Halong is one of the World Natural Heritage, which explains the fascination of tourists everywhere to come visit Halong. Being 170km away from Hanoi capital, Halong Bay is easily accessible.

THIEN CUNG CAVE

Thien Cung Cave (Heavenly Palace Cave) is located in the southwest of Halong Bay, 4 km away from Dau Go Island, which is considered the most beautiful primitive cave of the Bay. The cave is 10,000 square meters with complicated interior structure, many floors, and high ceiling. The cave becomes famous thanks to a unique system of stalactites and stalagmites with different forms and shapes.
Exploring Thien Cung Cave’s craggy cliffs is no easy task. Going through a narrow door, you would be surprised by a large space inside the cave that the further you walk, the more beautiful formation of stalactites come to your eyes.

On the wall of the eastern side of the cave, an impressive picture of stalactites and stalagmites give tourists the most fantastic feeling ever. The travel guide would never forget to tell you legends or folk tales interpreted from the picture by the local Halong people.

Make full use of your imagination to create pictures of fish schools, flocks of birds, and the daily life of people from a giant natural rock pillar all naturally sculptured by stalactites inside your mind when you come to the center of the cave.

Above your head, on the ceiling of Thien Cung Cave, amazing rows of stalagmites drooping through million years that create colorful pictures and melodies thank to the light and the wind flowing inside the cave. Leaving the cave, tourist would feel a lingering sensation like just finish a tour to a massive art museum created by the Mother Nature.

ĐẦU GỖ CAVE

Floating on the emerald water, Đầu Gỗ Island (Wooden Head Island) is amongst the most famous tourist attractions in Halong Bay. Inside Đầu Gỗ Island, tourists will find Đầu Gỗ Cave a very interesting cave.

From afar, the cave entrance is a jellyfish look-alike 90 steps stair. Into the cave, a massive system of stalagmites and stalactites resembling stony waterfalls would make anyone feel like being one with the nature.

The cave has three main compartments. The first area has a curved shape which is filled up by natural light. The celling of this area is a giant oil painting describing primitive landscapes with rows of stalagmites and stalactites changing their color upon the intensity and angle of the light. Many tourists love letting their imagination go wild with all the light reflecting on those stalagmites and stalactites.
Passing the first area by going through a narrow entrance, tourists will get to the second part. It is a little bit lack of light, but it has a more intriguing ambiance of fuzzy picture formed by the harmonious combination of light and stalactites that stimulate your curiosity but also be a little bit creepy. The adventure continues with a sudden discovery of the last massive. Here, there is a sacred fairy well that is said to be used by beautiful fairies descending from the heavenly kingdom.

Legends say that the name Đầu Gỗ (Wooden Head) originates from the victory of the Supreme Commander Tran Hung Dao (1228-1300) against Mongol invasion in the 13th Century on Bach Dang River by deploying booby traps of giant steel-tipped wooden stakes beneath the water. He found a away to hide all the stakes during high tides so that the Mongol could not see it. Later on, some of those wooden stakes flow to this cave and was discovered by the local people.

Đầu Gỗ Cave is proudly listed in the world famous tourism book Merveille de Monde published in France in 1938, which presents the most beautiful and worth visiting tourist attractions in the world, including Đầu Gỗ Cave under the name “Grotte des marveilles” (Cave of Wonders).

ME CUNG CAVE

As fanciful and appealing as its name implies, Me Cung Cave is one of many famous attractions in Halong Bay created by the hands of the Mother Nature.

Me Cung Cave, which is also known as Maze Cave, is located 25m above the sea level in Lom Bo Island. It is about 2km to the southwest of Titop Beach and Titop Island. Lying in the absolute protection of the World Natural Heritage – Halong Bay, Me Cung has the complex structure, including many compartments and a corridor of around 100m. According to archaeologists, Me Cung Cave belongs to preliminary Halong culture, about 7,000 – 10,000 years ago. Most remnants found at the cave’s entrance are Melania shells – a type of periwinkles which only lives in streams.

Looking from the distance, the cave entrance looks like a house roof carving deep into the slopes of the island. Walking into the inside, visitors may get the feelings as if they are entering in a great palace of a Persian King. In combination with the light shining from the outer, sparkling stalactites in diverse shapes and sizes drooping like multi-colored curtains make Me Cung Cave shimmering and fanciful like in paradise. In addition, the blue waters of Me Cung Lake inside the cave create picturesque beauty of nature.

