How to get to Cat Ba Island - complete instructions

Overview of ways to get to Cat Ba

Cat Ba Island is located in the north of Vietnam in the waters of Lan Ha Bay, 140 kilometers from Hanoi and just one kilometer from the mainland in the city of Haiphong (Catba on the map of Vietnam). Sometimes it is mistakenly indicated that Cat Ba is located in the more famous Halong Bay, but in fact the border between the two bays runs a little north of the island.

Cat Ba is not yet connected by a bridge to the land, but it is easy to get here by ferries from Haiphong and Halong, as well as from the side of Haiphong there is a cable car of the Sun World amusement park, on which it is also theoretically possible to get to the island.

The main transport hub to get to the island is the city of Haiphong. The nearest airport, railway station, and several bus stations are located in Haiphong. You can also get here via Halong, but this only makes sense if you plan to stop for a few days in Halong, otherwise go through Haiphong.

Although below in this manual we tell you in detail about all the ways to get to Cat Ba, from personal experience we recommend, if possible, using a ready-made transfer by bus or minivan + ferry instead of making all the transfers yourself. It is convenient and inexpensive, and will really cost even less than on your own. After all, you don't have to spend time and money to get from the bus station or railway station to the pier, buy tickets there, and then take a taxi across the island to Cat Ba Town. Therefore, even local tourists and locals use such transfers instead of a trip with transplants.

You can buy it freely at travel agencies in almost all resorts in north and central Vietnam, including Sapa, Halong, Ninh Binh (Hoals), Phong Nya, Hue, Da Nang, and, of course, Hanoi Airport and Hanoi. They sell just like bus tickets to Cat Ba Town, that is, you will be taken directly to the most tourist center of the island to the door of the hotel or to the nearest bus stop. It is not necessary to buy it long in advance, it is possible even the day before the trip, and in some cases on the same day.

You can also buy ready-made transfers to Cat Ba online on the website 12go.asia or via the search form below, but Russian cards are not accepted there, even Unionpay.

But fortunately, now there is an alternative for Russian tourists – trip.com. This site also now has tickets for buses, including their Hanoi airport to Cat Ba. Accepts payment by Russian Mir cards in rubles.

To Cat Ba by plane

There are mainly domestic flights to Haiphong Airport and only a few international destinations: from Bangkok, Shenzhen, Seoul. But from Russia and other countries it is more convenient to get here through Hanoi Airport, besides it is cheaper. You can find and book tickets to Hanoi using the search form:

ЦЕНА	ПЕРЕСАДКИ	АВИАКОМПАНИЯ	ДАТА ВЫЛЕТА	ДАТА ВОЗВРАЩЕНИЯ
Купить от 42780 ₽	1 пересадка		18.06.2026	06.07.2026
Купить от 45976 ₽	1 пересадка		22.07.2026	03.08.2026
Купить от 44715 ₽	1 пересадка		18.08.2026	28.09.2026
Купить от 43252 ₽	1 пересадка		22.09.2026	13.10.2026
Купить от 43442 ₽	1 пересадка		12.10.2026	09.11.2026
Купить от 44197 ₽	1 пересадка		10.11.2026	03.12.2026

How to get from Hanoi Airport to Cat Ba

There are direct bus+ferry transfers from Hanoi Airport from at least two carrier companies Cat Ba Express and Good Morning Cat Ba. Unfortunately, we have not seen the offices of these companies at the airport, i.e. there is no guarantee that you will be able to arrive and immediately buy tickets on the spot and leave. But in theory you can try to "catch" their buses in the airport parking lot. Another option is to contact any taxi counter at the airport and ask them to arrange a transfer for you online, they can do it for a commission. But, again, there is no guarantee in this and it all depends on your ability to communicate.

The most reliable option is to buy tickets in advance online. You can do this using the traditional 12go.asia, but it doesn't accept Russian cards. On the one mentioned above trip.com , which accepts Russian cards, there is no such destination at the time of the last revision of this instruction, but try this link, it may have already appeared.

If you are ready to fork out for a taxi, you will have to do the route with a transfer: taxi to the pier in Hafona + ferry + taxi from the pier to Cat Ba Town.

Finally, if you are not in a hurry to get directly to Cat Ba from the airport, then we recommend that you first drive to the center of Hanoi, relax there at the hotel, and go to the island the next morning. In principle, you can even leave one day without spending the night if you arrive early in the morning. In Hanoi, you can buy Cat Ba tickets at any street agency in the tourist area and leave from there. But about this read below, and about how to get from Hanoi airport to the city center detailed instructions here...

