Very good tour for the money. Packed a lot in one day (visit to pearl farm, cruise, kayaking, visit to cave, short climb to viewpoint) without it seeming too hectic. Downside was that Ha Long Bay has become extremely crowded and touristy. The cave was beautiful but it was like being shepherded through a crowded football stadium. The kayaking was fun but in a very crowded cove. So, good tour as long as you know what you are in for. If you have more time, I would strongly recommend doing an overnight tour or 1-2 night one instead.

We were picked up from our hotel in the Old Quarter and our guide was Ian who was funny and super knowledgable. He was chatty and shared facts about Hanoi as we left the city and made our way to the harbour! You get one toilet/rest stop about an hour from leaving Hanoi and then it’s about 20 mins to the harbour. We sat and enjoyed the sun and the sights on the top deck! The buffet lunch was average - prawns, chicken, fish, rice and fruit. You have to pay for the drinks separately and they’re quite pricey! As a heads up, you can’t bring plastic to Ha Long Bay so bring glass bottles or you’ll be paying for water in small cans on the boat which averages £3+! After seeing the rocks, you can choose to either kayak or you pay 100k per person to sit on a 10-15 person boat and be towed. We kayaked - the highlight! Then you get dropped off at a beach to swim/sunbathe or to hike up the mountain which was around 400 steps. Thanks so much Ian!

We very much enjoyed our trip. From pick up to drop off everything was well organised. The tour guide, Tony, was great, he was attentive, entertaining and helpful, he really made our trip. We enjoyed the lunch and they provided lots of veggie alternatives to meat and fish. We also loved the range of activities.