Ha Long Bay
A bay filled with thousands of limestone islands rising from green water, a World Heritage site. Boat cruises pass caves, floating villages and kayaking spots.
Ha Long Bay
Limestone islands fill this UNESCO World Heritage bay, which is best seen from a day cruise or an overnight boat trip.
Attractive locations
Cat Ba Island
The largest island in the Ha Long Bay area, with forested hills, small beaches, fishing villages and hiking trails, and a base for boat trips among the surrounding limestone islands.
Cat Ba National Park
A national park covering much of Cat Ba Island, with forest trails, caves and viewpoints. It is home to the critically endangered Cat Ba langur, one of the world's rarest primates.
Bai Tu Long Bay
A neighbor of Ha Long Bay with similar limestone islands and calm green water but fewer boats, suited to travelers who prefer a quieter cruise.
Sung Sot Cave
One of the largest caves in Ha Long Bay, with several chambers full of stalactites and rock formations, entered by a stairway from a landing on Bo Hon island.
Titov Island
A small island in the bay with a beach and a stairway to a viewpoint over the water, named after the Soviet cosmonaut who visited with Ho Chi Minh in 1962.
Co To Islands
A remote island district in the north-east with quiet beaches, clear water, a hilltop lighthouse and small fishing communities, reached by boat from the mainland.
Yen Tu Mountain
A sacred mountain in Quang Ninh, long a Buddhist pilgrimage site, with forest trails, small pagodas and shrines along the way. It is linked with the Tran dynasty king who became a monk.
Truc Lam Yen Tu Monastery
A Zen Buddhist monastery on the slopes of Yen Tu mountain, tied to the Truc Lam school founded by a Tran dynasty emperor. It sits among forest and is visited by pilgrims.
Cua Ong Temple
A historic temple in Cam Pha that honors Tran Quoc Tang, a general who fought Mongol invasions. It sits near the sea and is the centre of a yearly festival.
Airports
Cat Bi International Airport HPH
It is about 50 km in a straight line from Ha Long Bay.
Van Don International Airport VDO
It is about 33 km in a straight line from Ha Long Bay.
Noi Bai International Airport HAN
It is about 149 km in a straight line from Ha Long Bay.
Getting around
Getting to Ha Long Bay
An expressway leads from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay, about two and a half hours by road, and cruise transfers leave from Tuan Chau and Bai Chay ports, Vietnam's tourism authority says. A second page from the same authority gives the bay as roughly two hours' drive from Hanoi, so expect some variation with traffic.
- Source: Vietnam National Authority of Tourism: Ha Long (checked 4 Nov 2026)
- Source: Vietnam National Authority of Tourism: Explore the Bay of Dragons on a Ha Long Bay cruise (checked 4 Nov 2026)
Choosing a cruise boat
Some agents and independent operators ignore the rules, so Vietnam's tourism authority advises booking Ha Long Bay cruises with reputed companies. Accidents have been caused by overcrowding and poor standards, and some boats have sunk quickly, so UK advice says to weigh up safety standards carefully ahead of any overnight boat trip on the bay. Check with your guide on the boat's safety record, registration and crew certification, and make sure a safety briefing and a life jacket are provided. Canada advises against boarding overloaded vessels.
- Source: Vietnam National Authority of Tourism: Health and safety (checked 4 Nov 2026)
- Source: UK FCDO travel advice: Vietnam, safety and security (checked 4 Nov 2026)
- Source: Government of Canada travel advice: Vietnam (checked 4 Nov 2026)
Scams and safe taxis
Taxi and scam advice for this country is on the Vietnam page
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan16.4 °C46 mm
- Feb17.7 °C29 mm
- Mar20.1 °C53 mm
- Apr23.4 °C65 mm
- May26.9 °C149 mm
- Jun28.8 °C237 mm
- Jul29.0 °C330 mm
- Aug28.9 °C340 mm
- Sep28.2 °C230 mm
- Oct25.8 °C107 mm
- Nov22.3 °C53 mm
- Dec18.0 °C32 mm
Driest months: Jan, Feb, Dec. Wettest months: Jun, Jul, Aug.
Costs
Prices here are about 29% of US prices (World Bank, 2024). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Who can help
Emergency
Police 113. Ambulance 115. Fire 114.
local government
Police emergency number 113
Helps with: Emergency numbers on Vietnam's official tourism site: 113 for the police, 114 for the fire brigade and 115 for an ambulance.
Who qualifies: Anyone in Vietnam, including visitors, who needs the police urgently.
Phone: 113
local government
Ambulance emergency number 115
Helps with: Ambulance number listed with the police (113) and fire brigade (114) numbers on Vietnam's official tourism site.
Who qualifies: Anyone in Vietnam, including visitors, who needs an ambulance.
Phone: 115
local government
Viet Nam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT) - vietnam.travel
Helps with: The national tourism authority. Its official website vietnam.travel carries trip-planning information, including the emergency numbers. No visitor helpline was shown on the pages read.
Who qualifies: Anyone planning or taking a trip to Vietnam.
ngo
Vietnam Red Cross Society
Helps with: Vietnam's national Red Cross society. Its headquarters is in Hanoi, with a southern representative office in Ho Chi Minh City; its contact page gives phone and email.
Who qualifies: People in Vietnam seeking help from the Red Cross, including disaster relief.
Phone: 024 38 224 030
Email: [email protected]
Address: 82 Nguyen Du Street, Cua Nam Ward, Hanoi
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Viet Nam
Helps with: The UN migration agency, with a main office in Hanoi and a sub-office in Ho Chi Minh City. It works on migration management, crisis response and international cooperation.
Who qualifies: Migrants and migration-affected people in Vietnam. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Phone: +84 24 38 500 100
Email: [email protected]
Address: Green One-UN House, 304 Kim Ma Street, Ngoc Ha Ward, Hanoi
embassy
Foreign embassies and consulates in Vietnam (foreign ministry directory)
Helps with: For a lost passport or serious trouble, contact your own country's embassy. The foreign ministry runs a searchable directory page titled Foreign Representative Agencies in Vietnam; its entries did not load when read.
Who qualifies: Citizens of each country, through their own embassy or consulate.
local government
Ha Long Tourism information centre (Quang Ninh Tourism Promotion Centre)
Helps with: Tourist information run by the Quang Ninh provincial investment, trade and tourism promotion centre. The site lists a contact line for tourist support, Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm.
Who qualifies: Visitors to Ha Long Bay and Quang Ninh province.
Phone: 0203 3628 862
Address: Floor 2, Inter-agency Building No. 4, Ha Long Ward, Quang Ninh