the Cat Ba bays

Lan Ha Bay: the Cat Ba bays, how they are run and reached

Lan Ha Bay (Vịnh Lan Hạ) is the name for the bays of the Cat Ba Archipelago, off the south-east shore of Cat Ba Island in Vietnam, to the south of Halong Bay. Hai Phong city runs it, not the Ha Long Bay Management Board, and since 2023 it has been part of the UNESCO property "Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago". Boats board at Ben Beo or Gia Luan pier on Cat Ba, and since 20 April 2026 overnight cruises also cross in from the Halong side. A day on the bays carries a fee of VND 120,000 per adult per visit.

Lan Ha Bay suits you if you want a cruise that starts on Cat Ba Island, or a Halong cruise that spends its night among the Cat Ba islands. It has its own fee, its own boat hours and its own rulebook, Hai Phong's Decision 253/2025. The chart below draws all of it.

Written by Rainer Lang Updated 14 November 2026

Some links on this page are affiliate links: the guide earns a commission when you book through them. The partner sets the price; the guide adds no fee.

Lan Ha Bay seascape — Aerial view of turquoise water between forested limestone islands in Lan Ha Bay.Photo: Preparetavalise.com / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

the rules as layers

Lan Ha Bay on the chart: routes, piers and crossings

Every layer on this chart of Lan Ha Bay, Vietnam, belongs to a decision with a date: the 2020 route list that no longer applies, the crossings from Halong Bay that began in April 2026, and the boat hours Hai Phong set for the Cat Ba bays. Switch layers off to see what is left.

Lines join the stops OpenStreetMap marks, in route order: a schematic, not a sailing track. © OpenStreetMap contributors

Dashed lines: the 2020 routes. Hai Phong's Decision 26/2020 listed four routes from Ben Beo pier, Got port on Cat Hai and the Cat Ba tourist pier. Decision 253/2025 replaced it on 12 January 2026 and lists none: routes and overnight anchorages are those announced by the competent authority under current rules. No newer list has been published, so the lines are history.
2020 overnight areas, not drawn. Ang Vem; Quai To - Tung Gau; Tung Trang for routes 1, 2 and 4, and Thoi Quyt; Tung Trang for route 3 from Got port. OpenStreetMap does not mark them.
Wide band: crossings from Halong Bay. Since 20 April 2026, boats on Halong routes VHL3 to VHL6 may continue into Lan Ha Bay. The Ministry of Construction states these connecting itineraries are all overnight cruises, with no day tours.
Piers, villages, caves. Ben Beo pier near Cat Ba town and Gia Luan pier in the north of the island are where Lan Ha Bay boats board on the Cat Ba side. Cai Beo is the floating village beside Ben Beo.

The boat day under Decision 253/2025 (Hai Phong City People's Committee, in force since 12 January 2026)

Summer, 1 April to 31 October: Boats leave port from early morning and must be back by 20:00 local time
Winter, 1 November to 31 March: Back in port by 19:00 local time
Overnight boats: Inside the overnight area by 19:00 in summer, 18:30 in winter
Kayaks and other water recreation craft: Between 5:30 and 18:30 local time, where an operator offers them; whether kayaking runs on your date, check with the operator

The same layers sit on the interactive map of all three bays, where you can zoom from Cat Ba Island up to Tuan Chau.

Hai Phong, not Quang Ninh

Who runs Lan Ha Bay

Three bays meet in this corner of the Gulf of Tonkin, and two authorities run them. Halong Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay belong to Quang Ninh province. Lan Ha Bay belongs to Hai Phong city.

The bays of the Cat Ba Archipelago fall under the Cat Hai special zone of Hai Phong. Under Decision 253/2025, tickets and fees are sold and collected by the Cat Ba Bays Management Board, which answers to the Cat Hai special zone People's Committee. The rulebook for tourism and tourist boats is Hai Phong City People's Committee Decision 253/2025, in force since 12 January 2026. It replaced Decision 26/2020, which had listed four sightseeing routes and named the overnight areas; the new decision lists no routes, which are those announced by the competent authority under current rules.

