Cruises / Day Cruise
Ha Long Bay · Day cruise
A big day boat with a swimming pool and a live band
Day Cruise
Ha Long Bay
Day Cruise aboard the Dolphin Cruise.
Dolphin is one of the largest day boats on Ha Long Bay, and it is built around its deck rather than its seats: an all-season swimming pool, a wide sundeck, live music and a canape party in the afternoon. The route runs Luon Cave, Sung Sot Grotto and Titop Island, with lunch served under way.
How your day cruise unfolds.
What makes it special.
On deck
The pool is open the year round, with a sundeck wide enough to sit out on for the whole return leg.
The afternoon
Singers, musicians and a DJ play on the sundeck, with a canape party as the boat sails back at sunset.
The route
Luon Cave comes first, reached through a water tunnel into a lagoon, then Sung Sot Grotto and Titop Island.
For families
A large boat with a kid club and bungalows on deck, both charged separately, and a pool that children can use.
What is on board, and what the fare includes
The Hanoi road transfer, drinks, the kayak, the bamboo boat, the kid club and the deck bungalows are charged separately.
A day on the water, or a night aboard.
Day trip
A long day out from Hanoi with a few hours of cruising, a cave and a kayak. It works when time is tight, but you miss the sunset, the quiet and the sunrise.
This is the itinerary on this page
2 days, 1 night
An afternoon and evening on the water, a night at anchor and a morning sail out. The length most travellers choose.
3 days, 2 nights
Day two is when the fleets disperse and you reach the further coves - the bay at its most peaceful.
Other boats on the same water, same length of trip.
See every boat on our Ha Long Bay cruises, or narrow by length: day cruises, 2 days, 1 night and 3 days, 2 nights.
About this boat, and about cruising the bay.
Dolphin Cruise sails Ha Long Bay. If you are still deciding between the bays, our comparison of Ha Long, Lan Ha and Bai Tu Long sets out how they differ in traffic, scenery and how far you travel to reach them.
Embarkation is at Ha Long International Cruise Port. Boarding starts around 10:00-10:45. The hour-by-hour itinerary above gives the timings for the day.
Check-in runs from 10:00 to 10:45 and the boat is back in harbour between 17:45 and 18:00; the shuttle leaves the Old Quarter between 06:30 and 07:30 and returns between 20:00 and 20:15. A day cruise is a long day out of Hanoi either way, which is why we fit it around the rest of your trip rather than sell it on its own.
Road transfer from Hanoi takes roughly two and a half to three hours each way, which is why a day cruise starts early and finishes late. We arrange the transfer with the cruise as one booking, so the pick-up matches the boarding window rather than leaving you to work the timings out.
A Ha Long day cruise normally includes lunch on board, the guided activities in the itinerary above and the bay entrance and sightseeing fees. Drinks, the kayak on some boats and the road transfer from Hanoi are the items that vary most. We confirm exactly what is and is not included for this boat in writing before you pay, because it differs by operator and by season.
Ha Long Bay closes to cruise traffic when the harbour authority says so, usually for storms. If that happens we move the date or refund the cruise - you are never held to a sailing that cannot run. Our refund policy sets out the detail.
Yes. Day boats take children of any age and price them in bands rather than as adults. Tell us the ages when you enquire and we will say which boats suit and what each one charges.
Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and allergy requirements are all workable, but they need to be given at booking rather than on the day - the boat provisions before it leaves harbour and cannot restock at sea.
October to April is the settled season, with clear air and cool mornings. May to September is warmer and better for swimming, with a higher chance of a storm closing the bay. Our guide to Ha Long Bay goes into the months in more detail.
We'll build the Dolphin Cruise into a complete, private Northern Vietnam itinerary, planned and run for you, with every transfer handled.
Get your free personalised itinerary ›