How to get to Cat Ba Island

Overview and route map

Whether you are in Hanoi, Halong Bay, or Hai Phong city, Cat Ba island can be easily accessible with the availability of different means of transportation. For instance, you can take a ferry or bus from Halong Bay, a Limousine car and a public bus from Hanoi and Hai Phong city to the island. 

On the other hand, if you are planning to travel from the south of Vietnam or other countries, it is best to take either direct or indirect flights to Cat Bi international airport (Hai Phong city) and then book a private transfer or public bus to Cat Ba island.

If you are wondering about means of transportation to Cat Ba island, this article would be very helpful. In this post, you will find essential information about travel from Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hai Phong city, and other destinations to Cat Ba island.

Route map

Distance to Cat Ba Island

Location	Distance	Travel time
Hanoi	131 km	1 hr 55 min
Hanoi International Airport (HAN)	149 km	2 hrs 04 min
Hai Phong	28 km	41 min
Tuan Chau Island	54 km	59 min
Halong City	58 km	59 min
Cat Bi International Airport (HPH)	25 km	37 min
Van Don International Airport (VDO)	109 km	1 hr 33 min

From Hanoi to Cat Ba island

Transportation from Hanoi to Cat Ba island

From Hanoi, you have a lot of options to transfer to Cat Ba island including by private car/ taxi, by Limousine car, and by tourist bus. Most Limousine cars and tourist buses drive you from Hanoi to Got pier following Tan Vu Lach Huyen bridge to catch a ferry to Cai Vieng port (Cat Ba island). From there, another car will take you to the town center. The total transfer time is about 3.5 hours.

By private car/taxi

If you look for a comfortable way of transport from Hanoi to Cat Ba island, a private car or taxi is the best choice. It normally costs around 2.000.000 VND/car/one-way.

Taxi brands in Hanoi

• Mai Linh taxi: 02435 518 1111
• Group taxi: 02438 535 353
• Thanh Cong taxi: 0243 3 575 757 

By Limousine car

Limousine is another option that allows you to travel with comfort yet much cost-saving. There are several Limousine car operators with the route Hanoi - Cat Ba island namely Hoang Phu Limousine and Cat Ba Du Ky Travel

Hoang Phu Limousine

Schedule:

• Hanoi - Cat Ba: 8:00, 10:30, 12:30, 14:30
• Cat Ba - Hanoi: 7:30, 9:00, 12:30, 16:00
• Ticket price: 350.000 VND/pax/one-way
• Hotline: 1900 1085
• Website: xehoangphu.vn

Cat Ba Du Ky Travel

Schedule:

• Hanoi - Cat Ba: 8:00, 11:00, 15:00
• Cat Ba - Hanoi: 9:00, 12:30
• Ticket price: 390.000 VND/pax/one-way
• Tel: 037 356 0338
• Website: catbaduky.vn

By tourist bus

Tourist bus is the most economical way for you to transfer from Hanoi to Cat Ba island. Options are also various.

Good Morning Cat Ba

Good Morning Cat Ba is a 35-seater bus with spacious seats and friendly drivers. The operator provides 3 buses from Hanoi to Cat Ba island and another 3 buses on the reverse route. It takes around 3 hours and 15 minutes to arrive. 

Schedule:

• Hanoi - Cat Ba: 7:30, 10:39, 14:00
• Cat Ba - Hanoi: 9:00, 12:30, 15:30
• Ticket price: 280.000 VND/pax/one-way
• Tel: 0913 096 281/ 0888 000 896
• Website: goodmorningcatba.com

Cat Ba Express

Cat Ba Express offers both Limousine cars and buses from Hanoi to Cat Ba island.

Schedule:

• Hanoi - Cat Ba: 7:45, 10:45, 14:00
• Ticket price: 280.000 VND/pax/one-way by tourist bus and 400.000 VND/pax/one-way by Limousine car
• Tel: 0848 244 999 - 0243 873 4999
• Email: info@catbaexpress.com
• Website: www.catbaexpress.com

Daiichi Travel

Daiichi Travel company offers high-quality tourist bus from Hanoi to Cat Ba and vice versa on the new highway. The total transfer time is 3 hours and 30 minutes. 

Schedule:

• Hanoi - Cat Ba: 7:30, 9:00, 13:30, 16:00
• Ticket price: 260.000 VND/pax/one-way
• Hotline: 0961 004 660
• Email: sale@daiichitravel.com
• Website: daiichitravel.com

Distance

The distance from Hanoi to Cat island is about 150km (94mil) and this is one of the most popular travel routes in northern Vietnam.

From Halong Bay to Cat Ba Island

Transportation from Halong Bay to Cat Ba Island

There are two popular ways to get to Cat Ba island from Halong Bay including ferry and bus. 

By ferry

A majority of tourists get to Cat Ba island from Halong Bay by ferry thanks to its short distance and transfer time. Generally, the ride is comfortable with spacious seating and food served on the ferry. It normally takes 40 to 50 minutes to reach the destination. The ferry departs daily from Tuan Chau ferry terminal, located on Ngoc Chau street, Tuan Chau ward, Halong city.

There are 5-7 ferry trips per day from Tuan Chau ferry terminal to Gia Luan port (Cat Ba island). Upon arrival at Gia Luan port, you need another 30-minute transfer to the center of Cat Ba island. The ticket price is around 80,000 VND to 90,000 VND/person/one-way with baggage included.

