Cat Ba is an island in Vietnam mostly famous for its jaw-droppingly beautiful landscape. Cat Ba island has so many things to offer – enigmatic Lan Ha bay with limestone curst, beaches and hiking to mountains. This is your ultimate travel guide for visiting Cat Ba Island.
During our trip to Mount Fansipan, we met a Canadian traveller at the base camp. We were sharing a room for the night, having the kind of conversation that two travellers always end up having. I asked him which place in Vietnam was his favourite. He didn’t pause.
“Cat Ba,” he said.
I had never heard of it.
That night I searched it on Google and kept dreaming about going. The next morning, fresh off two days on the mountain, I walked straight to the bus counter and asked about a bus from Sapa to Cat Ba. There was an overnight sleeper leaving that night. I bought two tickets without thinking twice.
I am glad I did not think twice. Cat Ba turned out to be one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in Vietnam, and there is a long list of things to do in Cat Ba Island that almost nobody talks about. This is the complete guide I wish I’d had before I went.
Cat Ba Island at a Glance
- 📍 Location: Gulf of Tonkin, northeast Vietnam, edge of Lan Ha Bay
- 🗺️ Size: Largest of 367 islands in the Cat Ba Archipelago
- 🛣️ From Hanoi: 160 km — 3 to 5 hours by bus and ferry
- 🛣️ From Sapa: 370 km — around 8 hours by overnight sleeper bus
- 🗓️ Recommended stay: 2 to 3 days
- ☀️ Best time to visit: October to November, March to April
- 🛵 Getting around: Motorbike rental — under USD $5 per day
- 🎟️ National park entry: ~80,000 VND · Cannon Fort ~50,000 VND
- 🌊 Headline experience: Lan Ha Bay — Halong Bay’s quieter, equally beautiful neighbour
Why Cat Ba Island Deserves Your Time
If you have seen one photograph of Vietnam, there is a good chance it was Halong Bay, those limestone karsts rising out of turquoise water like something from a dream. Cat Ba sits at the edge of the same UNESCO-listed limestone landscape, except the bay on its doorstep, Lan Ha Bay, offers nearly identical scenery with a fraction of the boat traffic and almost none of the crowds.
Cat Ba is the largest island in an archipelago of 367 islands, recognised by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve in 2004. Most of the island is protected as Cat Ba National Park: dense tropical rainforest, limestone peaks, and hiking trails that very few tourists ever use. The town itself remains, for now, genuine and unhurried. Locals still sell vegetables on the pavement. The roads curve along the coast with mountains on one side and jungle valley on the other.
There are far more things to do in Cat Ba Island than its quiet reputation suggests. This guide covers exactly how to get there, every activity worth your time, a two-day itinerary, where to eat, where to stay, and everything practical you need to plan the trip yourself.
💡 Short on time?
The single best thing to do on Cat Ba is a Lan Ha Bay cruise with kayaking. If you only book one activity before you arrive, make it this one: Lan Ha Bay Full Day Cruise & Kayak (small group guaranteed).
Lan Ha Bay vs Halong Bay: Why Choose Cat Ba?
This is the question most travellers researching this trip eventually ask, so let me answer it directly before we go further.
Halong Bay is the famous one, the postcard, the name everyone knows. Lan Ha Bay is its neighbour, sharing the exact same geology of limestone karsts rising from emerald water, but with far fewer boats, cleaner water, and a calmer, more pristine atmosphere. When I cruised Lan Ha Bay in December, there were only a handful of boats on the water all day. No litter. No noise beyond the engine and the wind.
| Cat Ba Island / Lan Ha Bay | Halong Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Scenery | Nearly identical limestone karst landscape | The original, most famous version |
| Crowds | Significantly fewer boats and tourists | Very crowded, especially peak season |
| Water cleanliness | Generally cleaner, less boat traffic | Increasing pollution concerns |
| Access | Slightly further from Hanoi | Closer to Hanoi, more direct |
| Cost | Generally better value | Often pricier for similar cruises |
| Atmosphere | Relaxed, backpacker-friendly | More commercial, package-tour heavy |
| Best for | Travellers who want the views without the crowds | Those who want the most famous version regardless |
If you want the postcard photograph everyone recognises, go to Halong Bay. If you want the same extraordinary limestone scenery with room to breathe, Cat Ba and Lan Ha Bay are the better choice. And if you want both, several cruises combine them: Cat Ba: Lan Ha and Halong Bay full day with biking, kayaking and lunch covers the two in a single trip.
