Ha Long Bay
The famous one — the widest channels, the largest caves and the classic silhouettes. Our vessels embark at Tuan Chau, on its western edge.
The Destination
Ha Long& Lan Ha Bay
Nearly two thousand limestone islands rising out of the Gulf of Tonkin — and one quiet corner of it, Tra Bau, where we drop the kayaks.
The Landscape
A drowned mountain range
What you sail through is a karst landscape that the sea rose to meet. Over roughly twenty million years, rain dissolved the limestone into towers and caves; then, at the end of the last ice age, the water came in and turned the valleys into channels.
Ha Long Bay was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994 for its scenic value and again in 2000 for its geology. In September 2023 the listing was extended westward to include the Cat Ba Archipelago — which takes in Lan Ha Bay, the water our ships actually sail.
1,600+Islands and islets
1,553km² of protected water
1994First UNESCO inscription
2023Extended to Cat Ba
Where We Sail
Three names, one seascape
Lan Ha Bay
South-west, off Cat Ba Island: around four hundred karsts, dozens of small beaches, and the clearest water of the region. This is where both ships spend the night.
Tra Bau
A sheltered pocket of Lan Ha with calm emerald water and no through traffic — the swimming and kayaking stop on the first afternoon.
Cat Ba Archipelago
The island at the centre of it
Cat Ba is the largest island in the region and the anchor of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve declared in 2004. Its national park protects limestone forest, freshwater swamp and the Cat Ba langur — one of the rarest primates in the world, with a population still counted in the dozens.
In September 2023 UNESCO extended the Ha Long Bay World Heritage site to include the Cat Ba Archipelago, formally recognising Lan Ha Bay as part of the same outstanding landscape.
When To Come
The bay through the year
Mar – MaySpring
Mild, clear and settled. The most reliable months for excursions and the least likely to be cancelled for weather.
Jun – AugSummer
Hot, with the warmest sea for swimming. Tropical storms are possible; itineraries occasionally shorten.
Sep – NovAutumn
Low humidity, sharp light and calm water. The best months for photography and long deck evenings.
Dec – FebWinter
Cool, sometimes 15 °C, often veiled in mist. Fewest vessels, and the karsts at their most dramatic.
Getting Here
From Hanoi to Tuan Chau
By road from Hanoi
140 km, about 2.5 to 3 hours to Tuan Chau Harbour. A shared transfer departs daily at 08:30; limousine and private car service are available on request.
From Cat Bi Airport
41 km, about 45 minutes' drive from Hai Phong's Cat Bi International Airport — the closest airport to the harbour.
Helicopter & seaplane
Helicopter and seaplane transfers can be arranged on request, subject to weather and operator schedule.
The harbour
Lot 11B, Tuan Chau Harbour, Ha Long City, Quang Ninh. Check-in from 12:00; disembarkation at 11:00 on the final day.
See it from the water
Two vessels, one landscape, two nights at most.