The lesser-known neighbor to the overcrowded Ha Long Bay, Cat Ba Island is a relaxed, tranquil island with national parks, beautiful beaches, and stunning viewpoints. With daily kayaking trips around Lan Ha Bay and Ha Long Bay, and some of the most beautiful landscapes in Vietnam, this is a must do if you’re in Northern Vietnam.

How to get there?

We rode our motorbikes from Hanoi to Ha Long city, which took about 3.5 hours. There are daily buses which can be booked in person or with BookAway or 12GoAsia. From Ha Long city, we took a ferry (with our motorbikes) which cost us 100,000 dong (US$4.30) per person.

Overnight Boat Cruise

We did an overnight boat cruise which toured Lan Hay Bay and the areas surrounding Cat Ba Island. There are a few different companies to choose from, and we booked ours with Cat Ba Ventures. It was US$136/per person, for 2 days and 1 night sleeping on the boat. Meals were included, (lunch and dinner the first day, breakfast and lunch the second day). The price also included kayaking, and the fees to enter the Dark Cave and certain areas that were not open to the public.

Budget: Cat Ba Ventures also offers day trips, which are US$29/per person which includes kayaking and lunch.
Luxury: Heritage Cruises

A few of our favorite things:

Kayaking trip: While on board our boat, we also spent some time kayaking and exploring the famous caves and limestone formations. Headlamps are provided because it’s virtually impossible to see once you’re inside the caves!
Hidden beach: On the second day, we were taken to a small, secret beach. There was a rock tunnel near the beach, and when we crawled through it, it brought you to another beach on the other side of the island!
Sunset in Lan Ha Bay: Watching the sunset while sailing along in Lan Hay Bay was so beautiful. The limestone formations with the sun going down in the background make for an amazing experience and great photos.
Socializing: Our tour guide, Kong, was super friendly and grew up on Cat Ba Island, so he told us a lot about the area and it’s history. The King Kong: Skull Island movie was actually filmed here in 2017. Also, the group on our boat was all young travelers similar age to us, so it was a great way for us to meet fellow travelers and couples.