Last updated 29 September 2026 by the Ava Travel team in Hanoi. Prices checked the same day on our own booking pages.
The short answer, using Ava Travel’s own prices: the best Bai Tu Long Bay cruise for most travellers in 2026 is Cycad, a 2025 ship from $175 per person for 2 days 1 night. For the newest ship on the bay pick Larissa (2026, a balcony on every cabin, one price all year), for the cheapest balcony pick Athena Royal (from $150), and for families Signature, which has two four-berth family suites.
Bai Tu Long is the north-east arm of the Halong Bay system. It has the same limestone islands as the main bay but far fewer boats, because only a few operators are licensed to overnight there. That also means the choice is short: of the 98 ships Ava Travel sells, only 10 sail Bai Tu Long. So this is not a top ten picked from a long list. It is all ten, ranked, with the downside of each.
Quick comparison: all 10 Bai Tu Long Bay cruises for 2026
Lowest price per person, two adults sharing, 2 days 1 night. High season is October to April, low season May to September. All meals on board are included.
| # | Cruise | Best for | Cabins | High season (Ava Travel) | Low season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cycad | Best overall, new in 2025 | 24 | $175 | $160 |
| 2 | Larissa | Newest ship, balcony on every cabin | 28 | $197 | $197 |
| 3 | Athena Royal | Cheapest ship with all balconies | 22 | $150 | $140 |
| 4 | Signature | Families of four | 12 | $140 | $127 |
| 5 | Swan | Christmas and New Year, one price all year | 18 | $135 | $135 |
| 6 | Treasure Junk | Lowest price on the bay | 14 | $132 | $122 |
| 7 | Renea | Small ship, unhurried second day | 11 | $132 | $130 |
| 8 | Dragon Pearl | Wooden junk, fishing village by rowing boat | 10 | $165 | $155 |
| 9 | Prince | Almost a private boat | 4 | $220 | $220 |
| 10 | Dragon Legend | Larger ship on the fishing village route | 24 | $220 | $200 |
Is Bai Tu Long Bay worth it instead of Halong Bay or Lan Ha Bay?
Choose Bai Tu Long if quiet water matters more to you than famous caves or new facilities. It takes the fewest boats of the three routes, so at the kayak stops and the overnight anchorage you often see only a handful of other ships. The price is in between: the median 2 day 1 night price across the ships we sell is about $158 per person on Bai Tu Long, $150 on Halong Bay and $165 on Lan Ha Bay.
What you give up: the fleet is smaller and mostly older, with only two ships from 2025 or later. Halong Bay has Sung Sot, the best known cave. Lan Ha has more of the new ships with spas and pools; see the 10 best Lan Ha Bay cruises for 2026. And the drive is a little longer: Bai Tu Long ships leave from Halong International Cruise Port in Bai Chay, about 2.5 to 3 hours from Hanoi.
Almost every Bai Tu Long itinerary uses the same two highlights. Thien Canh Son Cave sits up a hillside, close to 200 steps from the beach, so bring shoes you can climb in. Vung Vieng is one of the oldest floating fishing villages in the area, and you visit it in a bamboo boat rowed by a villager or by kayak. When comparing ships, check which of the two you get and on which day.
1. Cycad: best overall
From $175 per person ($160 in low season). 24 cabins, launched 2025.
Until recently the boats on Bai Tu Long were all older ones. Cycad was the first new hull on this water, and it gets the balance right: six cabin types, balconies from the second grade up, and a route that covers both highlights, with Vung Vieng by rowing boat on day one and Thien Canh Son Cave on day two. The 36 sqm Family Balcony sleeps four, from $190 per person with four sharing, and four-berth cabins are rare on this bay.
Downside: the entry Deluxe Seaview has no balcony, and the Junior Balcony is only $20 more per person in high season, so budget for that. The operator publishes floor areas for the three largest cabins only.
2. Larissa: the newest ship on the bay
From $197 per person, the same all year. 28 cabins, built 2026.
A brand-new ship on the quietest water in the region, and every one of its three cabin types has a balcony. The top cabin is a 42 sqm Panorama Jacuzzi Suite with a private jacuzzi, from $355 per person. The price does not change with the season, which makes it good value over Christmas, New Year and Tet, when most ships charge their highest rates.
Downside: no 3 day 2 night option, no family cabin, and in the low season it costs more than Cycad. The first night kayaks at Cap La rather than visiting Vung Vieng.
3. Athena Royal: the cheapest ship where every cabin has a balcony
From $150 per person ($140 in low season). 22 cabins, sailing since 2017.
All four cabin grades have a balcony, and sizes climb in clear steps from 25 to 45 sqm, so each upgrade buys real space. The route anchors at Cong Do and spends the second morning at Thien Canh Son Cave, with the beach at the bottom of the steps.
Downside: the 25 sqm Deluxe Balcony is small. The Elegance Balcony (28 sqm, from $170) is worth the extra $20. Spa treatments are charged on board.
4. Signature: best for families
From $140 per person ($127 in low season). 12 cabins, built 2013. Choosing between Signature and Swan? See Swan vs Signature.
Two family suites on a 12-cabin ship is unusual. The Elite Family Suite is 45 sqm with two double beds and a balcony, from $183 per person with four sharing, and the Exclusive Family Suite is 32 sqm. You are also back ashore around 10:45 on day two, one of the earliest returns on the bay, which helps with tired children and afternoon flights.
