In July 2019, my friend, Candace, and I planned an epic Asian adventure, which included visits to India, Thailand, and Vietnam. And, one of the highlights of our Vietnam itinerary was our Bai Tu Long Bay overnight cruise.
Bai Tu Long Bay is a hidden gem located in the northeastern part of Vietnam, just a few hours away from the bustling city of Hanoi (which we also visited and loved).
Bai Tu Long Bay covers an area of nearly 1,000 square miles and is dotted with hundreds of limestone islands and islets. Similar to Halong Bay, the area is well-known for its stunning limestone karsts, emerald waters, and secluded beaches, and it’s the perfect getaway for a relaxing, overnight cruise.
If you’re planning a trip to this lesser-known paradise, I’ve got you covered! Here’s everything you need to know about booking your Bai Tu Long Bay overnight cruise and how to make the most of your visit to this incredible destination.
*P.S. this post contains some affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase.
Where is Bai Tu Long Bay?
Bai Tu Long Bay lies to the northeast of Halong Bay in Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam. It stretches from the eastern edge of Halong Bay to the Chinese border and is part of the UNESCO-recognized Halong Bay World Heritage Site.
Despite its proximity to the popular (and crowded) Halong Bay, Bai Tu Long Bay remains off the beaten path, making it the perfect retreat for those seeking a more peaceful experience.
Bai Tu Long Bay offers similar breathtaking landscapes to Halong Bay but with far fewer tourists and in a more secluded and relaxed atmosphere.
Bai Tu Long Bay History
According to Vietnamese legend, a family of dragons descended from the heavens to protect Vietnam from invaders. When the invaders advanced, the dragons spat fire and jewels, forming islands and islets to create a wall of protection. Thus, the invaders were blocked and had to return home.
After their victory, the mother dragon descended upon and made her home in Halong Bay, i.e. “descending dragon”, and her children descended upon and made their home in Bai Tu Long Bay, i.e. “the dragon parts of the offspring”.
The dragon’s tail also extended far into the sea, forming Bach Long Vi island, i.e. “the tail of the white dragon”.
Bai Tu Long Bay Overnight Cruise
A Bai Tu Long Bay cruise is one of the best ways to explore the area, and there are various options to choose from, including a single day, overnight, or multi-day cruises.
We went with the Bai Tu Long Bay Off-The-Beaten-Track on Renea Cruise 2 Day/1 Night cruise and had an amazing time!
The rest of this post focuses on our experience with our Bai Tu Long Bay overnight cruise. Note that this wasn’t a sponsored experience, and all of the opinions expressed here are my own.
Bai Tu Long Bay Cruise Itinerary
We spent two days and one night on our Bai Tu Long Bay cruise, and this is the itinerary we followed.
Day 1:
- 7:30-8:30 am: Pick-up from your hotel in Hanoi
- 12:00 pm: Arrive at the Renea Cruises office at the Halong International Cruise Port
- 12:30 pm: Embark on your Bai Tu Long Bay overnight cruise!
- 1:00 pm: Vietnamese lunch
- 3:00 pm: Kayaking at Cap La Island
- 5:00 pm: Head back to the boat to get ready for dinner
- 6:00 pm: Sunset party with music & drinks
- 7:00 pm: Vietnamese dinner
- 8:30 pm: Relax on the boat (Vietnamese puzzles, board games, squid fishing, etc.)
Day 2:
- 6:00 am: Tai Chi class
- 7:00 am: Buffet breakfast
- 7:30 am: Explore Thien Canh Son Cave
- 8:30 am: Head back to the boat to get ready for departure
- 9:45 am: Vietnamese cooking class
- 10:15 am: Vietnamese lunch
- 11:30 am: Return to the Halong International Cruise Port
- 2:30-3:00 pm: Drop-off back at your hotel in Hanoi
Note that things may have changed since our visit back in 2019, and the itinerary is subject to change based on weather and tidal conditions, as well as other operating conditions.
Bai Tu Long Bay Cruise Experience
Now, let’s dive in with specifics about everything we did on our Bai Tu Long Bay overnight cruise!
Pick-Up From Hanoi Hotel
We were picked up around 8:00 am from our hotel in Hanoi by a prearranged shuttle through Renea Cruises.
Along the way, our guide, Nam, tried to hype everyone up by cracking jokes and sharing stories about Vietnamese culture and history, which made for a very entertaining ride.
Our journey to Halong Bay took around four hours with one stop at a massive shop with jewelry, clothing, carvings, snacks, and other souvenirs, and most importantly, restrooms.
