Haiphong City Guide

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Haiphong (Hai Phong, also Haiphong) is a large city in northern Vietnam, 120 kilometers from Hanoi and very close to Halong Bay and Catba Island (Haiphong on the map of Vietnam). It is the third most populous city in Vietnam with a population of 2 million inhabitants, second only to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. It is also a major economic center and the largest port in the north of the country.

Holidays in Haiphong

Objectively speaking, Haiphong is an uninteresting place for tourists, there is absolutely nothing to do here. And do not believe the laudatory reviews about Haiphong as a resort on travel guide sites on the Internet, which replicate the same article in different forms. In fact, Haiphong is a completely non-tourist place, and just a large commercial and port city that can not boast of any bright sights, beaches, or even a little tourist quarter. There is not even a provinciality, the atmosphere of which attracts tourists when visiting small towns and villages. Perhaps what you can pay attention to here, if you have to stay in this place, is the old colonial architecture erected here by the French in the 19th century, and the tradition of consuming Vietnamese coffee, which is loved here more than anywhere else. The reason for this love of coffee is not clear, but the fact that locals consume it in huge quantities in countless traditional coffee shops around the city is a fact.

Streets Of Haiphong

But despite the small tourist attraction, for tourists Haiphong is an important place, because through it passes the route to the only developed beach in the north of Vietnam Catba Island Resort, as well as in Halong Bay and Lanha. It is home to Catby International Airport, a train station, several bus stations, and marinas with ferries and boats. If you have to stay in Haiphong on the way to these places, then there will be no difficulties with this, because there is a developed urban infrastructure, many hotels and shopping centers. Well, in order to take some time, you can visit one of the few local attractions or just walk around the city.

Haiphong shopping center

You can spend the night in Haiphong in one of more than fifty hotels. There is no centralized tourist area here, so it is best to book hotels in advance rather than searching on the spot. The location of the hotel is best to choose closer to the transport hubs, from where you will continue to go on the road.

You can find and book hotels in Haiphong on the following websites:

• 🛌 Search for hotels in Haiphong on Yandex.travel
• 🛌 Search for hotels in Haiphong on Booking.com
• 🛌 Search for hotels in Haiphong on Trip.com (💥 our choice)

Best hotels of

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Hotel Trang Thanh Luxury Apartment Tourist rating 9.1/10, exceptionalPrice from 36 USDBook hotel

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Hotel Somerset Central TD Hai Phong City Tourist rating 8.9/10, excelentPrice from 61 USDBook hotel

Hotel THE SHINE HOTEL⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tourist rating 8.9/10, excelentPrice from 56 USDBook hotel

Hotel Chuoi can ho Merci Apartment & Homestay - Vinhomes Imperia Hai Phong Tourist rating 8.8/10, excelentPrice from 17 USDBook hotel

Hotel Lotus Hotel & Apartment⭐⭐ Tourist rating 8.8/10, excelentPrice from 23 USDBook hotel

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Haiphong map with hotels

How and how to get to Haiphong

Haiphong lies on the shores of Lanha Bay, 120 kilometers from Hanoi (Haiphong on Vietnam map). You can get here by plane, train, bus, and with the nearby islands of Halong Bay and Lanha, the city is connected by ferry. Perhaps in the future a bridge to Catba Island will be completed, and then water transport will be needed only to go on it on cruises in the bays, but for now this is the only way to get to Catba.

But before you make a route to Haiphong or to Cat Ba island through Haiphong, ask about the availability of ready-made tourist transfers (complex tickets). Such transfers are much more convenient and even cheaper than if you get there yourself. They include taking you on all modes of transport with transfers if necessary, and you won't have to pay extra for taxis or juggle schedules so you don't accidentally get stuck somewhere along the way overnight. For Catba island, delivery is made directly to the tourist center of Catba town, which is far from the marinas. You can buy such tickets at travel agencies and hotels in Hanoi, Sapa and other major cities in the North and center of Vietnam, and they can also be booked online through the search form from 12go.asia:

Bus and train schedules to Haiphong

And now about all the ways to get to Haiphong, and below separately about how to get from Haiphong to Cat Ba:

