Cát Bà is the largest island in the Cát Bà Archipelago and part of a UNESCO biosphere reserve, blending rugged karst landscapes, dense rainforest, tranquil beaches, and fishing-village culture. It’s a great counterpoint to the more crowded Ha Long Bay — wilder, greener, more adventurous, and still easy to reach from Hanoi or Hai Phong.
It takes about one hour by high speed hydrofoil to go to the island from Hai Phong city, or about 60 kilometers by passing a ferry. Moreover, you can also travel to Cat Ba island via a boat departed from Tuan Chau pier in Ha Long Bay.
What to See & Do
- Cát Bà National Park & Jungle Trekking
Half the island is national park, with several hiking trails ranging from short forest walks to full-day treks. You might hike to Ngu Lam Peak for sweeping island views, explore dense limestone forests, spot wildlife (including rare langurs), or head to Viet Hai village via jungle trails.
- Lan Ha Bay Boat & Kayak Tours
Lan Ha Bay — adjacent to Ha Long Bay — offers a quieter, more intimate cruising and kayaking experience. Day-trip boats often combine floating fishing villages (like Cai Beo), secluded beaches, kayaking in karst lagoons, and snorkeling or swimming stops.
- Beaches & Swimming
Cát Bà has multiple beaches — Cat Co 1, Cat Co 2 and Cat Co 3 are popular, relatively accessible from the town via foot or motorbike. Water is usually clean and calm enough for swimming or snorkeling, especially outside typhoon season.
- Caves & Historic Sites
Hospital Cave: a cave turned underground wartime hospital during the Vietnam War. It’s been restored and is popular with visitors interested in history.
Trung Trang Cave and other karst caves: great for exploring stalactites, forest interiors and dramatic cavern-like spaces.
- Trek + Bike to Viet Hai Village
One of the best “slow travel” experiences on Cát Bà is taking a boat or trekking route to Viet Hai village, then cycling back to town or your hotel. On the way, you pass rice paddies, jungle edges, karst peaks, and traditional village life — often in relative quiet compared to tourist hubs.
- Rock Climbing & Adventure Sports
Cát Bà is becoming a regional hub for rock climbing, deep-water soloing, and other adventure sports. Trails in the national park include lookout hikes, and lodges often help organize guided climbing or kayak trips.
- Evening Life, Seafood & Night Markets
Cát Bà Town offers a relaxed island evening vibe: seafood restaurants, small bars, and a night market in the harbour area. Seafood is fresh and reasonably priced — grilled squid, crab, hotpots and local shellfish are island staples. For a more laid-back night, try a rooftop bar or casual beer garden overlooking the bay.
- Beach Camping & Relaxed Island Nights
If you’re traveling slowly or camping-friendly, you can camp on some Cát Bà beaches or quieter coastal spots, waking to sunrise over the sea or starlight over water. Many visitors comment that nights on Cát Bà feel more “connected” to nature than in larger, more tourist-packed beach towns.
I arrived on Cát Bà in the late afternoon and took a motorbike up to a small viewpoint overlooking Lan Ha Bay. The water caught the golden light, and dozens of karst islets cast long shadows.
The next morning, my guide rowed me across to Viet Hai village. We landed at a quiet dock, then mounted bikes and pedaled through rice paddies, passing water buffalo, small stilt houses, and a family harvesting morning vegetables. The jungle felt immediate — birds flitted overhead, and vines draped to the ground from limestone cliffs.
In the afternoon I joined a kayaking trip through hidden lagoons of Lan Ha Bay. We paddled past floating fish farms, beaches with only a handful of day-visitors, and even a small cave where we had to turn off the motors and drift quietly in the still water.
Dinner back in Cát Bà Town featured grilled squid, fresh shellfish in broth, and a beer as the sunset deepened the colors of the harbour. I ended the night strolling the small night market and chatting with the boatmen pulling up to land.
By the time I left, I felt like I’d got both “island wild” and “Vietnamese coastal life” — together in a single place, without feeling rushed or overwhelmed.