Cat Ba Island is the place to see Lan Ha Bay properly, and two nights in Cat Ba town is the trip that works. You get a full day on the water among the same limestone islands that made Ha Long famous, for about half Ha Long's day fee, plus a national park and beaches on land. The catch in 2026 is kayaking: it has been officially suspended on the archipelago's bays since November 2024, so the paddling that sells most Lan Ha tours may not happen.
How we built this guide: on 3 October 2026 we read Hai Phong's 2026 fee announcement as reported by Bao Hai Phong and DTiNews, the Ha Long Bay management board's fee page, Vietnamese press reports and two cruise operators' notices on the kayak suspension, 2025 and 2026 reports on storms and boat safety, WMO climate normals for Hai Phong, and transport listings on Baolau and Local Vietnam. Tour and rental prices come from operators' own pages. We did not visit for this update.
How do Cat Ba and Lan Ha Bay fit together?
Cat Ba is the big island, and Lan Ha Bay is the sea of small karst islands just south of it, as vietnam.travel describes it. Wikipedia puts Cat Ba at 262 km², the largest of roughly 366 islands in its archipelago, with about 18,900 residents in 2021. It belongs to Hai Phong city, in what is now the Cat Hai special zone, which is why Lan Ha Bay has Hai Phong's fees and rules rather than Quang Ninh's.
The archipelago was named a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2004 and joined Ha Long Bay in a shared World Heritage Site in 2023. Ha Long Bay lies to the north, so the two bays are neighbors with different managers, not different landscapes.
Should you choose Lan Ha Bay or Ha Long Bay?
Choose Lan Ha Bay if you want a cheaper, slower trip with nights on land and beaches nearby, and Ha Long Bay if you want the famous caves, a shorter transfer from Hanoi and kayaking that is currently allowed. The scenery is the same kind of karst seascape.
| Lan Ha Bay | Ha Long Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Managed by | Hai Phong (Cat Hai special zone) | Quang Ninh (Ha Long Bay Management Department) |
| Day fee per adult | 120,000 VND | 200,000 to 250,000 VND on routes VHL1 to VHL5 |
| One night aboard | 400,000 VND | 500,000 to 550,000 VND |
| Two nights aboard | 600,000 VND | 650,000 to 750,000 VND |
| Kayaking | Suspended since 15 November 2024 | Listed at Luon Cave on route 2 |
| Usual base | Cat Ba town | Bai Chay or Tuan Chau |
| From Hanoi | About 3.5 to 4 hours by bus and ferry | About 2 to 3 hours by road |
Lan Ha fees are from Bao Hai Phong (from 1 January 2026) and Ha Long fees from the management board (updated 31 March 2025), whose route 2 page still offers kayaking or rowing boats at Luon Cave. Travel times are from our Hanoi to Cat Ba and Hanoi to Ha Long Bay guides.
Some Ha Long cruises now dip into Lan Ha Bay. Quang Ninh's route VHL6, added on 1 May 2025, ends at Cap Bai islet next to Gia Luan at the edge of Lan Ha Bay, per Resolution 51/2025, at 150,000 VND per person per day. For the Ha Long side in full, see our Ha Long Bay guide.
What are the boat rules and fees in Lan Ha Bay?
You visit Lan Ha Bay on a licensed boat, and the fee depends on how many nights you spend aboard. From 1 January 2026, Bao Hai Phong reported, Hai Phong charges:
- Day visit: 120,000 VND per adult, 60,000 VND per child aged six and over.
- Overnight: 400,000 VND for one night, 600,000 VND for two and 650,000 VND for three (children 300,000, 500,000 and 550,000 VND).
- Free: children under six. Some groups, including elderly visitors, get 50 percent off.
Most day tours and cruises bundle the fee, so check before you compare prices.
Safety rules tightened in June 2026. On 14 June two passenger boats collided in the Van Boi area of Lan Ha Bay; one sank and a passenger died, LSVN reported. Hai Phong ordered a review of the wooden tender boats that ferry passengers around the bay. Inspectors now require every passenger to wear a life jacket from boarding to the end of the trip, according to Tien Phong. If your crew does not hand you one, ask.
Can you still kayak in Lan Ha Bay?
Not officially. Cat Hai's authorities halted kayak services on all the archipelago's bays from 15 November 2024, saying they had grown up informally without meeting legal requirements, Tuoi Tre reported. Bao Hai Phong added that one trigger was two foreign visitors who paddled to an island and could not be reached for hours. The plan was to license water sports in three zones, Cua Cai to Minh Tu, Van Ta and Ba Dinh.
