Aerial view of limestone karsts and cruise boats scattered across the turquoise waters of Ha Long Bay

The bays

Ha Long Bay, Lan Ha, Bai Tu Long and the city on shore

Four places cover almost every first visit: the bay that gave the region its name, its quieter neighbours to the south-west and north-east, and the city where most trips start. Each has its own page; this one shows how they fit together.

By I Love Halong editors · Published 2026-10-25 · Last reviewed 2026-10-25 · Corrections

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Choose a place

Sung Sot · Ti Top · Thien Cung

Ha Long Bay

The famous caves, the numbered routes and the heaviest boat traffic.

Read about Ha Long Bay

A limestone karst rises steeply from the emerald waters of Ha Long Bay, with rocky islets and a small boat nearby.

Cat Ba · Viet Hai · Van Boi

Lan Ha Bay

Smaller islets, many small beaches and Cat Ba Island as a base.

Read about Lan Ha Bay

A colorful floating fishing village house with drying laundry sits beside limestone karsts in Halong Bay.

Vung Vieng · Van Don

Bai Tu Long Bay

Fewer boats, a national park and a living fishing village.

Read about Bai Tu Long

Bai Chay · Hon Gai

Ha Long city

Bai Chay, Hon Gai, the beach, the cable car and the food.

Read about the city

Side by side

	Ha Long Bay	Lan Ha Bay	Bai Tu Long Bay	Ha Long city
Administered by	Quang Ninh province	Hai Phong city (Cat Hai special zone)	Quang Ninh province	Quang Ninh province
Typical start	Tuan Chau or Bai Chay piers	Cat Ba (Ben Beo) or Tuan Chau	Hon Gai, Bai Chay or Ao Tien piers	—
Boat traffic	Heaviest	Moderate, busy in summer	Lightest of the three	—
Swimming beaches	Few, small (Ti Top)	Many small coves	Some small beaches	Bai Chay artificial beach
Kayaking	Designated spots only	Suspended in 2024, reported reopened	Allowed at Vung Vieng and lagoons	Beach rentals
Planning estimate	Half day to one night	One to two nights	One night	One evening to one day

Boat traffic and kayaking status are our reading of the sources cited on each bay's page, not measurements. Kayaking rules in particular have changed several times in recent years; check them for your date.

Sources: People's Army Newspaper — provincial-level units reduced from 63 to 34; Wikipedia — Cát Hải special zone, Hải Phòng; Wikipedia — Lan Hạ Bay; Halong Bay kayaking guide 2025 (published by a tour company); Vietnamtourism.com — Bai Tu Long Bay overview (commercial guide) · last checked 2026-10-25.

How the bays connect

Think of the coast as a line running from south-west to north-east. Cat Ba Island and Lan Ha Bay sit at the south-western end, opposite the port city of Hai Phong. Ha Long Bay fills the middle, directly in front of Ha Long city, with Tuan Chau Island on its western side. Bai Tu Long Bay continues north-east past Cam Pha towards Van Don and the outer islands of Quan Lan and Co To.

The boundaries are invisible on the water but matter on paper. A boat leaving Tuan Chau for Lan Ha passes through Ha Long Bay first, and since May 2025 the Ha Long Bay Management Board has a separate fee for the route that links its waters with Gia Luan on Cat Ba and Lan Ha Bay. Public car ferries also cross between Tuan Chau and Gia Luan, which makes a one-way trip possible: Hanoi to Ha Long, ferry to Cat Ba, then back to Hanoi through Hai Phong.

Bai Tu Long trips mostly leave from the eastern side of Ha Long city or from Van Don. A visit there rarely combines with Lan Ha in the same night aboard, because the two bays are at opposite ends of the coast.

Sources: Ha Long Bay Management Board — fees for three added routes, Resolution 51/2025/NQ-HĐND; Cat Ba ferry guide (published by a cruise company); Vietnamtourism.com — Bai Tu Long Bay overview (commercial guide) · last checked 2026-10-25.

A quick way to choose

First visit, short on time, want the famous sights: Ha Long Bay, on route 1 or 2 as a day trip or one night.
Want to swim, kayak and spend more time on the water than in caves: Lan Ha Bay, with a night on Cat Ba or aboard.
Dislike crowds and do not mind fewer famous names: Bai Tu Long Bay, usually as one night aboard.
Travelling with people who prefer dry land: Ha Long city, with a short boat route and the cable car.

The bay comparison page goes through these trade-offs in detail, including travel time, cost ranges and who should leave each bay out.

What these pages cover, and what they leave out

Each destination page has the same structure: a short summary, what the place is honestly like, how long to spend, when to go, how to get there, rough costs given as ranges, photographs, and a section on who should skip it. Costs are ranges because prices on boats and in hotels change with season and demand; fixed public fees are given exactly, with their source.

The pages do not list hotels, restaurants or boats by name, and they do not cover Co To, Quan Lan or Yen Tu in depth. Those places are mentioned where they help explain access, and nothing more. For the official sightseeing routes on Ha Long Bay and their fees, see the routes and fees page.

Common questions

Questions readers ask

Which bay is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site?

Ha Long Bay has been listed since 1994. In 2023 the listing was extended to the Cat Ba Archipelago, which includes Lan Ha Bay. Part of Bai Tu Long National Park also lies within the Ha Long Bay heritage area.

Can I see two bays in one trip?

Ha Long and Lan Ha combine well, either on a boat that crosses between them or with the public ferry from Tuan Chau to Gia Luan. Bai Tu Long and Lan Ha are at opposite ends of the coast and rarely combine.

Is Ha Long city worth a night?

It is a practical base rather than a destination in itself. A night there makes sense if you want an early boat, the cable car or the seafood, or if someone in your group does not want to sleep aboard.

The bays · Ha Long Bay