Note : You are on Page 3 – Cat-Ba island- What to Visit ?.
Start with Page – Halong Bay Info.
- Page – Halong Bay – Useful Info
- Page – Cat Ba Island
- Page – Halong City
- Page – Hai-Phong City
Cat-Ba island- Maps – Orientation
Map 1 – Cat-Ba island : Tourist Attractions + Ferry Terminals
Map 2 – The Town of Cat-Ba island
Map 3 : The 3 Beaches + Trail
Map 4 – Interactive Map – Tourist attractions + Transport
- Points in Red : Transport
- Points in Blue : Tourist Attractions
What to Visit on Cat-Ba island ?
The Town Center
Look at Map 2 above. Most tourists are staying in a hotel here (see the page Where to Stay on CatBa). The town consist of one main road facing the sea and an internal road in form of a loop.
The main road includes a promenade in front of the sea.
On the north side, there is s small lake.
At the time that I am writing, there are big works in front of the sea. It will take several years to finish. When it will be completed there will be a beautiful beach, hotels and some facilities for tourists. Also the cable car is supposed to be extended till here.
They are working night and day on it
How to arrive ?
- The Town is located at the bottom of the island.
- See location on the Maps above.
- See the Possible Ways of Transport on Cat-Ba island.
3 Beaches + 1 Trail
Look at the Maps above. The 3 beaches are at a walking distance from the main road of the town. Just 350 Meters walk and you arrive to beach number 1. At beach number one there is a huge hotel called Flamingos. This hotel has several buildings.
From here, if you look at the sea and to the right, you will see a trail. Walk on the trail, the view is wonderful.
After 700 meters of walk you arrive to beach number 3.
Also here there is a big hotel. You can drink a coconut in the café on the beach.
If you walk from beach 1 to the other direction (via the parking of the Flamingos hotel), you arrive to beach 2.
The beach is exactly in front of the hotel, but thankfully it is not private.
In all the 3 beaches, there is a café, so you can sit and enjoy the scenery.
In my opinion this area is the most attractive place in Cat-Ba and it is very close to the town, so I was here also at sunset.
This zone is a good option for the hotel (there are only big hotels here). See the page Where to Stay on CatBa.
General note : The beaches in Cat-Ba are more for the view than for swimming. Yes, sometimes it is not too cold and people are entering into the water, but the skies are usually gray and Cat Ba is not the typical island you dream about for swimming.
How to arrive ?
- At a walking distance from the Town. 350 meters from the main road of the Town.
- See location on Google Maps or on the Maps above.
- See the Possible Ways of Transport on Cat-Ba island.
One more Beach
Since we are talking about beaches, there is another beach located on the other side of Cat Ba town. it is called Tung Thu beach. At a walking distance from the town.
How to arrive ?
- At a walking distance from the Town. Less than 1 Km.
- See location on Google Maps or on the Maps above.
- See the Possible Ways of Transport on Cat-Ba island.
Cruise on a Boat
A cruise is the highlight of Halong Bay. Most of the cruises that are departing from Cat-Ba are for just 1 day, you return to your hotel before 16:00. The cruise includes a meal on the boat. There are stops for swimming and Kayaking. There is usually a guide explaining stuff.
You can book a cruise in place (Cat-Ba island), from your hotel, a travel agency or online with Booking.com as I explained on the first page (note: most of the cruises via Booking.com are departing from the Terminal of Halong city and not from Cat-Ba island, but there are some).
Cat-Ba National Park
There are several possible trails in this park. With the easy trail, you climb a mountain peak and get a very nice view from 2 view points.
It takes about 1 hour to climb and the same to return.
It is not difficult but you will sweat, you need water (it is sold, downstairs).
There is also a long trail between 12 to 18 Km. It takes you towards the east, to the sea (Viet-Hai area). The duration is at least 5 hours. Once you arrive to the sea, you can take a boat to explore the beautiful waters and even return with a boat to Cat-Ba town. You can inform yourself about the different trails at the entrance of the park.
There is an entry fee to the reserve, it includes also the Trung-Trang cave which is close on the road.
How to arrive ?
- Located on the vertical main road of the island, about 10 Km north from the town.
- See location on Google Maps or on the Maps above.
- See the Possible Ways of Transport on Cat-Ba island.
Notes :
By Motorbike
Very easy to arrive here. When you arrive, ignore the restaurants on the left side who will attract you to park for free (unless you intend to eat in their place). Park the motorbike at the entrance of the national park, there is a guard (with small fee).
By Bus
The local bus has a stop here. Also private buses can drop you here.
Trung-Trang cave
A short visit in a beautiful cave. It is a very easy visit, the cave is illuminated and the trail is easy.
