An independent guide to Ha Long Bay, Lan Ha and Bai Tu Long
The bays · Lan Ha Bay
Lan Ha Bay: smaller islets, more beaches, a different province
Lan Ha Bay lies south and east of Cat Ba Island, at the south-western end of the karst coast. It has the same limestone towers as Ha Long Bay on a smaller scale, more small beaches, and Cat Ba as a base on land. It also belongs to Hai Phong, not Quang Ninh.
At a glance
- Administered by
- Hai Phong city
- Base
- Cat Ba Island
- Nights
- 1–2
- Islands
- About 400
- Swimming months
- May–October
- Storm season
- May–November
What Lan Ha Bay is really like
Lan Ha Bay has around 400 islands and islets in a little over 7,000 hectares, much of it inside Cat Ba National Park, which was established in 1986. The islets are closer together and lower than the largest towers of central Ha Long Bay, and the bay is full of small sandy coves: one count gives 139. The Vietnam News Agency names Van Boi and Van Ha beaches for snorkelling, and Sang, Toi, Vem and Ham Rong among the caves.
Administratively it is a separate place. Lan Ha Bay and Cat Ba Island belong to Hai Phong city, governed since 2025 as the Cat Hai special zone. The UNESCO listing was extended to the Cat Ba Archipelago in 2023, making the heritage site shared between Quang Ninh and Hai Phong. In 2025 the World Heritage Committee recorded serious concern about tourism and infrastructure building on Cat Ba and in the buffer zone, and asked Vietnam not to go ahead with a large tourism project in Cat Ba's central bay until its impact had been assessed.
That is the honest picture of Cat Ba town too: a busy, still-growing resort with construction and traffic, especially on summer weekends. Visitor numbers in the special zone reached nearly 4.6 million in 2025, 1.33 million of them international. The bay beyond the town is quieter than central Ha Long Bay, but it is not empty, and the coves nearest to Cat Ba fill up first.
Sources: Wikipedia — Lan Hạ Bay; Wikipedia — Cát Bà National Park; Vietnam News Agency — Ha Long Bay–Cat Ba Archipelago, a world natural heritage; Wikipedia — Cát Hải special zone, Hải Phòng; VnEconomy — Cát Hải special zone under the two-tier government model (January 2026); UNESCO World Heritage Committee — decision 47 COM 7B.16 (2025); Vietnam National Authority of Tourism — Ha Long Bay–Cat Ba Archipelago recognised by UNESCO · last checked .
Kayaking: check the status for your date
Kayaking is the main reason many people choose Lan Ha, and it has also been the least stable rule. Kayak services in Lan Ha Bay were suspended in 2024 while new regulations were drawn up. A tour company's 2025 guide lists Lan Ha as open to kayaking again. We have not found an official notice confirming the current rules, so ask whoever runs your trip whether kayaking is licensed on your date and where.
Where it runs, the usual pattern is a boat to a sheltered lagoon or a beach, then an hour or so paddling between islets with a life jacket, which the rules require. Details on kayaking across all three bays are on the kayaking and beaches page.
Sources: Wikipedia — Lan Hạ Bay; Halong Bay kayaking guide 2025 (published by a tour company) · last checked .
How long to spend
As a planning estimate, one night is the minimum that makes Lan Ha worth the extra travel compared with Ha Long Bay. Getting to Cat Ba from Hanoi takes about four to five and a half hours by bus and ferry, so a day trip from Hanoi spends more time on the road than on the water.
Two nights allow a full day on the bay and a morning on the island: the national park, the village of Viet Hai, or a beach. If you are coming from Ha Long city instead, the public ferry from Tuan Chau to Gia Luan takes about 40 to 60 minutes, which makes Lan Ha a natural second stop rather than a separate trip.
Sources: Vietnamtourism.com — getting to Cat Ba, 2026 transport guide (commercial guide); Cat Ba ferry guide (published by a cruise company) · last checked .
When to go
Lan Ha shares Ha Long's climate. The sea is warmest from June to September, at about 29 to 30°C, but those are also the stormiest months. May, June and the first half of October are a reasonable compromise for swimming, with sea temperatures around 27 to 29°C. From December to March the water drops to about 19 to 22°C, the air is cool and often misty, and swimming is for the hardy.
