How to get from Sapa to CatBa

Why visit CatBa?

Cat Ba is a biodiverse island along Vietnam’s northeast coast. The largest of the islands in Halong Bay, Cat Ba boasts a rugged karst landscape dotted with spectacular limestone cliffs, sandy beaches, lakes, grottoes, and waterfalls.

Popular activities include kayaking and rock climbing, but you can also just lounge by the beach and wait for the sunset at Cannon Fort. The island rose in popularity in recent years, but we love that most areas remain untouched in Cat Ba.

There are 2 ways to travel the 370 kilometre (230 miles) distance from Sa Pa to CatBa. You can choose between the bus and train. The journey takes 9 hours to 12 hours 30 minutes and the quickest way is by bus. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by train with tickets starting at 392,000 VND ($15.10).

Travelling from Sa Pa to CatBa by train includes 3 steps and takes around 12 hours to 12 hours 30 minutes — but 8 hours of that will be spent on an overnight train where you can get a good night’s sleep.

Is it worth making all these transfers when you can just take a direct bus? It’s really up to your preference. Trains are an exciting way to travel in Vietnam, and they’re generally safer and more comfortable than buses.

From Sapa, you can take a van ride for 45 minutes or a 1-hour bus ride to Lao Cai. Because you will be taking a night train, we recommend catching the last trip from Sapa so you can still make the most of your last day here.

The last van or bus leaves Sapa around 17:00 to 18:30. Confirm this schedule with your hotel so that you don’t miss it and end up paying for a more expensive taxi.

Ticket prices start from 40,000 VND ($1.50) for a van and 30,000 VND ($1.20) for a bus.

Starting October 2022, Vietnam Railways is back to its nightly operations from Lao Cai to Hanoi. This route previously operated with fewer weekly departures because of the pandemic.

Vietnam Railways SP4 departs every night from Lao Cai at 21:30. This arrives in Hanoi at 05:25 after a journey that takes 7h 20m - 7h 55m.

You can get a 4-berth sleeper for 350,000 VND ($13.50). Skip the queues at the train station and buy your tickets online beforehand through Baolau.

Check out our page for Sapa to Hanoi for more train options.

When travelling from Hanoi to CatBa, you have 2 options: you can take a combined bus & ferry (3.5 hours) or a DIY train + taxi + ferry (4 hours). We break down both routes below.

We recommend taking a combined bus & ferry from Hanoi to CatBa for convenience. Your tour operator takes care of your transfers so you won’t have to worry about anything.

Ticket prices start from 283,000 VND ($10.90) and travel time takes around 3h - 4h 30m.

For more info, check out our guide on how to get from Hanoi to CatBa.

This 2nd option involves several transfers that you will have to schedule on your own. This is why we think you should take this route only if the tickets for the combined bus & ferry are already sold out.

Upon arrival in Hanoi, you’ll have around 30 minutes to spare before the first train departs for Hai Phong at 06:00. A train ticket costs 85,000 VND ($3.30) for the 2.5-hour journey.

You are to get off at Hai Phong Railway Station. From here, you can take a 10-minute taxi with fares from 50,000 VND ($1.90) to Pha Binh Harbour.

IMPORTANT: Make sure the driver understands that you want to go to Pha Binh Harbour, NOT Dinh Vu Port. Some drivers may try to scam you by taking you to Dinh Vu, which is 30 minutes away by taxi. There are no direct ferries from Dinh Vu to CatBa.

From Pha Binh Harbour, there are six direct ferries departing for CatBa daily. The ferry journey takes around 1.5 hours. A ticket costs 140,000 VND ($5.40) and you can buy them online on Baolau.

Ferries dock at CatBa Pier in CatBa town centre. From here, many hotels in town are just within walking distance.

There are six main companies offering nightly bus trips from Sa Pa to CatBa: Grouptour, Techbus VN JSC, Duc Duong Bus, Ket Doan, TBus and Good Morning Cat Ba.

Bus fares start from 426,000 VND ($16.40) and travel time is 9 to 12 hours.

If you prefer to travel with the company with the best reviews, go for Good Morning Cat Ba, which is known for its friendly staff and nice buses.

Departure and arrival station

Good Morning Cat Ba departs from Sapa Bus Station, 1 km east of Sapa Lake. It offers free hotel drop-off in CatBa town centre.

Ken Doan picks up passengers from any hotel in Sapa town centre. Its last stop is at the parking lot of CatBa Night Market.

Sapa Grouptour departs from its office in Sapa town centre and arrives at its headquarters in CatBa town centre.