Top 6 National Park Trips from Hanoi

1.Half Day Hiking to Cat Ba National Park with a Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 312 reviews · 4 hours · from $22Our pick

Spend four hours exploring Cat Ba by air-conditioned van and on foot. Hike through the national park to Ngu Lam Peak, visit Trung Trang Cave and, for an extra fee, Hospital Cave, then stop at Chua Linh Quang pagoda. Guides such as Tri and Chi share local nature, wartime history, and Buddhist customs.

“Had a look lovely morning hiking in Cat Ba national park. Our guide, I think his name was Chi , was great and very friendly knowledgeable and entertaining.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Full day hikes, Cycles, Kayaks & swims in Cat Ba National park

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 241 reviews · from $39Top rated

Spend about nine hours hiking Cat Ba National Park’s rocky forest trails, stopping at Frog Pond and Viet Hai village, then cycling to the harbor for a Lan Ha Bay boat ride, kayaking, and a swim. A local guide leads the day; guides have included Phu and Anh. The hike is challenging and offers little in the way of wide views.

“Amazing day!! Anh was an awesome guide and we really just had the best day possible. Definitely how you should spend one of your days in Cat Ba.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Full-Day Cuc Phuong National Park Hiking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 157 reviews · from $24

From Tam Coc, ride the Ninh Binh countryside loop to Cuc Phuong National Park for a forest walk to an ancient tree and a prehistoric cave. The roughly eight-hour outing includes an air-conditioned vehicle, guide, water, and snacks. Guides have included Khang and Huyen. Park admission and lunch cost extra.

“Super knowledgeable guide and a very beautiful area of the world to visit. Definitely only an introduction to this huge national park but perfect if you're pressed for time. Our guide went above and beyond - the value for money was exceptiRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Cat Ba National Park Full Day Trekking Tour to Viet Hai Village

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 111 reviews · from $39

Spend 7 to 8 hours crossing Cat Ba National Park on foot, stopping in Viet Hai Village for lunch and a fish-stream foot massage, then cycling to the harbor and kayaking on Lan Ha Bay. Aroma Viet Nam Travel runs the trip for groups of up to 15. The guide’s name is not specified.

“A great day for us. It was an extremely interesting and useful trip. Highly recommend the activities of Aroma Travel company. We had interesting experiences in Cat Ba with our guide. He is very dedicated and thoughtful. The food was delicious”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.2 Days 1 Night Adventure: Cat Ba National Park, Lan Ha Bay

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 16 reviews · from $187

Travel from Hanoi to Viet Hai village for a three-hour hike in Cat Ba National Park, a jungle bungalow stay, and night kayaking for bioluminescent plankton. The next day brings caves, lagoons, swimming, and a fish farm on Lan Ha Bay. Guides named for the team include local guide Than, Chilly, and Tom.

“This was such an incredible experience — the highlight of our trip to northern Vietnam! The guides were super professional and welcoming, and it was a perfect mix of activities, from the difficult but doable hike to the boat tour and bioluminescent plankton kayaking (never kayaked at night before which was super cool!). We also loved the Homestay in the quaint village of Viet Hai — it felt like a true "off the beaten path" destination and the rooms and grounds were lovely. Food was decent but not amazing. A big thanks to Chilly and the team. I’m so happy we opted for this and not just a Halong Bay…”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.3D2N Mai Chau – Pu Luong from rice valley to nature reserve

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 11 reviews · from $296

Spend three days traveling from Hanoi through Mai Chau and Pu Luong, with valley cycling, a stilt-house homestay, village walks, Kho Muong Cave, a waterfall swim and a natural hot spring. English-speaking local guides lead the trip; past guides have included Thu Ha and Vin. Transport in Pu Luong can vary by group.

“Was a fantastic 3 days. Home stay was lovely, host was such a lovely lady. Tour on motorbikes was superb, our guide Thu Ha was a local and knew all the best places to visit. Had time for us to take photographs. Food at home stay was lovely & meals on days out was also really nice. Would recommend and would definitely book the trip again.”

Check availability →Read our full review