The simplest way from Hanoi to Cat Ba is a through ticket that combines a bus from the Old Quarter with the ferry to the island. It takes about 3.5 to 4 hours and drops you in Cat Ba town, and you never have to buy a ferry ticket yourself. The train to Hai Phong plus a catamaran is slower but avoids most of the road. A private car saves a little time for a group, as long as the ferry queue cooperates.
How we built this guide: on 3 October 2026 we checked bus and ferry listings on Baolau for Friday 9 October 2026 and on 12Go for Wednesday 14 October, Vietnam Railways' official timetable for 14 October, Cat Ba Express's own site, ferry guides from Local Vietnam (updated July 2026) and Vietnam Coracle, and Hai Phong press reports on the cable car and car restrictions. We did not make the trip for this guide. Prices are in Vietnamese dong (VND) with US dollar estimates at Vietcombank's selling rate of 26,170 VND per dollar on 3 October 2026. Where a site showed dollars, the VND figure is our conversion.
Which way from Hanoi to Cat Ba suits you?
Take a bus and ferry ticket unless you love trains or travel as a group. Our Cat Ba and Lan Ha Bay guide covers what to do once you arrive.
| Mode | Time, Hanoi to Cat Ba town | Price seen on 3 Oct 2026 | Comfort and hassle | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus and ferry through ticket | About 3.5 to 4 hours | 300,000 to 450,000 VND (about $11.50 to $17) on Baolau | Old Quarter pickup; ferry included | Most travelers |
| Limousine van and ferry | About 3.5 hours | $16 (about 419,000 VND) on 12Go | Fewer passengers, reclining seats | More comfort |
| Train to Hai Phong, then catamaran | About 4.5 to 6.5 hours, depending on the boat | 124,000 to 154,000 VND by train plus 170,000 VND by boat | Two tickets and a taxi between them | Avoiding the road |
| Private car and ferry | About 2 to 3.5 hours | From $65 (about 1.7 million VND) per car on 12Go | Door to door; ferry queues | Groups, families |
| Via Ha Long and the Gia Luan ferry | Half a day or more | 60,000 VND for a foot passenger on the ferry | Few sailings, scenic | Combining with Ha Long Bay |
How do the bus and ferry tickets work?
You book one ticket, and the company handles the ferry. The bus runs east to Hai Phong, crosses the 5.4 km Tan Vu to Lach Huyen sea bridge, opened in 2017, to Cat Hai island (North Vietnam), then hands you to a ferry, speedboat or cable car for the short hop to Cat Ba. A vehicle on the other side takes you to town.
On Baolau for 9 October 2026, Good Morning Cat Ba coaches left Hoan Kiem at 07:30, 10:30, 12:30 and 14:00 for 300,000 VND, with 08:00 and 11:00 departures at 400,000 VND, all timed at 3 hours 30 minutes. Daily Limousine left at 07:30, 11:00 and 14:30 for 420,000 to 450,000 VND, timed at 4 hours. Baolau asks you to arrive 60 minutes before departure.
12Go listed 330 options for 14 October 2026. Examples:
- Good Morning Cat Ba: bus and ferry from 128 Tran Nhat Duat at 08:00, 10:30 and 12:30, 3 hours, $11 (about 288,000 VND).
- Daiichi Travel: bus and speedboat from 172 Tran Quang Khai at 08:00, 10:45 and 15:30, 3 hours 30 minutes, 265,000 VND, arriving on Mot Thang Tu street in Cat Ba town.
- Van and ferry: departures at 07:30, 10:30 and 14:30, 3 hours 30 minutes, $16.
Cat Ba Express lists its own departures from Hanoi at 06:00, 07:45, 10:45 and 14:00, from $13, and recent 12Go reviews name its bus and speedboat and bus and cable car classes.
The Dong Bai to Cai Vieng ferry
This is the crossing most buses and every car use. The public ferry moved to a newer terminal at Dong Bai on Cat Hai island in March 2024, and the crossing to Cai Vieng on Cat Ba takes about 20 minutes, per Local Vietnam's July 2026 guide. Boats run roughly every 30 minutes, from about 5:30 to 18:00 in the low season and 5:00 to 19:30 in the high season. Local Vietnam lists 12,000 to 14,000 VND for a foot passenger and 194,000 VND for a car under nine seats; Mia.vn gives 10,000 and 190,000 VND. Cai Vieng is 22 to 25 km from Cat Ba town.
The cable car alternative
Sun Group's Cat Hai to Phu Long cable car spans nearly 4 km and takes 10 to 15 minutes. Since April 2026 it runs every day, with six departures each way at 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, 13:30, 14:30 and 15:30, for 70,000 VND per trip, per Bao Hai Phong. Children under 1 m ride free. Like the ferry, it drops you outside town.
Can you take the train?
Yes, to Hai Phong, and then a catamaran to Cat Ba town. Vietnam Railways' timetable for 14 October 2026 shows four trains over the 102 km line:
| Train | Leaves Hanoi | Arrives Hai Phong | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| HP1 | 06:00 | 08:25 | 2 hours 25 minutes |
| LP3 | 09:25 | 12:00 | 2 hours 35 minutes |
| LP5 | 15:15 | 18:00 | 2 hours 45 minutes |
| LP7 | 18:10 | 20:55 | 2 hours 45 minutes |
LP3 also calls at Long Bien and Gia Lam, and its soft seats cost 124,000 to 154,000 VND (about $4.70 to $5.90).
