Halong Bay cruise in 3 days and 2 nights

To many travelers, Halong Bay is one of their dream destinations, and wish to visit at least once in a lifetime. Among the excursion programs, a cruise in Halong Bay in 3 days and 2 nights is ideal for immersing yourself in this magical world.

This article provides information regarding a Halong Bay 3-day 2-night cruise, including an itinerary and must-see attractions.

Halong Bay cruise itinerary for 3 days and 2 nights

This is a standard program for the 3 days-2 nights cruise in Halong Bay. Depending on each boat, the order and number of activities and visits may be different. Before choosing a cruise, we advise you to carefully review every detail of their program.

Bhaya Cruise Route

Day 1: Hanoi – Halong Bay

Morning: Drive to Halong Bay

Transfer to Halong Bay either by your own means or by the shuttle of the cruise company (recommended).

After 2h30 on the Hanoi – Halong highway, you will arrive at the pier. Boarding your boat for your cruise.

At the top of Titop Island

To start the discovery of Halong Bay, you can navigate in the core sector, classified in the list of World Heritage Sites. The dream world lies before you. You will be lost in the forest of rocks, islands, and islets that take different forms: The Dog, the Incense Burner, the pair of Rooster and Hen, and The Thumb.

On board, lunch is served with seafood while drinking beer or wine.

Afternoon: Discovery of the Cave of Surprises and Ascension to the top of Titov Island.

After lunch, you’ll visit the Surprise Cave, the largest and most beautiful in Halong Bay.

Then, landing on Titov island which is the most visited by tourists. Climb to the top by walking up the 420 steps for a magnificent panoramic view of Halong Bay and the contemplation of the sunset in the bay.

Finally, to end the day, you can go swimming on the beach of Titov.

After that, you can return and enjoy the activities on board at sunset: Cocktail, cooking class, dinner, and then squid angling at nightfall.

Night on board.

Day 2: In-depth discovery of Halong Bay

Early in the morning, a timely wake-up is recommended to enjoy the sunrise and then participate in a Tai Chi class on the boat's terrace. You can have breakfast with bread and good Vietnamese coffee.

Then you will leave your overnight boat to start the day aboard a day cruise ship.

You will discover corners far from mass tourism with visits to the Me Cung cave, and the Cua Van fishing village and then participate in kayaking activities in the sector of Ba Ham and Ba Men lakes. (These sites will be described in Part 2).

Around 4 p.m., you return to your overnight boat. Enjoy the end of your day on board the cruise.

Day 3: Discovery of the Luon cave and return to Hanoi

After breakfast, you will head to Luon cave where you embark on a small rowing sampan to visit the cave. It’s also an opportunity to see the monkeys on the cliff.

Back on board, you can check out your room and continue the journey towards the pier.

Early lunch will take place around 10:30 a.m. Your arrival at the pier will be around noon. It’s the end of the cruise.

You can return to Hanoi by your own means or by the cruise company's shuttle.

Must-see sites included in a Halong Bay cruise 3 days-2 nights

As the visits and activities of day 1 and day 3 of the cruise in 3 days and 2 nights coincide with those of day 1 and day 2 of the cruise in 2 days and 1 night, we, therefore, allow ourselves to describe only the sites of day 2 of this cruise in 3 days.

Ho Dong Tien Cave

Located in the centre of the World Natural Heritage Site, Ho Dong Tien Cave is not only outstanding in its beautiful landscape value, but also has great value in scientific research, geology and geomorphology. It is one of the most beautiful caves and the destination of many researchers.

It has an area of approximately 650 square metres. At the bottom of the cave, there is a small lake which is discreetly enclosed in the mountain. The legend says that it is a charming place, but deserted, so during beautiful afternoons, beautiful fairies often come to bathe and refresh themselves at the edge of the lake. Therefore, people around the area later named it Ho Dong Tien Cave (Fairy Lake Cave).

The “Virgin” cave and the “Drum” cave

The “Virgin” Cave and “Drum” Cave are two names that have become very familiar to domestic and foreign tourists during their trip to Halong. Not only attracted by the marvellous beauty that the Creator bestowed on these two caves, but the legendary history of the two caves also intrigues many people.

