The 15 Best Vietnam Boat Tours

1.Ha Long Bay Day Cruise – Swimming, Meal, Kayaking

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 7,415 reviews · from $41Our pick

Leave Hanoi by modern bus for a full day on Ha Long Bay. Cruise from Tuan Chau Harbor, visit Sung Sot Cave, kayak or take a bamboo boat through Luon Cave, swim or hike on Titop Island, and finish with wine and fruit at sunset. Guides such as Sunny, Alex, Ken, and Tom are praised for their energy and clear explanations.

“Sunny really showed all the places very well and his humorous is very funny and keep us very lively. Thank you Sunny.”

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2.Basket Boat Ride in the Coconut Forest

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 4,956 reviews · 50 minutes - 3 hours · from $3Best value

Spend about 50 minutes in a round basket boat on Hoi An’s Bay Mau Coconut Forest. Your local guide may show you crab fishing, net casting, and how to paddle, with optional boat spinning and photos. Early morning departures are cooler and quieter. Guides speak English, Vietnamese, and Chinese.

“Quick smooth pickup/return from our hotel, and trip lasted about 2 hours in total. We had a really fun time in the basket boat ride in Coconut Forest - lots of fun photo stops from our guide, who also videoed our boat spinning too (the spinning itself was an extra 150,000vnd for 2 people, which was well worth it) They also had a professional photographer stationed on the water, and it was only 100,000VND for all the digital photos! Really recommend trip for anyone in Hoi an.”

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3.Ninh Binh Full-Day Tour from Hanoi to Hoa Lu, Tam Coc & Mua Cave Via Boat & Bike

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4,384 reviews · from $33Top rated

Leave Hanoi at 7:45 a.m. for Hoa Lu, a short village bike ride, a 1.5-hour Tam Coc boat trip, and Mua Cave’s nearly 500 steps. An English-speaking guide such as Sunny, Linh, or Viet leads the day, with buffet lunch, bus transfers, and bikes included. Plan extra cash for entrance fees.

“Pick up offered from hotel or Hanoi Opera House, free bottle of water followed by intro and plan for the day. Guide was a positive person, althought he tried to frighten travellers and convince them the bus was headed to Cambodia (some peoRead more”

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4.Amanda Cruise – Ha Long, Lan Ha Bay – All Inclusive 2D1N & 3D2N

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4,358 reviews · from $56

Take a 2-day, 1-night Amanda Cruise from Hanoi through Ha Long or Lan Ha Bay, with cave visits, kayaking, swimming, Tai Chi, cooking, and squid fishing. Guides such as Alex, Dan, Hannah, and Anna have earned praise, but boat assignments, cabin quality, food, and route can vary, so confirm the exact ship and itinerary before paying.

“We have marked this down one star as the company emailed us with one day's notice to say they were changing our boat to the Hera Grand. The reason being that the one that had previously been confirmed to us was then allocated to a larger group that had come in. That may be good business for them, but isn't customer friendly for people who have booked so far in advance. Other than that, we still enjoyed the trip. The cabin was very nice and the food was excellent. All staff were efficient, friendly and approachable. One big drawback was the lack of internet, even though it is advertised as…”

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5.Cooking Class Hoi An:Local Market, Basket Boat, Fishing & Cooking

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3,660 reviews · from $28

Spend about 4.5 hours exploring Hoi An’s market, riding a bamboo basket boat through Cam Thanh’s nipa palms, trying net fishing, and cooking four Vietnamese dishes. Guides such as Hai, Ly, Lily, and Phuong lead the class, which includes hotel pickup, a welcome drink, bottled water, recipes, and a full meal.

“This is a great experience and our Chef guide was so good a 5 star Chef The market tour and coconut boat ride was good and we got to eat the food we made so great value too”

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6.Cozy Bay Halong 5-Star Day Cruise, Buffet, Cave, Kayak, Swimming

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3,512 reviews · from $48

Spend 11 to 12 hours traveling from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay by comfortable shuttle, then cruise among limestone islands. You’ll visit Surprising Cave, climb Ti Top Island, kayak or ride a bamboo boat, and enjoy a buffet lunch and sunset snack party. Guides such as Minh, Tim, Duc, and Max are often praised for clear communication.

“Stunning views, peaceful waters, and amazing food—Ha Long Bay cruise is an unforgettable escape!!!!!”

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7.2-Day Halong & Lan Ha Bay 5-Star Cruise with Balcony

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 3,300 reviews · from $188

Spend one night aboard a 5-star cruise through Ha Long and Lan Ha bays, with a private ocean-view balcony cabin, meals, kayaking, swimming, cave visits, tai chi, spring-roll making, and squid fishing. English-speaking guides such as Jackie, Mike, Tom, and Duy have helped make the trip feel personal, while the short schedule keeps the cruise easy to fit into a Vietnam itinerary.

