72 HOURS IN CAT BA ISLAND : THE PERFECT CAT BA ITINERARY

I wrote this Cat Ba itinerary from 1 to 3 days exploring the Cat Ba island. It’s one of the rising destination and an alternative for overrated Halong Bay, more and more people choose Cat Ba island instead

Looking for a less touristy island, less developed but beautiful with greenery, then Cat Ba island will be the top choice. Cat Ba has everything that an island has to offer : Enjoy nature and some hiking to see magnificent views at Cat Ba National Park, see local villages with hidden alleyways to learn more about local lives unfold, cruise on a wooden junk boat to explore Lan Ha Bay with numerous towering limestone cliffs with fun activities : kayaking, swimming on private beaches, hiking the Canon Fort to see the panoramic view of the town of Cat Ba. 

Planning from  1, 2 or 3 days Cat Ba is the great choice, allow you having enough time to buy tickets and  is the right choice, allowing you enough time to visit must-see tourist attractions in Cat Ba island. Let this Cat Ba  itinerary guide you for top things to do in Cat Ba island  for 1 to 3 days.

What to do in Cat Ba island : Cat Ba itinerary 3 days

This Cat Ba 3-day itinerary is a great choice for travellers who have time, travel in a slow pace and want to explore Cat Ba island in-depth.

I recommend staying in the Cat Ba town area since there is a tons of bars,restaurants, cafes, and convenience stores so you can do things easily.

Option 1 : This Cat Ba 3 days itinerary for travellers who start and finish the trip from Hanoi

Day 1 in Cat Ba island : Blue pin

• Canon fort 
• Cat Co 2 beach

Day 2 in Cat Ba island: Orange pin – Lan Ha bay full day boat tour

• Van Boi beach
• Three peach beaches ( Ba Trai Dao)

Day 3 in Ninh Binh : Yellow pin

• Ngu Lam peak 
• Kim Giao forest
• Trung Trang cave or Hospital cave

Day 1 in Cat Ba : Bus from Hanoi. Canon fort and Cat Co 2 beach

I recommend taking a morning bus starts at 7.30am from Hanoi, you will be arriving in Cat Ba town around 11am. This is an option for those who travel on a budget, the price starts from 15 USD. If you would love to take a private car, the price is approx 130 USD

You may contact the hotel if they can offer early check-in because check-in time is usually at 2pm. If not, leave your belongings at the reception and walk around the hotel, have lunch, and return to the hotel by 2pm. 

Take a rest for 1 hour. Then head to Cat Co beach 2 for swimming, you can walk, take a taxi or golf-cart ride. Spend 1 hour at the beach then head to Canon Fort, hike up and enjoy the sunset at the summit. 

For evening activities, walk along street 1/4 where you can see locals hang out or join in a Cat Ba food tour to try our best local food in Cat Ba. 

Day 2 : Lan Ha bay boat tour : Van Boi beach and Three Peach beach. 

Three Peach Beach

The boat tour starts at around 8.30am at Beo pier and take you to a kayaking spot, pick up the kayak and paddle on your own to explore the untouched beach, you can walk around, swim and sit back and relax. Then keep paddling to see towering limestone cliffs whist kayaking, the view itself is absolutely amazing. There is a few cave which you can paddle through and see hidden lagoons. 

After 1-2 hours of kayaking, we return the boat for another 1-hour boat cruise amongst beautiful limestone rock formations, islands and islets to reach the Three Peach beaches area. 

Jump off the boat and soak up in the clean, emerald water with wooden junk boats around you. In my opinion, this is one of the best spots for swimming. There is a tons of little white sand beaches around so you can paddle to find your beach. 

Having a seafood lunch onboard. What I like about the food is that It’s fresh. The captain bought them from the Central Seafood Market in Cat Ba island and cooked them onboard, so the food quality was great.

After lunch, you can kayak around, and explore hidden valleys and caves. Actually, you can spend the entire days here. 

Another option is to take a Lan Ha bay tour including kayaking, swimming and biking in Viet Hai village.

Suggested tour : Lan Ha Bay boat your with a visit to Viet Hai village

3pm getting back the boat and cruise back Cat Ba town, on the way back, we cruise pass Monkey island and Cai Beo fishing village where you can see local lives, fish farms, floating restaurants and more. Back to the pier at 4pm to conclude the Lan Ha Bay boat tour from Cat Ba island

Day 3 : Cat Ba National Park half day trekking. Bus back to Hanoi.

Leave your hotel in Cat Ba town in the morning, take 20 minutes bus ride to the headquarter of Cat Ba national park 

From the entrance gate, walk to the Specimen house an use the toilet and hit the road. Walk along small paved road, you can local houses along the way, keep going to the end of the road where the trail is. 

There is a restaurant along the way so you can food and drink

Climb the rough stone steps all the way up, the trail is clear so you won’t get lost. 