How Many Days Do You Need on Cat Ba Island?
Two to three days is the sweet spot.
- One day: Cannon Fort, a coastal scooter ride, and the Ngu Lam Peak hike.
- Two days: Add a full day Lan Ha Bay cruise with kayaking and Monkey Island.
- Three days: Add Cat Ba National Park, Hospital Cave, the Cat Co beaches, or a bioluminescent night kayak.
The two-day itinerary at the bottom of this guide is the one I recommend for most travellers, and the one I followed myself.
How to Get to Cat Ba Island
From Hanoi: The most common route. A shared bus journey of 3 to 5 hours including a short ferry crossing, with hotel pickup available in central Hanoi.
Book the Hanoi to Cat Ba shared bus by Good Morning Cat Ba.
From Sapa: An overnight sleeper bus, taking around 8 hours. This is the route we took, and I recommend it. You save a night of accommodation, the flatbeds are genuinely comfortable, and you arrive in Cat Ba as the sun breaks through the morning cloud.
Book your bus from Sapa to Cat Ba Island.
💡 The overnight sleeper bus from Sapa was more comfortable than I expected. Flatbeds, a blanket provided since the bus is air conditioned, and smooth roads the whole way. Sapa is a mountain valley, Cat Ba is an island, and waking up to that complete change of landscape is a wonderful way to begin.
Finding a Hotel and Settling In
If you arrive without a booking, as we did, it is entirely manageable. Most travellers off the morning bus are backpackers doing exactly the same thing, walking into town and asking around. We checked one place that was full, were redirected to somewhere above our budget, and eventually found a newly built hotel with plenty of vacant rooms. We negotiated, agreed on ten dollars a night, and were shown to our room.
The view from that ten dollar room looked like it belonged to a hundred dollar one. Cat Ba does this often: modest prices, extraordinary views.
⚠️ If arriving without a booking makes you anxious, or you are visiting during peak season (October to November, or Vietnamese holidays), book ahead. The hotels listed further down this guide cover every budget.
Breakfast
I took a quick shower and went down to have my breakfast. I was so hungry, I could eat an entire elephant on a single go. As usual, Mert was happy with light food. I ordered egg with bread, spicy mushroom soup and mango juice. The soup came in a vast bowl! On a typical day, I need an entire day to eat such an enormous amount of meal. However, I could not but wait to start our journey and my soup disappeared quickly.
Getting Around Cat Ba Island
A motorbike is by far the best way to experience Cat Ba. As with most of Southeast Asia, rental shops are everywhere, usually right outside your hotel. We paid under USD $3 for the day, plus around USD $2.50 in fuel. For under seven dollars total, you get the freedom to explore the entire island at your own pace, and most of Cat Ba’s best moments happen when you stop spontaneously, which only a motorbike allows.
Taxis and the green electric buggies exist for shorter trips around town, but they limit your flexibility. For getting to Cannon Fort, the national park, and the coastal viewpoints, two wheels is the way.
⚠️ Never ride without travel insurance in Southeast Asia. I learned this the hard way after a bike accident in the Philippines. World Nomads is reliable and the policy I use every time I travel.
The Best Things to Do in Cat Ba Island
Watch the Sunset from Cannon Fort
We asked locals where to find the best panoramic view of the island. The answer was unanimous: Cannon Fort.
The ride up is steep enough that at one point I got off the bike and walked alongside it. We arrived around 10am and had the entire fort to ourselves. Cannon Fort sits 177 metres above sea level. It was built by the Japanese during the Second World War as a watch post, later seized by French colonial forces, and eventually reclaimed by Vietnamese soldiers who repaired the damaged cannons and used them to fire on retreating French ships.
