Hanoi to Cat Ba – Go by Bus+Ferry or Taxi? (2022)

So that these companies all remain competitive with each other, their prices are very similar, give or take a dollar or two, so what will set them apart are their schedules and the type of buses they operate. Hoang Long, Grouptour, and Cat Ba Express all operate Express buses. The latter of those clearly states that their buses have air conditioning, but the others do not, so we could not confirm this. Buses on the Hanoi to Cat Ba route with Full Moon Party Tour are better equipped – these are VIP buses which include air conditioning, toilets, and even wifi, yet the price is pretty much the same as the Express services offered by the other companies, so this could be a good one to consider. Another advantage with Full Moon Party Tours is that they have instant booking confirmation (as does Hoang Long) so if you prefer to book and know you have your tickets immediately, consider these bus companies over the others.

The next thing to consider is the schedule. It should take somewhere between 3.5 and 4 hours to get from Hanoi to Cat Ba by bus and all of the aforementioned bus companies say that they will take between 3 hours 40 minutes, and 4 hours, so no problems there. Cat Ba Express has three departures per day: 7:45am, 11am, and 2:15pm. Grouptour has four buses: 7:30am, 10am, 12pm, and 2pm. Full Moon Party Tour has three buses, at 7:30am, 10:30am, and 2pm, and Hoang Long has three departures also, at 7:30am, 10:30am, and 2pm, so with all companies, departure times are roughly the same.

As mentioned above, there’s also the option to go by van, with GreenLion Bus company. This is a shared van so you will be sharing it with other passengers, and it takes a little longer to get from Hanoi to Cat Ba. The price is very similar to that of the bus, and you can also book these tickets through 12Go.