How to get from Hanoi to Halong Bay

06 Jun 2019

You can get from Hanoi to Halong Bay by limousine run by tourist company, private car, motorbike, local bus, and seaplane.

Located 190 km away from Hanoi – the capital of Vietnam, it may take 3-4 hours to travel from Hanoi to Halong depending on your type of transport, routes and traffic conditions.

How to get from Ha Noi to Ha Long

If you want to travel from Hanoi to Halong by road, you can choose between two options, either the normal road or the new Expressway ( often with toll but can save up to 1-1.5 hour).

Travelling by air is also a possible option as there are companies offering seaplanes from Hanoi to Halong. (depart from Noi Bai International Airport to Tuan Chau Harbour)

Hanoi to Halong by Luxury Minibus (7-seater van)

One of the best ways to travel to Halong is using Luxury Minibus.
Ticket price: USD 17/seat for one-way travel
Travel time: 2.5 hours via the new expressway
Minibus’s interior: Elegant, cozy design with soft seats and free high-speed WiFi and water

Luxury Van Hanoi to Halong

Pros and Cons of Minivan transfer:

Pros:
- This type of transport is great for family travel as the price is reasonable and there is enough space for even a family of five.
Cons:
- As the departure time is fixed, you may find it a little tight. Also, as the bus is only available in the city center, you may have to opt for other ways if you want to go straight from the airport.

Hanoi to Halong By 9-seater Limousine Van

Limousine Van is the cheapest among 4 options of heading from Hanoi to Halong
Ticket price: USD 16/seat for one way, upgrade to VIP seats with USD 2/ ticket
Travel time: 3 hours to get to Halong but it may vary according to the traffic.
Limousine Van interior: Seat can recline up to 45 degrees, rechargeable USB ports, free WIFI and water

Limousine Van Hnoi to Halong Bay

Pros and Cons of Minivan transfer:

Pros:
- If you travel in small groups, you can also book one or two seat and share the Van with others travellers, a good way of saving your budget while traveling.
Cons:
- However, the van also has several drawbacks including fixed departure time and being available only in the city center.

Hanoi - Halong Bay Limousine Van interior

Type of car	Luxury Minibus (7-seater van)	9-seater limousine van
Number of VIP seat (seat which has more leg-space)	2 VIP seat in the middle	4 VIP seat in the middle
Capacity	5 person	9 person
Price	$17/seat	$16/seat
Suitable for	Medium group traveller (4 to 5 pax)	Big group traveller (8-9 pax) and Small group of traveller (1 -2 pax)

Hanoi to Halong by Private Car

Transferring in a private car would also be an excellent choice. Although this type of transport is the most expensive, its service is undoubtedly comparable to its price.

There are 3 types of cars that you can choose according to your needs including a 4-seater, a 7-seater and a Limousine D-car.

A 4-seater would be suitable for 2 passengers as a seat would be spared for the luggage and another for the driver. The price is 70$.

Hanoi to Halong Bay Private Car

Minus one seat for the luggage and another for the driver, a 7-seater would be perfect for 5 passengers and the price is 80$.

Hanoi to Halong Bay Privaate Limousine Van

For bigger groups, choosing a Limousine D-car would be ideal as it can deliver up to 7 passengers excluding one seat for the luggage and another for the drivers. The price is 115$.

Hanoi to Halong by Taxi

You may also look from other taxi companies in VietNam such as Mai Linh, Thanh Cong or Thanh Nga.

These companies, however, don’t support users who speak English, which can cause you difficulty booking you trip.

Another minus point is that you may encounter scams as many of the taxi drivers from these companies can overcharge you or intentionally extend the trip by going around over and over to increase the cost.

Company	Contact Number
CP Taxi	(+84) 024 3826 2626
Mai Linh	(+84) 24 3833 3333
Thanh Cong	(+84) 24 3628 2828
Thanh Nga	(+84) 24 3821 5215

Note:

If you would love to go straight from the airport but find private car too expensive, it’s possible to use a mix of private cars and Limousine car.

Specifically, you will be delivered from the airport by our private car to the city center and then take the Limousine car from city center to Halong.

Hanoi to Halong By Motorbike

Perhaps one of the best ways to not only travel economically but also explore the local life and landscapes is to drive a motorbike from Hanoi to Halong, especially if you are an adventurous or currently on a budget.

Hanoi to Halong Bay by Mortorbike

Recommendations route for mortorbike

- Hanoi – Bac Ninh – Halong: Find 1A Highway-> Take exit Hanoi-Haiphong highway-> Continue onto Highway Hà Nội – Hải Phòng/QL5B/ĐCT04-> Take the exit toward Bạch Đằng Bridge-> Continue onto Hạ Long – Hải Phòng Highway

- New Highway: Hanoi – Hai Duong – Halong: From Hà Nội – Hải Phòng/QL5B/ĐCT04 Highway to Nội Bài – Hạ Long/Đại Yên/QL18 Highway

For rental, it’s relatively easy to spot motorbike stores in the Old Quarter or West Lake area with English-speaking staff or owners which offer various types of automatic, semi-automatic, manual, and touring bikes with monthly, weekly, and daily rental services.