Star ranking of overnight boats on the Cat Ba bays is voluntary under the new decision. Under the 2020 decision the city tourism department ranked boats against a national standard; that ranking is now up to the owner. So a boat sold as 5-star is described that way by its seller; no classified list is published.

The heritage status is shared. UNESCO added the Cat Ba Archipelago to the Halong Bay World Heritage property in 2023, by decision 45 COM 8B.3 of the World Heritage Committee, and the property has since been called "Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago". Cat Ba was already a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, recognized in 2004.

Lan Ha Bay is not a part of Halong Bay. It is a neighboring bay under another city, inside the same heritage property. For how the two compare on the water, see Lan Ha Bay vs Halong Bay.

two ways in

How to get to Lan Ha Bay

You reach Lan Ha Bay either from Cat Ba Island, where its own boats board, or on an overnight cruise that leaves from the Halong side and crosses over.

From Cat Ba Island

Lan Ha Bay boats board at Ben Beo pier, a short way east of Cat Ba town, or at Gia Luan pier in the north of the island. Ben Beo lies about 1.3 km (0.8 mi) in a straight line from the town center. Most day boats and many one-night cruises start at Ben Beo, and day tours often collect you from a Cat Ba hotel.

From Hanoi to Cat Ba the usual way is a bus to the coast and a speedboat or ferry across. Viator lists the Cat Ba Express bus and speedboat at US$14 per person, as listed on 14 November 2026, and the listing states 3 hours 15 minutes to 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) for the trip, as the operator gives it. Every leg, the ferry from Dong Bai and the cable car included, is on Hanoi to Cat Ba Island; the island itself has its own guide, Cat Ba Island.

From the Halong side

Since 20 April 2026, cruise boats may cross from Halong Bay into Lan Ha Bay on four connecting itineraries, Halong routes VHL3, VHL4, VHL5 and VHL6. The first two sailings left Tuan Chau International Marina and the inland pier at Ha Long International Cruise Port, as the Ha Long Bay Management Board reported. The Ministry of Construction states that all of these crossings are overnight cruises, with no day tours.

So a cruise that boards at Tuan Chau and spends its afternoon in Lan Ha Bay has to stay the night. Many cruises sold as "Lan Ha" work this way; the Lan Ha Bay cruise comparison shows which board where.

Resolution 47/2025

The Lan Ha Bay fee

The Hai Phong City People's Council sets the fee for the Cat Ba bays in Resolution 47/2025, in force since 1 January 2026. A tour with nights on board pays the overnight fee instead of the day fee, not on top of it.

Cat Ba bays (Lan Ha Bay) fee per visitHai Phong City People's Council, Resolution 47/2025
Trip	Adult	Child
Day visit	VND 120,000 per adult per visit	VND 60,000 per child per visit
With one night on the bays	VND 400,000 / 300,000 per person (adult / child)
With two nights	VND 600,000 / 500,000 per person (adult / child)
With three nights	VND 650,000 / 550,000 per person (adult / child)

The child fee applies from age 6; children under 6 are exempt. In other currencies the day fee is about US$4.7, AUD 6.8 or GBP 3.5.

Many listings name "entrance fees" or "sightseeing tickets" in their inclusions; where a listing is silent, ask whether the fee is in the price. A cruise that crosses from Halong Bay sails two bays under two fee rules, and no single combined fee is published.

Bike rides to Viet Hai village pass through Cat Ba National Park, which has its own entry fee of VND 160,000 / 80,000 per person per visit (adult / child), set by the same resolution.

Decision 253/2025

Boat hours, storms and Lan Ha Bay weather

The hours on the chart above come from Decision 253/2025. In summer boats must be back in port by 20:00 local time, in winter by 19:00 local time, and overnight boats must be inside their overnight area by 19:00 in summer, 18:30 in winter.