The cannons are non-functional now, purely symbolic, and honestly the least interesting thing about the place. Your eyes go straight past them to the horizon, where dots of limestone islands rise out of Lan Ha Bay as far as you can see. A network of tunnels and bunkers runs through the fort, eerie to walk through, and one tunnel opens unexpectedly onto another panoramic sea view at its end.
- ⏱️ Time needed: 1 to 2 hours
- 💰 Entry: ~50,000 VND
- ☀️ Best time: I went in the morning and had it to myself, but locals swear sunset is even better. If your schedule allows, go for golden hour.
Cruise Lan Ha Bay (The One Thing You Cannot Miss)
If you have seen a single photograph of Vietnam, it was probably Halong Bay. Lan Ha Bay is the same landscape without the crowds, and cruising it is the highlight of any trip to Cat Ba.
Within half an hour of leaving the jetty, we had entered a different world entirely. Limestone pillars grew from the water in every direction, some appearing to float despite being firmly rooted to the seabed. The boat would round a bend with no visible space ahead and somehow find a passage into another hidden section of the bay. We did this again and again, never knowing what we would find around the next corner.
The water looked cold but irresistible. One brave passenger jumped in first. It was contagious, and soon half the boat had followed.
⏱️ Time needed: Full day
💰 Cost: USD $27 to $40 for a day cruise including kayaking and lunch
🎟️ Book it: Lan Ha Bay Full Day Cruise & Kayak, small group guaranteed or the combined Lan Ha and Halong Bay full day with biking, kayaking and lunch
Road trip in Cat Ba
From Cannon Fort, we rode bike randomly. It was worthwhile. Some roads in Vietnam are astoundingly beautiful. Among them, Cat Ba will be on top of my list. The Vietnamese built curvy roads keeping mountains on one side and lush valley to the other.
We were marching forward slowly. It was difficult to overlook the temptation of stopping to enjoy the surroundings. It was not always convenient to stop the bike, park it, and take photos with the helmet on. But we kept doing that.
Hike to Ngu Lam Peak in Cat Ba National Park
Cannon Fort in the morning, a coastal ride after, and we still wanted more. So we pointed the scooter toward Cat Ba National Park and decided to hike Ngu Lam Peak, the highest accessible viewpoint inside the park.
The trailhead begins gently, almost deceptively so. Paved paths wind through thick green vegetation, and within a few minutes the noise of the road behind you disappears completely, replaced by birdsong and the rustle of the canopy. We passed simple huts built from hay, tucked among banana trees, the kind of quiet, sun-dappled spot you want to linger in far longer than your itinerary allows. I kept stopping to take photographs of things that did not strictly need photographing, simply because the light through the leaves was so good.
Then the path changes character. The pavement gives way to uneven stone steps, and the steps give way to bare rock. The jungle thickens overhead, the air grows close and humid, and the climb turns into a genuine scramble in places, hands on boulders, picking your route up and over the limestone. It is never dangerous, but it is real effort, and by the halfway point my shirt was soaked through. This is the part of the hike the photographs never quite capture: the heat, the closeness of the forest, the feeling of climbing up through the inside of the mountain.
The hike to the summit takes a little over an hour at a steady pace. It is moderate rather than extreme, well within reach of most reasonably fit travellers, but do not let the gentle start fool you. The last stretch earns the view.
And what a view it is. The summit holds a multi-level metal observation tower, free to climb, that lifts you up above the tree line for a full 360-degree panorama. I had spent the whole trip picturing limestone karsts and bay views, and there were some of those in the distance. But what actually greeted us at the top was something I had not imagined at all: layer upon layer of jungle-covered hills rolling away to the horizon in every direction, fading from deep green to blue-grey haze in the far distance. No buildings. No roads. Just an endless sea of forest, the way this whole region must have looked for thousands of years.
We climbed to the very top platform of the tower and stood there for a long time, slowly turning, trying to take it all in. Every direction offered a different composition, a different fold of hills, a different play of cloud shadow across the canopy. It is the kind of view that makes you go quiet.
