How to get to Cat Ba island from Ninh Binh ? All transportation.

 

What are the transportation options to go from Ninh Binh to Cat Ba?

Several transportation options are available to you to reach Cat Ba Island from Ninh Binh:

The most comfortable and expensive: renting a private car;

The economical and smart choice: a private company bus;

The backpacker’s choice: local bus;

The not-so-good choice: the train.

Let’s explore these different possibilities in detail.

 

The comfortable choice: from Ninh Binh to Cat Ba by private car

As with your journey from Hanoi to Cat Ba, it is also possible to rent a private car and the services of a driver for the Tam Coc – Cat Ba Island route. You can book this service either with your hotel on-site or with a travel agency, such as Parfum d’Automne, which has partners (guides, car rental services, etc.) in Tam Coc.

Here is the price we offer for the round trip Hanoi – Cat Ba. As the car has to return to Ninh Binh, a round trip is necessary.

 

Type of car	Total price (en USD)
7 seats car	190
16 seats car	210

 

This price includes the rental of the vehicle and the driver’s services, highway tolls (round trip), and ferry tickets (round trip) to Cat Ba Island.

Allow about 2.5 hours of travel to reach the Pha Got port. You will then take the ferry (30 minutes of waiting and a 20-minute crossing) to reach the city of Cat Ba (30 minutes). In total, you will arrive in Cat Ba City after approximately 4 hours of travel.

This price includes the rental of the vehicle and the driver’s services, highway tolls (round trip), and ferry tickets (round trip) to Cat Ba Island.

Allow about 3 hours of travel to reach the Pha Got port. You will then take the ferry (30 minutes of waiting and a 20-minute crossing) to reach the city of Cat Ba (30 minutes). In total, you will arrive in Cat Ba City after approximately 4.5 hours of travel.

 

Sunset in Cat Ba island, Vietnam. Photo: stock PixaBay

 

If you choose this comfortable means of transportation and plan to visit both Cat Ba and Ninh Binh, we recommend booking a 3-day tour. This tour would include the rental of a private car and the services of a driver, the presence of a English-speaking guide throughout the circuit, activities (cruises, visits, meals, etc.), as well as accommodations.

 

The economical and smart choice: from Ninh Binh to Cat Ba Island by tourist bus

If you are already in Tam Coc and want to travel to Cat Ba Island on your own, we recommend booking tickets with one of the tourist bus companies that operate several times a day on this route.

By booking a ticket with the following companies, you are essentially purchasing a package that includes both bus and ferry services to take you to the town of Cat Ba in the south of the island.

Here is some useful information:

Compagny	Schedule	Duration	Price (USD)
Good Morning Cat Ba	06h30 – 12h00 09h00 – 14h30 13h00 – 18h30	5h30	15
Daiichi Travel	14h00 – 18h00	04h00	12
The Long Travel	06h30 – 10h30 9h30 – 13h30 13h00 – 18h00	4h 4h 5h	12

 

To book the journey with one of these companies, you have several options:

# Go directly to the bus company’s office;

# Book through your hotel in Tam Coc;

# Book with a travel agency like Parfum d’Automne, which offers very competitive prices;

# Book online on platforms like Bookaway.

Note that we recommend booking with a person you can contact in case of need. Online platforms are convenient but less flexible.

Parfum d’Automne agency is accustomed to working with The Long Travel and Daiichi, which has recently opened a bus route connecting Tam Coc to Cat Ba. That’s why there is currently only one available schedule. It is also, of course, possible to travel from Cat Ba to Tam Coc with these companies.

 

Bus from Daiichi company

 

The backpacker’s choice: from Ninh Binh to Cat Ba Island by local bus and then boat

It is entirely possible to take a bus from the Ninh Binh bus station, not to Cat Ba Island, but to Haiphong… We can recommend the sleeper buses from the Hoang Long company. The price is around 8 dollars per person, and the journey takes 2.5 hours. There is one morning departure and two evening departures (hence the sleeper bus).

Here is the interior of the bus :

 

 

Once in Haiphong, you will need to go to Pha Binh port to take a shuttle to Cat Ba. You can choose from the following companies:

 

Company	Schedule
Cat Ba Island Resort and Spa	9h – 13h – 16h
Mekong Hoang Yen	7h – 9h30 – 11h30 – 13h30 – 15h
Hadeco	7h – 8h – 10h – 13h – 15h – 16h

 

Boat from Mekong Hoang Yen

 

Expect to pay about 12 dollars per ticket and a 45-minute crossing.

The two journeys combined, the cost is higher than a tourist bus trip… Therefore, we recommend this budget option only if you plan to stay for just one day and night in Haiphong.

 

The bad choice : from Ninh Binh to Cat Ba by train

Bad choice because… there is no train connecting Ninh Binh to Haiphong! The train route goes through Hanoi… Why go through Hanoi when buses can take you directly to Cat Ba Island? You may consider it if you plan to visit Hanoi before heading to Cat Ba Island.

You will need to take a taxi to get from Tam Coc to the Ninh Binh bus station.

 

How to access to Cat Ba island ? 

We have mentioned the different ways to reach Cat Ba Island, but we will summarize them here:

 

Access Cat Ba Island by ferry from Pha Got

This is how you will access Cat Ba Island if you take the bus from Hanoi on your own or if you book a cruise in Lan Ha Bay from the Ben Beo port in the south of the island. Through this route, you will arrive in the north of Cat Ba Island. You will then need to continue the journey by bus to reach the town of Cat Ba located in the south of the island.

 

Itinerary on map :

 

Access Cat Ba Island by speedboat from Pha Got

During the peak tourist season, from May to September, the ferry is often crowded. Bus companies then collaborate with speedboats to transport their clients to Cat Ba Island. The boat goes directly to the town of Cat Ba. This won’t cost you more!

 

Speed boat from Pha Got to Cat Ba. Photo: Mathieu Arnaudet

 

Access Cat Ba Island by boat from Pha Binh (Haiphong)

For those taking the train from Hanoi to Haiphong or if you are already in Haiphong, we suggest heading to the port of Pha Binh, located 10km from the center of Haiphong. From there, you can take a boat from one of the mentioned companies that will transport you to the town of Cat Ba. You can purchase a ticket either at the port or at your hotel in Haiphong.

 

Here is the itinerary to get to the port from the center of Hai Phong :

 

An access by cable car

Vietnam has a penchant for cable cars, much like the French have a fondness for roundabouts. So, a cable car has been constructed, connecting the port of Pha Got to Cat Ba Island! As of the time this article is written – May 2023 – the cable car is not in operation.

You now have all the information to travel to Cat Ba Island from Hanoi!

 

Feel free to contact us to visit Cat Ba and Lan Ha bay