From April 25 to May 3, 2026, the "Ha Long Carnival 2026" will be held throughout the Ha Long Bay area of Quang Ninh Province in northern Vietnam. The theme is "Wonders Shining in a New Era." With 14 main events lined up, including a festival of light on the Ha Long Bay cliffs, a 3D mapping show, hot-air balloons, EDM nights, and an international street carnival, more than 80,000 participants are expected to gather on the main opening day of April 30 alone.
Quang Ninh Province has set an annual target of 22 million visitors (of which 5.2 million are international tourists) for 2026, and its biggest draw device is this carnival. Tourism revenue is projected at about 55 trillion VND (equivalent to about 209 billion USD).
Event overview and schedule
| Itinerary | Main events | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| April 25 to May 3 | International food street, OCOP product fair | The entire Ha Long Bay coastal area |
| April 30, from 20:00 | Opening art show, international street carnival | October 30 Square (Hon Gai area) |
| April 30, night | Festival of light boats (50 cruise ships lit up) | On Ha Long Bay |
| April 30 to May 1 | EDM night, 3D mapping show | Bai Chay area |
| April 25 to May 3 | Hot air balloon festival | Over Ha Long Bay |
| During the event | Special performance "Great King Tran Nhan Tong" at the Yen Tu sacred site | Yen Tu culture and tourism area |
In addition to the Ha Long heritage area, Hon Gai, and Bai Chay, the Yen Tu sacred-site complex is also included as a venue, and the entire province enters festival mode.
Content of note: a "new Ha Long Bay" created by a sea of light
The biggest highlight this time is "Light Festival Waves," which uses the sea surface as a "giant stage" for the first time. More than 50 tourist cruise ships are lit up, coloring the bay all at once. Past carnivals centered on land events, but 2026 has evolved into a spectacle where sea and land become one.
On the ground, 60 art floats parade through the city in designs fusing coal-mining heritage with contemporary art. Performances by popular Vietnamese artists such as My Tam, Tung Duong, and Quang Hung MasterD are also planned, and expectations from the local young generation are high too.
3D mapping has become standard at Vietnam's large-scale events in recent years, and video productions treating Ha Long Bay's limestone cliffs as a screen are planned. It's expected to be the largest-ever production in both scale and technology.
Reactions within Vietnam and local expectations
Quang Ninh Province authorities project 1.3 million visitors during the carnival period, and the local tourism industry's expectations are at a level exceeding usual years. There are also reports that Ha Long Bay cruise-ship companies' bookings for the Golden Week period (April 29 to May 5) are already 70 to 80% full.
According to official materials from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), as a member of the East Asia Inter-regional Tourism Forum (EATOF), diplomatic missions and tourism delegations from Japan, Korea, and the Philippines are invited, and it is also positioned as a venue for international exchange. Local media report that "2026 is the year foreign tourists can feel Ha Long Bay's ”evolution”," and media exposure is rapidly increasing.
Guide for Japanese tourists: access and travel plans
Access from Hanoi
| Mode of transport | Time required | Estimated cost | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Limousine bus (sleeping bus) | About 3 to 3.5 hours | 200,000 to 300,000 VND (about 1,200 to 1,800 yen) | The most popular; easily arranged on booking sites |
| Private car | About 2.5 to 3 hours | 1,200,000 to 2,000,000 VND (about 7,000 to 12,000 yen) | Comfortable; cheaper for multiple people |
| Tour with sightseeing bus departing from Hanoi | Day trip to one night, two days | Included in the tour (around 3,000 to 8,000 yen) | Easy with no arrangements needed |
Direct flights to Hanoi operate from Japan (from major cities such as Tokyo and Osaka). During the carnival period, buses between Hanoi and Ha Long Bay are scheduled to be increased.
Recommended travel plan (making use of Golden Week)
Japan's Golden Week (April 26 to May 6) almost completely overlaps with the carnival period (April 25 to May 3). For a 4-to-5-night itinerary, 2 nights in Hanoi plus 2 to 3 nights in Ha Long Bay (of which one night is a cruise) makes for the most fulfilling plan.
- Day 1: Depart Japan → arrive Hanoi, stroll the Old Quarter
- Day 2: Hanoi sightseeing → move to Ha Long Bay by evening bus
- Day 3: Daytime cruise → the carnival opening ceremony on the night of April 30
- Day 4: Hot-air balloon experience, food-street tour → return to Hanoi
- Day 5: Stroll Hanoi → return home
Points to note
- During the carnival period, hotel and cruise-ship bookings fill up rapidly.Booking at least 1 to 2 months ahead is essential。
- Late April is a period nearing the end of the dry season, and Ha Long Bay may have fog or light rain. Bringing a light waterproof jacket is recommended.
- April 30 (Liberation Day) to May 1 (May Day) are local public holidays. Crowds reach their maximum, but it's also the main run of the carnival.
- If you use a Japanese-guided tour, advance arrangement via VELTRA or KKday is convenient.
Ha Long Bay Carnival's top 3 recommended experiences
We've summarized points Japanese tourists can especially enjoy.
- The nighttime festival of light (Light Festival Waves): The illumination of 50 boats seen from a cruise ship. The extraordinary experience of the sea surface glowing will be a lifelong memory.
- Ha Long Bay seen from a hot-air balloon: A superb aerial view completely different from an ordinary cruise. A flight in the clear early-morning air is especially recommended.
- International Food Street: Not only Vietnamese cuisine, but dishes from countries around the world gather in one place. A perfect opportunity for lovers of street-stall food.
Information related to traveling to Vietnam in 2026
When planning a trip to Ha Long Bay,Vietnam Airlines' new-route informationis also worth referencing. Vietnam Airlines is expanding its intra-Asia network, and connectivity from cities across Japan is improving too.
Also, the number of foreign tourists visiting Vietnamreached a record high in Q1 2026, and a further increase is expected in the spring season including Golden Week. Since travel crowding also rises, early planning is key.
For those who want to enjoy coffee culture together with Ha Long Bay sightseeing,Vietnam Cafe Show 2026we'd also like you to read the article. Hanoi has many Vietnamese coffee specialty shops, so do drop by in the time before or after the carnival.
Summary
Ha Long Carnival 2026 is held at a perfect timing that completely overlaps with Golden Week. A week condensing multiple experiences, from a sea of light to 3D mapping to hot-air balloons to an international street carnival, will without a doubt be a highlight of a Vietnam trip. Since hotel and cruise bookings are already starting to move, for those considering a visit, we recommend starting arrangements right now.
As the theme "Wonders Shining in a New Era" set by Quang Ninh Province suggests, Ha Long Bay in 2026 will broadcast its appeal to the world with the largest-ever carnival. As a Golden Week destination from Japan, Ha Long Bay is now one of the most in-season options.