Boats may not leave port when it is unsafe or when there is a dangerous weather warning. When the port authority, traffic police, border guard or the Cat Ba Bays Management Board order boats back to a safe anchorage, the captain must comply. Ending a cruise earlier than contracted requires the written consent of the guests' representative. Passengers on tender boats between pier and cruise boat must wear life jackets for the whole transfer.

Storms are the main reason a cruise does not sail. Counted around the middle of Halong Bay, about 18 km (11 mi) in a straight line from the middle of Lan Ha Bay on the map, the odds that a storm stop touches a one-night cruise are 4% to 8% for a September start and none recorded in 1991 to 2025 for January. Month by month, with the stops already logged, see Halong Bay weather and cruise suspensions.

For Lan Ha Bay weather on the water, the closest long sea record is the open-water cell just south of Cat Ba Island: the sea averages 19°C (66°F) in February and 30°C (86°F) in August (NOAA, 1991 to 2020). On land, Phu Lien, a coastal station in Hai Phong west of the bay, averages 17°C (63°F) in January and 29°C (84°F) in July.

in the water

Kayaking, swimming and Lan Ha Bay beaches

Most Lan Ha Bay cruises list kayaking and a swim stop. Decision 253/2025 allows kayaks and other water recreation craft on the Cat Ba bays only between 5:30 and 18:30 local time, and never in a dangerous weather warning.

Whether kayaking runs on your date is for the operator to confirm: ask before you book if it matters to you. Listings that name kayaking say so in their inclusions, and the cards below and on the cruise page print it as the listing states it. How kayaking works on each bay, and what to bring, is on kayaking in Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay.

The Lan Ha Bay beaches are small coves at the foot of the cliffs, reached by boat. Itineraries name stops such as Monkey Island and Ba Trai Dao beach; swim only where the itinerary names a stop, and from the boat when the crew says so.

Kayaks or bamboo boats in Lan Ha Bay — Two red kayaks towed behind a boat with a floating platform and karst islands beyond, off Cat Ba Island.Photo: Tuyencabr / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

people on the water

Cai Beo and the floating farms

Cai Beo, beside Ben Beo pier, is a fishing village where families live and work on floating houses and fish pens. It lies about 0.7 km (0.4 mi) in a straight line from the pier.

Floating fish and pearl farms sit in the sheltered coves across the bay, and some cruises stop at one. These are working farms and homes: ask before you photograph people, keep to the walkways you are shown, and buy only what is offered for sale.

Shrines stand on some of the pocket beaches. More on the villages of all three bays, and how a visit is run, is on floating villages.

choose the bay

Lan Ha Bay or Halong Bay?

Lan Ha Bay and Halong Bay side by side
Topic	Lan Ha Bay	Halong Bay
Run by	Hai Phong city, Cat Hai special zone	Quang Ninh province, Ha Long Bay Management Board
Rulebook	Decision 253/2025; no route list published	The board's official routes VHL1 to VHL8
Boards at	Ben Beo or Gia Luan pier, Cat Ba Island	Tuan Chau International Marina, Ha Long International Cruise Port
From Hanoi	Bus and speedboat or ferry to Cat Ba	Expressway shuttle to the Halong piers
Fee	Hai Phong, Resolution 47/2025	Quang Ninh, Resolution 51/2025

Pick Lan Ha Bay if you are based on Cat Ba or want a cruise that starts there. Pick a crossing cruise from Tuan Chau if you want the shorter road from Hanoi and an evening in Lan Ha Bay. The detailed comparison is on Lan Ha Bay vs Halong Bay, and the official Halong routes on official routes.