The suspension did not end quickly. Amanda Cruise told passengers in November 2025 that notification 483/TB-UBND from the Cat Hai special zone kept it in place, and Indochina Sails said it was still in effect on 1 February 2026, replacing kayaks with rowed bamboo boats at the Dark and Bright Cave. We found no official notice lifting it by 3 October 2026.
Watch out: Some tour pages, such as Good Morning Cat Ba's March 2026 listing, still include kayaks. Ask in writing whether kayaking will actually happen, and do not rent a kayak on your own.
What is there to do in Cat Ba National Park?
Hike. The park covers much of the island's interior, and its trails are the best reason to spend a day on land. Founded on 31 March 1986, it spans about 173 km² of land and 90 km² of inshore water, mostly limestone hills up to about 500 m, per Wikipedia.
Bao Van Hoa describes five main routes. The popular one climbs through Kim Giao forest to Ngu Lam peak; others reach Trung Trang cave or run about 4 km each way between Viet Hai village and Ao Ech. Bao Hai Phong lists park entry at 160,000 VND per adult from 2026, with internal routes at 80,000 to 120,000 VND.
The park's famous resident is the golden-headed Cat Ba langur. Just over 80 remain, down about 98 percent since the 1960s, and they live on cliffs 100 to 150 m above sea level, DTiNews reported in January 2025. Tourists rarely see them, so treat a sighting as luck rather than a plan.
Which beaches and viewpoints are worth your time?
The town beaches are the easy win, and a Lan Ha boat day adds island beaches. Cat Co 1, 2 and 3 are sandy beaches within walking distance of Cat Ba town, per Wikipedia. Day tours such as Good Morning Cat Ba's stop to swim at Ba Trai Dao beach in Lan Ha Bay.
Cannon Fort and Hospital Cave
Cannon Fort sits 177 m up a hill above town, with bunkers and wide views, according to Wikipedia. Hospital Cave served as a secret military facility until 1975. Both charge small entrance fees, but we could not confirm 2026 prices from an official source.
Cai Beo and Viet Hai
Cai Beo, about 2 km from town, is a floating village with shrimp and pearl farms, per Wikipedia, and most Lan Ha boats pass it. Vietnam's tourism board calls the fishing village more than 7,000 years old and suggests cruises to Viet Hai village for homestays (vietnam.travel).
How many days should you spend on Cat Ba?
Plan two nights. One night leaves you with a travel day each way and little time on the water. A simple plan:
- Arrive from Hanoi by midday, walk up to Cannon Fort, then swim at Cat Co.
- Spend a full day on a Lan Ha Bay boat past Cai Beo to the island beaches.
- Hike in Cat Ba National Park in the morning, then head back to Hanoi.
Add a third night if you want a slower pace, a homestay in Viet Hai or a buffer against bad weather.
Where should you stay?
Stay in Cat Ba town unless you want quiet more than convenience. It has the boats, the ferries and most of the restaurants.
| Base | Best for | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| Cat Ba town | Boat pickups, buses, food, walking to the beaches | Busy on summer weekends |
| Near Cat Co beaches | Swimming, quieter nights | A short walk or ride into town |
| Viet Hai village | Homestays in the national park area | Reached by boat or trail; few services |
| Overnight boat in Lan Ha Bay | The bay at sunrise and sunset | 400,000 VND fee per night on top of the cabin |
How do you get to Cat Ba from Hanoi?
Take a combined bus and ferry ticket from Hanoi's Old Quarter, about 3.5 to 4 hours door to door. On Baolau, for Friday 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 pricier departures at 400,000 to 450,000 VND. Other routes go by train to Hai Phong and a boat from Ben Binh pier, or by road from Ha Long to the Tuan Chau to Gia Luan ferry. Our Hanoi to Cat Ba guide compares them, and Starting from Hanoi covers the rest of the north.
How do you get around the island?
By motorbike, taxi or tour van. In 2026 rental shops charge about 100,000 to 150,000 VND a day for a manual or automatic scooter, per Sun Paradise Land, Sun Group's own Cat Ba site. You need a valid license, and some shops ask for a cash deposit or an ID document. Our getting around Vietnam page explains which licenses count.
Taxis from the ferry piers to town cost about 350,000 to 450,000 VND, and electric carts run short trips in town for 20,000 to 50,000 VND per person, per the same company's transport guide. The ferry piers at Cai Vieng and Gia Luan are 22 to 25 km from town, according to Local Vietnam, so confirm whether your bus ticket includes the ride into town.
