Cat Ba Transfers: Every Route In and Out, With 2026 Prices
Cat Ba is an island, so every single route in ends with water: a ferry, a speedboat or a cable car. That one fact decides your departure time, your budget and whether you arrive in daylight. This page has the current fare and timetable for every route people actually use, from Hanoi and Hai Phong to Ninh Binh, Ha Long, Sapa and Ha Giang.
The three ways across the water
Every route at a glance
Route by route
Choosing by itinerary
Six mistakes that cost people a day
The three ways across the water
Whatever ticket you buy, one of these is the last leg. Getting the timing of this bit right matters more than which bus company you pick.
| Crossing | Price | Time on the water | Running hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dong Bai to Cai Vieng ferry | About $0.50 on foot, $2 with a motorbike, $8 with a car | 30 minutes | Every 30 minutes, 05:30 to 18:30. The workhorse route |
| Cat Hai to Phu Long cable car | 70,000₫ one way, 110,000₫ return, free under 1 metre tall | 9 to 15 minutes | 08:30 to 15:45 only. The last gondola is 15:45 |
| Tuan Chau to Gia Luan ferry | 80,000₫ on foot, 100,000₫ for a motorbike, about $19 for a car | 45 minutes | Five sailings a day 25 April to 5 September, three from 6 September to 24 April. Last at 15:00 |
| Ben Binh speedboat, Hai Phong city | 250,000₫ adult, 180,000₫ child | Around 2 hours | 08:45 and 12:45 |
| Dong Bai speedboat | 220,000₫ adult, 150,000₫ child | Around 1 hour 20 | 09:40 and 13:30 |
The single most useful number on this page is 15:45. That is the last cable car of the day. If you leave Hanoi after about 15:00 on a bus and cable car combo, you will not make it, and you will be transferred to a ferry or left waiting. Leave in the morning.
Every crossing with its full timetable and fares is in our Cat Ba ferry schedule, and the gondola has its own guide with the seasonal detail and an honest comparison against the boat: the Cat Ba cable car.
Every route at a glance
Published one-way fares, checked September 2026. Prices move with the season, and at least one major operator adds around 20% over Tet and national holidays.
| From | Cheapest | What most people pay | Journey time | How it works |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hanoi | $10 | $12.50 to $17 | 3 to 3.5 hours | Bus to the coast, then speedboat, ferry or cable car |
| Noi Bai Airport | $20 shared | $20 shared, or 2,000,000₫ for a private 4 seat car | About 4 hours | Shared shuttle or private car, crossing included |
| Hai Phong | 220,000₫ | 220,000 to 250,000₫ | 1 to 2 hours | Speedboat from Ben Binh or Dong Bai, or the ferry |
| Ninh Binh | $11 | $13 to $16 | 4 to 5 hours | Bus, ferry, bus. The bus drives onto the ferry |
| Ha Long | $9 | $11 to $14 | 1h40 to 3 hours | Through bus, or Tuan Chau ferry at 80,000₫ |
| Sapa | $35 | $35 to $40 | 9 to 11 hours | Sleeper, almost always changing in Hanoi |
| Ha Giang | $23 | $30 to $33 | 9.5 to 14 hours | Sleeper, always via Hanoi |
Route by route
Hanoi
The default. Tourist shuttles run from about $10 to $14 with departures roughly hourly from 06:00 to 15:00, a VIP limousine costs $16 to $17, and a private car is $145 for four seats up to $170 for twelve. Train to Hai Phong plus a boat is the cheap DIY version at around $10 to $15 and takes an hour longer. Full detail in our Hanoi to Cat Ba guide.
Noi Bai Airport
A shared bus is $20 including hotel pickup and the crossing, with departures at 07:00, 09:00, 12:30, 16:00 and 17:00. Private cars are 2,000,000₫ for four seats, 2,400,000₫ for seven and 3,000,000₫ for sixteen. Leave Cat Ba six hours before a domestic flight and seven before an international one, and note the last useful crossing back is around 18:00.
Hai Phong
The closest mainland city and the cheapest way over if you are already there. The Ben Binh speedboat is 250,000₫ for adults and 180,000₫ for children, leaving at 08:45 and 12:45. From Dong Bai, further out towards Cat Hai, it is 220,000₫ and 150,000₫ at 09:40 and 13:30. The Dong Bai to Cai Vieng ferry runs every half hour and costs almost nothing, but you need road transport at both ends.
