Boat Tours in Vietnam

Đảo Bé - An Bình Island - is a small outer island 3 nautical miles west of Lý Sơn's main island, reachable by a 15-minute boat ride. With clearer water, more intact coral reefs, and a fraction of the crowds of the main island, it is the best snorkeling location in the Lý Sơn archipelago and a quieter alternative for a half-day by the sea.

Ba Be Lake is Vietnam's largest natural freshwater lake - three connected bodies of water (Pé Lèng, Pé Lù, Pé Lầm) stretching 8km through karst mountains in Bắc Kạn. Ramsar Wetland site, Tày homestays, boat through Puong Cave, and some of the most intact lowland forest in the northern highlands.

Ba Hòn Đầm is a cluster of three small islands in the Bà Lụa Archipelago, Kiên Lương - known as the 'mini Ha Long of the South', 20km offshore with calm shallow water between the islands, colourful pebble beaches, and bioluminescence at night from November to April.

Bái Tử Long Bay - Ha Long's quieter, less-visited neighbour to the northeast - shares the same UNESCO-listed karst landscape but with far fewer cruise boats, better beaches, and a more traditional atmosphere. It's Ha Long Bay the way it was 20 years ago.

Bản Giốc is the largest waterfall on any national border in Southeast Asia - a 300-metre-wide curtain of water crashing across three tiers on the Vietnam-China border in Cao Bằng, surrounded by karst mountains and emerald pools.

Bàu Sấu is a remote oxbow lake deep inside Cát Tiên National Park - a 3-hour jungle trek from the park headquarters leads to one of southern Vietnam's last viable crocodile habitats and a prime birdwatching site.

Bảy Mẫu Coconut Forest is a 7-hectare water coconut palm wetland in Cẩm Thanh village - navigated by traditional Vietnamese basket boats through narrow waterways under the palm canopy, with fishing demonstrations and local music performances.

Bến Tre is the Mekong Delta's coconut capital - a province of dense palm groves, narrow canals, and traditional villages where coconut is processed into every conceivable product, explored best by bicycle on flat delta roads and by small boat through the shaded waterways.

Bưng Bình Thiên is a natural freshwater lake in An Giang's border district, known as the 'holy lake' - it expands dramatically during Mekong flood season and fills with lotus blossoms, surrounded by Cham Muslim villages.

Cái Răng is the largest and most active floating market in the Mekong Delta - hundreds of wooden boats loaded with wholesale fruit, vegetables, and goods trading on the river at dawn, 6km from Cần Thơ city centre, best seen from a small rowing boat at 5 AM.

Cần Giờ Monkey Island sits inside a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve 60km from central Saigon - a river island in the mangrove forest where long-tailed macaques live in large semi-wild troops, reached by boat through the Cần Giờ waterways.

Cát Tiên National Park is the most accessible serious wildlife destination from Ho Chi Minh City - a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of 72,000 hectares protecting lowland rainforest, over 350 bird species, and the Dao Tien Endangered Primate Species Centre.

Dầu Tiếng Lake is the largest artificial reservoir in Vietnam - a 270km² expanse of water on the Tây Ninh and Bình Dương border, surrounded by forest and used for irrigation, with sunrise photography and lakeside cycling as the main visitor draws.

Điệp Sơn is a remote island cluster in northern Khánh Hòa where a narrow tidal sandbar connects three islands at low tide - one of Vietnam's most photogenic natural phenomena, reached by boat from Vạn Giã fishing port.

The Hai Tac Islands are a remote archipelago of 16 islands in the Gulf of Thailand off the Kien Giang coast, historically known as the Pirate Islands. One of the least visited island groups in Vietnam, with coral reefs, white sand beaches, and almost no tourist infrastructure.

Hòn Khô is a small uninhabited rocky island northeast of Quy Nhơn, known for clear turquoise water, coral reefs, dramatic boulder coastline, and a seasonal golden seaweed (rong mơ) spectacle from May to July when the sea floor turns gold.

Hòn Mun Island is the centrepiece of Nha Trang Marine Protected Area - the best diving and snorkeling site in Nha Trang Bay, with the highest coral coverage and fish diversity of any island in the bay, 10km offshore from Nha Trang city.

Hòn Sơn is a large mountainous island in the Gulf of Thailand, Kiên Giang - calmer seas and a shorter crossing than Phú Quý, with clear water, Ma Thiên Lãnh peak, fishing villages, and almost no resort development. Minimum 2 nights to do it properly.

Hòn Tằm is Nha Trang Bay's most developed private island - a resort island 5km offshore with white sand beaches, clear water, water sports, and coral snorkeling, reached by speedboat in 15 minutes from Cầu Đá pier.

