11 Boat Day Trips in Vietnam for Your Spare Day

1.Ninh Binh Day Trip: Hoa Lu-Trang An/Tam Coc-Mua Cave-Cycling-Boat

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,886 reviews · from $43Our pick

Spend a full day in Ninh Binh with an English-speaking guide, cycling around Hoa Lu, visiting Dinh and Le King temples, eating a Vietnamese buffet, boating through Trang An grottoes, and climbing about 500 steps at Mua Cave. Guides such as Liam, Max, Tim, James, and Jason have received especially strong praise.

“The boat ride in Trang An was amazing in the truest sense of the word. We chose Route number 3 which takes you through Dot Cave ( the longest cave ). It was a breath-taking experience. This was the high point of the trip and apart froRead more”

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2.Small-Group Mekong Delta Day Trip: Boat Ride, Cottages & Pagoda

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,327 reviews · from $48

Spend 9 to 10 hours traveling from Ho Chi Minh City to My Tho and Ben Tre. Ride a motorboat and hand-rowed boat, visit coconut candy and honey producers, eat a five-course lunch, choose a village bicycle ride, enjoy local music, and visit Vinh Trang Pagoda. Guides such as James, Nam, and Manh are known for warm, lively commentary.

“James was an excellent guide. Smiling,funny,courteous,knowledgeable. Took great care of us and made the day very enjoyable. Thanks to driver Hou for navigating the Vietnamese traffic Highly recommend the trip”

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3.Ninh Binh Day Trip: Bai Dinh-Trang An-Mua Cave, Buffet, Boat, Bus

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,183 reviews · from $55

Travel from Hanoi’s Old Quarter by limousine bus to Bai Dinh Pagoda, a Vietnamese buffet, Trang An’s two-hour cave-and-temple boat ride, and Mua Cave’s 500-step climb. An English-speaking guide, hotel pickup, entrance fees, lunch, and return transport are included. Guide Son has earned special praise for his helpful explanations.

“Enjoyable and educational visit to Ninh Binh where we learnt about Vietnamese history at the ancient capital of Hoa Lu. Had a lovely time cruising down the river through limestone caves and a challenging climb to what was a phenomenal view of the area. U need to put aside some money for tips but it was a day we'll spent.”

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4.Ha Long Bay Day Trip – Luxury Cruise & Buffet Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 673 reviews · from $62

Leave Hanoi by luxury limousine for a full day on Ha Long Bay. Your English-speaking guide, often Tinh, Henry, Jason, or another team member, leads you to Sung Sot Cave, Luon Cave, and Ti Top Island. Expect a buffet lunch, kayaking or bamboo boat ride, swimming, a jacuzzi, and a long return to Hanoi.

“Tinh was such a great guide! Such a beautiful day planned down to the hour. Everything went smoothly & the boat even has a small pool to enjoy after the hike.”

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5.Cat Ba Island & Lan Ha Bay Day Trip Cruise with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 308 reviews · from $59

Join a full-day Cat Ba Island and Lan Ha Bay cruise from Hanoi or Cat Ba Town. You’ll sail past Cai Beo fishing village, visit Viet Hai by electric car or bike, kayak, swim, and eat lunch aboard. Guides such as Billy, Binh, and Charlie are praised for clear English and lively commentary. The day is long, but it packs in a lot.

“Billy was a wonderful guide and we had the best time on the trip! Thank you”

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6.Halong Bay Deluxe Cruise Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 269 reviews · from $36Best value

Travel from Hanoi’s Old Quarter by shuttle to Halong Bay for a guided cruise through limestone islets, with lunch, Surprise Cave, Luon Cave, and Titop Island. Guides such as Sunny, Ken, Henry, and Tung are known for clear explanations and good humor. Kayaking costs extra, and the day involves stairs, crowds, and a long return ride.

“Our guide, Sunny was great- he was very fair and sincere in every way and made sure that we were safe and organized. The members in the tour were also quite well behaved that we enjoyed our activities a lot. Thank you Sunny, for the cultural education and your smile😘”

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7.Ha long Bay day trip with Deluxe cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 208 reviews · from $40

Spend a full day cruising Halong Bay with an English-speaking guide such as Phong, Alex, Ken, or Tuan. You will visit Sung Sot Cave, kayak or take a bamboo boat through Luon Cave, climb or swim at Titov Island, and eat Vietnamese food aboard a modern cruise. Hanoi pickup is available.

“It was an amazing trip.Guide Mr. Phone was kind and helpfull. i highly recommend as this experience will stay with you life long.”

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8.Ha Long Bay Full Day Trip – Amethyst Luxury Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 171 reviews · from $50

Spend 7.5 hours on the modern Amethyst Day Cruise, with a guide such as Rosie, Brenna, Lily, or Y, depending on the sailing. You will pass Ha Long Bay’s limestone islets, kayak or ride a bamboo boat through Luon Cave, visit Sung Sot Cave, climb Titop Island, and relax in the rooftop jacuzzi before returning to Tuan Chau Harbour.

“Really amazing ship and crew. The food was fantastic 🙏🏻 everybody did a good job! The only thing that bothers me is the way the natural sights are treated with mass tourism but this is not the cruises fault. Ha long bay needs regulation for better preservation”

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9.4-Day Trip Ninh Binh-Halong Cruise Cabin with Balcony

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 59 reviews · from $331

Travel from Hanoi to Ninh Binh and Ha Long Bay in four days, with guided sights, free cycling, Trang An by bamboo boat, and a one-night balcony cruise cabin. You will visit Hoa Lu, Mua Cave, Titop Island, and Sung Sot Cave, while guides such as Peter, Jack, or Dan may lead different portions of the trip.

“Ninh Binh was the highlight for me. The first day was a pretty rushed guided tour, but the second day was a chance to rent a moped from the hotel and explore. I’m very happy that I had that extra day at my own pace. The hotel in Ninh Binh was also very nice. The cruise in Ha Long Bay was also fun and the food was good. I think 1 day is probably enough, though it would be fun to go to more remote places. Day 1: transport to Ninh Binh with guided tour as part of a group Day 2: on your own to explore Day 3: transport…”

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10.Mekong River Delta Day Trip with Boat Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 21 reviews · from $114

Travel south from Ho Chi Minh City in a group of up to nine, then boat to Tan Phong Island for orchards, local snacks, and river scenery. You will also visit Mr. Kiet’s nearly 200-year-old house, Kimmy’s Chocolatier, and Vinh Trang Pagoda. Lunch costs extra, and pickup is limited to parts of Districts 1 and 3.

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11.Pamela Cruise: HaLong Bay day trip with Lunch & Activities

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 20 reviews · from $45

Join Pamela Cruise from Halong International Port for a guided Ha Long Bay day trip with English-speaking guide Eric or another crew member. Visit Sung Sot Cave, Luon Cave, and Titop Island, then enjoy lunch, swimming, kayaking or a bamboo boat at extra cost, and a sunset tea party with fruit and cakes. Drinks and transport from Hanoi are separate.

“We absolutely loved our time on the Pamela cruise. The sights were incredible, we loved the activities, and the views were breathtaking. We loved our host and the amazing crew and waitstaff. Food was great too! Special shoutouts to Linh and a young man who served us. We will be coming back.”

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