To Cat Ba from other cities

• From Haiphong to Cat Ba

  

  If you arrived in the city of Haiphong by plane, train or at one of the bus stations, then your independent route will look something like this: by taxi to one of the piers → ferry to the island → taxi to Cat Ba Town.

  But in fact, it is much easier and cheaper to use ready-made solutions here. Hoang Long Company offers delivery from its office in the city center directly to the center of Cat Ba Town for only 80,000 VND (rate temporary unavailable USD, see the currency of Vietnam and its exchange rate) with all transfers and ferry. Buses depart from the office at 4 Le Thanh Tong, Hai Phong (office on the map), which in turn can be reached by taxi from the airport or stations for 80,000 DONG. Tickets can be purchased directly at the office upon arrival, but in high season it is better to book in advance on the websites 12go.asia (in Russian) or hoanglongasia.com (in English). Buses depart at 09:45 and 13:45 daily, but be sure to check the place of departure and schedule before traveling on these sites, as it may change.

  If you still get there on your own, then here's how to do it:

  1. You will have to get to the pier in Haiphong by taxi, which will cost from 80,000 VND when boarding a taxi on the street, and a little cheaper (from 50,000 to 200,000 depending on the pier you go to) when ordering via Grab application. Haggling and negotiating a trip on the meter with taxi drivers on the street is useless, they are adamant. There are also city buses in the city, but their route scheme is only developing and there is no information for tourists about it, so you should not count on them.

  2. Ferries from Haiphong to Cat Ba depart from different piers, and arrive at different:

     • From the Kathai Island Pier (Cat Hai, Ben Pha Got Pier). This is the main ferry to Cat Ba. Slow ferries and boats depart, including here you can move with your own transport. This is the pier closest to Cat Ba (Cat Hai on the map). There is no exact information about the schedule for this pier, however, as far as we know, ferries and boats depart from here very often, almost every 10 minutes from 06:00 to 18:00, the cost is 6000 VND. There is no need to buy tickets in advance, everything is in place. At Catba, these ferries arrive at the Cai Vieng north pier (Cai Vieng Pier on the map).

     • From the pier Gang Hong Bang. These are high-speed branded boats. It is convenient that they depart from the center of Haiphong and arrive almost in the center of Cat Ba Town at the new marina next to Cat Co 3 beach. Thanks to this, you will not have to spend money on a taxi to Ben Pha Got and then by taxi across the island. The point of departure in Haiphong is located almost in the center (Gang Hong Bang on the map). Cost: adults – 250,000 VND, children – 180,000 VND. Although several times a day according to the schedule, the schedule is below in the photo. However, as always, there is no guarantee that these high-speed boats will run constantly and stably, check everything on the spot.

       

     • From the pier Gang Hong Bang. slow ferries and boats depart, including here you can move with your own transport. This is the pier closest to Cat Ba (Cat Hai on the map). There is no exact information about the schedule for this pier, but as far as we know, ferries and boats depart from here very often, almost every 10 minutes from 06:00 to 18:00, the cost is 6000 VND. At Catba, these ferries arrive at the Cai Vieng north pier (Cai Vieng Pier on the map).

     • These ferries are suspended for now! From Ben Binh Pier in the center of Haiphong (pier on the map) high-speed hydrofoils depart for 200,000 VND four times a day, 45 minutes on the way. Which is good, they arrive directly at the Ben Tau Cat Ba marina in the center of Cat Ba Town, i.e. you don't have to take a taxi. Departure from Haiphong to Cat Ba: 7:00, 9:00, 13:00 and 15:00. Departure from Cat Ba to Haiphong: 8:00, 10:00, 14:00 and 16:00.

  3. Upon arrival at Cai Vieng Pier, you will have to drive across the island to Cat Ba Town in the south by taxi from 200,000 VND. You can also try to get on the cheap local bus number 14 (every 30 minutes from 05:00 to 19:00) or on the transport of branded carriers that pick up passengers traveling here on a complex transfer.

• Hanoi to Cat Ba

  

  • The journey takes 4-6 hours
  • Cost from 270,000 VND

  The most developed transport links to Cat Ba are organized from Hanoi. It is best to go again with the help of a ready-made transfer right to the hotel in Cat Ba Town, so as not to make a bunch of transfers yourself.