Catamarans to Cat Ba leave from Ben Binh pier in Hai Phong city. On Baolau for 9 October 2026 they sailed at 06:00, 07:40, 09:00, 12:10, 14:10 and 15:50, taking 1 hour 30 minutes for 170,000 VND (about $6.50) and arriving on Mot Thang Tu street in town. From HP1 the 09:00 boat is tight (about 4 hours 30 minutes in all if you make it), so treat the 12:10 as your plan; LP3 connects with the 14:10, reaching Cat Ba at about 15:40. Take a taxi from the station to the pier, and arrive 30 minutes before sailing.
What about a private car?
A car follows the same road and bridge, then queues for the Dong Bai ferry. On 12Go for 14 October 2026, private cars started at about $65 to $66 for a three-seat car (3 hours to 3 hours 30 minutes, some from Noi Bai airport), Daiichi Travel's private car with ferry was $87 for up to five people, and a Good Morning Cat Ba SUV for four was $130, timed at 2 hours.
Watch out: In 2026 Hai Phong's construction department stopped cars and trucks boarding the Dong Bai ferry toward Cat Ba from 9:00 to 13:00 on 25 April to 3 May and on weekends from 9 May to 30 September, under notice 292/TB-SXD (LSVN). It suggested the cable car, fast boats and buses instead. Expect similar rules next summer.
Can you come via Ha Long Bay instead?
Yes, if you are already in Ha Long or want to see it on the way. A vehicle ferry runs from Tuan Chau, near Ha Long city, to Gia Luan at the north end of Cat Ba, about 22 km from town. Vietnam Coracle's June 2024 timetable shows three sailings a day from Tuan Chau in the low season (6 September to 24 April), at 08:00, 12:00 and 15:00, and five from 25 April to 5 September. Fares were 60,000 VND on foot, 80,000 VND with a motorbike and 300,000 VND for a car, for a crossing of about an hour. Local Vietnam's July 2026 guide adds that the boat may wait for about 30 passengers and that a minibus into town costs 50,000 VND.
Baolau also listed a Tuan Chau Express boat from Ha Long International Cruise Port to Cat Ba at 300,000 VND, timed at 1 hour, for 9 October 2026 (Baolau). To reach Ha Long first, see Hanoi to Ha Long Bay.
Where do you arrive in Cat Ba?
Through buses finish at company offices in Cat Ba town; Baolau's and 12Go's listings end on Mot Thang Tu (1/4) street or at operators' offices. If you arrive at a pier on your own, a taxi from the ferry to town costs about 350,000 to 450,000 VND, per Sun Paradise Land, Sun Group's Cat Ba site. Ask whether your ticket includes drop-off at your hotel, or at the pier for your Lan Ha Bay boat.
Tip: Local Vietnam warns of vehicle queues at the Dong Bai ferry on weekends and holidays, when cars can miss sailings. Travel early in the morning, or midweek, and book the return when you book the outbound trip.
When is the best time to go?
October and November bring calmer weather and smaller crowds; June to October is storm season. When Typhoon Kajiki approached in August 2025, Hai Phong halted all tourism, including the Dong Bai to Cai Vieng ferry and the cable car, VTV reported. Around Lunar New Year, buses and trains fill early; see our Tet 2027 guide.
Going the other way: Cat Ba to Hanoi
The same companies run back the same way. Cat Ba Express lists returns from Cat Ba at 09:30, 12:30, 15:30 and 17:00. Trains leave Hai Phong for Hanoi at 06:05 (LP2), 09:10 (LP6), 15:00 (LP8) and 18:40 (HP2), taking 2 hours 35 minutes to 2 hours 44 minutes, per Vietnam Railways' return timetable for 14 October 2026. If you fly out the same day, leave a wide margin for the ferry. For more trips from the capital, see Starting from Hanoi and our guide to getting around Vietnam.
Key facts at a glance
- Bus and ferry tickets from Hoan Kiem: 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours, 300,000 to 450,000 VND, per Baolau for 9 October 2026.
- Hanoi to Hai Phong by train: 2 hours 25 minutes on HP1 at 06:00, per Vietnam Railways.
- Ben Binh to Cat Ba catamaran: 1 hour 30 minutes, 170,000 VND, six sailings, per Baolau.
- Dong Bai to Cai Vieng ferry: about 20 minutes, roughly every 30 minutes, per Local Vietnam.
- Cat Hai to Phu Long cable car: six trips a day, 70,000 VND, per Bao Hai Phong.
Limitations
These are listings seen on 3 October 2026 for trips on 9 and 14 October, and they change by date and season. Ferry fares differ slightly between sources, and the Tuan Chau timetable comes from a June 2024 guide, so confirm it locally. We could not confirm which crossing each bus company uses on a given day; some switch between the ferry, speedboats and the cable car. Car restrictions are set each year by notice. Storms can stop every crossing at short notice from June to October, so check the forecast and your operator's weather policy before you go.