At the top we met two Israeli travellers who had bought a motorbike in Vietnam and had been riding it across the country for months, all their belongings strapped to the back. One of them pulled out a ukulele and began to play, the sound drifting out across the valley below, and the whole moment felt almost staged in its perfection, two strangers, a summit, a song carrying over the jungle. I remembered, standing there, exactly why solo and slow travel appeals to so many people. You cannot plan moments like that. You can only put yourself in the places where they happen.
We stayed at the summit far longer than we had intended, reluctant to start back down. Eventually the falling light made the decision for us.
- ⏱️ Time needed: Half a day including the ride out and back
- 🥾 Difficulty: Moderate, with a steep rocky scramble near the top
- 💰 Park entry: ~80,000 VND
- 📸 Worth knowing: Wander a little past the main observation tower and you will find quieter cliff edges with equally dramatic, completely uninterrupted views, and almost nobody else around
💡 Wear proper shoes with grip, carry more water than feels necessary, and start the hike no later than mid-afternoon so you have daylight for the climb back down. The rock gets slippery in the shaded sections, especially after rain.
⚠️ Wear long socks and bring bug spray, especially after rain. The jungle here has leeches, and while they are harmless, most people would rather not collect them on the way up.
If you would rather hike with a guide who knows the trails, or combine the national park with kayaking and a swim in the same day, Full day hike, cycle, kayak and swim in Cat Ba National Park bundles it all into one trip.
Explore the Island by Jeep and Discover Hospital Cave
If hiking is not your thing, a sunset jeep tour covers the national park, the caves, and the island’s wartime history without the climb. The most fascinating stop is Hospital Cave, a secret three-storey hospital and bomb shelter built directly into the limestone during the war, used to treat wounded Viet Cong soldiers and hide senior officials. It operated entirely concealed inside the mountain, with its own cinema, operating theatre, and reinforced blast doors. It is one of the most extraordinary historical sites in northern Vietnam, and a genuinely sobering place to stand inside.
I did not make it to Hospital Cave on my trip, which I regret, so put it on your list where I failed to.
- ⏱️ Time needed: Half a day
- 🎟️ Book it: Cat Ba Sunset Jeep Tour: National Park Trek and Cave Explore
Wander Cat Ba Town and the Local Market
Back in town with daylight left, we walked the streets without a plan. Local houses still line both sides, and a market sells fresh vegetables with vendors sitting directly on the ground, almost identical to how markets work back home in Bangladesh, which gave the moment an unexpected familiarity. Cat Ba town still feels genuine. Development is coming, as it always does, but for now locals still outnumber tourists on the street.
Dinner
We choose a cheap restaurant. They had a table placed on the street. Although we paid less, the food was no less inferior. We ate a lot of food. Rice was a pleasant change after a couple of days of breads and noodles.
Booking a trip for Lan Ha Bay
When we came back to the hotel, we booked our trip to Lan Ha Bay for the next day. It was the same day trip. You can opt out for multi-day’s trip where you will sleep in the bay for a night. That is more expensive.
The price for these trips are not fixed; we negotiated to put the price down. The trip will start early in the morning, so we called it a night.
Floating Fishing Village of Lan Ha Bay
We passed this fishing village and did not stop there. This is Cai Beo fishing village and a famous floating village in Vietnam. Everyone lives there by fishing or fish farming.
Kayak Through the Caves and Lagoons
Kayaking is usually included in the cruise package. The boat anchors, kayaks are handed out, and you set off in pairs. The water that looked perfectly calm from the deck felt considerably less calm from inside a kayak, which only made it more fun.
The highlight: paddling through a narrow cave opening barely wide enough for the kayak to fit. As we approached, it genuinely looked like we would get stuck. We had to duck our heads completely flat as the rock ceiling passed inches above us, the world going briefly black before opening back into daylight on the other side.
⏱️ Time needed: 1 to 2 hours, usually part of a cruise
🎟️ Book it: Most Lan Ha Bay full day cruises include kayaking through the Dark and Bright caves
Kayak with Bioluminescent Plankton After Dark
This is the one I missed, and the one I will go back for. On warm nights, the waters of Lan Ha Bay fill with bioluminescent plankton that light up electric blue with every movement. Sunset and night kayak tours take you out after dark to paddle through water that glows around your blade with each stroke. Travellers consistently describe it as one of the most magical experiences in northern Vietnam.
