Things to do in Lan Ha Bay and on Cat Ba Island

Most things to do in Lan Ha Bay happen in one of three places: on a boat among the limestone islets, on the cliffs and beaches around them, or on Cat Ba Island itself, whose national park and town sit right next to the bay. Lan Ha (vịnh Lan Hạ, "vịnh" means bay) belongs to Hai Phong, not to Quang Ninh like Ha Long Bay, and it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site "Ha Long Bay – Cat Ba Archipelago".

Below are the 15 things worth your time, what each costs, who runs it, and the caveats. Two of them matter before you book anything: kayaking is under an official suspension, and storms can close the sea and the Cat Ba ferries for a day or two between June and November.

The top 15 things to do in Lan Ha Bay at a glance

1. Spend a night on a cruise ship in the bay (2 days 1 night or 3 days 2 nights).
2. Take a day boat from Ben Beo pier on Cat Ba.
3. Visit the Dark and Bright Caves by bamboo boat.
4. Swim at Ao Ech, Tra Bau, Ba Trai Dao or Van Boi.
5. See Cai Beo fishing village and its floating fish farms.
6. Kayak, only where and when it is allowed.
7. Go out on a dark night to look for bioluminescent plankton.
8. Deep-water solo or rope-climb on the sea cliffs.
9. Try cliff jumping on a guided boat day.
10. Hike to Ngu Lam peak in Cat Ba National Park.
11. Walk through Trung Trang cave.
12. Cycle at Viet Hai, the car-free village inside the park.
13. Land on Monkey Island (Cat Dua).
14. Climb to Cannon Fort and visit Hospital Cave.
15. Rent a bicycle or e-bike and do the coast and beach loop.

Every guide on the site, filterable:

On the water: cruises and day boats

1. Overnight cruise

An overnight ship gives you sunset, dinner and early morning on the water, when the bay is at its calmest. Most branded Lan Ha cruise lines check in at Tuan Chau in Ha Long and sail into Lan Ha; a few boats and most Cat Ba day trips start on the Hai Phong side. Check your voucher for the pier. Since 1 April 2026 overnight ships may cross between Ha Long and Lan Ha only on four licensed routes, so a "Ha Long and Lan Ha" listing really does pass through both bays.

A typical 2 days 1 night trip: pickup in Hanoi around 08:00, check-in 11:30–12:30, lunch while sailing, one activity in the afternoon, sunset and dinner, then tai chi, a short excursion and brunch the next morning, back in Hanoi around 14:30–16:00. Day 2 is really half a morning. Compare ships in our guides to 2 days 1 night cruises and 3-day cruises, or browse the full list of Lan Ha Bay cruises.

The overnight bay fee (400,000 VND per adult for one night) is nearly always included; drinks almost never are.

2. Day boat from Cat Ba

If you are already on Cat Ba, a shared day boat from Ben Beo is the cheapest way into the bay. Cat Ba Expedition sells its day trip for 900,000 VND direct (4% more when booked online): hotel pickup 08:00–08:30, Cai Beo village, lunch on board, a swim at Ba Trai Dao, a fish farm, back by 16:00–17:00. Beka Travel runs a wooden boat for up to 25 guests at USD 35 per adult, with a USD 10 surcharge on Vietnamese public holidays. On GetYourGuide similar boats start from $28 and Beka's sells as the Beka Day Boat from $34.

From Ha Long, the Tropical day boat leaves Tuan Chau, crosses into Lan Ha and lands at Gia Luan for Trung Trang cave. It is cheaper on Klook than on Trip.com today, but check what each listing includes:

There is no public day boat between Ha Long and Lan Ha: the licensed inter-bay routes are for overnight ships only. More on all the options in our Lan Ha Bay day cruises guide and the Beka Travel review.

Sights in the bay: caves, lagoons and beaches

Which of these stops you get depends on the route, the tide and the current rules.

3. Dark and Bright Caves

Hang Sáng and Hang Tối ("hang" means cave) are sea-level tunnels about 70 m long, roughly 12 km from Ben Beo. Boats take you through by bamboo or rowing boat. They appear on the licensed inter-bay routes, so they are firmly in Lan Ha, not Ha Long. Recent reports say kayaking there is no longer permitted, so expect a rowed boat rather than a paddle.

