Private & tailor-made · 1–4 guests
Sung Sot Cave Tour from Hanoi, a Private Day on Ha Long Bay
A long day done properly: private car on the expressway, your own boat from Tuan Chau, and Sung Sot Cave at about 11:00, ahead of the shared boats from Hanoi. Every ticket and port fee is paid before you travel.
A sample day at a glance
What changes when the day is yours
A private car and boat for your group alone
Private, 1-4 guests, and nobody outside your party is added to either
Your own licensed local guide
Fluent in English and explains how the caves formed and the stories behind the rock — to your group alone, not twenty strangers
Collected at your own hotel
Anywhere in central Hanoi. No pier to find on your own
Every ticket and port fee prepaid
The bay ticket and port fees are bought for you. Nothing is collected from you at any gate
No shop stops, in writing
No detour to a pearl farm or souvenir showroom that pays to have you delivered
Ahead of the shared boats
The shared boats from Hanoi reach the cave in the early afternoon. You get there at about 11:00, and the day runs at your pace from then on
Duration
About 11.5 hours
Departure
07:00 hotel pickup
Pickup
Any central Hanoi hotel
from · $166 · / person · ›Check your price ›
Choose your group size · price is the total for the group
Solo traveller$535 BOOK →2 guests$580 BOOK →3 guests$620 BOOK →4 guests$665 BOOK →Free cancellation up to 3 days before · every tour tailored on request
The day, hour by hour
This is a sample day: add, skip or linger over any stop and we will adjust it. Times move a little with traffic, the tide and the port.
Hotel pickup · 07:00 · anywhere in central Hanoi
Private car to Tuan Chau · about 2.5 hours on the expressway · stops whenever you ask
Your boat from Tuan Chau
09:30 · about 90 minutes cruising
Port fees included
1 photo · tap to enlarge
The boat carries your group, your guide and the crew, nobody else. It usually sails out past islets such as Fighting Cock and Incense Burner while you get your first proper look at the bay.
Sung Sot Cave
11:00 · about 60 minutes · about 100 steps
Bay ticket included — no ticket booth for you
4 photos · tap to enlarge
Stone steps from the pier lead to a narrow entrance, then chambers rising to about 30 m under a ceiling dimpled like hammered metal, along an 800 m path that only runs one way. Your guide explains how water shaped the rock and the formations legend ties to the hero Thanh Giong. Cruise boats are often here at this hour, so it will not be empty, but the shared boats from Hanoi have not arrived.
Luon Cave
12:15 · about 30 minutes · rowing boat
Rowing boat included
1 photo · tap to enlarge
A local rower takes you through a tunnel in the cliff to a lagoon closed in by rock, or you can ask for a kayak. The roof is low, so the crossing depends on the tide; if it is closed that day we use the time at Ti Top.
Lunch on board
13:00 · about 45 minutes
Lunch and water included
1 photo · tap to enlarge
The crew cook while you sail: rice, seafood, vegetables and soup, usually with fish, prawns or squid, and a meat or vegetarian version if you tell us beforehand.
Ti Top Island
13:45 · about 45 minutes
No extra fee
1 photo · tap to enlarge
About 400 stone steps climb to a viewpoint over the bay, or you can stay on the crescent beach and swim. Ho Chi Minh brought the Soviet cosmonaut Gherman Titov here in 1962 and gave the island his name. Early afternoon is busy here in summer, and your guide will say so before you decide to climb.
Back to Tuan Chau, then Hanoi · leave Ti Top at about 14:30 · pier at about 16:00 · hotel at about 18:30
The whole day, one group
No stops we did not tell you about, nothing to pay at any gate, and any part of it can be changed.
Group total · everything included
Solo traveller$535 BOOK →2 guests$580 BOOK →3 guests$620 BOOK →4 guests$665 BOOK →Price is the total for the group · free cancellation up to 3 days before
WhatsApp · +84 368 938 081Want a different route, pace or group size? We will plan your day and send you an all-inclusive quote. ›What is in the price
Included
- Private car and driver between Hanoi and Tuan Chau, both ways
- Your own boat and crew on Route 2 for your time on the water
- Licensed local guide, fluent in English, door to door
- Bay ticket covering Sung Sot Cave, Ti Top and Luon, plus port fees
- Rowing boat through Luon Cave, or a kayak if you prefer
- Lunch on board, cooked by the crew, and bottled water
Not included
− Drinks on board beyond the water we provide
− Anything you choose to buy on Ti Top or on the road
− A tip for your guide, driver and crew — never expected, always welcome
− Travel insurance, which we recommend you carry
Is this the right tour for you?