- ⏱️ Time needed: Evening, around 3 to 4 hours
- ☀️ Best season: Late spring through summer, on darker nights with less moonlight
- 🎟️ Book it: Cat Ba Sunset and Night Kayak with Bioluminescent Plankton
Visit Monkey Island
After kayaking, our cruise anchored at a secluded beach officially named Cat Dua Island, though everyone calls it Monkey Island for obvious reasons. The moment we arrived, we were greeted by exactly what the name promised.
I noticed people hiking a small hill at the edge of the beach and followed them. It was worth every drop of sweat. Several viewpoints line the trail, the highest offering a sweeping view of the beach below with an endless wall of limestone karsts behind it. Turn around at the top and an entirely different view waits on the other side.
⚠️ The monkeys on Monkey Island are bold and can be aggressive. They will snatch food, water bottles, sunglasses, and anything shiny straight out of your hands or bag. Keep everything zipped away, do not carry visible food, and do not try to feed or pet them. Wear proper shoes too: the viewpoint trail is steep and sharp underfoot.
🎟️ Confirm Monkey Island is included before booking your cruise, as not every itinerary stops here
⏱️ Time needed: 1 to 2 hours, usually part of a cruise
The End of our Cat Ba Trip
This beach was the last stop of our boat. We started going back to the island of Cat Ba and reached there at 3:15 PM. Later; we caught a bus to Hanoi at 4:30 PM, leaving a lot of memories behind.
I went there in December, and the weather was not great. It was misty. I did not get the best of the views. Saying so, what I saw was amazing. To me, Cat Ba is one of the most beautiful places in Vietnam if not the best. I hope it remains the same when I will visit it next time – untouched, calm and serene.
A Perfect 2-Day Cat Ba Island Itinerary
Day 1: Forts, Roads and Peaks
Morning — Ride up to Cannon Fort early to beat the crowds and the heat. Explore the tunnels and soak in the panoramic bay views.
Midday — Take a slow coastal road trip on your motorbike. Stop wherever the view calls. Grab lunch at a streetside restaurant in town.
Afternoon — Drive to Cat Ba National Park and hike Ngu Lam Peak. Reach the observation deck for the layered green-hills view.
Evening — Stroll Cat Ba town, visit the local market, and book your Lan Ha Bay cruise for tomorrow. For something unforgettable, head out on a bioluminescent plankton night kayak.
Day 2: Into Lan Ha Bay
All day — A full day Lan Ha Bay cruise: cruise through the limestone karsts, kayak through the caves, swim in the bay, visit a floating fishing village, and stop at Monkey Island. Most cruises return mid-afternoon, leaving time to catch an onward bus to Hanoi the same day if needed.
Got a third day? Add Hospital Cave and a deeper national park exploration by jeep tour, or simply relax on one of the Cat Co beaches near town.
💡 Want to stay on the water overnight? A two-day cruise lets you sleep in the middle of the bay, waking up surrounded by limestone karsts.
Options range from comfortable two-day Lan Ha Bay cruises with meals and activities to the five-star Lan Ha and Halong Bay cruise with private balcony.
Where to Eat in Cat Ba
The following restaurants are well worth seeking out:
- Quiri Pub Cocktail & Restaurant — relaxed atmosphere, good for an evening drink and decent food
- Casa Bonita — popular with travellers, reliable Western and Vietnamese options
- Oasis Bar 2 and Bungalow — good food paired with a laid-back bar setting
- Vietnamese’s Soul Food — authentic local dishes done well
- Thai Bao Restaurant — consistently good reviews from travellers passing through
For the cheapest and often most memorable meals, look for streetside restaurants with plastic tables set directly on the pavement. We chose one our first night, paid very little, and ate extremely well. Rice, after days of bread and noodles on the road, tasted like a small celebration.
Where to Stay in Cat Ba Island
Cat Ba has accommodation for every budget and travel style, from sociable backpacker hostels in the town to five-star resorts on private islands in Lan Ha Bay. Here is how to choose your base.
