Booking choice: The Hanoi day cruise to Lan Ha, from $49 per person. Check dates Tour details
Most people searching for a way to Lan Ha Bay are really choosing between two trips. One is a cruise that boards at Tuan Chau, the marina on the edge of Ha Long city, and sails through Ha Long Bay first before it crosses into Lan Ha. The other starts on Cat Ba Island, at Ben Beo harbour, where the boats are in Lan Ha from the moment they cast off.
The first is quicker to reach. The second gets you deeper into the quiet side of the bay, but the trip from Hanoi involves a bus, a bridge, a car ferry and an island road. Below: every route that works in 2026, with the times and fares we found, and the one pier you should no longer use.
The quick answer
For a cruise, take the operator's shuttle from Hanoi's Old Quarter to Tuan Chau: about 150 km and 2 to 2.5 hours on the expressway. For a Cat Ba day boat, take a combined bus and ferry ticket (about 230,000 to 390,000 VND) via the Dong Bai - Cai Vieng car ferry, then a 10 to 15 minute ride from Cat Ba town to Ben Beo harbour.
How far is Lan Ha Bay from Hanoi?
About 150 km to the Tuan Chau cruise marina (2 to 2.5 hours by road), or 4 to 5.5 hours door to door to Cat Ba town by bus and car ferry.
The road to Ha Long is the fast part: Hanoi to Hai Phong is about 120 km, and the Hanoi - Hai Phong - Ha Long expressways bring Tuan Chau within 2 to 2.5 hours by car or limousine van. Cat Ba is a different story. Lan Ha lies off the east and south-east coast of the island, about 30 km from central Hai Phong as the crow flies, but you still have to cross to Cat Hai, take a ferry or cable car, then drive across Cat Ba itself.
Here is how the main routes compare. Fares are per person unless the row says per car.
| Route | Time from Hanoi | Typical 2026 fare | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cruise shuttle to Tuan Chau | 2 to 2.5 h | About $25 pp on cruise listings; public limousine 230,000 to 450,000 VND | Overnight cruises from Ha Long |
| Bus + Dong Bai car ferry to Cat Ba | 4 to 5.5 h | 230,000 to 390,000 VND, ferry included | Cat Ba day boats from Ben Beo |
| Train to Hai Phong + Ben Binh fast boat | 4 to 6 h | Train 70,000 to 155,000 VND; boat 200,000 to 300,000 VND | Slow travellers, fewer road hours |
| Private car or taxi to Ha Long | 2 to 3 h | About 1.2 to 1.9 million VND per car | Families, late starts |
| Private car to Cat Ba | 3 to 4 h | About 1.5 to 2.5 million VND per car, ferry included | Groups of three or more |
How do I get to Lan Ha Bay from Hanoi?
Book a cruise or day cruise with a Hanoi shuttle to Tuan Chau, or travel to Cat Ba and board a day boat at Ben Beo harbour.
The shuttle route is the one most visitors take, because the cruise company handles it. Pickups run from about 7:10 to 8:00 in the Old Quarter and the boats board at Tuan Chau around 11:00 to 12:00. On the 2-day Ha Long and Lan Ha 5-star cruise the round-trip bus costs about $25 per person extra; on the Hanoi day cruise to Lan Ha it is included and the boat sails Ha Long to Lan Ha and Cat Ba in one day.
One change to plan for: Hanoi restricts buses with more than 16 seats in parts of the Old Quarter at peak hours (reported by DTiNews in May 2026), and one listing on this site says that since 1 July 2026 big coaches can't pick up there between 6:00 and 9:00. Expect a named meeting point on a main street rather than your hotel door.
The Cat Ba route makes sense if you want Lan Ha from the first minute, or a night on the island. Our Lan Ha vs Halong Bay guide explains what you trade.
Transfers, buffet lunch and a swim stop in one booking, with pickup in Hanoi.
Check dates for the Hanoi day cruise to Lan HaHow do you get to Cat Ba by bus and car ferry?
Buy a combined Hanoi - Cat Ba ticket from an operator such as Cat Ba Express or Good Morning Cat Ba: the bus drives onto the Dong Bai - Cai Vieng car ferry and drops you in town after 4 to 5.5 hours.
Got pier closed to public ferries in March 2024. The car ferry now runs from Dong Bai on Cat Hai to Cai Vieng on Cat Ba: about 20 minutes on the water, roughly every 30 minutes (every 45 around midday), from about 5:30 to 18:00 in low season and 5:00 to 19:30 in high season. A foot passenger pays about 12,000 to 14,000 VND and a car under nine seats about 194,000 VND (localvietnam.com, July 2026). Some guides and booking sites still name Got. Ignore them.
From Cai Vieng it is another 30 to 45 minutes by road to Cat Ba town. Construction on the seafront means buses often stop about 500 m short of the waterfront, so keep a little cash for a motorbike taxi. Ben Beo harbour, where the day boats leave, is 10 to 15 minutes east of town, and most Cat Ba day tours pick you up from your hotel.
Can you take the train from Hanoi to Hai Phong, then a boat to Cat Ba?
Yes: the 6:00 train from Hanoi station reaches Hai Phong at 8:25, and the high-speed boat from Ben Binh pier takes 45 minutes to an hour to Cat Ba town.
Trains leave Hanoi Railway Station on Le Duan street; the schedule we checked on Baolau listed the HP1 at 6:00 (arriving 8:25), then 9:25, 15:15 and 18:10, at around 154,000 VND through the agent. A taxi from Hai Phong station to Ben Binh pier takes about 5 minutes and 30,000 to 50,000 VND.
The boat is the weak link. Ben Binh has only a few departures a day, fewer in winter, and timetables online often disagree, so buy at the official booth and check the day before. Fares run about 200,000 to 300,000 VND (vietnamtourism.com and Sun Paradise Land). It lands you right in Cat Ba town, which is handy if you have a hotel there.