TRONG (OR MALE) GROTTO – TRINH NU CAVE (VIRGIN CAVE)

The Trinh Nu Cave or Virgin Grotto is situated on the island range of Bô Hon 15 km south of Bai Cháy Beach, the center beach of Halong city. To young couples, it is considered the symbol of truly love, a romantic place for taking oath of love. Entering Trinh Nu Grotto, you will find in the middle of the grotto a stone shaping a lying-girl with her long hair hanging down, looking to the sea with the eyes full of vain hope. Situated opposite to Trinh Nu Grotto, Trong (or Male) Grotto has a stone statue of a boy who turns his face to Trinh Nu Grotto. One still hears his vain scream in tune with the wind blowing into the cliff somewhere. The legend tells once was a beautiful fisherman’s daughter, whose family was so poor that it was in the service of the rich administrator of the fishing zone. He forced the father to give him the girl as a concubine. However, she refused as she already had a lover who was on the high seas catching fish to prepare for their wedding. The administrator, angered by her refusal, exiled her to a wild island until hunger and exhaustion. On one frightening night, amidst terrible rain and winds, she turned to stone. The image of the girl painfully waited in vain for her fiancé turns the cave into a sacred place for those who are in love.

SOI SIM ISLAND

Soi Sim is a small island located to the West of Halong Bay. The island is approximately 12km from Bai Chay Tourists Wharf and 700m from Titov Island.
Soi Sim Island has the total area of 8.7 hectares with two hills at a height of 100m. The island has the special geological structure with 2/3 of its area covered by Feralit and weathering soils. According to researchers, Soi Sim Island was formed hundreds of millions years ago and gradually be surrounded by sea. For that reason, the vegetation in the island is pretty luxuriant and diverse in species. In fact, the dense and green flora is the most attractive feature enchanting tourists when visiting Soi Sim Island. Besides, travelers also be alluded by generous and refreshing space, airy atmosphere, unspoiled beaches, and white sandbanks.

Being endowed by the nature, Soi Sim Island is a great place for water sports such as kayaking and swimming. The sea waters here is so crystal and emerald that you can see shoals of small fish swimming around. Travelers also can find different types of beautiful flowers around the island. In addition, getting around the island, visitor can enjoy sweet Vietnam berries (scientific name: Rhodomyrtus tomentosa berries), which natural grow around the island. Interestingly, because this tree can be found in every corner of the island, locals decided to name the island after the tree.

TI TOP ISLAND

Located in the heart of Halong Bay, which is only 8 kilometers from the Southeast of Bai Chay Harbor, Ti Top Island is regarded as one of the most attractive site for both international and domestic tourists to Halong.

The name Ti Top is named by the most respectful hero of Vietnam, President Ho Chi Minh, after the Russian astronaut German Titop on the occasion of his first visit to Halong Bay in 1962.

Different from other popular tourist sites in Halong, Ti Top Island does not only possess breath taking romantic landscapes, but also has a heavenly beautiful beach called Ti Top which is perfect for any beach activity.

Although its size is not really big comparing to other beaches in Halong, Ti Top Beach is especially famous for its fresh atmosphere, clean water, and smooth white sand that create a great ambiance for tourists to relax. Thanks to all these, Ti Top Beach draws a huge amount of visitors during summer of special occasion.
In an attempt to serve the increasing number of tourists to Ti Top Island, there have been numerous high-end resorts, hotels, restaurants, bars, souvenir shops, life-buoy renting, skydiving, or kayak facilities built recently.

LUON CAVE

Luon Cave is located on Bo Hon Island, about 14km to the south of Bai Chay Tourist Wharf and 1 km away from Surprise Cave. Luon Cave has the shape of an arc with 60 meters in length and 2.5 – 4 in height depending on the tide. Because of the limited height, the only way to visit Luon Cave is by a small boat or a kayak.

Especially, when the tide rises, visitors have to stoop down to pass through the cave. Halong Bay is well-known for its impressive cave system, however, the Bay does have many caves like Luon Cave. The cave is a perfect combination of natural features including rocky cliffs, the mountain’s size and form, the color of clouds and sea waters, and the high biodiversity.

