Independent guidelanhabay.cruises is an independent guide to Lan Ha Bay. We are not the website of any cruise line, tour operator, port or government office. Some links are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
EN

Getting thereGetting there · piers

Lan Ha Bay piers: where each cruise really leaves from

Most Lan Ha Bay cruises check in at Tuan Chau in Ha Long, not on Cat Ba. Cat Ba day boats and a few small cruises leave from Ben Beo near Cat Ba town, and the old Got ferry pier no longer runs. Here is which ship uses which pier.

On the chart

Tuan Chau International Marina

Main cruise check-in
Tuan Chau, Ha Long (numbered lounges)
Hanoi → Tuan Chau
2.5–3 h by cruise shuttle
Cat Ba day boats
Ben Beo, 2 km from Cat Ba town
North Cat Ba pier
Gia Luan (ferry from Tuan Chau)
Car ferry to Cat Ba
Dong Bai ⇄ Cai Vieng, 25–35 min
Got ferry pier
closed since 1 March 2024

Updated October 16, 2026Facts checked against official sourcesContains affiliate links

Cruise piers: what you can book

9 options · Prices checked on October 16, 2026

Length

Platform

See everything on GetYourGuide →See everything on Klook →

Lan Ha Bay belongs to Hai Phong, but most of its cruise ships check in on the Ha Long side, in Quang Ninh province. That surprises many travelers, and old blogs make it worse by sending them to a "Got pier" that no longer runs. The short rule: most big Lan Ha cruise lines check in at Tuan Chau in Ha Long; a few boats and most Cat Ba day trips start on the Hai Phong side. Check your voucher.

The word you will see on vouchers is "bến" (pier or wharf), as in bến Bèo. Below is each pier, what leaves from it and how to reach it.

Which pier is my cruise?

Ship or tour Pier Notes
Peony, Mon Chéri Tuan Chau No. 34 Cat Ba guests can join at Gia Luan
Capella Tuan Chau 20B
La Regina Grand Tuan Chau Lot 24 La Regina Classic leaves from Bai Chay for Bai Tu Long
Heritage Binh Chuan Tuan Chau 28B
Orchid Tuan Chau Lot 32
Aspira, Azura Tuan Chau Lot 38
La Pandora Tuan Chau Slot 26
Celina of the Sea Tuan Chau 41A Speedboat to the ship anchored at Gia Luan
Scarlet Pearl Tuan Chau 41B
La Casta Tuan Chau F17 25-minute tender to the ship
Heritage Line Ginger, Ylang Heritage Line lounge, Tuan Chau
Elite of the Seas not named by the operator Agencies say Tuan Chau; check your voucher
Taliya, Jade Sails, Cozy Tropical (day) Tuan Chau Jade Sails Lot 24; Tropical lands guests at Gia Luan
Venezia (overnight) Ben Beo, Cat Ba
Serenity, Beka, Cat Ba Expedition (day) Ben Beo, Cat Ba

Lot numbers are where the lounge is, and your shuttle drops you at the door. If you travel on your own, give the taxi driver the number. Compare ships by pier in our cruise finder.

Tuan Chau International Marina1Halong International Cruise Port2Gia Luan ferry pier3Dong Bai ferry pier (Cat Hai)4Cai Vieng ferry pier5Phu Long cable car station6Ben Beo pier7Cat Ba town8

Overnight cruise track from Tuan Chau

Day-boat loop from Ben Beo (Cat Ba)

Tuan Chau – Gia Luan ferry

Dong Bai – Cai Vieng car ferry

  1. 1Tuan Chau International MarinaPierDirections ↗
  2. 2Halong International Cruise PortPierDirections ↗
  3. 3Gia Luan ferry pierPierDirections ↗
  4. 4Dong Bai ferry pier (Cat Hai)PierDirections ↗
  5. 5Cai Vieng ferry pierPierDirections ↗
  6. 6Phu Long cable car stationPierDirections ↗
  7. 7Ben Beo pierPierDirections ↗
  8. 8Cat Ba townTownDirections ↗
Routes drawn schematically: every ship sails its own licensed itinerary. · Chart: © OpenStreetMap contributors

Tuan Chau International Marina (Ha Long)

Tuan Chau International Marina is the check-in point for most branded Lan Ha overnight ships. According to one operator, day boats use Port 1 and overnight cruises use Port 2. Each cruise line has its own numbered lounge, where you check in, leave the shuttle and wait for the tender.

Check-in is usually 11:30–12:30. From there a tender or speedboat takes you to the ship, and the ship sails 1–1.5 hours through Ha Long waters before it reaches Lan Ha. Lunch is served on the way. Some lines skip that slow part: Celina sends guests by speedboat straight to its ship anchored at Gia Luan.

