3 Days on Cat Ba: An Hour by Hour Itinerary (2026)
Three days is the right length for Cat Ba. Two feels rushed, four starts to repeat itself unless you are climbing or diving. This is how we would spend it: one day on the water, one day in the forest, one day for the island itself, with real timings and real prices.
Quick answer
Three days is the right length for Cat Ba: one full day on Lan Ha Bay with kayaking, one day in Cat Ba National Park, and one day for the island itself, ending at Cannon Fort about 45 minutes before sunset. Budget roughly 400,000 to 500,000 VND per person in site fees across the three days.
The three days at a glance
| Ideal length | 3 days, 2 nights |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Lan Ha Bay cruise, kayaking, swim stop |
| Day 2 | National park, Ngu Lam or the 14 km Viet Hai trek |
| Day 3 | Hospital Cave, Cat Co beaches, Cannon Fort at sunset |
| Base yourself | Cat Ba Town for a first visit |
| Site fees, 3 days | About 400,000 to 500,000 VND per adult |
| Book ahead | 2 to 3 days in June to August, a week for private |
| Best months | October to April |
| Build in | One flexible half day for weather |
Before you start
Arrive the evening before if you can. The transfer from Hanoi takes three to five hours depending on the route, and a mid-afternoon arrival costs you a swim and a sunset. Full options in our Hanoi to Cat Ba guide. Book accommodation in Cat Ba Town for a first trip, everything on this itinerary starts from there.
Day 1: Lan Ha Bay
Do the water on your first full day. If weather forces a change, you still have two days of flexibility left.
| Time | What |
|---|---|
| 07:30 | Breakfast. Banh da cua rather than the hotel buffet. |
| 08:30 | Transfer to Ben Beo pier, 2 km from town. Bay sightseeing ticket, roughly 3 to 5 USD. |
| 09:00 | Sail into Lan Ha Bay. Around 400 islands and 139 mostly undeveloped beaches, and materially fewer boats than the Ha Long side. |
| 10:30 | Kayak session. Guided tours run 400,000 to 600,000 VND. Self rental is 100,000 to 150,000 VND per hour plus a 40,000 VND conservation fee. |
| 12:30 | Seafood lunch on board or at a floating restaurant. |
| 14:00 | Swim stop at a quiet beach, then the floating fishing village at Cai Beo. |
| 16:00 | Optional: Monkey Island. Boat transfer 100,000 to 150,000 VND return. Keep bags closed, the macaques do steal. |
| 17:30 | Back at Ben Beo. Shower, then dinner on the harbour front. |
If you only have the energy for one thing on this island, it is this day. Everything else is a bonus.
Day 2: The national park
Two versions depending on how much walking you want. Both start early, because the gates open at 07:00 and the first two hours are the coolest of the day.
Version A: the long one, trek to Viet Hai
| Time | What |
|---|---|
| 07:00 | Leave town for park headquarters at Trung Trang, 15 km, about 25 minutes. |
| 07:45 | Entrance, 80,000 VND per person. Guide strongly recommended for this route. |
| 08:00 | Start the 14 km trail past Frog Lake. Five to six hours, graded challenging. |
| 13:30 | Lunch in Viet Hai village, inside the park boundary. |
| 15:00 | Flat cycle to Viet Hai pier. |
| 15:45 | Boat back across Lan Ha Bay to Ben Beo. |
| 17:00 | Town. Do not plan anything demanding for the evening. |
Version B: the short one, Ngu Lam Peak
| Time | What |
|---|---|
| 07:45 | Park entrance, 80,000 VND. |
| 08:00 | Ngu Lam Peak, 3.6 km return. Around 45 minutes up, 30 down. |
| 10:00 | Trung Trang Cave, a 300 m lit limestone passage, 80,000 VND. |
| 11:30 | Back to town for lunch. |
| 14:00 | Free afternoon. Cat Co beaches, or rock climbing at Butterfly Valley, half day guided 500,000 to 800,000 VND. |
Details on both routes in our national park trekking guide.
