Hanoi to Halong Bay

Overview Compare Bus Limo Van Taxi Train Flight Helicopter Day Tour

Halong Bay is dubbed as a UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It’s filled with multiple towering limestone islands and is quite a scene to take in. In the Halong Bay area, you can enjoy activities such as scuba diving, rock climbing, hiking or even kayak expeditions.

Is it worth travelling from Hanoi to Halong Bay?

Travelling from Hanoi to Halong Bay without a tour will require more organising and will be slightly more expensive. And to be honest, the city itself (Halong City) is not really as interesting as its world-renowned limestone islands.

However, there is one advantage of travelling to Halong Bay without a tour. This is to visit the Bai Tho Mountain, or better known as Poem Mountain. You’ll have to go off the beaten track to make this climb, but the views from here are just magnificent.

6 ways to get from Hanoi to Halong Bay

There are 6 ways you can travel the 175 km from Hanoi to Halong Bay: a 2.5-hour bus, a 2.5-hour van, a 7-hour train, a 2.5-hour taxi, a 1-hour seaplane, and a 55-minute helicopter ride. Rates start from 300,000 VND ($12.00) and go as high as 10,920,000 VND ($450.00) for a helicopter flight.

The bus is the cheapest option to travel from Hanoi to Halong Bay. Fares start from 300,000 VND ($12.00) for the 2.5-hour journey. The bus takes you from the centre of Hanoi to the cruise port in Halong Bay.

The limo van is just a little more expensive than the bus, but most van companies provide free hotel pickup and drop-off. Prices start from 310,000 VND ($12.50) and this van trip to Halong Bay from Hanoi takes about 2.5 hours.

For private transfers, you can get a taxi. Rates start from 1,910,000 VND ($78.00) for a 5-seater private car.

The train is the cheapest option at only 90,000 VND ($3.70), but it takes 7 hours and is also quite uncomfortable with its hard seats. If you want to travel like a local, though, taking the train from Hanoi to Halong Bay can be a great experience.

If you want to experience Halong Bay in a completely different way, you can enjoy an aerial view of Halong Bay by taking a seaplane or a helicopter.

TIP: If you decide to travel by plane, please consider including a carbon compensation fee to reduce your impact on the environment.

Group tours from Hanoi to Halong Bay

Not in the mood to organise a DIY Halong Bay trip? You can instead join one of many group tours operating daily from Hanoi. Taking the train to reach Halong Bay from Hanoi can be a unique experience, though, because you can travel like a local.

Rates start from 1,060,000 VND ($43.50) for a day trip from Hanoi and 3,080,000 VND ($125.00) for an overnight cruise.

Looking for more info on How to get to Halong Bay?

Just click one of the links below to read our step-by-step guides.

• Bus from Hanoi to Halong Bay
• Train from Hanoi to Halong Bay
• Taxi from Hanoi to Halong Bay
• Flights from Hanoi to Halong Bay
• Heli from Hanoi to Halong Bay
• Day tour from Hanoi to Halong Bay
• Overnight cruise from Hanoi to Halong Bay

PRO TIP: Want to book a boat tour? Don’t forget to check out our recommendations at the bottom of this page!

There are plenty of buses going to Halong Bay from Hanoi. And thanks to the Halong – Hai Phong Expressway, which opened in 2018, you can now reach Halong Bay around 2 hours faster than before.

The journey takes 2.5-3.5 hours, depending on which bus you take. Fares start from 300,000 VND ($12.00).

Departure and arrival station

Sapa Express leaves from its office in Hanoi city centre, just a few minutes walk north of Hoan Kiem Lake. Ninh Binh Excursion departs from Hanoi Opera House, a 5-minute walk from the southern edge of Hoan Kiem Lake. Rosa Eco Bus provides free pickup from any hotel in the centre of Hanoi.

Rosa Eco Bus provides free pick-up from any hotel in the centre of Hanoi.

All buses drop off passengers at Tuan Chau Harbour, where you will find the ferries waiting to depart for their Halong Bay cruise.

Bus schedules from Hanoi to Halong Bay

Limo vans are a more comfortable land transport for the Hanoi-Halong Bay route. They are generally more spacious and luxurious than buses, while tickets cost about the same.

Prices for a shuttle van ticket start from 310,000 VND ($12.50) — that already includes free hotel pickup from Hanoi Old Quarter and/or drop-off in the centre of Halong Bay. Total travel time is around 2.5 hours

Some of the shuttle van companies operating on this route are AB Vietnam Travel, Halong Travel Limousine, and Green Lion Bus.

Van schedules from Hanoi to Halong Bay

Prefer a direct transfer? Taking a taxi to Halong Bay from Hanoi isn’t all that expensive when you’re travelling in a group. This is also a good choice if you’re going straight from Noi Bai International Airport to Halong Bay.

Rates for a 5-seater car start from 1,910,000 VND ($78.00). If you’re in a group of 5, that’s just 382,000 VND ($15.50) per person.

We recommend booking your taxi via BookAway, which offers excellent customer service as well as comfortable cars with trusted drivers.

Book a Taxi with BookAway

COVID-19 UPDATE: The last time we checked (November 2022), it is not clear whether Vietnam Railways has resumed operations on this route. Any feedback would be appreciated. Let us know in the comments!

Travelling by train is the cheapest way to get from Hanoi to Halong Bay. You can buy a ticket for as low as 90,000 VND ($3.70). But there’s a catch, this train was not made for tourists and very few commuters actually take it.

The lone train operating between Hanoi and Halong Bay takes the Yen Vien – Pha Lai – Ha Long – Cai Lan Railway Project, which after over 15 years of construction remains to be unfinished.