Motorbike rental shops in Hanoi:

Motorbike Rental Store	Phone	Address	Website
Bon Bon Motor	0855 222 555	No. 246 Ton Duc Thang Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi	Bon Bon Motor
Hanoi Motor Tour	092 829 00 00	No. 37, Alley 167, Tay Son Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi	Hanoi Motor Tour
James Hanoi motorbike	092 829 00 00	No. 37, Alley 167, Tay Son Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi	James Hanoi Mortorbike
Rent a bike Hanoi	090 439 24 23	No. 15a, Alley 12, Dang Thai Mai Street, Tay Ho District, Ha Noi	Rent a bike Hanoi

The price may vary from store to store (often $5-50/trip). However, travelling by motorbike may require a license not to mention many other problems you may have to face such as traffic accident ( the traffic condition in Hanoi is pretty bad) and getting lost. Also, there are not many things to see during the trip. If you’re looking for a good scenic route that offers wonderful side view, this route can not live up to your expectations.

Hanoi to Halong By Local bus

Travelling on a local bus is also a pretty good option. This may not give you a really private experience but it could be great if you are on a budget or wish to interact with the locals.

Hanoi to Halong Bay by Local Bus

There are various bus stations in the city center, where you can easily buy a ticket to get on the bus to Halong such as My Dinh, Giap Bat and Gia Lam.

The price may also vary according to the company, but usually it ranges from 4$ to 8$.

Bus Station	Address	Route(s)
My Dinh Bus Station	20 Pham Hung Street, My Dinh 2, Nam Tu Liem, Ha Noi city	1. My Dinh – Cam Pha – Quang Ninh 2.My Dinh – Cam Pha – Bac Ninh – Hon Gai 3.My Dinh – Mong Duong – Cam Pha – Quang Ninh 4.My Dinh – Bai Chay 5.My Dinh – Cam Pha – Bai Chay 6.My Dinh – Mong Cai
Nước Ngầm Station	No 1, Ngoc Hoi Road, Hoang Liet Ward, Hoang Mai Dist	Nuoc Ngam – Cam Pha – Quang Ninh
Giáp Bát Station	No.6, Giai Phong Str, Hoang Liet Ward, Hoang Mai Dist, Hanoi	Giap Bat – Cua Ong
Yên Nghĩa Station	Highway 6, Yen Nghia Ward, Ha Dong Dist, Hanoi	Yen Nghia – Cam Pha – Cua Ong
Gia Lâm Station	No.9, Ngo Gia Kham Str, Long Bien Dist, Hanoi	1.Gia Lam – Mong Cai 2.Gia Lam – Tien Yen 3.Gia Lam – Bai Chay 4.Gia Lam – Cam Pha

Notes:

you may have to travel with 40-50 people on the bus. On weekends or special occasions such as Tet or the independence day, most buses are stuffed with up to 200% of their capacity.

On top of that, the staff of Local Bus can only speak Vietnamese, so if you can not speak Vietnamese, it would be hard to book your ticket.

Another minus point is that it may take quite a long time as the buses often stop occasionally on the road to pick up more travellers (even though it is illegal).

Also, the bus would drop you off at the Halong Bus Station, so you need to take a cab to your destination in Halong

Hanoi to Halong By Seaplane

Travelling in a seaplane may be a wonderful idea if you don’t mind the price at all.

The service is provided exclusively by Hai Au- the only seaplane company in Vietnam offering seaplane service from Hanoi to Halong.

Seaplanes in Ha Long Bay

See Ha Long Bay with Seaplane

Not only can you enjoy the beauty of Vietnam’s nature from such an unbelievably high point in one of the most luxurious and comfortable means of transport but also significantly cut down on the time, as it takes only 40’ to travel from Hanoi to Halong.

The package also includes 15’ of flying over Halong bay.

However, the price is undoubtedly costly as it costs over 105$/adult.

Tips: Getting from Hanoi to Hanoi by Joinning in an organized tour

One of the good tips for cutting travel cost is to join in an organized cruise tour.

This tour includes round-trip transferring ( from Hanoi to Halong and vice versa), 6-hour cruise on Halong bay, swimming on the beach, climbing up the mountain for better view, visiting Surprising Cave, Kayaking boat, all from a 5-star reviewed travel company with 2 cruise ships : Dragon King cruise and Wego Halong cruise. Everything is within one day.

The price for this all-in-one tour is 45$ if you travel in a group of fewer than 4 and 43$ if you travel in a group of from 5 to 8. You may need to pay an extra of 4$ if you wish to travel back using the expressway to save time.

If you only intend to visit halong for a day, the transfer cost by Limousine Van would cost you $34 USD for 2-way ticket. In the One day cruise tour option, with the amount of $45 USD, you can enjoy a 2-way transfer by bus between Hanoi and Halong, plus a 6-hour tour around Halong.

This option is very ideal for travellers who would like a one-day travel trip or want to find a convenient option as this already includes both transferring from Hanoi to Halong and returning back to Hanoi.

Conclusion

To sum up, you can compare and contrast both pros and cons of each type of transfer with the table below:

Type of transfer	Price	Duration	Pros	Cons	Way of booking	Siutable for
Motorbike	$5 – $50	3.5 hours	Sightseeing	Dangerous	Rent a motorbike	Advance motor-driver
Local bus	$7.5/seat	3 hours	Cheapest	Uncomfortable	Get to the local Bus Station	Travel on a budget
Luxury Minibus	$17/seat	2.5 hours	Perfect fit for a family of 5	Fixed Schedule	Online Booking	Family of 4
Limousine Van	$16/seat	2.5 hours	Luxury Leather seat	Fixed Schedule	Online Booking	Big travel group or couple
Private Car	$75	2 hours	Can pick-up outside the Old Quarter	On demand Schedule	Online Booking	Couple/Family
Seaplane	$105	1 hour	Can enjoy Halong Bay from above	Most expensive	Online Booking at seaplane.vn	Couple/Single
Join in a tour	$45	2.5 hours	Visit All Halong’s spot in 1 day	Fixed Schedule	Online booking	Family/Couple/Single