from Cat Ba

A Lan Ha Bay cruise: what it costs

One night on a mid-range Lan Ha Bay cruise, per person for two sharing a cabin, comes to VND 4,020,000 (about US$157, AUD 228 or GBP 117), with the bay fee and the transfer from Hanoi added where a listing leaves them out. Three cruises that board on Cat Ba:

1 night
GetYourGuide, Venezia Cruises

Hanoi: 2-Day 1-Night Lan Ha Bay Cruise with Meals & Activities

Sails: Lan Ha Bay. Route not stated in the listing. Pier: Pier not stated in the listing.
- 2 days 1 night, 1 night on board
- Bay fee not named in the inclusions: VND 400,000 per adult (Hai Phong City People's Council, Resolution 47/2025)
- Hanoi transfer not in the price
- Kayak or bamboo boat listed
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before start for a full refund (as listed)
from US$126 per person for the lowest option on the listing, as listed on 14 November 2026

All in from Hanoi: VND 4,350,000 (about US$170)

4.8 from 912 reviews

Check dates: 2-Day 1-Night Lan Ha Bay Cruise
1 night
GetYourGuide, Cat Ba Eco Tours

Lan Ha Bay Cruise with private balcony: biking, kayaking, meals

Sails: Lan Ha Bay. Route not stated in the listing. Pier: Pier not stated in the listing.
- 2 days 1 night, 1 night on board
- Bay fee not named in the inclusions: VND 400,000 per adult (Hai Phong City People's Council, Resolution 47/2025)
- Hanoi transfer not in the price
- Kayak or bamboo boat listed
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before start for a full refund (as listed)
from US$113 per person for the lowest option on the listing, as listed on 14 November 2026

All in from Hanoi: VND 4,020,000 (about US$157)

4.8 from 156 reviews

Check dates: Lan Ha Bay Cruise with private balcony
Day
Viator, Serenity Cruises

Lan Ha Bay Full-Day Tour from Hanoi, Hai Phong: Serenity Cruises

Sails: Lan Ha Bay. Route not stated in the listing. Pier: Beo Pier, Cat Ba Island.
- Day cruise, no night on board
- Bay fee in the price
- Hanoi transfer in the price
- Kayak or bamboo boat listed
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience for a full refund (as listed)
from US$43.20 per person for the lowest option on the listing, as listed on 14 November 2026

All in from the pier: VND 1,110,000 (about US$43)

5.0 from 1,296 reviews

Check dates: Lan Ha Bay Full-Day Tour from Hanoi, Hai

Every Lan Ha Bay listing, with its pier, its nights and the bay its stops are in, is on Lan Ha Bay cruises compared. For a day on the water from your Cat Ba hotel there is also Cat Ba: Lan Ha & Halong Bay Full-Day Tour with Biking, Kayaking, Lunch, US$28 per person as listed on 14 November 2026.

before you go

Lan Ha Bay questions

Is Lan Ha Bay part of Halong Bay?

No. Lan Ha Bay is the bay of the Cat Ba Archipelago and is run by Hai Phong city, while Halong Bay is run by Quang Ninh province. Both are in the UNESCO property "Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago", extended to Cat Ba in 2023. Since 20 April 2026 some overnight cruises cross between the two.

How do I get to Lan Ha Bay from Hanoi?

Take a bus and a speedboat or ferry to Cat Ba Island and board at Ben Beo or Gia Luan pier; Viator's Cat Ba Express listing states 3 hours 15 minutes to 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.). Or take a shuttle to Tuan Chau and book an overnight cruise that crosses into Lan Ha Bay, which the Ministry of Construction states are overnight only.

What is the Lan Ha Bay entrance fee?

For a day visit, VND 120,000 per adult per visit and VND 60,000 per child per visit aged 6 or over, set by the Hai Phong City People's Council in Resolution 47/2025. A cruise with one night on the bays pays VND 400,000 / 300,000 per person (adult / child) instead. Children under 6 are exempt.

Can you kayak in Lan Ha Bay?

