Vietnam Tour PackagesNinh Binh Ha Long Bay 2 Day Tour from Hanoi
This ninh binh ha long bay 2 day tour packs two of northern Vietnam's headline landscapes into 2 days and 1 night at $168 per person. Day 1 runs from your Hanoi Old Quarter hotel to Bai Dinh Temple, the Trang An boat ride and the 500 steps of Mua Caves, and you sleep in a Ninh Binh homestay with a pool. Day 2 is a full day on a Ha Long Bay cruise with kayaking, Sung Sot Cave, Ti Top Island and a sunset party, then back to Hanoi by about 9 PM. All meals and entrance fees are in the price. This page sets out exactly what is included, what is not, and who should book a different trip from the comparison of Vietnam tour packages.
About This Tour
DGB Indochinatodaytravel runs this two-day trip on GetYourGuide, where it holds 19 verified reviews at 4.8 out of 5. You travel in a shared group by limousine bus and air-conditioned vehicle, with an English-speaking guide covering both Ninh Binh and Ha Long Bay.
The structure matters for your booking decision. There is no night on a cruise boat. The single overnight is in a Ninh Binh homestay with a pool, and Ha Long Bay is a full-day cruise that returns to Hanoi. Pickup is between 07:30 and 08:00 at hotels in the Hanoi Old Quarter only, and the tour ends back at your Old Quarter hotel by about 9 PM on day 2.
$168 per person, the price shown is for one adult
2 days and 1 night
07:30 to 08:00 from your hotel in the Hanoi Old Quarter, central Hanoi accommodation only
Shared group, group size not stated, live English-speaking guide
1 night in a Ninh Binh homestay with a pool, no night on a cruise boat
Drinks beyond mineral water, tips for the guide and driver, a US$15 single supplement for solo travelers and a 10% surcharge for National Day
Check Dates and Availability
Starting times are shown when you check availability, the listing does not fix a departure hour in advance. Reserve now and pay later is supported, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
Quick answer The short answer
This ninh binh ha long bay 2 day tour costs $168 per person for 2 days with pickup between 07:30 and 08:00 in the Hanoi Old Quarter. It includes all meals, all entrance fees, a Ninh Binh homestay night with a pool and a full-day Ha Long Bay cruise ending in Hanoi by about 9 PM. Free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before departure.
Key takeaways
- The night is in a homestay, not on a boat. If you want a cruise cabin, see the 3-Day Ninh Binh and Lan Ha Bay Cruise.
- Drinks, tips, the US$15 single supplement and a 10% National Day surcharge are extra. Details in what the price covers.
- Mua Caves means about 500 stone steps. Compare the fuller 6-Day Ha Long, Ninh Binh and Sapa Tour if you want more days.
- See how this trip sits against Vietnam package tours on the homepage.
What the Price Actually Covers
The $168 covers transport, guiding, fees, meals and the homestay night. Several real costs sit outside it, so read this before you book rather than after.
What Is Included
The listing states the full Ninh Binh day and the full Ha Long day are covered, with hotel pickup and drop-off in the Hanoi Old Quarter, limousine buses between Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Ha Long, an electric car at Bai Dinh Pagoda and the wooden boat at Trang An. All entrance fees are included, as are kayaking and swimming in Ha Long Bay, the sunset party on the boat, insurance on board and all activities. You get an English-speaking guide for both days and all meals: 2 lunches, 1 dinner and 1 breakfast.
Mineral water is provided on the bus and at the homestay.
- Bai Dinh Temple with the electric car
- Trang An boat trip and Mua Caves
- Full-day Ha Long cruise with Sung Sot Cave, Luon Cave kayaking and Ti Top Island
- 1 homestay night, all meals, all entrance fees
What You Pay Extra
Drinks other than mineral water are extra, as are tips for the guide and driver and personal items. A solo traveler pays a US$15 single supplement. A 10% surcharge applies for National Day departures.
There are no domestic flights on this tour and no airport transfer, so you reach Hanoi and your Old Quarter hotel on your own. There are no stated mandatory extras beyond these, and no cable car is involved on the stated itinerary.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Transport | Yes | Limousine bus Hanoi to Ninh Binh and Ninh Binh to Ha Long, air-conditioned vehicle, electric car at Bai Dinh |
| Entrance fees | Yes | All entrance fees for Bai Dinh, Trang An, Mua Caves and the Ha Long sites |
| Meals | Yes | 2 lunches, 1 dinner, 1 breakfast, mineral water on the bus and at the homestay |
| Accommodation | Yes | 1 night in a Ninh Binh homestay with a pool |
| Drinks | No | Other drinks are extra |
| Tips | No | Tips for the guide and driver are your cost |
| Solo supplement | No | US$15 for a solo traveler |
| National Day | No | 10% surcharge on that holiday date |
| Flights and airport transfer | No | No flights and no airport pickup are part of this tour |
One Thing to Confirm
The booking link names Bai Tu Long Bay as well as Ha Long Bay, while the title and text say Ha Long. They are different cruising areas. Message the operator before paying and confirm which bay the day cruise sails in, and get the answer in writing.