• Haiphong by plane

  Haiphong is home to Catbi International Airport (Cat Bi International Airport, IATA code – HPH). Mainly domestic flights are operated here, and only a few international destinations: from Bangkok, Shenzhen, Seoul. Therefore, more often from the Russian Federation and other countries, tourists get here through Hanoi airport, which is Cheaper. You can find and book tickets to Haiphong or Hanoi using the search form:

  The airport is located on the outskirts of the city (airport on the map), and to get to the center of the hotel or to the bus stations, pier or railway station, you will have to take a taxi. As usual in Vietnam, taxi drivers will refuse to travel on the meter, so you need to either insist or bargain to a reasonable price. The normal price for a trip from the airport to the railway station, to the center and to the bus stations is about 75 000 VND (2.93 USD, see about Vietnam's Money); to the jetty of Kathai (Cat Hai), from where the ferries to Cat Ba recover-300 000 (11.71 USD). To save money, you can use a motorcycle taxi, which is twice cheaper. If you do not want to bargain with taxi drivers, order a car or motorcycle taxi through the Grab application, for which you can use the free Wi-Fi at the airport in the arrivals area.

  And another option, especially good for overcoming the language barrier-ordering a tourist transfer. Then the driver will meet you at the airport with a table, and take you to the right place without unnecessary questions and conversations, especially since very little is spoken in English here. You can book a transfer from Haiphong airport to the city via search from Kiwitaxi.

• Haiphong by train

  

  The railway line connects Haiphong only with Hanoi, but theoretically it is possible to get by train from Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang, Da Nang, Hue, Sapa (Laocai) with a change of train in Hanoi. However, keep in mind that trains from Hanoi to Haiphong depart from Long Bien station (with the exception of one train), and all trains from other destinations arrive at the main Ga Hanoi Station. Therefore, if you have planned a transfer from train to train without an overnight stay, also plan the time to move. The easiest way to get from station to station is by taxi for 30,000 VND (1.17 USD), cheaper by public transport (see transport in Hanoi, what to use).

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

  All trains with seats, because it's only two and a half hours to go. Ticket price - from 70 000 (2.73 USD). You can buy tickets at the station or on the Websites https://dsvn.vn/ and 12go.asia. The first site is official, but so far it is possible to pay only with a plastic card of Vietnamese banks. The second site in English and Russian sells tickets with a small margin, but you can easily pay with any card.

  In Haiphong, trains arrive at the railway station in the heart of the city (railway station on the map). From it to most hotels in the center can be reached on foot, to the jetty of Kathai (Cat Hai) on the Cat Ba island taxi will cost 300 000 VND.

• Haiphong by bus

  Haiphong bus

  You can get to Haiphong by bus from almost every major city in Vietnam. For example, there are flights even from Ho Chi Minh City, which is far on the other side of the country in the south, and such a bus trip lasts one and a half days. But, of course, there are flights and closer, and usually tourists get here by bus from Hanoi, Sapa, Da Nang, Hoi An, Hue.

  There are several bus stations in Haiphong, we know at least three. Moreover, over the past few years, they have changed their position several times: old ones were closed, new ones were opened. Different buses even of the same destinations arrive and depart from different places, and to make it easier to understand, it is best to buy bus tickets not at the bus stations themselves, but at travel agencies or online on the websites of carriers. Also see tickets on the website of the aggregator of carriers in Vietnam - 12go.asia. When buying tickets in travel agencies, you will overpay for the ticket, but its price will include delivery from the hotel to the place of departure of the bus. And on the site 12go.asia when buying tickets, you will see on the map the places and addresses of departure, and at least you will know where to arrive.

  Unfortunately, in Haiphong itself, travel agencies where you can buy tickets can not be found, and you will have to either buy tickets online or go to one of the stations. Here are the largest bus stations in the city:

  • Di Xe Hoang Long. This is a big new bus station near the center (station on the map), where buses arrive mainly from the South: Da Nang, Hue, Vung Tau, Ho Chi Minh City. But do not confuse this station with the Office of the company Hoang Long, which provides a transfer on the Route Hanoi-Haiphong-Cat Ba, these are different places.
  • Lac Long Bus Station. Old station in the heart of the city (station on the map). From here, a bus leaves for Hanoi to Giap Bat station every 30 minutes from 05:00 to 19:00. There are also other non-tourist destinations in the north of Vietnam.
  • Niem Nghia Bus Station. The largest bus station with routes in almost all directions: Hanoi, Dien Bien Phu, Ninh Binh, Ho Chi Minh City, Vung Tau, etc. (station on the map).

