Where To Stay In Halong Bay: My Ultimate Guide
Choosing Where To Stay In Ha Long Bay
You’re probably googling where to stay in Ha Long Bay because you’ve seen those incredible photos of limestone karsts rising from emerald water, and you want to experience it yourself.
Most travellers do the classic overnight cruise from Hanoi. That’s what I did too, the two-day one-night tour, and it was honestly one of the highlights of my trip to Vietnam. Flying my drone through the bay at sunrise made me feel absolutely ecstatic.
But here’s the thing.
Not everyone wants to sleep on a boat for just one night and then head straight back to Hanoi. Maybe you get seasick. Maybe you want more time to properly explore the area without feeling rushed. Maybe you’re the type of traveller who prefers a proper hotel room and the freedom to move around at your own pace.
If that sounds like you, whether you’re travelling solo or as a couple, you’ve got options beyond the standard cruise itinerary. There are actually some excellent places to base yourself on land around Ha Long Bay that give you the flexibility to explore the bay on day trips whilst having a comfortable room to return to each evening.
This guide covers the best land-based accommodation options in and around Ha Long Bay, from Ha Long City itself to the nearby islands and Cat Ba. I’ll break down the pros and cons of each area so you can choose what works best for your travel style and budget.
Before we get into specific hotels, you might want to check out my thoughts on whether Ha Long Bay is actually worth visiting and my full breakdown of Ha Long Bay tour options.
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🇻🇳 Ha Long Bay Tour Quick Guide 🇻🇳
- 🕒 Best Time to Visit: Spring (March-April) or autumn (September-November) for pleasant weather and fewer crowds
- 🎒 What to Pack: Sunscreen, sunglasses, swimming gear, waterproof phone cover, comfortable shoes for trekking
- 🚢 Recommended Tour: 2-day, 1-night cruise for the full experience with kayaking, cave exploration, and group activities
- 💰 Budget: Tours range from $40 (day trips) to $250+ (luxury cruises). Mid-range tours around $120 offer great value
- 🚗 Getting There: 2.5-hour drive from Hanoi via shared minibus, private driver, or limousine bus
- ⚠️ Safety Note: Avoid travelling during typhoon season or bad weather conditions
Best Area To Stay In Ha Long Bay For First-Time Visitors
The best area to stay in Ha Long Bay is close to the pier or the city centre.
Check the map below to see budget hotels in blue, mid-range in yellow, and luxury in red. These options are highly rated and will certainly be great places to stay in Ha Long Bay.
Read My 10 Day Vietnam Itinerary To Create A Memorable Trip
Hotels In Ha Long
Ha Long Bay is blessed with so many options to choose from.
Below I’ve listed 9 great options for travellers of all budgets.
Budget
Mid Range
Chuỗi Villa 6 Phòng Ngủ Hạ Long – Harborbay HB25
Luxury
Muong Thanh Luxury Ha Long Centre Hotel
Read My 7 Day Vietnam Itinerary To Plan A Great Trip
Read My Guide About Getting From Hanoi To Halong Bay
Best Tours To Ha Long Bay
For those who want to cruise in Ha Long Bay, the tours below include ferries for each budget.
Budget/Day Trips
Ha Long: Afternoon Cruise with Lunch, Kayaking, and Swimming
Halong Bay: Luxury 5 Star Day Cruise Kayak, Meal, Cave, Sunset
Mid Range – I did this
2-Day Halong & Lan Ha Bay 5-Star Cruise with Balcony – From Hanoi
3-Day Ha Long Bay by Indochine Premium Luxury Cruise – From Hanoi
Luxury – For comfort
Hermes Luxury Cruise Experience from Hanoi
Halong & Lan Ha Bay: Nostalgia Cruise with Balcony Suit
Explore Vietnam With My 5 Day Itinerary
Where To Stay Near Ha Long Bay
I recommend staying on Cat Ba Island.
This island isn’t far from Ha Long Bay and is actually included in many overnight tours from the Ha Long Bay area.
It’s easily one of the best places to stay near Ha Long Bay. It has an incredible national park, Cai Beo fishing village, beautiful beaches, and amazing nightlife too.
The island is huge, so I recommend staying close to the fishing village.
However, note that there are lots of construction projects going on right now as they expand the bay into large resort areas.
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Things To Do In Ha Long Bay
Kayaking
I got to kayak around the bay with a group of 12 people, and it was superb, especially when we discovered some monkeys climbing the karst limestone cliffs and looking for food from the people.
Swimming
Swimming at Ti Top Beach was surreal. While we were cordoned off and had limited space to swim, it was nonetheless great!
Trekking
Climbing the viewpoint at Ti Top Beach was surreal. It was 400 steps of pain, sweat, and so many people bumping elbows, but once at the top, it was spectacular views. Worth all the pain.
Enter The Caves
We got to enter the incredible Surprise Cave and magnificent Sung Sot Cave, which at its biggest was 700 metres deep. It looked so impressive and naturally formed, a great place for fishermen to weather the storms in the past.
Watch The Sunrise And Sunset
Seeing the Ha Long Bay sunrise or sunset is pretty special. The sun disappears or appears from behind the limestone cliffs, and voila, the sky changes colour.
Visit A Lagoon
Kayaking around the lagoon was so much fun. At the end, it was my kayak mate and total quiet, something I wasn’t expecting to get at one of Vietnam’s most popular tourist sites.
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Conclusion – Is It Worth Staying In Ha Long Bay?
Visiting Ha Long Bay is worth it.
Staying there? It depends on you. There are many good options in the bay, but most people are happy to do day trips or tours from Hanoi (read my things to do in Hanoi guide).
I wasn’t sure if I would be left disappointed and crammed with other travellers along the bay, and while there were many, I loved doing this 2-day, 1-night tour.
Our guide was informative, funny, and had great English. So if you are visiting Ha Long Bay and want to stay close by, there are many places in the best area to stay in Halong Bay.
If you enjoyed this post, check out my Southeast Asia packing list and my travel insurance review of Safety Wing, which shows how important good insurance is in Vietnam.
Any questions? Just drop me a message.
Thanks for reading,
James
FAQs
Which Area Is Best To Stay In Halong Bay?
The best area to stay in Halong Bay is the city if you’re not doing a cruise. You have many options in the city, from budget hostels to 5-star luxury hotels with all the facilities you need. The best part is that it’s only a 20-minute drive from the city to the harbour to catch the cruise boat to the bay. I do recommend doing the 2-day, 1-night tour because we get to kayak, swim, trek, and visit some amazing caves.
How Many Days Should I Stay In Halong Bay?
I recommend staying 2–3 days in Halong Bay. When I did the 2-day, 1-night tour, I think another day would have been nice, but not fully necessary, especially if you have other places to visit in northern Vietnam. I recommend visiting Cat Ba Island and Cai Beo Fishing Village for another similar but beautiful place to explore.
When To Avoid Halong Bay?
The worst time to visit Halong Bay is during typhoon season. When I visited in July, this was just a couple of weeks before the August to September typhoon period. Even before that, in July, a couple of weeks before I visited, a tourist boat sank in a typhoon, and dozens of people tragically died, so you need to be aware of the weather and avoid going if a typhoon looks likely.
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- Where To Stay In Halong Bay: My Ultimate Guide
