A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Haifa vs. Halong Bay for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Haifa or Halong Bay?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Haifa and Halong Bay. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Where Should I go: Haifa or Halong Bay?

Haifa

Located on the northern Mediterranean coast of Israel, Haifa is Israel's third largest city. It is also a beautiful and strategically located city near the border with Lebanon. The population of Haifa, which is approximately 300,000, is surprisingly diverse. There are Jews, Muslim, and Christian Arabs throughout the city. While Haifa is an industrial city with a strong work ethic and a good job base, it is also a beautiful city with many gardens and a stunning coastline. Today the job base has increasingly become technology based with some large companies such as Google and Microsoft offering employment in the area. Haifa University is also the country's top technology university.

Halong Bay

Halong Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the north of Vietnam, near the Chinese border. Known for its thousands of beautiful limestone karsts and stalactite-filled caves, it is one of the most visited destinations in Vietnam. If you appreciate natural scenery and want an adventure at sea, you'll love cruising among more than 1,900 islands in Ha Long Bay.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Israel, The Best 2-Week Tours in Israel, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Vietnam, and The Best Coach Bus Tours in Vietnam.


Which place is cheaper, Halong Bay or Haifa?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Haifa is $175, while the average daily cost in Halong Bay is $66. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Haifa and Halong Bay in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Haifa $84
    Halong Bay $27
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Haifa $168
    Halong Bay $54
Compare Hotels in Haifa and Halong Bay

Looking for a hotel in Haifa or Halong Bay? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Haifa


Hotels in Halong Bay


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Haifa Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Haifa $5.57
    Halong Bay $13

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Haifa

Also for Haifa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Private Transfer from Haifa Cruise Port to Tel Aviv Airport (TLV): $235
  • Transfers all over the Holyland: Haifa, TLV, Airport, JLM, Jordan: $199

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Halong Bay

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Halong Bay:

  • Transfer from Cat Ba Island to Ninh Binh with D-Class Limousine: $20
  • Transfer Ha Long to Ha Noi Super Limousine Morning Bus: $33
  • Transfer Ha Long and Ninh Binh by Limousine Bus: $18
  • Transfer From Halong to Ninh Binh: $25
  • Sea Octopus Luxury Day Cruise in Halong With Transfer Roundtrip: $75
  • Private Transfer: Cat Bi Airport to/from Ha Long, Tuan Chau: $60
  • Private Transfer from Halong Bay Port to Hanoi Airport (HAN): $79
  • Private Transfer from Halong Bay Port to Haiphong city hotels: $56
  • Private Transfer from Halong Bay Cruise Port to Hanoi hotels: $145
  • Private Transfer from Halong Bay Cruise Port to Haiphong Hotels: $63
  • Private Transfer From Ha Long Bay To Hanoi: $90
  • Premium 2-Day Halong & Lan Ha Bay Cruise with Meals & Transfer: $299

Is it cheaper to fly into Haifa or Halong Bay?

Prices for flights to both Halong Bay and Haifa change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Haifa $87
    Halong Bay $26
Typical Food Prices in Haifa

For Haifa, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Dinner
    $30

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Halong Bay

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Halong Bay.

  • Cat Ba Paradise Cave Experience with Dinner and Live Music: $41
  • Paradise Cave Dinner with Live Music and Tasting in Cat Ba: $42
  • Halong's Hidden Gem: Dragon Pearl Cave Tour with Dinner: $47
  • Halong Bay Luxury Dinner Cruise - Ambassador: $51
  • Best 2D1N Lan Ha Bay Cruise: BBQ dinner, Viet Hai Ancient Village: $210

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Haifa $6.42
    Halong Bay $16

Tours and Activities in Haifa

For Haifa, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Haifa Port Shore Excursion: Nazareth and Sea of Galilee Day Tour from Haifa Port: $120
  • Haifa Private Tour: $199
  • Guided Walking & Car Tour with Bahai Gardens Entry: $229
  • Jerusalem & Bethlehem Tour from Haifa Port 2025 - Small Group: $255
  • Jerusalem & Bethlehem Tour from Haifa Port. Private Tour: $287
  • Full Day Tour to Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee: $290
  • Haifa Port: Full-Day Christianity Tour to Galilee: $501
  • Haifa, Acre and Rosh Anikra for Cruises with Licensed Guide: $510

Tours and Activities in Halong Bay

Here are a few actual costs in Halong Bay for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • 2-Day Halong Orchid Cruise: $235
  • Alisa Premier Luxury 5-Star Cruise in Halong Bay 2 Days 1 Night: $215
  • Ha Long Bay Day Tour by 5 Stars Luxury Cruise (07 Hours on Bay): $60
  • La Regina Overnight Cruise - Queen of Lan Ha Bay - 2 day/1 night: $199
  • Luxury Cruise - Top Tier Ha Long bay 2D1N/3D2N: $185
  • 07 Hours Explore Halong Bay with Sea Octopus Cruise: $70
  • 1 Day Boat Tour Lan Ha Bay & Viet Hai Ancient Village from Cat Ba: $59
  • 1 Day Boat Tour: HaLong Bay, Lan Ha Bay, Natural Beach and Full Moon Party: $29
  • 1-Day Halong Luxury Cruise,Buffet Meal,Sunset Party,Cave & Island: $53
  • 2 Day 1 Night Halong & Lan Ha Bay Luxury Rosy Cruise from Ha Long: $215
  • 2 Day Guided Cruise Tour in Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay from Hanoi: $201
  • 2 Days 1 Night Lan Ha Bay Adventure: $129

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Haifa $15
    Halong Bay $12


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Haifa and Halong Bay, we can see that Haifa is more expensive. And not only is Halong Bay much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Haifa is in Middle East and Halong Bay is in Asia, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Halong Bay would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Halong Bay and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Haifa would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Haifa than you might in Halong Bay.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Haifa Expensive? and Is Halong Bay Expensive?.