Sources: Wikipedia: Vietnam, UK FCDO: Vietnam
Boats at sunset in Ninh Hai, the Tam Coc area of Ninh Binh. Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Day Is Really Like
The listing gives the pickup window, the sites in order and the return time. The gaps between them are drive legs, and two of those legs are long.
Day 1, Hanoi to Ninh Binh
Pickup runs from 07:30 to 08:00 at hotels in the Hanoi Old Quarter. The limousine bus drives south out of Hanoi to Ninh Binh province. The first stop is Bai Dinh Temple, described as Vietnam's largest Buddhist worship complex, where an electric car carries you through the grounds.
Next is the Trang An boat trip, a wooden boat through caves and tunnels, with a length that depends on the route and is not stated in the listing. Then comes Mua Caves and the roughly 500 stone steps to the viewpoints above the valley. Then you check in to the Ninh Binh homestay with a pool, where dinner and the night are spent.
- 07:30 to 08:00 pickup in the Old Quarter
- Drive to Ninh Binh
- Bai Dinh, Trang An boat, Mua Caves climb
- Dinner and overnight at the homestay
Day 2, Ninh Binh to Ha Long Bay and Back
After breakfast at the homestay, the bus drives from Ninh Binh to Ha Long Bay. This is the long leg of the tour, a full cross-province drive before boarding. The Deluxe cruise then spends the day in the bay: Sung Sot Cave, kayaking at Luon Cave and a swim at Ti Top Island, with lunch and a sunset party before the boat returns to port.
The bus then drives back to Hanoi, and you are dropped at your Old Quarter hotel by about 9 PM. The listing does not state drive times for the Ninh Binh to Ha Long and Ha Long to Hanoi legs, so ask the operator how long the bus rides take.
- Breakfast and checkout at the homestay
- Long drive from Ninh Binh to Ha Long
- Full-day cruise with cave, kayaking and swim
- Return drive, Hanoi Old Quarter by about 9 PM
Trang An or Tam Coc: Which Ninh Binh Boat Trip?
The Trang An boat ride on day one. Third-party video by wanderlost. This site did not shoot it and has no relationship with the creator.
Who This Tour Rules Out
The listing states hard limits and unstated ones matter just as much. Read this before you commit.
Stated Limits
The tour is not suitable for wheelchair users. There is no stated minimum age and no stated difficulty rating, but the Mua Caves climb is around 500 stone steps, so anyone with knee or mobility problems should think twice. Pickup and drop-off are in the Hanoi Old Quarter only, so travelers staying in West Lake or a private rental need to arrange their own way to a central address, and you should give the operator a clear hotel name if your booking is an apartment.
The booking is free to cancel up to 24 hours before departure, after that terms apply per the platform.
- Not suitable for wheelchair users
- Old Quarter pickup only
- 500 steps at Mua Caves
Who Should Book Something Else
If a night on a cruise boat is the point of your trip, this is the wrong tour. The Ha Long day is a day cruise and the only overnight is the homestay. The 3-Day Ninh Binh and Lan Ha Bay Cruise adds a night on board in Lan Ha Bay with a private balcony cabin, at $261 plus a $35 VAT and a $12 peak season surcharge.
If you want Sapa as well, the 6-Day Ha Long, Ninh Binh and Sapa Tour runs a north loop from $279, though note its Ha Long day is also a day trip from Hanoi. Travelers wanting flights and the whole country lengthways should compare the 9 to 14 day options on the Vietnam Tour Packages instead.
- Want a cabin on the water: pick a cruise-night tour
- Want three regions: pick a 6-day or longer loop
- Staying outside the Old Quarter: sort your own transfer first
Ha Long Bay from the hill above the town. Photo: Trideep Dutta Photography, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Getting There and What to Add
The tour starts and ends at your hotel in the Hanoi Old Quarter. Flights and extra Hanoi days are your own arrangement.
Reaching Hanoi
Most visitors fly into Hanoi Noi Bai Airport (HAN). Vietnam has 11 international airports, and Noi Bai is the gateway for the north. The listing provides no airport transfer, so you arrange a taxi or ride from Noi Bai to your Old Quarter hotel yourself and give the operator that exact address for the 07:30 pickup.
Land the day before, because a pickup window that starts at 07:30 leaves no room for a same-morning arrival.
- Fly into Noi Bai (HAN)
- Arrange your own transfer to the Old Quarter
- Arrive the night before the 07:30 pickup
Adding Days in Hanoi
Hanoi earns a day on either side of the tour. The Temple of Literature, founded in 1070, opens 8:00 to 17:00 with last entry at 16:30. The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum opens mornings only and closes every Monday and Friday.
