boat docks, ending the 4-hour trip to the bay, and you get on the bus to return to Hanoi.
Traveling to Ha Long will leave unforgettable memories (Source of image: collected)
10. How Much Does a Trip to Ha Long Cost?
The cost of a trip to Ha Long depends on the duration and your spending level. You can refer to the following costs to plan your trip:
- Travel costs: Bus ticket from Hanoi to Ha Long: 100,000 – 200,000 VND/person. Flight ticket from Ho Chi Minh City to Ha Long: 300,000 – 900,000 VND/person.
- Transportation costs in Ha Long: Bay tour boat price is 340,000 VND/person. Taxi/motorbike taxi: about 200,000 – 500,000 VND/person.
- Hotel costs: 200,000 – 2,500,000 VND/night.
- Food costs: 500,000 – 1,000,000 VND/person.
- Entertainment costs: 500,000 – 700,000 VND/person.
Thus, the total cost for a 2-day, 1-night Ha Long trip is about 1,640,000 – 3,640,000 VND/person.
11. What to Prepare for a Ha Long Trip?
Based on my Ha Long travel experience, I recommend you bring the following necessary items:
- Sunscreen: An essential item, as most entertainment venues are outdoors.
- Sunglasses, hat, flip-flops: The summer in Ha Long is quite hot, so these items will make it easier to move around and have fun.
- Swimwear: It’s a huge mistake to visit Ha Long and not swim in the sea. Be sure to pack your favorite swimsuits.
- Personal documents: Essential for renting a room, a car, etc.
- Electronics: Don’t forget your camera, phone, etc., as Ha Long has many beautiful places to take photos.
Prepare to bring swimwear for some great photos (Source of the image: Collected)
No matter the duration or the itinerary, Ha Long is a dream destination for tourists. To stay comfortably and have a panoramic view of the world natural wonder, you can book a room at Vinpearl Resort & Spa Ha Long to get the best price. I hope this detailed travel guide will provide you with a lot of useful information!
