Luxury tours · CANOES & KAYAKS
This is the shortlist you would send a friend who asked what the upgrade buys: 15 kayak trips worth the money, each with its price, its group size and the thing to check before you pay.
Spend 6 to 7 hours on Halong Bay aboard a modern luxury cruise with a sky deck and pool. Visit Sung Sot Cave, kayak or take a bamboo boat through Luon Cave, and swim or hike at Titop Island. Guides such as Mr Bean and Harry lead the day. Hanoi pickup is available, with a limousine transfer listed at $10 each way.
“Luxurious boat, great activities, Mr Bean a great MC!”
Spend two days and one night aboard Alisa Cruise in Ha Long Bay with a maximum of 15 people. Expect private cabins, full meals, Sung Sot Cave, Ti Top Island or a seasonal alternative, pearl farming or kayaking, tai chi, and a cooking class. Guides including Ian and James Bond help keep the schedule moving, while staff such as Phong, Ivy, and Emma are attentive to dietary and drink needs.
“The experience was great! Everyone was very friendly, happy and helpful. I really like the staff! Mr. Phong was a great kelner! If you cannot eat something, don’t worry! I can’t eat gluten and staff did me many dishes gluten free.”
Travel from Hanoi’s Old Quarter to Halong Bay by air-conditioned bus, then spend the day on a deluxe cruise with Vietnamese lunch, kayaking or a bamboo boat, Sung Sot Cave, and Titop Island. Guides such as Sam and Hercules are praised for clear explanations and friendly care. Expect a long, active day with up to 48 people.
“Had a wonderful experience at Ha Long bay. Such unrealistically beautiful views. Me and my friends had a lot of fun. The whole guided tour was very a very culture rixh experience for us.”
Spend one night aboard a small-group Halong Bay cruise with a private balcony cabin, meals, cave visits, kayaking, swimming, Tai Chi, cooking, and squid fishing. Guides such as Sunny, Alex, Tom, and Tung have helped make the trip lively and well organized, though boat quality and Hanoi transfers can vary.
“We loved Aquamarine cruise. Huge windows for great views. Rooms very clean, huge and comfortable. Staff all helpful and attentive.”
Join an English-speaking guide such as Minh, Tim, James, or Trung for a full Ha Long Bay day. Cruise past limestone islets, visit Surprising Cave, kayak or take a bamboo boat through Luon Cave, swim at Ti Top Island, and finish with music, wine, fruit, and cake at sunset. Transfers from Hanoi are optional.
“The tour guide James really nice person, all the trip was amazing and the food really nice!”
Spend two nights aboard a Halong Bay cruise with an English-speaking guide, balcony cabin, full meals, cave visits, kayaking, swimming, Tai Chi, cooking, and squid fishing. Routes may use Halong, Lan Ha, or Bai Tu Long Bay. Day two reaches quieter areas, with Viet Hai Village or Vung Vieng Fishing Village depending on the route.
“My mom and I went on the 3-Day Cruise of Halong Bay and had an absolutely AMAZING experience! Our cruise director on the Athena was absolutely phenomenal and everything aboard the ship was superb. I would highly recommend stayinRead more”
This 8 to 9 hour private trip from Ho Chi Minh City combines cycling around a Long An farm, Vietnamese cooking, lunch, kayaking, a Mekong River cruise, folk music, and Vinh Trang Pagoda. Guides such as Tin Tin, Chow, and Ronald are praised for friendly care and good English. Fishing is available instead of cycling or kayaking.
“I joined a tour and our guide was really friendly and charming. They showed us around Mekan Dalgası and explained every place in detail. The guide was always by our side, making sure we had the best experience. Highly recommended!”
Spend three days and two nights aboard Aspira Cruises, sailing Ha Long and Lan Ha bays with a maximum of 40 people. You’ll kayak or take a bamboo boat through Light and Dark Cave, cycle or ride an electric car around Viet Hai Village on Cat Ba Island, and enjoy a balcony cabin, jacuzzi, Tai Chi, cooking class, and included meals.
