12 Pro Tips for Saving Money on Halong Bay Trip

It’s perfect to enjoy a two - or three-day trip in Halong Bay, but when it comes to cost and value for money, there is a huge range. On a whole, Halong Bay cruises will run you from rock-bottom of US $65 - $80 to US $200 - $300 per person for a one-day trip. If you’re on budget tight, there’s a great diversity of mid-range accommodations, budget restaurants, and low-cost tours for comfort, facilities, and safety considerations in Halong Bay. The following tips will guide you on saving money to enjoy memorable budget travel to Halong Bay.

Transportation

1. Happy hours for airline tickets

You should list an array of major airlines that you can fly to Vietnam and follow their updates on special discounts and promotions. Some of the popular brands like Vietnam Airlines, VietJet, Jetstar (Pacific Airlines), AirAsia, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, etc. offer Happy hours, the golden time when you can get many hot deals to save your cost of traveling to Halong Bay.

2. Flights on the midweek day

If you’re flexible in travel dates, you’d better book a flight in the middle of the work week. For a visual illustration, many airlines frequently adjust high fares on Thursdays and Fridays, spike again on Saturdays and Sundays, then fall too low costs on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Hence, try to arrange a time to book a flight on the midweek day to cut your budget for transportation to Halong Bay.

Find your budget flights to Vietnam here bestpricetravel.com/vietnam-flights 

>> For more details, discover more methods of transportations through our How to Get to Halong Bay: A Rough Guide

Accommodations

3. Early-bird or Last-minute Halong Bay Cruise deals

It’s best to book your Halong Bay Cruise about one month before your travel dates. The earlier you book your cruise, the cheaper it will be. Furthermore, you’re likely to have a better option of departure date and a wider range of cabin choices. Not only does early booking save money on Halong Bay Cruise, but the last-minute deal is also cost-effective.

Check this out for hot deals on Halong Bay Cruise

4. Halong Bay package deals

When you book a Halong Bay package tour, you’ll get a good rate on airfare, hotels, meals, and often guided tours. Not only that, but when it comes to combo and all-inclusive service, you can also experience plenty of freebies like private minibus transfer from Hanoi to Halong Bay, kayaking, cycling, Tai Chi session, cooking class, and various services on board if you book Halong Bay Cruise. Literally, this helps you save a lot of money!

5. Budget Halong Bay Cruise

There’s a great diversity of Halong Bay Cruises which are designed to meet every tourist’s preferences, and still give you the best view for Halong bay photos. If you book a full-day cruise or low-cost overnight cruise, you have to pay for extra services like spa treatments, kayaking, entrance fees, and other more. It sounds less economical than booking a mid-range or luxury cruise line since you’ll be better served by personalized services and high-quality features. That’s the reason why you should research thoroughly and spend your money wisely to choose a suitable Halong Bay Cruise.

If you want to spend more time on the cruise, the Halong Bay 3 day cruise is the ideal option, allowing you to explore the most destinations and offering the best value for money.

You may also like: Top 10 Best Budget Halong Bay Cruises

Choose a budget or mid-range Halong Bay Cruise

Booking

6. Seasonal promotions

On major holidays, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day, and Easter, many travel companies offer seasonal discount codes and promotions that are valid during prolonged holiday seasons. Also, you should try visiting Halong Bay during spring break, end-of-year holidays, or off-season to get better fares.

Note: You’d better get familiar with the Vietnamese Holiday Calendar including Independence Day (Sep 2^nd), Hung Kings Commemorations (around mid-April), Reunification Day (April 30^th), and International Labor Day (May 1^st). Let’s avoid these national holidays unless you want to be surcharged or keen on the crowds.

7. Group booking

Normally, tourists have a tendency to visit with family or friends, which can lead to major savings thanks to group booking. Especially, you can book a private and luxury Halong Bay Cruise at an affordable cost per person. Most Halong Bay cruise lines will offer you some gifts or other inclusive promotions, such as reduced price per person, free fare for children under 6 years old, or discounts for the elderly.

Book Halong Bay Cruise in a group to save more money

8. Prestigious agencies

It’s better to book online with a prestigious travel consultant than to plan the Halong Bay trip by yourself. You’ll avoid a lot of hidden costs and receive numerous best deals at reasonable costs. An organized tour at BestPrice Travel covers many entrance fees and costs of activities so that you can get the most competitive price while traveling to Halong Bay.

Food and Drink

9. Dine out at lunch, not dinner

In Halong Bay, most of the restaurants raise the high costs of dinner. Instead, guests can get a more affordable cost at lunch. To reduce your budget on the dining-out habit, you can have dinner at your hotel and go out for lunch to savor Halong Bay cuisine. For those staying on Halong Bay Cruise, all meals are included in your deal and that helps money saving a lot.

10. Halong Bay street food

It’s economical for a budget traveler to enjoy a variety of street foods in Halong Bay. It’s not only cheap but also flavorsome. Figure out the top must-try specialties of Halong Bay and see what is actually being cooked right in front of you. If you can go further, try to eat away from the touristy streets as nearby areas will be much cheaper and more authentic. One of useful local tips in Halong Bay is to dine and shop at Halong Market - where you can find almost every Halong signatures with reasonable prices.

Find out here: Best of 5 Street Foods in Halong Bay

Others

11. Travel like the locals

An eco-friendly way of travel either brings positive impacts to the environment or costs you less. Use public transport when possible, rent a bike, visit a local village or just walk around then get lost in local markets. In Halong Bay, you can also join the night squid fishing on the cruise.

Cycling in Viet Hai village

12. Advice from travel agents

It’s perfect to get experienced knowledge from travel consultants, locals, or tour guides because research on your own might make you overwhelmed. They will show you where to eat, things to do, attractions to visit, and scams to avoid. Definitely, these guides will inspire you with a more wonderful vacation in Halong Bay without wasting money on terrible experiences.

In conclusion, traveling to Halong Bay doesn’t cost much if you spend money wisely. Let’s become smart travelers by following our pro tips for saving money on a Halong Bay vacation.

You may also like 10 Best Halong Bay Tours for Backpackers

Rosie Dang

(Images source: Internet)