3-Day Floating Village Expedition

Kayak, trek and sleep on the bay — three days off the grid in Lan Ha

Overnight TourMedium72h2–10 guests (small group only)

Slow adventure for travellers who want bay life from the inside, not the deck of a cruise boat. Three days, two nights on our own floating homestay, with kayaking, trekking and a 5km cycle through one of the last car-free villages on the island.

Highlights

Sleep two nights on a working floating homestay run by a Lan Ha family
Paddle Tay Keo Lagoon and Ba Do Cave before tour boats arrive
Cycle 5km through Cat Ba National Park to car-free Viet Hai Village
Optional summit trek with dual-bay views over Lan Ha and Halong
Kayak Hồ Ba Hầm (Three Tunnels) — limestone passages only reachable at low tide
Swim at Three Peaches Beach with the boat to yourself
Group discounts: 2 pax 7,800k · 3–5 pax 7,400k · 6–8 pax 6,800k · 9–10 pax 6,500k

Daily itinerary

Times are approximate and may shift slightly with weather, tide, and group pace. The order of activities stays the same.

Day 1 · 08:30
Pick-up & transfer to Ben Beo Harbour
We pick you up from your accommodation in Cat Ba Town and drive you down to Ben Beo Harbour, where the boat to Lan Ha Bay is waiting. Meet your guide, store your bags, and we cast off.
Day 1 · 09:30
Cruise to the floating homestay
We sail out past Cai Beo Fishing Village and into Lan Ha Bay proper, dropping anchor at our own floating homestay — a working family-run property tucked between karsts, far from the cruise-boat route. Welcome tea on the deck, room drop, quick orientation.
Day 1 · 11:30
Lunch on the floating deck
First meal: family-style Vietnamese seafood — what the boats brought in this morning. Eat at a wooden table above the water, with the bay slapping the planks underneath you.
Day 1 · 13:30
Paddle Tay Keo Lagoon & Ba Do Cave
Hit the kayaks for the afternoon. We paddle into Tay Keo Lagoon and through Ba Do Cave — both quiet at this hour because the day-cruise crowd has already left. Two-person sit-on-top kayaks, life jackets, dry-bags provided.
Day 1 · 15:30
Swim at a hidden beach
Pull onto a white-sand cove the cruise boats can't access, swim, jump off the kayaks, lie on the sand. Stay as long as the light lets you.
Day 1 · 19:00
Dinner with the family · stargazing
Back at the homestay for dinner with the host family. After dark, the deck is yours — the bay is far enough from town that on a clear night you'll see more stars than you've seen in years.
Day 2 · 08:30
Water taxi to Cat Ba National Park
After breakfast on the deck, a small boat takes us across to the National Park pier. Grab a bike at the dock — we're cycling.
Day 2 · 09:00
Cycle 5km to Viet Hai Village
Five kilometres of jungle road through the park to Viet Hai — one of the last car-free villages on Cat Ba. The road is flat and shaded most of the way; bikes are basic single-gear, fine for everyone.
Day 2 · 10:30
Optional summit trek · or village walk
Two-hour optional trek to a viewpoint that looks over both Lan Ha and Halong bays. If you'd rather not climb, the guide will walk you around the village — old houses, the school, the temple, the fish-foot-massage stream.
Day 2 · 12:30
Local lunch at a Viet Hai household
Lunch at a family home in the village — local dishes (boar, chicken, river fish, jungle vegetables), cooked over wood. Nothing flown in.
Day 2 · 14:00
Cycle back · optional fish-foot massage
Easy cycle back to the pier. Stop at the freshwater stream for the famous Viet Hai fish-foot massage if you want (~50k VND, your call).
Day 2 · 15:30
Back to the homestay · free swim
Boat back to the floating homestay. Afternoon is yours — swim off the deck, paddle around the floating fish farms, nap, read.
Day 2 · 19:00
Dinner · optional bioluminescent night paddle
Dinner on the deck. After, if the season and tide are right (strongest May–September, dark-moon nights), the guide offers a night kayak to see glowing plankton. Not guaranteed — we only run it when it's actually there.
Day 3 · 08:30
Cruise to Đầu Bê Island
After breakfast we pack out and cruise south to Đầu Bê Island, near the border with Halong Bay. The southern end of Lan Ha is the least-visited stretch — you'll see maybe one or two other boats.
Day 3 · 09:30
Paddle Hồ Ba Hầm (Three Tunnels)
Kayak through Hồ Ba Hầm — three limestone tunnels in a row, only passable at low tide. Quiet, dark, the air cooler than outside. We also stop at Đền Bà Men, a small floating temple on the way back.
Day 3 · 11:30
Three Peaches Beach · seafood lunch
Paddle on to Ba Trai Dao (Three Peaches) Beach — three cone-shaped islands above a quiet strip of sand. Lunch is fresh seafood served on the boat, anchored just offshore.
Day 3 · 13:30
Final swim & free paddle
Last swim, last paddle. Take it slow. Most groups end up just floating in the water for an hour before we point the boat home.
Day 3 · 15:30
Cruise back to Ben Beo
Slow cruise back through Lan Ha to Ben Beo Harbour. Hot showers and dry clothes in the office if you need them before the drive.
Day 3 · 17:00
Drop-off at your accommodation
Our car drops you back at your Cat Ba Town hotel. Tour ends at your door — or, if you booked the Hanoi transfer, we'll continue straight to the speedboat and on to Hanoi (arrive ~21:00).

What's included

✓Two nights floating homestay accommodation

✓All meals (3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 2 dinners)

✓English-speaking guide for all three days

✓Sea kayak with dry-bags, life jackets, safety equipment

✓All boat transfers within the bay

✓Bicycles in Viet Hai

✓National Park & cave entrance fees

✓Bottled water during activities

✓Insurance

✓Cat Ba Town pick-up & drop-off

Not included

✗Beverages (beer, soft drinks, coffee)

✗Personal expenses

✗Tips

✗Hanoi transfer (available as add-on)

✗Travel insurance for international visitors

Quick facts

Pick-up: 08:30 Day 1 (Cat Ba Town)
Return: ~17:00 Day 3
Duration: 72 hours
Group size: 2–10 guests (small group only)
Food: All meals included — 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 2 dinners. Family-style Vietnamese seafood, caught that morning. Vegi/Vegan options on 24h notice.
Children's policy: Under 5 free (shares bed) · 50% off ages 5–10 · full price 11+