15 Best Things to Do on Cat Ba Island (2026)
Cat Ba packs an unusual amount into one island: a UNESCO-listed national park, the karst seascape of Lan Ha Bay, hidden beaches, wartime history and some of Vietnam’s best rock climbing. Here are the 15 things we’d genuinely recommend, grouped so you can build a day or two around what you enjoy most.
Quick answer
The essentials are a Lan Ha Bay boat day with kayaking, a walk in Cat Ba National Park, Cannon Fort at sunset, Hospital Cave, and the Cat Co beaches. Three days covers all of it. Budget roughly 400,000 to 500,000 VND per adult in entry fees across those three days.
Things to do on Cat Ba at a glance
| Best single day | Lan Ha Bay boat trip with kayaking |
|---|---|
| Best viewpoint | Cannon Fort, 40,000 VND, 45 min before sunset |
| Best walk | Ngu Lam Peak, 3.6 km return, about 2 hours |
| Best rainy day | Hospital Cave and Trung Trang Cave |
| Best free thing | The Cat Co cliff path, 15 minutes |
| Park hours | 07:00 to 17:00 daily |
| Total entry fees, 3 days | About 400,000 to 500,000 VND |
| Time needed | 3 days for a first visit |
| Best months | October to April |
On the water and in the bay
1. Cruise Lan Ha Bay
The headline experience. A day boat from Ben Beo Harbour takes you among the same limestone karsts as Ha Long but with a fraction of the traffic. Most day cruises cost about $25 to $35 and include kayaking, swimming and lunch on board.
2. Kayak the hidden lagoons
Lan Ha is made for kayaking, with quiet lagoons and sea caves you paddle through into hidden pools. You can rent a kayak or boat at Ben Beo (roughly 400,000 to 600,000 VND for a boat seating up to six) or join a guided trip.
3. Visit Monkey Island (Cat Dua)
A short boat ride away, Monkey Island has a pretty beach and a resident troop of cheeky macaques. You can climb the rocky path for a view, just keep an eye on your snacks and belongings around the monkeys.
4. Escape to Nam Cat island
Largely uninhabited, Nam Cat has a calm 500-metre beach that’s great for kayaking and quiet swimming.
In Cat Ba National Park
The park covers nearly half the island and was named a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2004. It’s open daily 8am to 5pm, with entry around 40,000 VND.
5. Trek to Ngu Lam peak
The most popular hike is a short but steep climb to the Ngu Lam viewpoint, around 45 to 90 minutes return, with panoramas over the jungle and karsts.
6. Take on the Viet Hai jungle trek
For something tougher, a 9 km trail crosses the park to Viet Hai village. Go with a guide: there is still unexploded ordnance off-trail from the war.
7. Explore Trung Trang Cave
Inside the park, this 300-metre cave winds past stalactites and limestone pillars. Entry is about 40,000 VND.
History and local life
8. Watch the sunset from Cannon Fort
Perched 177 metres up, Cannon Fort was built in 1942 and used across three wars. Today it’s the island’s best viewpoint with sweeping views over Lan Ha Bay, especially at sunset. Entry is about 50,000 VND.
9. Step inside Hospital Cave
Built between 1963 and 1965, this three-storey, bomb-proof cave served as a secret wartime hospital. It’s about 10 to 13 km north of town and entry is roughly 15,000 VND.
10. See Cai Beo floating village
Just 2 km from town near Ben Beo, Cai Beo is one of Vietnam’s oldest floating villages, with around 300 floating houses and families who still fish and farm the water.
11. Cycle to Viet Hai village
The gentler way to reach Viet Hai is by boat then bicycle. You ride past rice fields and forested hills into a quiet farming village.
Beaches, climbing and food
12. Relax at the Cat Co beaches
A 10-minute walk southeast of town brings you to Cat Co 1, 2 and 3. Cat Co 2 is the prettiest, with a nice swathe of white sand.
13. Try rock climbing or deep water soloing
Cat Ba is one of the best climbing spots in Vietnam, with 120-plus routes across 13 crags, plus deep water soloing straight off the sea cliffs.
14. Feast on fresh seafood
The island is known for seafood pulled straight from the bay. Look for local specialities like horseshoe crab (sam) and geoduck clam (tu hai).
15. Ride the cross-island road
Rent a scooter or hop on the local bus (about 25,000 VND) and ride the road that cuts north through the national park.
