Ha Long: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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Ha Long Bay holds nearly two thousand limestone islands and islets rising from green water, a world heritage site since 1994. Its name means descending dragon: legend says the gods sent dragons to defend Vietnam from invaders, and the jewels they spat became the islands. The bay is seen by boat — a day cruise, or better a night on board. A full day.

A short history of Ha Long

Ha Long Bay has about 2,000 limestone islands and islets, and the name means "where the dragon descended", after a Vietnamese legend. At the mouth of the nearby Bach Dang River, the general Tran Hung Dao defeated the Mongol fleet in 1288 using stakes he had driven into the riverbed. Coal was mined in the area under the French and afterwards, and there are still mines in the coastal city of Ha Long. In 1994 the bay was declared a World Heritage Site for its scenery, and since then it has been one of the most visited destinations in Vietnam.

The ten best sights in Ha Long

1
Tuan Chau Island
The resort island joined by a causeway
2
Bai Chay Beach
The town beach and promenade
3
Queen Cable Car
A huge cable car over the bay to Sun World
4
Bai Chay Bridge
The bridge across the strait
5
Poem Mountain
A king’s poem carved on the rock
6
Quang Ninh Museum
A black glass museum of the bay and coal
7
Fighting Cocks Islet
Two rocks facing each other
8
Thien Cung Cave
The heavenly palace cave
9
Dau Go Cave
The cave of the wooden stakes
10
Sung Sot Cave
The Surprise Cave, the largest in the bay

sleepntripWonders of the world12 wonders, and a hotel near each

For every wonder: a nearby city, a route and a hotel up to $80.

To the wonders

What is an audio walk?

Tours in Ha Long →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Ha Long:

Free walking tours in Ha Long

The bay by boat

Tuan Chau Harbour · The harbour from which hundreds of wooden junks and cruise boats leave every morning. Choosing a smaller boat and a route through the less visited parts of the bay makes a great difference.
Fighting Cocks Islet · Two rocks rising from the water facing each other like two fighting roosters, the best-known shape in the bay and a symbol of Ha Long; it appears on the two-hundred-thousand-dong banknote.
Sung Sot Cave · The Surprise Cave, found by the French in 1901, is the largest in the bay: two great chambers of stalactites and stalagmites reached by stairs up the island’s side. Nearby is Ti Top island, named after the Soviet cosmonaut Gherman Titov, who visited with Ho Chi Minh in 1962.
Luon Cave · A low tunnel through an island that opens into an enclosed lagoon ringed by cliffs, reached by kayak or in a bamboo boat rowed by local women. Monkeys sometimes come down the cliffs to the water.
Thien Cung Cave · The Heavenly Palace cave, found by a fisherman sheltering from a storm in 1993, with formations lit in colours that the guides name after animals, gods and a royal wedding from legend.
Dau Go Cave · The cave of the wooden stakes: legend says General Tran Hung Dao hid here the sharpened stakes he drove into the bed of the Bach Dang river in 1288, where the Mongol fleet of Kublai Khan was trapped and destroyed at low tide.

Ha Long city

The city of Ha Long faces the bay across a narrow strait, with a beach promenade on one side and the old coal port on the other. Half a day.

Bai Chay Beach · The beach of the tourist side of the city, with a promenade of hotels and seafood restaurants looking out at the first islands of the bay.
Queen Cable Car · A cable car across the strait to a hilltop park with a giant Ferris wheel. Its two-deck cabins, each carrying more than two hundred people, set a world record for capacity.
Bai Chay Bridge · A cable-stayed bridge opened in 2006 across the strait, joining the two halves of the city, which until then were linked only by ferry.
Poem Mountain · A hill in the old city of Hon Gai on which King Le Thanh Tong had a poem in praise of the bay carved into the rock in 1468; other poems were added later. Its name means mountain of poems.
Quang Ninh Museum · A striking building of black glass on the water, telling the story of the bay’s nature, its people and the coal mines of this province, which have fed Vietnam’s power stations for over a century.
Tuan Chau Island · An island joined to the mainland by a causeway, turned into a resort with hotels, a beach and the main cruise harbour.

