The 10 Best Sunset Cruises in Vietnam

1.Ha Long – Bai Tu Long Bay 2-Day 1-Night Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,113 reviews Our pick

Cruise from Hanoi through Ha Long and Bai Tu Long Bays aboard a smaller vessel with an ocean-view cabin. You’ll kayak near Cap La Island, visit Thien Canh Son Cave, swim at Hon Co Island, learn to make nem cuon, and enjoy guidance from staff such as Cong, Hung, Duc, and Peter.

“An EXCEPTIONAL tour!! The entire staff was extremely kind, professional, and attentive, especially our cruise manager, Peter, who made the entire experience exceed our expectations. He was friendly, hard working, had a great sense of humor, and went above and beyond to make it a special experience for everyone on board. All of the activities were scheduled with a perfect amount of rest and fun— We especially loved the 6am Tai Chi led by Peter on the top deck! This trip is perfect for everyone: solo travelers, families with kids, couples, groups, and more. We HIGHLY recommend booking this for your visit to Halong Bay where you can truly experience…”

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2.Halong Bay 2 Days 1 Night Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 685 reviews · from $129Top rated

Set out from Hanoi’s Old Quarter for an overnight Halong Bay cruise with shared transfers, four meals, Titop Island, Surprise Cave, kayaking or a bamboo boat, Tai Chi, and a cooking class. Choose a 3, 4, or 5 star cabin, with some ships offering balconies and tubs.

“One of the great highlights of Vietnam, although our trip was cut short from the Typhoon 🌀 we still had a great time good food and stunning scenery”

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3.Halong Bay Luxury Dinner Cruise – Ambassador

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 374 reviews · from $105

Spend three hours aboard Ambassador Cruise II, sailing beside Ha Long City after dark. You’ll enjoy an Asian-European dinner, live band, DJ and dancers, plus a scheduled fireworks show at 8:30 pm. The cruise departs Ha Long International Cruise Port and costs about $105.

“The entertainment was fantastic.The food was great and the ship is huge and amazing. A really great vibe.Totally worth it, Halong Bay is simply breathtaking at night and is must!”

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4.Bai Tu Long Bay 2 Day 1 Night Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 148 reviews · from $130

Leave Hanoi by shuttle, cruise into quieter Bai Tu Long Bay, and sleep in a private twin or double cabin with a window. You’ll visit Thien Canh Son Cave, take a kayak or bamboo boat around Vung Vieng, enjoy fresh meals, and have time for swimming, night fishing, and Tai Chi.

“First, our guide Morning and all the cruise staff were fabulous. From pickup to drop off the cruise was excellent. The boat was beautiful, our room so comfortable, and my god the food was delicious (and too much). It felt like they put a lot of wRead more”

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5.From Lan Ha Bay: 3-Day 2-Night Cruise with Meals & Kayaking

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 131 reviews · from $272

Spend two nights aboard V’Spirit Cruises between Ha Long and Lan Ha Bay. You’ll kayak at Tra Bau, visit Viet Hai village, see Bright Cave by boat, swim near Ba Trai Dao, and enjoy balcony-cabin comfort. Guides such as Victor, Andy, Tony, and Dan are known for clear, friendly service.

“In this tour, there are many staff, tour guides, some of them are very experienced and new but they were all very good. They were smiling and pleasant all the time. It was a fun and memorable experience for me so far! Highly recommended! Transportation was very good. Stress free. For the 1st day, it was Bobbi. He was very funny smiley and organized. He kept on reminding us about the itinerary for the next few hours which is really important so that we are aware about what’s happening. I enjoyed the boat ride. Cooking lesson was fun. The vodka prawn cooking show was also interesting. Delicious too! Taichi lesson…”

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6.The Best 5 Star Halong Bay Cruise with Buffet,pool, Sunset Party

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 128 reviews · from $43

Spend about 12 hours exploring Halong Bay on Route 2, with an English-speaking guide, seafood buffet, Titop Island, optional kayaking or sampan boat at Luon Cave, and a sunset party. Guide Thanh is often assigned and is praised for clear explanations and helpful arrangements.

“We had a really good experience going to Ha long bay with Thanh who was our tour guide, he was really helpful and knowledgeable. Definitely recommend”

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7.Sunset & Bioluminescent Plankton Kayaking Lan Ha bay

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 93 reviews · from $43

From Cat Ba, you’ll cruise through Cai Beo floating village to Van Boi Beach for sunset and a BBQ, then kayak after dark to see bioluminescent plankton. Guides including Tom, Lin, and Ryan have led the trip. Swimming is optional.

“Lin is a great tour guide and made this experience truly memorable! The bioluminescence here is very strong and you will experience swimming in bioluminescent plankton for the first time. Best time to see them! We will definitely be back!”

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8.Lan Ha Bay: Sunset & Plankton Bioluminescent Night Kayaking

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 58 reviews · from $37Best value

From Cat Ba, follow guides such as Tim, Hana, Taylor, or Thanh past a floating fishing village and limestone islets. After dinner on a boat or floating homestay, paddle into Lan Ha Bay at night to see bioluminescent plankton sparkle around your kayak. Warm water and a dark moon give the best chance.

“Excellent trip! Very well organised. Tim was a great guide: informative and entertaining without being too annoying. Plankton is definitely the highlight of the trip. It’s just magical! Floating amongst these little shiny creatures feels surreal as if you are in the middle of the starry sky itself. Monkey island in the evening is less crowded and you practically get the whole thing to yourself. Overall, I’d recommend this tour over the full day one as you get to see pretty much the same thing + the wonderful plankton experience.”

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9.Sunset & Bioluminescent Kayaking on Lan Ha Bay

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 25 reviews · from $43

Spend an afternoon and evening on Lan Ha Bay with Cat Ba Panorama, cruising past Cai Beo Floating Fishing Village, swimming, kayaking, and eating local dishes aboard ship. The highlight is night kayaking for bioluminescent plankton. Guide Minh has earned praise for his friendly help.

“So cool to see the bioluminescent plankton!! Apparently there wasn’t much plankton on our night but even with that I thought it was amazing, little sparkles around your paddles!! And the islands are beautiful. Nice boat, good food for dinner”

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10.2-Day 1-Night Cruise:Visit Bai Tu Long Bay_ Less Touristic

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 4 reviews · from $126

Spend two days aboard a small cruise in Bai Tu Long Bay, with an English-speaking guide, kayaking at Cap La, a rowing boat visit to Vung Vieng Fishing Village, Vietnamese cooking, Tai Chi, and an overnight cabin.

“Was such a lovely experience, small boat bit far away for Halong bay to have a different view but still stunning. I really appreciate the activity, guide and the view. I definitely recommend it. I get very good help from the agency to find the place to get the boat.”

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