Cat Ba Island is the largest island of the Cat Ba archipelago, about 150 km southeast of Hanoi and 3 to 3.5 hours away by bus and boat. It offers the same limestone karsts as Halong Bay, plus a national park, caves and beaches, and works best as a two to three day stop.
The short version
Cat Ba gives you Halong Bay's limestone scenery with more to do on land: a national park, wartime caves, small beaches and day boats through Lan Ha Bay. It is one island, about three hours from Hanoi, and it suits travellers who want hiking and boats in the same trip rather than a single night on a cruise.
The island sits inside the Halong Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago World Heritage Site, listed by UNESCO on 16 September 2023: about 1,600 islands in Halong Bay and more than 360 in the Cat Ba archipelago. Much of the interior is national park, home to the Cat Ba langur, found nowhere else on earth. Only about 76 remained in 2023, up from roughly 40 in 2000. You are very unlikely to see one, but the forest, caves and viewpoints are reason enough to come.
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Cat Ba splits into water days and land days. The best water day is a full-day Lan Ha Bay boat tour. The best land day combines Cat Ba National Park, Hospital Cave and a beach stop. Two days covers both, and a short list beats trying to see everything.
Lan Ha Bay borders Halong Bay to the south with the same emerald water and karsts. Full-day tours run 7.5 to 9 hours from Ben Beo harbour near Cat Ba Town and include kayaking, a swim stop and lunch. Listings in October 2026 show Cat Ba departures from about 30 to 65 USD (~780,000 to 1,700,000 VND) and Hanoi round trips from about 75 to 105 USD.
Both ways of booking work. Booking online ahead gives you a confirmed seat and an instant voucher, which matters in peak months and on weekends. Buying in Cat Ba Town the day before is more flexible and lets you pick a boat after checking the forecast, though seats depend on what is left. A package from Hanoi bundles bus, boat and pickup into a day of about 13 hours; leaving from Cat Ba Town usually costs less but you arrange your own transfers. Whichever you choose, ask how many passengers the boat takes: under 25 is comfortable, 30 or more feels crowded.
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Sondax tip:
Ask whether the Lan Ha Bay entrance fee (120,000 VND, ~4.60 USD per adult in 2026) is included before you compare prices. Some tours include it and others collect it on the day, so two listings 5 USD apart can cost the same.
The classic short hike climbs Ngu Lam Peak from the park headquarters: about 2 km return, 90 minutes to 2 hours, steep and slippery when wet. Park routes cost 120,000 VND (~4.60 USD) per adult in 2026, more than the 80,000 VND older guides list. Wear shoes with grip, not flip-flops. A longer trail crosses the park to Viet Hai village, about 10 to 12 km and 4 to 5 hours on foot from the park headquarters, with a boat back to Ben Beo harbour; start early and go only in dry weather. The central route to Ngu Lam Peak costs 120,000 VND, while a ticket for the wider park is 160,000 VND (~6 USD) per adult, so ask at the gate which one covers the Viet Hai trail.
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Hospital Cave is a concrete bunker complex built into a limestone hill in the mid-1960s and used as a wartime hospital. It is about 10 km north of Cat Ba Town on the park road. Entry is around 40,000 VND (~1.50 USD), 30 minutes is enough, and guides often wait at the entrance.
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Cannon Fort is a former French-era gun position above the Cat Co beaches, with a wide view over Cat Ba Town and the islets. Entry is listed at 40,000 to 50,000 VND (~1.50 to 2 USD) per adult, with an optional electric cart up the hill, and the site opens roughly 8:00 to 17:00. It was closed for a long period during resort construction, so ask your hotel whether it is open before you go.
Cat Co 1, 2 and 3 are the closest beaches, three small coves separated by limestone bluffs and backed by resorts, 10 to 15 minutes from town. They suit a half-day break, not a beach holiday. Water on the west coast is often cloudy because Cat Ba faces several river mouths; the best swimming is usually on the small islands to the east, reached by boat.
Two days is the minimum for Cat Ba, and three is the comfortable plan: one full day on a Lan Ha Bay boat, one day on land, and a slow morning or a longer trek on day three. More than three nights suits climbers, divers and people who simply want to stay put.
Cat Ba fits a northern route that starts in the capital, and our Hanoi travel guide covers the days before and after.
The usual route from Hanoi is a bus and boat combo ticket: 3 to 3.5 hours door to door, about 12 to 16 USD one way, with pickup in the Old Quarter. You can also cross the last stretch by cable car from Cat Hai Island, and the ferry now leaves from Dong Bai pier.
Combo tickets are sold by operators such as Good Morning Cat Ba, Cat Ba Express and Daiichi Travel, by Old Quarter agencies and on booking platforms. The bus takes the expressway to the coast, a speedboat crosses in about 10 minutes, and a final bus reaches Cat Ba Town. Book a day ahead and check which crossing your ticket includes.
| Option | Price (one way) | Time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus or limousine + speedboat | 12 to 16 USD (~310,000 to 420,000 VND) | 3 to 3.5 hrs | Most travellers, hotel pickup |
| Bus + cable car | 13 to 19 USD | About 3.5 hrs | Skipping the ferry queue |
| Train to Hai Phong + public ferry | ~150,000 to 300,000 VND (~6 to 12 USD) | 4 to 5 hrs | Independent, budget trips |
| Private car + ferry | By quote | 3 to 4 hrs | Families, groups with luggage |
Sources: operator pages (Cat Ba Express, Good Morning Cat Ba), Viator listing, Sapa Nomad route guide
The Sun World cable car links Cat Hai Island to Phu Long on Cat Ba. It opened in June 2020, is 3,955 m long and takes 10 to 15 minutes. One way costs 70,000 VND (~2.70 USD) for adults and children over 1 m, and children under 1 m ride free; foot passengers only. Since April 2026 it runs every day, with six departures each way at 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, 13:30, 14:30 and 15:30, and Sun World can still close the line for maintenance, so check the day before. Phu Long is about 20 km from Cat Ba Town, so pick a ticket that includes the shuttle.