  You can buy a ready-made transfer at any street travel agency and hotels in the tourist area of Hanoi. You can buy it even on the day of the trip, but you may have to wait a couple of hours for the next flight. These buses depart from the offices of the carrier companies also from this area from the main street Huong di Tran Quang Khai or pick up from hotels.

  It is also possible to buy online at trip.com (accepts cards of the Russian Federation) or on 12go.asia (foreign cards only).

  Another option is to take the train at Hanoi's Long Bien railway station to Haiphong. But keep in mind, this is not the main station of Hanoi Ga Ha Noi, you need exactly Long Bien, do not confuse. From there, four trains with seats depart daily, two and a half hours on the way.:

  • The HP1 train (from the main station) departs at 06:00
  • The LP3 train departs at 9:28
  • The LP5 train departs at 15:30
  • The LP7 train departs at 18:26

  Tickets cost from 70,000 VND, it is not necessary to purchase in advance. You can check the schedule on the website https://dsvn.vn/. In Haiphong, trains arrive at the railway station, from where you need to continue the journey according to the scheme described above from Haiphong.

• From Halong

  

  • The journey takes 1-2 hours
  • Cost from 300,000 VND / 114 USD

  It is best to buy a ready-made transfer of their Halong to Cat Ba in hotels, street travel agencies or online. The normal cost is from 300,000 VND/person (rate temporary unavailable USD).

  If you want to get there yourself, then it is more difficult and makes sense only if you travel by rented transport.

  Ferries from Halong now depart from Tuan Tiau or Tuan Chau Pier (Tuan Chau on the map) on the island of the same name, which was connected to the mainland by a bridge. They go to Cat Ba in 07:30 , 09:00, 11:30 , 13:30 and 15:00, back to Halong in 09:00, 11:30 , 13:00, 15:00 and 16:00. The journey takes 50 minutes.

  Price:

  • 60,000 VND per passenger / 2.28 USD
  • 80,000 passenger with motorcycle / rate temporary unavailable USD
  • 300,000 for a car with passengers / rate temporary unavailable USD

  On Cat Ba, they arrive at the northern pier of Gia Luan (Gia Luan on the map).

  But the problem here is that you first need to get to the Tuan Chau pier from the center of Halong by taxi, and then from the Gia Luan pier to Cat Ba Town, where the entire tourist part of the island is actually located.

  Theoretically, you can get from Gia Luan to Cat Ba Town by the local HQ Green Bus (ATTENTION! SUSPENDED), it costs 25,000 VND, and departs at 08:00, 11:00, and 15:00. But there is no guarantee that he will walk during your trip, so you will probably have to pay for a taxi plus about 400,000 VND.

• From Sapa to Cat Ba

  • The journey takes 10-12 hours
  • Cost from 550,000 VND / 20.89 USD

  There are direct sleeping buses from Sapa to Cat Ba with all transfers. The cost starts from 550,000 VND for a simple bedroom, 800,000 costs VIP with a large compartment cabin. Tickets are sold in all travel agencies and hotels and on Here.

To Cat Ba by motorcycle or car

If you have rented or purchased a motorcycle for traveling in Vietnam on the mainland, then you can get to Cat Ba directly on it, of course, by transporting He's on the ferry.

The cargo ferry departs from Haiphong from the Cat Hai pier (Cat Hai on the map) on a small island of the same name. The cost is 25,000 VND for crossing with a motorcycle. Previously, this pier had to be reached by ferry from another Dinh Vu pier, but now Cat Hai Island is connected to the mainland by a bridge, and you can come directly to it.

Another cargo ferry departs from Halong from the Tuan Chau Pier (Tuan Chau on the map) on the island of the same name, which was connected to the mainland by a bridge. They go to Cat Ba in 07:30 , 09:00, 11:30 , 13:30 and 15:00, back to Halong in 09:00, 11:30 , 13:00, 15:00 and 16:00. The journey takes 50 minutes, the cost is 100,000 for a passenger with a motorcycle, 480,000 for a passenger car. On Cat Ba, they arrive at the northern pier of Gia Luan (Gia Luan on the map).

Cat Ba transport, what to use to get around

Public transport on Cat Ba is very poorly represented. There is only one regular bus and a ferry between the two piers. Moreover, they refuse to carry tourists on the latter, offering tourist boats instead. Therefore, for tourists and travelers, it is ideal to rent a transport – a motorcycle or bicycle.

