How to get from Hanoi to Halong Bay

Why visit Halong Bay?

Halong Bay is dubbed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 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 independently 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, 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.

There are 8 ways to travel the 175 kilometers (109 miles) from Hanoi to Halong Bay. You can choose between the bus, Limo van, taxi, indirect train via Hai Phong, Seaplane, Helicopter, Motorbike and Group tour. The journey takes 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 days and the quickest way is by limo van. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by bus with tickets starting at 151,000 VND ($5.80).

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 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours 10 minutes, depending on which bus you take. Fares start from 151,000 VND ($5.80).

Departure and arrival station

TBus and Grouptour depart from their own offices in Hanoi city centre, just a few minutes walk north of Hoan Kiem Lake. Meanwhile, Good Morning Cat Ba, Daiichi Travel and Sapa Dragon Express all offer free pick up in Hanoi’s Old Quarter.

Most buses drop passengers off at Tuan Chau Harbour, where you’ll find the ferries waiting to depart for their Halong Bay cruise. Double check your booking though, because some buses go straight to their offices in Halong City centre.

Limo vans are a more comfortable land transport for the Hanoi to Halong Bay route. They are generally more spacious and luxurious than buses, and only a bit more expensive.

Prices for a shuttle van ticket start from 270,000 VND ($10.40) — that includes free hotel pickup from Hanoi Old Quarter and/or drop-off in the centre of Halong Bay or at Tuan Chau Harbour. Total travel time is around 1 hour 30 minutes to 3 hours 25 minutes.

Some of the shuttle van companies operating on this route are Ninh Binh Excursion, Hoang Phu Limousine, Cua Ong Limousine, Phuc Xuyen, Trung Thanh Limousine, Halong Travel Limousine, Green Lion Bus, TBus and Duy Khanh Limousine.

Are you up for an adventure? Or maybe you’re already planning to rent your own motorbike while travelling in Vietnam? If your answer is yes to one or both of those questions, then you’ll be happy to know that you can get to Halong Bay from Hanoi by motorbike.

Rates for a motorbike rental in Hanoi start from 270,000 VND ($10.40) per day and 1,460,000 VND ($56) per week. Note that these rates are for tourists, and only if you’re returning the motorbike in Hanoi. The rental fee goes up by at least 1,300,000 VND ($50) if you’re dropping off the motorbike in Halong Bay or any other city.

Pros and cons of travelling by motorbike

The advantage of taking a motorbike from Hanoi to Halong Bay is that you’ll get to enjoy the route at your own pace. You can depart from Hanoi any time you want and you’ll have a closer look at the beautiful landscapes along the way.

It’s also a great way to travel together with your adventurous buddies. We recommend doing this route in a group just in case you get lost or — hopefully not — your motorbike breaks down along the way.

But there are disadvantages too. Riding a motorbike for 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours can be tiring, even stressful and dangerous if you’re not used to the organised chaos that is Vietnam’s traffic. If you’re not confident enough with your motorbike riding skills, we recommend taking a bus, limovan or taxi instead.

Where to rent a motorbike in Hanoi

Some of the more highly-rated motorbike rental shops in Hanoi include AZ Motorbikes, Phung Motorbike, and Gia Hung Motorbike Rental.

It’s best to rent from a reputable shop or ask your hotel for recommendations. These shops may offer slightly higher rental prices compared to others, but you can also expect better motorbike quality.

Motorbike route from Hanoi to Halong Bay

Before anything else, we highly recommend that you travel with stable mobile data when riding a motorbike in Vietnam. This not only gives you access to Waze or Google Maps, but it also allows you to call for help in case of any emergency.

But even with a mobile guide to tell you the way, you should still know your route beforehand. There are two routes you can take when riding a motorbike to Halong Bay from Hanoi: via Bac Ninh and via Hai Duong.