The ferry pier moved: Dong Bai replaced the old Got pier in March 2024. The ferry takes cars and motorbikes and costs 10,000 to 14,000 VND on foot (~0.40 to 0.55 USD) and about 45,000 VND with a motorbike. From Halong City, a public ferry runs from Tuan Chau to Gia Luan in the north of the island in about an hour.
For three or more people, a late arrival or heavy bags, a private car avoids the changes between vehicles. You can ask Sondax for a private transfer quote from your Hanoi hotel and compare it with the combo above.
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Most of a Cat Ba budget goes on getting there and one boat day. Expect 12 to 16 USD each way to reach the island, 30 to 65 USD for a full-day boat tour from Cat Ba Town, and about 4.60 USD each for the bay fee and the national park fee.
| Item | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bus + boat combo, Hanoi to Cat Ba | 12 to 16 USD | One way, hotel pickup |
| Cable car, Cat Hai to Phu Long | 70,000 VND | Foot passengers, check hours |
| Lan Ha Bay full-day tour from Cat Ba | 30 to 65 USD | Lunch and kayaking; fee may be extra |
| Lan Ha Bay day trip from Hanoi | 75 to 105 USD | Includes bus and boat transfers |
| Bay entrance fee | 120,000 VND | Adults; 60,000 VND for children |
| National park routes | 120,000 VND | Ngu Lam Peak route; 160,000 VND for the wider park |
| Motorbike rental | 100,000 to 200,000 VND a day | Automatic scooters cost more; fuel is extra |
Sources: Haiphong Newspaper via DTiNews (12 December 2025) for entrance fees; Sun World and operator pages for transport; Hai Phong Resolution 06/2024 for park routes; local rental shops for motorbikes; Trip.com, Expedia and operator listings for tours. VND converted at about 26,000 per USD.
For daily costs across the whole trip, see our Vietnam travel budget guide.
Stay in Cat Ba Town for the easiest tours and ferries, near the south coast beaches for quieter evenings, or in the north for farmland and fishing-village scenery. Most hotels are in Cat Ba Town, a strip of tall buildings along the harbour that is busiest on weekends and public holidays.
Cat Ba has about 16,000 residents and received around 2.5 million visitors in 2019, so weekend and holiday rates rise sharply. We usually tell friends to sleep outside the town and come back for the boat and the market.
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Cat Ba is a seafood island: fish, squid, crab and shellfish are sold by weight at harbour restaurants and market stalls. Order by weight, watch it weighed and confirm the total before cooking. For breakfast, try banh da cua, a red crab noodle soup from Hai Phong, or a banh mi from an early stall.
Menus with photos on the harbour road are priced for visitors. Independent writers point to the seafood places at the north end of the harbour and the central market for local prices.
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The best months for Cat Ba are March to May and late September to November, when it is warm and the sea is calm enough for kayaking and swimming. Typhoon season runs from July to October and peaks in August and September, while January and February are cool, grey and often foggy.
From May to September it is hot, up to 35°C, and the sea is warm but showers are frequent. In January lows fall to about 14°C and the water is too cold for most swimmers. Weekends and public holidays are crowded and pricier. In typhoon season choose refundable bookings and keep a spare day. See also our guide to the best time to visit Vietnam.
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Choose Cat Ba if you have three or more days, want to mix boats with hiking and beaches, or prefer to sleep on land. Choose a Halong Bay cruise if you have one or two days and want the classic night on the water.
Lan Ha Bay lies south of Halong Bay with the same karsts and green water, and UNESCO's 2023 listing joins the two. It is generally described as less crowded than the main Halong cruise routes, though both get busy at weekends. A full-day Lan Ha tour can cross into the southern edge of Halong Bay. Cruises and prices on the Halong side are in our Halong Bay travel guide.
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Short on time for the island?
Browse our day tours from Hanoi, including Halong Bay day cruises, so you can see the bay and still sleep in the capital.
Can you visit Cat Ba as a day trip from Hanoi?
Yes. Day tours leave Hanoi around 7:00 and return after about 13 hours, with the bay as the focus: cruising, kayaking and lunch on board, from about 75 USD. You will see little of the island itself, so many travellers stay one night to add the national park.
Do you have to pay an entrance fee on Cat Ba?
Yes. In 2026 the Cat Ba bay fee is 120,000 VND (~4.60 USD) per adult and 60,000 VND for children, and routes inside the national park are 120,000 VND. Overnight stays on the bays add 400,000 to 650,000 VND. Children under six are free. Check whether your tour price includes these fees.
Is Cat Ba better than Halong Bay?
Neither is better; they suit different trips. Cat Ba is land-based and flexible, with hiking, caves, beaches and day boats. Halong Bay is cruise-based and more polished, with the classic night on the water. With two days a Halong cruise is simpler; with three or more, Cat Ba gives more variety.
Is Cat Ba Island safe?
Cat Ba is considered safe for visitors. The main risks are road accidents (wear a helmet), slippery rock on hikes and macaques at Monkey Island. Medical facilities on the island are basic, with larger hospitals in Hai Phong, so carry travel insurance and any regular medicine.
Best visited during dry season (November to April) for ideal weather.
Book accommodations in advance during peak travel season.
Carry local currency (Vietnamese Dong) for markets and small vendors.
Respect local customs and dress modestly when visiting temples.