In general, transportation to Cat Ba will be needed only if you want to visit remote parts of the island and attractions on your own, such as the Green Staircase, the Bridge on stilts and the temple, Mangroves, the National Park and Caves, the museum of the hospital in the cave. Within the city of Cat Ba, transport is not required, you can see everything on foot and also get to any beaches.

If you do not want to walk, you can use a taxi, a motorcycle taxi, or local "minibuses" - large golf carts:

• Taxi

  

  • A short taxi ride within the city of Cat Ba will cost from 40,000 VND / 1.52 USD
  • From 330,000 VND can be reached from/to the pier across the island / 12.54 USD
  • Mototaxi is twice as cheap.

  The Grab application is not working on Cat Ba yet, but the Xanh Sm modern ecological taxi application is working. This is a relatively new developing taxi on electric vehicles and scooters of local production VinFast, very cool and quite comfortable. So install the app and use it, it will be cheaper and easier than haggling with taxi drivers on the street every time.

  

  You can also catch or order cars on the street. As usual in Vietnam, the prices for an official taxi must be indicated on board the car, they are charged by distance. For mini-taxis, fares start from 12,000 VND for the first 400 meters, and then 13,000 for each kilometer.

• Minibuses golf carts

  

  Electric golf carts literally flooded the entire tourist center of Cat Ba town. They run from the center to the beaches at a fixed price of 10,000 VND per person (0.38 USD), or wherever you ask them for an additional fee of 100,000 VND. We don't have a lot of experience using them, but over several trips there was a strong feeling that it was almost impossible to drive them at a fixed price, since they always announce the price for the entire golf cart at once.

• Rent a motorbike or bicycle

  

  

  You can rent a motorcycle or bicycle everywhere in the tourist center of the island of Cat Ba Town. Immediately a number of rentals with the lowest prices are on the main street Duong 1/4. The real prices for the landmark are as follows:

  • Rent a motorcycle - from 100 000 VND / 3.8 USD
  • Bike rental - 50,000 VND / 1.9 USD
  • Mountain bike rental - 100 000 VND / 3.8 USD

  Of course, initially they can request 150,000 VND for a motorcycle, but if you want to save money, you need to compare prices and bargain.

  For rental, as a rule, you are not asked to leave documents as collateral, but a photocopy or photo of your passport and an indication of the hotel where you are staying are enough. They don't ask for a license either, and we haven't met any policemen on the road here, but by law you must have an IDP strictly with category A.

  There are at least two large chain gas stations on the island: one in Cat Ba Town, the other in the center of the island. Also, gasoline at speculative prices is sold in the center of Cat Ba Town from bottle stations at 50,000 VND per one and a half liter bottle. We recommend that we always refuel at large gas stations ourselves.

  We have detailed instructions from the video all about renting a motorcycle in Vietnam here..., and also watch our video about renting a motorcycle on Cat Ba:

• Buses

  

  Bus service to Cat Ba is poorly developed, but it is there. Between the main pier Cai Vieng (all ferries from Haiphong arrive here) and Cat Ba Town there is a local bus number 14. Runs every 30 minutes from 05:00 to 19:00, costs 25 000 VND. Here is the schedule in the photo:

  

  Previously, the HQ Green Bus still ran between the city center and the Gia Luan Pier in the north. This is not the pier where ferries from Haiphong arrive, but another pier where ferries from Halong arrive. It was also possible to get to the entrance to the National Park, the cave hospital, the Chung Chang Cave. The fare cost 25,000 VND, went very rarely: at 08:00, 11:00 and 15:00 from Gia Luan Pier, and at 09:00, 12:30 and 14:00 from Cat Ba Town.

  Attention! HQ Green Bus buses are suspended. There is no information about the resumption of work yet.

• Ferries

  The only regular ferry within Catba runs between Ben Beo/Cai Beo Marina in Catba Town (Ben Beo/Cai Beo on the map) and Viet Hai village. This village is the end point of the longest route No. 4 through the National Park, and is also interesting to visit as a tourist attraction. The fare costs 50,000, departs from the city at 11:00 and 16:15, from the village at 07:00 and 13:00. But the problem is that tourists are not put on this ferry. Upon arrival at the port, the local "tourist mafia" will offer you to sail this route at an inflated price of 3 times on a private or excursion boat, and in every possible way will prevent you from boarding a cruise boat. So we don't recommend counting on this option especially.

Transport schedule for Cat Ba