Lan Ha bay with kids – Top family-friendly activities with kids 2024
Lan Ha Bay is my top pick for an ideal place to start a boat tour with kids, which is less touristy than Halong Bay.
Lan Ha bay with kids show you top things to do with kids in Lan Ha bay, it’s an adventure with lots of fun activities: swim, kayak, cycle, hike etc….
Not too many boats, noise, your own little beach, which’s will appreciate whist travelling with the kids.
Table of Contents
Lan Ha Bay day trip with kids or overnight trip from/to Hanoi/Cat Ba?
This is a common question that I received a lot from my guests. I gonna break it down as followings
- I DON’T recommend taking a Lan Ha bay day trip from Hanoi since it takes three and a half hours to get from Hanoi to Lan Ha Bay (Your kids has to wake up early then heading back to Hanoi late) A LONG day for them, they might be tired.
- Lan Ha bay day trip from Cat Ba : This is highly recommended since the cost of the tour is cheaper than 2 days-1 night Lan Ha bay
- Lan ha bay 2 days 1 night from Hanoi : This is an option for the balance between transfer, activities and relaxing time. The good things about cruises from Cat Ba is that they are boutique cruises from 2 cabins to 12 cabins. You can hire a private boat with much more affordable price than the cruises in Halong.
Packing list for family with kids to Lan Ha bay
Summertime to Autumn time (From May to early Nov)
- Sun cream
- Sung glasses
- Buck spray (Especially during the summertime from May to August with high temperatures)
- Hats
- Water bottle
- Snack for kids
- Water proof bag for phones/ items
- Rain gears
- Cash in VND
Wintertime (From Late Nov to Early April)
Same things above but warm jackets
It is just a recommended list, it depends on the weather : sun, rain, cold etc…..
Top things to do in Lan Ha bay with kids
Leisurely cycling along Viet Hai village
It’s fun to take a push bike ride in Viet Hai village around 10 kilometers around trip. The road is almost flat but some parts would be uphill so you may get off the bike and walk since most of the bikes are without gears.
You are going to see village paths, some of the old houses, water buffalos, ducks and more. One of the fun things your kids may like is “fish massage”
Read more : Viet Hai village travel guide
Hiking to the top of Monkey Island to see the sunset
It is an activity that I suggest for older kids. From the boat to Monkey Island, you need to swim to get on the island since the water is shallow so the bigger boats can’t reach but small motor boats
Be aware that the monkeys here are a bit aggressive. Don’t show your drinks, wallets, money …. They may steal and run away.
The view from the summit is amazing see the sunset you will
Kayaking to hidden lagoons, under caves
It is fun to kayak among the limestone mountains, through limestone caves to a hidden lagoon. Imagine that you are in a lagoon with only a few tourists around, even ZERO tourists.
Of course, you need to take a guided tour to Lan Ha bay to do this activity. The local guide knows the best spots.
The only place that might be pretty crowded for kayaking is the Dark and Light cave area. Because there is a lots of overnight boats that get to the area at the same time.
You need to get there before the peak hour.
Jumping off the boat to swim at Three Peaches beach area.
To my opinion, it’s the best place to swim on Lan Ha Bay, the water is clean, emerald green. Of course, there is sometimes little trash because of high tide, trash from other places is brought to Lan Ha bay.
Joining a fishing trip with a net
It’s fun to learn how to fish with cast net like local fishermen. You need to join a Cat Ba fishing tour
Taking a sampan boat through Light cave
The dark and light cave is a further spot of Lan Ha Bay but touristy. Take a sampan boat sharing with others to explore The dark and Light cave is a kid-friendly activity.
Kid-friendly Lan Ha bay overnight cruise
There are 3 cruises that I recommend Sunlight Cruise, Ocean Cruise, and Venezia Cruise. If you have many older kids, taking a private cruise is a great idea. Hiring a private boutique 3-cabin cruise to explore Lan Ha Bay with kids
Since it is a small cruise you won’t expect a playground for kids or an onboard swimming pool like other big cruises. But kayaking, swimming, squid fishing, biking and cooking demonstrations is fun.
How much a Lan Ha bay tour cost
85 USD to 100 USD per person for a day trip
125 USD to 145 USD for an overnight trip on board
Over to you
Lan Ha bay with kids is an ideal choice to avoid the crowds of Halong Bay. Take a private day trip to Lan Ha Bay is top pick for a family-friendly trip in Lan Ha Bay.
I hope the details above help you with some ways to plan a perfect Lan Ha Bay family-friend tours