Getting there:

  • From Hanoi: 2.5–3 hours by cruise shuttle, including a 30-minute stop. Shuttles range from free (Elite of the Seas) to about USD 40 per person return. Buses over 16 seats cannot enter Hanoi's Old Quarter, so big shuttles collect you at a meeting point. See from Hanoi.
  • From Ninh Binh: about 4–4.5 hours, USD 15–25 per person. Leave by 07:30. See from Ninh Binh.
  • From Cat Bi airport (Hai Phong): 45–75 minutes by taxi or private car.
  • From Van Don airport: sources give anything from 30 minutes to 2 hours; allow the longer time until your driver confirms.

Since 1 April 2026 four licensed overnight routes link Ha Long and Lan Ha, departing from Tuan Chau and Ha Long International Cruise Port (VnEconomy). Ships on these routes visit sights in both bays, such as Ba Ham lake on the Ha Long side and the Dark and Bright caves in Lan Ha. More in Lan Ha vs Ha Long.

Ha Long International Cruise Port (Bai Chay)

The cruise port at Bai Chay, next to Sun World Ha Long, opened in 2018. It is the second licensed departure port for the Ha Long–Lan Ha routes; the first sailings, on 20 April 2026, were Âu Cơ 1 (Bhaya) on route VHL3 and Ambassador Signature on VHL6 (Nhân Dân).

La Regina Classic also leaves from here, but it sails Bai Tu Long Bay, not Lan Ha. If your voucher says Bai Chay, read the itinerary before assuming you will see Lan Ha.

Gia Luan (north Cat Ba)

Gia Luan is a small pier on the north coast of Cat Ba island, about 30 minutes by road from Cat Ba town. It does four jobs:

  • Ferry to and from Tuan Chau. About 50 minutes at sea; 40,000–60,000 VND per passenger. It sails only in good weather and with at least 30 passengers. The last boat leaves Tuan Chau at 15:30 in summer (16 April–30 September) and 15:00 in winter.
  • Cruise land trips. Peony, Mon Chéri and Orchid land guests here on day two for a 30-minute ride to Trung Trang cave in the national park.
  • Joining a cruise from Cat Ba. Peony and Mon Chéri pick up guests already on Cat Ba at Gia Luan; you wait there from 12:30 to 13:00 for the speedboat, and there is a surcharge (Peony FAQ). That saves the long road round to Ha Long.
  • Anchorage. Celina of the Sea anchors off Gia Luan.

Ben Beo (Cat Ba town)

Ben Beo (bến Bèo, also called Cai Beo after the fishing village beside it) is 2 km from Cat Ba town and the base for almost every Cat Ba day boat: Serenity, Beka, Cat Ba Expedition and many others. Venezia's small overnight boats leave from here too.

From Ben Beo, Monkey Island is about 10 minutes by boat and the wharf for Viet Hai village about 30 minutes. If you stay in Cat Ba town, this is the cheapest way onto Lan Ha: a day boat from about $28–38 on GetYourGuide, against a long transfer to Tuan Chau. See day cruises and Cat Ba island.

Cat Hai piers (Dong Bai, formerly Got)

The Got ferry pier on Cat Hai island stopped running on 1 March 2024; its land went to a port industrial zone (VnExpress). The car ferry to Cat Ba now leaves from Dong Bai, next to the cable car station, and lands at Cai Vieng on Cat Ba. Old guides and some agency pages still say "Got pier" for this whole area.

Car ferry Dong Bai ⇄ Cai Vieng
Crossing 1.86 km, 25–35 minutes
Operator Bayview Cat Ba; 38 trips a day in peak season
Hours about 05:00–18:30; from 1 September 2026 the last boat leaves Cat Ba at 17:30 and the mainland at 18:00
Cars toward Cat Ba not allowed 09:00–13:00 on weekends and holidays, 9 May–30 September
Walk-on fare 10,000 VND (reported)

The ferry stops at about Beaufort 4 wind, and holiday queues can be long: in September 2026 travelers waited 7–12 hours to leave Cat Ba. This is the crossing the Hanoi–Cat Ba combo buses use, sometimes with a 5–7-minute speedboat instead of the ferry.

Dong Bai is not a check-in point for any big cruise brand we track. Agencies still list a couple of older boats (La Pinta, Azalea) as boarding on the Cat Hai side; if your voucher says so, confirm the exact pier with the operator.