Many cruises list kayaking. Hai Phong's Decision 253/2025 allows kayaks and other water recreation craft only between 5:30 and 18:30 local time and not in a dangerous weather warning. Whether kayaking runs on your date is for the operator to confirm, so ask before you book if it matters.

Is Lan Ha Bay better than Halong Bay?

It depends on where you start. From Cat Ba Island, Lan Ha Bay is on your doorstep. From Hanoi, the road to the Halong piers is shorter, and a crossing cruise can still spend the night in Lan Ha Bay. The two bays have their own fees and rules; the comparison page sets them side by side.

Sources

Hai Phong Decision 26/2020/QĐ-UBND (replaced on 12 January 2026 by Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND, which lists no routes or overnight areas) named the overnight areas for Cat Ba bay routes 1, 2 and 4 as Ang Vem; Quai To - Tung Gau; Tung Trang overnight areas. Hai Phong City People's Committee, Decision 26/2020/QĐ-UBND of 2 Oct 2020 (in force 15 Oct 2020), Regulation on tourism on the bays of the Cat Ba Archipelago, Annex II, 2 October 2020.
Hai Phong Decision 26/2020/QĐ-UBND (replaced on 12 January 2026 by Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND, which lists no routes or overnight areas) named the overnight areas for Cat Ba bay route 3 (from Got port) as Thoi Quyt; Tung Trang overnight areas. Hai Phong City People's Committee, Decision 26/2020/QĐ-UBND of 2 Oct 2020 (in force 15 Oct 2020), Regulation on tourism on the bays of the Cat Ba Archipelago, Annex II, 2 October 2020.
UNESCO added the Cat Ba Archipelago to the property through a significant boundary modification in 2023 year. UNESCO World Heritage Centre, World Heritage List record 672ter 'Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago' (UNESCO open data, dataset whc001).
UNESCO recognized the Cat Ba Archipelago as a Biosphere Reserve in 2004 year. UNESCO World Heritage Centre, World Heritage List record 672ter 'Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago' (UNESCO open data, dataset whc001).
Hai Phong City People's Council Resolution 47/2025/NQ-HĐND, which sets the Cat Ba bays (Lan Ha Bay) sightseeing fees, took effect on 1 January 2026. Hai Phong City People's Council, Resolution 47/2025/NQ-HĐND (10 Dec 2025), full text as reproduced by thuvienphapluat.vn, 10 December 2025.
Under Hai Phong Resolution 47/2025/NQ-HĐND (from 1 Jan 2026) the day sightseeing fee for the route on the bays of the Cat Ba Archipelago (Lan Ha Bay) is, per adult per visit, VND 120,000 per adult per visit. Hai Phong City People's Council, Resolution 47/2025/NQ-HĐND (10 Dec 2025), full text as reproduced by thuvienphapluat.vn, 10 December 2025.
Under Hai Phong Resolution 47/2025/NQ-HĐND the day sightseeing fee for the Cat Ba bays route for a child aged 6 or over is VND 60,000 per child per visit. Hai Phong City People's Council, Resolution 47/2025/NQ-HĐND (10 Dec 2025), full text as reproduced by thuvienphapluat.vn, 10 December 2025.
Under Hai Phong Resolution 47/2025/NQ-HĐND the fee for touring the Cat Ba bays with 1 overnight stay(s) on the bays is (adult / child 6+) VND 400,000 / 300,000 per person. Hai Phong City People's Council, Resolution 47/2025/NQ-HĐND (10 Dec 2025), full text as reproduced by thuvienphapluat.vn, 10 December 2025.
Under Hai Phong Resolution 47/2025/NQ-HĐND the fee for touring the Cat Ba bays with 2 overnight stay(s) on the bays is (adult / child 6+) VND 600,000 / 500,000 per person. Hai Phong City People's Council, Resolution 47/2025/NQ-HĐND (10 Dec 2025), full text as reproduced by thuvienphapluat.vn, 10 December 2025.
Under Hai Phong Resolution 47/2025/NQ-HĐND the fee for touring the Cat Ba bays with 3 overnight stay(s) on the bays is (adult / child 6+) VND 650,000 / 550,000 per person. Hai Phong City People's Council, Resolution 47/2025/NQ-HĐND (10 Dec 2025), full text as reproduced by thuvienphapluat.vn, 10 December 2025.
