Located 160 km to the northeast of Hanoi, 20 km offshore, Cat Ba is the biggest island in the Gulf of Tonkin and one of major travel locations for tourists in the region. Stretching from east to west, forming the backbone of Cat Ba archipelago, Cat Ba island resembles a giant whale moving forwards. Due to its size, the island features may different forms of landscape ranging from beach, mountain, limestone mountain to even flat land. The most famous location on the island is no doubt Cat Ba National Park, home to thousands of wild animals and precious plants- many of which can't be found anywhere else. Moving from the center to the shore, mountains and jungles are grandually replaced by beautiful pritine beaches and limestone islets, forming the jewel of Cat Ba. Other locations include Butterfly valley, Hospital cave and Canon Fort.
Tourists are recommended to take a trekking or mountain climbing trip to explore the wildlife of Cat Ba National Park. A quick trip to Butter vally, Hospital cave and the Canon fort is also worth trying, especially when you don't minf the effort at all. Lastly, don't miss the nightlife in CatBa town and nearby beaches as it is arguably the best part of the trip.
Why people love Cat Ba Island
Dream. Most comfortable trip from Hanoi to Cat Ba ever. Even if you just landed in Hanoi on a flight and go straight to Cat Ba via this service.
45min coach > 20min service stop > 1hr coach > 5min speedboat > 20min coach
Review on TripAdvisor
Very good service
Tinh did a great job guiding us
Good comms
Timely despite lots of traffic
Clean bus. Water was provided
Review on TripAdvisor
It was very convenient using Cat Ba express to go to/from Cat Ba. They also picked up/dropped off at our hotel. The timing was on time as well.
Review on TripAdvisor
My wife and I used Cat Ba express to travel from Hanoi to Cat Ba and also did a day cruise with them on the Serenity Cruise ship. All the staff we met were professional and friendly, the bus was clean and comfortable with a rest stop half way. The transfer between bus and speed boat was smooth and easy. The day cruise was also a great experience. The serenity boat was lovely and the views around Lan Ha Bay were excellent despite some cloudy weather. They provided vegetarian options for lunch (albeit pretty basic). Our guide Phuc (AKA Tony) was brilliant and made the day fun and enjoyable.
Review on TripAdvisor
Review on Google Review
Direct Transfer from Cat Ba island to Hanoi international airport.
We booked a direct transfer from Cat Ba island to Hanoi Noi Bai airport using A21 tours. The driver picked us up early and dropped us off in plenty time for our flight. We were very impressed with the service including the quality of car, it was a new Toyota Fortuner and was clean and very comfortable. Would definitely recommend.Review on TripAdvisor
Use this company for your transfers
We organised our transfer from Hanoi airport to Cat Ba through A21 Tours. It was really efficient including checking we were clear where to meet and proving photos, timings and pick up car details. By far the best transfer we had in Vietnam. Very reasonable prices compared to others.Review on TripAdvisor