Halong Bay, Vietnam – What to Visit ? Stay, Transport - Page 1

Page 1 – Halong Bay
Page 2 – Cat Ba Island
Page 3 – Halong City
Page 4 – Hai-Phong City

Halong Bay – Maps – Orientation

Map – The Halong Bay area

Look at the following Maps :

Map 1 :

Map 2 :

Map 3 :

Interactive Map : Tourist attractions + Transport

Points in Red : Transport
Points in Blue : Tourist Attractions

More Maps :

How is Halong Bay ?

Halong Bay is an area and not a specific place. Tourists are arriving to this zone, to sail on a boat and see this wonderful panorama in the water :

You can sleep on a cruise boat or in one of the cities described later on (Cat-Ba island, Halong city or Hai-Phong city).
There are cruises for just a few hours and there are cruises for more than 1 day with cabins to sleep.
During a cruise of 1 day, there is usually :
A stop for swimming towards a beach :

There is a stop for doing Kayaking :

There is a stop for watching fish farms :

And a stop for eating (usually in the boat).
As you can see the water of Halong Bay is characterised by special Rock-Islands, it is a vast area :

Around the waters of Halong Bay, there is the lands of : Halong city, Hai-Phong city and Cat-Ba island.
Tourists are passing via these locations to catch a boat, or for staying in place for some nights to visit the cities themselves. I describe the 3 places, later on, with details.

Cat Ba island – Interesting, pleasant and worth a stay.
Halong city – Nice views from some parts of the city, the transport is more difficult than for Cat-Ba island. Do visit if you have time.
Haiphong city – A transit point for tourists, an industrial city. No tourist attractions here except the fact that it is a big Vietnamese city without tourists, which can be interesting, if you have extra time.

What are the Ways for Visiting Halong Bay ?

Usually, tourists are arriving to Halong Bay from Hanoi, it is close, just 3 hours of Bus. But, there is also an Airport in Hai-Phong city with flights from Saigon, Danang and other cities.

Option 1 – A package (usually starting from Hanoi), everything included (transport, cruise, sleep, food).

This is how most tourists are visiting the area of Halong Bay. There are packages for 1 day in which you return to Hanoi the same day. There are packages in which you sleep on a boat or in Cat-Ba island.
Since everything is included, you don’t have to worry about how to arrive, they will just take you everywhere.

You can buy a package to Halong Bay from your hotel in Hanoi, from a travel agency in the streets of Hanoi or online with Booking.com.

If the Transport to the boat is not included in your package, see how to arrive on your own.

Note : Before buying a package for a specific cruise, I recommend to read the opinions of travellers about the specific company. Some companies are really good and some less. Thankfully, they are all afraid of the comments (Tripadvisor, Booking etc) and care about their reputation. It was not the case a few years ago, before the era of the smartphone, back then they were many frauds in Vietnam.
I also recommend you to keep your passport with you and not to give it to a cruise or to an hotel reception.

Option 2 – Do it Yourself

You may arrive by :

Flight (from many Vietnamese cities) to the airport in Hai-Phong city, then continue by bus (+ boat) to Cat-Ba island or Halong city.
Train from Hanoi to Hai-Phong city , then continue by bus (+ boat) to Cat-Ba island or Halong city.
Bus from anywhere in Vietnam, directly to Cat-Ba island or Halong city.

See details how to arrive to these places.

Cat-Ba island

Staying a night or more in Cat-Ba is a good idea, the island is pleasant. The first day you can make a boat trip in the scenic waters and the second day rent a motorbike (or not) and visit some caves and a national park. See What to Visit and Where to Stay in Cat-Ba island.

You can buy a sail in place, from your hotel or a travel agency in Cat Ba island or with Booking.com (but note that most of the cruises in Booking.com are starting from Halong city and not from Cat-Ba).

Halong city

You may decide to visit the city itself or head directly to the boat terminal where the cruises are starting.

