Fantastic Halong bay - An excellent day all round, plenty to see on the journey to Halong bay, great buffet on the boat on arrival, again lots of great scenery across the bay. The cave was amazing and not to hard a walk, then plenty of other activities to occupy the afternoon. The people were fantastic and looked after us at all times. Well done.

T was great guide and... - T was great guide and tour is so good. I will recommend to this tour to everyone who wants to make daily trip

Good fun day out - Good boat, great guide and crew.. good fun itinerary. Cave is amazing so much bigger than imagined. Place is rammed with tourists and their boats

A wonderful experience - When in Hanoi, a Halong Bay cruise is a ‘must do’ and a 1 day cruise is in our view the best way to do it. There are a large number of 1 day cruises available and we chose this one by Arcady Travels and were quite happy with our experience. The cruise was well organized, stuck to schedule and was efficiently managed - we faced a minor hiccup at the start when our bus from the hotel took us to the wrong marina - the one meant for overnight cruises. The operator corrected the error and got us to the right place where the boat was waiting for us. The cruise gives one a panoramic view of the unusual rock formations dotting the bay and an opportunity to trek through one of the many caves that dot the bay - we had to forego this trek as the climb requires a certain amount of fitness. We also did not climb to the top of Tip Top hill - another trekking opportunity offered. For us, the most exciting part of the cruise was a speedboat ride to various points of interest in the bay (at an additional charge of $10/person) and equally fun was a ride on a ‘bamboo boat’ poled by a local villager. The more adventurous opted for a ‘kayak’ ride. A tour / cruise is only as good as the guide managing it, and our guide Hien, was very good. He managed the group and tour very well, kept to schedule and kept us engaged with his commentary. He was friendly, helpful and paid attention to all in the group and made the cruise enjoyable for us. I should also give credit to the crew members and the Arcady coordinator who managed all aspects of the cruise very well. What could have been better? A little more attention to the buffet and the snacks with the wine would have earned the additional star in our review.

A trip worth doing when in Hanoi. - The cruise had a bad start with our tour bus taking us to the wrong pier due to a mess up at the office, however in the end the Halong 5 Star Day cruise was for us an enjoyable experience. We had an excellent guide, Hien, who managed the tour very well. Pleasant, outgoing and knowledgeable he kept the group entertained and with the support of an efficient crew, kept the tour on schedule. The cruise gave us a complete panorama of the unique rock structures dotting the bay, truly worth seeing. The fun and exciting part of the cruise, for us, was the ‘speed boat ride’ - worth the $10 per person we paid for it. The bamboo boat ride was also fun in a different way. We unfortunately were unable to visit the cave or trek to the top of Tip Top mountain. - physical limitations, The buffet we felt could be improved with more & better choices.

A well organised trip - Picked up in a nice comfy mini bus. Had the obligated stop at the Pearl factory, which is classed as a comfort break but is more for the opportunity to get people to purchase, as only 20 mins from the harbour. We were lucky that the boat was only half full so there was plenty of seating on the top deck for the views and to take photos. Lunch was satisfactory. Pleased with the quality of the boat, guide and crew happy and helpful, especially with the getting on and off the boat. Happy to recommend

Busy but worth it - The boat ride itself was fantastic, the views were amazing. The food and facilities were all satisfactory, not fantastic. The staff on board (in particular Lang) were excellent, super attentive and considerate. We knew exactly what we were going to do, and the timings were executed to perfection. The only issue was the sites themselves (the caves, the boats and the viewpoint), they were all absolutely rammed and full of tourists. Made getting off the boat a slow and tedious venture.

Cruise was good, guide Johhny wasn’t - Johny was really rude and lied about various things during the trip just to hurry up. He told us he’d pick us up at 8 AM and started calling and shouting at 7:45 AM. Throughout the cruise, he was just trying to do everything quickly. Overall cruise was fine, the activities were fun, the food was decent with a few options for Vegetarians.

