Short answer: probably not.
Halong Bay is one of Vietnam’s most popular tourist destinations; dotted with hundreds of towering limestone cliffs, the bay is a beautiful place to stay aboard a “traditional” Vietnamese junk ship for a night or two.
Before arriving in Hanoi we were SO EXCITED to visit Halong Bay. We were looking forward to the stunning views, ample time to snorkel and kayak, and hours to laze around on the ship’s sunny deck.
But what we didn’t consider was that enjoying all of those things requires decent weather, and northern Vietnam in the winter is very unlike the rest of Southeast Asia. Northern Vietnam in the winter is COLD.
Cold, foggy, and very likely rainy — exactly the type of weather that’s most UN-conducive to hanging out on a boat in Halong Bay.
98% of travelers (yep, I totally just fabricated that statistic) who visit Halong Bay do so from the northern capital of Hanoi.
Tour companies all over the city offer day trips or overnight packages, which always include transportation between Hanoi and Halong Bay. Why? Because it’s a four-hour drive one way, and other than these organized tour buses there isn’t any easy alternative way to get there.
This may seem like a minor point of information, but that four hour (one way!) bus ride is a crucial detail when considering whether or not it’s worth visiting Halong Bay when the weather is bad.
So.
If you’re in Hanoi and want to visit Halong Bay, but you’ve checked the weather and the forecast predicts clouds with a 60% chance of rain, you have three options:
1. Stay aboard a junk ship for one or two nights.
PROS:
The eight hours of driving is less wearisome if it’s broken up, so staying overnight helps make the transportation situation more palatable.
CONS:
If you can’t participate in most of the water excursions (swimming, snorkeling, kayaking) due to inclement weather, you’re going to be bored out of your mind. What the heck else is there to do?! Eating fresh fish can only keep you busy for so long.
VERDICT:
Honestly, it seems like a waste of a few good days to me. At the very least, if you really want to stay overnight on a junk ship in Halong Bay but the weather sucks, only book a single night tour instead of two nights.
2. Do a day trip out to Halong Bay from Hanoi.
PROS:
You spend only a few hours on the boat, which is the perfect amount of time to see the bay if you’re not going to get into the water.
CONS:
For those four hours you get to spend on a junk ship, you also spend four hours driving there plus ANOTHER four driving home. That’s eight hours of driving to four hours of fun. Can you handle it? Only you can answer that question (but remember, roads in Vietnam are likely not up to the standards you’re used to at home!).
VERDICT:
This is the option we chose, and in hindsight I’m not sure we’d do it again. The floating village and limestone caves that comprised our afternoon activities were very touristy and seemed staged and rather inauthentic.
I’m glad we got a chance to see the cliffs, but in our opinion it just wasn’t worth the eight hours of driving on the terribly bumpy (and congested) road between Hanoi and Halong Bay… and we got lucky that it wasn’t foggy. If it was foggy, it would have been an 8 hour drive to see absolutely nothing.
3. Don’t visit Halong Bay.
PROS:
You don’t have to waste time or money on something you won’t be able to see in its full glory.
CONS:
You don’t get to see Halong Bay, which IS pretty cool.
VERDICT:
To be honest, Halong Bay is interesting… but maybe not sufficiently interesting to warrant two days being bored aboard an old boat or eight hours spent on a bus rather than enjoying the beautiful area.
Our trip to Halong Bay wasn’t earth shattering or life changing. I’m sure it would be different if we had visited during warmer weather, but as it was I wouldn’t even count Halong Bay in our Top 10 Adventures in Southeast Asia (we haven’t actually made a top ten, but you get the point).
Obviously we can’t provide you with an easy, one-size-fits-all recommendation. It depends on your budget, amount of time available, level of enthusiasm for boats and limestone cliffs, ability to entertain yourself when bored, luck with the weather, and the extent to which you suffer from carsickness.
But for us?
If we could have a do-over, we’d go with option #3.
{ 57 comments… read them below or add one }
I visited in January – which is still the off season. I went from South to North. Boy was it a shocker coming from the heat of the south to the wet snow of the north. I DID go to Halong Bay on a 3 day tour on a junk – One of the 3 days was decently clear so photos were possible – but it would be SUCH a better experience in SUMMER! But you have to make mistakes to learn for next time right? I don’t think I could handle the 8:4 Hour Ration for a day-trip though!
