This guide is about how to get from Hanoi to Halong Bay will make it easy for you to enjoy your trip to two amazing places in Vietnam: a fast-paced city and a breathtaking UNESCO Heritage Site. Halong Bay was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. Because of that, it’s been on almost every traveller’s “bucket list” ever since. The best way to get to Halong Bay is from Hanoi, which is the main city of Vietnam. It can be confusing to figure out how to get to Halong Bay from Hanoi even though there are tens of thousands of companies that plan trips and packages from Hanoi to Halong Bay. It’s safe to say that their grade varies a lot. Too many tourists have been ripped off by cheap deals, ruining their time in Halong Bay. This guide is meant to help you have the best time possible in Halong Bay and handle it like a pro:
Table of Contents
Where is Halong Bay?
Halong Bay situated on the the Northern coast of Vietnam. It is in Quảng Ninh Province, which is next to China. Another big city close by is Halong City (Thành phố Hạ Long).
The Halong Bay ship port, which is also called Tuan Chau Gateway, is where most boats and tours leave from. It is on the island of TuẤn Chau, 13 km away from Halong City and a 20-minute drive across a land bridge.
About 20 km from the port is the heart of Halong Bay, where boats go around the karsts and you can take those beautiful pictures.Hanoi, Vietnam’s main city, is about 153 km (95 miles) away from Tuan Chau island, which is where you can start your trip to Halong Bay.
How to get from Hanoi to Halong Bay Different Methods
Getting from Hanoi to Halong Bay is simple and easy in many ways. The trip, which is only 180 miles long, can usually be done in following ways:
By Bus: The bus from Hanoi to Halong Bay is pleasant and easy to use. The trip takes 3 to 4 hours. The trips mainly operates during the daytime. There are both high-end and cheap cars to choose from. Backpackers often take the Halong Bay Bus because it’s a cheap way to get around.
- There are numerous modern buses running from Hanoi to Ha Long (or Tuan Chau, Bai Chay, Cat Ba)
- There are also luxurious and very comfortable minivans,vans,limousines, or shuttle buses;
- Bus tickets from Hanoi to Ha Long cost between $4.40 and $23.
- You can buy bus tickets from Hanoi to Ha Long online at Baolau Z or 12go.asia.
- Phuc Xuyen, Kumho Viet Thanh, Hung Duc, Green Lion, Grouptour, The Sinh Tourist, Co To Limousine, Daichi Travel, and Cat Ba Express to Tuan Chau are some bus companies that go to Ha Long.
- You’ll get an email with your Ha Long e-ticket, which you can print out or show on your phone or computer at the station’s ticket counter before getting on the bus. Make sure you read all the information before you book your ticket.
Phuc Xuyen car or bus – Buses leave from either Hai Ba Trung or My Dinh. Modern buses with seats, cars, and limos are all available, and tickets cost between $5.20 and $12 per person. Buses get to Hong Hai, but the car is the fastest way to get there.
Seat buses run by Kumho Viet Thanh leave from the My Dinh bus stop. Tickets are only $4.40, making it one of the cheaper buses. It takes about 3.5 hours to get there.
Cat Ba Express is a well-known private bus business with new cars. You can take the bus to Tuan Chau Gateway (Tuan Chau Island). The trip takes three hours, or four hours if you go to Cat Ba Island.
Rosa Eco bus is one of the newest and most comfy buses on the market. Some of them stop at Bai Chay bus station or Tuan Chau Island. They also have their own cars or other vehicles.
From Hanoi to Cat Ba Island by Bus
Cat Ba Island is the biggest and most popular island in Halong Bay. Based on the bus company, the trip from Hanoi to Cat Ba takes between 3.5 and 5 hours.
There are several bus companies that go to Cat Ba. They are Cat Ba Express, Hoang Long, Inter Bus Lines, Grouptour, Daichi Travel, and others. A bus ticket costs only $9 to $16 per person, and depending on the company, it has seats or cosy beds. From Hai Phong to Cat Ba Island, you can take a boat.
You can use Baolau Z or 12go.asia to book and buy bus tickets from Hanoi to Cat Ba Island.
Your Cat Ba Island bus e-ticket will be sent to you by email. You can print it out or keep it on your phone or computer and show it when you get on the tourist bus in Hanoi City.
Cat Ba Express is a private company that runs new cars for tourists. Transport company you can trust, and the prices are cheap.
One of the best companies for getting to Cat Ba Island, with lots of happy customers. Cat Ba Express takes about 4 hours to get there, and bus prices start at $13 per person.
People also really like this private business, Good Morning Cat Ba. They have cheap bus tickets, good reviews, and brand-new buses that go to Cat Ba Island. Buses leave from the middle of Hanoi’s city heart. It takes about 3.5 hours to get there with Good Morning Cat Ba. Also, they can take you privately from Noi Bai Airport to Cat Ba.
Cat Ba Discovery is another popular private bus service to Cat Ba Island. It has good reviews and cheap seats for modern, comfy buses that start at just $11 per person.
A Minivan is like a bus, but smaller and cost a bit more. It will take you 2.5 to 3 hours to get from Hanoi to Halong Bay by car. To go on these trips again, you can pick either a normal minivan or a fancy one. They all happen during the day.
By Train: The cheapest and fastest way to get from one to the other is by train, which takes 7 hours. Every day at 4:55 am, the train leaves everyday from Hanoi’s Yen Vien station at 4.55am.