Luon Cave is considered as one of the most ideal places in Halong Bay for kayaking. If you have a great passion for kayaking, you should not miss Luon Cave. In addition to kayaking, rowing is another great option if you want to explore Luon Cave. Sitting on a bamboo boat rowed by a local, visitors can see a variety of plants such as ferns, cycads, Benjamin’s fig trees, and many beautiful orchids. If are lucky, you can catch great photos with mischievous monkeys jigging up and down around the cliffs. A truly natural place that which is hard to find in anywhere of the word.

SURPRISE CAVE

Located inside Bo Hon Island, in the middle Halong Bay, Surprise Cave is considered the most magnificent cave in this charming bay.

Most names of tourist attractions in Halong originate from very interesting stories and Surprise Cave is one of them. Actually at first the cave was named “Grotto de la Surprise” (The cave of Surprise) and recently, it has been shortened to “Surprise”. This title describes the very first feeling of tourists when they entered the cave with full of “wow”, “amazing”, and “unbelievable”.
At first, after few steps into the cave they tourists might think that the cave seems like a narrow and minuscule one, but with just few more steps into the cave, it becomes bigger and bigger. The tourists could not imagine how a tiny path could lead to such a giant, airy, and spectacular cave.

For travelers who have imaginative mind, the inner space of the cave can be seen as a large theater, a theater that was made by Mother Nature. The ceiling is decorated with stalactites like colorful chandeliers and the floor with plenty of rocks in diverse shapes of elephant, horse to tree, leaves, and flowers. The further tourists go into the cave, the more interesting shaped rocks appear. Some traveler says that the cave can also be called Cave of Unfathomable Depth.

BAI CHAY BEACH

Bai Cháy is a large, beautiful, artificial beach, closed to the coast of Ha Long Bay. The 100-meter-wide-sandy beach spans over 500 m. Early in the morning or in late afternoon, thousands of people liven up the atmosphere here.

TUAN CHAU ISLAND

Tuan Chau Island is a newly established tourism center of Ha Long City, which is only 8 kilometers away from downtown Ha Long. The whole area of this island is about 2.2 square kilometers, which consists of multiple sloping hills.

Today, Tuan Chau is really the most attractive site of Ha Long with numerous constructions for the sake of pleasing tourist. From the entrance of this tourism complex, tourists can see a chain of international standard villas. Going deeper into the island, streets of foods courts and five luxury restaurants designed with the ancient royal architecture are able to serve up to 1,000 customers.

Tuan Chau Beach is artificial, stretching over 2 kilometers long with white smooth sand and yellow sunshine the whole summer. Visiting Tuan Chau, you would never have to worry about your accommodation with more than 400 rooms of international standard at your service: private villa, luxury resort, or high-end hotel.

In Tuan Chau, tourists might also enjoy a variety of exciting activities like Jet Ski, canoes parachute, sea fishing, kayaking, mountain climbing, camping, or lavish services and entertainment such as dolphin show, seal show, circus, and martial art show 6 days a week (except Monday). Come to Tuan Chau Island, come to the heaven on Earth.

CUA VAN FISHING VILLAGE

Ha Long Bay is famous worldwide for its natural beauty, most tourists travel across oceans and continents to Vietnam for that reason. If you’re looking for cultural interaction, however, you can’t get better than the community of fishing villages there. Out of the four villages in Ha Long Bay, Cua Van village is the top attraction. Situated on a calm bay surround by mountains, 20km away from the tourist boat wharf, Cua Van village is a tranquil haven for travelers who want to experience the authentic lives of the local people. Another reason to pay a visit to the village is that it is also home to an interesting marine and coastal ecosystem.

As the largest fishing village in Ha Long Bay, Cua Van has a population of 733 in 176 households. They live on floating houses and call fishing their bread and butter. Cua Van can be considered the “wealthiest” village in Ha Long Bay. Their floating houses look spacious and clean. The well-off families even have tiled roof houses with radios, television sets, tables and chairs, etc.

