Lan Ha - Ha Long Bay 1 Day boat trip - Kayaking from Cat Ba, avoid the crowds.
5
Lan Ha - Ha Long Bay 1 Day boat trip - Kayaking from Cat Ba, avoid the crowds.
By Cat Ba Ventures
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
About
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 1-80, max of 38 per group
Duration: 9h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More
- Option: seafood mixed meat or vegetarian.
- Use of Snorkelling equipment
- All Fees and Taxes
- Kayaking equipment such as: headlamp, water proof bag
- 1 big bottle of water: 1.5l
- Entry/Admission - Lan Ha Bay
- Entry/Admission - Halong Bay
What's not included- Alcoholic Beverages
- Breakfast
- Coffee and/or Tea
- Start:
- Cat Ba Ventures, 223 Một Tháng Tư, TT. Cát Bà , Cát Hải, Hải Phòng, VietnamIn front of hydrofoil station
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 268138P1- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travellers can participate
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 38 travellers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 268138P1
From
ÂŁ36.12
per adult
Select date and travellers
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Similar experiences
Itinerary
- 223 Một Tháng Tư, TT. Cát Bà , Cát Hải, Hải Phòng, VietnamIn front of hydrofoil station
- 1
- 2
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- macklins20250 contributionsAmazing experience with great views and staffI had an amazing experience! The tour guides Ninh and Tom were excellent! The team provided great guides, food, accomodation and service. Had such an enjoyable time kayaking, hiking and sailing around the islands, all with magnificent views. Was also great to meet new people and share travel stories etc. Would 100% come back again. Mack :)Written 14 January 2025
- Scenic208696435760 contributionsHiking and KayakingThe scenery and the scale of the islands were breathtaking. The tour guides Ninh and Tom Cruise were super friendly and always extremely helpful. The boat had great accommodation and friendly staff so it was a great place to kick back and relax.Written 14 January 2025
- anguss9610 contributionsCat Ba ExperienceGreat experience, great tour guides, learnt so much about Vietnam and especially Cat Ba Shoutout to Ninh and Tom CruiseWritten 14 January 2025
- imke20170 contributionsTranquility on the BayWe had a great time cruising Ha Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay with Cat Ba Ventures. It is true that the places you visit with this tour are not overrun by tourists, choose this tour for a more tranquil experience on the bay. Tom was a fun guide who supplied information, answered questions, spoke English well, and was a nice person. Our room aboard was spacious and comfortable and we enjoyed the food.Written 14 January 2025
- Inspire669804181660 contributionsRelaxing and beautifulAmazing views in the less touristy areas. Enough time to explore on the kayak! Tom was an amazing tourguide, happy vibes with a lot of smiles. The evening was quiet and chill, no party vibesWritten 12 January 2025
- L6955FWrobertb0 contributionsA great experienceBee was an excellent and knowledgeable guide, and all the crew on board were helpful and competent. Kayaked to spots that were beautiful and also quiet. The food was plentiful and tasty. The bedrooms and bathrooms were a little tired in decor and perhaps not as clean as we’d hoped. However we have come away with great memories at an excellent trip. We would certainly recommend to friends.Written 12 January 2025
- Clab-green0 contributionsOvernight trip from Cat BaWe joined the overnight cruise and it was great from start to finish. Views outstanding, incredible food, comfortable beds, fun activities. The highlight for us was probably Tom our guide, he was friendly and informative but also so so funny, he was so quick and had us all in stitches. I would really recommend this, perfect blend of relaxing and funWritten 11 January 2025
- 166renib0 contributionsAmazing!We had a great time with Cat Ba Ventures. Everything was very well organized. Our room was nice and clean and the food was delicious. We especially want to thank our guide Toni, he showed us many beautiful places of the bay and always had something nice and funny to tell. Thanks Toni!Written 11 January 2025
- Sean S0 contributionsHa Long Bay in luxuryAmazing two day tour on Ha Long bay with Cat Ba adventures and our incredible guide Tom. Food was great, scenery incredible and the caves were fun to explore.Written 11 January 2025