“the cruise was absolutely amazing! the boat is beautiful and the room very comfortable. the activity were even better than I imagine . the food is delicious and served like in a gastronomic restaurants. finally the crew is adorable and present any time day and night to answer at your demande especially miss hao she is the best!! I recommend you this cruse so much , it worth every penny”

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8.CuChi Tunnels&Mekong Delta-Boat,TukTuk,Coconut Village SmallGroup

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3,113 reviews · from $32

Spend about 11 hours visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta from Ho Chi Minh City. Crawl through a tunnel, see wartime traps, ride motorboats and sampans, visit a coconut village, taste tropical fruit and honey tea, and enjoy Vietnamese lunch and traditional music. Guides such as Xem, Jackie, and Lockie are noted for lively storytelling.

“Great day exploring the Cu Chi tunnels learning about war history as well as a very relaxing afternoon on the Mekong Delta seeing the local way of life. We had an amazing guide Mr Toan who gave us a thorough explanation of everything during the day and went out of his way every time to provide good service. Mr T ensured we experienced everything on the itinerary despite a slightly late start. A very enjoyable day out!”

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9.Mon Chéri Cruise 5 star: Unique 2 Days Tuan Chau – Halong bay – Lan Ha Bay

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,422 reviews · from $195

Spend two days aboard Mon Chéri Cruises among the islands and caves of Lan Ha and Halong Bays. You’ll enjoy meals, an overnight suite, kayaking, swimming, a bamboo boat ride, cooking, squid fishing, and sunrise views. The cruise leaves from Got Pier near Hai Phong, with Hanoi limousine transfers available for an extra $20 each way.

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10.Paradise Elegance Cruise 2 days 1 night Halong Bay Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,403 reviews · from $609 per boat, seats 2

You spend two days aboard Paradise Elegance, a classic wooden cruise boat with 17 air-conditioned cabins. Expect lunch, dinner, breakfast, Tai Chi, island views, and an optional Sung Sot Cave, Ti Top Island, or kayaking visit. Hanoi transfers and spa treatments cost extra.

“What a different a day made. We had an amazing 24 hours during this overnight cruises. Good schedule, good food and good services.”

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11.Doris Cruise 5 star cruise 2 days visiting Halong Bay Lan Ha Bay private balcony

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,338 reviews · from $235

Spend one night aboard Doris Cruise, sailing from Hanoi to Halong and Lan Ha Bays. You get a private balcony, onboard meals, kayaking or a rowboat, swimming, tai chi, a cooking class, and a Dark and Bright Cave visit. Staff members including Emily, Mona, and Jessica are often assigned to guest care.

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12.HCM: Mekong Delta Islands Boat & Tuk-Tuk Tour with Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 2,285 reviews · 9 hours · from $14

Spend nine hours traveling from Ho Chi Minh City to My Tho and Ben Tre by air-conditioned van, motorboat, rowboat, tuk-tuk, and bicycle. Visit Vinh Trang Pagoda, four Mekong islands, a bee farm, coconut candy workshop, and village orchards. Guides such as Steve, Phong, Lam, and Little Trung add history and humor to this excellent-value day.

“It was a great experience! Our guide did all the best and told us a lot about the places we visited and country, was very attentive and polite. Thank you!”

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14.Market Tour, Basket Boat Ride and Cooking Class

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 2,208 reviews · from $17

Meet your English-speaking guide at the Ivegan shop for a Hoi An market visit, a 40-minute bamboo basket boat ride through water coconut palms, and a rural cooking class. Guides such as Anna, Thao, Linh, and Thuy lead hands-on lessons covering dishes such as bánh xèo, phở, steamed rice rolls, and chè.

“We had such a fantastic time on this tour! Thao was so kind and helpful, making it an experience we will remember for a long time & take the delicious recipes back to Ireland! Thank you again Thao 💗”

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15.CozyBay Cruise-The Best Small Group 2D/1N inHalong-All inclusive

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,199 reviews · from $122

Cruise Ha Long Bay for two days and one night from Hanoi in a group of up to 23 people. Expect Sung Sot Cave, Ti Top Island, kayaking, a pearl farm, sunset views, a cooking class, squid fishing, and shared meals. Guides such as Tam, James, Michael, and Charlie have helped make this budget cruise especially social and well organized.

“We had a great time, all the activities were so fun. Our time went so fast we would definitely do it again.”

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