Lan Ha Bay and Cat Ba

South of Ha Long, Lan Ha Bay has the same limestone islands with far fewer boats, and Cat Ba, the largest island, has a national park of jungle and caves. Two days are best; one long day is possible.

Lan Ha Bay · A quieter bay of some four hundred islands, with small white beaches and floating fish farms, where kayaks slip between the cliffs without the crowds of Ha Long.
Cat Ba Town · The harbour town of Cat Ba island, a base for climbing, kayaking and boats into the bay, with seafood restaurants along the waterfront.
Cat Ba National Park · Jungle-covered hills and caves, home of the Cat Ba langur, a golden-headed monkey found only on this island and among the rarest primates in the world, with only a few dozen left. A trail climbs to a lookout tower over the forest.
Luon Cave · On the way back north, the hidden lagoon of Luon cave is reached by kayak through the tunnel.
Sung Sot Cave · The great Surprise Cave, best visited early before the cruise boats arrive.
Tuan Chau Harbour · Back at the harbour, the road leads on to Hanoi, about two and a half hours by the new expressway.

sleepntripMystery worldPlaces whose story is not over yet

The moai, the Nazca lines, Göbekli Tepe and more.

To the mystery world

Getting to Ha Long and getting around

Van Don Airport · About an hour away; most come by road from Hanoi, two and a half hours
Tuan Chau Harbour · Where the bay cruises leave

Cheap eats in Ha Long

Ha Long eats from the bay: cha muc, the squid cakes pounded by hand that are the city’s own dish, eaten in a sticky-rice roll or a baguette; steamed clams, crabs and prawns chosen live from tanks; and on the cruises, seafood lunches served on deck. A squid-cake roll costs about a dollar.

Bai Chay Beach · Squid cakes and seafood
Cat Ba Town · Waterfront seafood
Tuan Chau Harbour · Lunch on the cruise

Museums in Ha Long

The bay’s story — nature, battles and coal — is told in one striking museum and on the rocks themselves.

Quang Ninh Museum · The black glass museum
Poem Mountain · The king’s poem
Dau Go Cave · The battle of 1288

Nature and day trips near Ha Long

Nearly two thousand limestone islands, sea caves, hidden lagoons and the jungle of Cat Ba.

Sung Sot Cave · The Surprise Cave
Luon Cave · The hidden lagoon
Lan Ha Bay · Kayaking
Cat Ba National Park · The jungle and the langur

Things to do in Ha Long with kids

With children: a boat among the islands, caves, a giant cable car and a Ferris wheel over the bay.

Queen Cable Car · The cable car and the wheel
Thien Cung Cave · The coloured cave
Bai Chay Beach · The beach

Holy places in Ha Long

The legends of the bay — dragons, heavenly palaces and fighting cocks — are its faith.

Fighting Cocks Islet · The symbol of the bay
Thien Cung Cave · The heavenly palace

Nightlife in Ha Long

The best night here is on a boat anchored among the islands; on land, the promenade of Bai Chay.

Tuan Chau Harbour · A night on a junk
Bai Chay Beach · The evening promenade
Cat Ba Town · Backpacker bars

sleepntripFree with every roomThree audio walks in every city

A guide in your headphones, stop after stop.

To the walks

Frequently asked questions about Ha Long

What is there to see in Ha Long?

The top sights in Ha Long are Tuan Chau Island, Bai Chay Beach and Queen Cable Car. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Ha Long?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Ha Long without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Ha Long?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Ha Long, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The bay by boat.

How do you get to Ha Long and get around?

The main ways are Van Don Airport and Tuan Chau Harbour. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Ha Long, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Ha Long that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

Looking for a hotel in Ha Long for your dates?

Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.

All hotels in Ha Long

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