4. Swimming at Ao Ech, Tra Bau, Ba Trai Dao and Van Boi

Tra Bau and Ao Ech (Frog Lake) are the main anchorage and activity area of the bay, and the place where most cruises now put their swim platforms and tender rides. Van Boi is a white-sand stop with calm water. Ba Trai Dao ("Three Peaches") is the photogenic beach, but its access is disputed; it is often a swim stop when access, tide and weather allow.

5. Cai Beo fishing village

Cai Beo sits next to Ben Beo pier: more than 500 households live from fishing and floating fish cages, and the site is a national relic for its prehistoric finds. Almost every Cat Ba day boat passes through it, and several tours add a fish-farm stop or a cooking class on a floating house. Do not confuse it with Viet Hai, which is a land village inside the national park (number 12 below).

What is not in Lan Ha

Ba Ham lake, Cua Van and Tien Ong cave are Ha Long sights in Quang Ninh. You reach them only on ships that sail the Ha Long 3 – Lan Ha route. Long Chau lighthouse, built by the French in 1894, is 15 km out to sea and not a standard cruise stop. If a listing promises these as "Lan Ha", read the itinerary again. Our Lan Ha vs Ha Long guide explains the difference.

Kayaking in Lan Ha Bay: what is allowed now

6. Kayaking, only where it runs

This is the caveat most sellers leave out. Kayaking in the Cat Ba bays has been under an official suspension since November 2024, re-confirmed by the Cat Hai Special Zone in late 2025. Some ships offer it only in a designated area or replace it with a bamboo boat, tender or swim. Ask the operator in writing.

The original order is reported here: https://vnexpress.net/dung-cheo-kayak-tren-vinh-lan-ha-4818664.html. Amanda and Le Journey cruises stopped kayaks on 27 November 2025 and replaced them with swimming, tender rides and Ao Ech visits: https://amandacruise.com.vn/news-promotions/notice-regarding-temporary-suspension-of-kayak-services/. No notice lifting the suspension has been published. Most operators still advertise kayaking anyway, so "kayak" in a title tells you nothing about your date.

Book a trip you would enjoy without the kayak and treat paddling as a bonus. Details: kayaking in Lan Ha Bay.

Night and adventure: plankton, climbing, cliff jumping

7. Bioluminescent plankton

On warm, dark, calm nights, roughly May to October, the water around the lagoons glows blue-green when you move through it. It is not guaranteed: brightness changes night to night, a full moon or the lights of town, big ships and squid boats wash it out, and phones rarely capture it. Book in the new-moon week and pick a tour that goes to a dark lagoon away from Cat Ba town.

Night tours are sold by Cat Ba Climbing ("Kayak by Day, Plankton by Night", 1,500,000 VND), Blue Swimmer and Cat Ba Ventures, and on GetYourGuide the plankton boat tour from $44 is the best reviewed. Every plankton product relies on night kayaking or swimming, so the kayak rule above applies here too. Full guide: bioluminescent plankton in Lan Ha Bay.

8. Deep-water soloing and rock climbing

Lan Ha is a serious climbing area: more than 230 deep-water solo (DWS) lines on 24 sea cliffs, grades 4a to 7c+, plus sport routes on Cat Ba itself, such as Butterfly Valley. DWS means climbing above the sea without a rope and dropping into the water, so it needs high tide. There is one high tide a day with a range of up to 3 m, and operators swap morning and afternoon sessions to match it. June to November has the most DWS tides; April–May and September–November are the best compromise.

Cat Ba Climbing (120 Nui Ngoc St) charges 1,150,000 VND for a half-day DWS session. Cat Ba Ventures (223 Mot Thang Tu St) runs DWS days and multi-day climbing boat trips. Asia Outdoors, named in many older guides, closed in 2019; buy access passes and guidebooks from the operators above. More in our rock climbing and DWS guide and the Cat Ba Climbing review.

9. Cliff jumping

Cat Ba Climbing combines jumps of up to 8 m with a Viet Hai lunch stop on a full guided day (2,216,000 VND, including boat, fees, lunch, guide and insurance). On GetYourGuide the advanced climbing and cliff jumping boat tour is a small-group version with few reviews so far. The tide decides the order of the day.