Entry fees at a glance
| Place | Approx. entry | Hours / notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cat Ba National Park | 40,000 VND | 8am–5pm daily |
| Ngu Lam peak guide | 200,000 VND | 45–90 min return |
| Cannon Fort | 50,000 VND | Best at sunset |
| Hospital Cave | 15,000 VND | ~10–13 km north of town |
| Trung Trang Cave | 40,000 VND | Or included with park ticket |
Let us put a day together for you. Bay cruise, national park trek, village cycling — we can combine the highlights into one easy trip with a local guide. Plan my Cat Ba day on WhatsApp
Every entry fee, with child rates and opening hours
| Place | Adult | Child | Practical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cat Ba National Park, basic entry | 80,000 VND | 50,000 VND (1m to 1.4m), free under 1m | Open 07:00 to 17:00, 14 km from town |
| Park route: Ngu Lam, Kim Giao forest, Trung Trang Cave | 120,000 VND | 60,000 VND | Best value if doing both |
| Park, full circuit | 160,000 VND | 80,000 VND | For a full day inside |
| Trung Trang Cave | 80,000 VND | Ask at the gate | 300 m lit passage, weatherproof |
| Cannon Fort | 40,000 VND | Ask at the gate | Plus 10,000 VND scooter parking. Go 45 min before sunset |
| Hospital Cave | 40,000 VND | Ask at the gate | Three levels, limited English signage |
| Lan Ha Bay sightseeing | 120,000 VND | 60,000 VND | Charged on top of the boat |
| Kayak conservation fee | 40,000 VND | 40,000 VND | Self rental only |
Under sixes and visitors with severe disabilities enter the bay free. Seniors, students and recognised ethnic minority groups pay half with documentation. Bring cash, the windows are unreliable with cards.
What each thing costs to do
| Activity | Price |
|---|---|
| Kayak self rental | 100,000 to 150,000 VND per hour |
| Guided kayak tour | 400,000 to 600,000 VND |
| Lan Ha Bay day tour, group boat | Around 37 to 55 USD |
| Half day sunset cruise | Around 25 USD |
| Rock climbing, half day guided | 500,000 to 800,000 VND |
| Boat to Monkey Island, return | 100,000 to 150,000 VND |
| Boat tour including Viet Hai | 300,000 to 500,000 VND |
| Scooter hire | About 200,000 VND a day |
| Cooking class | Around 1,400,000 VND |
The trails, if you only knew about Ngu Lam
Cat Ba National Park covers about 152 square kilometres and was established in 1986. Most visitors do one short walk and leave, which is a shame, because the trail network is considerably bigger.
| Route | Time | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Botanical garden loop | About 30 min | Easy |
| Ngu Lam Peak | About 2 hrs, 3.6 km return | Moderate |
| May Bau to Hospital Cave | About 4 hrs | Moderate |
| Ao Ech (Frog Lake) to Viet Hai | 4 to 6 hrs, 14 km | Challenging |
| Kim Giao to Me Con to Tung Di | About 5 hrs | Challenging |
The free half of the island
- The Cat Co cliff path. A fifteen minute walk on a walkway cut into the rock, linking Cat Co 1, 2 and 3. Free, and one of the best short walks here.
- Cat Ba Town harbour at night. The squid boats light up offshore in the warmer months.
- The northern coast road. Quiet tarmac, karst on one side, water on the other. Costs you fuel and nothing else.
- Tung Thu and Chut Chit beaches. The alternatives when Cat Co gets busy.
- Watching the fish pens work at Ben Beo. Early morning, before the boats leave.
How much time do you need
One day covers the bay and nothing else. Two days covers the bay and either the park or the town. Three days is the right answer for a first visit and is what we build our hour by hour itinerary around. Four or more only pays off if you are climbing, diving, or staying overnight in Viet Hai.
Common questions
A full day on Lan Ha Bay with kayaking. Around 400 islands, 139 mostly undeveloped beaches and a fraction of the boat traffic of Ha Long. If you only do one thing here, do that.
Budget 400,000 to 500,000 VND per adult in entry fees across three days. The main ones are Lan Ha Bay at 120,000 VND, the national park at 80,000 to 160,000 VND depending on route, and Cannon Fort and Hospital Cave at 40,000 VND each.
Yes, and it is not close. It is the best viewpoint on the island for 40,000 VND. Arrive about 45 minutes before sunset, add 10,000 VND for scooter parking, and there is a cafe on site.
Rhesus macaques on Monkey Island, easily, a ten minute boat ride for 100,000 to 150,000 VND return. Keep bags closed, they steal and bite. The endemic Cat Ba langur is a different animal entirely, fewer than 70 remain, and they live in closed protection zones.
Hospital Cave and Trung Trang Cave are both weatherproof and genuinely interesting, and the town is compact enough to spend an afternoon eating through. Move the bay day rather than forcing it.
Want to actually do Cat Ba, not just pass through?