Ninh Binh
$11 to $13 on a tourist shuttle, $16 on a limousine, four to five hours, ferry included, and the bus drives onto the boat so your bag stays put. Five departures a day each way. See the full Ninh Binh guide for both timetables.
Ha Long
The shortest hop, $9 to $23 by through bus with most fares at $11 to $14, or the Tuan Chau ferry at 80,000₫ if you have your own wheels. Remember that the ferry lands at Gia Luan, 25 km north of Cat Ba Town. Full Ha Long guide here.
Sapa
$35 to $40 and nine to eleven hours, changing in Hanoi unless you pay for a direct royal cabin sleeper. Two of the six daily departures from Cat Ba arrive in Sapa at 03:30, which is worth avoiding. Timetables and the full picture.
Ha Giang
$23 to $38 depending on cabin class, nine and a half to fourteen hours, always through Hanoi. If you are coming straight off the Ha Giang Loop, the night bus down plus a morning departure to Cat Ba is the cheap version. More on the Ha Giang route.
Choosing by itinerary
Coming off the Ha Giang Loop. Night bus to Hanoi, then the 06:00 or 07:30 out to Cat Ba. You lose a night of sleep instead of a day, and you are swimming by lunchtime.
Doing Ninh Binh then the coast. Go direct. The 07:00 or 09:00 from Ninh Binh puts you on the island with the afternoon intact, and routing back through Hanoi buys you nothing.
Sapa first, then the sea. Take the 23:00 night bus out of Sapa. It is the one overnight leg on this whole network whose timing genuinely works, arriving on Cat Ba around 11:00.
Flying in and out of Hanoi with a week. Airport straight to Cat Ba on the shared shuttle, three or four nights here, then back to Hanoi for the last night. Do not try to see Ha Long separately, you will already be in the same water.
Six mistakes that cost people a day
- Booking a cable car combo that leaves Hanoi after 15:00. The last gondola is 15:45 and there is no exception to it.
- Assuming the Tuan Chau ferry runs five times a day in winter. From 6 September it is three, with the last at 15:00.
- Not realising Gia Luan is 25 km from Cat Ba Town. The ferry lands at the far north of the island and that last leg is neither instant nor free.
- Confusing Ben Binh with Dong Bai. Both are Hai Phong piers, they are about 40 minutes apart, and the fares and departure times are different. Check which one your ticket says.
- Booking over Tet without checking the surcharge. Around 20% on top, and the cheap seats are gone days in advance.
- Booking a hotel outside the town centre and expecting the drop-off to reach it. Included transfers cover central Cat Ba Town. Tell the operator in advance if you are staying further out.
Tell us where you are coming from
We live here and book these runs every week. Send us your start point, your date and how many people are travelling, and we will put together the combination that actually gets you here at a sensible hour, then meet you when you arrive.
Related Reading
- Cat Ba Cable Car: Prices, Timetable and Whether It Beats the Ferry
- Cat Ba Ferry Schedule: Every Crossing and Its Last Sailing
- How to Get from Hanoi to Cat Ba Island
- Getting Around Cat Ba: Ferries, Cable Car and Island Transport
- Cat Ba Prices 2026: Entrance Fees, Ferries and What a Day Really Costs
- How Many Days Do You Need on Cat Ba Island?
- Where to Stay on Cat Ba Island
Common questions
From Hanoi, a tourist shuttle at around $10 to $13 including the crossing. From Hai Phong, the Dong Bai to Cai Vieng ferry costs well under a dollar on foot, though you need road transport at both ends. From Ha Long, through bus tickets start around $9.
The Dong Bai ferry runs until about 18:30, which is the latest reliable crossing. The cable car stops at 15:45 and the Tuan Chau ferry from Ha Long stops at 15:00. Anything booked to leave Hanoi after mid afternoon is relying on the ferry.
On a through ticket, yes, along with hotel pickup and a drop-off in central Cat Ba Town. If you assemble the journey yourself you pay each leg separately, which is usually cheaper and always more work.
Not by road. There is no route that avoids Hanoi. A few operators sell a direct sleeper on which you do not change vehicles, but it still passes through. Everything else changes there, with staff meeting you at the changeover.
In July and August and over Vietnamese public holidays, a few days ahead, especially for limousines and cabin sleepers which have few seats. The rest of the year a day is usually enough on the Hanoi and Ha Long routes.
Roughly the same for the main routes, and booking ahead protects you on busy dates. Where you save money is by not buying a package that bundles legs you could walk, such as paying for a private car to a pier you could reach on a public bus.
Want to actually do Cat Ba, not just pass through?