Under Hai Phong Resolution 47/2025/NQ-HĐND the Cat Ba National Park entry fee from 1 Jan 2026 is (adult / child 6+) VND 160,000 / 80,000 per person per visit. Hai Phong City People's Council, Resolution 47/2025/NQ-HĐND (10 Dec 2025), full text as reproduced by thuvienphapluat.vn, 10 December 2025.
Hai Phong Resolution 47/2025/NQ-HĐND exempts from the Cat Ba sightseeing fees children under 6. Hai Phong City People's Council, Resolution 47/2025/NQ-HĐND (10 Dec 2025), full text as reproduced by thuvienphapluat.vn, 10 December 2025.
Hai Phong Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND, which replaced Decision 26/2020/QĐ-UBND as the rulebook for tourism on the Cat Ba bays (Lan Ha Bay), took effect on 12 January 2026. Hai Phong City People's Committee, Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND (31 Dec 2025), Regulation on tourism and tourist boats on the Cat Ba bays, full text as reproduced by thuvienphapluat.vn, 31 December 2025.
Under Hai Phong Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND, in summer (1 Apr to 31 Oct) tourist boats on the Cat Ba bays may leave port from 5:00 and must be back in port by 20:00 local time. Hai Phong City People's Committee, Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND (31 Dec 2025), Regulation on tourism and tourist boats on the Cat Ba bays, full text as reproduced by thuvienphapluat.vn, 31 December 2025.
Under Hai Phong Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND, in winter (1 Nov to 31 Mar) tourist boats on the Cat Ba bays may leave port from 5:30 and must be back in port by 19:00 local time. Hai Phong City People's Committee, Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND (31 Dec 2025), Regulation on tourism and tourist boats on the Cat Ba bays, full text as reproduced by thuvienphapluat.vn, 31 December 2025.
Under Hai Phong Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND, overnight boats on the Cat Ba bays must be inside the overnight area by 19:00 in summer, 18:30 in winter local time. Hai Phong City People's Committee, Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND (31 Dec 2025), Regulation on tourism and tourist boats on the Cat Ba bays, full text as reproduced by thuvienphapluat.vn, 31 December 2025.
Under Hai Phong Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND, water recreation craft may operate on the Cat Ba bays between 5:30 and 18:30 local time. Hai Phong City People's Committee, Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND (31 Dec 2025), Regulation on tourism and tourist boats on the Cat Ba bays, full text as reproduced by thuvienphapluat.vn, 31 December 2025.
Under Hai Phong Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND, tourist boats on the Cat Ba bays may not leave port when unsafe or when there is a dangerous weather warning. Hai Phong City People's Committee, Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND (31 Dec 2025), Regulation on tourism and tourist boats on the Cat Ba bays, full text as reproduced by thuvienphapluat.vn, 31 December 2025.
Under Hai Phong Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND, when the port authority, traffic police, border guard or Cat Ba Bays Management Board order boats back to a safe anchorage in bad weather, the captain must comply. Hai Phong City People's Committee, Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND (31 Dec 2025), Regulation on tourism and tourist boats on the Cat Ba bays, full text as reproduced by thuvienphapluat.vn, 31 December 2025.
Under Hai Phong Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND, ending a Cat Ba bays cruise earlier than contracted requires written consent of the guests' representative. Hai Phong City People's Committee, Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND (31 Dec 2025), Regulation on tourism and tourist boats on the Cat Ba bays, full text as reproduced by thuvienphapluat.vn, 31 December 2025.
Under Hai Phong Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND, star ranking of overnight boats on the Cat Ba bays is voluntary. Hai Phong City People's Committee, Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND (31 Dec 2025), Regulation on tourism and tourist boats on the Cat Ba bays, full text as reproduced by thuvienphapluat.vn, 31 December 2025.
