Overview
Explore amazing seascapes and make new travel buddies on the famous Halong Hideaway Boat Trip! On this two or three-day adventure, you’ll visit the best and untouched parts of Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay and witness life on the floating fishing villages. You’ll sail by immense limestone karsts and lose yourself in a world of lush tropical landscapes, amazing mountain views and emerald-green waters. During the trip, you’ll enjoy a range of activities such as kayaking, cycling, caving, trekking, boat jumping, swimming, relaxing in the on-deck jacuzzi and partying the night away with new friends!
Itinerary
DAY 1
- Meet your tour guide at 7:45 am in Hanoi at the Central Backpackers’ Hostel / Hanoi Buffalo Hostel for departure. You will be travelling by bus and boat to Halong Bay. Along the way, you’ll witness the beauty of Cat Ba Island.
- A jam-packed day of activities will begin by taking a boat and cruising around Halong Bay enjoying the beautiful scenery and passing by an authentic floating village.
- Enjoy a delicious Vietnamese lunch on the boat, complete with epic views of the bay as you sail by new landscapes.
- After lunch, we will continue cruising to a quiet area of the bay where you can challenge yourself to a four-metre boat jump and swim in the bay.
- After spending a fun afternoon cruising and enjoying getting to know your crew mates, the boat will anchor and you can settle down with a cocktail of your choice to watch a spectacular sunset.
- At the end of a wonderful day, a BBQ dinner (vegetarian and vegan food available) will be served and after dark – the party will really begin!
DAY 2
- The second day will start in a very tranquil area of Halong Bay and you will enjoy a delicious breakfast from 7am-9 am.
- We will start the adventure in day boats heading through a beautiful region where the movie “King Kong” was shot. Here you will have another opportunity to do boat jumping!
- We will enjoy a delicious lunch on the boat.
👉 Note: If you choose the 2-day, 1-night trip, you will say goodbye to the group after lunch on Day 2 and commence your journey back to Hanoi. You will arrive at the Central Backpackers’ Hostel approximately at 5pm. The rest of the activities in this itinerary are not included in the 2-day. 1-night tour…
- After lunch, we will pause at a remote fishing village in the heart of Halong Bay.
- You will cycle through unique landscapes, see traditional houses, explore tunnels and visit the mysterious “Bat Cave”
- After that, we will go on an amazing jungle trek up a hill (hiking shoes recommended) where you’ll be rewarded for your efforts with spectacular views over the whole bay.
- In the late afternoon, we will return to the Halong Hideaway cruise ready for a BBQ dinner (vegetarian and vegan food available) and a sunset party in the middle of nowhere!
DAY 3
- On the last day of the tour, you can enjoy a slow morning without any rush, taking in the spectacular scenery, sunbathing on the deck or swimming in the sea.
- After breakfast, you will take a spectacular kayak tour around one of the most beautiful and peaceful areas of Halong Bay for a magical experience – this is one of the highlights of the trip!
- After a delicious lunch, we will make our way back by boat to the harbour and then onwards by bus to Hanoi.
- You will arrive at the Central Backpackers’ Hostel approximately at 5 pm.
Accommodation
Mostly, the rooms on the boat are small dorm rooms shared between 3-4 people. This means if you are a solo traveller or a couple, you will be paired with other travellers on the boat to share a room. We will always try to match you with someone of the same gender. If you are a group of 3-4 friends, you can, of course, request to be in the same room together. If you are a couple wanting a double room or a solo traveller wanting a single room, you can request a private room for two people or a private room for one person (by yourself). See examples of the rooms below:
Food
The food is healthy, fresh Vietnamese cuisine. Vegetarian and vegan options are available. If you have a specific diet or an allergy, we are able to cater for you. Please inform us at the time of booking.
Guide
English speaking local guide.
What’s Included
INCLUDED:
- All accommodation on the Halong Hideaway Cruise Ship
- All meals – 3 x day
- Boat cruise
- English-speaking tour guide
- Transport to and from Hanoi
- All activities; trekking, kayaking, cycling, caving etc.
- Any entrance fees
NOT INCLUDED:
- Drinks
- Personal expenses
- Travel Insurance
FAQs
- What do I need to bring on the tour? Comfortable clothes, swim wear, sun-screen, sun hat, sunglasses, hiking shoes. flip-flops.
- I’m not in Hanoi. Can I meet the group in a different location? If you are in Hai Phong already, you can meet the group at Got Ferry Terminal at 10.40am. Alternatively, you can be picked up for free in Ha Long City (one-way only). (Please make a note of your preference in the ‘additional information box’ when booking.)
- Where and what time is the meeting point for the tour? You need to be at either of these hostels at 7.30am ready to depart on the bus for Halong Bay. 1)Hanoi Buffalo Hostel: 44 Hang Giầy Street, Hang Buom Ward, Hoan Kiem District, Ha Noi. 2) Central Backpackers Hostel: 16 Thanh Hà St, Hoan Kiem District, Ha Noi.
- Is hotel pick-up available? No, pick-up is not available for this tour, you will need to make your own way to either of the meeting points (see above).
Further Information
In August 2022 the itinerary for Halong Hideaway changed. Reviews from before then describe the previous slightly altered itinerary. The tour is still run by the same amazing team, visiting the same incredible scenery and each day ending with the same legendary parties.
Payment:
You must pay a deposit online now by debit or credit card to reserve your place on the cruise. The remaining amount should be paid the day before you depart on the tour, in cash (or by credit or debit card) at either hostel:
1) Hanoi Buffalo Hostel: 44 Hang Giầy Street, Hang Buom Ward, Hoan Kiem District, Ha Noi.
2) Central Backpackers Hostel: 16 Thanh Hà St, Hoan Kiem District, Ha Noi.
Note: It is better to pay in cash to avoid the 3% bank fee to pay by debit or credit card. There is an ATM right outside Central Backpackers Hostel – or bring cash with you ready to pay.
Hi, I’m Nikki. I started this website in 2008 after my first solo backpacking trip to Asia. A trip that changed my life. My vision was to create a travel diary for everyone – a place for all travellers to share their experiences. After living in Southeast Asia for over 10 years, I saw the opportunity to provide backpackers with the kind of experiences that I’d treasured myself in the region.
Great cruise filled with fun activities! Our visit to Ha Long Bay was one of the highlights of our trip to Vietnam!
Very fun cruise and the rooms were very clean
This was my first overseas holiday and first tour after Covid. I was really concerned that there would not be numbers but I was definitely wrong.
We had 30ish people on the tour meet at the backpackers. What followed was a party cruise, swimming, boat jumping and partying into the evening. The second day consisted of a kayak around the area before departing.
Food was great (locally cooked food – very seafood heavy although a few vegetarians didn’t seem to have the most options). Accommodation is your usual hostel style buildings.
Only thing I would of changed is have 5mins of culture/history explaining The significance of Ha Long Bay before diving is into the drinking and partying
top tour ! good people..
the two guide boy and girl were amazing !! perfect place to stay and sleep and wake ou in the middle of the nature ! with the monkey boss of the Isla keef !
for sure place to visit and tour to do !
I booked the 3d/2n tour and didn’t regret it. It included all the activities that I wanted to do and Alex, Lucy and the rest of the team did a great job. Thank you very much 🙂