For trip timing, Wikivoyage calls March to April and October to December the best seasons in the north, and Hanoi daily mean temperatures run from 16.4 C in January to 29.2 C in July. For costs and planning beyond this trip, read the guide to the best time to visit Vietnam and the Vietnam itinerary advice.
- Temple of Literature, 8:00 to 17:00, closed around Tet
- Mausoleum, mornings only, closed Monday and Friday
- Best northern seasons: March to April and October to December
Day by Day Itinerary
Clock times below are the ones the listing states. The rest are phases, because the operator does not publish a timed schedule.
-
07:30 to 08:00
Old Quarter pickup
A limousine bus collects you from your hotel in the Hanoi Old Quarter. Central Hanoi accommodation only, so give a clear address if you stay in a private rental.
-
Late morning
Bai Dinh Temple
Drive from Hanoi to Ninh Binh province and visit Bai Dinh Temple, Vietnam's largest Buddhist worship complex, using the included electric car through the grounds.
-
Afternoon
Trang An and Mua Caves
Take the included wooden boat through the Trang An caves and tunnels, then climb about 500 stone steps at Mua Caves for the valley viewpoint. Lunch is included.
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Evening
Homestay night in Ninh Binh
Check in to the Ninh Binh homestay with a pool. Dinner and 1 night here, with breakfast the next morning.
-
Morning
Drive to Ha Long and board
After breakfast, a long drive from Ninh Binh to Ha Long Bay, then board the Deluxe cruise for the day.
-
Afternoon
Full day in Ha Long Bay
Sung Sot Cave, kayaking at Luon Cave and a swim at Ti Top Island, with lunch and a sunset party before returning to port.
-
By about 9 PM
Back in Hanoi
The bus returns from Ha Long and drops you at your hotel in the Hanoi Old Quarter by about 9 PM. The tour ends there.
Pros and Cons
An honest read of the listing, not a sales pitch.
What we genuinely like
- $168 per person is the lowest north-loop price among the tours compared here, and it includes all meals and all entrance fees
- Both landscapes are covered in 2 days, which suits travelers short on time
- The homestay has a pool
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure and reserve now, pay later
- 19 verified reviews at 4.8 suggest the operation runs reliably
The honest downsides
- No night on a cruise boat, the Ha Long day is a day cruise and you sleep in a homestay
- Two long road legs, Ninh Binh to Ha Long and Ha Long back to Hanoi, with the return due by about 9 PM
- Drinks, tips, a US$15 single supplement and a 10% National Day surcharge sit outside the price
- The link names Bai Tu Long while the text names Ha Long, so the cruising bay needs confirming with the operator
- Group size is not stated, so you cannot know how crowded the bus and boat will be
- Pickup is limited to the Hanoi Old Quarter, with no airport transfer
Who it's NOT for: Not for travelers who want to sleep on a cruise boat, stay outside the Old Quarter, or avoid a 9 PM return after a full day on the road.
Questions About This Tour
How much does the 2-day Ninh Binh and Ha Long Bay tour cost?
It costs $168 per person, the lowest north-loop price among the tours compared here. Drinks, tips, a US$15 single supplement and a 10% National Day surcharge are extra. See the full breakdown in what the price covers.
Do I spend a night on a cruise boat?
No. The single overnight is a Ninh Binh homestay with a pool, and Ha Long Bay is a full-day cruise returning to Hanoi by about 9 PM. If you want a cabin, the 3-Day Ninh Binh and Lan Ha Bay Cruise includes a night on board.
Where does the tour pick me up?
Between 07:30 and 08:00 at your hotel in the Hanoi Old Quarter, and central Hanoi accommodation only. Give the operator a clear address if you stay in a private rental, or read more in who this tour rules out.
Which bay does the cruise sail in?
The title and text say Ha Long Bay, but the booking link also names Bai Tu Long Bay, so the listing is not clear. Message the operator before paying and confirm the bay in writing, as set out in one thing to confirm.
What meals are included?
All meals: 2 lunches, 1 dinner and 1 breakfast, plus mineral water on the bus and at the homestay. Other drinks are your own cost. See what the price actually covers.
How fit do I need to be?
The main physical demand is Mua Caves, a climb of about 500 stone steps, and the tour is not suitable for wheelchair users. No minimum age or difficulty rating is stated. Details are in who this tour rules out.
Can I cancel if my plans change?
Yes, free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund, and you can reserve now and pay later. Compare the terms against Vietnam tour packages before you choose.
What Travelers Said
The tour was very good! The weather was a bit hot but the Ha Long Bay trip on the second day was very chill. The activities were perfectly timed to rest in between. Our tour guide, Ken, did his best to make everyone feel comfortable and entertained.
Our trip was great. Our Guide Harry Kane was super lovely and informative and showed us great places.
Thomas was a wonderful guide, very good, kind, and well trained. 10 with honors
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