Cruises / Day Cruise
Ha Long Bay · Day cruise
Three decks, two restaurants and a jacuzzi on the classic route
Day Cruise
Ha Long Bay
Day Cruise aboard the Iris Cruise.
Iris is a three-deck day boat for up to a hundred guests, with a restaurant on the main deck, a quieter second dining room above it, two bars on the sundeck and an open-air jacuzzi. The route is the classic one: Sung Sot Cave, Luon Cave and Titop Island, with lunch served as the boat sails.
How your day cruise unfolds.
What makes it special.
On board
A main-deck restaurant and a quieter dining room above it, with two bars and seating for eighty on the sundeck.
Up top
The upper deck has an open-air jacuzzi, with live music and a snack party laid on as the boat sails back.
The route
The classic three stops: Sung Sot Cave, the lagoon at Luon Cave and the beach and viewpoint on Titop Island.
The meal
Lunch is a buffet from thirty guests and a set menu below that, served while the boat is under way.
What is on board, and what the fare includes
The Hanoi road transfer, drinks with the meal, the kayak and the bamboo boat 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.
Iris 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 10:30. The hour-by-hour itinerary above gives the timings for the day.
Check-in is at 10:30 and the boat is back in harbour around 17:00; the shuttle leaves the Old Quarter between 06:30 and 07:45 and returns between 19:45 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 Iris Cruise into a complete, private Northern Vietnam itinerary, planned and run for you, with every transfer handled.
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