Hanoi - Cat Ba: How to get to Cat Ba Island from Hanoi

Reputed to be the pearl island of North Vietnam, Cat Ba is the invitation to a wilderness excursion combining sea and forest. What could be better than appreciating a beauty that reminds of its big sister Halong but still much less frequented?

Pretty coves and beaches, a lush national park and in particular a sublime and discreet bay, Cat Ba is a destination of choice for lovers of the sea and hiking. Do you already have a good plan to get to Cat Ba from Hanoi or not? Do you have any questions about bus, train, boat timetables for Cat Ba? This little notebook is for you.

Distance between Hanoi and Cat Ba

The Cat Ba archipelago is 45 kilometres from Haiphong city in the East, 25 kilometres from Halong in the South and some 150 kilometres from Hanoi in the Southeast.

Means of transport to go from Hanoi to Cat Ba

The traffic between Hanoi and Cat Ba is done in 3 stages, 2 land and 1 sea (by ferry or boat).

Road stop, three ways are possible, by motorbike, train and bus.

Regarding the Hanoi - Cat Ba route, two passable directions:

          + Hanoi - Haiphong - Cat Ba

          + Hanoi - Halong - Cat Ba

Hanoi - Haiphong - Cat Ba

Hanoi - Haiphong (2.5 hours by bus) - Tan Vu sea bridge – Got quay - Cai Vieng dock (10 minutes by boat or 25 minutes by ferry) - Cat Ba city (40 minutes by bus).

Take national road 5 (for motorbike) or highway 5B (for car), connecting Hanoi - Hai Duong - Hung Yen - Haiphong. Cross the Tan Vu - Lach Huyen sea bridge to reach the Got quay.

Haiphong - Cat Ba, two options

- Departure from the Binh quay (Ben Binh) - Cat Ba, or

- Via Tan Vu bridge, departure from Got quay - Cai Vieng dock - Cat Ba city (40 minutes by bus)

Ben Binh - Cat Ba

By boat: between 200,000 and 250,000 VND per person, duration: 45 minutes

Got quay - Cai Vieng dock

By boat: 50,000 VND per person, duration: 10 min

In ferry: at 7,000 VND per person, 25,000 VND per person with a motorbike, 90,000 VND for the car with less than 9 seats, duration: 25 min

Ferry frequency: 20 - 30 minutes

Hanoi - Halong - Cat Ba

Hanoi - Tuan Chau quay of Halong (2.5h by bus) - Gia Luan quay (15mn by airboat) - Cat Ba city (40 minutes by bus).

Depart Hanoi via Highway 5B to Haiphong - Halong Highway and take the Tuan Chau boat to the Gia Luan wharf which leads to Cat Ba city. Note that the entry into service of the Tan Vu maritime bridge in 2017 has reduced bus traffic for Cat Ba by one hour.

Tan Vu, the longest sea bridge in Southeast Asia

Bus Hanoi - Haiphong from the bus stations

Many buses from 17 companies serving Haiphong leave from Hanoi stations: Gia Lam, Giap Bat, Yen Nghia and Nuoc Ngam.

Reference bus: Hai Au, Hoang Long, O Ho, Van Minh, Ngoc Huyen, Hoang Ngan…

Addresses:

Giap Bat bus station: Km6 Giai Phong Street, Hoang Mai, Hanoi

Gia Lam bus station: 132 Ngo Gia Kham, Ngoc Lam, Long Bien, Hanoi

Yen Nghia bus station: QL6, Yen Nghia, Ha Dong, Hanoi

Nuoc Ngam bus station: 01 Ngoc Hoi Street, Hoang Liet, Hoang Mai, Hanoi

Bus Hanoi - Cat Ba from downtown Hanoi

A dozen Hanoi - Cat Ba buses welcome you in the old quarter of Hanoi to take you directly to Cat Ba. These tourist buses offering a pleasant comfort are undoubtedly a very good choice to go to Cat Ba. They have air conditioning, screen, free Wi-Fi, bottled water, mini-fridge, dessert and a guide.

Reference companies:

Orient Travel: departure at 128 Tran Nhat Duat, Hanoi

Daiichi Travel: departure at 85 Nguyen Huu Huan, Hanoi

Good Morning Cat Ba: departure at 13 Hang Huong, Hanoi

Cat Ba Express: departure at 37B Nguyen Huu Huan, Hanoi 

Daiichi Travel, 29 seats

This bus offers decent comfort and a professional guide.

Hanoi - Cat Ba: 4 trips per day
Departure from Hanoi: 85 Nguyen Huu Huan Street, a pick-up place in the old quarter, and 206 Co Linh Street, opposite Aeon Mall Long Bien.
Cat Ba - Hanoi: 4 trips per day
Departure from Cat Ba: 19 Nui Ngoc Street, Cat Ba, place of pick-up as you wish in the city.

Good Morning Cat Ba, 35 seats

It is the first bus to offer a fixed Hanoi - Cat Ba circuit since 2011. In addition to good care, an English-speaking guide on board is also available.

Hanoi - Cat Ba: 3 trips per day
Departure from Hanoi: 13 Hang Huong, Hang Ma, Hoan Kiem, pick-up place at your leisure in the old quarter and opposite Aeon Mall Long Bien in Gia Lam.
Cat Ba - Hanoi: 3 trips per day
Departure from Cat Ba: 265 Nui Ngoc, Cat Ba, reception point for all hotels in the city.

      >> More details on timetable/price and to book a bus Hanoi - Cat Ba

Train Hanoi – Haiphong

Haiphong station

There are 4 popular trains connecting Hanoi to Haiphong every day.

Addresses

Hanoi station: 120 Le Duan Street, Hoan Kiem, city of Hanoi

Haiphong Station: 75 Luong Khanh Thien, Ngo Quyen, Haiphong city

    >> See more details on the Hanoi - Haiphong trains of the General Railway Company of Vietnam (VNR).

Go to Cat Ba from Ninh Binh

If by chance you wish to reach Cat Ba from Ninh Binh, take a Ninh Binh - Cat Ba bus from Ninh Binh bus station for a price ranging between 250,000 and 300,000 VND, with 4.5 or 5 hours by road.

Departure from Ninh Binh bus station: Daichi Travel
Departure from Tam Coc: Cat Ba express

    >> Read more: How to transfer from Cat Ba island to Ninh Binh?

When to visit Cat Ba?

Let’s know that summer is synonymous with seaside vacations for domestic tourism and traffic is most important between the beginning of May and August. Choose the months between November and March to go there.

What to do on Cat Ba Island?

Now is the time to explore Cat Ba in style, here are just some ideas of visiting Cat Ba:

>> Two must-see fishing villages on Cat Ba Island

>> Cat Ba, the pearl island in the Gulf of Tonkin

>> Top 10 things to do in Cat Ba Island in Vietnam