2 Night Cruise Ha Long Bay

Looking for a 2 night cruise to Ha Long Bay? Escape the crowds and unwind at Lan Ha Bay — fewer boats, stunning cliffs, and all the luxury you’ve been craving.

Contents

Day 1: 6-Star Yacht

Now, this wasn’t your typical 2-night cruise Ha Long Bay scene—the one where boats are packed tighter than beach towels in July (200+ boats anchor overnight), and someone’s murdering a Backstreet Boys classic on karaoke ‘til 2am. No shame if that’s your thing—but we sailed a different course.

Yes, we cruised UNESCO-listed Ha Long Bay, but our hearts were stolen by her serene little sister: Lan Ha Bay. Smaller, quieter (~60 boats, although we only saw a few), and arguably greener. Lan Ha translates to “descending orchid,” named for the wild orchids that bloom here like nature’s confetti. It felt like we had the whole bay to ourselves—a surreal, cinematic dreamscape of emerald karsts rising from glassy water.

Short of getting your own yacht, Elite of the Seas is the best you can get and it swaddles you in luxury so plush it makes most hotels look like campgrounds. Think a trio playing acoustic guitars while rose petals drifted through the air as we boarded (no joke, it was like stepping into a slow-mo rom-com). You also get a personal butler at your beck and call.

Transfer from Hanoi

Unless you splash out for a private transfer, you'll be bundled into what the Vietnamese charmingly call a “luxury limousine”—which, to manage expectations, is really just a minivan in its Sunday best. Think cushy seats, aircon, and just enough legroom to pretend you’re in business class… until reality hits.

Your “limo” will swing by your hotel, scoop you up, and whisk you off on a three-hour journey to the pier. Somewhere along the way, you’ll pull into an aggressively touristy rest stop—complete with overpriced snacks, toilet queues, and the honour of receiving a neck tag emblazoned with your van’s registration number. You know, so your handlers can keep track of which herd you belong to. The fact is rest stops are few and far between so if you don't want bladder distress, this less glamorous part is par for the course.

You'll have already paid 50% of your trip as a deposit (we paid ~£517 / $655.47 + 2.9% credit card fee [charged in USD]) and then when you get to the pier you pay the second half (we paid ~£513.34 / $637 + 2.9% credit card fee). You can get around the second credit card fee by paying cash, but we calculated that we would spend more in ATM fees (due to the 3,000,000 VND limit per transaction) withdrawing cash than just paying by card.

The pier lounge is... fine. One shared bathroom for everyone and not a free drink in sight doesn’t exactly scream luxe. Maybe if you’ve splurged on a private speedboat, it hits different—but for us, it felt more waiting room than VIP. That said, once you board the yacht, it’s like flipping a switch—everything suddenly goes full high-luxury mode.

Rooms & Views

We booked the “entry-level” room—a rather glamorous-sounding Elite Junior Suite—complete with a private balcony and an ocean-view bathtub (but shh... that’s actually standard for every room!). It was spacious, stylish, and bigger than any of our rooms in Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An, or Hanoi. Bonus points if you’re into high-tech toilets—this one comes with all the Japanese seat-warming, button-pressing wizardry. The bed? Cloud-like. Housekeeping pops in twice a day to tidy, towel, and top up your bottled water stash—so no need to ration your hydration.

We spent an embarrassing amount of time just lounging on our balcony, soaking up the surreal, karst-studded seascape with not another boat in sight. It was like being in our own private postcard.

Now, a word to the night owls: while there are loads of early morning activities, actually sleeping in is a bit of a fantasy. The anchor makes its grand, clanging exit pretty early, and even with earplugs, there’s no ignoring it. Thankfully, the lovely events manager upgraded us to the top deck for our second night—quieter, and much more snooze-friendly. So if your idea of luxury includes a lie-in, definitely splurge for a higher-deck room. Your REM cycle will thank you.

Eating & Drinking

The meal schedule on the itinerary looks a bit odd at first glance—breakfast from 6:45–7:45 AM, then brunch from 9:45–10:45 AM... and zilch until dinner at 7 PM. But don’t worry, you won’t go hungry. We skipped breakfast (it’s basically the same buffet as brunch) and still found ourselves rolling from one feast to the next. On the day trip to Viet Hai village, you’re served a massive local lunch, then back on board, it’s afternoon tea and a poolside cooking demo. By the time dinner rolls around, you’ll be wondering how on earth you’re meant to fit in a 5-course meal.

Menus for dinner—Vietnamese or Western—are handed over during lunch on day one and again at breakfast/brunch on day two. They’re super accommodating with dietary stuff (Shal’s shellfish allergy got VIP treatment), and we went with the Western menu since it was lighter on seafood. We absolutely loved being serenaded by the live piano during dinner—it gave the whole meal a dash of old-school glamour.

