Cat Ba Island Cruise

The fastest way from Hanoi to Cat Ba is a direct 2-hour bus route with a short 10-minute speedboat ride in the middle. You will leave from the Cat Ba Express office located at the centre of Hanoi’s Old Town. Then, you will take a short speedboat ride from Bến phà Gót Port to Cái Viềng port on Cat Ba Island. The last leg of the journey is a 45-minute bus ride. This will take you down the South West coast and along the edge of Cat Ba National Park into Cat Ba town.

If you are heading out on a Lan Ha Bay cruise, it’s likely that you will go with a local guide. A guide will show you some of the more secluded parts of the bay that can only be reached by kayaking.

The activities aren't strenuous, just be comfortable with water activities and long hours sailing.

Trek through the pristine rainforest that makes up the vast national park in Cat Ba. The Lookout Tower Trail is a popular and fairly easy hike. Walk upwards from the National Park entrance for around an hour, where you’ll eventually reach Ngu Lam Peak; an incredible viewpoint to take in the wilderness of Cat Ba Island and enjoy the panoramic view of over a hundred hilltops.