Private car: This is the most luxurious choice, but it costs the most. It’s also usually a little faster than a minivan. You can choose from normal cars, expensive cars, and SUVs. When you have a car, you can usually pick any time you want to leave! Most of the time, families and people who don’t mind spending a little extra money on comfort choose this choice.
You could also choose an aeroplane or chopper, which are both unusual and not very common. However, none of these choices are very realistic, and both of the flight possibilities are very pricey.
By Motorbike: You can rent a motorbike in Hanoi and travel on your own. This is a good option if you are an experienced motorbike driver and have your IDP. You can rent different types of motorbikes in Hanoi. You can take your motorbike from Tuan Chau harbour to Cat Ba Island by boat. Search and book your motorbike in Vietnam at Bikesbooking.com
FLY from Hanoi to Ha Long (Seaplane): Hai Au Aviation runs several direct flights from Hanoi to Ha Long (Tuan Chau Island). The flights go between Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airport and the Tuan Chau Island Marina. Along the way, you can enjoy beautiful views of the Red River Delta. The flight from Hanoi to Halong Bay (Tuan Chau) by sightseeing plane takes about 45 minutes. Taking a seaplane is a completely different experience than any other mode of transportation.
Boat / Cruise Service at Halong Bay
One important thing to keep in mind is that most tourists who visit Halong Bay want to take a boat trip to the area. These boat tours of Halong Bay are easy to book in two ways: When you get to Halong Bay. This service is available at all of the places to stay in Halong Bay.
Before you get to Halong Bay as part of a plan. You can get deals in Hanoi that include both your trip to Halong Bay and your boat tour of the bay from many different places to stay.
One of the best places to visit on an island in the world is Halong Bay. It’s rough, wild, and beautiful, but it’s also very easy to get to and visit. The bay is made up of more than 1500 rock islands.
Also, there are lots of chances to go on adventures on the island. There are many things to do in the ocean, such as swimming, hiking, kayaking, and more. When you get to land, you can enjoy delicious fish, amazing caves, and monkeys.
Things you’ll see on the way from Hanoi to Halong Bay:
Should you choose to travel by car, the first part of your trip will take you away from Hanoi’s crazy, busy roads. Just seeing scooters, cars, buses, and sometimes people walking make their way through Hanoi’s crazy roads is fun in and of itself. Hanoi’s roads are crazy, even for Southeast Asian standards. Taking the bus from Hanoi is a great way to see them.
Once you get away from the dangerous and confusing roads of Hanoi, you’ll finally reach a peaceful land. If you only see Hanoi, you might think that Vietnam is full of bicycles, noise, and chaos. It’s not, though.
The bus ride from Hanoi to Halong Bay will continue through quiet towns and rice fields. Also, don’t be surprised if you have to slow down to let huge groups of cows cross the road. It takes place all the time in Vietnam!
When you reach the last stretch and see the ocean, Vietnam will feel very different from the busy city of Hanoi you left behind.
There are a lot of similar things to see on the train from Hanoi to Halong Bay. The only difference is that you won’t have to deal with traffic.
It’s a beautiful trip to a beautiful part of the world no matter how you do it. You will enjoy the trip to Halong Bay whether you take the bus or something else.
One great thing about the trip from Hanoi to Halong Bay is how different the two places are from each other. A lot of people visit Vietnam, but these two places couldn’t be more different from each other. You should visit both of them, though.
When is the best time of year to go to Halong Bay?
When you should go depends on what kind of weather you like. When it comes to Halong Bay, you can do a few different things:
Between September and December, when it doesn’t rain much and is nice outside, this is the busiest time for tourists. The temperature is about 22°C, which is great for swimming, climbing, and lying out in the sun. However, this is also the busy time. If you want to stay away from people, this is not the time to go.
The weather is about the same from March to May, but there are a few more guests and a bigger chance of rain. Still, it’s not likely to rain, and the weather is great, with an average temperature of 24°C.
From January to February, Halong Bay is at its quietest and most mysteriously misty. There will be fewer people, but it will be foggy and cool. This weather isn’t good for lying out in the sun or doing other beach activities, but the mist makes Halong Bay feel strange and magical. The temperature is usually around 16°C.
While it’s hot and muggy (about 29°C) from June to August, a lot of people come to visit. This is also the time of year when the monsoons are most likely to happen. The weather can make it hard to do many things during these warm months, so it’s not a good time to go.
When is the best time of year to go to Hanoi?
From February to April and from September to November are the best times to go. The weather is great at these times—it’s not too hot, and it doesn’t look like it will rain. The temperature stays around 21C from February to April. From September to November, it gets a little warmer, to 25°C.
It can get too hot to stand from May to August, when it’s almost 30C. This may not seem like a very high temperature, but the humidity makes it feel much warmer. There are also a lot of monsoons this time of year, which can make the city nasty.
This makes Hanoi cold, wet, damp, and grey in December and January. It feels a lot cooler than 17C, which is the average temperature.
Going there during Tet is not a good idea. Tet, the Vietnamese New Year, is a big party. Hanoi stops moving during this time. It’s not a good time to visit Hanoi because most shops and restaurants are closed. Every year the dates are different, but they’re always sometime between January and February. Check the times before you go.
It’s not too bad during Tet outside of big towns. During this time, smaller places are still easy to get to and fun to visit, but if you can, you should stay away from all travel during Tet.
If you go to Hanoi at the right time of year, you’ll find a busy, lively city full of crazy people, friendly people, and some of the best street food in the world.
