Hanoi to Cat Ba Island Bus: Schedule, Price & Useful Tips

Among the massive ways to get to Cat Ba Island from Hanoi, swimming seems not to be a good choice (about 160 km distant), you could do it better than Michael Phelps though. Check my article for Hanoi to Cat Ba bus with the latest schedule, price in 2022.

The distance from Hanoi to Cat Ba is about 160K and the bus picks you up from Hanoi then goes through the 5B Expressway and take you about 3 hours in total. You will stop at the rest area for about 20 minutes for tea or coffee halfway. And Cat Ba Island is not too far from there.

Let’s see the details of the Hanoi to Cat Ba bus below.

Overview of Hanoi to Cat Ba Island bus

The bus types used vary from 9 seater bus to 45 seater bus, depending on the quantity of the guests and the bus company. All of the buses are equipped with AC, luggage area, free wifi and water, English speaking tour guide.

• 9 - seater bus: this is the most comfortable bus with a limited seater, which is designed for a small group of guests.
• 29 - seater bus: it is suitable for a bigger group of people, legroom is not so spacious. Hyundai County Branch is usually used.
• 35 - seater bus: it is a better option for a large group of people. Hyundai Universe, Thaco, Samco are popular branches.
• 45 - seater bus: it is the best option for a large group. The legroom is big and the AC works very well under the hot weather. Hyundai Universe, Hyundai Aero Hi-class are often used.

Hanoi to Cat Ba Bus

 

Hanoi to Cat Ba bus schedule & price (Updated 2021)

Buses from Hanoi to Cat Ba island leave daily and the pick-up time is various from morning time to afternoon time. They will pick you up at your hotel if you stay in Hanoi Old Quarter. The bus fares range from US$ 11 to US$ 14 per person for one way. You will get some discounts if you book for a round trip. The drop off point is at Cat Ba town.

Bus type	Hanoi to Cat Ba	Cat Ba to Hanoi	Round trip
9 seater bus	US$ 11 - 14	US$ 11 - 13	US$ 21 - 25
29 seater bus
35 seater bus
45 seater bus

 

Top 4 best bus brands from Hanoi to Cat Ba Island

There are many bus company operate daily from Hanoi to Cat Ba, we highly recommend you 4 best brand which suitable for foreigner tourist below:

1. Cat Ba Express

• Schedule: Hanoi (bus) > Got Ferry (get on Speed boat about 15 min) – Cat Ba town (bus) ~ 5 hours/ one way
• Facilities: 29 - seater or 35 - seater Hyundai Universe, comfortable seat with seatbelt and extra legroom, AC, free wifi and water.
• Price:

Bus type	Duration	Hanoi – Cat Ba	Cat Ba – Hanoi	Ticket price
35-seat bus	3.5 hours	8:00 11:00	12:25 15:30	11 USD/ one way
				21 USD/ round trip

 Cat Ba Express is one of the first company which uses speed boat instead of local ferry. In this way, the guests can save a lot of time for travelling. They normally use 35 seater Hyundai Universe, which has very big legroom and comfortable seats, therefore, it is not a problem if you are a Big Boy.

Hanoi to Cat Ba Express Bus

 

2. Good morning Catba

• Schedule: Hanoi (bus) > Got Ferry (get on Speed boat about 15 min) – Cat Ba town (bus) ~ 5 hours/ one way
• Facilities: 35 seater bus - Comfortable seat with seatbelt and extra legroom, AC, free wifi
• Price:

Bus type	Duration	Hanoi – Cat Ba	Cat Ba – Hanoi	Ticket price
35-seat bus	3.5 hours	7:30 10:30 14:00	9:00 12:30 16:00	11 - 14 USD/ one way
				25 USD/ round trip

Good morning Cat Ba is famous among bus companies operate transfer from Hanoi to Cat Ba. Their buses are spacious with 35 seaters. They often limit the passengers to make the guests using their service has their best comfort. Their tour guides are enthusiastic and good at speaking English.

Good morning Cat Ba bus from Hanoi

3. Cat Ba Discovery

• Schedule:

Normal bus + local ferry: Hanoi (bus) > Got Ferry (get on Local ferry about 30 min) – Cat Ba town (bus)

Normal bus + speed boat: Hanoi (bus) > Got Ferry (get on Speed boat about 15 min) – Cat Ba town (bus)

• Facilities: Samco bus 29 & 45 seaters, AC, free wifi and water
• Price

Bus type	Duration	Hanoi – Cat Ba	Cat Ba – Hanoi	Ticket price
Normal bus with local ferry	4 hours	7:45 9:30 12:00 14:30	7:45 8:30 13:00 15:30	12.5 USD/ one way
Normal bus with speed boat	3.5 hours	7:40 10:30 14:00	9:15 12:30 15:30	14 USD/ one way

Cat Ba Discovery is one of the newest companies that operate the transfer from Hanoi to Cat Ba. Their services are good at supporting customers at any time. Free wifi and water are also equipped on the bus. They provide 2 options with both the local ferry and speed boat. Therefore, you guys can consider and choose the option that fits your desire. Besides, their buses depart from the morning to the afternoon. Do not worry if you miss the first bus.

