Imagine a gorgeous sandy shore, crystal-clear water, and a breathtaking panorama – you can find all that on Ti Top Island.

As the most stunning island in Ha Long Bay, Ti Top Island enchants tourists with its beautiful nature and numerous enjoyable activities. A visit to Ti Top Island is a highlight of many Halong Bay cruises.

Let’s explore the extraordinary beauty of Ti Top Island with Fola Travel!

The Hercules Premium Cruise reaching Ti Top Island on the right. — A cruise reaching Ti Top Island.

Overview of Halong Bay & Ti Top Island

Ti Top Island sits right at the heart of Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ha Long Bay is Vietnam’s number 1 tourist destination, with thousands of domestic and foreign tourists visiting annually.

Visitors to Halong Bay will be captivated by the magnificent scenery of the vast blue sky, azure sea, and towering limestone islands. Among them, Ti Top Island is the top beach getaway, widely loved by many guests. With its pristine and poetic beauty, Ti Top Island has become an icon of Ha Long Bay.

What makes Ti Top Island special?

From afar, Ti Top Island impresses with its unique shape: one side is a steep mountain, and the other is tilted down to the striking crescent-shaped beach. Besides the fine sandy shore leading down to the clear blue water, Ti Top has a famous observatory at the top of the mountain, where you can witness the breathtaking panorama of Ha Long Bay.

An island looking from top down with a coast and many people on the beach. — The unique shape of Ti Top Island.

Location

Located about 12 kilometers from Tuan Chau Port and only 8 kilometers from Bai Chay Port, Ti Top is easily accessible by boat. In front of Ti Top Island, you can see Bo Hon Island, home of Sung Sot Cave, another attractive tourist destination in Ha Long Bay.

History

The name Ti Top has an interesting origin. In the past, this island was called Cat Nang (Cat means “Sand”), referring to the gentle beauty of the white sand. In 1962, President Ho Chi Minh and Russian astronaut Gherman Titov came to Ha Long Bay and visited the island. To commemorate this trip and emphasize the friendship between the two countries, Uncle Ho renamed this beautiful island Ti Top (Vietnamese transliteration of Titov).

The Titov statue on Ti Top Island in Halong Bay. — German Titov statue on Ti Top Island.

The stunning beauty and fascinating history have helped Ti Top become a hot spot for tourists in Ha Long Bay.

Best time to visit Ti Top Island

– Peak Season: November – April

Dry weather, little rain, and lots of sunshine during this season are perfect for visiting Ha Long Bay and Ti Top Island. However, peak season also means that Ti Top Beach will be more crowded than usual, so you should avoid visiting the bay at this time if you do not want to encounter many crowds or noise.

– Low Season: May – October

Summer in Ha Long is characterized by high temperatures and lots of rain. Therefore, you need to carefully check the weather forecast before booking a cruise to visit the island. On rainy days, some sports and sightseeing activities may be canceled and replaced with other activities.

An advantage of the low season is that you can admire a more peaceful and gentle Ti Top Island, not affected by the noise and bustle of the high season.

Infomation

There are countless engaging activities you must try when visiting Ti Top Island:

Climb Ti Top Mountain to admire the panoramic view of Ha Long Bay.

Three people running to the peak of Ti Top Island. — Halong panorama from Ti Top Peak.

Conquering the 400+ stone steps leading to the summit of Ti Top Mountain may be challenging, but when you reach the top, the reward is unparalleled.

At Ti Top Observatory, you’ll be greeted by the stunning panorama of Ha Long Bay. Imagine clear blue water caressing the limestone islands, dotted with cruises sailing through the sea in the distance and colorful kayaks going up and down the waves.

This beautiful and poetic scenery is why many tourists consider Ti Top Island a must-see destination when traveling to Ha Long.

Relax on Ti Top Beach

Flycam picture of Ti Top Island with a big mountain and white sandy shore. — Ti Top Island.

The beautiful crescent-shaped coastline with clear water and white sandy shore on Ti Top Island is ideal for tourists to relax.

Not only that, Ti Top beach is also a great place to play sports such as volleyball or organize a picnic and BBQ on the beach with fresh seafood caught by nearby fishermen.

