Getting from Hanoi to Lan Ha Bay is quite easy since the distance between these 2 places are only around 134 km with expected travel time is 3 to 4 hours. There’re several ways for you to choose from: bus and ferry, cruises package or even taking a seaplane. Let’s find out how in this guide below!
There’re several ways to travel from Hanoi to Lan Ha Bay
- Bus is the cheapest way
- Cruise package offer you an all-included option without much planning
- Private car will offer you more flexible, but also come with great budget
1. By Bus: Cost saving way
- Best if: You’d like to have a budget way to get to Lan Ha Bay
- Don’t if: You’re a quiet lover and want to stay away from hectic (Quite a lot to be honest)
The bus will begin with a 3 hours riding from your hotel in Hanoi (if it’s in the old quarter) , followed by a 20 minutes ferry ride, and end with a drop-off at your hotel on Cat Ba Island, Lan Ha Bay. The entire journey can take up to 4 hours under normal traffic condition.
There’s several bus company options for you to choose with the cost from 12USD to 14USD per person, including both bus & ferry ticket. These buses start mostly in the morning, with the last one leaving at 14:00 to ensure you get on time to catch the last ferry of the day to Cat Ba.
See some reputable bus company operating Hanoi – Cat Ba Island route:
| Company | Pick up | Pick up Time | Drop off Time |
| Cat Ba Express | Hanoi Old Quarter’s hotels | 7:45; 10:45; 14:00 | 11:45; 14:45; 18:00 |
| Good Morning Cat Ba | Hanoi Old Quarter’s hotels | 07:30; 10:30; 14:00 | 11:30; 14:30; 18:00 |
| Daiichi | Hanoi Old Quarter’s hotels | 10:30; 12:30 | 14:30; 16:30 |
2. By Cruise: Convenient way
- Best if: You want a hassle free travel time and admire the beauty of Lan Ha Bay as most as you can.
- Don’t if: You don’t want to be stuck in a fixed schedule.
Traveling by Lan Ha Bay cruise packages from Hanoi to Lan Ha Bay is the most convenient option. These cruise’s schedule are well-planned, not just simply take you to Lan Ha but also take you through a romantic trip along the bay.
Most of the cruises will have their own bus/limousines leave from Hanoi. Just like any others bus, they’ll pick you up from your hotel and take you to the port for the cruise. A plus is that ,ost of cruises leave from Tuan Chau Harbor in Ha Long City. This means you’ll get to see some of Halong Bay scenery on the way to Lan Ha Bay as well.
The price for a Lan Ha cruise package seems expensive at first, ranging from 110USD up to 200USD per person. But if you consider its inclusion, not just the transfer but 4 meals, comfy overnight rooms and all entrance tickets, its seem quite a reasonable price.
Here’s the collections of best Lan Ha Bay Cruises:
-
Dragon Bay Cruise
From: $118Destination : Lan Ha Bay – Halong Bay – Dark & Bright Cave
Private Balcony in all cabins
-
Rita Cruise
From: $145Destination: Lan Ha Bay – Halong Bay – Cat Ba Island
Free Kayaking, Private Balcony
-
Scarlet Pearl Cruise
From: $165Destination: Halong – Lan Ha Bay – Dark & Bright Cave
Superb Early Bird Promotion – Only $170/person
3. By Private car: Flexible way
- Best if: Time is critical, and you don’t want to pack with others travelers
- Don’t if: Your budget is tight
By taxi or private car is another great and flexible way to get from Hanoi to Lan Ha Bay. However, it’ll be a little bit pricey since the cost of ferry and highway to Lan Ha is quite expensive for personal vehicle.
The ride will take only about ~ 2.5 – 3 hours. The cost for 1 way to be private car should be about 3,000.000vnd for an 4 seat car or 3,500,000vnd for a 7 seat car with all fees and tolls included. Taxis, on the other hand, is normally about ~500,000vnd more expensive cause they don’t offer an all-inclusive price and charge by meters (Ferry tickets will be on your own account).