A Broad Recommendation: There aren’t toilets on the shuttle, so be careful not to over-hydrate! You also may want to bring along some snacks, your Kindle, or noise cancellation headphones, like these Apple Airpods, if you get bored easily.
Halong International Cruise Port
Around 12:30 pm, we arrived at the Halong International Cruise Port, where we paid our remaining balance for our overnight cruise. Here, we also had another opportunity to buy snacks and to use the restroom.
A Broad Recommendation: Bring cash! For our tour, we had to pay our remaining balance in person and in cash. We paid a deposit online at the time of our booking, but when I tried to pay the remaining balance online, I wasn’t able to. This may have changed over the years, but I would still recommend bringing some cash just in case (and for tipping!).
Embark on Overnight Cruise
Once we were all settled up, we took a small boat over to the beautiful, boutique, wooden vessel that we would be cruising around on for the next couple of days.
We quickly learned that the boat’s design was inspired by Halong Bay’s fishing boat style and was traditionally decorated with locally sourced materials.
When we boarded, there were welcome drinks waiting for us, and we were able to go up on the top-level deck to check out the amazing views, as we set sail.
After a little bit of exploring, it was time to check out our rooms. We chose the Deluxe Double/Twin Cabin with Sea View, which boasted natural hardwood floors and furniture, beautiful windows, air conditioning, and a full bathroom (with hot water), along with life jackets, a fire extinguisher, emergency lighting, and a hammer in case of emergency.
Vietnamese Lunch
Next, we made our way to the dining room for our five- or six-course seafood lunch—I can’t even remember how many dishes we had because there was just THAT much food!
Note: The chef offered vegetarian options and kindly caterer to any other dietary restrictions upon request.
The funny thing about lunch was that we sat down next to two other women, Kristy and Patricia, and Kristy mentioned that she was from a small town in New Mexico.
Considering that we were across the world, about as far from home as could be, Candace took a long-shot and asked if Kristy knew of a store that was owned by her friend Chris’ family. Kristy’s jaw dropped because her wife actually worked at the store, and she regularly had lunch with Chris’ mom. How wild!
We also learned that Patricia is what we would call a total badass. Not only did she travel to Vietnam and go on this excursion at the age of 80—we never would’ve guessed her age if she hadn’t told us!—but she has traveled the world for decades.
She was so generous in sharing her travel wisdom and inspo, and we of course became besties and hung out with them for the rest of the trip!
Not only did we connect with these ladies, but we felt a strong sense of camaraderie with many of the people on this trip. This is a smaller group excursion, so we got to talk to most of the people on the boat, which was really neat.
Kayaking to Cap La Island
After lunch, we hopped on some kayaks for the first time in who knows how long and found ourselves trying to keep pace with the rest of the group, as they zipped on by. It was pretty hilarious and very fun, despite our obvious lack of kayaking skills!
The weather was amazing, and the views were simply spectacular. We were completely surrounded by rock formations, islands and trees, and of course, crystal clear, blue waters.
After a while, we stopped at a small beach area, called Cap La Island. Here, the group floated around on life jackets, and we were given some water bottles to rehydrate.
Not everyone wanted to swim and kayak, and that was totally fine! There was an option to stay onboard the cruise, or to ride around on the smaller boat and to meet up with the kayakers in the beach area.
Huge shout-out to Nam, who took a bunch of pictures for us in our kayaks on our way back to the boat. This was such a great way to remember our trip and all of the fun we had for years to come!
Evening on the Boat
When we got back to the boat, we showered and made our way to the top-level deck, where we were served some refreshing watermelon juices and watched the breathtaking sunset.
After the sunset party, we had another delicious, authentic Vietnamese meal before calling it an early night.
Although there was an opportunity to partake in Vietnamese puzzles, board games, and squid fishing, we just brought a couple of beers back to our room and played cards. And, with half-finished drinks, we ended up falling asleep shortly thereafter.
A Broad Recommendation: There was no Wi-Fi on the boat, and neither of us paid for cell service during our Asia trip, so we were off the grid for a day and a half. Be sure to bring a book, cards, or something else to entertain yourself back in the room.
Tai Chi Class
The next morning, there was a Tai Chi class, but Candace and I intentionally slept through this, since we were tired from the day before. Though, we heard it was nice and low impact—and, you can’t beat those views!
Buffet Breakfast
We did, however, get ourselves up in time for breakfast before boating over to Hon Co Island for a short walk and visit to Thien Canh Son Cave.
Thien Canh Son Cave
One of the 50+ discovered caves in the area, Thien Canh Son Cave is scattered from floor-to-ceiling with glistening, limestone stalagmites and stalactites that formed over millions of years. These formations come in various sizes and shapes, some of which resemble animals, like a baby elephant, and flowers, like a lotus, as well as other natural wonders.
