Review of a 5-day 4-night Ha Long trip for under 2 million VND

1 Preparations before arriving in Ha Long

1.1 Choosing and booking a hotel - Review of a 5-day 4-night Ha Long trip

To prepare for a trip to Ha Long, the first thing to do is book a hotel. Bui Ly shared: “Ha Long City is divided into two areas connected by Bai Chay Bridge; on one side is Hon Gai Ward, the city's economic center, where there are fewer rooms and prices are high. On the other side is Bai Chay Ward, which is newly developed, attracts many tourists, has affordable hotel rooms, and is especially close to Sun World. You should prioritize booking rooms in Bai Chay Ward for convenient entertainment and dining.”

Bui Ly booked a decent room at Ha Long Bay View Hotel (formerly Thuy Duong Hotel) for 220,000 VND/room/night. The room rate already includes breakfast; all rooms in this hotel offer nice views and are notably well-decorated and well-equipped. In addition, there are many decent hotels in Ha Long with quite reasonable rates, and those who prefer a homestay vibe can also choose that option. Recently, quite a few lovely homestays with fairly affordable prices have been invested in Ha Long.

1.2 Choosing transportation to Ha Long

A safe bus ride will make your trip more fulfilling and meaningful. Through researching Ha Long travel experiences as well as information on bus operators, Bui Ly chose Hoang Cong bus line, a reputable company offering top-notch service on the Hanoi – Ha Long route. There is a departure approximately every 60 minutes and tickets cost only 130,000 VND / person; the operator also offers door-to-door pick-up and drop-off, so you don't have to worry about transfers.

1.3 Renting a vehicle in Ha Long

Motorbike rental services in Ha Long are not abundant, and those available at hotels are mainly older models. Bui Ly also shared that since visitors to Ha Long mostly travel on package tours, motorbike rental services are somewhat scarce and not as good as in other destinations. Fortunately, Bui Ly managed to rent an older Nouvo model to cruise around Ha Long.

See more: What makes an overnight cruise experience in Ha Long Bay so interesting?

2 Delicious and affordable food in Ha Long

Ha Long mainly features large restaurants, and the most famous food is naturally seafood, with plenty of eateries catering to tour groups. To save money, Bui Ly chose several local eateries along Vuon Dao Street (near Ha Long Bay View Hotel). The eateries here serve a full range of popular dishes, rice plates, pho, beef stewed in red wine sauce, noodles, etc., giving visitors plenty of choices. Furthermore, the walking street right in front of Sun World is also a dining haven with tasty, nutritious, and cheap street snacks.

3 Review of a 5-day 4-night Ha Long trip – Sightseeing itinerary

3.1 Day 1: Heading straight to Ha Long

Departing from Hanoi, Bui Ly caught a coach to Ha Long via the expressway, leaving at 14:00 and arriving before 17:00. Ly checked into the hotel to drop off luggage, rested, and then headed out to Bai Chay Bridge for photos, checked in Ha Long at night, had dinner, and returned to the hotel to rest.

3.2 Day 2: Wandering around Ha Long

Bui Ly had breakfast at the hotel at 7:00 AM and began the journey exploring Ha Long City. Quang Ninh Museum and the library are located next to each other, so Bui Ly combined visits to both spots. Having lunch near the hotel was deemed the best choice; as introduced above, there is a wide variety of dishes to choose from freely.

In the afternoon, the Queen Cable Car and the Mystic Mountain area were the two destinations chosen by Ly. Returning to the hotel around 19:00, she had dinner, and then headed back to the room to rest.

- Note: Sun World Ha Long offers a 3-park combo: Water Park + Queen Cable Car + Dragon Park for 500,000 VND/person, but if purchased separately, a ticket for 1 park costs 350,000 VND. Many people seeing this price might opt for the combo thinking it's cheaper while covering all 3 parks. However, unless you're willing to spend from morning till night here, go for the combo; otherwise, if you have limited time, just purchase a ticket for 1 park!

3.3 Day 3: Admiring Ha Long Bay – Natural wonder of the world

A Ha Long trip would never be complete without a cruise ride admiring Ha Long Bay, one of the world's natural wonders. To buy cruise tickets for Ha Long Bay, travelers must go to Tuan Chau Island. From Bai Chay Bridge to Ha Long Bay is about 14 km, so you should make sure to leave early to enjoy a more complete tour of the bay.

Currently, Ha Long Bay sightseeing tickets are sold in Tuan Chau with 2 routes:

- Route 1: lasting 3 hours, visitors will visit Stone Dog Islet, Dinh Huong Islet, Trong Mai Islet, Thien Cung Cave, and Dau Go Cave.

- Route 2: lasting 5 hours, visitors visit Stone Dog Islet, Dinh Huong Islet, Ba Hang Fishing Village, Trong Mai Islet, Sung Sot Cave, Ti Top Island, Me Cung Cave, and Luon Cave.

In the afternoon, head back to the hotel to rest and take a stroll through Ha Long Night Market, which is bustling with tourists and packed with food stalls serving all kinds of delicious food.

3.4 Day 4: Leisurely wandering around Ha Long

Deciding not to rent a motorbike, Bui Ly chose to admire the Ha Long sea in the early morning, stroll around the hotel, and return to rest. In the afternoon, Bui Ly went to Sun World's Dragon Park for sightseeing.

3.5 Day 5: Farewell to the port city of Ha Long

A morning enjoying coffee, gazing at the Ha Long scenery, unwinding, and breathing in the fresh air on the last day in Ha Long is the best experience. By noon, Bui Ly checked out of the hotel, had lunch, and boarded the bus back to Hanoi.

4 Some beautiful photos from Bui Ly

See more: Setting foot in Ba Hang Fishing Village - Small, peaceful, and poetic

Bui Ly's review of a 5-day 4-night Ha Long trip is ideal for young travelers. It doesn't cost much yet allows you to experience the trip to the fullest. Hopefully, Bui Ly's sharing provides helpful references for you to plan your own trip right away.