Whether sunbathing on the sand or swimming in the clear blue water, you will definitely have a great time on this island.

Explore the island

If you do not want to stay on Ti Top beach, walking around to explore the island is also an enjoyable activity. Around Ti Top island, besides the areas renovated to serve tourists, you will be attracted by the magical beauty of wild plants and animals hidden among the limestone blocks with unique formations.

Walking on the white sand, listening to the murmur of the blue sea afar, you will feel strangely peaceful and relaxed.

Participate in ocean sports

Two people kayaking in the water of the bay. — Enjoy kayaking activities.

Coming to Ti Top Island, you can try many interesting ocean games, such as kayaking to explore the bay, towed buoy riding, diving to see corals, or jet skiing on the sea. These exciting games bring unique experiences and simultaneously help you learn about the extraordinary beauty of Ti Top Island and Ha Long Bay!

Take beautiful photos

guests photo on ti top peak in halong bay — Guests on Ti Top Peak.

It is not difficult to get a beautiful photo when visiting Ti Top Island because there are countless fantastic shooting angles here. The white sandy beach, the hiking path with unique limestone formations, and the panoramic observatory of Ha Long Bay are places people favor taking insta-perfect photos.

Ti Top Island is a great place for sunrise or sunset photos on the sea.

The sun rises over Ha Long Bay between 5 and 5:45 a.m. in the summer and 6 to 6:30 a.m. in the winter, covering Ti Top Island in soft, clean beams of early sunlight. When the sun goes down about 5:15 – 6 p.m., the island is enveloped in a spectacular light curtain of colorful clouds, as lovely as in a movie!

Located quite close to Bai Chay and Tuan Chau ports, there are a few different ways for guests to visit Ti Top Island:

By cruise: Ti Top Island is a familiar destination for cruise tours in Ha Long Bay. Visitors will be able to visit the island and participate in fun activities.

The Amethyst Junior Cruise reaching Ti Top Island. — Reaching Ti Top Island.

Day cruise: Many cruises have one-day tours departing from Bai Chay port to visit Ti Top Island and some neighboring spots. The price of a one-day cruise is reasonable, only from $40 to $70 per person, including transportation costs and tickets to visit the islands.

Multi-day cruise: With 2-day-1-night or 3-day-2-night cruises to visit Ha Long Bay, visitors can better admire Ti Top Island. Due to the extended schedule, you can stay on the island longer, enough to try your hand at adventurous ocean sports.

See more: Local Guide to Halong Bay Cruise Routes.

By hydroplane: Traveling by hydroplane, you can have an incredibly unique experience of admiring the panoramic view of the island and Ha Long Bay from above.

Halong Bay islands with a hydroplane flying above. — Admire the incredible Halong panorama from the hydroplane.

By kayak: For tourists who are healthy and want to challenge themselves, you can rent a kayak and paddle yourself out of Ha Long Bay to visit Ti Top Island. Please note that the distance from the nearest port is 8 kilometers, so you need to be in good physical condition and have some orientation experience (or hire a tour guide) to complete the trip safely.

A couple kayaking in front of halong bay islands and the woman is smiling. — Fun kayaking activity in Halong Bay.

On the cruises to visit Ha Long Bay, tourists will not only visit Ti Top Island but also visit extremely interesting tourist attractions nearby, such as:

Sung Sot Cave: the most beautiful cave in Ha Long Bay, with a system of magical limestone stalactites.

Inside a Halong Bay cave with many people visiting. — Visiting Sung Sot Cave.

Me Cung Cave: located only about 2 kilometers from Ti Top Island, with limestone stalagmite walls like a matrix created by nature.

Inside Me Cung Cave in Halong Bay. — Me Cung Cave.

Cua Van Fishing Village: visiting the fishing villages in Ha Long Bay is an interesting activity for tourists to learn more about the daily life of the local people.

Colorful houses under big islands in Halong Bay. — Colorful life in Cua Van Fishing Village.

Cat Ba Island: this is a large island near Ha Long Bay and Ti Top Island, with many beautiful caves and beaches, along with a wild and fascinating natural environment.