Travel to Cat Ba Island can be a little daunting at first if you don’t know what you’re doing. There are no real direct ways to get to the island – no planes, no bridges, no trains. You’re going to have to take a ferry. What’s more, you need to take the ferry from Hai Phong which is about 2 hours outside of Hanoi. The best way that we found to do it, is to take a bus to Cat Ba Island.

Bus to Cat Ba Island – Vietnam

Deciding Upon a Route

For the true adventurer, you’ll need to get yourself from Hanoi to Hai Phong and from there organize a ferry or boat ride from the harbor over to the west harbor on Cat Ba and then organize a bus or Xe Om over to Cat Ba Town. It’s a little exhausting, but certainly attainable. Or you can take the route we took, which is far easier.

Just Take a Bus

The far simpler route is to book a simple all-in-one package. You can show up at the Luong Yen bus station in Hanoi and book the combo package. It currently costs 210,000 Dong per person (~$9.50) for a one-way ticket.

Be sure to show up at the station about 30 minutes early just in case, but the bus will depart at 7:20 and 11:20. The last ferry from Hai Phong leaves at 3:00, but you don’t have to worry about missing it through this booking. You could also take a private taxi or van there if you prefer, but this will be more expensive.

Such a Smooth Bus Ride

We were afraid that this could be a rather stressful day with so many transfers, but it surprisingly was one of the smoothest transitions we’ve had. A taxi took us from our Airbnb in Hanoi to the Luong Yen bus station for 80,000 Dong.

We arrived about an hour early just in case and purchased our ticket from the station master. We were told to sit in the waiting area and that we would be guided to the bus when it was time to go. The only downside to this bit was that we had to pay to use the bathroom – and it was disgusting.

At 11:10 we boarded the bus, which was actually quite comfortable and mostly loaded with backpackers. Actually, everyone on the bus was a couple around our age, aside from a single French guy who was a little younger. They were mostly French, though there was also a British couple. Just before departing though, some locals boarded the bus as well as a few vendors. And off we went.

A Quick Pit Stop

The bus ride was about an hour and a half long, at which point we stopped at a bus depot in Hai Phong for 30 minutes. It was pretty dirty and worn, but you could get food if you desired so – we did not.

Back On Board

We then boarded the bus again and went off. About 15 minutes later, we arrived at yet another bus station or perhaps travel agency (it’s hard to tell) where we switched buses. We then took the next bus to the dock. The bus dropped us off at the pier and we waited another 20 minutes for the ferry to arrive.

Ferry from Hai Phong to Cat Ba

Once the ferry arrived, we boarded the boat and took a 45-minute ride across the water to arrive at the harbor on the west side of the island. The boat was pretty comfortable, but if crowded or hot, it would not be that enjoyable.

Yet Another Bus

The ferry landed at the harbor without an issue and we then boarded yet another bus that shuttled us through the island.

After about 45 minutes of driving through a primordial jungle, we arrived in Cat Ba Town in front of the pier and were able to make a 3-minute walk to our Airbnb at Phuong Mai Hotel. Our host was there waiting for us, and immediately showed us to our room.

For such a complicated transfer, it couldn’t have gone any smoother. And on the way back, we managed to book the same thing, just in reverse to get back to Hanoi. Cat Ba is such an amazing place to visit that it is one of our top recommendations. Follow this guide, and you’ll get there no problem. Once there, be sure to check out what there is to do!