The 13 Best Cat Ba Island Tours

1.Mon Chéri Cruises 5 star: Amazing 3 days exploring Halong & Cat Ba island

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,280 reviews · from $360Our pick

Sail for three days and two nights aboard the five-star Mon Chéri, with a private balcony cabin, meals, kayaking, swimming, caves, Tai Chi, and stops at Halong Bay, Lan Ha Bay, and Cat Ba Island. Halal food is available, and crew members Tam and Ryann are noted for warm service.

“Life time experience with mon Cheri. They were so slick and the operation was so smooth. We met some amazing people on the cruise who have become friends the whole experience was beyond worth it and one my wife and I would Read more”

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2.Best Lan Ha Bay Cat Ba Cruise 2 Days 1 Night Less touristy

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,055 reviews · from $87

Travel from Hanoi to Lan Ha Bay for a 2-day, 1-night cruise through limestone islets and quiet coves. You’ll swim at Ba Trai Dao, visit Viet Hai Village, and may kayak or bike for an extra fee. Guides such as Tony, Hai, and Shin are noted for friendly, helpful service.

“First off all, the landscape is amazing. You will start to see nice views as soon as boat leaves the port. We were in the boat called ‘Sunlight Cruise 68’. Staff on the boat and our guide was very friendly and helpful in every way. Shared a lot of information. The food on the boat was excellent. They had provided with many varieties. The prices for extra drinks purchased were not bad. Rooms were in good shape, don’t expect a luxury suit. It’s value for money. If you are traveling solo, and want a room for yourself, you need to pay extra. Else they’ll pair you with another person or…”

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3.Lan Ha Bay day tour from Cat Ba, Hanoi – Serenity Boutique Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 456 reviews · from $34

Travel from Hanoi, Hai Phong, or Cat Ba to Lan Ha Bay aboard Serenity Premium Cruise. Guide Tony and other English-speaking guides lead kayaking at Dark and Light Cave, swimming near Ba Trai Dao, a seafood lunch, and a sunset return.

“Extraordinary experience with very friendly people! Me and my wife recommend 100%. Both the landscapes and the kindness of the organizersAuto-translated”

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4.Lan Ha Bay & Cat Ba Island Day Tour – Nature Escape, Less Crowds

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 371 reviews · from $48

Spend about 14 hours moving from Hanoi to Lan Ha Bay aboard the 5-star Tropical Cruise. You’ll visit Trung Trang Cave and Cat Ba National Park by electric car, kayak in Tra Bau Lagoon, swim, use the Jacuzzi and water slide, and finish with wine, fruit, music, and sunset views.

“Minh our tour guide was great, made us enjoy the experience even more.”

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5.Cat Ba Island & Lan Ha Bay Day Trip Cruise with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 308 reviews · from $59

Spend a full day moving between Hanoi, Cat Ba Island, and Lan Ha Bay. Guide Binh, Billy, Charlie, or Hai may lead the trip, with lunch aboard, Viet Hai Village by bike or electric car, kayaking, swimming, and a sunset snack.

“This was a great trip! We had the island almost to ourselves it felt! One of the reasons I picked cat bay island over ha long bay was to avoid really large crowds and this trip definitely did that! Our tour guide, Bing (I might be spelling that wrong, sorry!) was really good! He was so friendly and helpful. The trip was a good mixture of boat trips, we got to do the cable car (because the tide was low), walking tour, cycling and some kayaking. Really loved this day! Would recommend to others too!”

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6.Bus Hanoi to Cat Ba Island with Cat Ba Express

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 245 reviews · from $14

Take Cat Ba Express from Hanoi Old Quarter to Cat Ba Island in about 3 hours 15 minutes to 3 hours 30 minutes. Your trip includes hotel pickup, a highway bus, a short speedboat ride, an island transfer, and drop-off in Cat Ba Town. Three departures run daily.

“Very comfortable bus ride. You will be picked up directly from the hotel in Hanoi, taken to the bus, you can decide whether to take the ferry to Cat Ba Island or by cable car (small extra charge) and then be taken to the hotel in Cat Ba! Super Service!Auto-translated”

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7.Lan Ha Bay Full Day Boat Tour from Hanoi/ Cat Ba

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 188 reviews · from $34

You’ll travel from Hanoi or Cat Ba to Lan Ha Bay for a 12-hour day on the water. Expect a traditional fishing village, kayaking through caves, lunch aboard, swimming near Ba Trai Dao, a fish-farm visit, and a sunset cooking class. The group can reach up to 50 people.

