3-Day Floating Village Expedition
Kayak, trek and sleep on the bay — three days off the grid in Lan Ha
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 8,100k · 3–5 pax 7,700k · 6–8 pax 7,100k · 9–10 pax 6,800k
Daily itinerary
Times are approximate and may shift slightly with weather, tide, and group pace. The order of activities stays the same.
- Day 1 · 11:00
Meeting point & transfer to Ben Beo Harbour
We message you the night before to confirm the meeting point — either our office on Nui Ngoc Street or a pickup at your hotel in Cat Ba Town. Meet your guide, store your bags, and we drive you down to Ben Beo Harbour where the boat to Lan Ha Bay is waiting.
- Day 1 · 11:30
Cruise to the floating homestay (30–45 min)
We sail out past Cai Beo Fishing Village and into Lan Ha Bay proper — about 30 to 45 minutes — dropping anchor at our own floating homestay, a working family-run property tucked between karsts, far from the cruise-boat route.
- Day 1 · 12:15
Lunch on the floating deck · check-in · rest
First meal: family-style Vietnamese seafood — what the boats brought in this morning. Eat at a wooden table above the water, then welcome tea on the deck, room drop, quick orientation, and a short rest before the afternoon paddle.
- 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
Family Dinner at Lan Ha Floating Homestay
Family-style dinner on the deck with the host family — fresh catch of the day, simple Vietnamese home cooking, served at a long wooden table over the water. After, if the season and tide are right (strongest May–September, dark-moon nights), the guide offers an optional bioluminescent night kayak to see glowing plankton. Not guaranteed — we only run it when it's actually there.
- Day 3 · 08:30 – 10:30
Morning cruise off Lan Ha bay
After breakfast we pack out and the boat cruises off Lan Ha bay, passing Cai Beo Fishing Village and thousands of karst towers with unique shapes — chopsticks, seals, dog faces. We head south toward the Southern Ha Long Bay, the least-visited stretch of the area.
- Day 3 · 10:30 – 12:30
Paddle at Bright & Dark Caves
Kayak through hidden lagoons, tunnels and archways. Bright Cave (Hang Sáng) opens onto a quiet inner lagoon; Dark Cave (Hang Tối) is narrow and cool with bats overhead — only passable at low tide. We also stop at Đền Bà Men, a small floating temple on the way back.
- Day 3 · 12:30 – 13:30
Lunch at Ông Cấm islet
Boat drops anchor at Ông Cấm islet for a sumptuous traditional Vietnamese seafood lunch. Free time to relax, swim, jump off the boat, lounge on the deck, socialise.
- Day 3 · 13:30 – 14:30
Sail off Southern Ha Long Bay · Local Experts at the Fisheries Department
Afterwards, the boat continues to sail off Southern Ha Long Bay, passing by Đầu Bê Island, Vung Viêng fishing village, Le Virgin arch and The Kite arch. Quick stop at the Lan Ha fisheries station — meet the local team who manage the bay's aquaculture and marine protected zones. They show you the floating pens, talk through what's farmed here (and what isn't), and answer questions about how the bay actually works.
- Day 3 · 14:30 – 16:00
Kayak & beach hop at Ba Trai Đào
Kayaking, swim and beach hopping at Ba Trai Đào (Three Peaches) Beach — three cone-shaped islands above a quiet strip of sand: natural, remote, less-touristy. Discover the temple beach, more lagoons and arches by kayak.
- Day 3 · 16:00 – 17:00
Sunset cruise back to harbor
Enjoy the magical sunset as the boat travels back through Lan Ha toward Ben Beo harbor. Hot showers and dry clothes in the office if you need them before the drive.
- Day 3 · 17:00 – 17:30
Arrive at harbor · drop-off at your hotel
Arrive at Ben Beo harbor, hop in our car for the drive back to 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
Not included
Quick facts
- Pick-up
- 11:00 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+
Optional add-ons
- Hanoi round-trip transfer (limousine + speedboat)+800.000 VND / person
- Noi Bai Airport → Cat Ba (Private Car)+2.800.000 VND / tour
- Cat Bi Airport → Cat Ba (Private Car)+1.800.000 VND / tour
- Private double room at floating homestay (per night)+500.000 VND / person
- Hai Quan (Navy) Peak summit on Day 2+200.000 VND / person
Cancellation policy
- More than 14 days before: 100% refund
- 5–14 days before: 100% refund (processed within 48 hours)
- Less than 5 days before: non-refundable
Photo gallery
Plan the rest of your trip
Pair this tour with where to sleep and how to get to Cat Ba — booked through one operator, all in one place.
Lan Ha Floating Homestay
Sleep on the bay — limestone cliffs all around. 6 rooms · free kayak & SUP for guests · 2km from Cat Ba town.
See the homestay →Hanoi → Cat Ba in 3.5 hours
Bus + speedboat combo from Hanoi Old Quarter. Three daily departures · pickup from your hotel · drop-off at Cat Ba Town.
See route & vehicles →