Tick it off the bucket list if you want to... - The day started with a 20 minute late pickup (not surprising due to traffic), the driver was skilful in maneuvering through traffic on the two hour drive. There was no commentary on the bus. When we arrived at the port, a second tour leader collected people from other buses and distributed tickets. He then raced ahead and we had trouble keeping up with him to see where our boat was located. It was at the end of a long line of boats. It was an overcast day and there were hundreds of boats jostling for position throughout the journey, crowding in at various ports, colliding with each other on several occasions and the constant smell of diesel fumes when stopped. The water was strewn with garbage and there were coal barges and rusting cargo ships in the bay. When we arrived at the caves we were dropped off at the entrance and told it was one way with 200 steps up and 200 steps down and we would be picked up in 45 minutes. There was no commentary on the boat and it was not made clear that we had to stay downstairs to here announcements. The caves are quite spectacular in size and well worth a visit but be aware of the huge crowds, no chance of any commentary or any information boards. Far too many people (most taking up every conceivable space to take vogue snapshots) that made the experience less enjoyable. Pick up was not on time and it was a free for all as various boats came and went. Lunch on board was quite reasonable as were the drinks. The second stop at the kayak area once again mayhem as numerous boats jostled for position and the constant smell of diesel...We were upatairs and were asked if we wanted to go on the kayaks or speed boats, we were not told of the third option of a leisurely trip in a large punt/row boat. We discovered this when others returned and told us how good it was! Very disappointing. The third stop where the Russiian Astronaut statute was located was once again a boat jostling and bumping contest. The climb to the top of the island was 45 minute 300 step return trip or 45 minutes on a pretty ordinary beach. The return trip was pleasant enough as most boats had left the bay and the cool breeze was welcome. On the way back we saw several coal barges and rusted cargo ships again, hardly a good advertisement for a UNESCO listed site. If you really must tick this one off your bucket list, be prepared to be disappointed. Whilst the bay itself is spectacular and the caves (and I presume the area through the sea cave, too is pleasant and unique) I would not recommend the experience or the tour. To finish the trip we were dropped off a ten minute walk from our hotel because the streets were closed due to the (unforseen) Sunday market that happens every Sunday. Just go straight and turn right said the tour leader. Fortunately, Mr Google led us through the rain and winding crowded streets, several twists and turns back to our hotel. My three star rating is only because one star is for a 'bucket list' must do (maybe if it was clean), one star for the caves and one for reasonably pleasant cruise although the table were a bit crowded.

Not the best experience - Honestly not the best experience, there must be better out there. Pick up was prompt and on time and the bus which fit 17 people was comfy. Just as we were reaching the port we made a stop (“as we were too early for the boat”) at the pearl museum for 30 minutes. As other people have said, it’s just a way to get people to spend money. 10 minutes later when everyone was back at the bus early it set off for the 5 minute drive to the harbour, where we then waited for about 45 minutes. If, just with the journey, there is over 1 hour waiting time then why not just do the pickup times later. Conveniently we were sat to wait at a cafe the company owned, hoping we would spend more money. Having been picked up at 08:15, the boat finally left the harbour at 12:45. We had the buffet quite soon after which was adequate. Most was cold, bland, and deep fried and definitely nothing to write home about. The cave stop was cool but very overcrowded, kayaking was in fairness good fun, and then the hike/swim stop was also fun but very busy. There was a ‘happy hour’ on drinks which made them slightly affordable but I was given my cocktail 2 minutes before arriving at the kayaking so I couldn’t even enjoy it. Lastly, later on in the day, we had wine and stale crackers…yum. Having been gone for over 12 hours, we maybe spent 2 hours actually doing activities. The rest was sat on the coach, on the bus, or just waiting for something to happen. I also have to say, this is the only boat and/or full day tour that I have ever done where they do not give you water. We got one bottle on the bus, which we couldn’t even take on the boat as they do not allow plastic bottles, and that was it. They just want to make as much money as possible. IF you book this tour then take plenty of water and maybe even snacks. Also bring a book or something to pass the time. But honestly, save yourself the bother and find another tour; it’s probably worth paying more money