Every part can be changed to suit your group.

1. Day 1 Hanoi to Bai Tu Long Bay

   Leave Hanoi between 8:00 and 8:30 am for Bai Chay, the gateway to Bai Tu Long Bay. Board a boat and cruise past coves and karst formations into the quieter corners of the bay. At Cap La, take to a kayak for one to two hours, paddling close to the limestone cliffs. In the late afternoon, the boat anchors at Cong Do for the night. Dinner is served on board as the light fades over the water, with the first night spent sleeping on the boat.

   
2. Day 2 Bai Tu Long Bay to Lan Ha Bay

   Wake to the bay in daylight before heading to Vung Vieng, a floating village where fishing families still live on the water. From there, return to Bai Chay and travel onward to Cai Beo wharf to board a traditional wooden junk into Lan Ha Bay. In the afternoon, kayak through the low tunnels of Ho Ba Ham into its sheltered lagoons, with a swim if the weather allows. Dinner is served on deck at sunset, followed by optional squid fishing or a night kayak among bioluminescent plankton. Overnight on board.

   
3. Day 3 Halong Bay to Viet Hai Village

   After breakfast, switch to a day boat and cruise into Halong Bay itself, weaving between limestone islands and sea caves. A one to two hour kayak brings you closer to the rock formations before midday. The boat then carries you to Viet Hai, a former fishing village inside Cat Ba National Park, where a short cycle of four to five kilometres leads through rice fields and forest to the village centre. The night is spent in a family-run lodge, surrounded by limestone peaks and jungle.

   
4. Day 4 Cat Ba National Park to Hanoi

   After breakfast, set out on a two hour hike into Cat Ba National Park, climbing to Navy Peak for views across the surrounding karst mountains. Afterwards, board a boat to pass through Beo floating village, watching fishing families go about their daily routines on the water. Around midday, begin the journey back to Hanoi, arriving at your hotel by about 5 pm. Navy Peak gives one of the best views in the Cat Ba archipelago, especially on a clear morning. The floating village of Beo is home to families who farm fish and shellfish in cages below their wooden houses, and the boat moves slowly so you can watch daily life and take photos.