The Ha Long Bay City Guides deal with the questions every visit raises: whether an overnight cruise is worth it or a day boat will do, which route takes you to the big caves, where to find calmer water in Lan Ha and Bai Tu Long, and where to eat squid cake and crab noodle soup before the morning is over. Each guide is a short, honest list that tells you why a place earns its spot, what to order or look for and one useful tip, and it opens in your browser the moment you have paid.
About the Ha Long Bay City Guides
- 84 places
- 4 guides
- 7 languages
- Works offline
- Print or PDF
- Instant access
- Free updates
The four Ha Long Bay guides
Food guide
21 places
Hand-pounded squid cake, rice rolls and crab noodle soups for breakfast, live seafood you choose and watch being weighed, chè sweet soups and coffee, from Bai Chay and Hon Gai to Cat Ba and Van Don.
Things to do guide
20 places
How to choose your boat and route, the caves and the climb up Ti Top, the museum, bridge and cable car of Ha Long City, then Cat Ba’s national park, beaches and wartime hospital cave, plus Bai Tu Long.
Day trips guide
21 places
Beaches you can reach on your own, a day boat or an overnight cruise, Lan Ha Bay and Cat Ba Island, the floating village and islands of Bai Tu Long, Yen Tu and the best ways here from Hanoi.
Budget guide
22 places
The bay by shared boat and public ferry, market food at local prices, Cat Ba on a shoestring and the cheapest ways in from Hanoi.
Why an interactive guide beats a list
Tick places off
Mark each place as done and watch your progress, so you always know what is left.
Your own notes
Write notes on any place and add your own finds. They stay on your phone.
One tap to Maps
Every place opens in Google Maps, and the day route puts your picks in a sensible order.
Open now, near me
Filter by what is open right now or what is closest to you.
Works offline
Open the guide once with a connection and it keeps working without data.
Print it or save as PDF
On a computer, print any guide or save it as a PDF to take with you.
Three places from the guides
Bánh cuốn chả mực Gốc Bàng
Ngõ 1 Nhà Hát alley, Hon Gai
Ha Long’s best-known plate of squid-cake rice rolls, served in an alley beneath a banyan tree. The sheets are steamed as you watch, topped with slices of fried squid cake and dipped in warm fish sauce, and plenty of people go back for a second plate. From the food guide.
Ti Top Island
Route 2, about 1.5 hours by boat from Bai Chay
Around 400 steep steps, about 20 minutes of effort, lead to a pavilion with the postcard view over karsts and anchored boats. The name honours Gherman Titov, the Soviet cosmonaut who came here with Ho Chi Minh in 1962. From the things to do guide.
Bãi tắm Minh Châu
Quan Lan Island, Bai Tu Long Bay (boat from Van Don)
The finest sand within reach of Ha Long: a long white beach lined with casuarinas and water far clearer than at the town beaches. Quan Lan has hardly any traffic, just electric buggies and homestays serving seafood. From the beaches and day trips guide.
Plan your days in Ha Long Bay
Day one: buy a seat on a Route 2 boat at the International Cruise Port in Bai Chay for Sung Sot Cave and the climb up Ti Top Island, then ride the Queen Cable Car at Sun World in the evening and stroll back along the seafront. Day two: start with squid cake and rice rolls in Hon Gai, take the public ferry from Tuan Chau through the karsts to Cat Ba Island, head out on Lan Ha Bay from Bến Bèo pier and pick your seafood in the Cat Ba market food hall. For a rainy or slow day, spend a couple of hours in the Quang Ninh Museum, wander through Ha Long Market, sit over a coconut coffee with a view of the bridge and finish with a bowl of chè in Bai Chay.
Questions about the Ha Long Bay guides
What do the Ha Long Bay City Guides include?
Four guides covering 84 places: food, things to do, beaches and day trips, and budget. Every entry tells you why it is worth going, where it is, notes on opening and one tip you can actually use.
How do I get the guides after paying?
The links appear on your order confirmation page and in the email that follows. They open in the browser of any phone, tablet or laptop, with no app to install and no account to set up.
Can I use the Ha Long Bay guides without internet?
Yes. Open each guide once while you are online and it keeps working offline afterwards, ticks and notes included. Sending a place to maps needs mobile data.
Which languages are the Ha Long Bay guides available in?
The guides open in English, German, French, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and Korean. You can switch the language inside the guide at any time.
How much do the Ha Long Bay guides cost?
One guide is €4.99, two are €8.99 and the full set of four is €15.99.
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