“Our group of 3 got picked up and dropped off in Hanoi, which was smooth. And so glad we chose Cat Ba over Ha Long Bay since we were able to avoid crowds and the bay was relatively clean (compared to what we heard of Ha Long Bay). Read more”

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8.Bus Ha Noi to Cat Ba island

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 170 reviews · from $13Best value

Travel from Hanoi to Cat Ba in about three hours by air-conditioned bus, speedboat, and a final island bus. Pickup is available around Hanoi Old Quarter, with hotel drop-off in Cat Ba Town. Choose a tourist bus or pay $5 extra for the faster VIP limousine van.

“Can’t complain at all about the journey. The only thing is it says 7.30am but you don’t really leave until 8/8.15am”

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9.Lan Ha Bay Day Tour from Hanoi & Cat Ba Town – Serenity Boutique

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 120 reviews · from $34

Join Serenity Cruises for a long day from Hanoi, Hai Phong, or Cat Ba to Lan Ha Bay. Cruise from Beo Wharf, kayak at Dark and Light Cave, swim near Ba Trai Dao, enjoy seafood and Vietnamese dishes, and return after a sunset party.

“We had a nice time. Toni is such a nice host. The boat was clean and the food was really good! They didn't played music which we appreciated as we were looking for a relaxing experience.”

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10.BEST UNIQUE 3-Day Halong Bay Cruise, Lan Ha & Cat Ba Island

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 103 reviews · from $165

Travel from Hanoi to Halong Bay and Cat Ba Island by shuttle, cruise boat, ferry and bus. Expect kayaking, bamboo boats, cave visits, swimming, a cooking activity, sunset views and one hotel night on Cat Ba. Guides may include Daisy, Sam, Annie or Tai, depending on departure.

“A fun roller coaster. Transport to the ship: good. Sailing around on the ship: great. The staff: excellent. Food: ok/good. Our cabin: nice looking, but disappointing because we paid extra to the tour booking for an upgraded cabin but the ship assigned a lower deck cabin right over the engine which had a strong smell of fuel making it hard to sleep. The second 1/2 of our tour was cancelled due to outstanding circumstances, but the booking company got us back on track with a super fun speedboat ride and slightly revised itinerary that ended up being more fun than the original! So overall we had a great time and…”

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11.2 Days 1 Night Adventure: Cat Ba National Park, Lan Ha Bay

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 16 reviews · from $187

Trade a standard Ha Long Bay cruise for a two-day Cat Ba trip through Viet Hai village and Lan Ha Bay. You’ll hike Navy Peak, kayak at night for glowing plankton, paddle through caves, swim at Ba Trai Dao Beach, and stay in a jungle bungalow. Guides may include Than, Chilly, or Tom.

“Really great and activity packed trip, the guides were friendly and helpful. The outward journey was chaotic and on an old coach with lots of other groups but way back was a super nice and easy minibus! Towels provided on boat trip was great and nice small group on all activities and the food throughout was great.”

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12.2-Day Traditional Cruise to Lan Ha Bay & Cat Ba Island

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 14 reviews · from $162

Travel from Hanoi to Cat Ba, then cruise Lan Ha Bay and Ha Long Bay with an English-speaking guide. You will kayak through Bright, Dark, and Bat Caves, swim near Dau Be Island, eat Vietnamese meals, and sleep aboard the boat.

“I had booked this tour online and received a phone call two hours after my confirmation stating that I unfortunately could not go, because the registrations had forgotten to close and the boat was now fully booked. After I had expressed my displeasure, I received confirmation the next day that I could go – same price, same boat, same room. Nicely arranged, I thought. But once on board it turned out that my room did not have a private bathroom at all, even though it was indicated that it did. I had to wash and brush my teeth in a shared toilet/washroom that was really not clean, and which was…”

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13.3-Day Discover the most stunning Cat Ba Island – Lan Ha Bay

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 6 reviews · from $315

Spend three active days around Cat Ba and Lan Ha Bay, combining a traditional Viet Hai Village homestay with one night on a cruise. You will kayak through caves, cycle in the village, swim at quiet beaches, hike, and paddle after dark to see bioluminescent plankton.

“really well organised. the activities were so fun and the food was delicious. the organisers were so kind to reschedule by a day for us due to sudden illness. my favourite experience was the one night stay in viet hai village. i highly recommend this trip to properly experience the nature at a slow pace.”

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