Cat Ba National Park: Ngu Lam peak and Trung Trang cave

10. Hike to Ngu Lam peak

Cat Ba National Park was founded in 1986 and covers 17,362.96 ha of forest and sea. The usual walk is the central route: park headquarters, the Kim Giao forest, a climb to the Ngu Lam peak viewpoint (about 220 m) and Trung Trang cave. That route costs 120,000 VND per adult and 60,000 VND per child; the 160,000 VND ticket covers the whole park and is only worth it for longer treks. The park is open 07:00–17:00, and older figures of 40,000 or 80,000 VND online are out of date. The official fee board is here: https://vuonquocgiacatba.com.vn/bang-gia-ve-tham-quan

Go at 07:00 for cooler air. The Cat Ba langur, a critically endangered monkey that lives only in this archipelago, numbers around 90 animals and is rarely seen by visitors, so do not book a hike for it. A guided half-day hike to Ngu Lam from $27 includes transport from town.

11. Trung Trang cave

Trung Trang is on the same central-route ticket and on the road from Cat Ba town to Gia Luan pier. Peony, Mon Chéri and Orchid cruises land at Gia Luan on day 2 to visit it, and the Tropical day boat stops there too. Full details: Cat Ba National Park guide.

GetYourGuide4 hours

Cat Ba National Park: Half-Day Guided Hike to Ngu Lam Peak

4.7 (422)

from $27Check dates

GetYourGuide8.5 hours

Cat Ba National Park: Full-Day Hike, Cycle, Kayak & Swim

4.9 (150)

from $36Check dates

GetYourGuide1 day

Cat Ba National Park: Full-Day Trekking to Viet Hai Village

4.9 (26)

from $46Check dates

GetYourGuideDay trip

Cat Ba: Lan Ha Bay Bioluminescent Plankton Boat Tour

4.8 (636)

from $44Check dates

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

Viet Hai village by boat and bicycle

12. Cycle at Viet Hai

Viet Hai is a village of about 90 households inside the park's core zone, now run as a community-tourism village. There is no road. You arrive by boat from Ben Beo (about 30 minutes) or on a 9–12 km forest trek. From the wharf, rent a bicycle for about 50,000 VND per day or take an electric car for about 150,000 VND one way (prices reported in May 2026: https://vietnamnet.vn/khach-tay-me-man-ngoi-lang-tram-tuoi-khong-o-to-xe-may-o-hai-phong-2515686.html). No village entry fee is known.

Viet Hai cycling is the standard day-2 program of 3 days 2 nights cruises, usually on a separate day boat that you may share with guests from other ships. On GetYourGuide the 3-day cruise with Viet Hai cycling is the best-reviewed of these. From Cat Ba, the full-day trek to Viet Hai walks in through the forest. See our Viet Hai village guide.

Monkey Island and the Cat Ba beaches

13. Monkey Island (Cat Dua)

Monkey Island is Cat Dua island, about 10 minutes by boat from Ben Beo. Boats land at the main beach, and a steep rocky trail of 15–20 minutes leads to a viewpoint. The monkeys are macaques, not langurs, and they grab food, phones and sunglasses: do not feed them, and keep bags closed. There is no state entrance fee, but also no proper pier or rescue service, so go with a boat that waits for you. Many day boats add it, for example this Lan Ha and Monkey Island day trip from $29. More: Monkey Island guide.

Cat Ba town beaches

Cat Co 1, 2 and 3 and Tung Thu are the town beaches, within walking or cycling distance of the harbor. Cliffside development has affected Cat Co 1 and 2, so check access locally. VnExpress advises against swimming after 18:00, when the tide comes in.

Cat Ba town: forts, caves, bikes and evenings

14. Cannon Fort and Hospital Cave

Cannon Fort, on a hill above town, has two large cannons from the 1940s and a network of tunnels. Entry is reported at 80,000 VND, plus 50,000 VND for the electric car up the hill. Hospital Cave, about 8.5 km from town, is a wartime hospital built in 1963–65 with 17 rooms on three levels; entry is also reported at 80,000 VND. Prices come from the VnExpress Cat Ba guide: https://vnexpress.net/cam-nang-du-lich-cat-ba-4136515.html

15. Cycle the island

Cat Ba Climbing rents bicycles for 150,000 VND and e-bikes for 300,000 VND per day, with your licence, ID or a cash deposit (never leave your passport). Two easy loops: town, Tung Thu beach, Cannon Fort and Cat Co; or town, the national park, Hospital Cave, Trung Trang cave, Gia Luan and back along the coast. Riding a motorbike legally requires a 1968-convention International Driving Permit plus your home licence.

