9 Night Kayak Tours in Vietnam to Book Early

1.Lan Ha Bay Bioluminescent Plankton Kayak Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 316 reviews · from $36Our pick

Ba leads this five-hour Lan Ha Bay trip from Cat Ba, combining a floating fishing village, Monkey Island, swimming, a 10 to 12 meter rock jump, sunset, and night kayaking with bioluminescent plankton. Hotel transfers, kayak life vests, and a family-style dinner at Alibaba’s restaurant are included. Swimsuits, towels, and sturdy shoes are essential.

“Ba was an amazing guide, super positive and knowledgeable and made the whole trip amazing. Some highlights: - Climbing up monkey island and seeing the whole bay from such a high point was truly amazing. - Seeing the monkeys so up close and even getting to give one a peanut was so special. - The bioluminescent plankton was way stronger than anything I had expected, it was so clear and swimming in it truly did feel like you were in such a serene and surreal environment. - Dinner after everything was so good with a great range of options and such a friendly environment after a day of climbing, kayaking…”

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2.Sunset & Bioluminescent Plankton Kayaking Lan Ha bay

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 93 reviews · from $43Top rated

From Cat Ba, you’ll cruise through Cai Beo floating village to Van Boi Beach for sunset and a BBQ dinner, then kayak after dark near a floating house. Your guide, such as Tom, Lin, or Ryan, leads you to glowing plankton and can point out the right spots for a swim. The group is limited to 15 people.

“Such a fun experience! Tom was a great guide, had a lot of information about the people of Cat Ba and spoke English very well! We got to see the floating villages and some monkeys, Tom cooked dinner for us and the kayaking was awesome! Would recommend”

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3.Bioluminescent Plankton Kayak Tour from Beo Pier

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 80 reviews · from $32Best value

Start at 241 Cai Beo Street, then ride by water taxi through Cai Beo floating village to a floating house. With an English-speaking local guide such as Lam, Luan, Toan, or Tran, you will kayak through Lan Ha Bay after dark and may swim among glowing plankton. The 2.5-hour trip includes equipment, permits, and return boat transport.

“Unique experience with Blue Swimmer Team. Highly recomended. Kind people doing everything very friendly l in our private night kayaing tour!!”

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4.Sunset & Plankton Bioluminescent Night Kayaking

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 58 reviews · from $37

From Cat Ba, cruise past a floating fishing village and limestone islets, stop for sunset and dinner, then kayak after dark with guides such as Tim, Hana, or Thanh. Warm water and a dark moon give you the best chance of seeing plankton glow around your paddle and hands. Small groups may be available.

“The tour was leaded by Hana, who did a great job. Especially Dory and Quinn were amazing and made the tour even better! They made sure that we don’t get lost in the dark on the sea. We had an amazing time with a lot of fun and felt really safe.”

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5.Sunset and Night kayak with bioluminescent plankton

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 44 reviews · from $35

This 4.5-hour Cat Ba Local trip takes you from your hotel to Cai Beo Floating Village and Lan Ha Bay for sunset, a Vietnamese dinner, and night kayaking among glowing plankton. Guides such as Luu, Lou, Luffy, and Ryan help find the best spots, though moonlight and sea conditions can affect what you see.

“This has been one of the highlights of my trip it was just beautiful & stunning! Loved it so much”

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6.Kayaking at night see bioluminescent plankton

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 17 reviews · from $32

From Cat Ba Town, you’ll cruise past Cai Beo floating village and Lan Ha Bay’s limestone islands before dinner at a floating fish farm. Then guide B or A leads a night kayak to glowing plankton, with time for swimming and squid fishing. The 4.5-hour trip costs $32, plus a $4.80 entrance ticket.

“Our guide B was very friendly and really knowledgeable. Dinner on the cruise boat was very good”

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7.Lan Ha Bay Bioluminescence Plankton Kayaking

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · from $35

Spend five hours exploring Lan Ha Bay with a small group of about 12 people. Cruise past Cai Beo Floating Fishing Village, visit Monkey Island beach, swim, and kayak after dark to see bioluminescent plankton. Guide Smiley is known for his warm hosting, with Vietnamese dinner and vegetarian options included.

“Seeing the bioluminescence in the sea was a dream come true 🌊 and the beach at Monkey Island was beautiful, we saw a couple of monkeys up close!”

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8.Lan Ha Bay Bioluminescent Plankton Kayak Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 10 reviews · from $38

Set out from Cat Ba around 3:30 pm in winter or 4 pm in summer for a five-hour Lan Ha Bay trip. You will cruise past Cai Beo’s floating fishing village, visit Monkey Island, swim and jump from limestone rocks, then kayak to glowing bioluminescent plankton. Dinner, towels, pickup, and an English or Vietnamese guide are included.

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9.Night Kayaking with Glowing Plankton

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · from $35

You’ll cruise past Cai Beo floating village, swim in Lan Ha Bay, hike Monkey Island at sunset, eat a Vietnamese dinner, then paddle after dark in search of bioluminescent plankton. Cat Ba Sonder provides an English or Vietnamese guide, hotel transfers, kayak gear, towels, and small-group or private options.

“Well, it was a nice guided tour, very enjoyable, and we had a delicious meal afterwards.”

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