The Best Time to Visit Bai Tu Long Bay: Seasons, Storms and Holidays
Clear skies from September to November, sun in April and May, mist from December to March, storms mostly June to September. Holidays and surcharges to avoid.
For a cruise on Bái Tử Long Bay, October, November, April and May are the months to aim for. VNAT, Vietnam’s tourism authority, describes autumn on Ha Long Bay as “cool with clear skies” and spring as “sunshine and a refreshing breeze”, and both sit outside the main storm months. September is clear too, but storms can close the bay at short notice, mostly from June to September. From December to March mist drifts in. VNAT says it makes the bay look “all the more mysterious”, but don’t go then for long, clear views.
Whatever the month, book a cruise you can cancel: every cruise on this site can be cancelled free up to 24 hours ahead. The most-reviewed is DGB Travel & Event Company’s two-day cruise, from $145 on the booking platform when we checked and rated 4.7 from 1,638 reviews. From 1 October to 30 April it adds a peak-season surcharge of $10 a person, paid on the day.
The year on the bay
| Months | What VNAT says | Also worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| September to November | “cool with clear skies” | Storm risk lasts into September; peak surcharges start on 1 October |
| December to March | Mist, “making the bay look all the more mysterious” | Lunar New Year (Tết) falls on 6 February 2027 |
| April and May | “sunshine and a refreshing breeze” | Crowds at the 30 April to 1 May holiday; peak surcharges end on 30 April |
| June to August | “the monsoon season can make visits unpredictable” | Storm closures in July and August 2026 |
The operators keep their own calendar. Five listings here charge a peak-season surcharge from 1 October to 30 April, $10 to $20 a person, and nine of the eleven add holiday surcharges for Christmas, New Year, Lunar New Year or national holidays. Ha Long Bay Lux Cruises - Marvel Travel even changes its route by season: kayaking and swimming at Cong Do from April to October, Vung Vieng fishing village from November to March.
Storm season and closures
The province decides when boats sail, and it acts at short notice. In early July 2026 the bay closed ahead of storm No. 1 and reopened at 14:00 on 5 July. On 22 August, Quang Ninh banned boats from the sea from 7 a.m., Ha Long Bay’s tour boats included. Typhoon Yagi, which made landfall on 7 September 2024, sank more than 20 tourist boats, and the Ha Long International Cruise Port reopened on 11 September. Summer squalls arrive fast too: on 19 July 2025 the tour boat Vịnh Xanh 58 capsized in a sudden thunderstorm in Ha Long Bay, and 39 people died.
Every cruise here can be cancelled free up to 24 hours ahead, but none of the listings says what happens when the authorities close the bay. Ask the seller before you book whether a closure gets you a new date or a refund. In storm season, keep a spare day if the cruise is the point of your trip, and expect plans to change on the water as well: in August 2026, bad weather changed one three-day group’s cruise programme. Wear a life jacket in the kayak and whenever the crew asks.
Holidays and crowds
Ha Long Bay took more than 3.4 million visitors in 2025, and Vietnamese holidays add domestic crowds on top. On one day of the 30 April to 1 May holiday in 2026 the bay counted 18,500 visitors, while Quang Ninh as a whole took 810,000 over three days. The other dates to watch are 2 September, National Day, and Tết, the Lunar New Year, on 6 February 2027. “There were many disruptions due to the TET holiday,” a February 2026 reviewer wrote.
The crowds head for the central caves first. Thien Canh Son, the busiest stop on the cruises’ route 4, had about 74,000 visits in 2024 against 1.85 million at Sung Sot, so on a holiday weekend the quieter eastern side is worth even more.
When to avoid Ha Long Bay
- Storm days, mostly June to September, when the bay can close at short notice.
- 30 April to 1 May, 2 September and Tết (6 February 2027), for crowds and surcharges.
- Christmas and New Year, for surcharges.
- December to March, if clear views are the point.
If you can choose, go in October or November for clear skies after the storm months, or in May, once the holiday is over and the peak surcharge has ended.
Check dates for the two-day cruise
Bai Tu Long Bay vs Ha Long Bay explains where the cruises go, the day cruise guide covers a trip without the night, and is a Bai Tu Long Bay cruise worth it weighs it up. Every cruise is on the homepage.
Sources: VNAT; Quang Ninh’s closure notices, as reported by Lao Động, CafeF and 24h.com.vn; VnExpress, Nhân Dân and Vietnam News on Typhoon Yagi and the July 2025 capsizing; Thanh Tra and CafeF for visitor numbers; the eleven listings and their reviews. Checked October 2026.
Book DGB's Two-Day Bai Tu Long Cruise
One night on the quiet eastern side of Ha Long Bay: kayaking around Cap La, the night at the Cong Do anchorage and Thien Canh Son cave in the morning, with four meals, a guide and the bay's entrance fees included. Rated 4.7/5 from 1,638 reviews, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Drinks are extra, and from 1 October to 30 April DGB adds $10 a person, paid on the day.
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