It is known as one of the natural wonders of the world. Ha Long attracts not only domestic visitors but also attracts many foreign tourists. Enjoying the magnificent scenery by the cruise is an exciting experience for anyone who has the opportunity to visit this beautiful bay.

However, thanks to the highway, transfer from Hanoi to Ha Long is quite convenient. The driving time now shortens to only 2.5 to 3 hours. Therefore, how can tourists from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) explore Halong Bay on an overnight cruise? Vivu Halong will help you in this article.

Getting from Ho Chi Minh City to Ha Long?

If you start from Ho Chi Minh City, the fastest and safest means of transportation is the airplane. From here, you can fly to 1 of 3 major airports, including Noi Bai, Cat Bi, and Van Don.

Noi Bai (Hanoi) Airport – Hanoi – Halong
Van Don Airport – Halong
Cat Bi Airport – Hai Phong

You are also advised to choose flight times. If you want to join the cruise tour right after flying from Ho Chi Minh City, it is necessary to choose an early flight to Cat Bi or Van Don Airport in the morning, then catch a taxi, rent a private car to the port to board the yacht. Check-in time is usually from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm at Tuan Chau International Port, Hon Gai (Quang Ninh) or Got ferry (Hai Phong)

Flight schedule from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – Van Don (SGN – VDO), daily departing:

Saigon – Van Don
7:00 – 09:15
Vietjet Air
Daily

Saigon- Van Don
14:00 – 16:05
Vietnam Airlines
Daily

Saigon – Van Don
08:50 – 11:10
Bamboo Airlines
Daily

Flight schedule from Ho Chi Minh – Cat Bi (Hai Phong) of Vietnam Airlines

06:30 → 08:30
Vietnam Airlines 1180
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

11:00 → 13:00
Vietnam Airlines 1186
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

14:00 → 16:00
Vietnam Airlines 1188
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

18:00 → 20:00
Vietnam Airlines 1192
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

20:00 → 22:00
Vietnam Airlines 1194
Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

Flight schedule from Ho Chi Minh City to Cat Bi (Hai Phong) of VietJet Air

06:00 → 08:00
VietJet Air 270
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

10:10 → 12:00
VietJet Air 276
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

Apr 13, 15:10
VietJet Air 278
Sun

13:50 → 15:50
VietJet Air 288
Mon

15:10 → 17:10
VietJet Air 272
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

16:40 → 18:40
VietJet Air 278
Fri

17:45 → 19:45
VietJet Air 280
Fri – Sun

18:40 → 20:40
VietJet Air 280
Mon – – – – – –

19:55 → 21:55
VietJet Air 278
Sat –

21:40 → 23:40
VietJet Air 286
Mon – Wed – Fri – Sun

22:00 → 00:00 +1
VietJet Air 286
Tue – Thu – Sat

Flight schedule from Ho Chi Minh City to Cat Bi (Hai Phong) of Jetstar Pacific

05:20 → 07:20
Jetstar 584
Mon – Wed Thu – Sat

05:40 → 07:40
Jetstar 584
Tue – – Fri – Sun

09:00 → 11:00
Jetstar 588
Thu – – –

18:30 → 20:30
Jetstar 584
Tue – – Fri – Sun

(Source: abay)

Weather in Ha Long

Like other areas in the Northern region, Ha Long has weathered over four seasons in the year:

The summer is from May to September. During this time, Halong is very charming with crystal clear sky and emerald water and suitable for outdoor activities. In particular, the sunset on the bay is quite bright and lasting.
The winter is from the end of October to the first month of February. The weather is cold, less sunny, and maybe rainy a bit. There is sunlight during the day, but mostly you will see fog and drizzle in the morning and late afternoon. Therefore, you should bring warm clothing on tour. Besides, Outdoor activities are exciting, but you are hard to participate in swimming at sea.
The spring is from February to mid-April. Depending on each year, the weather is cold in this season, pleasant atmosphere and maybe rainy a bit. A spring trip to Ha Long Bay will be quite romantic for couples.
The fall is from September to November. The weather is cool. You can enjoy more sunshine, so the photo taken on Ha Long Bay is lovely this season, especially at sunset.

Summer is still the best time for you to explore Ha Long Bay with clear blue sky and bright sunshine on the bay. However, there are storms in summer, so the cruise tours may be canceled when bad weather occurs. If you need more specific advice, you can contact Vivu Ha Long.

