getting there
How to get to Cat Ba Island from Hanoi
How to get to Cat Ba Island from Hanoi comes down to the last leg, because no road runs all the way: every way in ends with a boat or a cable car. The usual one is a single ticket by bus and speedboat to Cat Ba town, VND 360,000 one way (about US$14, AUD 20 or GBP 11), the Cat Ba Express ticket as listed on Viator.
The other two ways from Hanoi to Cat Ba Island are a bus to Dong Bai and the car ferry to Cai Vieng on Cat Ba Island, or a bus to Cat Hai and the Sun World cable car to Phu Long. Take the speedboat bus for the simplest day; the cable car if your bus reaches Cat Hai in time for a trip and it is not a Tuesday.
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leg by leg
Three ways from Hanoi to Cat Ba Island
Each way drawn as its legs, with the mode on every one: solid lines are road, blue lines water, the dashed line the cable car. Under each, who sells it, the listed fare and time, and what can hold it up.
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Bus and speedboat
One ticket from Hanoi to Cat Ba town, the most common way in.
- BusHanoi to the coast, from a pickup point you choose when booking
- SpeedboatAcross to Cat Ba Island
- RoadOn to Cat Ba town, on the same ticket
- Departures
- Cat Ba Express states four departures from Hanoi a day, between early morning and early afternoon
- Time
- 3 hours 15 minutes to 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.), as Cat Ba Express states on its Viator listing
- Also sold as
- On Viator at US$14; on 12Go (Cat Ba Express) at THB 421 and Daiichi Travel's bus and speedboat at THB 349, all per adult as listed on 14 November 2026
- What can stop it
- The speedboat crosses open water, so it is the leg the weather decides. In the storm months, ask the operator the day before how it runs.
-
Bus and car ferry
The slower crossing that also carries cars and motorbikes.
- BusHanoi to Dong Bai pier on Cat Hai island
- Car ferryDong Bai to Cai Vieng on Cat Ba Island
- RoadOn by road to Cat Ba town
- Who runs the ferry
- A joint venture of Hai Phong Waterway Traffic Assurance JSC and Bayview Cat Ba Co. Ltd, with a fleet of 7 ferries, the Ministry of Construction reported on 7 April 2026
- Sold as
- Good Morning Cat Ba's bus and ferry on 12Go at THB 388 per adult, as listed on 14 November 2026; its GetYourGuide transfer bundles the bus with a speedboat or ferry ticket
- What can stop it
- A water leg too, and Cai Vieng is not in town, so the road leg adds time. In rough weather, check with the seller the day before.
-
Bus and cable car
The Sun World Cat Ba cable car over the channel, on its own timetable.
- BusHanoi to the cable car station on Cat Hai island
- Cable carCat Hai to Phu Long station on Cat Ba Island, a line 3,955 m long, Sun Group states
- RoadPhu Long to Cat Ba town, about 16 km (10 mi) in a straight line; the road is longer
- Timetable
- Sun Group's timetable published on 9 September 2026 runs the cable car every day except Tuesday, 6 trips per day: three in the morning and three in the afternoon, the last ending in mid-afternoon
- Sold by
- Good Morning Cat Ba sells its Hanoi bus with a speedboat or a cable car transfer on its own page; ask which crossing your ticket uses
- What can stop it
- Tuesdays, and a bus that reaches Cat Hai after the last trip. Ask which transfer your ticket uses on the day.
From the Halong side: Tuan Chau to Gia Luan
A car ferry from Tuan Chau to Gia Luan pier on the north of Cat Ba Island, about 6.5 km (4 mi) in a straight line apart. Not confirmed for 2026: ask at the pier or your hotel before you plan on it.
listed fares
Hanoi to Cat Ba Island bus tickets side by side
The same trip is sold through several booking sites, at slightly different prices: what each site showed on the day it was read.
| Sold by | What you get | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Viator (Cat Ba Express) | Bus and speedboat; 3 hours 15 minutes to 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.), the operator states | US$14 |
| GetYourGuide (Good Morning Cat Ba) | Old Quarter hotel pickup, bus, speedboat or ferry ticket, Cat Ba hotel drop-off | US$12 |
| 12Go (Cat Ba Express) | Bus and speedboat | THB 421 |
| 12Go (Daiichi Travel) | Bus and speedboat, three more classes at higher prices | THB 349 |
| 12Go (Good Morning Cat Ba) | Bus and car ferry, one more class at a higher price | THB 388 |
Booking-site prices were read on 14 November 2026; they move with the date and the seat class. Two of the sellers above can be booked here: Bus Hanoi to Cat Ba Island with Cat Ba Express on Viator, with a pickup point you choose when booking, and Hanoi: Transportation to/from Cat Ba on GetYourGuide, which picks up at your Old Quarter hotel and drops you at your Cat Ba hotel.
