Hanoi to Cat Ba Island
A private car from Hanoi to Cat Ba Island covers about 150 km in about 4 to 5 hours, including the car ferry to the island. It takes you from your Hanoi hotel to your hotel on Cat Ba, with your bags in the car the whole way. Prices start at 2,000,000 VND (about 77 USD) for the whole car.
Quick facts
| Distance | ~150 km |
|---|---|
| Drive time | ~4–5 h |
| Price | From 2,000,000 VND (about 77 USD) for the whole car |
| Pickup | Your hotel door, or any address you send us |
| Included | Car, driver, fuel and tolls. VAT included |
| Booking | One way, whole car, hotel to hotel. Ferry tickets are not included |
| Cars | 5 to 29 seats |
Choose your car
Included with every car
- Free drinking waterBottled water in the car for the whole trip
- Free change of carA similar car keeps the same price. If you choose a different class, you pay the price of that class
About this route
Cat Ba is an island, so the trip always includes a crossing. With a private car you do not change transport at the pier: the car crosses on the ferry with you, or meets you on the island if you take the cable car.
Crossing to the island
- By car ferry: you stay with the car. It drives from Hanoi to the ferry on the Hai Phong side, crosses to Cat Ba and takes you to your hotel door.
- Ferry tickets are not in the car price. At the pier price on the day, you pay the ferry for the car and driver both ways, which is a fixed cost because the car has to come back, plus your own tickets. Prices change with the season.
- By cable car: the Cat Hai to Phu Long cable car crosses in about 10 to 15 minutes. You ride it while the car and driver take the ferry and meet you at Phu Long station on the island. You then pay only the car and driver's ferry, both ways, and buy your cable car tickets yourself.
- The cable car carries people and hand luggage, not cars, and keeps to a fixed timetable that ends in the afternoon. Ferries also run at set times, so send us the time you want to leave and we plan the crossing when we confirm your car.
On Cat Ba Island
- Cat Ba is the largest island in the Halong Bay area, with a national park, small beaches and a harbour town.
- Many boat trips to Lan Ha Bay start from Cat Ba town, so the island is a good base for a few days on the water.
- Phu Long cable car station is about 20 km from Cat Ba town. Large suitcases can be awkward in a cabin, which is one more reason to leave them in the car.
- Cat Ba National Park has forest walking trails. Check the trail and the weather with your hotel before you set out.
- Summer is the busy season, and storms can stop boats and ferries for a day. Keep some room in your plans in those months.
Bus and boat combo or private car?
| Bus and boat combo | Combined tickets take you by bus from Hanoi to a pier, then by boat to the island, often with a shuttle into Cat Ba town. The cheapest way for one or two people, with fixed times, stops on the way and a change at the pier. |
|---|---|
| Private car with the ferry | From your Hanoi hotel to your Cat Ba hotel in one car, crossing on the car ferry. No change of transport, and your bags stay with you. |
| Private car and cable car | You ride the cable car over the sea while the car takes the ferry, then the car meets you on the island and drives you to your hotel. |
For one or two travellers on a budget, a combo ticket works well. Families, groups and anyone with a lot of luggage usually find the car easier.
What’s included
- Private car and driver, door to door.
- Tolls included in the fixed price.
- Driver name, phone and vehicle plate sent before pickup.
- VAT included: 8% for trips to 31 December 2026, 10% from 1 January 2027. Invoice on request.
Not included: ferry tickets (the car and driver both ways, plus your own), cable car tickets, hotels, entrance tickets and your meals.
Good to know
- Prices and payment are in Vietnamese dong (VND). We explain how to pay once your booking is confirmed.
- One fixed price for the whole car. Tolls are included.
- Stops under 30 minutes are free. A stop of 30–60 minutes costs 50,000 VND, then 50,000 VND for each further 30 minutes.
Read our full prices and policies or see how booking works.
Frequently asked questions
From 2,000,000 VND (about 77 USD) for the whole car, hotel to hotel. Ferry tickets are not included: at the pier price, you pay the ferry for the car and driver both ways, which is a fixed cost because the car has to come back, plus your own tickets. Larger cars cost more, and each car's price is shown on this page.
No. They are paid at the pier price on the day, because they change with the season. If you take the cable car, you skip your own ferry tickets and pay only for the car and driver, both ways.
On a one-way trip you pay the ferry for the car and driver both ways, because the car has to come back to the mainland: about 400,000 to 524,000 VND in total for a car up to 16 seats, or about 500,000 to 824,000 VND for a 29-seat minibus. On the ferry, your own tickets are about 10,000 to 12,000 VND per person. Taking the cable car instead? You skip your own ferry tickets and pay about 70,000 VND per person each way, free for children under 1 m. These prices are for reference only: the actual fare is the one you pay at the pier, in cash, on the day.
About 4 to 5 hours for about 150 km, including the ferry crossing. The waiting time at the ferry depends on the day and the season.
Book a car on this page with your Hanoi and Cat Ba hotels and the time you want to leave. The car crosses on the ferry with you, or meets you on the island if you take the cable car. Combined bus and boat tickets are the budget option.
Yes. Combined bus and boat tickets run every day, with a change at the pier. A private car leaves from your hotel at the time you choose and goes all the way to your hotel.
Yes. Tell us when you book. You ride the Cat Hai to Phu Long cable car, and your driver crosses on the ferry and meets you at Phu Long station. Check the timetable, because the last cabin leaves in the afternoon.
Yes. Going to Hanoi, the way back costs the same as the way there. Flying out? See our Cat Ba Island to Noi Bai Airport route.
Yes. Many Lan Ha Bay boat trips leave from Cat Ba town, and your hotel can help you book one.
No. The price covers the car, the driver, fuel and tolls, and tipping is not expected in Vietnam. If you want to thank your driver, that is up to you.
Yes. Noi Bai Airport to your Cat Ba hotel costs the same as our Cat Ba Island to Noi Bai Airport route, from 2,300,000 VND (about 88 USD) for the whole car, ferry tickets not included. Morning arrivals work best, because the trip takes about 5 to 6 hours with the ferry.
Yes. Tết, the Lunar New Year, falls on 6 February 2027. Boats and ferries to Cat Ba are busy around the holiday. Book as early as you can.
Related routes
- Flying out after Cat Ba?Cat Ba Island to Noi Bai Airport
- Prefer a cruise from Halong Bay?Hanoi to Halong Bay
- Adding Ninh Binh to your trip?Hanoi to Ninh Binh
Written by Alotrips, with AI assistant Huyen My. Reviewed by Pham Ngoc Chien, Director, on 9 November 2026.
Updated 9 November 2026. Distances and times are estimates and depend on traffic. Check opening hours and rules with each site before you travel. Sources: Sun World Cat Ba: cable car tickets and schedule (17 October 2026) · Bao Hai Phong: Cat Ba cable car runs every day (9 April 2026).