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We flew to Hanoi from Siem Reap and ohmygod it was so nice not to have the humidity! So we didn’t mind the cool weather, lol, but it did make for a poor trip to Halong Bay.
We are rain and fog guys to the core, so we probably would dig this. Having said that, when we were last in Alaska, the rain and cold did keep us from enjoying camping, so we have our limits as well.
When are you two heading to Seattle? You heard me right. No “are you” but “when are you.”
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It’s totally a “when”!! We’re still bumming around with family in Oregon, but we’ll probably head up there sometime in the next month. Probably early or mid July? But you two will be the first to know once we figure it out!
Can’t wait.
It makes me lol-ing when you said you’d go with the 3rd option
We did Halong Bay similar to the rest 2% (just fabricated that stat), we went to Catba Island (that big island in Halong) ourselves. Arranged our own accomodation there. And in a clear perfect day, go on with the boat day tour. But the day tour here is not wasted with bus journey like from Hanoi.
It was easy to get a perfect day last April. Every day was good. Except for the day before our tour, when many tours was canceled due to strong wind and big wave (so they said).
Weather good vs crappy is a funny thing for Halong Bay. It’s actually famous for the misty look. So, you get that famous look when it’s crappy, or you get a great fine day with also stunning look when weather is good. Both good, I think.
Halong is stunning, I think. Perhaps too touristy and too scammy, but still, I love it. But it’s more for seeing then feeling, I think. And if people look for a strong feeling of natureness, this perhaps not.
Dina recently posted: Halong Bay Photostory
The fogginess did make for some nice hazy photos, but I wanted to snorkel!! We told ourselves that it was okay we didn’t get to snorkel much in Thailand because we’d get the chance in Vietnam… so I think it was more the lack of water sports that frustrated us than the actual weather, y’know?
More and more people decide not to visit Halong Bay especially because of the weather, but also because it’s became a victim of its popularity. Apparently it’s super polluted and almost has a fake feeling to it now, sadly.
Yep, that’s so true. It’s highly touristy now, and you can’t go out on the bay without being surrounded by tons of other junk ships.
It was frigging cold when we were in Halong bay – sweaters and hats + coats at the table eating meals and you could see your breath. Still I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. We went kayaking and warmed up quite nicely doing that. PLus we were still recovering from jet lag so we didn’t mind sleeping – and it was warm in bed.
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At least it was warm in bed! I was really bummed we didn’t get the chance to kayak; as long as you don’t flip, it’s a nice way to heat up.
I didn’t even realize that weather might be problematic or that it might be chilly. Thanks for the heads up. My friend took an overnight train from Hanoi to Danang, but I’m not quite sure how she got to Halong from there.
Michele @ Malaysian Meanders recently posted: You are Invited to Penang, No Reservations needed
We didn’t think of it either, so to be honest we were pretty flummoxed when we arrived in Hanoi and realized that things probably weren’t going to go as planned… we just thought ALL of SE Asia would be hot and muggy!
Nice guide for folks thinking of traveling there. I would probably do it if I had the time. I guess I’d rather have the life experience than skip it and wonder later what it might have been like.
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That’s kind of the side we eventually came down on, Scott, but I guess it would be different for folks who only had a little bit of time in Vietnam. If the Halong Bay experience isn’t going to be that great, then perhaps the time/money could be used for another experience instead.
I did one night as I heard the second night is in a hotel and not interesting at all.
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We saw some tours that offered that as well, but some tours offered both nights on the ship. It’s hard to know what your exact tour offers, though, and apparently a lot of them switch things up w/o telling the travelers. We were pretty nervous choosing a tour company because we had heard so many horror stories.
Our Halong Bay experience was somewhat of a disaster so if I were to do it all over again I would have just booked one night and got the heck out of there.
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Oh yuck, what was disastrous about it? And I’ve heard so many horror stories, so I can probably guess at least some of the details. =/
We almost made a day trip instead an overnight because of all the reviews we heard back about how rundown and over-touristed the area was. We were glad we stayed one night, because 8 hours in one day in that uncomfortable van would have been awful. We finished our “kayak adventure” and it poured the rest of the night. I’m glad I went but wish I had checked the weather prior to booking, and was done after one night!!
