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Halong Bay is a maze of limestone islands 142 kilometres (88 miles) east of Hanoi, in the Gulf of Tonkin. Karst towers rise from the green water, and the boats weave between them. By road, the bus is the cheapest way to get from Hanoi to Halong Bay at $5.80 (153,000 VND). The limo van is the quickest of the road options, taking 1h 30m - 3h 25m. There are seaplane and helicopter options too if you'd rather arrive from the air.
Distance from Hanoi to Halong Bay
Hanoi and Halong Bay are about 142 km (88 miles) apart, and the journey itself covers around 173 km by road. The quickest way to get from Hanoi to Halong Bay is by taking the helicopter, which takes around 45 minutes.
8 ways to travel from Hanoi to Halong Bay
There are eight ways to travel from Hanoi to Halong Bay. You can choose between the bus, motorbike, minivan, train, group tour, private transport, flight, and helicopter. The journey takes 45m–12h and the quickest way is by helicopter. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by bus with tickets starting at $5.80 (153,000 VND).
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1Hanoi to Halong Bay by Bus
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 2h 30m - 4h 10m, depending on which bus you take. Fares start from $5.80 (153,000 VND).
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.
Bus schedule from Hanoi to Halong Bay
Bus tickets are available on Bookaway.
Hanoi to Halong Bay by Motorbike
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 $10 (270,000 VND) per day and $55 (1,460,000 VND) 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 $50 (1,316,000 VND) 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 3.5-4 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.
Hanoi to Halong Bay by Limo Van
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 $10 (274,000 VND) — 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 1h 30m - 3h 25m.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.
Limo Van schedule from Hanoi to Halong Bay
Limo Van tickets are available on Bookaway.
Hanoi to Halong Bay by Indirect Train via Hai Phong
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 $3.40 (90,000 VND). 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 $35 (923,000 VND), and it doesn't really offer any advantage over taking a direct bus or limo van.
Step 1: Hanoi to Hai Phong by Train
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 $3.20 (83,000 VND). 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.
Train tickets are available on Baolau.
Step 2: Hai Phong to Halong Bay by Taxi
The most convenient way to get from Hai Phong to Halong Bay is by private transfer.
Rates start from $32 (840,000 VND) 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.
Hanoi to Halong Bay by Group Tour
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.
Option 1: Hanoi to Halong Bay by Day Tour
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 $38 (993,000 VND).Option 2: Hanoi to Halong Bay by Overnight Cruise
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 $135 (3,510,000 VND) if you’re joining the Cruise with at least one companion. Rooms are usually twin sharing so there is a surcharge for solo travellers.
Group Tour tickets are available on Klook.
Hanoi to Halong Bay by Taxi
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 $72 (1,882,000 VND). If you’re in a group of 5, that’s just $16 (408,000 VND) per person.
We recommend booking your taxi via BookAway, which offers excellent customer service as well as comfortable cars with trusted drivers.
Taxi tickets are available on Bookaway.
Hanoi to Halong Bay by Seaplane
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 $370 (9,700,000 VND).
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 1 hour.
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.
Alternative: Halong Bay Scenic Seaplane Experience
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 2,000,000 VND per person.
Seaplane tickets are available on Klook.
Hanoi to Halong Bay by Helicopter
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 45 minutes — including an 8-minute scenic tour of Halong Bay.
Helicopter fares from Hanoi to Halong Bay start from $440 (11,579,000 VND) 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.
Alternative: Halong Bay Helicopter Tour
ABOUT YOUR DESTINATION
Why Visit Halong Bay?
Rounding it up
That's the full picture for getting from Hanoi to Halong Bay, roughly 142 kilometres (88 miles) apart. In all, there are 8 ways to make the trip. The cheapest fare is $5.80 (153,000 VND). The quickest trip takes 45m.
Prices and timetables change, so it's worth a quick check before you travel. Have a question, or travelled this route recently? Ask the community below and we'll do our best to help.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distance from Hanoi to Halong Bay?
The distance from Hanoi to Halong Bay is 142 kilometres (88 miles).
What is the fastest way to get from Hanoi to Halong Bay?
The fastest way to get from Hanoi to Halong Bay is by helicopter and takes 45 minutes.
What is the cheapest way to get from Hanoi to Halong Bay?
The cheapest way to get from Hanoi to Halong Bay is by bus with ticket costs starting from 153,000 VND.
Is it worth visiting Halong Bay?
What is the most popular way to get from Hanoi to Halong Bay?
What is the main highlight in Halong City/Bai Chay?
How can I visit Poem Mountain when travelling from Hanoi to Halong Bay?
To visit this stunning viewpoint, you will need to travel from Hanoi to Halong Bay first. As far as we know, it is unfortunately not possible to visit this viewpoint as part of an organised tour.
Once you arrive in Halong City, you can find the location of Poem Mountain easily on Google maps.
TIP: Don't forget to read the most recent reviews to check if Poem Mountain is still open to visitors.
About the Authors
Senior Travel Writer
Ela is a storyteller, content producer, solo traveller and a mermaid-in-training. When she's not in front of her laptop, you will find her barefoot and living her best tan on some island in the Philippines. Or exploring the depths of its seas as a budding freediver. An island girl at heart, she'll be happy anywhere there is sea, sand, sun and coffee.
Founder & Trip Planning Expert
Based in Bali, Maarten's passion for travel is undeniable. In 2016, he decided to quit his job as a stock analyst and started doing what he always dreamed of: travelling through South East Asia and helping other people plan their trips. When he is not working on Gecko Routes, you'll find him surfing in the ocean or exploring the best gems of Indonesia.
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