Last updated 5 October 2026 by the Ava Travel team in Hanoi. Every number below comes from the 86 Halong and Lan Ha cruises Ava Travel sells, checked on our own booking pages on 4 October 2026.
The short answer, using Ava Travel’s own prices: choose Lan Ha Bay if you want kayaking, swimming and a newer ship with a balcony: 38 of the 49 Lan Ha boats Ava Travel sells have a balcony in every cabin, and most kayak at Dark and Bright Cave or around Cat Ba. Choose Halong Bay if you want the classic sights (Sung Sot Cave, Titop Island) or the lowest price: Halong boats start at $102 per person against $137 on Lan Ha, and the middle price is about $15 lower.
Both bays are part of the same limestone seascape, next to each other, and almost all cruises for both leave from the same pier, Tuan Chau, about 3 hours from Hanoi. The difference is where the boat goes after it leaves.
Halong Bay vs Lan Ha Bay at a glance
| Halong Bay | Lan Ha Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Boats Ava Travel sells | 37 | 49 |
| Cheapest 2-day cruise (per person) | $102 (Annam Junk) | $137 (Oasis Bay) |
| Middle price, Oct-Apr | $150 | $165 |
| Middle price, May-Sep | $140 | $154 |
| Middle price, 3 days 2 nights | $285 (31 boats) | $315 (41 boats) |
| Balcony in every cabin | 16 of 37 boats | 38 of 49 boats |
| Family cabins (3-4 berths) | 8 boats | 20 boats |
| Typical stops | Sung Sot Cave, Titop Island, Luon Cave | Dark and Bright Cave, Cat Ba Island, Viet Hai village |
| Main pier | Tuan Chau | Tuan Chau (a few use Cat Ba) |
Prices are the lowest per person for two adults sharing a cabin on a 2 day 1 night cruise, all meals on board included, transfer from Hanoi extra ($35 return by shuttle). “Middle price” is the median: half the boats are cheaper, half dearer.
What you actually do on each bay
We read the day-by-day timetable of every boat. The pattern is very clear.
Halong Bay is about the famous sights. 35 of the 37 Halong boats visit Sung Sot (Surprise) Cave, 28 stop at Titop Island to climb to the viewpoint or swim from the small beach, and 25 kayak or take a bamboo boat at Luon Cave. These are the views on the postcards, and they are spectacular. The trade-off is that nearly every Halong boat visits the same three places at around the same time of day, so expect company on the Sung Sot steps and the Titop path.
Lan Ha Bay is about being on the water. 38 of the 49 Lan Ha boats include kayaking and 33 a swimming stop, often from the ship itself in a quiet lagoon. 27 kayak through Dark and Bright Cave, 15 include a stop on Cat Ba Island, and some take you by bicycle or electric cart to Viet Hai village. The water is greener, the beaches are sandier, and the stops are more spread out, so it rarely feels like a queue.
The evening on board is the same on both: a cooking class on the sundeck (37 Lan Ha boats, 24 Halong boats), dinner, squid fishing, and tai chi at sunrise.
Which bay is quieter?
Lan Ha used to be the “secret” bay. In 2026 it is not: more new ships sail Lan Ha than Halong (we sell 49 against 37, with 1,266 cabins against 866). What still makes Lan Ha feel quieter is that the boats spread over a larger area with more small coves, instead of meeting at the same two or three stops. If you want truly empty water, neither is the answer; look at Bai Tu Long Bay, where we sell only 10 boats with 167 cabins between them. Our guide to which Halong Bay cruise avoids the crowds lists all ten with prices and the busiest stops on each bay.
Price: is Lan Ha more expensive?
A little. The middle 2-day price is $165 on Lan Ha and $150 on Halong in high season (October to April). Most of the gap is the ship, not the bay: Lan Ha boats are newer on average and more of them have a balcony in every cabin. At the bottom of the range the difference is bigger, because the cheapest small boats sail Halong:
- Cheapest on Halong: Annam Junk $102 (7 cabins, a wooden junk), Victory $111, Syrena $115.
- Cheapest on Lan Ha: Oasis Bay $137, Indochine $139 (balcony in every cabin, $130 from May to September), Calypso $142.
- Top end: Halong peaks at about $265 (Bhaya Soul); Lan Ha goes to $375 to $430 (Orchid Premium, Heritage Line Ginger).
Full price ranges by bay and star rating are in how much a Halong Bay cruise costs.
Who should choose which
- First visit, want the famous caves: Halong Bay.
- Want to kayak, swim and relax on deck: Lan Ha Bay.
- Tight budget: Halong Bay; the cheapest boats are there.
- Balcony cabin at a mid price: Lan Ha Bay, for example Indochine, Amanda Luxury or Peony.
- Family with children: Lan Ha Bay has more than twice as many boats with family cabins (20 against 8). See the best family cruises.
- 3 days 2 nights: Lan Ha Bay. The middle day on Cat Ba Island is the best reason to stay longer. See the best 3 day cruises, or what the second night costs and adds in Lan Ha Bay: 1 night or 2 nights.
Cat Ba Island or a cruise?
The short answer: for one or two nights, take a Lan Ha Bay cruise; it already visits Cat Ba on many routes. Stay on Cat Ba Island only if you want several days there, hiking in the national park or a hotel base, and are happy to book a day boat into the bay each day.