See What to Visit and Where to Stay in Halong City.
You can buy a cruise starting from Halong city with Booking.com

The boat terminal of Halong city – “Dao Tuan Chao”

It is a big terminal and it is located 15 Km to the left of the city, at “Dao Tuan Chao” island (see on Maps 2 and 3 above or on Google Maps). You may need a taxi to move between the boat terminal and the city center (a Taxis cost about 200,000 Dong).

How to buy a cruise online with Booking.com ?

Fill your dates of stay in Booking.com-Halong Bay-Cruises (this is for cruises, If you want regular hotels in Halong Bay see later : Where to stay in Cat-Ba island or Where to stay in Halong city or Where to stay in Hai-Phong city).
To know from where the boat starts : For each cruise, you can choose “See on Map”. Most boats are starting from the “Tuan Chao” boat terminal of Halong City .
To know if Transports to the boat are available (from Hanoi, airport etc) : For each cruise, read the description.

How to Arrive to Halong Bay area ? (Cat-Ba island, Halong city, Hai-Phong city)

Look at the Maps, above. The line distance between Hanoi and Halong Bay area is about 120 Km (more by road). A bus from Hanoi to the zone may take 3 to 4 hours.

There are 4 main destinations in Halong Bay area, that may interest you :

The town in Cat-Ba island, located in the south of the island (you can take cruises from here).
The boat terminal in Halong city. Most of the cruises are departing from here.
Halong City. You may want to visit the city, if you have 1 or 2 days.
Hai-Phong City. Most tourists are just passing here, it is not a touristic city.

Arriving to Halong Bay by Bus

The easiest way to arrive to Cat-Ba island and Halong city and Hai-Phong city.
There are a lot of private bus companies from Hanoi (and from other Vietnamese cities).

A bus from Hanoi to Cat-Ba island may take 3 to 4 hours (including a stop of half hour on the way). The bus will take you from your hotel in the old quarter of Hanoi and will bring you to your hotel in the town of Cat-Ba. On the way, there is a short travel in boat (7 minutes, you need to get off the bus, it is included in the ticket).

Then you continue till the town, located in the south of the island, with another bus (included in the ticket) :

You can book Flights, Trains and Buses inside Vietnam with the site 12Go Asia or Baolau. Choose the Origin city and Destination city and it will show you All the available Transports to destination.

Arriving to Halong Bay by Flight

There is an airport in Hai-Phong city, very close to the city center. See location on the interactive map above or on Google Maps.
You may arrive by flight from Saigon, Da-Nang and other locations but not from Hanoi (too short).

You can book Flights, Trains and Buses inside Vietnam with the site 12Go Asia or Baolau. Choose the Origin city and Destination city and it will show you All the available Transports to destination.

See how to arrive from Hai-Phong to Cat-Ba island.
See how to arrive from Hai-Phong to Halong City.

Arriving to Halong Bay by Train

There is a train station in Hai-Phong city (see location on the interactive map above or on Google Maps). There are several trains during the day from Hanoi. Some of the trains have a stop in the old quarter of Hanoi, so you don’t need to arrive to the main station of Hanoi.

You can book Flights, Trains and Buses inside Vietnam with the site 12Go Asia or Baolau. Choose the Origin city and Destination city and it will show you All the available Transports to destination.

See how to arrive from Hai-Phong to Cat-Ba island.
See how to arrive from Hai-Phong to Halong City.

How to arrive from Hai-Phong city (airport or train station or city center) to Cat-Ba island ?

Look at the following Map :

Option 1 :

NOTE 2024 : The port is in construction and the speed boats may not function.

There is a speed boat (hydrofoil), starting from Hai-Phong city center (the river) to the town in the south of Cat-Ba. Very convenient. There are about 4 boats a day, till the afternoon.
See location of the ferry terminal in Hai-Phong on the interactive map above or on Google Maps. You can arrive from the airport to the ferry terminal by Taxi (around 80,000 Dong).

Option 2 : In the same location (ferry terminal of Hai-Phong), there are also private companies, who can take you to Cat-Ba island by bus+normal boat+bus. It takes longer and it is cheaper. It is convenient in case you miss the speed boat.

Option 3 : Taxi, rented motorbike (note that it is a long distance for a taxi)

Option 4 : Your cruise package, may provide you with free transport, expecting you at the airport or the train station in Hai-Phong.

