Hanoi Cruise

A Hanoi cruise is more than transport. It is a way to relax while the skyline or coastline unfolds around you. From short sunset sails to multi-hour voyages, cruises create an experience that blends leisure and sightseeing. MakeMyTrip has over 84 cruise experiences in Hanoi for 2025, offering both budget-friendly and luxury options. Onboard, travellers can enjoy dining, live music or cultural shows that make the journey just as exciting as the destination. Open decks are perfect for photography and sea breezes, while indoor lounges provide space to sit back in comfort. Cruise booking prices start from INR 340 on MakeMyTrip and give access to a variety of packages. This December, set out on a cruise trip in Hanoi and see the city from a completely new angle.

Hanoi Cruises: Gateway to Halong Bay

Introduction

Hanoi isn’t on the coast, yet it’s where most Halong Bay trips start. Travellers are picked up from the Old Quarter in the morning, the noise of scooters fading as the highway runs east. After a few hours, the city feels distant. Fishing villages and karst cliffs start to appear, and the water takes over the landscape.

The Hanoi cruises vary. Some are short day runs with a seafood lunch and a quick kayak stop. Others keep going until sunset, when the bay turns copper and the limestone pillars cast long shadows. Boats with cabins stay out overnight, so you wake up on the water with nothing but the sound of waves. Each option has a different rhythm, but all of them feel like a break from Hanoi’s pace.

Types of Cruises in Hanoi

Day Cruises

The quickest way to see Halong Bay from Hanoi. Travellers are picked up early, driven to the pier, and spend four to six hours on the water. Lunch is served on board, with stops for kayaking or a cave visit before returning to the city at night.

Sunset Cruises

These start later in the day, timing the sail to catch the bay at dusk. Limestone cliffs glow orange, and dinners are often included. Ideal for travellers who don’t want a full overnight but still want to see Halong under its best light.

Overnight Cruises

The classic Halong experience. Cabins on board, meals included, and a slower pace. Hanoi boat cruise moors in peaceful bays, and mornings start with Tai Chi on deck or a swim before breakfast.

Luxury Cruises

​​Modern ships boast wider decks, private balconies, and great dining. Some even provide spa treatments in between tourist excursions.

Adventure Cruises

Trips that focus on activities, kayaking, climbing, swimming, with more time spent off the boat than on it. Good for travellers who want more than just the view.

Popular Cruises in Hanoi

Halong Bay Day Cruise from Hanoi

The day starts with an early pick-up in Hanoi, with the metropolis gradually giving way to peaceful roadways and views of rice fields. By late morning you’re stepping onto a boat in Halong, watching the limestone cliffs rise taller with every turn. This cruise in Hanoi runs at an easy pace, a seafood lunch on deck, time to paddle a kayak into small caves, and a few hours just drifting between the karsts. It’s enough to see why the bay is called a natural wonder, without needing to stay overnight.

• Duration: About 10 to 12 hours including transfers
• Timings: Pick-up around 8 am in Hanoi, return close to 8 pm
• Route highlights: Halong Bay limestone cliffs, Sung Sot Cave or Thien Cung Cave, floating villages, kayaking spots
• Inclusions: Round-trip transfer from Hanoi, buffet seafood lunch, kayaking or bamboo boat ride, guide on board
• Starting price: From INR 3,200 per person
• Boarding point: Hanoi Old Quarter hotel pick-up, transfer to Halong pier

Halong Bay Sunset Dinner Cruise

By late afternoon the bay changes mood. The water cools, fishing boats return to shore, and the cliffs throw long shadows across the surface. This Hanoi cruise is timed for that shift. Guests settle on deck with a drink while the boat drifts between karsts, the sky turning orange and pink. Dinner follows; fresh seafood served as the sun slips behind the limestone towers. It’s unhurried, quiet, and best suited for travellers who want atmosphere without the overnight stay.

• Duration: About 6 hours including transfers
• Timings: Pick-up from Hanoi around 2 pm, return by 9 pm
• Route highlights: Halong Bay at sunset, limestone cliffs, fishing boats heading in for the night
• Inclusions: Transfers from Hanoi, seafood dinner on board, welcome drink, guide on board
• Starting price: From INR 3,900 per person
• Boarding point: Hanoi Old Quarter hotel pick-up, transfer to Halong pier

Overnight Halong Bay Cruise from Hanoi (Reworked Again)

Staying out on the bay overnight feels different from the day runs. Once the smaller boats turn back, the water goes quiet. Dinner is simple but good, fresh fish, rice, fruit, eaten while the cliffs fade into dark shapes. Later the boat barely moves, just the sound of water tapping against the hull. Morning is another scene altogether: mist hanging low, people stretching through Tai Chi on the top deck, coffee warming cold hands before breakfast.

• Duration: Two days, one night
• Timings: Pick-up in Hanoi about 8 am on Day 1, return to the city by mid-afternoon the following day
• Route highlights: Halong Bay cliffs, cave visits, kayaking stops, sunrise on the water
• Inclusions: Transfers from Hanoi, cabin with ensuite, meals on board, guided activities, Tai Chi session at dawn
• Starting price: From INR 8,500 per person
• Boarding point: Hotel pick-up in Hanoi Old Quarter with transfer to Halong pier

Luxury Halong Bay Cruise from Hanoi

The difference shows the moment you step on board. Wide decks, private balconies, air-conditioned cabins, and the boats feel more like floating hotels than ferries. Meals are plated, not served from a buffet, and in between stops there’s time for spa treatments or cocktails on the sun deck. The bay itself is the same, but the pace slows down with fewer passengers, quieter evenings, and more room to take it in. For travellers who want comfort without losing the scenery, this Hanoi cruise is the way to do it.

• Duration: 2 days, 1 night (longer itineraries also available)
• Timings: Pick-up from Hanoi hotels around 8 am, return by 3 pm the following day
• Route highlights: Halong Bay limestone towers, Sung Sot Cave, Ti Top Island, quiet anchorages for the night
• Inclusions: Private cabin with balcony, fine dining meals, spa and bar access, kayaking and cave excursions
• Starting price: From INR 12,000 per person
• Boarding point: Hotel pick-up in Hanoi Old Quarter with transfer to Halong pier

What to Keep in Mind

Season and weather

The best months to sail are October to April. The skies are clearer, and the bay stays calm. Summer trips still run, but heavy rain or sudden fog can shorten routes or cut out activities.

Trip length

Day Hanoi cruises are the quickest, with about ten to twelve hours including transfers. Sunset trips run shorter, perfect if you don’t want to stay overnight. Overnight cruises give you the full experience, with quiet evenings on deck and sunrise over the cliffs.

Cost range

Budget day cruises start around a few thousand rupees. Sunset and overnight Hanoi cruises options cost more, especially those with private cabins. Luxury sailings add spa access and plated meals, so prices climb higher.

What is included

Always examine the inclusions. Some packages include transfers, food, and activities such as kayaking. Others may merely include the boat ride and a simple supper.

Transfers

Most MakeMyTrip packages include hotel pick-up in the Old Quarter and a bus transfer to Halong Bay. The ride takes about three to four hours each way.

Where to Book on MakeMyTrip

• MakeMyTrip lists Hanoi cruises, covering day trips, sunset sails, overnight stays and luxury packages.
• Each listing spells out the details clearly: meals, transfers, cabins, and activities such as kayaking or cave visits.
• Once booked, the confirmation is sent by email and also appears in the app.
• Private and premium sailings sometimes follow up with extra details after booking, such as menu choices or spa timings.