The Viator listing names reclining leather seats, air conditioning and a personal outlet; the GetYourGuide one names an onboard guide and water, and leaves lunch out. Both offer free cancellation up to a day before, as listed. The 12Go prices are in Thai baht, as that site showed them.
car ferry
The ferry to Cat Ba Island
The Cat Ba Island ferry most people mean runs from Dong Bai on Cat Hai island to Cai Vieng on Cat Ba Island. It carries cars, motorbikes and foot passengers.
A joint venture of Hai Phong Waterway Traffic Assurance JSC and Bayview Cat Ba Co. Ltd runs the crossing with a fleet of 7 ferries, according to a Ministry of Construction report of 7 April 2026 on the safety of the route. If you drive or ride yourself, this is the way across; on a bus ticket it is the leg the seller picks.
Cai Vieng is not in Cat Ba town, so the last leg is a drive on the island's road to town; bus tickets that use the ferry include it.
A second car ferry, from Tuan Chau on the Halong side to Gia Luan pier on the north of Cat Ba Island, is not confirmed in a current timetable. If you start in Halong, ask your hotel or the pier before you plan on it.
Piers on both sides, and which cruise leaves from where, are on Halong Bay and Cat Ba piers.
over the channel
The Sun World Cat Ba cable car
The cable car crosses from Cat Hai island to Phu Long station on Cat Ba Island, a line of 3,955 m, Sun Group states. It is the newest way onto the island.
Sun Group's timetable published on 9 September 2026 runs it every day except Tuesday, with three trips in the morning and three in the afternoon, the last ending in mid-afternoon. A bus that leaves Hanoi late in the day misses it, and a Tuesday has none; ask the seller how the transfer runs then.
Phu Long lies north-west of town, about 16 km (10 mi) in a straight line from Cat Ba town, so the bus or a taxi takes you on by road. Good Morning Cat Ba sells its Hanoi bus with either a cable car or a speedboat transfer, so ask which one your ticket uses.
other starts
From Halong Bay, Hai Phong or the airport
Not everyone starts in Hanoi. The road east from Hanoi is the Hanoi to Hai Phong expressway, 105.5 km long by road, the Ministry of Industry and Trade states, so Hai Phong lies on the way to the coast.
From the airport. Cat Bi International Airport in Hai Phong is one of the e-visa entry points the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism lists, so you can fly in there and skip Hanoi. The Serenity day boat on the Cat Ba Island page lists a pickup in Hai Phong city.
From Halong. Since 20 April 2026, cruises on Halong Bay routes 3 to 6 may carry on into Lan Ha Bay, but the Ministry of Construction states these connecting trips are overnight cruises only, with no day tours. Getting to the Halong piers from Hanoi is on Hanoi to Halong Bay.
onto the bay
How to get to Lan Ha Bay from Cat Ba town
Lan Ha Bay starts at the harbor. Day boats leave from the piers around Cat Ba town and pick you up at your hotel, so once you are on the island, the bay needs no further transport of your own. Three of them, with their prices and what each one includes, are on the Cat Ba Island page, set beside a night on a cruise.
If you want to sleep on the bay instead, a Lan Ha Bay cruise with a Hanoi transfer saves you this whole journey: the bus is in the price or sold with it. The bay itself, its fee and its villages are on Lan Ha Bay, and a plan with two nights in town is on the Cat Ba and Lan Ha Bay itinerary.
on the day
Picking a departure
- Take an early bus if you want the afternoon on the island. Cat Ba Express states four departures from Hanoi a day, the first in the early morning and the last in the early afternoon.
- Check the transfer. Some tickets switch between speedboat and cable car by the day; the cable car does not run on Tuesdays.
- Watch the weather from summer into autumn. Every way in has a water or cable leg, and storms can stop boats across the bays. Storm odds by month are on the best time to visit Halong Bay.
- Book the way back too. The same companies run the trip in the other direction, and the GetYourGuide transfer is sold both ways.
before you go
Hanoi to Cat Ba Island questions
How do I get from Hanoi to Cat Ba Island?
By bus and speedboat on one ticket, the usual way; by bus and the car ferry from Dong Bai to Cai Vieng; or by bus and the Sun World cable car from Cat Hai to Phu Long. Viator lists the Cat Ba Express bus and speedboat to Cat Ba town at VND 360,000 one way.