In the evening, Sun Group's new Vui-Fest night market and the Sun Bavaria beer venue are in town. Sunset boats cost 450,000–600,000 VND from local operators, and Cat Ba Expedition runs a cooking class for 1,400,000 VND. More ideas in our Cat Ba Island guide and the activities overview.

When to go and how to plan your days

October and November are the strongest months: the driest of the year with plenty of sun and sea at about 25–28 °C. February and March bring drizzle, fog and the least sunshine, which suits misty photos but not swimming. May to September is hot and wet, August is the wettest month, and storm season runs June to November. When the authorities issue a sea ban, every boat stays in port and the Cat Ba car ferries stop; twice in the last storm season (22 August and 13–14 September 2026) this left visitors stuck on the island for a day or more. Keep a buffer day before an international flight. Our best time to visit guide has the monthly figures.

Domestic crowds peak on 30 April – 1 May, on summer weekends and around Tết (Lunar New Year, late January or February). On those days the car ferry queues are long; walk on as a foot passenger or take the cable car instead. Getting to Cat Ba takes about 3–3.5 hours from Hanoi by combined bus and ferry ticket: see how to get to Lan Ha Bay.

A sensible plan for two to three days on Cat Ba:

Prices: on your own or with a tour

Booking direct in Cat Ba is usually cheaper, but you pay in VND, often with a surcharge, under the operator's cancellation rules. GetYourGuide's listings usually let you reserve now and pay later, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before on most products, which matters in storm season. Many big listings carry generic titles: check the boat or ship name before you pay. Klook sells several day boats under their own names and shows how many people booked them.

Our picks for a first visit

1

Travelers based on Cat Ba

A known local operator, a small wooden boat (max 25) from Ben Beo and strong reviews; includes fees and lunch.

GetYourGuideDay trip

Hanoi/Cat Ba: Beka Day Boat - Lan Ha Bay Full Day Boat Tour

4.8 (670)

from $34Check dates

2

A dark summer night

The best-reviewed plankton boat on GetYourGuide; still not guaranteed, so pick a moonless date.

GetYourGuideDay trip

Cat Ba: Lan Ha Bay Bioluminescent Plankton Boat Tour

4.8 (636)

from $44Check dates

3

Walkers with half a day

Ngu Lam peak and the park forest with transport, cheaper than most boat trips.

GetYourGuide4 hours

Cat Ba National Park: Half-Day Guided Hike to Ngu Lam Peak

4.7 (422)

from $27Check dates

4

Travelers with three days

A cruise that includes the Viet Hai cycling day, which 2-day trips skip.

5★

GetYourGuide3D2N

Hanoi: 3Day 5-Star Cruise Ha Long, Lan Ha & Viet Hai Cycling

4.8 (594)

from $266Check dates

5★

GetYourGuide3D2N

3 Days Ha Long & Lan Ha Bay on 5* Cruise with Balcony Cabin

4.8 (1,534)

from $338Check dates

Klook2D1N

2D1N Ha Long & Lan Ha Bay Cruise Tour by La Pandora Cruise

4.8 (939) · 4K+ booked

from $104Check dates

5★

GetYourGuide3D2N

Hanoi: 3 Days Ninh Binh, Ha Long & Lan Ha Bay 5-Star Cruise

4.8 (1,483)

from $220Check dates

GetYourGuide2D1N

2-Day Ha Long, Lan Ha Bay Luxury Cruise w/ Balcony & Bathtub

4.8 (1,193)

from $110Check dates

5★

GetYourGuide2D1N

2 Days Ha Long Lan Ha Bay 5-Star Cruise w/Balcony & Bathtub

4.7 (1,231)

from $131Check dates

Klook2D1N

2D1N Halong & Lan Ha Bay Cruise Tour by Aspira Cruise

4.9 (824) · 6K+ booked

from $146Check dates

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

Frequently asked questions