How much does a Cat Ba trip cost?
Fees and transport are modest; your boat choice decides the budget. We converted at about 26,000 VND to US$1, between Vietcombank's published USD buying and selling rates (25,760 and 26,170) on 3 October 2026. Where a source gave dollars, the VND figure is our conversion.
| Item | Price in VND | About in USD | Where we saw it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lan Ha Bay day fee, adult | 120,000 | $4.60 | Bao Hai Phong, from Jan 2026 |
| Lan Ha Bay fee with one night aboard | 400,000 | $15 | Bao Hai Phong, from Jan 2026 |
| Cat Ba National Park, adult | 160,000 | $6.20 | Bao Hai Phong, from Jan 2026 |
| Bus and ferry from Hanoi | 300,000 to 450,000 | $11.50 to $17 | Baolau, 9 Oct 2026 |
| Lan Ha day tour from Cat Ba, fees and lunch included | about 830,000 to 910,000 | $32 to $35 | Good Morning Cat Ba, Mar 2026 |
| Cat Hai to Phu Long cable car, one way | 70,000 | $2.70 | Bao Hai Phong, Apr 2026 |
| Scooter rental, per day | 100,000 to 150,000 | $3.80 to $5.80 | Sun Paradise Land, 2026 |
| Taxi from a ferry pier to town | 350,000 to 450,000 | $13.50 to $17 | Sun Paradise Land, 2026 |
We did not find a reliable 2026 survey of hotel prices on Cat Ba, so check current rates on a booking site. Overnight cruise prices vary too widely between boats to summarize fairly.
When should you go, and what about typhoon season?
October and November give the best mix of warm water, lower rain and fewer storms. From June to October, storms regularly stop boats, ferries and the cable car. WMO normals for Hai Phong, the nearest listed station, show the pattern.
| Months | Average low to high | Rainfall | On Cat Ba |
|---|---|---|---|
| December to February | About 15 to 22 degrees Celsius | 21 to 40 mm a month | Cool and often misty; quiet |
| March to April | About 18 to 27 degrees Celsius | 54 to 61 mm a month | Mild, hazy views |
| May to September | About 24 to 33 degrees Celsius | 202 to 361 mm a month, peaking in August | Beach season and storm season at once |
| October to November | About 19 to 30 degrees Celsius | 88 mm in October, 45 mm in November | Clearer and calmer; the best window |
Recent seasons show what storm season means in practice:
- Typhoon Yagi, September 2024: roofs torn off, hundreds of trees down and power, water and phone lines cut for days in Cat Ba town, Tuoi Tre News reported.
- Storm Wipha, July 2025: Hai Phong moved nearly 18,000 tourists to safety, including about 2,500 international visitors mostly from Cat Ba, per Tuoi Tre News.
- Typhoon Kajiki, August 2025: all tourism in Hai Phong stopped, including the Dong Bai to Cai Vieng ferry and the Cat Hai to Phu Long cable car, per VTV.
- Typhoon Ragasa, September 2025: 1,835 tourists, 1,581 of them foreigners, were still on the island the day before landfall, per DTiNews.
If you travel in these months, keep a spare day before any flight, book boats that refund for weather, and follow evacuation orders. Our Vietnam safety page and best time to visit Vietnam cover the rest of the country.
Key facts at a glance
- Lan Ha Bay fee: 120,000 VND per adult per day, 400,000 VND with one night, from 1 January 2026 (Bao Hai Phong).
- Kayaking: suspended on the archipelago's bays since 15 November 2024 (Tuoi Tre).
- National park: founded 1986; about 173 km² of land and 90 km² of water (Wikipedia); 160,000 VND entry from 2026.
- Cat Ba langur: just over 80 left (DTiNews, January 2025).
- Storms: nearly 18,000 tourists moved to safety in Hai Phong before Storm Wipha in July 2025 (Tuoi Tre News).
Limitations
The 2026 fees come from press reports of Hai Phong's resolution, not the resolution text itself, which we could not open. The kayak suspension's status rests on 2024 press reports and two cruise operators' notices from late 2025 and early 2026; it could be lifted, or licensed in set zones, at short notice. Tour and rental prices come from individual companies, and Sun Paradise Land belongs to Sun Group, which runs the cable car. We could not confirm 2026 entrance fees for Cannon Fort or Hospital Cave, or reliable hotel prices. Weather notes are averages, not forecasts. Before you book, confirm what your boat trip includes, whether kayaking is really on offer, and the operator's policy for storm cancellations.
