Halong City - Halong Bay, Vietnam – How to Arrive ? Where to Stay ? What to Visit ? Page 1

Note : You are on Page 1 – Halong City- Useful Info.
Start with Page – Halong Bay Info.

Halong City – Maps – Orientation

Map 1 : Distance from Hanoi to Halong Bay area

Map 2 : Halong City – The Zone

Map 3 : Halong City – Main Points

Map 4 : Interactive Map : Tourist attractions + Transport

Points in Red : Transport
Points in Blue : Tourist Attractions

Map 5 : Halong Bay Transport

How is Halong City ?

Halong city is very big in terms of area. The city has 2 parts and a huge bridge between the 2 parts (see the Maps above). It is almost like 2 different big cities because of this separation.

The left part (if you look from the sea) is more central. It has more hotels + a promenade for tourists, beside the sea.

But it is on the right part that there is an amazing view over the sea (with the famous rocks in water) + an interesting fish market + an interesting museum.

On both sides, there is a part of the amusement park of Sun World. The “big wheel” is on the right side.

and the cable car of Sun World runs between the 2 city parts.

There are not a lot of tourists in this city, except groups of Chinese who stay mainly on the left part. The reason that there are no tourists is because usually people are arriving to the Halong Bay area only for a short organized cruise and then returning to Hanoi.

On the following photo is the left part of the city. As you can see, there are no “mountain-rocks” in the water as there are on the right side.

Is it worth to visit Halong City ?

Yes. The view over the sea from the promenade is like from a cruise ship, simply amazing (especially the promenade on the right side of the city). The fishing activity is also interesting and the museum “Quảng Ninh” is one of the best in Vietnam (see details on the Page : What to Visit in Halong City). Of course that you need time to arrive here from Cat-Ba island or Haiphong city (see how) and also moving in town necessitates a Taxi.

Some tourists are saying that Halong City is a “ghost city” (because there are almost no tourists). But, being in a city without tourists is also an interesting experience.

The food in Halong City is a weak point (if you like authentic western food or if you are vegetarian). There are no western owners of restaurants. See the section What to eat in Halong City. On the other hand, if you like sea food, you will be OK here.

Halong City can be a good place to relax for 2 days, if you have time. I recommend to stay in a hotel on the right side. See the page : Where to Stay- The Potential zones.

How to Arrive to Halong City ?

From Cat-Ba island to Halong City : The Cat-Ba page.
From Hai Phong City to Halong City : The Hai Phong page.
From Hanoi (or other places) : How to arrive to the region of Halong Bay.
To get out from Halong City, keep reading :

From Halong City, out :

The way to go out from Halong City is with a bus or a minibus (some call the minibus a limousine). There is not an airport and no trains in Halong City.
The common destinations from Halong City are : Hanoi, Cat-Ba island, Hai Phong and Ninh Binh. There are also tickets to Sapa and Ha-Giang, but it is via Hanoi.

Ask your hotel in Halong City. They have some contacts and they can organize you a place in a minivan to many destinations. A minivan will take you door to door (that’s how I travelled from Halong City to Hai Phong).

Unlike very touristic places in Vietnam, in which you can find a travel office in every corner of the street, in Halong City, it is your hotel that is the best place to get a seat on a minivan to many destinations.

The Central Bus Station of Halong City

The main bus station is located on the left side of the city. It is called “Ben xe khach Bai Chay”. See location on Google Maps. There are buses to Hanoi and other destinations from this central bus station. In my opinion, it is easier to use a minivan organized by your hotel, than to use the central station.

You can also buy your ticket online with 12Go Asia.

You can also use a Taxi (or Smartphone App-Taxi), if your destination is relatively close.

From Halong City to Cat Ba island

You need to use a bus (or minibus) + a ferry boat. There are 2 possible trajectories. I describe this trajectories on the Cat Ba page. I recommend the trajectory via the Halong city port + the north port of Cat Ba island, because the waters are nice.

The easy way is to buy a bus ticket (or a minibus ticket) that will take you from Halong City (even from your hotel) to the town in the south of Cat Ba island. A bus ticket that includes the boat ferry.

Ask your hotel for a bus ticket.

You can also buy your ticket online with 12Go Asia.

Do it yourself (to Cat-Ba island)

Step 1 : You take a Taxi from your hotel in Halong City to the port in Halong City. Note that the port is located 15 Km from the center of Halong City.
Step 2 : You take a boat ferry to the north port of Cat Ba island (1 hour sail). Note that there are only a few boats per day, on this trajectory.
Step 3: Taxi (or the local bus) from the north port of Cat Ba the town in the south of the island (half hour).

From Halong City to the Airport of Hai Phong city

The airport in Hai Phong city is mainly a domestic one. There are flights to Saigon and other destinations in Vietnam. If there are no flights to your destination, then use the Hanoi airport. The airport of Hai Phong is close to the city center. See details on the Hai Phong page.

From Halong City to the Train Station of Hai Phong city

You will probably not use this train station because the trains are only going to Hanoi and they are slow. It is easier to use a bus to Hanoi. You may want to use the train to Hanoi for the experience. See details on the Hai Phong page.

Where to Stay in Halong City ? – The Potential Zones – Hotels

See this on the page : The Potential zones to stay + Some Hotels.

How to Move inside Halong City ?

Not that easy, the distances are big and you need a Taxi.
The bridge that separates the 2 parts of the city is huge. I crossed the bridge on foot, but I was the only one and it was not that fun because there were motorbikes passing beside me all the time (who should be on this lane ? pedestrians or motorbikes ? )

Anyway, it took me about an hour to cross this bridge because the bridge is high and you need to find the roads that lead to it.