Day 3: The island itself
| Time | What |
|---|---|
| 08:00 | Slow breakfast. You have earned it. |
| 09:30 | Hospital Cave, a three level cave hospital built during the war. 40,000 VND. Bring a light, and read up first, the on site English is thin. |
| 11:00 | Beach time. Cat Co 1 for facilities, Cat Co 2 for quieter water, Cat Co 3 for the best light later on. All walkable from town over the cliff path. |
| 13:00 | Lunch, then an hour out of the sun. Humidity here averages 85 percent and it catches people out on day three. |
| 15:30 | Optional scooter run north for the emptier coast road and the cable car terminal views. |
| 17:00 | Cannon Fort, 40,000 VND plus 10,000 for scooter parking. Arrive about 45 minutes before sunset. Best viewpoint on the island, and it is not close. |
| 19:00 | Last dinner. Order the tu hai and the mantis shrimp. |
What three days costs, roughly
| Item | Per person |
|---|---|
| Bay day with kayaking, guided | 25 to 55 USD |
| National park entrance | 80,000 VND |
| Trung Trang Cave | 80,000 VND |
| Cannon Fort | 40,000 VND plus 10,000 parking |
| Hospital Cave | 40,000 VND |
| Lan Ha sightseeing ticket | 3 to 5 USD |
| Kayak conservation fee | 40,000 VND |
| Rock climbing, half day | 500,000 to 800,000 VND |
Accommodation, food and transfers sit on top. For the lean version of this trip, see Cat Ba on a budget.
Adjusting for the season
October to April: run the itinerary as written, but expect cooler water. January averages 13 to 19 degrees, so swimming is optional rather than obvious. May to September: shift everything an hour earlier and keep the afternoons loose, June to August average 235 to 280 mm of rain across 15 to 17 wet days, with real typhoon risk in July and August. The weather guide has the full table.
Build one flexible half day into three. Weather here changes plans more often than anything else, and the people who enjoy Cat Ba most are the ones who did not over-schedule it.
The fees you will actually pay, with child rates
Site fees on Cat Ba are set by route and by ticket type, and almost nobody publishes the child rates. These are the numbers to budget against.
| Ticket | Adult | Child |
|---|---|---|
| Lan Ha Bay sightseeing, day trip | 120,000 VND | 60,000 VND |
| Lan Ha Bay sightseeing, overnight | 300,000 to 500,000 VND | 250,000 to 400,000 VND |
| National park, basic entry | 80,000 VND | 50,000 VND (1m to 1.4m) |
| National park, Ngu Lam plus Trung Trang Cave route | 120,000 VND | 60,000 VND |
| National park, full circuit | 160,000 VND | 80,000 VND |
| Cannon Fort | 40,000 VND | Ask at the gate |
| Hospital Cave | 40,000 VND | Ask at the gate |
| Kayak conservation fee, self rental | 40,000 VND | 40,000 VND |
Under sixes and visitors with severe disabilities go free into the bay. Seniors, students and people from recognised ethnic minority groups pay half with documentation. Bring cash, the ticket windows are not reliable with cards.
What to book ahead, and how far
| Item | Book by | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Return transfer to Hanoi | With your outbound | Operators discount returns and afternoon seats fill first |
| Bay day, June to August | 2 to 3 days ahead | Small boats sell out in peak season |
| Private tour | About a week | Guide and boat have to be held |
| Viet Hai homestay | 2 to 3 days ahead | Very few beds in the valley |
| Everything, October to April | Evening before is usually fine | Quieter months, more flex |
Plan B for a rained out day
You will probably get one. In June to August the coast averages 235 to 280 mm across 15 to 17 wet days, so a washed out morning in three days is normal rather than bad luck.
Move the bay day, never force it, a boat trip in heavy weather is neither safe nor enjoyable and the captain will make that call anyway. Fill the gap with Hospital Cave and Trung Trang Cave, both of which are weatherproof and genuinely interesting, add a long lunch, and put the swimming into the following afternoon. Caves, food and the town are the wet weather island, and they are enough for one day.
What to pack for these three days specifically
- Shoes with grip. The single most useful item. Wet limestone on the park trail is the most common cause of injury here, and flip flops are how people turn around at the summit scramble.
- Two litres of water per person for the park day. There is nowhere to refill on the trails.
- A dry bag. Kayaking gets your phone wet, not might.
- Cash in small notes. Ticket windows, parking attendants and village stalls rarely have change, and Viet Hai has no ATM.
- A light rain layer. Useful in every month, essential from May to September.
- Insect repellent. Strongest around the wetland sections near Frog Lake.
Want this three days arranged for you?
We run it as a two day one night island package or a three day version with the trek, the bay and a village stay. Small groups, local guides, adjusted to your pace.
Frequently asked
Yes for a first visit. One day on the water, one in the park, one for the island covers everything most people come for. Add a fourth only if you are climbing, diving, or staying overnight in Viet Hai.
On the island for three days. Boat nights are lovely but they lock your schedule and you lose the flexibility that makes this itinerary work. If you want one, put it on night two.
Two to three days ahead in high season, June to August. A week for private tours. Outside peak season you can usually arrange things the evening before.
Swap in Hospital Cave, Trung Trang Cave and a long lunch. Caves are weatherproof and the town is compact. Move the bay day, boat trips in heavy weather are neither safe nor enjoyable.
Related: Getting around the island and what to eat while you are here.
Want to actually do Cat Ba, not just pass through?