Being located in the Northeast of Vietnam, Hai Phong is known as a big city with several modern and developed industrial parks as well as beautiful tourist attractions such as Cat Ba Island, Lan Ha Bay and so on. In terms of HaLong Bay, perhaps tourists are familiar with the name of the coastal city. In 1994 HaLong Bay was recognized by UNESCO as one of the seven world cultural heritage sites.
Currently, traveling from Hai Phong to HaLong is relatively simple. Tourists can go from Hai Phong following the AH14 way to HaLong - Hai Phong Expressway (via Bach Dang Bridge) with a distance of nearly 50km. You can consider three types of vehicles: motorbike, car and ferry. The journey’s pathway is quite easy and convenient without uneven roads.
I - Traveling by bus
Expressway - Source: Nick Sarvari
It takes 50 km through the Ha Long- Hai Phong expressway. Traveling by car takes approximately 50 minutes (one-way route). There are some suggested travel agencies serving this route:
Minh Hieu Limousine:
- Ticket price: 100,000 - 200,0000 VND / person ($4.3 - 8.6)
- Departure point: Cat Bi airport, Hai An, Hai Phong
- Arrival point: Ha Long city
(High quality transportation from Hai Phong airport to HaLong Bay)
Quang Muoi:
- Ticket price: 60,000 - 80,000 VND / person ($2.5 - 3.4)
- Departure point: Nhan Muc bridge, Quan Chay crossroad, Tan Lien commune, Quy Cao crossroad, Cau market, Dung Tien commune, Hoa Binh- Tien Lang intersection, Dinh Vu port.
- Arrival point: Bai Chay bus station
Traveling by car has specific departure and arrival points, which will be easy for first-time commuters. The mentioned companies all provide good services including air-conditioners, water, and an airy space with an affordable price. Additionally, the time for traveling is also quite short.
II - Traveling from Hai Phong to HaLong Bay by taxi
This is pretty convenient and also chosen by lots of tourists. The traveling time is about 1 hours depending on the route tourists choose. You can choose some following taxi companies:
Compact 4-seater car (Class A):
Cars: Kia Morning, Hyundai i10, Suzuki Celerio
Ticket price:
- One way: 285,000 VND ($12 )/ per car/ 40km, not including toll of Bach Dang bridge.
- Round trip price: VND 570,000 ($24)/ per car/ 80km, not including toll of Bach Dang bridge
Sedan 4-seats car(Class B):
Cars: Toyota Vios, Honda City, Nissan Sunny
Ticket price:
- One way: 315,000 VND ($13.6)/ per car/ 40km, not including toll of Bach Dang bridge.
- Round trip price: VND 630,000 ($27.2)/ per car/ 80km, not including toll of Bach Dang bridge
7-seater MPV- SUV car:
Cars: Toyota Innova, Toyota Fortuner, Ford Everest
Ticket price:
- One way: 385,000 VND ($16.6)/ per car/ 40km, not including toll of Bach Dang bridge.
- Round trip price: 770,000 VND ($33 )/ per car/ 80km, not including toll of Bach Dang bridge
Traveling by taxi is quite similar to the first kind of transportation, but it brings you private space. It also provides good services and you can also calculate how much money it will cost..
III - Traveling from Hai Phong to HaLong Bay by boat
Tuan Chau Island Ha Long - Source: Internet
From Hai Phong, you have to catch a ferry/ boat and follow the Ben Binh - Cat Ba Island - Tuan Chau - Ha Long route which normally takes a lot of time to travel, so the time of the journey will be longer, about 2-3 hours.
Travel expense:
About 280,000 VND / person / one-way route ($12.06). In which, the Ben Binh - Cat Ba route costs 200,000 VND / person / one-way route ($8.6); Cat Ba - Tuan Chau route is 80,000 VND / person / one-way route ($3.4).
Ferry service providers:
You can also take the HADECO high-speed boat (avoid waves) at Dinh Vu wharf. It takes about 30 minutes to get to Cat Ba Island. Dinh Vu port opens from 6:30 am to 5 pm. There is a trip every hour.
Boat/ ferry at Ben Binh port, Hai Phong expressway departs at 11 am, 12 am, 3 pm and 4 pm.
Pros:
You will have quite interesting experiences, watching the natural scenery. Moreover, this type of transportation is very suitable for tourists who want to explore Cat Ba Island before arriving in HaLong Bay.
Cons:
Longer traveling time from your accomodation to the ferry terminals, and tourists must also be proactive in choosing the route.
In general, there are three main ways to travel between two cities.
We hope that the information about the full itinerary can help you choose the most suitable schedule when traveling from Hai Phong to HaLong Bay.
— Duy Linh