By Foot

Your hotel will either be on the left side or on the right side of the city. You can walk in your close environment. Walking is not an option for moving between the two sides of the city (I did it only once by walking on the huge bridge).

By Taxi (or App Taxi)

This is the way to move in Halong city (especially when you need to move to the other side of the bridge.

The Smartphone Application Grab is functioning well for cars but less for motorbikes (when there are not enough tourists, there are not enough drivers). Also the Smartphone Application “Xanh SM” functions.

By Bus

Not practical inside Halong City. There are buses on the main road going to the direction of Hai-Phong city.

Rent a Motorbike

Renting a Motorbike in Halong City is less common than in Cat Ba island (for example). There are not a lot of tourists here and there are not a lot of shops specializing in motorbike rentals. You can ask your hotel and they will bring you a motorbike from a shop that they know (it will probably be an old motorbike).

You may want to use a motorbike in order to explore the beaches out of the center (on both sides of Halong City), otherwise, you don’t need one, you can use taxis.
The road traffic is relatively calm in Halong city, drivers are not in rush like in Saigon and Hanoi.

With the Cable Car

The cable car (belonging to the amusement park Sun World) is moving between the 2 parts of the city and the view is great. Unfortunately, if you want to use the cable car you need to buy a full ticket for the amusement park. It is cheaper to use a Taxi.

The Touristic Bus

There is a touristic bus (Hop-on, Hop-off) also in Halong City. The main stop is in front of the cable car station, on the left part of the city.

The bus connects the 2 parts of the city. The itinerary includes a stop in front of the “Quảng Ninh” museum on the right part of the city.

How is the Climate in Halong City ?

See this on the Halong Bay page : What is the climate in Halong Bay.

What to Eat in Halong City ?

For me, being a vegetarian who prefers western cuisine, Halong City is one of the worst places in Vietnam regarding the culinary experience. There are no foreign owners of restaurants. There is not an Italian guy who decided to settle down in this particular city.
If you are not vegetarian, you can eat in Halong City stuff of this kind :

There is a lot of fishing activity in this town and there is no lack of fish in the restaurants.
The best restaurants with vegetarian and western food that I found are located on the right side of the city. Here are some :

Pizzeria Deja Vu – Pizzeria Goong Ha Long

See location on Google Maps. They belong to an Hotel. They are located in the modern residential neighborhood that I have mentioned on the page : Where to Stay in Halong City.

The restaurant is very pleasant.

They can make good pizzas. The dough of the pizza is very good. The ingredients on the pizza are another story. They are too little in quantity (at least for the vegetarians versions). I received a “4 cheese pizza” with only traces of cheese (a common problem in Asia). The Pizza Margherita was good.

They have also a Falafel salad.

Indian restaurant : Francesca Indian

See location on Google Maps. They are located on the right side of the city, near the Vincom mall.
The food here is very good and Indian food is excellent for vegetarians.

Bakery Miam’s

See location on Google Maps. They are located on the right side of the city, near the modern residential neighborhood.

Halong City is very weak regarding good bread and this place is like an oasis in the desert. I came here for a croissant in the mornings. There is a second floor in the bakery where you can sit with a coffee and watch the traffic. Note also the Café Miam.

Veg restaurant – Loving Hut Am Thuc

See location on Google Maps. They are located on the right side of the city, at a walking distance from the Vincom mall.

They are a chain in Vietnam. The dishes are quite simple. Vietnamese cuisine.

Vincom Mall – The floor with restaurants

See location on Google Maps. Located on the right side of the city.

The top floor of the mall is dedicated to restaurants. The options for vegetarians are not great but there are some classic dishes in a vegetarian version. There is also a big supermarket on another floor.

Where to go out at Night in Halong City ?

Halong City has 2 parts connected with a huge bridge and the nightlife is different in each one (see about the 2 sides on the city in the introduction section).

The left side of the city is more animated than the right side. There are little restaurants on a promenade, with music from some bars. But, there are months in which there are almost no tourists in Halong City and the left side is very quiet (I prefer to stay on the right part of the city, see the page : Where to stay in Halong City).

On the left side of the city :

Except walking on the sea promenade, a possible occupation for the evening is : The Sun World entertainment park. It closes around 22:00. Among the attractions is the cable car with wonderful view over the sea.

You can also approach the illuminated bridge, buy a beer and dream about all the people who are living on the other side.

On the right side of the city :

You will not go dancing here but you can sit in a pleasant café (with beautiful view in some cases).

1. Cafés in front of the sea

There are some cafés in front of the sea, on the promenade, with view over the “rock-mountains” . My favorite café is Bayside Café. They have Cappuccino and they have sophisticated cold teas. The most important is the view.

2. Cafés in the modern residential neighborhood

A pleasant zone for the evening. There are several cafés and restaurants.

Among the cafés is Miam Signature Café. They belong to the Miam bakery mentioned before. So, some of the cakes from the bakery are arriving here. This place is very chic and they have sophisticated drinks.

Another café is Cong Café. They are a chain in Vietnam. The decor is vintage.

3. Cafés in front of the huge bridge

The view here is over the sea separating the 2 parts of the city.

Among the cafés is Coffee Gio.

4. Vincom mall

See location on Google Maps. They are open in the evening so you can spend some time here, for example on a massage chair.

Now Continue :

Continue to Page 2 – Where to Stay in Halong city ?
Continue to Page 3 – What to Visit in Halong city ?

Or, Continue to :

On Thailand :

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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.

Note : You are on Page 1 – Halong City- Useful Info. Start with Page – Halong Bay Info.