A good fit if
You have one day for Ha Long Bay and want it without a shuttle bus.
You would rather have the boat to yourselves than share it with a tour group.
You want to be back in Hanoi by early evening, or stay on in Ha Long.
You want one number that covers everything, with nothing to settle at any gate.
Look elsewhere if
You are one person on a tight budget: a shared day boat from Hanoi costs far less.
Stairs are a problem. The cave means about 100 stone steps, with no lift and no wheelchair route.
Five hours in a car is too much for your group. Spend a night in Ha Long and take the morning tour instead.
You want to sleep on the bay. That is an overnight cruise, not this tour.
Already staying in Ha Long? The morning tour is shorter and reaches the cave earlier. See the tour from Ha Long. Or tell us what you want to see, and we will plan a day around it.
Questions before you book
About the day
How long is the tour and when does it start?
It runs About 11.5 hours door to door, starting with a 07:00 hotel pickup, and you are back in Hanoi at about 18:30. If you are staying on in Ha Long, we drop you at your hotel there instead, at the same price.
Where do you pick us up?
At your own hotel anywhere in central Hanoi, with no meeting point to reach on your own. Your guide waits in the lobby for 20 minutes.
Is the boat only for us?
Yes. It carries your group, your guide and the crew, nobody else. Only the rowing boat at Luon Cave belongs to the local rowers, and it can take other guests at busy times.
How much walking is there?
About 100 stone steps from the pier to the cave, then an 800 m path with more steps inside, uneven and damp in places, with no lift and no wheelchair route. The climb on Ti Top is about 400 steps and entirely optional.
Can we change the route or the pace?
Yes. This is a sample day and every part of it can be adjusted: add a stop, skip one, or spend longer in the cave. Tell us before you book and we confirm the plan and an all-inclusive price in writing.
Does the guide speak good English?
Yes. Your guide is a licensed local who speaks fluent English and explains the customs and the stories behind the rock as you go.
Booking and practicalities
Is the price per person or for the whole group?
For the whole group, from one to four guests: four people pay less each than two, and the boat is the same boat. Children under 5 travel free and do not count towards the group size; from 5 a child counts as one guest; groups of five or more need a larger vehicle — message us for a quote.
How do I pay, and when?
Two ways: pay the full price online by card or PayPal, or pay a 30% deposit online and the rest in cash on the day of the tour, in US dollars or Vietnamese dong. We can also send a secure payment link on WhatsApp. The booking is confirmed once the online payment goes through, and your pickup time and guide’s name arrive in writing.
Can I cancel or reschedule?
Yes – free cancellation up to 3 days before departure for a full refund, and free rescheduling subject to availability. Within 3 days of departure, 30% of the tour price is charged because the boat, car and guide are already committed. Date changes are arranged over WhatsApp.
What should I bring, and do I need cash?
Shoes with some grip for wet steps, a swimsuit and towel if you may swim at Ti Top, and your passport number, because boats register passengers before sailing. You do not need cash at any gate, since the tickets are bought for you; if you chose to pay the balance in cash, bring it for your guide.
What happens if it rains?
Light rain does not stop the boats, and the cave itself is under cover, so the tour runs. If the port authority closes the bay to tourist boats, you choose a free new date or a full refund. If the boats are running but Luon Cave is closed that day, we skip that stop and use the time at Ti Top, with no partial refund.
Book the day from Hanoi
Private car, your own boat and a licensed local guide, hotel pickup, every fee already settled.
Group total · everything included
Solo traveller$535 BOOK →2 guests$580 BOOK →3 guests$620 BOOK →4 guests$665 BOOK →Price is the total for the group · free cancellation up to 3 days before
WhatsApp · +84 368 938 081Want a different route, pace or group size? We will plan your day and send you an all-inclusive quote. ›