“What a fabulous 3 days we spent on the Aspira ship, food was amazing and staff incredibly helpful especially Ha. Totally recommend”
Spend about five hours aboard a luxury yacht off Krabi, passing Khao Khanab Nam, Chicken Island, Poda Island, and Thale Waek. You’ll have time for swimming, snorkeling with supplied gear, and clear kayaking, plus fruit, bottled water, snacks, and a vanilla passion fruit mousse. Sunset departures include Pad Thai and salt-baked shrimp.
“Yachting around the andaman sea was amazing. Staff extremely attentive and couldn't do enough for the kids or my wife and I. The yacht was clean and despite a patch of monsoon weather (it is october afterall) which the staff kept us all safe and informed. Clear kayaking and paddle boarding was a nice touch. Snorkeling also went down a treat.”
Spend a full day on Halong Bay with an English-speaking guide, visiting Sung Sot Cave, Luon Cave, and Titov Island. Choose kayaking or a bamboo boat, swim or hike, then enjoy a buffet lunch, Jacuzzi, towels, and a sunset party. Hanoi pickup is available, or you can meet the cruise in Ha Long.
“Alex was a really kind tourguide. You could ask him anything about Vietnam, the food, the culture or anythingelse and he will answer that. We were just 3 tourists at the tour wich was really nice. It was a really nice tour and the food we tried was really tasty and I tried food there which I probably would‘t order my selfe or didn’t know how to eat in the right way. So that was interessting. What I think wasn’t that good is, that we rushed a little bit from place to place and there could have been maybe one more thing to try. But all in all it was…”
You’ll cruise Ha Long Bay from Tuan Chau, visit Sung Sot Cave, kayak or take a bamboo boat through Luon Cave, and climb or swim at Titop Island. A Vietnamese and English-speaking guide leads the day, with lunch onboard and a sunset snack service. Hanoi pickup is available, but the group can be large.
“The guide were professional and explained to us about Ha long bay and its attraction. The cruise is also good and the food sortiment is ok. The problem was in transportation which delayed for 1:30 hours.”
Join 727 Watersports for a 2.5-hour guided kayak trip from North Clearwater Beach to a small island in the Intracoastal Waterway. You will paddle stable single kayaks, watch for dolphins and horseshoe crabs, then enjoy an hour with towels, snacks, water, beach games, and a Bluetooth speaker. Ashley is one guide named in the tour feedback.
“Look no further for a kayaking experience. This is it. Couldn’t ask for a better tour guide that delivers as promised! The island was like an escape oasis.”
You’ll travel from Hanoi to Tuan Chau Marina for a full day on Hercules Cruise. Expect Sung Sot Cave, kayaking or a bamboo boat at Luon Cave, Titop Island swimming and hiking, a Vietnamese buffet, and a sunset snack party. Confirm pickup times carefully, as the road transfer can run long.
“We spent over an hour in Hanoi old quarter picking people up. The 2.5 hours transfer is not accurate, it’s over 3. We were picked up at 8.30 and at 12 we arrived at a pearl farm- not even on the itinerary- and stayed for 40mins, it was really just a huge gift shop. Finally we got on a boat at 1pm. Lunch was average to say the best. As we were so late we only had 20min to kayak and 30min at the hike and swim stop. The “party” had fruit and biscuits that disappeared within minutes. We got on a bus back to Hanoi at 7pm and arrived…”
Spend a full day on Ha Long Bay with an English-speaking guide, five-star cruise, buffet lunch, kayaking or a bamboo boat at Luon Cave, Sung Sot Cave, and Titop Island. Hanoi pickup takes about 2.5 hours each way. You can swim, hike for bay views, and finish with fruit, fries, tea, and red wine.
“Everything was really great. The cave and swimming in the beach in particular. Very friendly staff and quality food”
Join Ashley from 727 Watersports for a guided tandem kayak trip from 69 Bay Esplanade to a quiet spoil island in Clearwater’s intracoastal waterway. You’ll paddle past waterfront homes and local wildlife, then enjoy about an hour for swimming, beach games, music, snacks, and island time. The group is limited to six.
“Wonderful experience great service. Sea kayake and will not tip with woth the waves from other boats. Hands down 10/10”
Pick a deck, a car, a lounge or a camp.