- U7040OJmartas0 contributionsCasting the best of Halong BayThe tour was very well organised and everything on board was perfect from the rooms to the delicious food. More over, the tourist guide Ninh was 100% professional, friendly and passionate about sharing his knowledge on the bay and on Vietnam overall. He was also very patient and caring when we went kayacking around the bay, which was a GREAT experience.Written 9 January 2025
- katjaj20250 contributionsGreat TripWe had a wonderful time on the Boat. Our guide Hang did an amazing job. Also the food was delicous. Everbody was great with our 18 month old child.Written 9 January 2025
- christinahM1174JR0 contributions2days Halong and Lan ha bayBee was such a nice guide. We had a lot of time to explore different parts of the bays. He took us to special places, gave us a lot of interesting information and laughters. Would definitely do it the same way again! The food was amazing too btwWritten 9 January 2025
- U3945QHfelixf0 contributionsReview ha long bay tourOur tour guide jack was every time friendly funny help us every time and show you some nice and funny information about Vietnam the language and many other thingsWritten 9 January 2025
- Voyager124867050120 contributionsWe had a lovely time with Cat Ba Ventures. With Ben we Had a great Tourguide who gave us a lot of information of the HalWe had a lovely time with Cat Ba Ventures. With Ben we Had a great Tourguide who gave us a lot of information of the Halong Bay, Lan Ha Bay and the culture of Vietnam. Further more he was very funny and we had a lot of fun in the small group. We would definitly recommend the tour and Cat Ba Ventures.Written 8 January 2025
- Wander403986017360 contributionsHa Long BayBen was an amazing tour guide with top notch explanations and English fluency. We had an amazing time kayaking and seeing the beautiful scenery.Written 8 January 2025
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
5.0
2,577 reviews
Excellent
2,539
Very good
34
Average
3
Poor
0
Terrible
1
Jacob O
2 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
We had a great 1 day tour with Cat Ba Ventures! It was a busy day - with visits to Lan Ha, Ha Long, a fishing village, 2 swimming spots and a kayaking spot. The lunch was tasty as well! But the highlight was definitely our two wonderful guides - Hang and Jack who were informative, friendly and definitely made the trip feel special! Good value for money - would definitely recommend if you are on a budget but still want to see the amazing natural beauty of the area.
Written 22 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hayley
Brighton, UK24 contributions
Overall an amazing experience. Hang, our tour guide, was fantastic. He was friendly, funny, and extremely knowledgeable. We learnt a lot about the nature in the surrounding area and he was happy to answer any questions and spoke English very well.
Activities for the day included touring through Lan Ha and Ha Long bay, jumping off the boat and swimming through the rocks, 1.5 hrs of kayaking (I’m a complete beginner and it was great), another stop for more swimming, then touring back home during the sunset.
We were given a massive lunch - I’m vegetarian and was served rice, tofu, two different salads, omelette, spring rolls, peanuts, fruit, and more in a sharer style on the table. My partner eats meat and he said it was also great, lots of seafood but also some chicken and salad bits too. There are drinks you can buy on board too at an extra price (coke/sprite etc was 30k, they had beer and coffee too but I didn’t see how much).
We were told by Hang that Cat Ba Ventures pays a little more to the government to allow the boat to go further into the bays. This means that there were hardly any other boats around when we were swimming or when we stopped for lunch. It really did feel like we were alone out there sometimes which was amazing!
Overall 10/10 experience!
Activities for the day included touring through Lan Ha and Ha Long bay, jumping off the boat and swimming through the rocks, 1.5 hrs of kayaking (I’m a complete beginner and it was great), another stop for more swimming, then touring back home during the sunset.
We were given a massive lunch - I’m vegetarian and was served rice, tofu, two different salads, omelette, spring rolls, peanuts, fruit, and more in a sharer style on the table. My partner eats meat and he said it was also great, lots of seafood but also some chicken and salad bits too. There are drinks you can buy on board too at an extra price (coke/sprite etc was 30k, they had beer and coffee too but I didn’t see how much).