Is there a ferry to Cat Ba Island?
Yes. The car and passenger ferry crosses from Dong Bai on Cat Hai island to Cai Vieng on Cat Ba Island, run by a joint venture with a fleet of 7 ferries. Bus tickets that use it include it. A ferry from Tuan Chau to Gia Luan on the Halong side is not confirmed in a current timetable.
How long is the bus from Hanoi to Cat Ba Island?
Cat Ba Express states 3 hours 15 minutes to 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) on its Viator listing for the bus and speedboat from Hanoi to Cat Ba town. The car ferry way ends at Cai Vieng, across the island from town, and the cable car runs only at set times, so check the transfer on your ticket.
Can I get to Cat Ba Island from Halong Bay?
Halong Bay cruises on routes 3 to 6 may continue into Lan Ha Bay, but the Ministry of Construction states these are overnight cruises only. A car ferry from Tuan Chau to Gia Luan is not confirmed in a current timetable, so plan on one of the three ways through Hai Phong.
Sources
- The Vietnam National Authority of Tourism lists Cat Bi International Airport (Hai Phong city) among e-visa entry points: yes. Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (vietnam.travel), Vietnam Visa Requirements, 26 October 2026.
- GetYourGuide lists Hanoi: Transportation to/from Cat Ba at From US$12 per person (adult x 1). GetYourGuide product page (as listed on the read date).
- 12Go lists Hanoi to Cat Ba: Cat Ba Express bus and speedboat at THB 421 per adult. 12Go product page (as listed on the read date).
- 12Go lists Hanoi to Cat Ba: Daiichi Travel bus and speedboat at THB 349 per adult (3 more classes from THB 487). 12Go product page (as listed on the read date).
- 12Go lists Hanoi to Cat Ba: Good Morning Cat Ba luxury bus and ferry at THB 388 per adult (1 more class from THB 640). 12Go product page (as listed on the read date).
- Viator lists Bus Hanoi to Cat Ba Island with Cat Ba Express at From US$14 per person. Viator product page (as listed on the read date).
- Viator lists Bus Hanoi to Cat Ba Island with Cat Ba Express with a stated duration of 3 hours 15 minutes to 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.). Viator product page (as listed on the read date).
- The car and passenger ferry from Dong Bai (Cat Hai island) to Cai Vieng (Cat Ba Island) is run by a joint venture of Hai Phong Waterway Traffic Assurance JSC and Bayview Cat Ba Co. Ltd with a fleet of 7 ferries. Ministry of Construction news, 'Hải Phòng yêu cầu triển khai đồng bộ các giải pháp bảo đảm an toàn tuyến phà Đồng Bài - Cái Viềng', 07/04/2026 (from Báo Hải Phòng), 7 April 2026.
- Ha Long Bay to Lan Ha Bay connecting cruises (itineraries VHL3, VHL4, VHL5 and VHL6 to Lan Ha Bay) are all overnight cruises with no day tours, according to the Ministry of Construction, and started on 20 April 2026. Ministry of Construction news, 'Chính thức vận hành tàu chạy tuyến kết nối Vịnh Hạ Long - Vịnh Lan Hạ', 21/04/2026, 21 April 2026.
- The Sun World Cat Ba cable car links Cat Hai island to Phu Long station on Cat Ba Island; Sun Group states the ride takes about 10 minutes over a line length of 3,955 m. Sun Group (Sun Paradise Land Cat Ba), 'Giờ vận hành cáp treo Sun World Cat Ba mới nhất 2026', 09/09/2026, 9 September 2026.
- From 7 September 2026 Sun Group runs the Cat Hai to Phu Long cable car every day except Tuesday, with three morning and three afternoon trips, the last ending about 15:45; trips per operating day. Sun Group (Sun Paradise Land Cat Ba), 'Giờ vận hành cáp treo Sun World Cat Ba mới nhất 2026', 09/09/2026, 9 September 2026.
- The Hanoi to Hai Phong expressway, the first leg of the expressway route from Hanoi to Ha Long City, is, as stated by Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade, long 105.5 km. Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam, 'Chính thức thông xe toàn tuyến cao tốc kết nối vùng dài nhất Việt Nam', 01/09/2022, 1 September 2022.
- Headline costs. Added up from the listed prices, bay fees and fares each cost names; each part has its own source in this list
- Distances in a straight line. Measured on the site from OpenStreetMap coordinates (great circle, 6,371 km earth radius). A straight line between two points, not a sailing or road distance. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Photographs
- Cat Ba floating village (Cai Beo). Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
- Cat Ba town harbour. Photo: Christophe95 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
