Halong Bay has been long known for its stunning landscape, and as one of the must-visit destinations in northern Vietnam, promising a great day trip from Hanoi. You are wondering about how to get from Hanoi to Halong Bay? Check out our guide below for detailed information.

Overview

To visit this beautiful and magnificent place of Vietnam, you’ll have to book a cruise to be able to discover all the beauties of Halong. A Halong Bay cruise tour often include sea kayak expedition and cave visiting.

There are 3 types of Halong Bay tours from Hanoi: day cruise, 2 days 1 night cruise and 3 days 2 nights cruise. I suggest that you should book a 2D1N cruise to enjoy the beauties to your heart’s content.

Halong cruise has a wide range of price levels and services. Overnight cruise or 3D2N cruise also articulate other nearby bays like Lan Ha Bay or Bai Tu Long Bay or Cat Ba Island into its itinerary.

Halong Bay is about 170km from Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. Getting from Hanoi is also the fastest way to Halong Bay. In recent years, thanks to the new expressway between the two cities, the time from Hanoi to Halong Bay is reduced to only 2 hours and a half.

Coach from Hanoi to Halong Bay

Coach from Hanoi will drop you around Bai Chay Bridge in Halong city. You can find buses from Hanoi to Quang Ninh at major bus terminals: My Dinh and Gia Lam. Be prepared that coaches might take the old way so the time it takes to travel would be around 3-4 hours.

One way ticket costs around 100,000VND – 200,000VND per person. From Bai Chay Bridge, you can catch a taxi to Tuan Chau Marina.

Cruise Shuttle Bus from Hanoi to Halong Bay

If you book a Halong Bay cruise, the company will include a two-way shuttle bus service to take you from Hanoi to right at where the cruise is. This is considered the best way to visit Halong Bay. Especially you can ask your cruise operator to choose the new highway but expect to pay higher transfer fee.

The shuttle buses are often equipped with high-class amenities and you will enjoy an absolutely comfortable ride.

Limousine from Hanoi to Halong Bay

There is a luxury transfer service from Hanoi to Halong Bay if you prefer a quick, comfortable trip. On these limousines, you can easily take a nap before arriving at Halong. There is enough space for you to move around and the seats are leathered.

However, expect to pay a higher cost than regular Hanoi – Quang Ninh coaches. The fee for one-way transfer is about $15.

Train from Hanoi to Halong Bay

This is the hard way to get from Hanoi to Halong. You may not know that there’s a train that can take you directly from Hanoi to Halong. However, due to the fierce competition from the buses and coaches, the train is every empty with quite poor services.

The train takes up to 7 hours to get you to Halong, and a ticket only costs 100,000VND. For that much time spent on the train, the seats are short which is very hard for you to sleep comfortably.

To catch a train to Halong, get to Yen Vien railway station in Gia Lam before 13:40PM every day. Around 21:17PM, the train will stop at the final terminal.

Seaplane to Halong Bay from Hanoi

If you want to enjoy the view of the world heritage Halong Bay from above, book a seaplane tour from Hai Au Aviation. This service was first launched in 2014 and still is operated.

From Hanoi, the seaplane will take you to Halong in about 45 minutes and offer you a 15-minute tour around Halong, showcasing all the best views for you to enjoy. This service is just perfect for those who have generous budget, because it will cost you $175 for one way trip.

Ferries from Hai Phong

From Hanoi, you can get to Halong via Hai Phong by ferries. Take a coach or bus to Ben Binh Terminal to buy boat ticket to Cat Ba Island and from Cat Ba or you can drive to Cat Hai then take a ferry to Cat Ba, and then you’ll buy a ferry ticket for Tuan Chau Terminal. Below are the ticket fees:

• Ben Binh – Cat Ba Island Boat Ticket: 120,000VND – 170,000VND
• Cat Ba – Tuan Chau Ferry: 70,000VND

>> More in: Our Best Halong Bay Tours from Hanoi

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FURTHER READING

Halong Travel Guide from A-Z | Best Time to visit, What to see

Itinerary for Hanoi – Halong Bay – Ninh Binh – 4 Days

What to do in Hanoi for 4 Days – Guide & Itinerary