Hòn Yến is a small coral island 15km north of Tuy Hòa in Phú Yên - two islands (Hòn Yến and Hòn Sụn) connected by a rock path at low tide, with exposed coral reefs, lobster farming, and floating seafood restaurants. Named for the swifts that once nested here.

Kê Gà Lighthouse is a French colonial lighthouse built in 1899 on a granite islet off the Bình Thuận coast - reached by a short boat crossing from the mainland, it is the oldest standing lighthouse in Vietnam and a striking landmark on the south-central coast.

Kỳ Co Beach is a secluded 1km² cove near Quy Nhơn with turquoise water, golden sand, and dramatic cliff scenery - 25km from Quy Nhơn city, accessible by speedboat from Nhơn Lý fishing village or by road year-round.

Lan Hạ Bay is the southern section of the Ha Long karst system - 400 limestone islands, hidden beaches, floating fishing villages, and some of the clearest water in the Gulf of Tonkin, with a fraction of Ha Long's boat traffic and far better kayaking conditions. The bioluminescence night kayaking tour is an experience Ha Long Bay doesn't offer.

Mũi Cà Mau National Park is the southernmost point of Vietnam's mainland - a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of 42,000 hectares of mangrove forest at the tip of the Cà Mau Peninsula, where the East Sea meets the Gulf of Thailand. The only place in Vietnam to watch both sunrise and sunset from the same spot.

Nam Du is Vietnam's southernmost island archipelago - 21 islands in the Gulf of Thailand, closer and cheaper than Phú Quốc, with clearer water, outer islands for snorkeling, and a genuine fishing community character. 2 hours from Rạch Giá by high-speed ferry.

Nho Quế River - a ribbon of impossible turquoise threading through the deepest canyon in Southeast Asia, seen from above at Mã Pí Lèng Pass and explored by boat from Mèo Vạc.

Phú Quý Island (also known as Cù Lao Thu) is a remote coral island 120km off the Bình Thuận coast with some of the clearest water and best diving in southern Vietnam - a 2.5 to 3.5 hour ferry from Phan Thiết that delivers a genuine fishing island experience with minimal resort infrastructure.

Tà Đùng Lake in Đắk Nông is called the 'Hạ Long Bay of the Central Highlands' - a reservoir with 47+ forested islands that are actually the hilltops of submerged terrain, formed by the Đồng Nai 3 hydroelectric dam. Sea of clouds visible at 5-6 AM during rainy season. 250km from Saigon.

Tam Cốc - three river caves cut through towering limestone karst in Ninh Bình, rowed by local women through flooded rice paddies that turn gold in harvest season. Vietnam's most scenic boat journey.

Thường Phước Border Gate in Đồng Tháp is one of the Mekong Delta's international river crossings into Cambodia - a working border post on the Mekong where boats, traders, and travelers cross between Vietnam and Kandal Province.

Thiên Mụ Pagoda is the oldest and most iconic religious site in Huế - a 21-metre seven-tiered tower on a hill above the Perfume River, founded in 1601, and the unofficial symbol of the city that has witnessed every major chapter of Vietnamese history.

Thung Nham Bird Park is a flooded karst valley and wetland in Ninh Bình home to one of northern Vietnam's largest egret and heron colonies - over 40,000 birds nesting in the bamboo forest during breeding season, explored by rowing boat through the flooded valley.

Trà Sư Cajuput Forest is an 845-hectare flooded cajuput woodland in An Giang - navigated by rowboat through mirror-flat green waterways, with over 70 bird species, a 10km bamboo walkway through the forest, and an observation tower over the canopy. Best September to November.

Trang An is Vietnam's only UNESCO dual World Heritage Site (natural and cultural, 2014) - a labyrinth of karst peaks, jade rivers, and ancient caves navigated by wooden rowboat. Known as 'Ha Long Bay on land' and a filming location for Kong: Skull Island (2017).

Tri An Lake is a large reservoir in Dong Nai province, 60km from Ho Chi Minh City, formed by the Tri An hydroelectric dam on the Dong Nai River. A popular weekend camping and kayaking destination for city residents, with forested islands, calm water, and dramatic sunset views.

Tuyền Lâm Lake is Đà Lạt's largest reservoir - a 320-hectare expanse of calm water surrounded by pine forests, accessible by cable car, kayak, or bicycle, with Trúc Lâm Thiền Monastery on the hillside above the northern shore.

Vân Long Nature Reserve is Vietnam's largest inland wetland - a flooded valley of karst peaks, submerged rice fields, and clear shallow water navigated by rowing boat, home to Vietnam's largest population of the critically endangered Delacour's langur.