If after visiting Cat Ba you are planning to travel further to Hanoi, which is located approximately 160 kilometers from the island, you will have to use a combination of sea and ground transportation. Here you can find a detailed guide and the best ways for traveling from Cat Ba to Hanoi.
1. By Bus & Ferry
The easiest way to travel from Cat Ba to Hanoi is taking a combination of bus and ferry (some companies use speedboats of ferry). Tour companies sell combined bus and ferry ticket and bring from the island to the capital city. Total length of the journey is usually about 3.5-4 hours but it can take longer, depending on traffic conditions.
Trip from Cat Ba to Hanoi by bus and ferry
When traveling by bus and ferry from Cat Ba to Hanoi, the route is normally as follows:
Step 1: Cat Ba Town - Cai Vieng Pier (by bus)
The bus picks you up at your hotel in Cat Ba Town and brings you to Cai Vieng Pier (Bến phà Cái Viềng), which is on the other side of the island. The trip from Cat Ba Town to Cai Vieng Pier is normally about 30-40 minutes.
Step 2: Cai Vieng Pier - Got Pier (by ferry or speedboat)
When arriving at Cai Vieng Pier, you need to get off the bus, take your luggage and change to a ferry or speedboat for crossing the sea to Got Pier (Bến phà Gót). Got Pier is located on Cat Hai Island, which is connected with the mainland by a long sea bridge. The trip by a speedboat takes about 10 minutes, by a ferry – about 30 minutes. However, it may take longer to cross the sea if the waters are not calm.
Step 3: Got Pier - Hanoi Old Quarter (by bus)
Another bus picks up passengers from Got Pier and brings to a drop-off point or hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter. The journey from Got Pier to Hanoi takes approximately 2.5-3 hours.
Companies providing bus from Cat Ba to Hanoi
There are many tour companies providing combined bus and ferry trips from Cat Ba to Hanoi. The most reputable tour companies serving this route are listed below.
1. Cat Ba Express
Cat Ba Express is a famous bus company that serves tourists on many routes. The route between Hanoi and Cat Ba Island is served by different types of bus so the tourists could choose the bus according to their needs.
Bus type: air-conditioned bus with 29 reclining seats / 9-seat VIP Bus
Departure time from Cat Ba to Hanoi: 9:00, 12:30, 15:45
Travel time: about 3.5-4 hours, depending on traffic
Fare: 340,000 VND
Pick-up point in Cat Ba: No. 219, 1/4 Street, Cat Ba Town
Drop-off point in Hanoi: 37B Nguyen Huu Huan, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
2. Daiichi Travel
Daiichi Travel is a bus company that provides professional services to the passenger on the route between Hanoi and Cat Ba. The bus is quite large and comfortable. During our last trip we were taking this bus and our detailed review of the bus trip can be found here: Bus between Cat Ba Island and Hanoi by Daiichi Travel.
Bus type: 45-seat air-conditioned bus
Departure time from Cat Ba to Hanoi: 7:30, 9:00, 12:30, 16:00
Travel time: about 3.5-4 hours, depending on traffic
Fare: 250,000 VND
Pick-up point in Cat Ba: No. 19 Nui Ngoc, Cat Ba Town
Drop-off point in Hanoi: 96 Nguyen Huu Huan, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
3. Full Moon Party
Full Moon Party is a travel agency and hotel on Cat Ba Island, with many years of experience serving foreign and Vietnamese tourists.
Bus type: 34-seat air-conditioned bus
Departure time from Cat Ba to Hanoi: 9:30, 11:30, 16:00
Travel time: about 3.5-4 hours, depending on traffic
Fare: 200,000 VND
Pick-up point in Cat Ba: No. 236A Thang Tu Street, Cat Ba Town
Drop-off point in Hanoi: 126B Tran Quang Khai, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
4. Good Morning Cat Ba
Good Morning Cat Ba is another famous travel company that operates on the route between Hanoi and Cat Ba. The company provides a full range of transportation services for tourists.
