The capital of Vietnam and the country’s second largest city, Hanoi impresses with its historic architecture inspired by China, France and Southeast Asia. Get lost in the narrow streets of the Old Quarter and search for its little temples before exploring its lakes and parks. With over 7 million inhabitants, Hanoi is a vibrant place. After getting to know the city, you might want to spend a few days in a quieter place, and Cat Ba Island might be just what you’re looking for. This large island in Ha Long Bay is as famous as the bay itself for its dramatic limestone formations that emerge from the sea. You will find islands covered with jungle, beaches, waterfalls and caves. Half of it all is considered a national park.
Ferry crossing to Cat Ba Island © Carrie Fereday / Shutterstock.com
Travel options from Hanoi to Cat Ba
Cat Ba lies 160 kilometers almost directly east of Hanoi and is located just off the coast of the mainland. Although it is close to the rest of the country, it is still an island, so you will need to cross a stretch of water to get there. Many ferries are available for this purpose. Since the Hanoi to Cat Ba route is very popular with both foreign and local tourists, many operators offer tickets covering the entire route from Hanoi to Cat Ba, including bus or taxi and ferry. While there are fairly short ferry crossings from the mainland, the options below include a slow ferry that will take you to the island’s southeastern ferry terminal, Ben Tau Cat Ba.
Hanoi to Cat Ba by bus and ferry
There are several companies that offer combined bus and ferry tickets from Hanoi to Cat Ba, and four of them can be booked online 12Go.asia. Search this site and in a few seconds you will see the results of all these companies, so you can compare prices and schedules. You can also read other users’ reviews to find out what to expect from each service and make the best decision for your trip from Hanoi to Cat Ba.
These four companies are Cat Ba Express, Grouptour, Full Moon Party Tour and Hoang Long. A fifth company offers the same service with a van instead of a bus: GreenLion Bus.
To keep these companies competitive, the prices they offer are very similar. They only differ by one or two euros, so the biggest difference is in the timetables and the types of buses that run. Hoang Long, Grouptour and Cat Ba Express have express buses. The latter states that its buses have air conditioning, but the others do not, so it is not certain that they have this service. The buses that cover the route from Hanoi to Cat Ba with Full Moon Party Tour are better equipped as they are VIP buses with air conditioning, bathroom and even Wi-Fi. The price is quite close to that offered by other companies’ express services, so it may be a good option to consider. Another advantage of Full Moon Party Tours is that they offer instant booking confirmation, just like Hoang Long. Therefore, if you want to get your tickets immediately, consider booking with these companies.
The next thing to consider is the schedule. The bus journey from Hanoi to Cat Ba should take between 3.5 and 4 hours. All the companies we listed have scheduled routes from 3 hours to 40 minutes and 4 hours. The Cat Ba Express has three daily departures: 7:45 AM, 11:00 AM and 2:15 PM. The group tour has four times: 7:30 AM, 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 2:00 PM. The Full Moon Party Tour offers three: 7:30 AM, 10:30 AM, and 2:00 PM. Finally, Hoang Long also offers three daily services: 7:30 AM, 10:30 AM, and 2:00 PM. As you can see, the departure times of all companies are very similar.
As mentioned earlier, there is also the option to travel by van with GreenLion Bus. This is a shared van, so you will be traveling with other passengers and the journey from Hanoi to Cat Ba will be a bit longer. The price is very similar to the bus and you can also book through 12Go.
From Hanoi to Cat Ba by taxi
Another more expensive option to travel from Hanoi to Cat Ba is by taxi. You can also book a private taxi through 12Go to easily compare the price with buses and vans. Grouptour and Cat Ba Express offer private taxi services in addition to buses. You can choose between a 4-seater car, a 9-seater van and a 16-seater van.
Although taxis from Hanoi to Cat Ba are much more expensive than buses and vans, you pay a fixed price for the entire vehicle. This means you can split the cost among all passengers if you are traveling with a group of friends or family. Dividing the total cost, a taxi ride from Hanoi to Cat Ba can be quite affordable and even cheaper than a single bus ticket. Therefore, if you are traveling in a group, it is worth looking into a private taxi service as this can be a good way to have a vehicle just for you.
If you are traveling alone or with your partner, the bus from Hanoi to Cat Ba is probably the best option. If you prefer to travel with fewer people, choose a van. Finally, if you are traveling with family or friends, consider taking a taxi from Hanoi to Cat Ba as it can be cheaper depending on the number of passengers.