💰 This page covers the street-level details of spending money in Ha Long: what cruises cost, the bay entry and cave fees, drinks and extras on board, tipping the crew, the transfer from Hanoi, and where to withdraw. For Vietnam-wide ATM tips, DCC warnings, tipping norms, and exchange rate advice:
Read the Vietnam Money Guide →🎧 Order Dong Before You Fly
Land with dong for the transfer, the drinks bill and the crew tip. Insured delivery, 2–5 days.
Order VND → CEI Currency ExchangeDo You Need Cash for Ha Long Bay?
A little, at the end. Almost everyone sees Ha Long Bay from a boat, and the boat is paid for before you board, by card or bank transfer. The cash you need is for what happens on and around the boat: the drinks bill if the boat will not take your card, the crew tip, a rowing boat through a floating village, and snacks at the port. Bring ₫500,000 to ₫1,500,000 for an overnight cruise. The Vietnam money guide covers withdrawal limits and fees nationally.
Where You Will Need Cash
The crew tip on the last morning. Bamboo rowing boats at floating villages, if not included. Drinks on budget boats. Snacks and water at the port. Cave tickets on routes where they are extra. Public buses from Hanoi.
Where Cards Work Fine
Cruise bookings, usually with a surcharge for card payment. Drinks bills on most mid-range and luxury boats. Hotels in Bai Chay. Sun World attractions and the Queen cable car. Private transfers booked online.
What a Cruise Really Costs
Three price bands. A day cruise from Ha Long city, four to six hours with lunch and a cave, costs roughly $30 to $70 a person. An overnight cruise on a budget boat, with a small cabin, meals, kayaking and a shuttle from Hanoi, starts around $100 to $150 a person. The luxury ships, with balconies and better food, run from $250 to $500 or more a person per night.
Read what is included. A good quote lists the transfer from Hanoi, all meals, the bay entry fees, cave tickets, kayaking or bamboo boats, and the cooking class or tai chi session. A cheap quote often leaves several of these out, and the difference is collected on board.
The card surcharge. Many Vietnamese tour agencies and cruise operators add 2 to 4 percent to card payments. Ask whether the price includes it. Paying a deposit by card and the balance by bank transfer or cash is common.
Ha Long or Lan Ha. Many overnight boats now cruise Lan Ha Bay, off Cat Ba island, which is quieter and joins Ha Long Bay's limestone scenery. It has its own sightseeing fee and a different port. Neither is cheaper by default.
Bay Fees, Caves and Kayaks
The bay charges by the route. Ha Long Bay's management board sells sightseeing tickets per person per route. On the classic routes, past Sung Sot cave and Ti Top island, the fee is around ₫290,000; newer routes, opened in 2025, are priced between about ₫70,000 and ₫600,000. Lan Ha Bay's sightseeing fee is lower. These fees are normally included in a cruise booked from Hanoi, but not always in a cheap day tour sold at the port.
Caves and islands. Sung Sot (Surprise) cave, Thien Cung, Ti Top island's viewpoint and beach, and the pearl farms are on most itineraries. Some charge separately, and Ti Top's climb is busy at midday.
Kayaks and rowing boats. Kayaking is usually included on overnight cruises. At the floating villages, local women row visitors through the karsts in bamboo boats for a fee per boat if it is not already in the package; tip the rower a little in cash.
Drinks on Board and the Crew Tip
The drinks list is the boat's margin. On most cruises, water at meals may be free, but beer, wine, cocktails and soft drinks are charged at prices closer to a hotel minibar than a Hanoi bar: a beer can cost ₫60,000 to ₫120,000, a bottle of wine well over a million. Most boats do not allow you to bring your own drinks, or charge corkage if you do.
Settling the bill. Drinks and extras are put on a tab and paid at reception before you disembark. Mid-range and luxury boats take cards, sometimes with a surcharge; budget boats may want cash in dong or dollars. Check the tab before you pay; a missing or duplicated round is easier to fix on board.
The crew tip. Tipping is optional, but expected on overnight cruises. Many boats leave an envelope in the cabin or a box at reception on the last morning. Around ₫100,000 to ₫200,000 per guest per night for the crew, and something separate for the guide who ran the excursions, is common. Dong or clean US dollar notes are both accepted.
Paying by Card Around Ha Long
Ha Long city is a resort town built for domestic tourism and cruise departures. The waterfront hotels and big attractions take cards; the port and small eateries are cash.
Bai Chay
The hotel and resort district by the cruise ports. Hotels, Sun World and seafood restaurants mostly take cards.
Ha Long cruise ports
Tuan Chau and the international cruise port. Snack stalls and water sellers want cash.
Hon Gai
The older town across the bridge, with the Ha Long market. Market stalls are cash; restaurants mixed.
On board the cruise
Tabs are settled at the end; most mid-range and luxury boats take cards.
Floating villages and caves
Rowing boats, drinks sellers and souvenirs. Cash.
Cat Ba town (Lan Ha Bay)
Hotels and dive shops take cards; street food and scooter hire want cash.
ATMs Around Ha Long
Look for these logos. Withdraw in Hanoi or in Ha Long city: there are no machines on the water.
Vietcombank
BIDV
Agribank
TechcombankATM Locations
The easiest place to withdraw is Hanoi before you leave; our Hanoi ATM guide lists the best machines in the Old Quarter. In Ha Long city, Vietcombank, BIDV, VietinBank and Agribank have branches in Bai Chay and Hon Gai, and a few machines stand near the cruise ports. There are none on the boats. Vietnam has no Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner.