Bus type: 34-seat air-conditioned bus
Departure time from Cat Ba to Hanoi: 9:00, 12:30, 16:00
Travel time: about 3.5-4 hours, depending on traffic
Fare: 400,000 VND
Pick-up point in Cat Ba: No. 265 Nui Ngoc, Cat Ba Town
Drop-off point in Hanoi: 13 Hang Huong, Hang Ma, Hanoi Old Quarter
Bus tickets
Tickets for the trip from Cat Ba to Hanoi by bus can be booked online via 12go.asia. Here you can find and compare current prices of all the above mentioned companies serving this route. Bus tickets for a trip from Cat Ba Island to Hanoi can be found here: Bus tickets Cat Ba - Hanoi.
Most of the companies provide pick up service from the hotels in Cat Ba Town and drop off in Hanoi Old Quarter. We would recommend comparing prices, checking timetables and drop off points of all companies before booking to make sure that your chosen bus meets your needs the best.
2. By Train & Hydrofoil
Even if you will not find a train station on Cat Ba Island, there is a way to travel most of the route from Cat Ba Island to Hanoi by train as well. This way, you need to take a hydrofoil from Cat Ba Island to Haiphong, which is the nearest large city to Cat Ba, and then take a train from Haiphong to Hanoi.
Trip from Cat Ba to Hanoi by hydrofoil and train
Step 1: Cat Ba Island - Ben Binh Pier (by hydrofoil)
Hydrofoil departs from Cat Ba Pier (Bến tàu Cát Bà), which is located right in the center of Cat Ba Town, and arrives at Ben Binh Pier (Bến Tàu Hải Phòng - Cát Bà) in Haiphong and about 1 hour later. You can buy a hydrofoil ticket at Cat Ba Pier.
Our review of hydrofoil trip: From Haiphong to Cat Ba Island by Hydrofoil [Review].
Detailed information about traveling between Haiphong and Cat Ba Island can be found here: How to travel from Haiphong to Cat Ba Island.
Step 2: Ben Binh Pier - Haiphong Railway Station (by walking or taxi)
Haiphong Railway Station (Ga Hải Phòng) is located about 1.7 km away from Ben Binh Pier, the port where boats from Cat Ba Island arrive. You can walk from the pier to train station in about 30 minutes or can take a taxi for around 30,000-40,000 VND. Normally there should be few taxis seen around around the time of hydrofoil arrival.
Step 3: Haiphong Railway Station - Long Bien Railway Station (by train)
You can take a train from Haiphong Railway Station to the station located in Hanoi's Old Quarter, which is called Long Bien Railway Station (Ga Long Biên). Hanoi and Haiphong is approximately 100 kilometers apart and it takes about 3 hours to travel between the cities by train.
Schedule of the train from Haiphong to Hanoi
There are 4 daily trains running from Haiphong to Hanoi:
- LP2 train departs from Haiphong at 06:10 and arrives in Hanoi at 08:46
- LP6 train departs from Haiphong at 09:05 and arrives in Hanoi at 11:40
- LP8 train departs from Haiphong at 15:00 and arrives in Hanoi at 17:38
- HP2 train departs from Haiphong at 18:40 and arrives in Hanoi at 21:06
If you want to travel from Cat Ba to Hanoi by train, we would suggest you to book tickets in advance and double check the schedule as it might be changed.
Tickets for the train from Haiphong to Hanoi
Train ticket price can be around 65,000-85,000 VND as it depends on the selected seat and the time of travel. During weekends, train ticket prices are usually a bit higher.
Train tickets for the trip from Haiphong to Hanoi can be booked here: Haiphong-Hanoi Train Tickets.
Tips
If you are planning a trip from Hanoi to Cat Ba Island, you have even more options and all them are listed here: How to travel from Hanoi to Cat Ba Island.
