What Is the Best Bai Tu Long Bay Cruise? The One-Night Boats Side by Side
We found no ranking of the Bai Tu Long boats, so here are the five one-night cruises on reviews, inclusions and add-ons, and what a $125 to $169 price becomes.
No source we found ranks the Bái Tử Long Bay cruises, so choose on what the data shows. Five cruises on this site spend one night in the Cong Do area, the quieter eastern side of Ha Long Bay that cruise lines call Bai Tu Long. DGB Travel & Event Company’s has by far the most reviews, 1,638 at 4.7. The best rating backed by real volume belongs to Ha Long Bay Lux Cruises - Marvel Travel: 4.9 from 258 reviews, with the lowest from-price of the five, $125 on the booking platform when we checked.
That’s the one we’d book for a first night. The cabin has a private balcony, and the plan follows the season: kayaking in the Cong Do area from April to October, with a swim when the weather and the rules allow, or Vung Vieng fishing village from November to March. Next morning a tender takes you to Thien Canh Son for about half an hour. “We went further away from the other cruise boats to a quieter part of the bay,” a January 2026 reviewer wrote.
The five one-night cruises
| Seller | From | Rating | Hanoi transfer | Single cabin | Stops listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ha Long Bay Lux Cruises - Marvel Travel | $125 | 4.9 (258) | $25 | +$80 | Cong Do or Vung Vieng by season, Thien Canh Son |
| Anh Tourist Hanoi Travel | $140 | 4.6 (44) | Unclear, so confirm | Fee not stated | Cap La, Cong Do overnight, Vung Vieng |
| DGB Travel & Event Company | $145 | 4.7 (1,638) | 7:40 shuttle, an option | +$60 | Cap La, Thien Canh Son, Hon Co beach |
| Halong Bay Renea Cruise | $151 | 4.6 (39) | $30 | +$75 | None listed |
| SWAN BAY GROUP | $169 | 4.9 (14) | $30, or the Super-Saver option | +$70 | Cap La, Thien Canh Son |
The booking platform’s “from” prices per person, October 2026.
What sets each one apart
DGB Travel & Event Company has the volume. Its cruise kayaks at Cap La on the first afternoon and visits the cave and the Hon Co beach next morning. “The mistake we made was thinking to pack light but this is not needed,” an April 2026 reviewer wrote.
Anh Tourist Hanoi Travel says outright that it anchors for the night at Cong Do, and next morning a local fisherman rows you round Vung Vieng. Its description includes a pick-up from your Hanoi hotel while its exclusions list the shuttle bus, so confirm which before you book.
Halong Bay Renea Cruise lists no stops and excludes the entrance ticket, which on route 4 with one night is 500,000 dong a person. Ask the seller for the route and the fee.
SWAN BAY GROUP calls its cruise “All Inclusive”. Meals, activities, entrance fees, taxes and service charges are included; beverages, tips and personal expenses aren’t. Guests meet at the port at 11:45 and reach the boat by tender; passport details are due two days ahead. Its 14 reviews are the smallest sample here.
None of the five listings says how many guests its boat takes. Reviewers mention an 8-cabin boat with Anh Tourist Hanoi Travel and 20 people aboard with Renea, and a Marvel Travel guest who sailed in the rain after a holiday had “8 guests vs 20-25”.
About “five-star”
Vietnam’s national standard for tourist accommodation boats, TCVN 9372:2012, has five grades, from one star to five. Two listings here put “5 Star” in their titles, and one of DGB’s options claims more stars than the scale has. We haven’t seen a certificate for any boat on this site, so read “five-star” as the operator’s own label. The province wants its overnight boats at three stars or more.
How much should a cruise cost?
On this site, one night costs $125 to $169 a person and two nights $312 to $316, before extras. The from-price usually covers the cabin, meals, kayaking, a guide and the bay fee, which for route 4 with one night at Cong Do is 500,000 dong a person (October 2026). Every listing leaves out drinks beyond a welcome drink and water.
Then come the extras: a Hanoi transfer ($25 to $30 where it’s priced), a single cabin ($60 to $80), holiday surcharges, and on two of the five a peak-season surcharge from 1 October to 30 April, $10 with DGB and $13 with Marvel Travel. So Marvel Travel’s $125 becomes $163 a person with the limousine in peak season, plus a $19 charge the operator calls government VAT, plus drinks. Its itinerary names Tuan Chau Marina as the boarding point, so confirm the pier. It also wants passport details in advance and isn’t suitable for wheelchair users.
For a first night on the quiet side, with a balcony and the lowest from-price, book the Marvel Travel cruise.
Check dates for the balcony-cabin cruise
Which boat for whom
Ha Long Bay Lux Cruises - Marvel Travel
Cong Do or Vung Vieng by season, then the cave by tender. Limousine and "VAT" extra.
Check dates →DGB Travel & Event Company
A kayak at Cap La, then the cave and the Hon Co beach next morning.
See the cruise →Anh Tourist Hanoi Travel
Cap La, a night at Cong Do, Vung Vieng with a local rower. Confirm the Hanoi shuttle.
See the cruise →Prices, ratings and review counts from our October 2026 data check; operators use seasonal pricing, so treat them as the shape of the market, not a quote.
Want two nights? Bai Tu Long Bay in 3 days and 2 nights compares the longer cruises, and the day cruise guide covers a trip without the night. Every cruise is on the homepage.
Sources: the five listings and their reviews; the bay management board’s fees; Vietnam’s TCVN 9372:2012 standard; VNAT. Checked October 2026.
Book the Two-Day Cruise with a Balcony Cabin
Ha Long Bay Lux Cruises - Marvel Travel's one-night cruise: a private-balcony cabin, Cong Do from April to October or Vung Vieng from November to March, and Thien Canh Son by tender next morning. The limousine from Hanoi ($25), drinks and a $19 'government VAT' are extra; confirm the boarding pier.
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