Many posts on Little Red Book claim that buying tickets directly at the dock is the cheapest option, costing 51 million dong. While this isn’t entirely false, it can be misleading! When I tried to buy a ticket at the window, the staff member actually sold my money to a middleman. In the end, someone in uniform at the entrance arranged a small boat for me.
Although there’s nothing inherently wrong with these boats, their actual price is just 31 million dong! This means they made a 20 million dong profit off me! So, be cautious: if you’re directed to a middleman after purchasing at the window, make sure to haggle. Local Vietnamese people typically pay around 35 million dong for the same service!
I had a similar experience when I visited Halong Bay last year. It’s really important to do your research before buying tickets, because there are definitely some hidden costs involved. The hidden gems mentioned in the article sound amazing—next time I’ll make sure to explore them more thoroughly!