Tuan Chau ferry terminal - Gia Luan port ticket price

Type of passenger	Ferry ticket price
Passenger	3.5 USD/pax/one-way
Passenger with a motorbike	4 USD/pax/one-way
Passenger with an under 9-seat car	19 USD/vehicle/one-way

Ferry schedule 

Route	Terminal	Schedule		Duration
		Low season (1st October - 29th April)	Peak season (30th April - 30th September)
Halong Bay - Cat Ba Island	Tuan Chau ferry terminal - Gia Luan port	7:30, 11:30, 15:00	7:30, 9:00, 11:30, 13:30, 15:00	50 minutes
Cat Ba Island - Halong Bay	Gia Luan port - Tuan Chau ferry terminal	9:00, 13:00, 16:00	9:00, 11:30, 13:00, 15:00, 16:00	50 minutes

How to book:

To book your ticket, you can contact the ferry operator directly, through email, or Tuan Chau App (IOS, Android):

• Tel: 0203 3842134 
• Hotline: 0934 367 555
• Email: tapdoantuanchau@tuanchauhalong.vn
• Website: tuanchau-halong.com.vn

By bus

If you are not pressed for time and expect to enjoy a scenic drive, you can opt for a bus. Son Tung bus drives on the route Halong city - Quang Yen - Ha Nam - Cat Hai town - Cat Ba town and vice versa daily. The total transfer time is about 2.5 hours. It costs VND 180.000/pax/one-way.

How to book

Route	Schedule	Contact
Halong - Cat Ba island	13:00	02253 688 699
Cat Ba island - Halong	7:00	0979 495 496

Distance

Cat Ba island is about 14km (8.7mil) from Halong Bay by water transportation. At the same time, the distance by road transport is about 50km (31mil) from Halong Bay to Cat Hai town). (See our guide on getting fro Halong bay to Cat Ba Island)

From Hai Phong city to Cat Ba island

Transportation from Hai Phong City to Cat Ba island

By ferry

From Hai Phong city, you can take a taxi or public bus to Got pier which is 26km (16mil) away then get on a ferry to Cai Vieng port on Cat Ba island. Regarding public bus, you can catch bus 16C Thinh Hung from Thuong Ly bus station to Got pier (Cat Hai town) with a high frequency of 20 buses per day from 6:00 am to 12:00 pm. The ticket price is only 15.000 VND/pax/one-way.

Route: Thuong Ly bus station - Tam Bac bridge - Nguyen Duc Canh - Tran Phu - Dien Bien Phu - Le Hong Phong - Nguyen Binh Khiem - Dinh Vu - Tan Vu Lach Huyen bridge - Got pier

Upon arrival at Got pier, you can easily buy a ferry ticket price to access Cai Vieng port (Cat Ba island). The ferry departs frequently every 30 minutes/ trip from 5:30 am to 6:30 pm. From Cai Vieng port, you will need another 40-minute drive to reach Cat Ba town. Buses are available here to take you to the town center.

Got pier - Cai Vieng port ticket price:

By cable car

Taking a cable car trip from Cat Hai town (Hai Phong city) to Cat Ba island is perhaps the fanciest way of transfer. In fact, with a total length of 21km (13mil), this cable car system after complete construction will be the longest and largest one in the world. 

At present, you can transfer from Hai Phong city to Cat Hai station in Cat Hai town and then buy a ticket (100.000 VND/pax/one-way) to get on Cat Hai - Phu Long cable car. With 60 cabins and a capacity of 30 passengers per cabin, this cable car system can accommodate 4500 passengers per hour. It takes 15 minutes for the whole journey.

Cable car schedule

How to book

• You can buy the ticket directly at the ticket counters upon arrival or online.
• Address: Chan hamlet, Dong Bai commune, Cat Hai district, Hai Phong city
• Hotline: 0814 960 960
• Email: catba.booking@sunworld.vn

Distance

The distance from Hai Phong city center to Cat Ba island is about 40km (25mil).

From southern Vietnam and other countries

If you are planning to travel to Cat Ba island from southern provinces of Vietnam such as Danang city and Ho Chi Minh City, the optimal way is to take a direct flight to Cat Bi international airport (Hai Phong city) then a private transfer or public bus to Got pier. From Got pier you have options to take a ferry or cable car to access Cat Ba island.

Flight schedule from Danang city to Hai Phong city

Route	Airlines	Airfare	Schedule
Danang city - Hai Phong city	Vietnam Airlines	1.400.000 VND/pax/one-way	Details
Danang city - Hai Phong city	VietJet Air	900.000 VND/pax/one-way	Details
Danang city - Hai Phong city	Bamboo Airways	1.200.000 VND/pax/one-way	Details

Flight schedule from Ho Chi Minh City to Hai Phong city

Route	Airlines	Airfare	Schedule
Ho Chi Minh City - Hai Phong city	VietJet Air	1.500.000 VND/pax/one-way	Details
Ho Chi Minh City - Hai Phong city	Vietnam Airlines	1.600.000 VND/pax/one-way	Details
Ho Chi Minh City - Hai Phong city	Bamboo Airways	1.500.000 VND/pax/one-way	Details

Similarly, if you want to visit Cat Ba island from other countries, you can take direct or indirect flights to Cat Bi international airport (Hai Phong city) or Noi Bai international airport (Hanoi) then follow the transportation instructions from Hai Phong city or Hanoi to Cat Ba island above.