Quick guide to the areas:
- Cat Ba Town — the practical choice. Best for budget travellers, easy access to restaurants, tour operators, and the ferry. Where I stayed.
- Cat Co Beaches (1, 2 and 3) — a short ride from town, quieter, home to the island’s beach resorts.
- Private islands in Lan Ha Bay — the most scenic and exclusive option, reached by a short boat transfer. Wake up surrounded by limestone karsts.
Budget (Hostels & Guesthouses)
| Hotel | Why stay here | Book |
|---|---|---|
| Venus Hotel | Clean, cheap, central to town | Agoda.com |
| Catba Tropicana Homestay | Friendly local homestay experience | Agoda |
| Cat Ba Green Hotel | Reliable budget rooms close to the harbour | Trip.com |
Mid-Range (Comfort & Sea Views)
| Hotel | Why stay here | Book |
|---|---|---|
| Roza Palace Hotel | Central, modern, excellent value | Booking.com |
| The Moon Boutique Hotel | Stylish boutique rooms with a bay-view rooftop | Trip.com |
| Hung Long Harbour Hotel | Stunning sea views, easy access to town | Booking.com |
| Catba Sunrise Resort | Beachfront pool and ocean-view rooms near Cat Co | Agoda.com |
Luxury (Resorts & Beachfront)
| Hotel | Why stay here | Book |
|---|---|---|
| Flamingo Cat Ba Resort | Five-star, infinity pools, Japanese hot spring, on Cat Co Beach | Booking.com |
| Cat Ba Sandy Beach Resort | Tranquil bungalows on Nam Cat Island in Lan Ha Bay | Agoda |
Something Different
| Stay | Why it’s special | Book |
|---|---|---|
| The Whisper of Nature Bungalow | Eco bungalows set amid rice paddies and limestone karsts | Agoda.come |
| Monkey Island Resort | Glamping-style safari tents and bungalows on a private island | Agoda.com |
| Cat Ba Eco Lodge | Rustic lodge close to the national park, great for nature lovers | Agoda |
💡 If you want the most memorable stay on the island, skip the town entirely and book a bungalow on one of the private Lan Ha Bay islands like Nam Cat. You trade convenience for waking up to limestone karsts rising straight out of the water outside your window. For a first visit, though, Cat Ba Town keeps you close to the tours, food, and transport, which is why I stayed there.
Best Time to Visit Cat Ba Island
- October to November (autumn): The best overall window. Clear skies, comfortable temperatures, calm seas for cruising.
- March to April (spring): The second best window. Mild and dry before the summer heat arrives.
- May to September (summer): Hot and humid with a chance of rain and occasional storms, but the low season brings the best prices and the warmest water, ideal for swimming and bioluminescent kayaking.
- December to February (winter): Cool and often misty. I visited in December and the haze softened the views, but it was still beautiful, and far quieter.
Practical Tips for Visiting Cat Ba Island
- Bring cash. Cat Ba has ATMs but they can be unreliable. Carry enough Vietnamese dong for tours, food, and your motorbike rental.
- Negotiate tour prices if booking locally, as walk-in prices are flexible. Booking online in advance often locks in a better rate and guarantees your spot in peak season.
- Confirm what your cruise includes before booking: Monkey Island, kayaking, lunch, and hotel pickup vary between operators.
- Pack proper shoes for the national park and Monkey Island, plus bug spray for the leeches.
- Don’t skip travel insurance. Between the motorbike, the kayaking, and the hiking, Cat Ba is exactly the kind of trip where it matters.
Booking Your Cat Ba Island Trip
- 🚌 Bus from Hanoi to Cat Ba Island (Good Morning Cat Ba)
- 🚌 Bus from Sapa to Cat Ba Island
- ⛵ Lan Ha Bay full day cruise & kayak (small group)
- 🚲 Lan Ha & Halong Bay full day: biking, kayaking, lunch
- 🌌 Sunset & night kayak with bioluminescent plankton
- 🥾 Full day hike, cycle, kayak & swim in Cat Ba National Park
- 🚙 Cat Ba sunset jeep tour: national park trek & cave explore
- 🛳️ Hanoi: 2 day Lan Ha Bay cruise with meals & activities
- ✨ Hanoi: 2 day Lan Ha & Halong Bay 5-star cruise with balcony
- 🏨 Hotels on Agoda or Booking.com
- 🛡️ Travel insurance via World Nomads
Cat Ba Island FAQs
How do you get to Cat Ba Island?
