Halong Bay is one of the major attractions of any tour to Vietnam.

It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located just under a 3-hour drive northeast of Hanoi using the new motorway. The total area is vast, covering over 1500 kilometres, with over 1900 islets, mostly limestone with a tropical forest topping. Several of the islets are hollow, with enormous caves with incredible stalactites and stalagmites. It is said they have taken over 500 million years of formation in differing conditions.

Our 2-day (1-night) tours include a visit to one of the caves. Only 40 of the islets are inhabited, with traditional fishing villages, and again, on the aforementioned tour, a visit to a village will be included.

There is no hard rule on the best time to visit. The summer months, April to October, can be hotter and more humid. In this region, tropical storms or even the occasional cyclone are not unknown, particularly in the August/September period. The winter months of November to March can be noticeably colder, dryer, misty, and rather atmospheric.

Clothing will be totally relaxed, so t-shirts, shorts (maybe longer trousers & hoodie-style coat in the winter months or chilly evenings), trainer-type shoes & swimwear for shore & sea excursions.

Chic Locations offers a variety of tours within the Halong Bay area.

This can be one day from Hanoi—it will give you a glimpse, but it will be a long day, and the cruise itinerary is mainly travelled by the regional and especially Chinese tourists whose interest is equally shared with karaoke and shopping as much as the beauty of the area. Perfectly doable, but would not be our suggestion on so many levels.

The two-day (one-night) tours are much more popular with European visitors, as you travel to slightly more remote areas and have a much greater feeling of escapism and appreciation of the scenery.

The three-day (two-night) option generally allows you to travel further out and/or have more time for relaxation on board and local activities.

Explore the Waters of Halong Bay in Style with Bhaya Cruises!

Our preferred partner in this region is Bhaya Cruises. They offer a good variety of boats depending on your requirements and are particularly experienced in dealing with the curious European traveller. Two of the most popular boats are the more traditionally designed Au Co with 32 cabins and the more contemporary—and expensive—Soul with just 20 cabins. In addition, the Bhaya Legend can be chartered for private cruising—with one, three, five, and soon to come eight cabins.

Consistent within the Bhaya fleet is that all cabins are outside location with sea views, either from port window or balcony, en-suite showers and WCs, all meals & soft drinks are served in the restaurant, open lounge area, and shore excursions subject to weather conditions. Wines, alcoholic, and soft drinks are not included but can be purchased.  You usually embark around lunchtime and disembark mid-morning. Transfers are included to and from your Hanoi hotel, arranged on a private basis to give you maximum flexibility. We can also arrange air travel from Hanoi to Halong Bay or vice versa. A short 40-minute scenic flight but expensive and limited time-saving given the extra transfer and check-in time.