Halong Bay to Cat Ba Island: Speedboat or Ferry?

1. Speedboat (Fastest)

There are several shared speedboat services available to Cat Ba island from Bai Chay and Tuan Chau. Most of them run a fixed route from Bai Chay - Tuan Chau - Gia Luan harbour - Beo harbour with an average price of 120,000 VND. 

• Pros: Fast as it takes about 20-30 minutes.
• Cons: More expensive than taking ferry.

Speedboat at Tuan Chau Harbour to Cat Ba Island (Image: Skytoursvietnam) 

Schedule and price

How to book: Tickets can be purchased directly at the ferry ticketing counter or through a travel agency (Cat Ba Express: +84 84 824 4999 - 024 3873 4999).

2. Ferry

A very popular option to get to Cat Ba island is to take the ferry. The ride is quite enjoyable as it offers nice sea views of the surroundings. Ferries leave daily from the Tuan Chau ferry terminal and it takes around 2 to 2.5 hours to get to Cat Ba Island. Baggage is included. The price of a ticket is around $3 to $5.

• Pros: Enjoyable ride with nice bay views.
• Cons: Slow as it takes 2-2.5 hours.

Nice Halong bay view from ferry (Photo: tuanchau-halong.com.vn) 

Many locals are using ferry as a convenient way of transit (Photo: Tuanchau-halong.com.vn) 

Schedule and price:

Departure times from 30-April to 30-September (Peak season):

• Tuan Chau – Cat Ba: 7:30, 9:00, 11:30, 13:30, 15:00
• Cat Ba – Tuan Chau: 9:00, 11:30, 13:00, 15:00, 16:00

Departure times from 01-October to 29-April (Shower season)

• Tuan Chau – Cat Ba: 7:30, 11:30, 15:00
• Cat Ba – Tuan Chau: 9:00, 13:00, 16:00

How to book: To book your ticket, you can contact the ferry operator directly at: 0332 473 668 or email: phatuanchau@tuanchau-halong.com.vn.  

Price list for Tuan Chau-Cat Ba Ferry (Photo: Xedulichxanh.com) 

Updated Price List (August, 2019)

In general,  ferry is a very easy way to travel with comfortable seating, toilets on board and a bar where some food can be purchased.