Legend says that:

“Once upon a time, there was a beautiful fisherwoman from a poor family. Her family had to work for the owner of the fishing area. Seeing her beauty, he forced her family to marry her off as a concubine for him, she refused because she had a lover who was fishing to prepare for their wedding day. Unable to do anything to her, the owner exiled her to a desert island to submit to his will, she was starving and exhausted. On a terrible rainy and windy night, the girl turned to stone here. It was also the night the boy found out that she was in trouble, he was busy sailing to find her. At night, a storm hit his boat, and it broke. He ran aground on a desert island, in the lightning, he looked into the distance and recognized the girl, but his calls were blown away by the wind. He used a rock to beat on the cliff to let her know that he had come. He still struck even when the blood on his hands was profuse until he was exhausted and turned to stone in that drum cave.”

Cua Van Fishing Village

Surrounded by beautiful mountains, with about 300 families living fishing on floating houses located close to each other, Cua Van is a famous fishing village in Ha Long Bay, ranked in the top 16 most beautiful fishing villages in the world.

Generations of people in the fishing village have lived on boats all their lives and have become attached to the sea. They regard the boat as their home, the sea as their homeland. The fishermen of the village have practised fishing for decades. So much so that the inhabitants of the fishing village and nature here form a unified and inseparable whole.

The main means of transport here are small sampans, so children from an early age get acquainted with the sea, learn to hold oars and learn to swim.

Fishing is a typical culture of the area with the sea nearby. It is also associated with festivals and rituals with traditional values. This cultural beauty also exists in spiritual life.

According to locals, because they live on the sea, people believe in taboos before going out to sea. For example, girls are not allowed to board the boat before mooring time, and pregnant women are not allowed to board the boat. This can bring bad luck to seafarers in fishing.

Tung Sau Pearl Village

Tung Sau is the most famous pearl farming village in Ha Long Bay and also a tourist attraction. This is where tourists can visit and learn the whole process of producing pearls and pearl products from the first step to harvesting the pearls. This craft village is located in a sealed lagoon, surrounded by rolling limestone islands and is owned by the Ha Long Pearl Joint Stock Company.

They also sell a lot of pearl jewellery for tourists. Delicate pearl pendants or earrings will definitely be a great gift for visitors to Ha Long Bay.

Me Cung Cave

It is a small cave, about 100m long, but it is considered a special cave attracting tourists to Ha Long for the magnificent beauty of the stalactite system and the remains representing the pre-Halong culture.

Me Cung Cave is identified by archaeologists as one of the relics belonging to the pre-Halong culture, 7,000 to 10,000 years ago today. The remains found at the entrance to the cave are shells of Melania snails - a species of snail that lives only in streams.

Through a small door that can only fit one person, the cave opens into many compartments, with stalactites bearing many iridescent and colourful shapes hanging from the ceiling of the cave. Visitors easily feel like living in a large underground villa.

Ba Ham Lake

Located far to the southwest of Halong Bay but close to Cat Ba Island, Ba Ham Lake is actually located on Dau Be (Calf's Head) Island in Lan Ha Bay. The lake is a system containing three wide, round pits, connected to each other by a narrow, winding tunnel. According to the logic of the water corridors that flow between three tunnels, it is named “Ba Ham Lake” by the local population. It truly amazes all visitors with its tranquil atmosphere, vertical cliffs and breathtaking natural scenery.

This area far from mass tourism is an ideal place for kayaking.

Ba Men Temple

Ba Men Temple is located on a stone island in the Dau Be archipelago, which is considered the southern boundary of Halong Sea and Cat Ba Sea (HaiPhong).

It is a sacred place for the fishermen of Halong Bay, who come to pray for peace and safety before leaving for a long fishing trip in the sea.

In front of the temple, there is a beautiful beach with fine sand which offers us an ideal place to swim.

Coc Cheo and Ang Du area

Located near Hang Trai Island, about 30 km from Tuan Chau Wharf, Coc Cheo - Ang Du area is a majestic complex of rocky islands which look like mysterious oases in the heart of the heritage of Ha Long Bay. It is extremely interesting to visit the Coc Cheo - Ang Du area.

Coc Cheo is an area with unique beautiful landscapes. It is characterized by beautiful karst terrain with high mountains and vertical limestone cliffs. About 50 metres away, Ang Du is another unique landscape area. Not only having a large clear lake, Ang Du is also rich in plants, great coral reefs and home to many valuable genetic resources.

Many beautiful white sand beaches around the area, the richness of plants, especially endemic plants, and plenty of species of fish are truly valuable resources, attractive and favourable for the development of tourism.

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