Viet Hai village: cycling, trekking and how to get there from Cat Ba

Viet Hai village (làng Việt Hải) sits on the Lan Ha side of Cat Ba Island, inside the core zone of Cat Ba National Park, between the forest and the bay. No road reaches it. That isolation is the point of a visit: a quiet ride past wooden houses, lunch in a village house and a slow pace that is hard to find in Cat Ba town. In August 2025 Hai Phong recognised it as a community-tourism village.

This guide covers how to get there, whether to cycle or take the electric car, which cruises and day boats include it, and how to go on your own.

Viet Hai is not Cai Beo

The two are often mixed up. Cai Beo is the fishing village at Ben Beo pier, 2 km from Cat Ba town, with floating fish farms and boats. Viet Hai is a land village in the national park, reached by boat across Lan Ha and then by bike or electric car from its wharf. If a listing says "fishing village" and the boat never leaves the harbor, you are seeing Cai Beo.

How to get to Viet Hai village

There are three ways in, and all of them need some planning.

By boat from Ben Beo. Ben Beo (Cai Beo) pier, 2 km from Cat Ba town, is the base for Cat Ba day boats. The crossing through Lan Ha to Viet Hai wharf takes about 30 minutes. In practice that means joining a day boat or tour that includes Viet Hai, or arranging a boat in Cat Ba town; there is no published public timetable.

On foot through the park. The forest trek runs about 9–12 km and takes six to seven hours. Trekkers get a briefing on the forest-protection rules. Go with a guide and arrange the boat back to Ben Beo before you start.

On a cruise. Most 3-day cruises spend day 2 on a separate day boat that lands at Viet Hai wharf. Since 1 April 2026, one of the four licensed Ha Long–Lan Ha overnight routes (VHL6) also ends at Viet Hai wharf. Details: https://vnexpress.net/quang-ninh-va-hai-phong-khai-thong-4-tuyen-du-lich-lien-vinh-5057390.html

From the wharf to the village

The wharf is not in the village. You cover the last stretch by bicycle (about 50,000 VND per person per day) or electric car (about 150,000 VND one way), according to a VietnamNet report from May 2026. About 20 electric vehicles run in the eco-tourism area, driven by young villagers, and the area is moving to electric-only transport. Tours and cruises normally include the bike or the electric car; check the listing. Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/khach-tay-me-man-ngoi-lang-tram-tuoi-khong-o-to-xe-may-o-hai-phong-2515686.html

What you do in Viet Hai

Do not expect sights in the usual sense. A typical visit is a ride through the valley to the village, a visit to a local house, often with herbal tea, and lunch either in the village or back on the boat. Some day boats add a fish-foot massage (small fish nibbling at your feet in a tub). The point is the setting: a century-old village surrounded by forest, with no cars or motorbikes.

No village entry fee is known. You pay for the bike or electric car if they are not included, for drinks and for anything you buy. Fewer than 10 households run tourism businesses and about half of those offer rooms, so it is a small, quiet place.

Staying overnight

Viet Hai has homestays in wooden and stilt houses, plus bungalows. Staying a night lets you see the village after the day boats have left. Book ahead, because rooms are few, and arrange your boat back to Ben Beo in advance.

5★

GetYourGuide3D2N

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

4.8 (594)

from $266Check dates

6★

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Hanoi: 3D2N 6 Star Cruise Halong & Lan Ha | Viet Hai Village

4.8 (65)

from $250Check dates

5★

GetYourGuide3D2N

Hanoi: 3 Days Luxury 5-star Halong Bay Cruise, Cat Ba island

5.0 (21)

from $391Check dates

GetYourGuide2D1N

Lan Ha Bay cozy cruise: biking, kayaking, small group, meals

5.0 (16)

from $113Check dates

GetYourGuide9 hours

Hanoi/Cat Ba: Lan ha bay 1day- Biking, kayak, lunch, swiming

4.9 (18)

from $28Check dates

GetYourGuide3D2N

Lan Ha bay cruises 3days: kayak, bike, small group, Viet Hai

4.6 (25)

from $285Check dates

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

What to bring

Cash in small VND notes for the bike or electric car, drinks and any homestay extras; shoes that can get wet for the landing and the swim stop; swimwear; and a hat and water for the ride. Boat operators register passengers, so carry your passport or a copy, as cruise and day-boat staff usually ask for it.

Cruises and day boats that include Viet Hai

3-day cruises

On a typical 3D2N cruise, day 2 is spent on a day boat: Viet Hai by bike or electric car, lunch, then a beach or lagoon. Ba Trai Dao ("Three Peaches") is often the swim stop when access, tide and weather allow. You may share the day boat with guests from other ships. Examples from the operators' own programmes:

• Peony and Mon Chéri: Viet Hai by bike or electric cart, lunch on the day boat, a lagoon swim near Ba Trai Dao.
• Capella: Viet Hai by bike with a tea ceremony, then a swim at Ba Trai Dao.
• Heritage Binh Chuan 3D2N: bike or electric car, a local house visit, lunch in the village or on the day boat.
• La Regina Grand: Viet Hai cycling with an old house and herbal tea.

The one-night Heritage Line Ginger is unusual: it cycles through Viet Hai on day 1 of a 2D1N. On GetYourGuide, the 3-day 5-star cruise with Viet Hai cycling is from $266 (4.8 from 594 reviews). Be aware that many "3-day" listings are one day in Ninh Binh plus a one-night cruise; check the day plan for Viet Hai before booking. See three-day cruises.

Day boats from Cat Ba

From Ben Beo, several day boats include Viet Hai:

• Serenity Grandeur lands at Viet Hai around 13:00 for bikes or electric cars and a fish-foot massage, then kayaks or swims in a lagoon. Its sister Serenity Premium includes Viet Hai cycling only in the summer season (roughly May to September). See the Serenity review.
• Cat Ba Climbing sells a day of cliff jumping, kayaking and Viet Hai for 2,216,000 VND per person, with lunch at Viet Hai and a bike or fish-foot massage. See Cat Ba Climbing.
• On GetYourGuide, a Lan Ha and Viet Hai cycling and kayaking day is from $35, and the full-day trek to Viet Hai from $46.

Viet Hai on your own vs with a tour

For most people a tour is simpler: the boat is the hard part, and day boats from Ben Beo bundle it with a bay trip. Going on your own makes sense if you want to stay overnight or walk in through the forest.

When to go

October and November are the best months: dry, sunny and still warm enough to swim. From May to September it is hot and wet (August is the wettest month), so start early and expect showers; this is also when Serenity Premium adds Viet Hai. February and March bring drizzle and fog. During the June–November storm season Hai Phong can ban sailing, which stops all boats to the village. More in best time to visit.

Viet Hai village FAQ