From Hanoi, a shared bus including a short ferry crossing takes 3 to 5 hours. From Sapa, an overnight sleeper bus takes around 8 hours and is a comfortable, budget-friendly way to combine the journey with a night’s accommodation.
How many days do you need in Cat Ba Island?
Two to three days is ideal. Day one covers Cannon Fort, a scooter ride, and the Ngu Lam Peak hike. Day two covers the Lan Ha Bay cruise with kayaking and Monkey Island. A third day allows time for Hospital Cave, the national park, or the beaches.
Is Cat Ba Island better than Halong Bay?
For travellers who want the same dramatic limestone scenery without the crowds and boat traffic, Cat Ba and Lan Ha Bay are widely considered the better choice. Halong Bay remains the more famous and more commercially developed option.
How much does a Lan Ha Bay cruise cost?
A day cruise typically costs USD $27 to $40 per person including kayaking, swimming, and lunch. Overnight cruises range from roughly USD $140 to $280 for one night, and USD $270 to $500 for two nights.
What is the entrance fee for Cat Ba National Park?
Approximately 80,000 VND (USD $3 to $4) per adult. Cannon Fort has a separate entry of around 50,000 VND.
Can you see bioluminescent plankton in Lan Ha Bay?
Yes. Sunset and night kayak tours take you into the bay after dark, where the plankton glow electric blue around your paddle. It is best from late spring through summer on darker nights.
What is the best time to visit Cat Ba Island?
October to November and March to April offer the clearest skies and most comfortable temperatures. Summer is hot but has the warmest water and best bioluminescence. December to February is cool and misty but quiet.
Can you rent a motorbike on Cat Ba Island?
Yes, widely and cheaply, typically under USD $5 per day plus fuel. It is the best way to explore the island independently.
One Last Thing
I think about that Canadian traveller at the Fansipan base camp more often than I expected to. One offhand answer to one ordinary question sent us on an overnight bus to an island we knew almost nothing about, and it turned into one of the best parts of our entire trip to Vietnam.
That is, in some ways, the whole case for Cat Ba. It does not announce itself the way Halong Bay does. It does not appear on every postcard rack in Hanoi. You mostly hear about it the way I did, from another traveller, in passing, almost as an afterthought. And then you go, and you understand immediately why they brought it up.
Stand at Cannon Fort in the early morning with the bay stretched out below you. Kayak through a cave barely wide enough for your boat. Climb to the top of Monkey Island and try to decide which view to look at first. None of it asks to be remembered. All of it will be.
If a stranger ever tells you their favourite place in Vietnam is somewhere you have never heard of, write it down. Then go.
📌 This post contains affiliate links. If you book through them, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions and photographs are my own from a personal visit to Cat Ba Island.
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Vietnam is such a wonderful country, you can spend couple of weeks in Vietnam easily without getting bored. The natural destinations after your trip to Cat Ba Island, is Sa Pa or Hanoi.
Every guide on A Walk in the World is written to help you have the best possible trip. I only recommend hotels, tours, and experiences I'd genuinely choose myself, and I don't accept payments or sponsorships from operators in exchange for positive coverage. Some of the booking links on this site are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you book through them, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for trusting my guides and supporting the blog!
Wow..its like i was with u.. Simple and enjoyable writing..may Allah permit me to savour such beautiful place..
Thanks a lot 🙂 . If you like the blog, kindly share with more people who would love to read travel stories. Take care.
Great post! Reading this brings back memories. We visited Cat Ba while on our cruise around Ha Long Bay and loved it. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you, Matt!
This place looks very charming. I never heard of but I never travel to Vietnam, so it’s normal. It’s the picture that attracted me to read your post and it’s was like being with you. Thanks for sharing!