Ha Long Bay

A bay in the Gulf of Tonkin with some two thousand limestone islands and rocks rising straight out of the water. The name means descending dragon: by legend the dragons sent to defend the coast spat out pearls and jade, which turned into the chain of islands.

How it came about

This is a drowned karst landscape: the towers and stacks are limestone eroded over tens of millions of years and then flooded by the sea. Dozens of caves and through-grottoes are washed out of the rock, and some of them are on the tour routes.

Protection

The bay has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1994, first for its landscape and, from 2000, for its geology as well. In 2023 the protected area was extended to take in the neighbouring Cat Ba archipelago.

Floating villages

Floating fishing villages stood among the islands until recently. Their inhabitants have gradually been resettled ashore, and what remains are individual pontoons and workings, shown from the water.

How to see it

The bay is seen from tourist junks, from day trips to cruises with one or two nights aboard. The piers are in Ha Long itself and on Tuan Chau island. Besides the cruise fare there is a separate bay fee, which depends on the route. Typhoons come in summer and close the water to sailings; spring and autumn are calmer. Some routes head into the less crowded Cat Ba.

Address

Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam · piers in Ha Long

Opening hours

Sailings by day; closed during typhoons

Prices

Bay fee 260,000-310,000 VND, cruise extra

On the map