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After a few days experiencing the old beauty of Hoi An Old Quarter, you’ll probably plan to leave for Halong Bay—a must on any traveler’s itinerary. The trip from Hoi An to Halong Bay is pretty easy, but it still requires you to transit at some points along the way.
It’s 931 kilometers (579 miles) between Hoi An and Halong Bay. Since Hoi An is not a transportation hub, you’ll have to get to Danang before traveling anywhere else.
The fastest way is to take a flight or train from Danang to nearby airports/stations, then transit by car to the bay. There is also option to travel directly via overnight buses.
Flight + Bus: The fastest way
A combination of flight and bus is the most popular option among travelers. You might wonder why we don’t just fly—the thing is that there are no direct flights between Halong Bay and Hoi An.
Since there’s no airport in Hoi An, you’ll have to drive to the nearest airport—Danang—and catch a flight to Hanoi (Noi Bai Airport) or Hai Phong (Cat Bi Airport). Though those flights are pretty similar in price (~70 USD) and time (~1 hour 20 minutes), there are more daily routes to Hanoi rather than those in Hai Phong. Tickets could be booked via Google Flights.
After landing at those airports, the next step is to make your way to Halong Bay.
Travelers starting from Hanoi Airport will likely take a shuttle bus. There are various companies offering hourly shuttles between Noi Bai Airport and Halong Bay. The ride normally takes 2.5 hours, with the cost being about 300,000 VND per person per way, with the option to drop off at your hotel or Tuan Chau Marina.
If you travel from Hai Phong airport, then the best way is to take a private car. It’s only 50 km from Cat Bi Airport to Halong Bay, and a private car might cost you only 30 USD per ride.
Train + Bus: The Authentic Way
Taking the combination of train and bus from Hoi An to Halong Bay might not be the fastest option, but it surely gives you an interesting experience on a Vietnam train.
As there are no trains to Halong directly, you could stop at Ninh Binh or Hanoi, then get a transit shuttle to the bay. There is no company providing a package like this, so you’ll have to book these services separately.
All trains starting from Danang Train Station, about 30 kilometers from Hoi An town. Those are mostly overnight trains, taking about 15 hours (to Ninh Binh) or 17 hours (to Hanoi). You can book tickets online via the Vietnam Railway Company, starting at 60 USD for a shared bed in a cabin of 4.
Once you arrive at Hanoi or Ninh Binh station, you could easily catch a bus or limousine to Halong Bay. Both places provide daily shuttle departures every 1 hour with a cost of around 15 USD per person.
The drive from Ninh Binh to Halong Bay might take around 4 hours, while from Hanoi is a bit shorter, around 3 hours. You can book tickets via 12go, or if you have a hotel, inquire directly with the reception for a better deal.
Overnight bus: The cheapest way
The overnight bus is no doubt the cheapest option to travel from Hoi An to Halong Bay.
There are 2 types of overnight buses: cabin buses or single buses. Cabin buses will come with more spacious seats and only have a maximum of 20 people. Single buses are cheaper, with smaller seats and mostly for locals traveling a shorter distance.
Though you could find it pretty comfortable on those buses, it’ll be somewhat uneasy since the ride takes up to 16 hours from Hoi An to Halong Bay. Besides, no matter how modern the bus is, it’ll still be shaking and noisy at times.
However, overnight buses are still the choice of many, especially backpackers, since they’re direct and cheap. Tickets only cost 45 USD per person and could be booked via Vexere.
Note that there are only 2-3 buses per day, and they’re mostly departing after 21:00.
