Halong Bay Trips & Tours

Halong Bay

Set sail on a regal junk boat, soaking up the fantastical, turquoise scenes.

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Halong Bay

An incomparable scene of ethereal limestone islands and mist-swirled waters

Gracing the cover of many a Vietnamese travel brochure are the James Bond-worthy karsts of Halong Bay, rising mysteriously out of the startling emerald waters. Despite their ubiquitous marketing nature, seeing the bay in the flesh for the first time is spine-tingling and wonderful. Legend has it that the 1000 limestone pinnacles are the jewels of spitting dragons, left behind to protect the northern coastline from foreign invaders. Whether that or dazzling geology, the area is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and quite rightly so. The most popular way to explore the coves, islets and grottoes is on a luxury junk boat; both overnight and day cruises are possible, with a variety of options to add-on including kayak trips, lunch on sandy beaches, and swimming in hidden lagoons. If time is short, jet in from Hanoi by seaplane and take to the skies in a heli for exceptional views of the seascape from above.

Trips

Halong Bay Trips & Tours

Start with a recommended trip or create one from scratch

Vietnam

Vietnam from tip to toe

11 nights from $6.3K per person

Hanoi Halong Bay Hoi An

Vietnam

Explore the north of Vietnam

11 nights from $6K per person

Mai Chau Halong Bay Hanoi

Vietnam

The ultimate Vietnam trip

12 nights from $6.8K per person

Hanoi Halong Bay Hoi An

Vietnam + Cambodia

Ultimate Vietnam & Angkor Wat

18 nights from $10.8K per person

Hanoi Halong Bay Hue

Design a Custom Trip

Our Experts

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Get advice and suggestions to make this your perfect trip.

or call us on: +1 (646) 542 0667

Jessica Klauzenberg

Asia Travel Specialist

Carola Fresno

South America & Indian Subcontinent Travel Specialist

Jenna Coiley

Africa Travel Specialist

Things to do

What to do in Halong Bay

Shrouded in legend and one of the new Natural Wonders of the World, Halong Bay is among the most spectacular destinations in Vietnam. You'll likely sail its aquamarine waters and meander between striking towers of limestone in a luxury junk boat, stopping for daily adventures along the way. Travelling in a smaller vessel, you could spend the day at a hidden beach, swimming and snorkelling whenever you like, or paddle across the water at your own pace in a kayak. If you fancy it, visit a floating fishing village or explore some of the bay's most beautiful caves, learning all about their history and lore - Sung Sot Cave is a definite favourite! You can also trek into the jungles of Cat Ba National Park to spot macaque monkeys, deer and beautiful birdlife, and take in panoramic views of Halong Bay. It is usually mist-free between March and April, making this an ideal time to visit.

Open Map

Active

Why you'll love it

Stay overnight on a junk and savour the blazing, fireball sunsets of the evening, and rise early in for a mellow Tai Chi class on the deck at sunrise.

Off the beaten track

Rent a junk exclusively and dictate the pace and direction of your float, dropping anchor wherever you’d like and taking a sunset dip in a wave-carved grotto…

Something to think about

Halong is northern Vietnam’s number one tourist hub and visitors are drawn in their thousands. One way to avoid the crowds is to explore the neighbouring and much less-visited Lan Ha Bay, or spend at least 2 nights on a junk in Halong and sail further afield.

When to go

Best time to visit Halong Bay

Excellent

Good

Mixed

january

Dry Season — one of the best times to visit

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Reviews

Based on 13 Feefo Reviews for Vietnam

lana siglinger

Low stress travel the way it's meant to be

June 2026

17 nights in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos

As I mentioned- everything was great. Super easy to work with Meg. the dashboard was pretty straightforward and informative. It was so wonderful being taken care of at every location- having someone meet us at the airport and show us all of the best things in each place. the tours were well thought out and well curated. I liked having tour guides that seemed to have secret handshakes to get us into super crowded lunch spots with our own reserved table- my husband felt like he was in the Godfather. :-)

We have travelled a lot for business and pleasure over a number of years and I have to say that Timbuktu are by far the best travel agency I have ever used. They really understand your needs and are helpful throughout. On our last trip to Vietnam, we visited six destinations over three weeks involving private transfers, five internal flights and four guided tours, all of which were faultless.

Pat Weinpahl

February 2026

12 nights in Vietnam

Very accommodating and many great adventures

I wanted to take the stress off of planning a trip for 5 with three older teen/young adults to Vietnam and Timbuktu made it so easy. The planning was straight forward and the actual trip was so smooth. We had a friendly face greeting us at every stop from the airport to hotel to tours and meals. It was the best vacation our family has had. We loved it.

Guest

Great planning, yet to travel...

May 2025

17 nights in Laos and Vietnam

Haven't traveled yet but the planning process has been great, in terms of honing the itinerary and accommodating our special requests.

Guest

Once in a Lifetime Vietnam Honeymoon

December 2024

12 nights in Vietnam

Absolutely loved our experience with Timbuktu. Working with Jess was an amazing process and our honeymoon wouldn’t have been half the trip it was without the support and guidance of Timbuktu. They really made our trip a trip of a lifetime.

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