Van Don bay itinerary : The perfect Van Don bay itinerary

Van Don bay itinerary

I wrote this Van Don bay itinerary from 1 day to 3 days exploring the way less touristy Van Don bay (Bai Tu Long bay from Van Don) . It’s one of the new destinations for those who like travelling off the beaten track and an alternative to overrated Halong Bay, more and more people choose Van Don bay istead

Looking for way less touristy and less developed but amazing scenery of limestone mountain Van Don Bay ( Bai Tu Long bay from Van Don is highly recommened. Bai Tu Long bay from Van Don (Van Don bay) has everything that a bay has to offer : magnificent views of towering limestone cliffs, take a cruise on a wooden junk boat to explore Bai Tu Long baywith fun activities : swimming, kayaking, swimming (jumping off the boat) , hiking the island to see the panoramic view of the town of Cai Rong.

Planning from 1, 2 or 3 days Van Don bay is the great choice, allowing you having enough time to visit must-see tourist attractions in Cat Ba island. Let this Van Don bay itinerary guide you for top things to do in Van Don bay from 1 to 3 days.

Table of Contents

What to do in Van Don Bay: Van Don bay itinerary 3 days

Bai Tu Long bay from Van Don

This Van Don bay 3-day itinerary is an ideal choice for those who have longer period and want to travel on a slower pace and explore Bai Tu Long bay from Van Don in-depth.

I recommend staying in the Halong area since there is a lots of choices like restaurants, bars, beaches etc… and it takes only 1 hour drive to get to Van Don bay

This Van Don bay 3 days itinerary for travellers who start in Halong and finish the trip from Hanoi

Day 1 in Van Don bay from Ao Tien :

Phat Co cave
Pearl Farm
Qua islet
La Vong area

Day 2 in Van Don bay – Minh Chau island: – Van Don bay and Minh Chau island full day boat tour

Dua islet
Minh Chau island (kayaking and cycling)

Day 3 in Minh Chau and Bai Tu Long bay boat tour

kayaking/swimming around limestone mountains
Untouched island area (walking around)
Hiking the island to see the panoramic view

Budget for 3 days Van Don itinerary (min 2 people)

Items	Expenses in American Dollar
Food (casual restaurant and onboard)	150
Drink (casual place)	25
Activities (Entrance fee), boat tour	350
Transport by Motorbike(Rent+ Fuel)/car	39
Accommodation (Budget hotel/homestay)	30
Total amount	594

The cost is much higher if you stay in better hotels and resorts. You also need to add transfer cost from/to Hanoi/Halong.

This price for a private tour (estimated price for reference)

2 days Bai Tu Long bay itinerary from Van Don

Day 1 : Bai Tu Long bay exploration

Tay Hoi island
Meo Luoi islet
The island

Day 2 : Bai Tu Long bay

Nha Tro cave
Ao Tien port

How to spend a day in Van Don bay from Hanoi/Halong itinerary

This is the suggested itinerary for Van Don bay itinerary for just one day from Hanoi

6.15 am : Pick up from your hotel in Hanoi and drive 3 hours and 15 minutes including a toilet break along the way to get to Van Don port

9.45 am : Arrive at the port. Show your original passport and visa for registration.

Board on a traditional junk to explore magnificent Bai Tu Long, cruise amongst amazing rock formations dated back 500 million years ago.

Along the way you could see lots of oyster farms

Arrive at Ban Sen village after 2 hours cruising, Walk 10 -15 minutes around the pier area for taking photos and back to the cruise

Cruise to the nearby spot to take a kayaking around the area then swim around the floating house.

After that having late lunch around 1.30pm to 1.45pm. Then cruise over 1 hour

From the island, you can walk around the island and see some of floating houses on the other side of the island.

Enjoy lunch with local seafood onboard while the boat is cruising to the island (optional) if you don’t want to go you can skip it.

For the view of top, you have to climb over 300 steps (but the steps is stepped and harder when you walk down) don’t suggest going if it is raining and you don’t have a good health

3.45 to 4pm : Disembark Cai Rong port.

3.5 hours drive to get back to Hanoi. Tours end around 7.30 to 8 pm depending on the traffic

The combination of Hanoi Van Don Bay Ninh Binh itinerary

This itinerary option is the perfect choice for nature lovers who have less than a week to explore Northern Vietnam includes top 3 destinations: Hanoi, Cat Ba island, Lan ha bay, Ninh Binh with 2 options to choose from