We were told by Hang that Cat Ba Ventures pays a little more to the government to allow the boat to go further into the bays. This means that there were hardly any other boats around when we were swimming or when we stopped for lunch. It really did feel like we were alone out there sometimes which was amazing!
Overall 10/10 experience!
Written 18 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robbin Kok
4 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
We had an amazing day in the bays. It surpassed our expectations of the trip.
Hang and his crew went above and beyond to keep us away from the crowds and make our own trip one that we will never forget.
Even though the boat could carry all the booked guest (50), they arranged a second boat to split the group so nobody felt packed or crowded.
Hang told us a lot about the surroundings, brought good vibes to the group without trying to overdo it.
The lunch was amazing and actually more then we could eat. Ice cold beverages could be purchased on board for a reasonable price.
We already recommended the trip to quite a few fellow travellers we met in Vietnam. Now, we also want to share our experience with the internet itself!
Enjoy your trip, we are sure you will
Hang and his crew went above and beyond to keep us away from the crowds and make our own trip one that we will never forget.
Even though the boat could carry all the booked guest (50), they arranged a second boat to split the group so nobody felt packed or crowded.
Hang told us a lot about the surroundings, brought good vibes to the group without trying to overdo it.
The lunch was amazing and actually more then we could eat. Ice cold beverages could be purchased on board for a reasonable price.
We already recommended the trip to quite a few fellow travellers we met in Vietnam. Now, we also want to share our experience with the internet itself!
Enjoy your trip, we are sure you will
Written 22 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Donatella Farese
Dubai, United Arab Emirates145 contributions
Apr 2024 • Couples
Ha Long Bay is rightly considered a must-see in Vietnam. However, it was difficult to find a travel company that offers more sustainable trips and offers something different than the usual boat tours.
Cat Ba ventures propose a good alternative if you want to avoid the big groups. They have different proposals and their prices are reasonable mainly in consideration of the services they provide.
Also, they have been very patient and understanding with me when booked the trip on the wrong dates.
We opted for a full-day trip and decided to sleep in Cat Ba.
We left Hanoi at 7:20 in the morning with Cat Ba express bus (they offer a pick service if you are staying in the Old quarter of Hanoi for 13 USD per person including the ferry) and reached Cat Ba Island around 11:30.
Cat Ba Express dropped us off directly at the hotel we chose (The Moon Boutique, highly recommended).
Cat BA venture office is very easy to reach. Usually, they ask for an advance payment at the time of the booking and then you settle the outstanding payment once there. Credit Cards are accepted but there is a supplement of 3%, which is common almost everywhere in Vietnam.
We left for the tour at 8:30 in the morning after. They divided the group into two groups, ending up with less than 20 as promised. We navigated around Lan Ha Bay; passed by the floating fishing village, and stopped to visit the floating fish farm.
We then cruised to Ha Long Bay, and went kayaking for almost 2 hours through lagoons and tunnels to discover the Bat and Dark caves. We made two stops for swimming.
Then we returned to Lan Ha Bay by a different route
We had lunch on the boat and it was amazing! Plenty of choices are also available for vegetarians.
Last but not least a great thanks to our guide, Hang.
Hang was not only very professional, but polite, funny, and always available to explain the history of his country and reply to any curiosity you may have.
His English was perfect and that made the conversation easier.
Cat Ba ventures propose a good alternative if you want to avoid the big groups. They have different proposals and their prices are reasonable mainly in consideration of the services they provide.
Also, they have been very patient and understanding with me when booked the trip on the wrong dates.
We opted for a full-day trip and decided to sleep in Cat Ba.
We left Hanoi at 7:20 in the morning with Cat Ba express bus (they offer a pick service if you are staying in the Old quarter of Hanoi for 13 USD per person including the ferry) and reached Cat Ba Island around 11:30.
Cat Ba Express dropped us off directly at the hotel we chose (The Moon Boutique, highly recommended).
Cat BA venture office is very easy to reach. Usually, they ask for an advance payment at the time of the booking and then you settle the outstanding payment once there. Credit Cards are accepted but there is a supplement of 3%, which is common almost everywhere in Vietnam.