Storm closures here come from Hai Phong's authorities, not Quang Ninh's. After Storm Kajiki in August 2025, for example, the Hai Phong civil defence command lifted sea restrictions from 10 am on 26 August. A Ha Long boat crossing into Lan Ha can be affected by either side's notice.
Sources: weather2travel — Ha Long Bay monthly climate averages (CRU and Met Office data); Hai Phong newspaper — sea restrictions lifted after Storm Kajiki (August 2025); UK Foreign Office — Vietnam safety and security · last checked .
Getting there
| Route | Time | Reported cost | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanoi – Got pier by bus, car ferry to Cai Vieng, road to Cat Ba town | 4 to 5.5 hours | 230,000–350,000 VND | Most common public route; crosses the Tan Vu – Lach Huyen bridge |
| Hanoi – Cat Ba by private car with the Got ferry | 3 to 4 hours | 1.5–2.5 million VND per car | Weekend queues at the ferry can add time |
| Ha Long, Tuan Chau – Gia Luan public ferry | 40 to 60 minutes | About 40,000–80,000 VND per adult | Sources disagree on the fare; departures roughly every two hours in daytime |
| Hai Phong, Ben Binh – Cat Ba high-speed boat | About 45 minutes | 200,000–300,000 VND | Reach Hai Phong by train or bus first |
Day boats into Lan Ha usually leave from Ben Beo pier, about 2 km from Cat Ba town. Some overnight boats have left from Tuan Chau since construction affected Got pier from 2022. Ferries can leave early or be cancelled when few passengers turn up, so arrive at least half an hour before the listed time.
Sources: Vietnamtourism.com — getting to Cat Ba, 2026 transport guide (commercial guide); Cat Ba ferry guide (published by a cruise company); Halong Bay port guide (published by a cruise company) · last checked .
Rough costs
| Item | Cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ha Long Bay route VHL6 to Gia Luan and Lan Ha | 150,000 VND per person | Ha Long Bay fee, from 1 May 2025 |
| Lan Ha sightseeing fee and national park ticket | Not confirmed | Collected at the pier or gate; confirm |
| Bus and ferry from Hanoi, one way | About 230,000–350,000 VND | Reported range |
| Kayak hire | About 150,000 VND per hour | Reported for 2025; where licensed |
Hotel and boat prices on Cat Ba vary sharply between a weekday in March and a Saturday in July. We do not publish them. Check before you go.
Sources: Ha Long Bay Management Board — fees for three added routes, Resolution 51/2025/NQ-HĐND; Vietnamtourism.com — getting to Cat Ba, 2026 transport guide (commercial guide); Halong Bay kayaking guide 2025 (published by a tour company) · last checked .
Pictures
Who should skip Lan Ha Bay, and when not to go
- If you only have one day from Hanoi: the journey is longer than to Ha Long, and the time on the water shrinks.
- If you want the famous large caves of Ha Long Bay: Lan Ha's caves are smaller and the draw here is the water.
- If you expected a quiet island town: Cat Ba town is busy, built-up and loud on summer weekends.
- In a storm warning, or in the cool months if swimming and kayaking are the point of the trip.
- If kayaking is essential and you cannot confirm it is licensed on your date.
Common questions
Questions readers ask
Is Lan Ha Bay part of Ha Long Bay?
It is part of the same limestone seascape and, since 2023, of the same UNESCO World Heritage site, but it is a separate bay administered by Hai Phong city rather than Quang Ninh province.
Can I kayak in Lan Ha Bay?
Kayaking was suspended in 2024 pending new rules and was reported open again in 2025. Confirm with your boat that kayaking is licensed on your date before you book for it.
How do I get from Ha Long to Cat Ba?
Take the public ferry from Tuan Chau to Gia Luan on the north of Cat Ba, about 40 to 60 minutes, then about 30 minutes by road to Cat Ba town.
Is one night enough for Lan Ha Bay?
One night is the minimum that makes the journey worthwhile. Two nights allow a full day on the water and time on Cat Ba Island.
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