Downside: a small older ship (each cabin does have its own jacuzzi), and the entry Junior Suite has no balcony (the Senior Suite does, for $10 more). No 3 day 2 night option.
5. Swan: one price all year
From $135 per person, the same in every season. 18 cabins, built 2018.
Every Swan cabin costs the same in December as in August, which makes it the cheapest predictable choice for Christmas and New Year on Bai Tu Long. It visits Vung Vieng on the afternoon of day one and Thien Canh Son Cave on day two. The Family Connecting Door cabin sleeps four in two rooms joined by a door, from $131 per person, which suits families with older children.
Downside: small cabins (the Deluxe is 18 sqm, the Suite Balcony 28 sqm), and no spa. The operator adds a compulsory gala dinner charge on 24 and 31 December, so ask us before booking those two nights.
6. Treasure Junk: the lowest price on Bai Tu Long
From $132 per person ($122 in low season). 14 cabins, built 2017.
The cheapest way onto the quiet bay, with kayaking at Cong Do on day one and Vung Vieng by bamboo boat on day two. The trick here is the cabin choice: the Suite Ocean View Balcony is 43 sqm with a balcony, from $165, three times the floor area of the entry cabin for $33 more per person.
Downside: the 14 sqm Deluxe Ocean View is the smallest cabin we sell anywhere. No spa or pool, drinks at sunset are extra, and breakfast is light.
7. Renea: a small ship with an unhurried second day
From $132 per person ($130 in low season). 11 cabins, built 2015.
Eleven cabins means about twenty guests, so the kayaks go out together and the crew have time for you. Day one kayaks and swims at Cap La Island, and day two ends with a cooking demonstration and a proper Vietnamese lunch on board instead of a rushed brunch. The Deluxe Triple sleeps three, from $135 per person.
Downside: only the Suite has a balcony, the operator does not publish floor areas, and with the longer lunch you are back in Hanoi around 17:00. It does not visit Vung Vieng.
8. Dragon Pearl: a wooden junk and the fishing village
From $165 per person ($155 in low season). 10 cabins, wooden junk built 2010.
A proper timber junk with about twenty guests. Day one covers Thien Canh Son Cave and kayaking, and day two takes you into Vung Vieng on a small rowing boat, past the floating school and the fish farms. Guests with the Hanoi transfer stop at Yen Duc village for a water puppet show on the way back.
Downside: one cabin type with no balcony, floor area not published, and no spa.
9. Prince: almost a private boat
From $220 per person, the same all year. 4 cabins, wooden boat built 2007.
Eight guests at most. If you are four couples, you have the boat to yourselves. It runs the same route as Dragon Pearl, with Thien Canh Son Cave on day one and Vung Vieng by bamboo boat on day two, but with a quarter of the people on board.
Downside: you pay for privacy, not comfort: one cabin type, no balcony, no spa, and the floor area is not published.
10. Dragon Legend: a larger ship on the fishing village route
From $220 per person ($200 in low season). 24 cabins, sailing since 2014.
The same pairing of Thien Canh Son Cave and Vung Vieng as Dragon Pearl and Prince, on a bigger and steadier ship, with a banh xeo cooking class and the Yen Duc water puppet stop for guests with the transfer.
Downside: only one cabin type, with no balcony and no published size, at a price where Cycad gives you a 2025 ship with balconies.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a Bai Tu Long Bay cruise?
A 2 day 1 night Bai Tu Long Bay cruise costs from $132 to $220 per person in high season on the ships we sell, with a median of about $158. Low season is the same or up to about $20 cheaper. A 3 day 2 night trip is sold on 8 of the 10 ships, at a median of about $300 per person. Transfer from Hanoi is extra. See the full Halong Bay cruise cost guide.
Where do Bai Tu Long Bay cruises depart from?
They leave from Halong International Cruise Port in Bai Chay. Both are about 2.5 to 3 hours by road from Hanoi. Most ships take you out by tender. Each cruise page gives the exact pier and times.
Is Bai Tu Long Bay less crowded than Halong Bay?
Yes. Fewer operators are licensed to overnight there, so it is the quietest of the three routes. Only 10 of the 98 ships we sell sail it, against 37 on Halong Bay and 49 on Lan Ha Bay. Boat and cabin counts for each bay, and the stops where boats bunch up, are in which Halong Bay cruise avoids the crowds.
Which Bai Tu Long cruise is best for families?
Signature has two family suites, including a 45 sqm room with two double beds. Cycad’s Family Balcony sleeps four on a 2025 ship, and Swan has a four-person connecting cabin at one price all year. For more family options on every bay, see our best cruises for families guide.
Book a Bai Tu Long Bay cruise with Ava Travel
Choose your date and cabin on the cruise page and pay securely online, and we confirm your cabin and Hanoi pickup within one hour. Transfer from Hanoi is added at checkout if you need it. All ten ships, with photos and prices, are on our Bai Tu Long Bay cruises page. Planning for next year? See Bai Tu Long Bay cruises in 2027, month by month. Not sure which ship fits? Message us on WhatsApp (+84 904 251 545) with your dates, group and budget, and we will suggest two options.