We left for the tour at 8:30 in the morning after. They divided the group into two groups, ending up with less than 20 as promised. We navigated around Lan Ha Bay; passed by the floating fishing village, and stopped to visit the floating fish farm.
We then cruised to Ha Long Bay, and went kayaking for almost 2 hours through lagoons and tunnels to discover the Bat and Dark caves. We made two stops for swimming.
Then we returned to Lan Ha Bay by a different route
We had lunch on the boat and it was amazing! Plenty of choices are also available for vegetarians.
Last but not least a great thanks to our guide, Hang.
Hang was not only very professional, but polite, funny, and always available to explain the history of his country and reply to any curiosity you may have.
His English was perfect and that made the conversation easier.
Written 22 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vijeth Balan
Bengaluru, India6 contributions
We had a wonderful one day tour of Lan Ha Bay and Ha Long Bay with Cat Ba ventures. Everything was perfectly timed, beginning from the hotel pickup, the stops for swimming/kayaking and the cruise before sunset. Perfect for couples and for group/solo travelers. We avoided the crowds and were the only group to reach the stops first so we could enjoy the place peacefully.
A big shoutout to our tour guide Hang who was extremely friendly and funny. He made sure we are having a good time and interacting about culture, family which brought a personal touch to the trip and we really enjoyed Hang's company.
Overall I recommend Cat Ba Ventures.
A big shoutout to our tour guide Hang who was extremely friendly and funny. He made sure we are having a good time and interacting about culture, family which brought a personal touch to the trip and we really enjoyed Hang's company.
Overall I recommend Cat Ba Ventures.
Written 8 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Sunshine,
Thank you so much for your sharing about our trip! Your words mean lots of things to us! We will keep working harder to bring great trips!
We will try our best to bring more great trip for travellers.
Enjoy your travel!
All the best to you and hope to see you next time!
Best regards,
Cat Ba Ventures team
Written 13 November 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Melissa S
7 contributions
Sept 2023 • Couples
We booked this trip at Cat Ba ventures and it was very easy to book, and very cheap, we paid less for each one with all inclusive because we bought there in the agency.
We viewed the most wonderful views of Lan Ha and Halong Bay, it was breath taking, our guide Toni was amazing, very friendly and he explained to us how things really work in the country, gave us some advices to visit other city’s too, and he’s very funny so if you can do this tour with him. You will not regret it! When they say you go to less populated areas they mean it.
We viewed the most wonderful views of Lan Ha and Halong Bay, it was breath taking, our guide Toni was amazing, very friendly and he explained to us how things really work in the country, gave us some advices to visit other city’s too, and he’s very funny so if you can do this tour with him. You will not regret it! When they say you go to less populated areas they mean it.
Written 24 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
silviamolema
Ebersberg, Germany6 contributions
Jan 2023 • Couples
Really well organized tour! Our tour guide Hang was very friendly, funny and passionate sharing many interesting information and showing us really nice places which were not at all crowded. The lunch was amazing, we had the seafood and vegetarian options and both were well prepared and abundant!
All in all very recommendable!
The Cat Ba Ventures Team gave us also good hints for exploring the National Park by ourselves, as there were not enough people signing up for the trekking trip (we were there off-season).
Also the bus connection to Ninh Binh had the most reasonable price compared to other operators and still good quality!
Thumbs up!
All in all very recommendable!
The Cat Ba Ventures Team gave us also good hints for exploring the National Park by ourselves, as there were not enough people signing up for the trekking trip (we were there off-season).
Also the bus connection to Ninh Binh had the most reasonable price compared to other operators and still good quality!
Thumbs up!
Written 8 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Silvia,
Thank you once more time for choosing us and sharing your experiences with Hang!
Your words means a lot of thing to us. It's a big motivation for us to bring great trips for everyone!
We always listen to your sharing to improve the services and work harder. Thank you very much and we hope that we will see you again!
All the best to you!
