11 Boat Day Trips in Vietnam Worth the Early Start

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

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

Explore Hoa Lu, Trang An, Mua Cave, and rural Ninh Binh by bike and boat on a full-day Hanoi tour priced at $43.

“I'm very torn on how to write this review... Our guide was great- good English, very energetic. Van was comfortable. Temple stop was nice, good information by our guide. I think we stayed too long though. Everyone was just standing around and we could have gotten on the road to the next stop. The cycling was only ok. Very old bikes and not really much to see on the route, especially when trying to dodge potholes. It was extremely hot but that is not the fault of the company. Lunch was not good. Not only was the food sub par but I also found something in one of the dishes…”

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

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

Review of the $48 Mekong Delta day trip from Ho Chi Minh City, with boat rides, Ben Tre villages, lunch, biking, local music, and Vinh Trang Pagoda.

“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

Review of a Ninh Binh day trip from Hanoi covering Bai Dinh Pagoda, Trang An by boat, Mua Cave, lunch, transport, and value.

“It was a great tour being in the Tam Coc region, rowing boats, climbing cliffs and witnessing Buddha in majestic pagodas. Our tour guide was 10/10”

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

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

Review of a Hanoi to Ha Long Bay luxury day cruise with limousine transfer, buffet lunch, Sung Sot Cave, kayaking, Ti Top Beach, and sunset snacks.

“A very informative, pleasant guide who kept us informed of the days itinerary. Nice stops along the way and particularly enjoyed the pearl farming. The cruise exceeded our expectations with a lovely buffet lunch”

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

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

Review of the Cat Ba and Lan Ha Bay day cruise from Hanoi, with kayaking, Viet Hai Village, lunch, swimming, and practical booking advice.

“Really enjoyed our day on Lan Ha Bay! Unfortunately it was a bit cloudy, but it was still warm & the views were beautiful! We really enjoyed the bike ride through Viet Hai Village - such a highlight for us! Charlie was very accomodating, and kept us well informed with time expectations and the itinerary. Very impressed”

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6.Halong Bay Deluxe Cruise Day Trip

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

Review of a Halong Bay day cruise from Hanoi, with Surprise Cave, Titop Island, lunch, transport, costs, tips, and practical advice.

“All fine. Really enjoyed it! Ken was a really nice guide”

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7.Ha long Bay day trip with Deluxe cruise

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

Review of a $40 Ha Long Bay day cruise with Sung Sot Cave, kayaking, TiTop Island, lunch, sunset, and Hanoi transfers.

“Thong was a great tour guide explained everything in good English. All round great day and had great food!”

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

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

Review of Amethyst Luxury Cruise in Ha Long Bay, with kayaking, caves, Titop Island, lunch, pricing, tips, and honest drawbacks.

“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

Explore Ninh Binh and Ha Long Bay in four days, with village cycling, Trang An caves, a balcony cabin, and flexible free time.

“Excellent tour. Exactly what we were looking for. Didn’t want to rush but didn’t have too much time. Accommodation on ship and eco lodge were fantastic. Very private and peaceful. Exceeded our expectations. We had a few questions about exact details such as pickup spot at dock etc but communicated with woman from GYG and heard back immediately. Recommend!”

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10.Mekong River Delta Day Trip with Boat Trip

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

Review the 10-hour Mekong Delta trip from Ho Chi Minh City, including Tan Phong Island, boat rides, local food, chocolate, and Vinh Trang Pagoda.

“We did not see the things that were specified in the tour, the little we saw was brief and was only for us to buy, and to finish, he sold us a menu for lunch, which was not more expensive than the price he told us at first and part of the food was shared. He lacked a little Mekong experience which was mainly why we hired him.”

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

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 20 reviews · from $45

Review of Pamela Cruise’s Ha Long Bay day trip, with Sung Sot Cave, Titop Island, lunch, kayaking options, and practical booking advice.

“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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