Experience on Halong Bay overnight cruise

Overnight cruise on Halong Bay is a package tour. You do not need to worry about food, accommodation or living services. All will be taking place in the space of luxury and modern yachts.

How long should the cruise last?

Depending on the time and economic conditions, you can choose the appropriate schedule. There are three types of tours on the yacht that are commonly used by travel agents. It is a tour to discover Ha Long on a cruise for 1 day, 2 days, 3 days.

Ha Long Bay 1 day tour often visits the bay for 4 hours, 6 hours or 8 hours depending on the schedule. The trip is a joining-group tour, which is suitable for people who like making friends and studying other cultures. Besides, you can also hire a private cruise to explore Ha Long Bay.
Halong Bay 2 days tour. You will sleep one night and have nearly 24 hours floating on the bay. Besides, you can spend some time to relax, explore nature, as well as enjoy the unique seafood dishes.
Halong Bay 3 days tour. You will have two nights to sleep, participate in more activities, and go further on the bay. Depending on the schedule, you can go on the island to ride a bike, fish or enjoy a BBQ lunch on the beach.

Most of these tours are organized in packages including shuttle cars from Hanoi. Tourists from Ho Chi Minh City can choose to fly to Noi Bai, rest in Hanoi then follow the tour package to explore Ha Long or fly to Van Don Airport (Quang Ninh), Cat Bi airport (Hai Phong), after moving to Ha Long to board the yacht. These routes will not have shuttle cars but usually take private rent cars or taxis from the airport to the yacht harbor.

Cruise routes

The cruise to visit Ha Long Bay: The journey to the center of Ha Long Bay is the most popular route with famous visiting sites: Thien Cung Cave, Dau Go Cave, Stone Dog islet (Hon Cho Da), Dinh Huong Islet, Trong Mai Cave, Sung Sot Cave, Titop Island, Soi Sim Island, Me Cung Cave

The cruise to visit Bai Tu Long Bay: This journey is to visit a quieter area of Halong Bay and fewer cruise ships than the central region, named Bai Tu Long Bay. You will take the chance to visit Cong Do, Thien Canh Son cave, Vung Vieng fishing village … If going further, it will be a large area to Quan Lan Island, Ngoc Vung, Co To.

The cruise tour to visit Lan Ha bay- Cat Ba Island: This journey is to discover Lan Ha Bay surrounding Cat Ba Islands, which locates in the south of Halong Bay. You will explore Luon cave, Ba Ham Lake, Nam Cat Island, Monkey Island, Ba Trai Dao beach, Bright and Dark cave, Cat Ba Island, Viet Hai village. The journey to explore Lan Ha Bay starts from Got pier (Hai Phong).

Activities on Halong Bay cruise

In the cruise tour, you will be able to participate in exciting activities such as:

Kayaking in Halong Bay

It is the most exciting activity when visiting Halong Bay. The kayak is tiny and wobbly between the vast space of waves, majestic mountains. From here, you can go close to the foot of the rocky cliff, wriggle through each cave to discover the beauty of Ha Long Bay.

Kayaking on Halong Bay

Visiting the natural caves

With the advantage of the natural caves, in the journey to discover Ha Long, you should not ignore famous places such as Sung Sot cave, Thien Cung cave, Dau Go cave, Trinh Nu cave, Trong cave, Me Cung cave. Each location has its unique features. With locals, each cave is associated with mysterious stories from old times.

Visiting fishing village

Visiting the fishing village, you will discover the peaceful and rustic life of the local community living in Halong Bay as well as learn about the traditional and unique traditional culture. The three oldest fishing villages that are the most popular on Ha Long Bay include Vung Vieng fishing village, Cua Van fishing village, Ba Hang fishing village. You should not miss to explore them on this journey.

Visiting the island

The most famous islands which you could visit during Ha Long Bay tour are Soi Sim Island, Titop Island, etc. The islands are relatively unspoiled, very suitable for tourists who like quiet and enjoying nature.

Food and services on the cruise

Indeed, with the Southern tourists, you will wonder about the catering service onboard, worrying about the food that does not match the taste. However, on the boat, there are always professional chefs catering to all the dining needs of visitors. The menu is varied from seafood, vegetarian dishes, sweet caked to fruits. Many dishes are mixed with regional flavorings, which are quite easy for tourists living in the South to eat.

The dining room on the boat is spacious. You can enjoy party parties with friends and loved ones in a warm, luxurious atmosphere.

