Caves, Islets and Museums of Ha Long
Sightseeing in Ha Long divides into the bay, which you see from a boat, and the city, which you reach on foot or by car. Most bay sights sit on one of the official routes, so check which route your tour follows. Prices are in Vietnamese dong (VND), at roughly 26,000 per US dollar.
Sung Sot Cave
Sung Sot is on Bo Hon island and is reached only by boat. The Ha Long Bay Management Board calls it the largest cave found in the bay. The entrance is about 20 m above sea level, and the path up through trees is steep and shaded. The first chamber holds a freshwater lake, and the last holds a stalagmite that looks like a seated Buddha. Expect a steep climb. There are no shows or concerts inside. Sung Sot is on route VHL2, not VHL1.
Thien Cung and Dau Go
Both caves are on Dau Go island, the westernmost point of the bay, and both belong to route VHL1. Thien Cung is a decorated grotto, and Dau Go is the cave tied to a legend that General Tran Hung Dao stored wooden stakes here before the 1288 battle on the Bach Dang River. Treat that history with respect.
Cave hours for Thien Cung, Dau Go, Ba Hang, Sung Sot, Ti Top and Luon are 07:30 to 17:30 until 31 October and 07:30 to 17:00 from 1 November to 15 April. The Management Board page gives the current times.
Ti Top viewpoint
Climb about 400 steps for the view over the bay. The island was named in 1962 after the cosmonaut Gherman Titov, who visited with Ho Chi Minh. Wear shoes with grip, because the steps are steep and slippery when wet.
Islets from the boat
Route VHL1 passes Trong Mai, the pair of rocks known as the fighting cocks, and Dinh Huong, a single block balanced on a narrow base. It also passes Cho Da, the stone dog islet. They are viewed from deck rather than visited.
Quang Ninh Museum
The museum on Tran Quoc Nghien street in Hon Gai was designed by Salvador Perez Arroyo and finished in October 2013. Its black glass block is meant to evoke coal. A 28 tonne block of anthracite stands outside. Entry is 40,000 VND for adults, 20,000 VND for students and 10,000 VND for children, and it opens 08:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 17:00. Check whether it is closed on Monday.
Hon Gai temples
Chua Long Tien, built in 1941, and Den Tran Quoc Nghien lie at the foot of Bai Tho mountain on Tran Quoc Nghien street. The temple honours the eldest son of Tran Hung Dao and is a working place of worship, so cover shoulders and knees and remove hats and shoes in the sanctuaries.
Bai Chay Bridge and the seafront
The cable stayed Bai Chay Bridge crosses the Cua Luc Strait between Bai Chay and Hon Gai. It and the Tran Quoc Nghien seafront are free viewpoints.
What to skip
Soi Sim beach is closed, and Bai Tho mountain is closed too. Seaplane and helicopter sightseeing flights are not running.
Read more: Walking tours in Ha Long covers the city sights on foot.
Booking
Bay sightseeing tours can be compared on GetYourGuide . Fees for each route are on the Management Board fee page .