When thinking about Ha Long Bay, the image that frequently crosses people’s minds is the surreal breathtaking mountains rising from the emerald green water. But Ha Long Bay is not all about world-class caves and grottos. There are local people who go about their daily lives with an optimistic attitude. Visiting the village, tourists have a chance to experience the villagers’ daily life as well as the traditional culture and customs of the fishermen, the often overlooked main characters of the World Heritage Area of Halong Bay. Observing the making of fish nets and fishing is good lesson for kids and an interesting experience for adults from other cultural backgrounds. Looking at the small boats driven by tiny oars going to school, the radiant faces of the children, and their rambunctious calling, one feels confident in a bright future for the fishing village.

In recent years, the locals at Cua Van village have been more engaged in the tourism industry in Ha Long Bay. Aside from fishing, many families also offer homestay and participate in environment awareness campaign. It’s no wonder why Cua Van has become a tourist attraction and has been present in the itinerary of almost all tourist agencies.

QUAN LAN ISLAND

Quan Lan Island is located within the area of Bai Tu Long Bay, stretching on a total area of 11 square kilometers, from Van Don mountains to Giot Mountain. Quan Lan has 3 beaches: Quan Lan Beach, Son Hao Beach and Minh Chau Beach. All three beaches have white sand and are quite pristine compared with other beaches near Halong Bay. Quan Lan Beach is the one that is closest to the pier yet also the most beautiful of all three. Go further into the island another 4km you will reach Son Hao and another 10km is Minh Chau beach.

The island lies on a very important marine gateway connecting Vietnam and other countries such as China, Japan, Thailand, and The Philippines. Spreading along the coast of the island are numerous white sand beaches and this is also the sea where fishermen get high quality seafood such as squids, butterfish, mackerel, prawn, sea cucumber, etc.
During the 11th Century, Quan Lan was a busy port for international trade between Vietnam and other countries. A lot of vestiges related to trading activities have been discovered here.

The outstanding tourist attraction of this island is Quan Lan Temple, which was built in the 18th Century with impressive architectural design with finely carved patterns, and is still preserved nearly 100% until now.

NGOC VUNG ISLAND

Ngoc Vung Island is a romantic place which possesses primitively beautiful landscapes with freshest and most delicious seafood of the bay at the lowest price.

The island is a part of Van Don District, Quang Ninh, which is 12 square kilometers. Cong Yen Port, the island main port, is one of the busiest port of Van Don during the 11th Century, and the vestige of the ancient castle of Nguyen Dynasty and Mac Dynasty.

From Halong Harbor, it takes 5 hours to get to Ngoc Vung Island. After setting foot on the island, there are a group of mountain bikes are ready for tourists because people on this island do not use car or motorbike. Moreover, biking around the island is a good way to enjoy every single aspect of this beautiful island.

Ngoc Vung Beach with a crescent moon shape winding 3 km along the casuarina forest attracts visitors by the fresh air and clean water. Additionally, seafood captured by the local fishermen is fresh, delicious, and surprisingly cheap. Recommendation dishes are geoduck, lobster, and sipunculus nudus.

CON DO FISHING VILLAGE

Con Do Fishing Village is also an interesting place to explore where you would get a chance to drive a motor boat, or to learn about the daily life of the local fishermen.

DRAGON EYE ISLAND

Located in the South of Halong Bay, Bai Dong Dragon Eye island is adjacent to Bai Tu Long Bay. Here lush beaches and white sand, stretching to 300 400 meters. Especially the unique landscape of beautiful circular farm located between the mountains, which is why the island Bai Dong also called by netizens as ” Island-like Dragon Eyes excitement”.

BAI THO MOUNTAIN

Bai Tho Mountain quietly situated on the banks of peaceful Halong Bay is the pride and symbol making each of Quang Ninh people miss home. Not only having the ownership of magnificent beauty bestowed by Creator, Bai Tho Mountain also brings the important historical significance of our army and people in a gloriously fighting time. Every inch of land in the high mountain and every river in the blue ocean imbued with the spirit of our father’s heroes. 

106 m Mountain appears majestically and superficially like a giant castle with various undulating towers on the firmly fortified walls. The highest mountain shaped the spear pointing to the sky and the cliffs erect unsteadily like pointy stuffed cat ears sharp, making the mountain seem magical and ancient. Limestone geology structure is unique with a half base of the mountain emerging into land and a half rest under water; therefore, from many angles, it could be imagined in different forms sometimes like tigers lying, or lion playing with prey, sometimes being overwhelming as the green dragon taking off on the shores of Ha Long Bay.