Most cruise has modern facilities and standards from 3 to 5 stars. You will enjoy a comfortable and convenient space. Cabin (relax room) is large and spacious with sea-view windows. Many yachts have private balconies, and provide accommodation types of 1 bed, 2 beds, single beds, double beds, family rooms and so on, depending on demand.

Besides, the vessel also has many services such as restaurants, bars, sauna, massage, swimming pool, green campus, mini-golf, etc. and facilities for customer service to be able to enjoy Ha Long scenery and class attendances on the cruise. Undoubtedly, your journey will be more enjoyable.

Staff on La Regina Legend luxury cruise

Cruise recommendation by Vivu Halong

Paradise Cruise

Paradise is one of the most luxurious cruise companies in Ha Long Bay. The cruise team of Paradise includes Paradise Elegance, Paradise Luxury, Paradise Peak, President. Besides, Paradise cruise is considered as a little 5-star hotel with luxurious and modern furniture such as restaurants, bars, sauna – massage, etc.

Paradise Cruise welcomes you to Tuan Chau International Port. During the tour, you will discover famous places on the bay such as Sung Sot Cave, Thien Cung Cave, Dau Go Cave, Me Cung Cave, Titop Island, Soi Sim Island … The reference price is 5,700,000 VND/person for the 2 days 1- night journey.

Paradise cruise, Halong Bay

Era Cruise

Era Cruise has steel casing with sophisticated and modern design. The cabin system is spacious and well-designed. You will enjoy the facilities and class services such as restaurants, bars, gyms, mini-golf, etc. The reference price for 2 days 1-night tour at Era yacht is 3,950,000 VND /person for the 2 days 1- night journey.

Mon Cheri Cruise

Mon Cheri cruise specializes in exploring Lan Ha Bay and Cat Ba. The vessel is designed in a European classic and blended with the rustic Vietnamese identity. Mon Cheri has a high-quality and comprehensive service system, meeting all the needs of tourists. The ticket price for the 2day 1-night tour on Mon Cheri cruise is 3,500,000 VND/person for the two days 1- night journey.

Stellar of the Sea Cruise

Stellar of the Seas is the leading yacht in the resort field in Lan Ha Bay with five-star international standard. Tourists will be able to use synchronous and modern infrastructure such as sunbathing deck, seasonal swimming pool, mini-golf course, sauna spa area, restaurant, bar, etc.

Perla Dawn Sails Cruise

The yacht has 18 luxurious cabins, all of which have a private balcony overlooking the bay, spacious and fully equipped for a comfortable trip. Perla Dawn Sails is a high-class and professional cruise to visit Lan Ha Bay – Cat Ba Island, located south of Ha Long Bay with many unique experiences. You will row kayaks to explore a vast bay area, visit Dark and Light cave on the boat of the fishermen, as well as enjoy a sparkling dinner on the ship. Perla Dawn Sails is designed by Vietnamese cultural, surely bringing a great experience for you.

Price from 3,300,000 VND/person for the two days 1- night journey

Perla Dawn Sails Luxury cruise

Sealife Legend Cruise

Sealife Legend, which is a five-star yacht, offers high-class overnight service on Lan Ha Bay. It is a refreshing trip to discover the southern area of Halong Bay and Cat Ba Island. The night journey on the bay is not only an adventure of exploring nature but also an experience of cuisine and culture. Each small corner of the yacht is designed based on a harmonious combination of traditional culture. The journey of Sealife Legend starts from Got harbor (Hai Phong), takes you to visit Lan Ha Bay. You will explore the Dark and Light cave on the bay, and visit Cat Ba Island, etc.

Price from 3,500,000 VND/person for the 2 days 1- night journey

V’ spirit Premier Cruise

V’ spirit Premier is a luxury yacht with 25 cabins, designed in a traditional style. The yacht’s design has used a variety of decorative and used materials, inspired by a rich Vietnamese culture, extraordinarily close and regular. All rooms have a balcony facing the sea, bringing you a trip to experience Ha Long Bay so relaxing and full of emotions. The system of restaurants and bars along with enthusiastic and friendly staff, will surely make you satisfy.

Price from 3,000,000 VND/person for the two days and 1- night journey

>>> Ha Long cruises deals for tourists from Ho Chi Minh City here: https://vivuhalong.com/en/cruises/

With the above article, we hope that when you get to Halong Bay from Ho Chi Minh city, it would help you plan your flight ticket, arrange transfer and choose an overnight Halong Bay cruise.

If you have more experience and travel tips, share with us now!