Your photos turned out great for the bad weather
We came really close to staying overnight as well in order to avoid the 8 hours of driving, but that would have tied up another travel day (which we were sort of loathe to do at that point if we weren’t going to be able to get in the water). I can definitely see the attraction, though!
Thanks for the run down. Looks like it really could have been great with cooperative weather. It is definitely on my bucket list but I think I will do it in summer.
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Definitely check it out during the summer! You still see the gorgeous views, PLUS you get to have more fun.
I think I’d find something better to do with my time. I bet you have lots of suggestions
Ha, definitely! If you ever need some for Vietnam, let us know.
After reading a number of posts on Halong Bay, I will give my honest opinion even though I haven’t been there. I think it’s a tourist trap and a waste of time, regardless of the weather. Many of the boats are pretty crap and I’ve read some bad stories about the area. A lot of people here just come to party. And with the scams and other stuff going on, it doesn’t seem like it’s worth the hassle. There are even “shipwrecks” and deaths here as well.
So since I haven’t been what I’ve read about the area isn’t enough to convince me to go. Maybe I am wrong though.
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I think your opinion is super legit, Jeremy. There are SO many scams and shady tours that promise things they don’t even come close to delivering. A lot of travelers want to experience Halong Bay as cheaply as possible — which of course I understand — but that means most of the tours are of questionable quality. I think if you do decide to check it out, just do your research really carefully and pay more for a reputable company. It makes a world of difference.
I think it depends how much the place would be a dream of mine and what would be the alternatives. Particularly Halong Bay, I haven’t decided. I’d take winter any day, yet if your main idea was to snorkel and it was canceled because of the rain, for example, that would be a challenge.
By the way, do you know why they’re called junk ships?
Ayelet – All Colores recently posted: Video of the Week: Gigantic Iceberg in El Calafate, Argentina
I have no idea! So I googled it and discovered this via Wikipedia:
The term ultimately stems from the Chinese chuán (船, “boat; ship”), also based on and pronounced as [dzuːŋ] (Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chûn) in the Min Nan dialect (閩南語), or zhōu 舟, the old word for a sailing vessel. It entered the English language in the 17th century through the Portuguese junco from the Javanese djong.
Which totally clears it up, yeah?
Halong bay was featured in an episode of “Top Gear” that we watched the other night, and it piqued my interest. Thanks for the tips. If we go, we will make sure to visit in summer, and make the stop en route to somewhere else so we aren’t going all the way out there just for the day.
Shanna Schultz recently posted: The Best Fish and Chips in Scotland
If you go in the summer then you should definitely stay overnight! Most of the fun water activities take place during the longer tours, and then the driving is way more manageable.
But your pictures still look really awesome!
Erica recently posted: My Untamed Americas
Hahaha, thanks!
Hmm the weather was crappy here in Iowa recently, and that wasn’t fun. So I guess I will go with crappy weather in Halong Bay! Yep! Where do I sign up for the tour from here?
LOL, your logic is impeccable!
Wouldn’t it be awesome if we had teleportation and could actually make that happen? But then I’d probably choose somewhere warm instead…
Too bad you didn’t experience it in a good weather. I visited Halong Bay several years ago. I did an overnight trip on a junk boat over New Year’s Eve. The weather was a bit cold but really sunny and clear. We had a stunning view of the karst, truly picturesque. I had a nice time hanging out on the boat with fellow travelers and local boat crew. It may have become touristy but it’s still a good place to visit — in a good weather!
At least the weather was clear for you over New Year’s Eve! I think rain is the worst; then you’re not even able to hang out on the deck and enjoy all the views.
I felt the same way about Milford Sound in New Zealand – aside from a few sea lions, it wasn’t so nice in the overcast drizzly weather.
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Huh, that’s good to know. I haven’t actually heard of Milford Sound in NZ, but now I’ll be careful!
In answer to the question in your title I would definitely say ‘Yes’. I have visited Ha Long Bay twice, once in February when it was cold and misty, and again in October when it was warm and clear. Both times it was absolutely spectacular, and both times I really enjoyed my visit. Each time I did the 2 day/1 night option and stayed on the boat. I used a reputable company and have no complaints about either of the tours, each time I met great people, so even when it was too cold to sit up on the rooftop at night, we stayed in the cabin talking and playing cards until the early hours.