Feeling snacky at odd hours? No worries—your butler’s on call 24/7 for room service. James took full advantage, ordering giant plates of scrambled egg whites poolside.

Now, about the drinks. Lunch and dinner come with “free flow”—cocktails, beer, juice, you name it. We were feeling a little too well-lubricated by this point in the trip, so we opted for sparkling water instead. Sadly, not a coconut in sight. Premium booze is extra, as are drinks during happy hour—which, oddly, is the one time nothing’s included. Not that we noticed—we were always getting dressed for dinner and missed it anyway.

Oh, and if you’re doing afternoon tea, know that the tea is normally sugary and caffeinated. But they happily brewed us up a decaf, unsweetened alternative.

Onboard Activities

Worried you’ll get bored? Ha! You’ll be lucky if you find time to sit on that glorious private balcony, let alone squeeze in a proper nap. The schedule is relentless (in the best kind of way). Things kick off at 5:45 AM with watching the sunrise and/or taking a golf class, followed by a brisk little Taichi session from 6:15 – 6:35 AM, and then it’s straight to breakfast at 6:45 AM. At 7:30 AM, you're off kayaking or being rowed into the dramatic Dark and Bright Cave. We, however, chose the far more glamorous activity of sleep—every single time.

You can swim in the bay if you're feeling brave, but fair warning—it’s not exactly pristine. The crew does their best to scoop out any visible rubbish, which helps… mentally. We took the plunge for the story (YOLO, right?), but the water was freezing. After that, we happily stuck to the gloriously warm outdoor pool, which basically felt like a giant bathtub with panoramic views.

Don’t miss golden hour on the upper deck between 4–5 PM—it’s basically a private 15-minute drone photo shoot with you as the star (minus the awkward poses). Then, like magic, the crew airdrops the pics to your phone at dinner so you can start humblebragging immediately.

After dinner, you can dabble in squid fishing—James caught a grand total of zero, but it was a great excuse to chat with other guests. Or you can opt for another swim, live music at the pool bar, a cheeky round of mini golf or a late-night spa sesh to deeply relax before sleep (we were gifted a 10 PM foot massage—which, to our delight, turned out to be more of a luxurious leg-and-foot situation).

Day 2: Day Trip to Cat Ba Island

Viet Hai Village

Around a dozen of us hopped on a speedboat at 11:30 AM for a little adventure to Cat Ba Island, heading to the remote fishing village of Viet Hai. It’s tucked deep inside Cat Ba National Park and you can get there by bicycle—or, if your thighs say “absolutely not,” there’s an electric buggy option too (no judgement, it’s humid out there).

Our yacht’s events manager gave us a wonderfully personal tour—Viet Hai reminded her of her own childhood village, and hearing her story brought the place to life in such an unexpected, moving way. (It’s a story worth hearing—more on that here.)

After exploring, we sat down to a generous local lunch overlooking the rice fields—think a ridiculously moreish egg drop soup, crispy tofu, and veggie delights that hit the spot. Bellies full, we were whisked off to the dreamy waters of Three Peaches Islet in Lan Ha Bay.

Three Peaches Islet

Not sure how they found this secret little gem, but it only appears during low tide—like a pop-up beach from a dream—and we had it completely to ourselves. You don’t need to bring a thing either; the Elite team shows up fully prepped with towels, beers, and water so you can just rock up and relax.

There were also tons of whole seashells scattered about—perfect for a little barefoot treasure hunt. After about an hour of lounging, wading, and pretending we were on a deserted island, we hopped back on the speedboat just as the tide began creeping in to reclaim the beach. Then it was back to the yacht and straight into that glorious pool for more expert-level lazing.

Day 3: Back to Hanoi

Transfer to Hanoi

The dream ends the moment the speedboat drops you back at the pier—then it’s straight into a chaotic game of “Which Van Is Mine?” as everyone scrambles to find their ride back to Hanoi. We ended up in a car with two brothers and had to play a quick round of musical chairs just so James could sit without becoming one with the ceiling upholstery (being tall is rough in Vietnamese cars).

Three hours later, we were back at our hotel, just in time to soak up our final evening in Hanoi—still buzzing from the adventure.

Odds, Ends & Other Adventures

Tipping

As usual, gratuities aren’t included—so come prepared with cash, because the crew onboard is that good. You’ll absolutely want to tip your butler, contribute to the shared staff tip pool, and maybe slip a little something to anyone who made your trip extra magical. Trust us, you’ll be looking for excuses to thank them with more than just enthusiastic compliments.

Behind the Itinerary: Our Lan Ha Bay Adventure

The itinerary’s just the start — this bougie boat trip was all kinds of fun, but the real standout? Hearing our events manager share stories from her childhood. Spoiler: it’s not what you’d expect, and it added a whole new layer to the experience. Dive into her story in our travel diary here.