Halong Bay is possibly the most popular place to visit in Hanoi given that it is a UNESCO world heritage site and just absolutely a natural wonder – which made the entire tour enjoyably satisfying.

Since I am traveling alone, I booked my Halong Bay Tour with Klook to join a tour. There are numerous offers for the Halong Bay tour – from day tours to 3-day cruises. Considering that I only have 2 days to spend in Hanoi, I booked a day tour with Dragonfly Cruise.

The tour started with the tour guide picking us up from our respective hotels. The bus was very spacious and comfortable so the ride to the port was a bliss even though it actually takes 3-4 hours.

Before going to the harbor, we had a quick stopover at Hong Ngoc Shopping Centre where you can buy specialty items which are 100% handmade. This shopping center is designed to offer training to victims of Agent Orange in order to provide them with a living.

This is where I bought my sun hat for 120,000 VND (~250 Php). They also sell traditional Vietnamese clothings, silk thread paintings, jewelries, and other handcrafted souvenirs.

It was around noon when we got to the Tuan Chau International Marina where we boarded our boat to cruise along Halong Bay.

Each of us guests were given this Halong Bay Sightseeing ticket with numbered stubs for each activity that we will do.

As we board the boat, our tour guide had a little reiteration of the activities we’re about to do. And then – seafood lunch! I was not able to take a photo of our food but we had lots – a variety of seafood (fish, shrimp, squid), egg rolls, veggies and many more. We were all definitely full and happy.

The view was really nice and very relaxing. We were lucky to have a good weather all throughout the day.

Halong bay is known for its emerald waters and islands filled with limestones and topped with rainforrests which makes every view scenic.

Part of our itinerary is to visit Dong Thien Cung, aka, Heaven Cave.

Dong Thien Cung is famous for its stalagmites and stalactites which comes in different forms and shapes: birds, fishes, flowers, dragons – you just have to keep your imagination alive!

After trekking into and out of the cave, we got a chance to kayak or ride a wooden boat along the bay. My tour friends and I opted for the boat since we’re all not prepared to get wet and risk in on the kayak. The experience brings you closer to nature. I was actually reminded of Palawan.

After the kayak/boat activity, we went back to the harbor and got back on our buses. The tour concludes with us going back to Hanoi with the majestic view of the sunset.

The tour was fun and fulfilling. What’s even better is I got to be friends with another solo traveler, Ivy. She’s actually the one who took almost all of my photos on this tour, see you again, Ivy!

Thanks for joining me today, I hope you found this post informative. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments section below.