Best regards,
Cat Ba Ventures team
Written 10 January 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Alessandro G
1 contribution
Feb 2024 • Friends
We were undecided on which tour operator to trust to explore the bay without falling into tourist traps. Cat Ba Ventures, despite the higher than average price, convinced us with its seriousness, transparency and commitment. It was a fulfilling experience that we 100% recommend.
Much of the credit goes to Hang, our guide, who always kept our enthusiasm high with his energy, proved to be prepared and available in providing explanations about our surroundings and managed the travel timing perfectly, giving us the feeling of being the only visitors in the bay.
We made two swimming stops and a beautiful kayaking experience, during which we were lucky enough to see some macaque specimens (also identified by Hang's expert eye).
Note of credit to the captain and to the chef, who prepared an excellent and plentiful lunch, suitable for every dietary need.
Much of the credit goes to Hang, our guide, who always kept our enthusiasm high with his energy, proved to be prepared and available in providing explanations about our surroundings and managed the travel timing perfectly, giving us the feeling of being the only visitors in the bay.
We made two swimming stops and a beautiful kayaking experience, during which we were lucky enough to see some macaque specimens (also identified by Hang's expert eye).
Note of credit to the captain and to the chef, who prepared an excellent and plentiful lunch, suitable for every dietary need.
Written 4 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Harry W
6 contributions
Oct 2022 • Couples
Kayaking in the rain doesn’t seem like a good experience for anyone but with the entertainment from our tour guide Hang we had the complete opposite. He was very knowledgeable and upbeat about everything Vietnam and the Ha Long Bay Area. 10/10 day with a good crew and great tour guide. Would highly recommend to anyone to go and kayak the Ha Long Bay Area especially with Cat Ba ventures tour guide.
Written 19 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Harry,
Thank you once more time for choosing us and sharing your experiences! Your words means a lot of thing to us. It's a big motivation for us to improve and bring greats trip for everyone!
Thank you very much and we hope that we will see you again!
All the best to you!
Best regards,
Cat Ba Ventures team
Written 20 October 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Siân J
2 contributions
Feb 2023 • Couples
We would really recommend this island tour. The itinerary was amazing and includes what a typical 2-day your would include, so is great value for money. We barely saw any other tourists because of the areas we were taken too, which was lovely to enjoy the peace of Cat Ba islands. The activities were really good - we kayaked, went to a village fish farm and swam, as well as enjoyed the beautiful scenery. The lunch provided was delicious and the team catered not only to dietary requirements but also to individual preferences (e.g. if someone preferred meat instead of seafood). We were even lucky enough to see a family of the very rare langur monkeys in the wild, which is something we will never forget.
A special thanks to our guide 'Tom Cruise'. He was so informative and friendly, and made sure the trip ran smoothly and that we were all happy. Thank you Tom, you made the trip all the more amazing!
Make sure to book your place - no other tour could beat this!
A special thanks to our guide 'Tom Cruise'. He was so informative and friendly, and made sure the trip ran smoothly and that we were all happy. Thank you Tom, you made the trip all the more amazing!
Make sure to book your place - no other tour could beat this!
Written 16 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, I’m an Italian citizen planning to visit Vietnam for less than 45 days and I understand that I don’t need a visa for this duration. However, I’ve been told that it is required to have a visa to visit Cat Ba Island. This seems a bit odd. Can anyone confirm this? Do I need any special visa or permit to visit Cat Ba Island, or does the visa exemption for Italian citizens cover this as well? Thank you!
Written 18 July 2024
How do I get to the meeting point from Hanoi old quarter ?
Written 22 October 2023
You take a bus, short ferry then another bus to Cat Ba where you can organise a day trip to Lan Ha Bay.
Or you can take a day trip from Hanoi. Your hotel can probably help you book a trip
Written 23 October 2023
Would it be possible to catch a bus to Hanoi in the evening after the trip from cat ba or would it be too late ...
Written 5 October 2022
I am not a hundred percent sure. The tour ended between 5:30 and 6pm. I don't know if there is a late bus to Hanoi that departs after 6pm.
Written 6 October 2022
Where is the pickup/meeting point for this trip?
Written 28 August 2022
Showing results 1-6 of 6
Top rated
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.