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3. Ha Long Bay: Boat Trips and UNESCO Sites

  • Distance: 105 miles (170 km)
  • One-way trip duration: Around 2.5 hours
  • How to get there: if you want to do it in a day, a tour is the only way
Halong BayHalong BayPin
Rock Island, Halong BayRock Island, Halong BayPin

This isn’t an ideal day trip from Hanoi, because it’s far from Hanoi.

… but if you take a tour (and *only* if you take a tour), it’s possible to do it in one day.

This one in particular is the best tour possible—it doesn’t take you on the cable car ride (no tours will), but it gives you the rest of the area’s highlights.

Aside from Hanoi itself, Halong Bay is the most famous place in northern Vietnam.

An official UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s a maze-like mesh of water, islands, limestone peaks, mini mountains, and lots of outdoor fun. It’s sort of like a bigger version of Tam Coc, but much busier, much more well-known, and on water instead of on land.

Halong Bay, VietnamHalong Bay, VietnamPin

In total, the area is made up of more than 1,500 peaks and islands—and it’s all explored on boat trips (yep, boat trips are becoming a bit of a theme so far in this guide). During your boat ride (or boat rides) in Ha Long Bay, you’ll:

  • Eat local seafood
  • Swim and snorkel
  • See fishing villages
  • Find hidden caves
  • Spot a bunch of local wildlife

If you want to see the most famous day trip from Hanoi, this is the one for you. Yes, it’s touristy, but it’s absolutely worth the trip. And it offers some of the best natural beauty in all of Vietnam.

(Yes, in case you’re wondering: Ha Long Bay is exactly the same place as Halong Bay).

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