Staying on Tuan Chau Island: the cruise harbour of Ha Long and its boats

Who should stay on Tuan Chau?

Tuan Chau suits travellers whose stay revolves around the bay. A night here before or after a cruise means no early transfer from Hanoi or Bai Chay, and the harbour is a few minutes from every hotel on the island. It is also the natural stop for anyone heading to Cat Ba by the car ferry, which leaves from the same area. Couples and families looking for a quiet resort with a pool and a beach, away from the bustle of Bai Chay, will also find it pleasant.

The trade-offs are choice and evenings. Tuan Chau has few restaurants and shops outside the hotels and the harbour, little nightlife, and no real town: once the day boats have returned, the island goes quiet. Bai Chay, with its beach, night market and seafood restaurants, is 15 to 20 minutes away by taxi, and Hon Gai about half an hour. Travellers who want to walk to dinner or who are not taking a cruise usually prefer Bai Chay or Hung Thang.

Cruise boats, hotels and resorts on Tuan Chau

The 41 properties listed in this zone fall into two groups. A little over half are hotels and resorts on the island, from simple three-star hotels to large five-star properties with pools, gardens and sea views. The rest, about four in ten, are overnight cruise boats that board at Tuan Chau harbour. Five-star properties are the largest single group in this zone, thanks to the boats, and guest ratings are very high, with a median of about 9 out of 10.

A cruise boat is listed here as a place to stay because you sleep on board, but it works differently from a hotel. A typical two-day, one-night cruise boards around midday, serves lunch while the boat sails out among the islands, stops for a cave visit, kayaking or a swim, anchors for the night in a sheltered part of the bay, and returns to the harbour around 11:00 the next morning, after breakfast and sometimes a tai chi session on deck. Cabins range from compact doubles to suites with a private balcony and a bathtub. In 2026 a two-day, one-night cruise costs roughly US$110 to US$250 per person in the low season (May to September) and US$130 to US$300 in the high season, usually including meals, kayaking, cave tickets and the bay entry fee, with drinks extra. Longer cruises of three days reach Bai Tu Long Bay or Lan Ha Bay. Each boat's listing states its route, cabin types and what is included.

The hotels on the island are a practical complement: as a guide for 2026, three-star hotels cost about 900,000 to 1,800,000 VND a night, four-star about 1,800,000 to 3,500,000 VND, and five-star resorts from about 3,500,000 VND.

What is there to do on Tuan Chau?

The bay is the reason to come, and the harbour is the starting point for everything on the water: the official day routes to Thien Cung and Dau Go caves and the Fighting Cock Islet, or to Sung Sot Cave and Ti Top Island, take four to six hours, and the bay entry fee is about 200,000 to 300,000 VND per person per trip, normally included in a tour. On the island itself, Tuan Chau beach is a long stretch of sand facing the islands, good for a swim in summer and for sunsets behind the karst all year. The resort area has gardens, a promenade and restaurants, and the marina is pleasant for an evening walk when the cruise boats come back to their moorings.

For anything else, Bai Chay is the nearest base: Sun World Ha Long, with the Queen Cable Car to Ba Deo hill (about 380,000 VND for an adult in 2026), the Dragon Park and the night market, is 15 to 20 minutes away by taxi.

How do you get to Tuan Chau and on to Cat Ba?

From Hanoi, the road trip takes about 2.5 to 3.5 hours by expressway, and most cruise companies include a limousine shuttle from the Old Quarter to Tuan Chau harbour; independent limousine vans cost about 200,000 to 300,000 VND per person. From Van Don International Airport the drive is about an hour, and from Noi Bai airport in Hanoi about 2.5 to 3 hours. From Bai Chay, a taxi across the causeway takes 15 to 20 minutes.

The car ferry to Cat Ba leaves from Tuan Chau and crosses the bay to Gia Luan, at the north of Cat Ba Island, in about 45 to 60 minutes, with three sailings a day in winter and five in summer. In 2026 a foot passenger pays about 60,000 VND, a motorbike with rider about 80,000 VND and a car about 300,000 VND. From Gia Luan, Cat Ba town is 22 to 25 km south by road, about 40 minutes by bus, taxi or motorbike. Sailings are suspended in storms, and summer weekends can be busy, so arrive early.

When is Tuan Chau at its best?

The best months for a cruise are usually March to May and late September to November, with mild weather, calm seas and good light on the islands. May to August is hot and the beach season, with the most boats on the water and the highest prices on weekends. December to February is cool and often misty, which gives the karst a softer look, but swimming from the boats is cold. Storms are most likely between July and September: when the harbourmaster closes the bay, all departures from Tuan Chau stop, sometimes for several days, and cruise companies offer another date or a refund according to their terms.