The cave is relatively small compared to others in the region, but it makes up for its size with its beauty both inside and out.
One of the highlights of visiting Thien Canh Son Cave is the panoramic view from its entrance. After climbing a staircase of about 100 steps to reach the cave, you’ll be rewarded with stunning vistas of Bai Tu Long Bay from above.
A Broad Recommendation: There were some steep stairs getting up to the cave. Be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes, like these Women’s Weekends or Sabrina Women’s Sandals.
Afterwards, we were able to walk around the beach for a few minutes and take some pictures. However, we were told not to swim, though some people chose to take a quick dip anyway.
Vietnamese Cooking Class & Lunch
By 9:00 am, we were back on the boat and instructed to pack up our stuff and to get ready for the cooking demonstration.
We watched as the chef created a flower arrangement out of fruits and vegetables, and then, we got to try our hands at things and made some veggie spring rolls with rice paper. YUM! Not only was this fun, but it was also pretty tasty.
After the demonstration, we enjoyed our last meal onboard, while taking in a few more breathtaking views before arriving back at the Halong International Cruise Port.
Halong International Cruise Port
When we disembarked, we exchanged emails with our new friends and headed our separate ways back to our respective shuttles.
Drop-Off at Your Hanoi Hotel
Then, we had another four hour drive ahead of us before wrapping up our quick trip to Hanoi.
What’s Included in Your Overnight Cruise
Overall, our Bai Tu Long Bay overnight cruise was a huge success! We highly recommend the Bai Tu Long Bay Off-The-Beaten-Track on Renea Cruise 2 Day/1 Night cruise.
Our booking included round-trip transportation to and from our hotel in Hanoi, an English speaking guide, all sightseeing fees, two lunches, one dinner, one breakfast, a cooking demonstration, a sunset party, kayaking, a Tai Chi class, and a welcome drink, as well as two bottles of mineral water in our cabin each day.
Although beverages and tips were not included in our booking, we only spent around $200 USD per person for the entire excursion.
A Broad Recommendation: Check the Renea Cruises Halong website for discounts before booking, as they may have better deals from time-to-time.
What to Pack for Bai Tu Long Bay
For your Bai Tu Long Bay overnight cruise, you’ll want to pack light. We each brought only a bookbag and packed the following:
- Passport & cash
- Cross-body purse, money belt, secure, RFID blocking wallet, or travel fanny pack
- First aid kit, regular medications, other medicine & feminine products
- Bathing suit & cover-ups
- Lightweight, breathable dresses/summer clothes
- Light jacket, like this waffle knit jacket, or linen shirt for cooler evenings (though we didn’t end up needing one during our visit)
- Comfortable walking shoes, like these Women’s Weekend Vessis
- Flip flops or sandals, like these Sabrina Women’s Sandals
- Beach hat & sunglasses
- Beach bag, small bookbag, or waterproof bag
- Waterproof phone case
- Toiletries, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, and tissues
- Camera/GoPro
- Universal travel adapter
- Portable charger & cords
Note that we usually travel with reusable water bottles, but it’s not safe to drink tap water in Vietnam, so you should stick to bottled water on your Bai Tu Long Bay overnight cruise.
Tips for Visiting Bai Tu Long Bay
Here are some tips to keep in mind to make your Bai Tu Long Bay overnight cruise a success:
- Bring cash, as some cruise operators and vendors don’t accept credit or debit cards. Note the currency of Vietnam is the Vietnamese đồng (VND for short).
- Book in advance, as popular cruises fill up quickly, especially during peak season (October to April).
- Spring (March to May) and fall (October & November) are great times to visit Bai Tu Long Bay, as the weather is pleasant, with temperatures ranging from 68°F to 86°F.
- Avoid Vietnam’s rainy season (June to September) to ensure there won’t be changes to your itinerary. Though, we visited in July and had no problems at all!
- As with any travel, you should always respect your environment and help to preserve the bay’s beauty by using eco-friendly products and never, ever litter.
For more tips about traveling to Vietnam, refer to our Vietnam: A-Broad Overview page.
Conclusion
It’s safe to say that our Bai Tu Long Bay overnight cruise was an unforgettable experience with the perfect blend of adventure and relaxation, and we can’t recommend it enough!
Start planning your trip today and discover why Bai Tu Long Bay is one of Vietnam’s best-kept secrets. And, feel free to leave a comment below or contact me directly with any questions you have about this excursion.
XOXO Sara at Travel A-Broads
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