Hai Phong Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND does not itself list Cat Ba bay routes; routes and overnight anchorages are those announced by the competent authority under current rules. Hai Phong City People's Committee, Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND (31 Dec 2025), Regulation on tourism and tourist boats on the Cat Ba bays, full text as reproduced by thuvienphapluat.vn, 31 December 2025.
Under Hai Phong Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND, passengers on transfer (tender) boats on the Cat Ba bays must wear life jackets for the whole transfer. Hai Phong City People's Committee, Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND (31 Dec 2025), Regulation on tourism and tourist boats on the Cat Ba bays, full text as reproduced by thuvienphapluat.vn, 31 December 2025.
Under Hai Phong Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND, the body that sells tickets and collects the Cat Ba bays sightseeing and overnight fees is Ban Quản lý các vịnh thuộc quần đảo Cát Bà (Cat Ba Bays Management Board), under the Cat Hai special zone People's Committee. Hai Phong City People's Committee, Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND (31 Dec 2025), Regulation on tourism and tourist boats on the Cat Ba bays, full text as reproduced by thuvienphapluat.vn, 31 December 2025.
The World Heritage Committee decision that approved the Cat Ba Archipelago extension (criteria vii and viii) at its extended 45th session (Riyadh, 2023) is numbered 45 COM 8B.3. UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Decision 45 COM 8B.3.
GetYourGuide lists Cat Ba: Lan Ha, Ha Long Bay Full-Day Tour with biking, kayaking, lunch at From US$28 per person (adult x 1). GetYourGuide 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).
Cruise boats began crossing between Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay on four connecting itineraries (VHL3, VHL4, VHL5, VHL6 to Lan Ha Bay); the first two sailings left Tuan Chau International Marina and the Sun Group inland pier at Ha Long International Cruise Port on 20 April 2026. Ha Long Bay Management Board website, post 698 (2026-04-20), 20 April 2026.
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).
Exchange rates. VND per unit of each currency. USD: State Bank of Vietnam (Ngân hàng Nhà nước Việt Nam), Tỷ giá page, 14 November 2026; AUD: State Bank of Vietnam (Ngân hàng Nhà nước Việt Nam), Tỷ giá page, 12 November 2026; GBP: State Bank of Vietnam (Ngân hàng Nhà nước Việt Nam), Tỷ giá page, 12 November 2026
Storm odds and weather by month. Storm tracks: NOAA NCEI IBTrACS v04r01, seasons 1991 to 2025, systems within 150 km to 350 km of Halong Bay; a stop counted as 2 days from the board notice to the final national bulletin. Weather: NOAA Global Summary of the Day, Phu Lien (Hai Phong) and Bach Long Vi, 1996 to 2024; sea surface temperature: NOAA OISST v2.1, the grid cell south of Cat Ba Island, 1991 to 2020. Stop log: Ha Long Bay Management Board notices and the national final storm bulletins (data/suspensions.json).
Headline costs. Added up from the listed prices, bay fees and fares each cost names; each part has its own source in this list
Partner listing details. Each partner listing page as read on its read date (pier, cancellation terms, rating)

Photographs

Lan Ha Bay seascape. Photo: Preparetavalise.com / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Lan Ha Bay seascape. Photo: Christophe95 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Lan Ha Bay seascape. Photo: Christophe95 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Kayaks or bamboo boats in Lan Ha Bay. Photo: Christophe95 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Lan Ha Bay seascape. Photo: Christophe95 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Kayaks or bamboo boats in Lan Ha Bay. Photo: Tuyencabr / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0