• Haiphong to Cat Ba

  Catba cargo ferry

  Until a bridge is built from Haiphong to Cat Ba, you can only get to the island by ferry. An independent route will look like this: take a taxi to one of the piers → ferry to the island → taxi to Cuthba town.

  But in fact, it is much easier and cheaper to use ready-made solutions here. Hoang Long offers delivery from its downtown office directly to the center of Catba town for just 80,000 VND (3.12 USD) 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 from the airport or stations by taxi for 80,000 VND. Tickets can be purchased directly at the office on arrival, but in high season it is better to book in advance on the sites 12go.asia (in Russian) or hoanglongasia.com (in English). Buses leave at 09:45 and 13:45 daily, but be sure to check your departure location and timetable before travelling on the listed sites as it may change.

  If you still get there yourself, then here is detailed information:

  • 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 through the Grab app. Haggling and negotiating a trip on the meter with taxi drivers on the street is useless, they are adamant. Also in the city there are city buses, but their route scheme is only developing and there is no information for tourists about it, so you should not count on them.

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

    • From Ben Binh pier in central Haiphong (pier on the map) high-speed hydrofoils are shipped for 200,000 VND (7.81 USD) four times a day, 45 minutes on the way. Which is good, they arrive right at the Ben Tau Cat Ba jetty in the center of Catba town (Marina on the map), so 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. This is the schedule for the end of 2018.
    • From the pier of Kathai (Cat Hai) depart slow ferries and boats, including here you can move with your own transport. It is the closest to Cat Ba pier (now closer than Dinh Vu, 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 every 30 minutes from 06:00 to 18:00, the cost is 6000 VND. At Catba, these ferries arrive at Cai Vieng North Pier (Cai Vieng pier on the map).
  • Upon arrival at Cai Vieng pier, you will have to travel across the island to Catba town in the South. This can be done by taxi from 200,000 VND, or if you are lucky, you can try to take buses of branded carriers that pick up passengers traveling here on a complex transfer.

Transport Haiphong, what to move

Public transport in Haiphong is very poorly developed, there are only a few city bus routes that are practically useless for tourists. Since the ferry docks to Cuthba are not accessible by them. It is planned to develop a network of routes up to the berths and in the future even to Catba island, but for now you will have to use a taxi.

In Haiphong, there are Mailin taxis (Mai Linh is the largest and most reliable company in Vietnam) and other companies, and theoretically all cars are equipped with meters, but in practice taxi drivers refuse to carry foreigners on the meter, offering an inflated fixed price. If you can't "persuade" the driver to go to the meter or bargain for a reasonable price, you can use the Grab application.

As for buses, as we mentioned, they are still useless, but perhaps in the future new routes will work. Here is a diagram of the current routes.

Attractions and entertainment

Haiphong is not rich in bright sights worthy of staying in the city because of them. There's a pretty standard provincial town set: a few museums and temples, French-era colonial architecture, and nothing else to see. There are also no tourist attractions. During the day, you can just walk along the streets from one attraction to another, admire the colonial architecture, drink coffee in one of the hundreds of coffee shops, or go shopping. In the evening, you can sit in bars or one of the nightclubs, but tourists there will not be very comfortable, because foreigners in them are rare guests, mostly local youth rest. Here are the most popular bars and nightclubs: King Disko, 5ive Beer Club, Fleur d'or Maison Beer Club, Yolo Beer Club, Sunny Club.

And here are the sights that you can visit:

• City Museum (Hai Phong CityMuseum). 66 Dien Bien Phu (Museum on the map). The entrance fee is 5000 VND. Traditional museum of local lore, many weapons.
• Museum of the Navy (Naval Museum). (Museum on the map). A fairly large museum dedicated to the Navy of Vietnam, but there are not very many exhibits. But there is an exhibition of military equipment on the street, including exhibits from the USSR.
• Museum of the 3rd Army (3rd Military Region Museum). 254, Le Duan, (Museum on the map). Military Museum. The exhibition is a little dilapidated, but there are many exhibits, including a street exhibition. As usual, many samples of Russian military equipment.
• Dua Hang Kenh Temple (temple on the map)
• Phuc Linh Pagoda (pagoda on the map)
• Hai Phong Opera building (Opera on the map)