Top list of must-visit Halong Bay attractions

About 170 km from Hanoi, Halong in Quang Ninh province is the big city in the Northeast region of Vietnam. Many famous Halong Bay attractions are highly recommended to you, such as Halong Bay, Bai Tu Long Bay, Lan Ha Bay, Cat Ba Island, Sung Sot Cave, Titop Island, Cua Van Fishing Village, etc. Coming here, travelers can also join some interesting outdoor activities such as cruising on the bay, exploring the fishing villages, swimming, kayaking, etc. 

Here are top 5 Halong Bay attractions that should be included in your must-visit list of Halong Bay tours.

Bai Tu Long Bay

Are you an adventure lover? Are you seeking for tranquility and relaxation in the unspoiled nature but less crowded attraction? Let’s come to Bai Tu Long Bay, where you can find the beauty of harmony between mountains, sea and people.

Bai Tu Long Bay is one of the bays located in Quang Ninh province in the Tonkin Gulf of Vietnam. Due to its favorable location and beautiful green nature, this place attracts hundreds of travelers every year.

Bai Tu Long Bay still retains the wild, pristine but stunning beauty. Especially, when traveling to Bai Tu Long, travelers will have chances to immerse themselves in isolated beaches with blue sea and white sand. 

Coming to Bai Tu Long Bay, you will have a chance to experience luxury services on Halong Bay cruises. Besides, many interesting outdoor activities are waiting for you such as kayaking, squid fishing at night, or visiting the fishing villages. Also, you will get to know more about traditional cultural features, the daily life of northern fishermen, and the fascinating sea legends which are told by the lovely local people.

Lan Ha Bay

Lan Ha Bay is located to the south of Halong Bay and to the east of Cat Ba Island. The total area of ​​the bay is more than 7,000ha, with the outstanding beauty of about 400 islands. All islands in Lan Ha Bay, even the smallest one, are covered with greenery.

With a cool, fresh climate, you can travel to Lan Ha Bay at any season. However, the best time to visit Halong Bay in general and Lan Ha Bay, in particular, is March to May and September to November. 

In Lan Ha Bay, you can kayak yourself to visit famous places such as Luon cave, Nam Cat island, Monkey Island, Cat Dua Island, Hon Rua, Chuong island, Van Boi beach, etc.

Cat Ba Island

Cat Ba island district is an archipelago with 367 islands, about 100km². Located in the south of Halong Bay, 30 miles from Hai Phong port,  Cat Ba is famous for its fascinating scenery of limestone islands and caves.

Cat Ba is recognized by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve.

The climate on Cat Ba Island is very comfortable, fresh, and suitable for outdoor travel. The distance from Hanoi to Cat Ba is about 150km to the east. The most popular to get to Cat Ba Island is by private car to Got port, then get in the ferry to the island. Besides, you can travel by passenger coaches or train to Hai Phong. Otherwise, travelers can book Halong bay tours to Lan Ha Bay, then cruising to Cat Ba Island.

It only takes around 4 to 6 hours for travelers to sightsee and visit the unnamed beaches, interesting caves that have not been exploited yet. In Cat Ba island, you can also visit Trung Trang cave, Hoa Cuong cave or Thien Long cave, which promises many interesting findings and brings you great moments with mesmerizing landscapes.  

Cat Ba is a natural and inseparable ecotourism cluster. Nowadays, Cat Ba National Park preserves a huge primeval rainforest ecosystem. It also has up to 300 species of sea fish, 500 species of mollusks, and crustaceans.

Cua Van Fishing Village

It is an overwater village surrounded by majestic limestone mountains. Cua Van fishing village originated from two ancient fishing villages in Halong Bay, namely Giang Vong and Truc Vong. Nowadays Cua Van has become a well-known destination, an indispensable part when traveling to Halong Bay.

Cua Van fishing village is home to more than 300 families who live mainly on fishing. You can not only immerse in a quiet, peaceful, and charming space, learn about the cultural life of fishermen but also directly participate in boating and catching fishes, shrimps with the locals here.

Sun World Halong Complex

Sun World Halong Complex is the largest entertainment complex in Halong with a width of ​​214 hectares. It is a world-class amusement park complex consisting of two main areas: a Coast Recreation Centre and an entertainment complex on the top of Ba Deo which is connected by a cable car system.

Coming to Sun World Halong Complex, you can enjoy your best moment with 5 main spots: Dragon Park, Whirlpool Park, Ba Deo Amusement Park, Sun World Beach, and Food & Shopping Area.

The most outstanding place in Sun World Halong Complex is Dragon Park with many new and unprecedented games in Vietnam. A world of adventure games welcomes travelers such as Viking, rollercoaster, or Skydrop. Everything here will surely bring you unforgettable memories with your friends.

Besides, Typhoon Water Park with an area of ​​nearly 20 hectares is also inspired by the model of the world’s leading water parks. The park owns a variety of attractive and diversified underwater games, divided into 3 separate areas: Family play area, Children play area, and Adventure Park.

Another amazing thing you should try is to have a journey 2km crossing Cua Luc Bay with The Queen Cable Car from Coastal Amusement Park to the Ba Deo Entertainment Complex – a complex of fascinating attractions and exciting recreational activities. Especially when taking the cable car, visitors will have a short opportunity to see the whole of Halong Bay from above. Until now, The Queen Cable System has reached two world records: Cabin with the largest capacity (up to 230 people/cabin), the cable car with the highest cable tower in the world (188.88m).

Suggested Halong Bay tours

• Northern Charm Discovery 8 days
• Essence of Northern Vietnam 7 Days
• Golf in Hanoi & the Surroundings 5 Days

These are our recommendations for the top 5 Halong Bay attractions. If you choose Halong Bay to be your next holiday, we hope that our articles will be helpful for you to plan the perfect Vietnam tours with friends and family.

Thanh Thanh – Travel Lover