Small-group Cat Ba Island & Lan Ha Bay tours, run by locals
Small group trekking, kayaking, caves and real island life. Run by locals who actually live here. Best in the quiet season.
Locally run on Cat Ba Island. New, and proud of it. Read our latest guest reviews on TripAdvisor.
Local guides who grew up on the island and know the spots no map shows.
Clear, friendly communication from your first message to the last goodbye.
Real people on WhatsApp, 7am to 11pm, every day. No ticket queues.
Safety-first trips, quality boats and proper gear on every departure.
Not sure where to start? Pick the style that sounds like you and we will show the trips that fit. You can always change your mind.
Handcrafted trips for every kind of traveller. Small groups, big adventures, fair prices.
2 Days 1 Night · Max 10
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1 Day · Max 16
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1 Day · Max 12
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Half Day · Max 8
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1 Day · Max 10
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3 Days 2 Nights · Private
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4 hours · Small group
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Full day · Small group
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Half day · Small group
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We live here, we run the trips ourselves, and we treat you like a friend visiting town.
Deep local knowledge, hidden spots and genuine hospitality you won't find on big group tours.
Quality boats, proper equipment and experienced guides on every single trip.
One message on WhatsApp and you've got a real local answering, before and during your trip.
No cookie-cutter routes. We shape every trip around your pace, your interests, your way.
Cat Ba is a year-round destination, but each activity has its sweet spot. Here is how the seasons line up, based on local weather. Message us and we will match your trip to the conditions.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high °C | 19 | 20 | 22 | 26 | 30 | 34 | 34 | 32 | 30 | 28 | 25 | 22 |
| 🛶 Bay cruise & kayak | • | • | • | ★ | ★ | ★ | • | • | ★ | ★ | ★ | • |
| 🏊 Swimming | • | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | • | ||||
| 🧗 Rock climbing & DWS | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | • | • | ★ | ★ | ★ | |||
| 🥾 Trekking | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | • | • | ★ | ★ | ★ |
Wettest months are Jun–Sep; trekking and climbing are best in the cool, dry season (Nov–Apr), while swimming and warm-water deep water soloing peak May–Oct.
I grew up between the harbour and the national park, fishing with my father and watching the langurs on the cliffs. After years away, I came home to share the Cat Ba that locals know, not the version on the day-trip flyers.
Every trip we run is one I'd take my own friends on. We answer your WhatsApp late into the night. If anything ever feels off, you message me directly.
Here is what a day with us actually feels like, from the bay to the cliffs to the back roads.
Cruise Lan Ha Bay past hundreds of limestone karsts, kayak into still lagoons the big boats never reach, and swim off the deck in the middle of it all. At the end of the day the light goes gold over the water.
Pull onto warm limestone with a guide on the rope, the bay dropping away beneath you, then lean back and abseil down the face. On deep water soloing the only thing under you is the sea, so you climb as high as you dare and let go.
A quiet road winding through rice fields and jungle to a village most day-trippers never see. Roll past water buffalo and old stone houses, stop for a home-cooked lunch, and meet the Cat Ba that lives away from the harbour.
When the boats go quiet the water can light up: brush a paddle through it and bioluminescent plankton glow around you. Cap the day with fresh seafood by the harbour and a sky full of stars over the karsts.
Why travellers are swapping crowded Ha Long for Lan Ha Bay, and how to experience it from Cat Ba.
How to do Cat Ba affordably: transport, beds, food and tours, with rough daily costs and money-saving tips.
Weather, crowds and prices across the year, so you can plan the trip that fits what you want to do.
Fewer than 70 are left and they live on this island and nowhere else. The conservation story, and whether you can really see one.
Every verifiable fee in one table: park, caves, Cannon Fort, ferries, kayaks and boats, plus three sample daily budgets.
A realistic three day plan with timings, fees and two versions of the national park day.
Honest guides to getting here, what to do, and when to come.
Tell us a little about your trip. A local from our team replies on WhatsApp, usually within the hour (7AM to 11PM Vietnam time), and helps you shape the days. No deposit to enquire.