- Cha muc (grilled squid patties) at the Ha Long markets.
- Bun be be (mantis shrimp noodle soup) on the Bai Chay strip.
- Book the cruise with meals included: seafood is the point.
Ha Long City Guide
A traditional junk under sail in Ha Long Bay. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Ha Long is the gateway to Ha Long Bay: a fast-growing waterfront city split between the Hon Gai old town and the Bai Chay tourist strip, with the karst islands filling the horizon. Most visitors pass through on the way to an overnight cruise, but the city itself has grown into a worthwhile stop.
The bay is the reason to come: overnight cruises thread the karsts to Sung Sot (Surprise) Cave, Ti Top Island and the floating villages. In town, the Quang Ninh Museum's black glass architecture and the Bai Chay beachfront fill a day. Bai Tu Long Bay, to the northeast, runs the same scenery with a fraction of the boats.
What to do in Ha Long
The bay
- 1
Ha Long Bay cruise The overnight cruise: karsts, caves and floating villages. - 2
Sung Sot Cave Surprise Cave on Bo Hon Island: the bay's great cavern. - 3
Ti Top Island The viewpoint island and small beach, named for Gherman Titov.
The city
- 1
Quang Ninh Museum The black-glass museum of coal, culture and the bay. - 2
Bai Chay Beach The artificial beach strip with the Sun Wheel across the bay. - 3
Bai Tu Long Bay The quieter northeastern bay: cruises from Hon Gai.
Ha Long Hotel Guide
How to choose the best places to stay in Ha Long. Verified properties below; for the full list, search live availability on Booking.com.
Luxury
Vinpearl Resort & Spa Ha Long
The private-island resort in the bay, reached by speedboat.
View on Booking.com
Where to eat
Getting there and around
Ha Long is 170 km from Hanoi, about 2.5 hours by expressway bus or limousine van. Van Don International Airport is 50 km east. Overnight cruises depart from Tuan Chau or Hon Gai ports; day boats leave from Bai Chay.