Vung Vieng is a floating fishing village in a lagoon ringed by karsts in Bai Tu Long Bay. Its houses sit on rafts of barrels and planks, moored together with fish pens, oyster ropes and pearl-farming platforms, and the families who live here have fished these waters for generations.
Life on the bay has changed: in the 2010s many families from Ha Long’s floating villages were moved to homes on the mainland, and tourism is now part of the village economy. What you see today is part working community, part living museum — the rowing boats that take visitors around the lagoon are paddled by villagers, many of them women who have rowed these waters all their lives.
Top things to do at Vung Vieng Fishing Village
Take a rowing-boat tour
The classic way to see the village: 30–45 minutes in a small wooden boat, rowed slowly past the floating houses and under overhanging cliffs. It is usually included in cruise itineraries; if not, it is paid locally.
Kayak around the lagoon
Many cruises offer kayaks as an alternative. Keep a respectful distance from the houses and fish pens — people live and work here.
See a pearl farm
Pearl farming is one of the industries of the bay. Some cruises stop at a pearl farm nearby, where you can see how oysters are seeded and opened.
How to get to Vung Vieng Fishing Village
- By cruise: nearly all visitors arrive on a Bai Tu Long overnight or day cruise from Ha Long. See our tour list for boats that include Vung Vieng.
- Independently: there is no road. You would need to charter a boat in Ha Long, which in practice costs more than joining a cruise.
Insider tips
- Ask before photographing people in their homes, and never step onto a private raft.
- Carry a little cash in Vietnamese dong for tipping the rower — it is appreciated.
- Early morning and late afternoon visits are the most atmospheric and the least busy.
Best tours & cruises for Vung Vieng Fishing Village
These top-rated experiences are the easiest way to see Vung Vieng Fishing Village and the bays around it:
Day cruise from €75 Bai Tu Long Bay: Day Cruise to the Untouched Side of the Bay
If you are already staying in Ha Long, this is the best half day you can spend on the water. It heads east away from the main channels into Bai Tu Long; most departures stop at a floating fishing village such as Vung Vieng (check the day’s itinerary on the booking page) and you are back by mid-afternoon.
- Off-the-beaten-track route through Bai Tu Long
- A floating fishing village and quiet lagoons
- Lunch on board
Overnight cruise from €123 2-Day, 1-Night Cruise: Visit Less-Touristed Bai Tu Long Bay
A good-value mid-range cruise that sticks to the quieter waters of Bai Tu Long, with a visit to Vung Vieng, a hands-on cooking class and a relaxed evening on deck. Solid reviews and a price that undercuts most boats on this route.
- Vung Vieng fishing village
- BBQ dinner and a cooking class
- Local guide throughout
Overnight cruise from €106 From Hanoi/Ha Long: La Regina 4-Star Cruise in Bai Tu Long Bay
A mid-range four-star cruise from the La Regina fleet that works the Bai Tu Long itinerary, including Vung Vieng. Useful if you are already in Ha Long and want to join at the pier rather than ride the shuttle from Hanoi.
- Four-star boat on the Bai Tu Long route
- Vung Vieng floating village
- Join from Hanoi or directly in Ha Long