There is a T-juction, if you go left, there will be Ngu Lam peak, if you go right, it will be the look out tower. 

The view on the summit is amazing with lush green forest. It is worth your effort and hardships when hiking up. 

There are steep stone staircase to reach the higher viewpoint, the view is more amazing the the previous one. Check it out.

The way to walk down, you even have to be more careful, use the handrails, trees to support you to go down. 

Get a drink at a restaurant, rest and back to the national park’s headquarters. 

After that, head back to your hotel in Cat Ba town, take a shower, rest, lunch and take the bus back to Hanoi. There is a bus that leaves at 12.30pm from Cat Ba town. If you want to return the hotel, then leave at 7.30am and finish the tour around 11am to 11.30am so you have time to take a shower and have quick lunch. 

If you also want to see Trung Trang cave, take a bus leaving at 3.30pm from Cat Ba.

You can also hire a private car from Cat Ba, put your belongings there, so you don’t need to head back Cat Ba town and ask for a pick-up at around the national park area. Don’t forget to find a restaurant to eat, drink, and bathe before going on the bus. 

Budget for 3 days Cat Ba Island itinerary

The cost is much higher if you stay in better hotels and resorts. You need to add the transfer cost from/to Hanoi as well. 

Top Cat Ba itinerary 1 day (For those who stay in Cat Ba island)

You have limited time in Cat Ba, but still want to look for a Cat Ba island itinerary just for a day, I am here to help. I first visited Cat Ba island as a guide in 2010 and guided tours to Cat Ba island for so many times. 

Here is what I suggest for 1 day itinerary in Cat Ba island

Option 1 : Day trip in Cat Ba island

• Cat Ba National Park trekking for half a day
• Cat Ba boat tour for half a day (kayaking and swimming)

Option 2 : Cat Ba cruise tour and admire the sunset at the Canon fort

• Cat Ba boat tour for a day (sightseeing, swimming and kayaking)
• Admire the sunset at Canon fort
• Evening food tour in Cat Ba

Of course, it’s a busy schedule but for those with limited time and want to see Cat Ba island as much as possible. 

How to spend two days in Cat Ba – The best Cat Ba island itinerary

Kayaking in Lan Ha bay

Explore Cat Ba island in 2 days is great for those who have a time budget, but still want to see the highlights of Cat Ba island. 

Day 1 : Classic Lan Ha bay boat tour from Cat Ba and the Canon fort hiking

• Van Boi beach
• Three peaches beach
• Hiking Canon fort
• Walk around Cat Ba town by night

Read more : Private guided Lan Ha Bay day trip from Cat Ba 

Day 2 : Cat Ba adventure

• Trekking Cat Ba National Park (the Frog lake and Viet Hai village) – 4 hours trek
• Bike tours to explore Viet Hai village

How to spend a day in Cat Ba from Hanoi – Cat Ba island  itinerary

There are 3 options to choose from for Cat Ba itinerary for just one day from Hanoi

Option 1 : Lan Ha bay cruise tour (7am to 7pm)

• Cai Bao fishing village
• Van Boi beach 

Option 2 : Short trek Cat Ba National Park and Trung Trang cave (7 am to 7pm)

• Ngu Lam Peak and Kim Giao forest
• Trung Trang cave
• Local visit near Cat Ba National Park 

Option 3 : Swimming on the beach, exploring the Cat Ba town, and hiking Canon fort

• Hiking the Canon fort
• Walk along Cat Ba town
• Hiking the Canon fort.
• Cat Ba market

Read more : Private Lan Ha bay day cruise tour from Hanoi 

The combination of Hanoi Lan Ha Bay Ninh Binh itinerary 

This itinerary option is the perfect choice for nature lovers who have less than a week to explore Northern Vietnam includes top 3 destinations: Hanoi, Cat Ba island, Lan ha bay, Ninh Binh with 2 options to choose from

Option 1 : The highlights 

Day 1 : Arrive in Hanoi. Street food walking tour

Day 2 : Hanoi city tour

Day 3 : Ninh Binh. Staying overnight

Day 4 ; Ninh Binh to Cat Ba, trekking the national park

Day 5:Lan Ha bay day tour from Cat Ba. Sleep in Cat Ba island.

Day 6 : Hiking the Canon fort, Cat Ba seafood market

Day 7 : Cat Ba island to Hanoi, On the way, take half day Hai Phong city tour 

Option 2 : The ultimate tour 

• Day 1 : Arrive in Hanoi. Street food walking tour
• Day 2 : Hanoi full day city tour
• Days 3-4 : Ninh Binh
• Days 5-7 : Cat Ba island

Cat Ba island travel video

Hanoi Eco Tour offers free travel planning for visitors in Vietnam in general and Cat Ba in particular by travel experts who has been working in tourism industry over 10 years. Please get in touch with us via email at info@hanoiecotour.com or WhatsApp: +84.974.313.104