⚠ Dollars on the Tab
Some boats quote drinks and extras in US dollars and convert at their own rate if you pay in dong, or the other way round. Ask which currency the tab is in, and pay by card in that currency. If the card machine offers to switch to your home currency, decline. The DCC explainer shows what that switch costs.
Getting to the Bay from Hanoi
The expressway. Ha Long is about 2.5 hours from Hanoi by the expressway. Most overnight cruises include a shuttle bus or limousine van from hotels in the Old Quarter, which is the simplest option and avoids any cash at all.
Private cars and limousine vans. Fixed-price cars and nine-seat limousine vans can be booked online by card. A private car costs roughly $70 to $120 each way; shared vans much less.
Public buses. Buses leave from Hanoi's bus stations for Bai Chay, paid in cash to the conductor. Cheap, slower, and you still need a taxi to the port.
Seaplanes. Seaplane flights over the bay leave from Tuan Chau and are booked by card, at a price to match.
Tipping Around Ha Long
Beyond the crew tip, Vietnamese norms apply, as the Vietnam guide explains. Tip the shuttle driver ₫20,000 to ₫50,000 if you like, the guide separately from the crew, and the rower at a floating village a little in cash. Restaurant service in Bai Chay is not expected to be tipped.
Prices Around Ha Long Bay
The cruise is the big cost. Everything else around the bay is cheap.
| Item | Price (VND) | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Day cruise with lunch | ₫780,000–1,800,000 | $30–70 |
| Overnight cruise, budget boat, per person | ₫2,600,000–3,900,000 | $100–150 |
| Overnight cruise, luxury ship, per person | ₫6,500,000–13,000,000+ | $250–500+ |
| Bay sightseeing fee, classic routes | around ₫290,000 | around $11 |
| Beer on board | ₫60,000–120,000 | $2.30–4.60 |
| Bottle of wine on board | ₫1,000,000+ | $38+ |
| Crew tip, per guest per night | ₫100,000–200,000 | $3.85–7.70 |
| Bamboo rowing boat, if not included | ₫100,000–200,000 | $3.85–7.70 |
| Shuttle bus from Hanoi, if not included | ₫250,000–400,000 | $9.60–15.40 |
| Seafood dinner in Bai Chay for two | ₫500,000–1,000,000 | $19–38 |
USD estimates use approximately ₫26,000 = $1. Rates fluctuate. Cruise prices in dong are converted from the dollar prices most operators quote.
Combining Ha Long With the Rest of the North
Hanoi (about 2.5 hours)
Withdraw before you leave, and see our Hanoi money guide for the Old Quarter.
Cat Ba island and Lan Ha Bay
Ferries and speedboats from Tuan Chau or Hai Phong; Cat Ba town has a few bank machines and cheaper hotels.
Ninh Binh (about 3 hours)
The "Ha Long Bay on land": rowing boats at Trang An and Tam Coc charge a ticket per person plus a tip for the rower.
Ha Long Bay Quick Reference
| Destination | Cards? | Cash Needed? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cruise booking | ✅ Yes, ~2–4% fee | Pay in advance | Check inclusions |
| Bay entry fees | Usually included | Around ₫290,000 | Ask your operator |
| Drinks on board | ✅ Most boats | Minibar prices | Settle tab before leaving |
| Crew tip | ❌ Cash | ₫100,000–200,000 a night | Envelope in the cabin |
| Floating villages | ❌ Cash | Rowing boats, drinks | Small notes |
| Transfer from Hanoi | ✅ Usually included | 2.5 hours | Limousine vans |
| ATMs | Hanoi or Ha Long city | None on the water | Withdraw first |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Ha Long Bay cruise cost?
A day cruise from Ha Long city costs roughly $30 to $70 a person including lunch. Overnight cruises with a cabin start around $100 to $150 a person on a budget boat and run to $250 to $500 or more on the luxury ships, usually including meals, kayaking and transfers from Hanoi. Drinks are extra.
Is the Ha Long Bay entry fee included in the cruise price?
Usually, on cruises sold from Hanoi, but check. The bay charges a sightseeing fee per person per route, around 290,000 dong on the classic routes, and some caves and islands charge separately. Ask your operator whether the quote includes bay fees, cave tickets and kayaking.
Do I need cash on a Ha Long Bay cruise?
Some. The cruise itself is paid in advance, usually by card or bank transfer. On board, the drinks bill is settled at the end and many boats take cards, sometimes with a surcharge. Bring dong or US dollars for the crew tip, a floating-village rowing boat and any extras.
How much should I tip the crew on a Ha Long cruise?
Tipping is optional. For an overnight cruise, around 100,000 to 200,000 dong per guest per night for the crew, and something separate for the guide, is common. Many boats leave an envelope in the cabin or a box at reception on the last morning.
How do I get from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay?
By the expressway, about 2.5 hours. Most cruises include a shuttle bus or limousine van from the Old Quarter. Public buses leave from Hanoi's bus stations, and private cars can be booked by card for a fixed price. Cruise ports include Tuan Chau and Ha Long International Cruise Port near Bai Chay.
Are there ATMs in Ha Long?
Yes, in Ha Long city around Bai Chay and Hon Gai, from Vietcombank, BIDV, VietinBank and others. There are none on the boats, and none in the bay. Withdraw in Hanoi or in town before boarding.
Pay Smart in Ha Long
The Wise card converts at the real mid-market rate, pays the cruise deposit without a card markup, and withdraws dong in Hanoi before you head to the bay.
Get the Wise Card →Hero photo: Ha Long Bay from above, by Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.