I actually preferred Ha Long Bay the time it was misty, it looked so much more mysterious and that made it more interesting for me. The time I visited in good weather, it didn’t seem all that dissimilar to the rest of SE Asia.
I find it odd when people are advised not to visit Ha Long Bay because it is too touristy. Of course it IS touristy, but so are Machu Picchu, the pyramids, Taj Mahal, Great Wall of China, Mt Fuji (Hell, I had to QUEUE to climb that thing!) and any other well-known place. I saw fewer people in the whole of Ha Long Bay than I did at the entrance gates to Machu Picchu
Thanks so much for the comment, Brit – I think you make a lot of really great points. We didn’t really click with the folks on our tour (they were mostly older and mostly didn’t speak English), but I would imagine that having a great group of people would make it fun, regardless of the weather. And it’s so true that a lot of popular tourist sites are way too crowded… but that doesn’t mean that they’re still not worth seeing!
I hate when it rains and ruins an otherwise perfect day. I’d probably wait. Although the fog does give it a really ethereal feel.
The fog made for some neat misty photos, but rain is no fun! Then you have to hide your camera and can’t get those shots.
Now I now, my choice will be #3. Thank You.
And the same choice for Hanoi too.
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OK, now you’re sort of making me glad we didn’t venture all the way up there when in Vietnam!
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It wouldn’t be that bad, but it’s just SO FAR away from HCMC. We thought about taking the train, and then realized it would have been a two day ride just to get from Hanoi to HCMC. Yikes.
Good advice here. I once took a long (about 3 hrs one way) bus ride from Rio to some islands in a beautiful area that we felt we had to visit. It was raining and we just sat on the boat wondering what to do next. The views weren’t very good, and in the end it was a waste of time that we could have spent in Rio doing something more interesting and minus the long bus rides.
Aww, what a bummer Jenna. It’s hard because you usually don’t know what the experience will be like until you arrive, but at that point you can’t really bail if it isn’t any good!
Wow feels like you’ve read my mind. I’ve been contemplating about making a trip to Vietnam and visiting Ha Long Bay at the end of the month. Thank you for sharing this article, great opinions from others too! (:
I’m glad you found it helpful, Rad!
Honestly, Halong Bay is one of those places that I’m not sure I’d visit even if the weather was great. I’m not into partying, I’m not really a beach bum, and I get seasick pretty easily. Plus, the super touristy aspect isn’t very appealing to me… I mean, sure, I’d like to see the cliffs, but I’m not sure I’d go out of my way to do so, especially if the weather is bad!
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I totally understand where you’re coming from! We’re very much in the same boat (except for our new-found excitement for scuba and snorkeling), and I think that influenced our perspective of Halong Bay. Unfortunately a lot of tours are geared towards gap year backpackers who just want to hang out on a boat and get wasted. I don’t want to knock that, but it’s not necessarily an experience we’re after.
We did the 3-day Junk boat tour. We booked our tour directly in Halong City, after traveling from Hanoi. We were there during monsoon season. Day 1 was fine, but at 5:00AM on Day 2 our captain woke us up to say that we were been evacuated because a typhoon was on the way. We arrived back at Halong City by 8:00AM, shipped to tourist bus and passed military vehicles on the way back to Hanoi by 12:00. Crazy insane storm hit by 2:00PM. It was still worth it…
Cam @ Traveling Canucks recently posted: Strolling down Memory Lane in Victoria
What a scary situation – I definitely wouldn’t want to be in the bay during a typhoon. I’m glad it was all still worth it, though.
You know, like most outdoor attractions, no matter how positive your attitude is, it’s really hard to enjoy it if the weather is terrible. Right now I am travelling in QLD Australia (the sunshine state) and it’s rainy and aweful as well… so I totally understand your pain
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I agree! I don’t always need sunshine, but I think it’s a lot harder to enjoy the outdoors when it’s raining. Umbrellas and rain coats can only get you so far before you’re wet and miserable… and don’t even get me started on trying to take photos in the rain w/o getting raindrops on the lens!
Thanks for the inside scoop on the trip to Halong Bay and outlining the pros & cons. 8 hrs of driving seems like a lot of time to spend to get to a super tourist spot with no way to enjoy the water activities.
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