An Australian man was among a group of tourists forced to jump from a burning ship as it docked in Vietnam.

The Aphrodite Cruise ship was carrying 37 tourists from seven countries when it caught fire in Ha Long Bay on Friday, the New Zealand Herald reports.

Tourists clung to the side of the wooden ship as flames and smoke billowed from the inside, with many leaping into the water as it approached the shore.

"I climbed over the front balcony down two decks by just dropping and hoping for the best," an unnamed Australian man told the New Zealand Herald.

Four people suffered minor injuries, Aphrodite Cruises confirmed in a Facebook post.

The fire is believed to have started in the ship's kitchen.