Taking a bus from Cat Ba Island to Hanoi is the most convenient and very affordable way for getting to the capital of Vietnam. Check our review of our bus trip from Cat Ba Island to Hanoi by Daiichi Travel.
To be honest, Daiichi Travel was not featuring in our list of travel companies for a trip in Vietnam as we had never heard about this company before. We’ve been trying to book a bus from Cat Ba to Hanoi just 1 day before the departure date and it looked like that morning buses were all booked up. So we have chosen to book online a bus provided by Daiichi Travel.
Trip by Bus from Cat Ba Island to Hanoi
This is how we took a bus from Cat Ba Island to Hanoi.
8:30 Waiting for the Bus
We booked a bus departing from Cat Ba at 9:00 and the company offered a free pick-up from our hotel in Cat Ba Town. We had to be at the departure point 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time. As it was the lobby of our hotel, it was really convenient. After making a check-out from the hotel, we just waited around and had some time to drink a cup of coffee.
9:05 Pick Up from Hotel
After 35 minutes of waiting, the bus picked us up from the hotel and we were greeted by the staff of Daiichi Travel. The staff was very helpful and speaking good English.
The bus provided by Daiichi Travel had air conditioning, was clean and comfortable. The most surprising thing was that they have larger seats on the bus and more space for legs, if compared to Vietnamese bus standard. This bus was more modern than other bused we have used during our month-long trip in Vietnam.
The bus picked up more passengers along the way before driving to Cai Vieng Pier (Bến phà Cái Viềng), which is located on the other side of the island.
Traveling from Cat Ba Town to Cai Vieng Pier takes about 50 minutes.
10:00 Arrival at Cai Vieng Pier
When arriving at Cai Vieng Pier, we had to get off the bus and take out our luggage from the bus. We’ve waited for 5 minutes at the pier to board the speed boat.
10:05 Taking the Speed Boat
When boarding the speed boat, we had to leave our bags on the back of it. The speed boat was full of passengers and had very small seats where you hardly can fit.
The good thing is that the trip by speed boat from Cai Vieng Pier to Got Pier (Bến phà Gót) takes only about 10 minutes.
10:18 Arrival at Got Pier
We arrived at Got Pier and got out from the speed boat. Got Pier is one of the piers located on Cat Hai Island which is connected with Haiphong by a long sea bridge.
Here we had to wait for another bus and it took more than 15 minutes for another bus of Daiichi Travel to arrive. It looks like we had to wait for the bus that brings passengers from Hanoi to Got Pier to arrive.
At Got Pier, there is a waiting area where you can rest or purchase food and drinks.
10:35 Boarding the Bus to Hanoi
Another bus going all the way from Got Pier to Hanoi Old Quarter picked us up at the pier. Once we boarded the bus, the staff provided us drinking water, wet wipes and crackers.
This Daiichi Travel bus was also really comfortable as it is air-conditioned, spacious and has comfortable leg room.
The bus interior was brand new and clean. They have free Wi-Fi on the bus which was amazing.
11:13 Break Stop on the Way
As there is no toilet onboard, make sure to find one before you leave. They made a short stop along on the way for going to toilet.
Here you can also grab some fast food or snacks for surviving the trip to Hanoi.
13:00 Arrival at Hanoi Old Quarter
The bus dropped us off nearby our hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter as informed. The staff did their best to make sure that we would go the right way.
Length of Journey
The journey by bus from Cat Ba Island to Hanoi should take approximately 3-3.5 hours but it took us about 4.5 hours in total, including waiting for the bus at our hotel in Cat Ba Town and getting to our hotel in Hanoi.
Conclusion
Overall though, it was still a great travel experience as the big advantage of this bus was sufficient leg room that is so uncommon in Vietnam.
Tickets
If you are looking for a really good deal when taking a bus from Cat Ba Island to Hanoi, check for bus tickets online here: Bus from Cat Ba to Hanoi.