Option 5 : There is a cable car between the small island Cat-Hai and Cat-Ba. You still need to arrive somehow to Cat-Hai in order to take the cable car. There is a limit on the size and weight of the luggage that you can bring on the cable car. You can see details on the cable car website.

You can book Flights, Trains and Buses inside Vietnam with the site 12Go Asia or Baolau. Choose the Origin city and Destination city and it will show you All the available Transports to destination.

How to arrive from Hai-Phong city (airport or train station or city center) to Halong City ?

Note : The ferry terminal for cruises, in Halong city is NOT in the city center.

Option 1 : Near the ferry terminal to Cat-Ba, there is also a small bus terminal (See location of the ferry terminal in Hai-Phong on the interactive map above) with minibuses to Halong city.

Option 2 : Your hotel or a travel agency may arrange you the transport in a shared taxi (“Limousine”). If you stay the night in Hai-Phong or Halong city, the hotel may know something. On the photo you can see my ride in a spacious limousine from Halong city to Hai-Phong. I saw very nice Vietnamese video clips on this huge TV.

Option 3 : Taxi or Grab, rented motorbike (long distance, 50 Km).

Option 4 : Your cruise package, may provide you with free transport, expecting you at the airport or the train station in Hai-Phong.

You can book Flights, Trains and Buses inside Vietnam with the site 12Go Asia or Baolau. Choose the Origin city and Destination city and it will show you All the available Transports to destination.

How to arrive from Cat-Ba island to Halong city ?

There is a regular Ferry service between the northern part of Cat-Ba island and the main Terminal for boats near the city of Halong, in the “island ” called “Dau Tuan Chao”. See on the Maps above. The ferry goes a few times a day, till darkness.

Where to Stay in Halong Bay ? Hotels and Cruises

If you want to sleep on a cruise boat in Halong Bay see : How to buy a Cruise online, with Booking.com
If you want to stay in Cat-Ba island : See Where to Stay in Cat-Ba island.
If you want to stay in Halong City : See Where to Stay in Halong City.
If you want to stay in Hai-Phong City : See Where to Stay in Hai-Phong City.

How is the Climate in Halong Bay ?

I have chosen Cat-Ba island to represent the climate in the region.

As in all Vietnam, there is a dry and rainy season (May to October). June, July and August are specially hot months. July and August are considered the high season for Vietnamese travellers but the low season for International travellers. The hotels prices are higher in July and August.
Here are the average temperatures and rain in Cat-Ba island :

Month	Max (C)	Min (C)	Rain (mm)
January	19	14	10
February	22	16	15
March	23	18	40
April	28	22	90
May	31	24	190
June	33	26	230
July	32	26	290
August	32	26	320
September	32	25	270
October	29	22	130
November	26	19	40
December	22	15	20

The Touristic places around Halong Bay waters :

Page 2 – Cat-Ba island – People are usually coming to visit the island for 1 or 2 days and taking a short cruise boat from the island.
Page 3 – Halong city – The cruises for 1 or more days are starting from a Terminal located 15 Km from the city. Some tourists are also visiting the city itself.
Page 4 – Hai-Phong city – Mainly a point of transit for tourists (Airport, Train station, Ferry boat to Cat-Ba island).

Organized Excursions

There are a lot of organized excursions in Halong Bay (including cruises). See cruises or other tours

On Thailand :

Other Stuff :

What to Pack ? the visual list that will help you prepare the suitcase.
Visit my Vegetarian Page. Why be Vegetarian ? What to eat ?
Visit my Salsa Dance Page. Salsa main Styles. Why Dance Salsa ?
See City Information about 2 more cool cities: Barcelona and Tel-Aviv.
Listen to nice Songs with translation in French, Spanish, Italian, Hebrew.
Listen to basic Words In Spanish, French, Hebrew

If you find incorrect data on this page, like a restaurant that has closed or a big river that has moved or you want to tell me something, please write me to contact.

A Visit in Vietnam

www.VietVisit.com

Halong Bay, Vietnam – What to Visit ? Stay, Transport – Page 1