Cat Ba Discover Bus from Hanoi

 

4. Hoang Long bus

• Schedule: Hanoi (bus) > Got Ferry (get on Speed boat about 15 min) – Cat Ba town (bus) ~ 5 hours/ one way
• Facilities: 9 seater limousine bus and 45 seater bus Comfortable seat with seatbelt and extra legroom, AC, free wifi and water.
• Price

Bus type	Duration	Hanoi – Cat Ba	Cat Ba – Hanoi	Ticket fee
9 seater limousine bus	3.5 hours	8:00 10:00 13:30	9:00 12:30 16:00	13 USD/ one way
45 seater bus

The final option for the bus from Hanoi to Cat Ba island is the bus from Hoang Long. They offer 2 kinds of buses, which are 9 seaters and 45 seater bus. The 9 – seater bus picks you up at their office, 3 minutes away from Hanoi Old Quarter. The other option departures from the local bus station. The bus driver is well trained and skilful, I am sure that you will have a good sleep on the way.

Hoang Long Bus Hanoi to Cat Ba

 

Local tips for travel from Hanoi to Cat Ba by bus

Be smart at choosing where to spend your money

Obviously, booking the tickets through a travel agency helps you save time and get discounts because they cooperate with the bus as the long-time partner. Moreover, almost all hotline customer services of the bus companies cannot speak English well. They may miss your booking or misunderstanding. Choosing a professional travel agency to fix this. You just choose the day then they will book and reserve everything for you.

Travelling is for not brain-storming but enjoying! Discuss with your hotel receptionists for the tickets or check BestPrice Travel for your good deal today!

 

Remember “women are always right”

The bus schedule will make the guests stop several times, which is not so easy for the people who carry a lot of stuff. Therefore, do not carry a “body” in your bag. Normally, if the bus picks up people in Hanoi on time, you guys will go through the 5B Expressway (120km/h maximum). You pass through Hung Yen province (which is very famous for delicious and big longan), then stop at Hai Duong province for relaxing. And remember the toilet for women on the right side because women are always right in Vietnamese culture.

 

Enjoy the great view from the local ferry

After leaving the rest stop, it is one hour of driving to Got Ferry, where you take the speed boat or local ferry, depending on your bus company. If you go with the local ferry, please enjoy the fantastic view of Lan Ha bay with beer and hang out with your friends on the top floor of the ferry. However, the Cat Ba ferry is very slow, it takes you 30 minutes this way. By speed boat, it is much faster. Choose your seat next to the Captain, which is the best for view and avoids the bad smell of the engines.

Enjoy great view from Ferry to Cat Ba

 

Double-check everything before leaving

As the normal itinerary, for the trip from Hanoi to Cat Ba island by bus, you guys must go through this: bus (number 1) > local ferry or speed boat > bus (number 2). Easily, you will use 2 different buses in most bus companies. Therefore, you have to move and carry your luggage more than once. Remember to check everything carefully before getting out of the bus. Do not forget your wife, babies or beers.

 

Be ready to walk

The bus companies normally send you to the closest place to your hotel in Cat Ba town, about 2 minutes in walking distance. If your hotel is on the way to the bus, you are lucky enough, they drop you off in front of your hotel.

 

Prepare your internet connection

The wifi on the bus is not a strong internet connection, even though it has a very good signal because they use a 3G sim card for the wifi and moreover, you know, there are a lot of people on the bus. What happens if 45 people get access to weak wifi at the same time. You know the result. Buying a Vietnamese sim card solves this. You should choose Viettel because they are the best on this island.

 

Be at the right time of the season

Cat Ba Island is very touristic in the summertime (May, June, July, and August). You should consider if you go to the island on that “populated time”. You may wait at the local ferry for a long time (about 1 hour), for my experience, I even have to walk 10 minutes from the parking area to the waiting room due to the long line of queuing to wait for the ferry and everything is much more expensive on the high season. However, you know, Cat Ba Island attracts tourists for reasons and it is worth it for you to try with shiny sunny beaches and beautiful weather. As our old saying: “the more visitors a place has, the better it is”, it is right for Cat Ba Island on the high season. In this case, you can choose to travel on Cat Ba Cruise instead which do not worry about the crowded, you will transfer to a quiet area which can enjoy the beautiful scenery and wonderful activities.

Hanoi to Cat Ba Cruise

 

Cat Ba Island is beautiful for its landscapes and history. Plan your trip and book the tickets for your unforgettable moments there. Contact BestPrice Travel for your best trip. You enjoy, we plan everything!!

 

Mr River

(Image source: Internet)