Cat Ba is the largest island of the archipelago, with a town, hotels and Cat Ba National Park, and Lan Ha Bay lies just off its coast. A hotel on the island means getting there on your own and spending your bay time on day boats, which return to the harbour in the afternoon. On a cruise you sleep on the water among the islands, so you have the bay at sunset and at sunrise.
15 of the 49 Lan Ha Bay boats we sell stop on Cat Ba as part of the programme: 9 take you through the national park to Trung Trang Cave, 2 visit the wartime Hospital Cave, and 2, including Celina, go by bicycle or electric cart to Viet Hai village. Venezia starts from Beo Harbour on Cat Ba itself. For a full day ashore, a 3 day cruise is the better choice: Mon Cheri spends two days ashore on Cat Ba and Amanda Luxury cycles in the national park. See the best 3 day 2 night cruises.
Halong Bay vs Lan Ha Bay vs Bai Tu Long Bay
The short answer, using Ava Travel’s own cruise programmes: choose Halong Bay for the famous stops (Sung Sot Cave and Ti Top Island) and the lowest prices, Lan Ha Bay for kayaking, swimming and newer ships with balconies, and Bai Tu Long Bay if quiet matters more than anything else. The numbers below come from the 96 cruises Ava Travel sells on the three bays.
| Halong Bay | Lan Ha Bay | Bai Tu Long Bay | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cruises Ava Travel sells | 37 | 49 | 10 |
| Median price, 2 days 1 night, per person (Ava Travel, Oct to Apr) | $150 | $165 | $158 |
| Cheapest, per person (Ava Travel) | $102 | $137 | $132 |
| Visit Sung Sot Cave | 28 of 37 | 0 | 0 |
| Stop at Ti Top Island | 23 of 37 | 0 | 0 |
| Kayaking in the programme | 25 of 37 | 38 of 49 | 8 of 10 |
| Balcony in every cabin | 16 of 37 | 38 of 49 | 2 of 10 |
| Usual pier | Tuan Chau | Tuan Chau | Ha Long International Port |
See the best Bai Tu Long Bay cruises and the best Lan Ha Bay cruises for ship by ship picks.
Is Halong Bay too touristy?
The classic route can be. 28 of the 37 Halong Bay cruises Ava Travel sells visit Sung Sot Cave and 23 stop at Ti Top Island, and day boats from the harbour use the same stops, so both are busy in high season. None of the Lan Ha Bay or Bai Tu Long Bay cruises Ava Travel sells go there; they visit quieter caves, lagoons and floating villages instead. If crowds worry you, choose Lan Ha or Bai Tu Long, or read how to avoid the crowds on a Halong Bay cruise.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better: Halong Bay, Lan Ha Bay or Bai Tu Long Bay?
Halong Bay for the famous caves and the lowest prices (median $150 per person at Ava Travel), Lan Ha Bay for kayaking and newer ships with balconies ($165), Bai Tu Long Bay for the quietest water ($158).
Is Halong Bay too touristy?
The main stops are: 28 of the 37 Halong Bay cruises Ava Travel sells visit Sung Sot Cave, which day boats also visit. Lan Ha Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay cruises skip those stops and are quieter.
Is Lan Ha Bay better than Halong Bay?
Not better, different. Lan Ha is better for kayaking, swimming and newer boats with balconies; Halong is better for the famous caves and the lowest prices. Many travellers who want a relaxed overnight on the water prefer Lan Ha.
Is Cat Ba the same as Lan Ha Bay?
No. Cat Ba is the big island; Lan Ha Bay is the sea and the small islands off its coast. Most Lan Ha cruises start from Tuan Chau in Ha Long and sail south, and 15 of the 49 we sell include a stop on Cat Ba.
Is Lan Ha Bay part of Halong Bay?
It is the southern continuation of the same limestone seascape. Lan Ha lies off Cat Ba Island in Hai Phong province, while Halong Bay is in Quang Ninh province; since 2023 both belong to one UNESCO World Heritage site, Ha Long Bay – Cat Ba Archipelago. Most Lan Ha cruises still start from Tuan Chau pier in Ha Long and sail south.
Is Lan Ha Bay less crowded?
It feels less crowded because the boats spread out over more small coves, but there are now more ships on Lan Ha than on Halong. For the fewest boats choose Bai Tu Long Bay.
How much does a Lan Ha Bay cruise cost?
On the 49 Lan Ha boats we sell, a 2 day 1 night cruise costs from $137 per person, with a middle price of $165 from October to April and $154 from May to September, all meals included. A 3 day 2 night cruise is about $315 in the middle of the range.
Can I see Halong Bay on a Lan Ha cruise?
You pass through part of it on the way from Tuan Chau, but you will not visit Sung Sot Cave or Titop Island. If those are a must, book a Halong Bay boat.
Book with Ava Travel
Every boat on our Lan Ha Bay cruises and Halong Bay cruises pages shows the real cabin photos and the price for your date. Pay securely online and we confirm your cabin and Hanoi pickup within one hour. Ranked lists: 10 best Lan Ha Bay cruises and 10 best Halong Bay cruises. Questions? WhatsApp +84 904 251 545.