In less than half an hour, you will be back on your motorbike (including the short walk to the cave).
The entry fee is included with the ticket of the National Park.
How to arrive ?
- Located on the vertical main road of the island, just 1 Km from the National Park entrance, about 10 Km north from the town.
- See location on Google Maps or on the Maps above.
- See the Possible Ways of Transport on Cat-Ba island.
Hospital cave
It used to be an hospital and a military base, during wars.
It is now a sort of museum.
Since I have visited in Budapest, Hungary a similar cave hospital, I was not impressed by this one. Still, it is an interesting stop. There is a small entrance fee.
How to arrive ?
- Located on the vertical main road of the island, about 6 Km north from the town.
- See location on Google Maps or on the Maps above.
- See the Possible Ways of Transport on Cat-Ba island.
Note : By Motorbike : If you are not riding super fast, you will see the signs of the Hospital cave
Area of the ferry terminal in the North
If you have a motorbike, ride till here.
The zone is nice.
How to arrive ?
- Located on the vertical main road, at the top of the island, about 22 Km north from the town.
- See location on Google Maps or on the Maps above.
- See the Possible Ways of Transport on Cat-Ba island.
The Cable Car
The cable car was inaugurated in 2020. It connects Cat-Ba island with Cat-Hai island (see it on Map 1 above). Cat Hai is on the way to Hai Phong. The plan, for the future, is to connect with the cable car the city of Hai Phong with the town of Cat-Ba, so that the cable car will be an efficient way of transport between the two places. For the moment only a small portion exists and it is not clear which part will really be built.
If you want to use the cable car as a way of transport :
Today, you must arrive somehow to the cable car stations.
So you need to take a taxi from (or to) the town of Cat-Ba and you need to take a taxi from Cat-Hai island to Hai Phong (or Halong city). These are medium distances for a Taxi.
Note that there is an additional fee if you want to bring a big suitcase.
At the moment that I am writing, they are preparing an electric bus between Cat-Ba town and the cable car station, so inform yourself.
If you want to use the cable car for the view :
Great idea. The view is amazing. It is like being on an airplane.
The cable car holds a world record in the category : The highest pillar. It has 214 meters !
The trip lasts about 20 minutes, each way.
The cabins are big, they can accommodate up to 30 persons
For the moment, the cable car operates only several times a day and not continuously (because there are not enough passengers and it is expensive to operate).
The cable car stations are big and modern. You can eat an ice-cream while waiting for the operating hours of the cable car .
There are even massage chairs.
- Note : You can see more details on the cable car website.
How to arrive ?
- The cable car station on Cat-Ba island is located near the western port for ferries.
- See location on Google Maps or on the Maps above.
- See the Possible Ways of Transport on Cat-Ba island.
The Cruise Port – Ben Beo
This is the place from where the cruise boats start on Cat-Ba island. So if you buy a cruise ticket, the organizers will bring you here by bus.
It is nice to visit the place even if you don’t take a cruise. You can walk from the town.
How to arrive ?
- Located only 1.7 Km from the town, you can walk.
- See location on Google Maps or on the Maps above.
- See the Possible Ways of Transport on Cat-Ba island.
102 House – For children
There are big, colorful statues. It is an attraction for children.
How to arrive ?
- Located 6 Km from the town.
- See location on Google Maps or on the Maps above.
- See the Possible Ways of Transport on Cat-Ba island.
Canon Fort – (Closed)
Note : This attraction is closed since 2025. It is not clear if it will ever re-open.
It is located at a walking distance from the town center, and the view from upstairs is amazing.
There are 2 viewpoints + café.
It was once a military defense fort and you can see canons
and other military exhibits :
Sunset is beautiful here.
There is an entry fee to the place.
How to arrive ?
- Located 1 Km from the town.
- See location on Google Maps or on the Maps above.
- See the Possible Ways of Transport on Cat-Ba island.
Guided Tours
Ask the travel agencies, your hotel or online with Viator.
Now Return :
Or :
More on Vietnam :
- How to Visit Vietnam ? – Transport, Best Time, Priorities…
- How to Reserve : Trains, Buses and Flights in Vietnam ?
- How much does it Cost to Visit Vietnam? Common Prices
- How to get a Visa for Vietnam ?
- Where to Stay, What to Visit, How to Arrive to :
- How is the Internet in Vietnam ?
- Is it Safe to visit Vietnam?
- What to Pack for the trip to Vietnam ?
On Thailand :
- Bangkok – What to Visit, Where to Stay, Transport…
- The Islands in Thailand – Which one to choose, Where to stay, How to arrive ?
- Chiang Mai – What to Visit, Where to Stay, Transport…
- Pattaya city – What to Visit, Where to Stay, Transport…
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.
