How to get from Sapa to Cat Ba

18 Oct 2019

Sapa and Cat Ba are among the top travel locations for any tourist to Northern Vietnam. From Sapa to Cat Ba, you can travel by train, local bus and friendly tourist bus

The two destinations are 379 km apart from each other. Given that, tourists still find it not too difficult traveling from one to the other.

In this article, we would like to provide you with the most popular and convenient ways to get from Sapa to Cat Ba.

Train from Sapa to Cat Ba

Although travelling by train might be a little bit long and sometimes tight, it’s actually quite fun and even comfortable.

For a train trip from SaPa to Cat Ba, there would be at least 3 transitions as there is no direct line.

From Sapa to Hanoi Station

First: Take a bus from Sapa to Lao Cai train station in Lao Cai city.
Departure time: 10 pm (There is only one train from Lao Cai to Hanoi at so it’s very important to do a good timing)
Travell time: it would take about 8-9 hours.
A standard cabin is for 4 people and equipped with air conditioner. The price is fixed at around $17.
Taking a train is a good option if you aren’t pressed for time and want to have a deeper experience.

Check out Sapa to Hanoi Train Service with A21 Tours.

Train to Sapa

From Hanoi Staion to Halong Station

From Hanoi, you can travel to Gia Lam station to take another train to Halong.
The ticket can be bought at dsvn.com or at the Gia Lam Station.
Departure time: from 7:05 am and returns from Halong to Gia Lam at 15:00.
Travel time: quite tedious for about 7 hours.
The price is $5/adult for Vietnamese and $15 for foreigner, which reduced to $10 if you go in a group.
Generally speaking, train is good if you want to enjoy the landscape during the trip.
But it’s not recommended as the schedule is too long, you can take a limousine bus or private car instate.

From Halong Station to Cat Ba

Now that you have arrived in Halong, Cat Ba is near. But in order to get to Cat Ba, you would need to travel by both taxi and ferry.
First, you will need to get to Tuan Chau port from Halong train station and the only way is by booking a taxi. The price may varies according to the taxi company but it will be 200.000 vnd ($9) at maximum.
From Tuan Chau, you will get on the ferry to Gia Luan port in Cat Ba island. There are in total 5 daily ferries from Tuan Chau to Cat Ba and vice versa.
The ferry depart according to a fixed schedule so it’s important to get on on time. The price is $3/ adult/time but you will have to pay an amount of extra fee if you bring other vehicles.
Get off the ferry, you now land on Cat Ba island. But you still need to travel from Gia Luat to the central town where most of the island’s facilities are situated. To get there, it’s recommended to use the local bus.

Motorbike from Sapa to Cat Ba

It’s advised to rent your motor bike in Hanoi so that it will be easier to bring it back after your trip to Cat Ba.
For rental, you can find stores in the Old Quarter or West Lake area with English-speaking staff or owners.
Types of bikes: automatic, semi-automatic, manual, and touring bikes with monthly, weekly, and daily rental services.
Rental price takes around $7 to $15 a day (some time with an amount of earnest money).
Bewear of traffic condition, police asking for your motor driving licence and getting lost along the way.

Mortorbike Travel Route

In order to get to Cat Ba, ferry is of course necessary. Therefore, you should stop at Tuan Chau in Ha Long and get on the same ferry as for travelling by train.
Again, the ferry from Tuan Chau would take you to Gia Luan port in Cat Ba island. You can choose among 5 daily ferries from Tuan Chau to Cat Ba and vice versa according to your own schedule.
The price is $3/ adult/time but as you travel by motorbike, you will have to pay an additional fee for your vehicle.
Now now as you have you motorbike, you can ride your motorbike from Gia Luan Port to your hotel in Cat Ba town without having to take a bus.
The travel time may vary according to you own speed but usually, it takes for about 15-17 hours.

Bus from Sapa to Cat Ba

Bus may not the adventurous but it’s surely the safest, most comfortable and convenient.
Once you get on the bus, you don’t need to think of whether you are on the right track or whether you would need to take an additional bus or taxi as the price already includes the bus price and the ferry fee.
It will also take you to your very hotel in Cat Ba. There are two types of bus that you may opt for: Local bus and Tourist-friendly bus.

Local Bus

Local buses run directly from Sapa to Cat Ba and vice versa. Therefore, there will be no transition in Hanoi.
Bus schedule: 2 different turns a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
Travel time: ideally, it will take you 11 and half an hour to get from Sapa to Cat ba and vice versa.
Ticket price: $25 ( This already includes Bus ticket and Ferry fee).
Bus amenities: Including 43 berth, two-way air conditioner, mineral water, television, wifi and blankets.

Note on Local Bus

Local buses often jam-packed with people and luggage.
There will be frequent stops, which can significantly slow down the journey.
There are no English speaking staff.
The departure time is fixed so you need to show up on time if you don’t want to miss the bus.

Tourist-friendly Bus

Different from Local Bus, Tourist-friendly Bus would require a transition in Hanoi.
The transition time will be 30 minutes for the morning bus and 1.5 hour for the night one.
The whole travel time is 11 hours for the morning bus and 12 hours for the night bus.
Bus interior: 43 European-standard bed-seats, two-way air conditioner, mineral water, television, wifi and blankets.
Tourist-friendly Bus has an English speaking guide who will help you if some problems occur or provide information about the trip.

Sapa bus to Cat Ba