Thankfully for travellers in the faraway future, the Vietnamese government decided to resume this project with a target completion date in 2030, according to an article by VN Express.

But since that’s still a few years away, let’s focus on what you can expect from the train transfer from Hanoi to Halong Bay for now.

Why take the train from Hanoi to Halong Bay

If you’re all about discovering culture and taking roads less travelled, the Hanoi-Halong Bay train is for you. It passes through Vietnam’s rural landscape and towns you’ve probably never heard of.

On top of that, you will be riding with local traders transporting fruits and vegetables to sell in the markets. This will be a great opportunity to speak with them or simply observe their way of life.

This train also makes long stops — 10 to 15 minutes in some stations — and gives you some time to go out of the train, buy food, interact with locals, take photos, and make an adventure out of this journey.

Some things to consider

This train ride takes 7 hours and only hard seats are available. That can be quite uncomfortable after a few hours.

Not all train cars have seats, too. So if it so happens that the seats are fully booked on the day of your travel, you will need to pay a few dollars more for a temporary seat to be installed for you.

Also, we recommend on reading up on other travellers’ experiences before boarding the train so you have an idea of what to expect. Its staff speak very little English, if at all. If you need assistance, they may not be of much help.

Departure and arrival station

There is only one train trip daily and this does not operate from Hanoi Railway Station. The Hanoi-Halong Bay train departs at 04:55 in the morning from Yen Vien Station, 10 km northeast of Hanoi city centre. That’s very early in the morning so it’s best to book a Grab ride for around 220,000 VND ($9.00).

You will reach Halong Station at 11:45. From this train station, you can find Bai Chay Beach 5 km south and Tuan Chau Harbour 9 km southwest. That’s about 130,000 VND ($5.00) to 170,000 VND ($7.00) by taxi.

Train tickets are available onsite at Yen Vien Station. Pre-pandemic, you could also purchase your tickets online. But the last time we checked (November 2022), Baolau has yet to resume ticket-selling for this route. Click the link below to see if anything has changed.

Check Train Tickets with Baolau

If you want to admire the iconic limestone isalnds from above, you can also take a seaplane as transport from Hanoi to Halong Bay. This will give you a bird’s eye view of its stunning karst landscape.

Hai Au Aviation offers one daily seaplane trip with fares from 9,700,000 VND ($400.00).

There is a tentative departure every day at 10:00 in the morning, as long as there are at least 4 passengers joining the flight. If not, your trip may be moved to another date. Flight time is about 1 hour.

The seaplane departs from Terminal 1 of Hanoi Airport. It arrives at the Tuan Chau Marina (southwest of Bai Chay Beach), the starting point of most Halong Bay cruises.

You can book this adventure through the Hai Au Aviation website.

Another picturesque yet expensive option would be to take a helicopter from Hanoi to Halong Bay. Vietnam Helicopter Tours offers a flight every Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. This departs at 09:00 in the morning.

The helicopter journey takes 55 minutes — already including an 8-minute scenic tour of Halong Bay.

Helicopter fares from Hanoi to Halong Bay start from 10,920,000 VND ($450.00) per person. You can book your flight directly on the Vietnam Helicopter Tours website.

Helicopters depart from Gia Lam Airport, which you can find 7 km east of Hanoi’s Old Quarter. They arrive at Tuan Chau Island in Halong Bay.

If the helicopter fares between Hanoi and Halong Bay are too high for your budget, you can travel to Halong Bay via bus or limo van first, and then take a helicopter tour once you’re already there.

Klook offers a Halong Bay Helicopter Tour with rates from 1,900,000 VND ($78.00) for a 10-minute ride. There are also more expensive tours that last longer at 15 minutes and 30 minutes.

You can book a helicopter tour through the link below.

Book a Helicopter Tour with Klook

If you don’t want the hassle of finding your own way to Halong Bay from Hanoi, you can also join one of many group tours being offered for this route. Both day tours and overnight cruises are available.

Do you only have one day to explore Halong Bay? If yes, we recommend booking a Dragonfly Halong Cruise. This includes pickup from your hotel in Hanoi, a boat cruise along Halong Bay, seafood lunch, kayaking around the islands, and a shared shuttle bus ride back to Hanoi.

You can book this 12-hour tour with Klook for 1,060,000 VND ($43.50).

Book a Day Tour with Klook

To fully appreciate the beauty of Halong Bay, we highly recommend spending at least 2 days here. With this option, you can explore Sung Sot Cave, take a dip at Titop Island, and enjoy a luxurious overnight cruise.

This Halong Bay 2D1N tour includes roundtrip transfers from and to Hanoi, full board meals, a cooking class, and a chance to explore the bay by kayak.

Rates start from 3,800,000 VND ($155.00) if you’re joining the cruise with at least one companion. Rooms are usually twin sharing so there is a surcharge for solo travellers.

Book an Overnight Cruise with GetYourGuide

Visiting Halong Bay

To experience Halong Bay in the best way, you can book a boat cruise departing from Hanoi. Organized tours departing from Hanoi are often cheaper than tours sold by agencies in Halong Bay and another advantage is that you don't need to organise your transport to get there.

We recommend booking your boat tour online to get the best prices and be certain that you book with a trusted company. I already spoke to many travellers who booked boat trips from a random agency on the street and were very disappointed by the service and conditions of this boat.

See here our recommendation of well-rated boat cruises:

• Halong Bay Day Trip — from 778,000 VND ($32.00) pp
• Halong Bay Cruise — from 1,212,000 VND ($50.00) pp

*Both tours include free pick-up and drop-off in Hanoi.

Want to have a broader choice of tours? Check out Halong Bay Tours on Klook for more on boat cruises around Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay (Cat Ba).