• Route 1: Hanoi – Bac Ninh – Halong Bay (155 km)The route via Bach Ninh is the shorter one and often the fastest. From Hanoi, find your way to 1A Highway. Take the exit to Noi Bai – Halong/QL18 and follow the road until you reach Halong City. Then take the road to Tuan Chau Harbour.
• Route 2: Hanoi – Hai Duong – Halong Bay (170 km)The Hai Duong route is a bit longer but also easier because you will take the highway. Get on DCT Hanoi – Bac Giang. Continue to follow the toll road on QL5. Follow QL17 to DCT Noi Bai – Halong/QL18 until you reach Halong City. Then take the road to Tuan Chau Harbour.

There used to be a direct train operating once daily from Hanoi’s Yen Vien Station to Halong Bay. It was an old train and was not the most comfortable way to go around. The journey took 7 hours and the train only had hard seats.

Still, the direct train was a great way to travel like a local. Also, it was very cheap with ticket prices at only 90,000 VND ($3.50). Since the pandemic hit, however, the direct train from Hanoi to Halong Bay is no longer in service.

If you really want to travel by train, you can instead take one from Hanoi to Hai Phong. From here, you can then take a taxi the rest of the way to Halong Bay. Do note that this option is more expensive at around 923,000 VND ($36), and it doesn’t really offer any advantage over taking a direct bus or limo van.

You can choose from four trains operating daily from Hanoi to Hai Phong. The first trip departs at 06:00 and the last train leaves at 18:21.

Train ticket prices start from 83,000 VND ($3.20). Only soft seats are available.

You can catch the train from Hanoi Railway Station in the city centre, some 2 km southwest of Hoan Kiem Lake. Get off at Hai Phong Railway Station, also in the city centre.

The most convenient way to get from Hai Phong to Halong Bay is by private transfer.

Rates start from 840,000 VND ($32) for a 3-seater car. We recommend booking your taxi through BookAway because they offer spacious cars that come with professional drivers. Also, you will pay a fixed price for your ride.

Taxis are also available outside Hai Phong Train Station. However, drivers here are known for overpricing tourists. You must be prepared to haggle!

IMPORTANT: Pre-pandemic, there were buses and minivans operating directly from Hai Phong to Halong Bay. But trips were suspended during the pandemic and the last time we checked (November 2023), they have yet to resume services. 

If you want to admire the iconic limestone islands 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 923,000 VND ($36).

There are tentative departures every day at 9:20 and 10:00 in the morning, as long as there are at least four passengers joining the flight. If not, your trip may be moved to another date. Flight time is around 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours 15 minutes.

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.

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

Is the seaplane flight from Hanoi to Halong Bay too much for your budget? You can still take a scenic flight above Halong Bay at a cheaper price through Klook.

This seaplane tour that takes around 25 minutes still gives you a good look at the UNESCO World Heritage from above, but without the transfer from Hanoi. You can join this 12-passenger Cessna flight for about 0 VND ($0) per person.

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 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours 15 minutes — including an 8-minute scenic tour of Halong Bay.

Helicopter fares from Hanoi to Halong Bay start from 923,000 VND ($36) 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 2,750,000 VND ($105) for a ride that takes 10 minutes. There are also more expensive tours that last longer, for 15-30 minutes.

You can book a helicopter tour through the link below.

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.

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. We’ve spoken with many travellers who booked boat trips from a random agency on the street and were very disappointed by the service and conditions of their boat.

You can check out our recommended group tours from Hanoi to Halong Bay below or visit Klook and search for Halong Bay Tours for more choices.

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, a seafood lunch, kayaking around the islands, and a shared shuttle bus ride back to Hanoi.

You can book this tour that takes 12h with Klook for 993,000 VND ($38).

To fully appreciate the beauty of Halong Bay, we highly recommend spending at least two 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 3,510,000 VND ($135) if you’re joining the cruise with at least one companion. Rooms are usually twin sharing so there is a surcharge for solo travellers.

Prefer a direct transfer? Taking a taxi to Halong Bay from Hanoi isn’t too 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 1,858,000 VND ($72). If you’re in a group of 5, that’s just 408,000 VND ($15.70) per person.

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

Taxi options from Hanoi to Halong Bay