Getting there and away

Bus: In Ha Long bay, you can catch Hanoi-bound buses from Mien Tay bus station in Bai Chay, close to the Bai Chay bridge, every 15 minutes.
Buses to Hai Phong take you 2 hours and leave every 20 minutes from a bus station across the road from Mien Tay. Buses to NorthEasten destination leave from Hon Gai bus station.
Car and motorbike: Ha Long city is 170km from Hanoi, 55km from Hai Phong and 45 km from Cam Pha. The one way trip from Hanoi to Ha Long bay takes about 3 hours and a half by car.
Boat: There are daily slow boats connecting with Hai Phong (about three hours). There is also a daily boat connecting Hon Gai and Cat Hai Island but its departure times depend on the season and the number of visitors. There are occasional direct boats from Hon Gai to Cat Ba Island.
There are also services from Hon Gai and Bai Chay to Mong Cai (Chinese border) by hydrofoil.

Current types of tourism

- Travelling by boat: tourists can go to Ha Long Bay to view the landscape, visit the caves and grottoes and relax and go swimming on the sandy beaches of the limestone islands.
- Kayaking: a romantic and adventurous kind of tourism. A large boat carries small inflatable canoes or kayaks to deserted, almost unknown areas of the Bay. Visitors can paddle by themselves to explore remote wild islands and caves.
- Cultural-historical tourism: tours for people interested in culture and archaeology. They stay a longer time in Ha Long to visit archaeological remains, study tangible and intangible culture and experience the beautiful land and seascapes, along with the outstanding geological and historical sites.
- Eco-tourism on Ha Long Bay: visitors can visit isolated ecosystems with beautiful sandy beaches, tidal flats, mangroves, coastal wetlands and coral reefs.

Routes on the Bay

There is a variety of different and attractive tours on the Bay. Tourists can choose their favorite tour to visit popular caves, grottoes and beautiful islands.

+ Tour Routes and their duration:

- Route 1: Tourist Wharf, Thien Cung Grotto, Dau Go Cave, Dinh Huong Islet, Ga Choi Islet (3-4 hours)
- Route 2: Tourist Wharf, Thien Cung Grotto, Dau Go Cave, Dinh Huong Islet, Ga Choi Islet, Sung Sot Grotto, Ti Tov Beach (7-8 hours).
- Route 3: Tourist Wharf, Me Cung Cave, Sung Sot Grotto, Ti Tov Beach (7-8 hours).
- Route 4: Tourist Wharf, Tam Cung Cave, Sung Sot Cave, Luon Cave (7-8 hours).
- Route 5: Tourist Wharf, Bai Tu Long, Ngoc Vung Island, Quan Lan Island (2days/ 1 night).

+ Timetable for tourists visiting caves and grottoes on the Bay:

Name of cave(s)Summer

From April 1-Sep. 30Winter
From Oct. 1-March 31
Thien Cung-Dau Go7:30a.m-5:00p.m8:00a.m-4:30p.m.
Sung Sot-Ti Top-Tam Cung8:00a.m-5:00p.m.8:30a.m-4:30p.m.
Me Cung8:30a.m-4:30p.m.9:00a.m-4:30p.m.

Restaurants

In Ha Long, there is a wide range of restaurants including budget restaurants, seafood restaurants, as well as good European and Chinese restaurants. In the center of Baichay tourist area, superior restaurants are often located around the beach area and in the large hotels. Along Ha Long Street are many clean restaurants
European restaurants
1. Hoang Gia
In the area of the park, Ha Long Street, Bai Chay
Tel: 033.3845.913
2. Heritage Ha Long Restaurant in the Heritage Hotel
Ha Long Street, Bai Chay
Tel: 033.3845.020
3. Ha Long Plaza Restaurant in the Ha Long Plaza Hotel
Tel: 033. 3845.810
4. Ha Long Restaurant in the Ha Long Hotel
Tel: 033. 3846.321
Chinese Restaurants
Quan Hai Lau Next to Bai Chay Tourist Wharf
Tel: 033.3847.037
The restaurant has 250 seats, (in different rooms aurants, offering seafood specialties and Vietnamese dishes)
Seafood specialty restaurants
1. Sea Food Restaurant in Ha Long Street, Bai Chay
Tel: 033.3845.822
2. Thu Huong Restaurant, in Ha Long Street, Bai Chay
Tel: 033.3845.142

Cafes

Apart from bars and cafes in the larger hotels, there are many other cafes:
- Trung Nguyen Cafe No 1, Nguyen Van Cu Street, Ha Long City.
- Trung Nguyen cafe No 2, Cong Doan Hotel, Ha Long Street, Bai Chay.
- House on Stilts cafe, "ruou can" (rice wine drunk out of a jar through pipes)in Thang Long hotel.
Tel: 033.3847276
- Noinho Cafe, 10 Tran Hung Dao Road, Ha Long City
Tel: 033.3628027, 033.3629128.
There are numerous cafes and refreshment locations in Ha Long Street (Bai Chay) and Le Thanh Tong Street (Hon Gai).