Other ways onto Cat Ba

  • Cat Hai – Phu Long cable car: about 3.9 km, 8–10 minutes, then 20–30 minutes by road to Cat Ba town. Fares are reported between 50,000 and 150,000 VND one way; say about 100,000 VND and check the ticket. Opening days differ by source, so check before you rely on it.
  • Ben Binh speedboat (Hai Phong city): about 45–60 minutes, 200,000–300,000 VND. The operator and timetable are not published officially; check locally.

There is no road bridge to Cat Ba. Dinh Vu, the industrial port in Hai Phong, has never been a cruise pier, whatever older guides say.

Getting to the piers and Cat Ba
From → toHowTimePrice
Hanoi Old Quarter → Cat Ba townOld Quarter hotel pickup; about 2 h on the expressway, then the Dong Bai–Cai Vieng crossing (speedboat 5–7 min or ferry 25–35 min) or the cable car, then a bus to your hotel.Combo bus + speedboat, ferry or cable car + bus (Good Morning Cat Ba) Check dates →3–3.5 hUSD 11 bus, USD 15 limousine (return USD 22 / 30); +USD 2 if routed by cable car
Hanoi → Cat Ba townFrom Hanoi 06:00, 07:30/07:45, 10:45, 14:00; from Cat Ba 09:30, 12:30, 15:30, 17:00. The Hoang Long bus + speedboat combo is suspended — do not plan on it.Combo bus + crossing (Cat Ba Express) Check dates →about 3.5 hUSD 13 one way, USD 26 return
Hanoi → Cat Ba townSame road + Dong Bai crossing as the combo buses; compare pickup area and the drop-off point on Cat Ba.Shared limousine van (various agencies) Check dates →3–3.5 h230,000–400,000 VND per person
Hanoi / Noi Bai airport (HAN) → Cat BaCars cannot board the Dong Bai ferry toward Cat Ba 09:00–13:00 on weekends and holidays in summer (9 May–30 Sep 2026); the driver may switch you to the cable car or speedboat.Private car + car ferry Check dates →about 3–3.5 h1,200,000–2,000,000 VND per car (agency range)
Noi Bai airport (HAN) → Cat BaOnly works with the bus timetable; for a late flight take a private car.Airport car to the Hanoi office + combo bus (Good Morning Cat Ba)about 4–4.5 hUSD 19 per car (4–7 seats) to the office, then the USD 13 bus; Cat Ba → Noi Bai USD 29
Hanoi → Hai Phong → Cat BaSpeedboat Ben Binh → Cat Ba about 45–60 min; departures reported 07:00, 09:00, 13:00, 15:00 (back 08:00, 10:00, 14:00, 16:00). Operator and timetable not confirmed officially — check locally.Train to Hai Phong + taxi to Ben Binh + speedboatabout 3–4 h incl. connectionsTrain 70,000–150,000 VND; speedboat 200,000–300,000 VND
Ninh Binh / Tam Coc → Cat Ba townFrom Ninh Binh 07:30, 09:00, 09:30, 13:30, 14:00; from Cat Ba 08:00, 09:00, 12:30, 15:30 (limousine 12:30, 15:30).Tourist bus + crossing + bus (Good Morning Cat Ba) Check dates →4.5–5 hUSD 13 (about 350,000 VND); limousine USD 16 on the return
Hai Phong city / Cat Bi airport (HPH) → Cat BaCat Bi is the closest airport to the Cat Hai piers. The listing linked here runs Cat Ba → Cat Bi.Private car via Tan Vu–Lach Huyen bridge + Dong Bai ferry or cable car Check dates →check with the driver (not confirmed)see listing
Dong Bai (Cat Hai island) ⇄ Cai Vieng (Cat Ba)Daily about 05:00–18:30 (to ~19:00 in peak months). From 1 Sep 2026 the last ferry leaves Cat Ba 17:30 and the mainland 18:00. Stops at about Beaufort 4 wind; holiday queues of several hours have occurred.Car ferry (Bayview Cat Ba) — replaced the Got ferry on 1 Mar 202425–35 minWalk-on 10,000 VND; motorbike 45,000; car under 9 seats 190,000 (secondary sources)
Cat Hai ⇄ Phu Long (Cat Ba) cable carNot every day (closed Tuesdays per VnExpress; Wed–Mon 09:00–11:00 and 13:00–17:00 per Sun Group); fixed slots. Good when the car ferry queues or stops in wind.Sun World cable car, about 3.9 km Check dates →8–10 min, then 20–30 min by road to Cat Ba townFare reported between 50,000 and 150,000 VND one way — check the ticket listing
Tuan Chau (Ha Long) → Gia Luan (north Cat Ba)Sails only in good weather and with at least 30 passengers. 16 Apr–30 Sep from Tuan Chau 07:30, 09:30, 11:30, 13:30, 15:30; 1 Oct–15 Apr 07:30, 11:30, 15:00. From Cat Ba: summer 09:00, 11:30, 13:00, 15:00, 16:00; winter 09:00, 13:00, 16:00. Usually keeps running when the Dong Bai ferry stops.Passenger and car ferryabout 50 min–1 h 20; then about 30 min by road to Cat Ba townAbout 60,000 VND per passenger (secondary); car about 450,000 VND
Hanoi Old Quarter → Tuan Chau Marina (cruise check-in)Pickup usually 08:00–08:30 for 11:30–12:30 check-in; back in Hanoi about 14:30–16:00 on the last day. Buses over 16 seats cannot enter the Old Quarter, so big shuttles use meeting points.Cruise-line shuttle / limousine2.5–3 h incl. a 30-min stopFree to about USD 40 per person return depending on the ship (e.g. Sena USD 30, Scarlet Pearl USD 35, Era USD 40; Elite of the Seas shared limousine free)
Hanoi / Noi Bai airport → Tuan ChauBook through your cruise line if possible so the driver has the lounge lot number.Private carabout 2.5–3 h (Noi Bai about 170 km)From about USD 50 per car one way (Elite of the Seas price list); premium vans up to USD 200
Van Don airport (VDO) → Tuan ChauAllow the longer figure until your driver confirms.Taxi / private car30 min–2 h (sources conflict)ask the cruise line
Ninh Binh / Tam Coc → Tuan ChauDepartures 07:00–07:30 reach an 11:30–12:30 cruise check-in the same morning.Limousine vanabout 4–4.5 hUSD 15 (Good Morning Cat Ba); USD 25 per person each way (Peony / Mon Chéri shuttle); USD 20 (La Pandora)
Hai Phong / Cat Bi airport → Tuan ChauHeritage Line gives about 1 h; Peony 45–75 min.Taxi / private car via the Hai Phong–Ha Long expressway45–75 minask the cruise line
Cat Ba → join a Tuan Chau cruiseOffered by Peony and Mon Chéri (and on request by others); saves the trip round to Ha Long. Otherwise take the Gia Luan → Tuan Chau ferry.Speedboat or tender from Gia Luan pierwait at Gia Luan 12:30–13:00surcharge set by the cruise line