Two days that never enter Ha Long Bay: the bus to Cat Ba is included, and the boat leaves Ben Beo straight into Lan Ha.
Explore the Venezia 2-day cruise Tour detailsIs there a ferry from Ha Long (Tuan Chau) to Cat Ba?
Yes: the Tuan Chau - Gia Luan ferry takes 45 to 50 minutes, with about three sailings a day in winter and five in summer, for roughly 60,000 VND on foot.
This is the link if you are already in Ha Long, or want to combine both bays without a tour. The first boat leaves Tuan Chau around 7:30 and the last return is around 16:00; boats sometimes wait for about 30 passengers before leaving. A car under nine seats pays about 300,000 VND (localvietnam.com 2026 ferry guide).
Gia Luan is on the north tip of Cat Ba, about 25 km and 30 to 45 minutes from town. A minibus meets the ferry for about 50,000 VND. Plan on two hours from Tuan Chau to a Cat Ba hotel, and don't count on the last sailing in bad weather.
Is there a cable car to Cat Ba Island?
Yes: the Sun World cable car crosses just under 4 km from Cat Hai to Phu Long in 10 to 15 minutes, for about 50,000 to 70,000 VND one way.
The Cat Hai station sits next to the Dong Bai ferry pier, so it is an alternative to the boat once you are there. It runs a handful of departures a day, roughly 9:00 to 15:45 with a lunch break, and Sun Paradise Land notes that the hours changed from September 2026: check before you rely on it. A return costs about 100,000 VND.
The catch is the far end. Phu Long is about 20 km from Cat Ba town, so buy the combo ticket with the Sun World shuttle, or take bus 14. Officially you are allowed one small bag. It is a fine ride with a view of both islands; it is not faster than the ferry with a suitcase. Our Cat Ba ferry update tracks the changes.
How much is a taxi or Grab from Hanoi to Halong Bay?
Plan on about 1.2 to 1.9 million VND one way for a car to Ha Long or Tuan Chau; to Cat Ba, about 1.5 to 2.5 million VND including the car's ferry ticket.
vietnamtourism.com's 2026 guide puts a private car to Ha Long at 1.2 to 1.8 million VND; Bhaya Cruises quotes 1.6 to 1.9 million for an app-booked ride and 2.4 to 5 million for a pre-booked round trip. Grab works for the trip but long cross-city rides can be hard to get, so many travellers ask their hotel to book a car instead. A street offer of around 800,000 VND is a warning sign, not a bargain.
- Fixed price: agree it in writing, with tolls and the drop point (Tuan Chau marina, not Ha Long city).
- Cat Ba by car: the car rides the Dong Bai ferry; ask if the ferry ticket is in the price.
- Shared limousine vans: about 230,000 to 450,000 VND per seat, door to door in the Old Quarter.
Prefer a smaller boat that starts in Lan Ha? The Beka day boat leaves Ben Beo, with a 5:30 pickup in Hanoi on its Hanoi option.
Check dates for the Beka day boatHow much is a taxi from Hanoi Airport to Halong Bay?
From Noi Bai airport, a 4-seat taxi runs about 1.3 to 2 million VND and a 7-seater about 1.8 million; pre-booked private cars are quoted at 2 to 3.5 million VND.
Those are the 2026 figures in Bhaya Cruises' transport guide. North-vietnam.com, updated October 2026, gives a wider $30 to $185 per vehicle depending on the company, for a trip of about 180 km and 2.5 to 4 hours. Limousine vans from the airport start around 290,000 VND a seat, and leave roughly hourly in the morning.
Going straight to Cat Ba from the airport, vietnamtourism.com quotes about 2 million VND by Grab. If you land in the afternoon, a cruise the same day rarely works: cruise boarding is usually around 12:00. Sleep in Hanoi or Ha Long and board the next morning, or see our cruise guide for ships that also pick up in Ninh Binh.
A balcony cabin with a bathtub, every meal, and a round-trip Hanoi bus you can add for about $25 per person.
Explore the 2-day Ha Long and Lan Ha cruise Tour detailsFrequently asked questions
How do I get to Lan Ha Bay?
Board a cruise at Tuan Chau in Ha Long that sails into Lan Ha, or get to Cat Ba Island and take a day boat from Ben Beo harbour. Cat Ba is reached by bus and the Dong Bai - Cai Vieng car ferry, the Ben Binh fast boat from Hai Phong, the Tuan Chau - Gia Luan ferry or the Cat Hai cable car.
Can I visit Lan Ha Bay as a day trip from Hanoi?
Yes. The Hanoi day cruise picks up in the Old Quarter around 7:10 to 7:45, boards at Tuan Chau at 11:00 and sails into Lan Ha and Cat Ba, back in Hanoi in the evening. A Cat Ba day boat from Hanoi means a 5:30 start and a late return.
Does the ferry still leave from Got pier?
No. Got pier closed to public ferries in March 2024. The car ferry to Cat Ba now runs from Dong Bai on Cat Hai island to Cai Vieng, about 20 minutes, roughly every 30 minutes.
How far is Ben Beo harbour from Cat Ba town?
About 10 to 15 minutes by road, east of the town centre. Most Cat Ba day tours include hotel pickup and the short drive to the harbour.
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Choose your trip
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Hanoi Day Cruise: Ha Long to Lan Ha & Cat Ba
Lan Ha in one long day from Hanoi, transfers included
Venezia 2-Day Lan Ha Bay Cruise
An overnight that never enters Ha Long Bay
Beka Day Boat: Lan Ha Bay Full Day
A smaller boat, kayaking and spring rolls at sunset