In August 31st 1992, Bai Tho Mountain officially rated in national historic culture relics.

QUANG NINH MUSEUM

As a unique architecture and arts of the province, Quang Ninh Museum, is the attraction for sightseeing, indispensable studying place for people and tourists. On February 14, the museum’s entire exhibition space was opened, giving visitors the most complete view of the land and people of Quang Ninh.

Quang Ninh Museum is located in a cluster of museums – libraries in Hong Hai Ward (Ha Long City) on the shores of Ha Long Bay – a natural wonder of the world. This architectural value of more than 900 billion by Spanish architect Salvador Perez Arroyo has helped the Museum – the Quang Ninh Library to win the Works of 2013.

QUEEN CABLE CAR

The journey across Halong Bay by Queen cable car, joining Ocean station with Sun station with the Queen cable car line, is a fantastic experience not to be missed in Sun World Halong Park. This is the only path connecting the beach amusement complex with the mount of Ba Deo. Visitors can enjoy the ride contemplating the marvellous panoramic beauty of Ha Long Bay from atop.

Queen Cable car, the first reversible gondola system in Asia with duplex cabin, has achieved 2 Guinness World Records:
– Highest passenger capacity in a cable car cabin (230 passengers per cabin)
– Tallest cable car tower (188,88 meters)

BA VANG PAGODA

The pagoda is situated in Thanh Dang Mountain, at a height of 340 m from sea level, in beautiful position of Uong Bi City, Quang Ninh Province.

Ba Vang Pagoda also has another name of Bao Quang Tu. It was built in At Dau year, King Le Du Tong Dynasty, or 1676. Situated in Thanh Dang Mountain with Thanh Long and Bach Ho in both sides, the Pagoda is also the extend of Linh Son Yen Tu Mountain, associated with the name of Truc Lam Ma Ha Sa Mon Tue Bich Pho Giac Thien Su ( 1658- 1757).

In order to develop the value of this Buddhist scared land, Ba Vang Pagoda was continuously invested and embellished.

YEN TU MOUNTAIN

Yen Tu Mountain is one of the highest peaks in the Dong Trieu Mountains in the north-eastern area of Vietnam, located within the area of Uong Bi Town, Quang Ninh Province. Besides being a famous natural landscape, Yen Tu preserves numerous historical relics and is also known as “The cradle of Buddhism in Vietnam”.

From the capital city of Hanoi, tourists may get Yen Tu by shuttle bus, car, or motorbike. If you are about to board a Halong cruise, an extra day to Yen Tu would be perfect for your trip to the coastal province.

On the way to explore Yen Tu, the first attraction to be encountered is Giai Oan Spring (Justifying Spring) with a majestic green stone bridge connecting two sides. This bridge is 10 meters long, which was built firmly in an antique architecture. Legends said that when King Tran Nhan Tong decided to resign from his throne to become a monk, his wives and concubines tried to persuade him changing his mind by suiciding into the spring. Mourning for them, the monk king built a temple nearby and named the spring “Giai Oan”.
Climbing for around 30-45 minutes, you’ll be able to reach a lush green courtyard, highlighted by vivid colour from different species of flowers of the a pagoda. The pagoda is surrounded by six enormous towers, amongst which the biggest one is to worship King Tran Nhan Tong.

Hoa Yen Pagoda is the biggest pagoda among the pagoda complex of Yen Tu Mountain, which is located on the height of 543 meters. Here, there is stood still a long row of Glyptostrobus trees, which are said to be planted during the time King Tran Nhan Tong at Yen Tu.

Climbing further to the height of 700m is Van Tieu Pagoda lying inside layers of white clouds, and Đồng Pagoda on an impressive height of 1,068m, which is made totally from copper. Both pagodas are dated back thousand years ago, and are very sacred to visit.
Standing on the highest peak of Yen Tu, one might to able to watch a panorama of the extensive North-eastern Vietnam, Bach Dang River, and especially the natural wonder Halong Bay.

