Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its natural beauty, has long been recognized as one of the best places to go on a peaceful cruise vacation. Halong Bay, one of the seven natural wonders of the world, is home to pristine little islands. To know further, the article below will show you 10 fascinating things to do in Halong Bay when you visit Ha Long Bay someday. 

1. Taste fresh seafood

things to do in halong bay

Halong Bay will be a paradise for seafood lovers. Some of the cruise ships have genuinely outstanding food. Seafood is plentiful, fresh, and reasonably priced everywhere besides on the deck.

To enjoy fish or other seafood, just stop by a floating village or even build your own BBQ fire pits near the beach.

There are many famous kinds of seafood in Ha Long Bay such as Cha muc (Grilled Chopped Squid), Sam (Horseshoe Crab), Ngan (Austriella Corrugata), Banh Gat Gu (Nodding Cake), Sa Sung (Peanut Worm or Sipunculus Nudus), … whenever visiting seafood restaurants, you will see them in the menu.

things to do in halong bay

1.1. Linh Dan Restaurant

  • Location: No.104, Bai Chay Street, Halong City (Bai Chay)
  • Tel: +84 33 6522696 or +84 3846025

With a novella-length menu and room for more than 200 diners, this restaurant boasts a modern, opulent aesthetic. It’s well-trained crew, which can serve delectable meals from a broad menu of Vietnamese, Asian, and European cuisine ensures this trendy and stylish restaurant’s popularity.

1.2. Avocado Restaurant

  • Location: C342-343, Old Street Zone, Halong City (Bai Chay)
  • Phone: +842036501976; +84934651010

One of the best-looking restaurants in Halong Bay, Avocado has a warm atmosphere and delicious meals. Its 4.5/5 Google review rating demonstrates that it’s one of the best in the area. With its modern design, Avocado provides a location for private parties, lunches and dinners in a bar or lounge, as well as indoor and outdoor dining.

things to do in halong bay

In this cozy, open-kitchen restaurant, the Halong squid cake with sticky rice is a must-try suggestion. In Halong Bay, Avocado is a great restaurant where you can eat delicious modern European, vegetarian, or traditional Vietnamese cuisine. They also serve fantastic cocktails, by the way.

2. Enjoy leisure cruises

things to do in halong bay

The greatest way to experience Halong Bay is to view it from the deck of a ship, in all honesty.

Choose between various amenities and services, like a swimming pool, cocktail bars, wine cellars, private dining rooms, big jacuzzis, cooking workshops, massages, kids’ rooms, and more. You can even decide whether you wish to sail in a traditional-looking junk or a modern yacht. Halong Hub offers everything, from luxury cruises to low-cost options, and from boats with 5 to 200 rooms.

2.1. Mon Cheri Cruise Lan Ha Bay

things to do in halong bay

One of the most luxurious cruise ships operating in the region is the Mon Cheri, a voyage of the highest caliber. Look at the luxurious accommodations with mahogany and dark wood furnishings and floor-to-ceiling glass windows.

Each accommodation has a private terrace and a great view of the ocean. The fact that every hut on Mon Cheri has a bathtub makes it even more unique.

2.2. Peony Cruise Lan Ha Bay

things to do in halong bay

Another top-tier luxury cruise, the Peony, departs from Hanoi and travels to Hai Phong, Halong Bay, Lan Ha Bay, and Cat Ba Island.

There are only 18 accommodations onboard, so your comfort is our first priority. On this upscale cruise liner, every accommodation has a panoramic balcony, a bathroom, and a bathtub.

Discover the secret fishing towns and caverns, and kayak or swim to remote lagoons and grottos with a well-planned itinerary.

3. Visit Cat Ba Island

things to do in halong bay

The largest island in the vicinity of Halong Bay is Cat Ba Island, which is also home to various bars, cafes, hotels, and restaurants. The majority of Halong Bay cruises depart from Cat Ba Island, giving travelers the opportunity to enjoy a full day of sightseeing before boarding their cruise ships.

During the summer, the beaches are great for swimming and tanning. If you would rather, you can hire a kayak or a speedboat or even go to Lan Ha Bay, where the beaches are quieter and more isolated.

The Jurassic Park-like atmosphere of the surroundings, which include lush woods and mangroves, inspires a sense of adventure that is uncommon in other regions of Vietnam. It makes sense why the movie Kong: Skull Island was filmed there.