Times and fares checked on October 16, 2026; ferries stop in storms and at low demand.

At the pier: what to bring

  • Your passport. Operators register every guest with the port authority. Most ask for passport details 24 hours ahead and the original passport at check-in.
  • Cash for the bar. Drinks are almost never included; you settle the bill on the last morning.
  • Time in hand. Missing the tender at Tuan Chau can mean paying for a private speedboat (La Casta and Celina both charge for late arrivals).

Since June 2026 every passenger on Lan Ha passenger boats must wear a certified life jacket from boarding and throughout the trip, with a safety briefing from the crew (Tiền Phong). Expect to put it on in the tender.

Storm cancellations are ordered by the port authority, not by the cruise line, and on the Hai Phong side the Cat Ba ferries stop too. From June to November keep your dates flexible. See best time.

See everything on GetYourGuide →See everything on Klook →Prices checked on October 16, 2026

FAQ

Where do Lan Ha Bay cruises depart from?

Most branded overnight ships check in at Tuan Chau International Marina in Ha Long, each at its own numbered lounge. Venezia and the Cat Ba day boats leave from Ben Beo near Cat Ba town.

Does the Got pier still exist?

Not as a ferry pier. It closed on 1 March 2024. The car ferry to Cat Ba now runs from Dong Bai on Cat Hai island to Cai Vieng on Cat Ba.

How far is Tuan Chau from Hanoi?

About 2.5–3 hours by cruise shuttle, including a rest stop. Most shuttles pick up in the Old Quarter at 08:00–08:30.

Can I join a Lan Ha cruise from Cat Ba island?

Yes, on some ships. Peony and Mon Chéri pick up guests at Gia Luan pier between 12:30 and 13:00 for a surcharge. Otherwise take a day boat or a small cruise such as Venezia from Ben Beo.

Which pier is closest to Cat Ba town?

Ben Beo, about 2 km away. Gia Luan is about 30 minutes away by road.

Keep exploring

Getting thereFrom Hanoifrom $34 Getting thereFrom Ninh Binhfrom $109 Getting thereHow to get there PlanLan Ha vs Ha Longfrom $28 PlanBest time to visitfrom $28