Ha Long Buses

Ha Long Bay is a short bus journey away from Hanoi - check the comfortable minibus options available

If there is one truly unmissable experience of Vietnam, its a night or two spent on the waters of Halong Bay.

Ha Long translates to "Bay of Descending Dragons". Legend has it that in Ancient Vietnam, the jade emperor-god sent dragons to help the people defeat the foreign invaders. The dragons spat pearls which changed into karst stone island towers when they hit the water, thus creating Halong Bay.

To drift around on a boat among these 1500+ islands in some of the most enchanting coastal scenery in the world is one of the best experiences you can have in Vietnam.

Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Island are both around 3 hours drive from Hanoi. You can catch direct buses to Hanoi from both these locations. The bus routes, with times and prices are shown in the tables below – just click on the BOOK button to book your bus ticket.

Ha Long To Hanoi Schedule

11:00 Ha Long 3 hours 14:00 Hanoi Travel Time: 3 hours	9 seater limousine mini-bus.	$16.80 USD
12:00 Ha Long 3 hours 15:00 Hanoi Travel Time: 3 hours	9 seater limousine mini-bus.	$16.80 USD
14:00 Ha Long 3 hours 17:00 Hanoi Travel Time: 3 hours	9 seater limousine mini-bus.	$16.80 USD
15:30 Ha Long 3 hours 18:30 Hanoi Travel Time: 3 hours	9 seater limousine mini-bus.	$16.80 USD
19:00 Ha Long 3 hours 22:00 Hanoi Travel Time: 3 hours	9 seater limousine mini-bus.	$16.80 USD

A cruise on Ha Long Bay is on everybody's must-see list of destinations in Vietnam. There is nothing quite like cruising the beautiful islands of Ha Long Bay on a junk, swimming, kayaking and visiting the various caves, grottoes and islands of the area. Most cruises depart from Ha Long city port or Cat Ba Island.

We recommend two nights/three days on a boat in Ha Long, although one night/two days is also possible. If you can spend a little extra, doing it on your own in one or two cabin private sailing junk is an amazing experience - not cheap, but it is an amazing experience to be cruising in a wooden private sailing junk (real sails!) with just your own family - you can visit smaller bays and beaches, and you get to moor overnight in a private spot, away from all the collective junks. That said, if you're travelling on your own or you enjoy meeting other travellers, it can be good fun to be on a collective boat.

Often there is no need to take the bus to Ha Long bay or Cat Ba Island if you book pre-arranged boat cruise in Hanoi City - the transport to Ha Long port (or Cat Ba) will be included in the price, and usually in a small minibus or similar. However, if you do decide to do it on your own and take the bus, you're in a good position to negotiate a great rate on a Halong cruise. It's about three hours drive to both Cat Ba and Ha Long.