4. Go hike and trek at Cat Ba national park 

Why not go trekking before boarding your cruise ship? Due to the diversity of its ecosystems, including mangroves, coral reefs, wetlands, and tropical jungles, UNESCO designated Cat Ba National Park as a global biosphere reserve.

Try to locate the white-headed langur, one of the world’s most endangered primates. Within the national park, visitors can enjoy breathtaking mountaintop views of the little island.

5. Go discover caves

things to do in halong bay

There are currently 59 “discovered” caverns in Halong Bay, but experts think there may be up to quadruple that number still hiding there. Sung Sot Cave (Surprise Cave), Thien Cung Cave (Paradise Cave), and Trinh Nu Cave (Virgin Cave) on Bo Hon island are the most well-known of these caves.

Sung Sot Cave is ideal for spelunking since it includes two chambers that climb to a height of around 30 meters with a steep route. If you enjoy folklore, you might be interested in the legend surrounding Trinh Nu Cave (Virgin Cave).

The Hospital Cave is a different cave that you shouldn’t skip when you’re at Ha Long Bay. As it was impossible to destroy or even locate, Cat Ba Hospital Cave served as a covert hospital throughout the Vietnam War. One of the top tourist destinations in Cat Ba National Park today is the Hospital Cave.

6. Go Scuba Diving and Snorkeling

things to do in halong bay

Our tours provide a wonderful opportunity to go snorkeling or scuba diving in and around the renowned karst of the bay. Dive deep into the ocean to see up to 163 different varieties of colorful corals, including red and forest corals. On your scuba diving tour, discover subterranean caverns and seagrass beds that are home to marine turtles and sea horses.

Take a boat excursion out to sea if you’re a diver and see what lies beneath the emerald waves. There are many PADI-certified dive operators nearby for a secure and memorable dive. Keep your underwater camera close at hand!

7. Try the world’s highest cable car

things to do in halong bay

Many aspiring landscape photographers visit Sunworld Amusement Park. One of the nicest panoramic views of the UNESCO Site is available from there. The Queen’s Cable Car, which offers countless panoramic vistas, is the main draw.

It really holds two Guinness World Records: the tallest cable car at 188.88 meters, and the largest reversible aerial tramway, which can carry up to 230 passengers.

8. Go Sea Kayaking and Canoeing

things to do in halong bay

Taking out a kayak or canoe is one of the best things to do in Halong Bay because tourist vessels cannot travel some of the narrow passages that cut between some of the 1960 islands. In some cases, accessing hidden lagoons among the islands requires paddling through tunnels in the rock.

The beaches like Tuan Chau, Bai Chay, Bai Dai, Quan Lan, Ti Top, and Tra Co are the greatest sites for these activities. In addition, Bai Chay is the beach that is closest to Halong Bay.

9. Visit a Floating Village

things to do in halong bay

For centuries, there have been floating settlements. Cua Van floating hamlet, with its vibrantly painted houses and fishing boats, is unquestionably the most well-known. About 170 families make up its approximately 600 residents, the majority of whom depend on fishing.

Visit this place to see how locals live. Visit the serene and beautiful Cua Van Village to get a feel for daily life there. Take a boat ride with the fishermen and try your hand at nighttime prawning, pulling fishing nets, and nighttime squid fishing.

 10. Entertain at Sun World Halong Complex

things to do in halong bay

A premier theme park, Sun World Halong Complex is the peak of fun, thrills, and unending happiness. The complex is separated into two portions and has 214 hectares of land: the Coastal Amusement Complex and the Mystic Mountain Complex, also known as the Ba Deo Hill Park.

The Queen Cable Car, a 2 km long sea-crossing cable car system that transports people to Ba Deo Amusement Park, connects the two portions of the park.

The Zen Garden and the indoor game area are a couple of the must-see attractions on Ba Deo Hill. The Sun Wheel Halong, one of the tallest Ferris wheels in the world, and the Mysterious Castle in particular.

There are more than 10 Interesting things to do in Ha Long Bay. If you found too hard to explore Ha Long Bay by yourself, you could take tours at Metta Voyage such as Halong Bay Charter Helicopter Day Trip, Halong Bay Cruise Day Trip, Hanoi – Halong Bay – 3 Days 2 Nights, …

To know more about Vietnamese travel and much useful related information, check out our blog right here!

Contact us

Website: mettavoyage.com

Email: [email protected]

Hotline 24/7: + 84 989 383 572