THINGS TO DO IN HALONG BAY- ABSOLUTE MUST- TRY ACTIVITIES

KAYAK BETWEEN KARSTS LIMESTONE OUTCROPS

Whilst enjoying the landscapes in a traditional junk boat cruise is a great way to experience most great aspects of Halong Bay at a relaxing pace, some of you might love something more adventurous. And, kayaking should be one of things to do in Halong Bay for those people. Kayaking is a type of padding, which uses a kayak in order to move across water. Thanks to thousands of isles and islands, clean blue water and calm tides, Halong Bay is perfect for this activity.
Kayaking in Halong Bay is very easy to take part in for every tourist, even adventure kayaking. The adventure kayaking will be hold in some of the most beautiful places in Halong Bay with mountain surrounded, beaches and water tunnel cave. The most common places are 3 Peaches islets, Dark and Light Cave. Adventure kayaking often offers tourists the option of 2-3 day tours.

SLEEPING ON BOARD

Despite a lot of new hotels are being established on the islands, experienced tourists recommend new ones to spend at least one night on board a boat. By this way, they could admire the bay much closer up in a more special manner. There are various types of boats available in Halong Bay, from high standard cruisers to diesel-powered junks. Of course, the costs you have to spend for the junks are much less expensive in compared with the cruisers but bear in mind that they are obviously small and do rock much. Thus, if you have enough budgets, do not hesitate to book a cruiser for your trip. However, regardless of your choice, try it at least one night. Believe me, you will not regret about this experience!

VIEW HALONG BAY FROM SEAPLANE

This might be one of the most costly things to do in Halong Bay. Halong Bay is well-known for its wonderful limestone karsts and caves that attract millions of travelers worldwide. Actually, admittedly, there is no better way to witness Halong Bay from the Seaplane. Despite cruising can help you view the bay at the horizon, yet the view may not be spectacular and appealing as there are many karsts as well as islands rising in the bay. The Seaplane will allow you to reach the height of 300m above the water level, so you will see almost whole famous landscapes of Halong Bay, such as Dau Go Cave (Hang Đầu Gỗ), Tuan Chau Island (Đảo Tuần Châu), and so on.

CLIMB MOUNTAIN

The last but not less interesting one in this list of things to do in Halong Bayis climbing mountain. In fact, Halong Bay is reckoned as among the most majestic climbing regions of the world. It is estimated that there are more than 3000 limestone islands in Halong Bay area. This area has a few sport climbing routes and has much potential for additional development.

DISCOVER HIDDEN GROTTOS AND CAVES

Among thousands of jungle-covered peaks dramatically rising out of the emerald water of Halong Bay, there are a few illuminated caves, picturesque hidden coves, isolated grottos of all sizes and shapes. Tourists could hire a row boat before venturing out to explore those hidden gems, like Thien Cung (Thiên Cung) Cave, known as Heavenly Palace Cave, which is well-known for its stalagmites and stalactites, and Dau Go Cave (Hang Đầu Gỗ), which is known as the Cave of Wonders.

VISIT FLOATING VILLAGES

Floating village is an interesting feature of the daily life of Halong Bay locals. For most of us, a cruise on the emerald clear green water of Halong Bay is a unique experience, so it might be hard to imagining living everyday life surrounded by the beauty of this well-known bay. However, for a large number of families of the traditional floating fishing villages in Halong Bay, water world is their second hometown. This sounds strange but it does. Rising and falling with the natural tide, these floating villages have been “warm” homes to many generations of fishermen in Halong Bay. These families earn their living from the diversified supply of the marine life. You could understand more about the real life of those fishermen on floating boats by chatting with them. Pay a visit to one of those charming villages, meet playful kids, and meet some grinning fishermen. This way, you are experiencing of the most interesting things to do in Halong Bay.

CABLE CAR “TWO-FLOOR BUS” ON HA LONG BAY

On 25th June, Ha Long cable car system was officially in use after 2 years of constructing. Queen cable car have capacity of 230 passengers. Sitting here you can enjoy the whole scene of Ha Long.

The tower at Bai Chay is 188.8m in height and becomes the highest tower in the world. Cable car system has only 2 cabins, they are known as two-floor buses with capacity of 230 people/cabin. Inside the cabin there are sitting chairs, grab bars for passengers. The cabin departs from Bai Chay (Ha Long city) to Ba Deo (Hong Gai ward). Every turn, the cable car will take passengers on a ride for 5 minutes. The destination is amusement center with a giant Sun Wheel on Ba Deo hill.