Cruises through Ha Long Bay are probably the most famous tourist attraction in Vietnam. Over the last decade, the country has rapidly upgraded its tourist infrastructure to deal with growing numbers of visitors, particularly from Western countries and China.
The town of Ha Long sits on the edge of the bay and is the natural jumping-off point for those famous cruises.
So the obvious question is:
is it worth stopping there?
Quick answer: no.
How to get to Ha Long Town
From Hanoi, there are regular buses heading east if you’re landing or staying there.
Most buses won’t take the paid expressway route, so you can expect the journey to take around four hours. Bear in mind that Vietnamese buses are very unlikely to have bathrooms — and they’re not especially likely to stop either. Ours didn’t. It was… not ideal.
The other option is a private taxi, either via Grab or by negotiating directly. Expect costs in the region of 2–2.5 million VND. If you go this route, make absolutely sure toll charges are included in the agreed price. Some drivers will try to massively inflate the fare mid-journey by claiming unexpected toll fees.
(Ask me how I know.)
What’s Ha Long Town like?
In a word: eerie.
The town has clearly gone through a huge construction boom. There are hotels everywhere, alongside half-finished buildings and active construction sites. Even the areas that are complete feel strangely empty.
It’s like a theme park built for crowds that never arrived.
No disrespect to the people of Vietnam or Ha Long which offer a lot. We visited in January, which is technically shoulder season, but I’ve since read plenty of similar accounts from other times of year.
The overwhelming feeling is that Ha Long Town exists almost entirely to support the cruise industry — and little else.
So how should you visit Ha Long Bay?
Simple: don’t stay in the town.
Instead, book a cruise or tour directly from Hanoi. Most operators will:
- pick you up from your hotel
- arrange minivan transport
- handle the transfer to the boat
You skip an unnecessary overnight stop, avoid awkward transport logistics, and still get the actual Ha Long Bay experience — which is impressive in its own right.
Good sailing.
SojuAppreciationSociety: the travel blog that answers the real questions you have 
Leave a comment