Cat Ba national park – The ultimate travel guide 2024 (Lastest update)

Cat Ba national park travel guide

Cat Ba National Park is a must-see tourist attraction on Cat Ba Island for nature lovers, adventurers and off-the-beaten-track routes. Famous for its rich and diverse ecosystem of jungles and the majestic beauty of the limestone mountains, the greeneries, and more.

This Cat Ba National Park travel guide covers everything you need to know about planning a trip to Cat Ba National Park including things to do, where to go, how to get around etc…. from local experts.

You can explore the national park by hiking, trekking, watch animals living in nature like monkeys, langurs, squirrels, Indochienes Serow

Table of Contents

Cat Ba national park : General information

Cat Ba National Park is located on Cat Ba island, known as the World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. The park is home to lots of endangered species such as mammals, birds, langurs, and primates

Cat Ba National Park covers approximately 17,000 hectares including approximately 11,000 hectares of land terrain and approximately 6,000 hectares of water systems.

Where is Cat Ba national park?

Cat Ba national park is located near a freshwater lake, abot half an hour drive from the town of Cat Ba.

Best time to visit Cat Ba national park

The best time to visit the national park is from September to late November. The weather is unpredictable, but this period is less rainy.

During the summertime from May to August, the park is usually much busier than usual since it is the high tourist season for Vietnamese, especially during the weekend.

How to get to Cat Ba national park from Hanoi

Hanoi to Cat Ba by touristy friend bus

Best options for tourist with affordable cost. The price is around 13 USD per person each way. There are 3 companies to choose from Daiichi, Cat Ba Express and Good Morning

Hanoi to Cat Ba national park by private car

Depending on the group size, you will be provided with a Sedan, SUV or minibus. The price starts from 100 USD

Hai Phong to Cat Ba island transfer guide

Cat Ba national park : Entrance fees and Opening hours

Opening hours from 8am to 6pm : But I do recommend that you should reach the park before 2pm for the Ngu Lam peak hiking route and 12.30am for the long trekking route to Viet Hai village.

The entrance fee is 80k VND (3.5 USD) per person. For the longer trekking route to Viet Hai village, you can hire a local guide which costs around 700k (30 USD). Plus you should give him an extra of 10 USD for him to get back Cat Ba island (if you decide to spend the night in Viet Hai village

Top things to do at Cat Ba National Park – Highly recommend

Trekking and hiking

Two top recommended activities at the national park. There are 2 trekking routes to choose from. Please see more information below

Exploring caves

Checking outs caves like Trung Trang and Hospital cave

Watching animals by night

This is really interesting things to do at the park for those who want to see animals at the park. You are expected to walk 2 to 5 hours.

Trekking routes at Cat Ba national park

Route 1 : Ngu Lam peak – Kim Giao Forest (2.9 kilometers) – Medium-level trekking route
Duration : one and a half hour round trip

What’s trail is like : Lots of steps and rockier

It’s a popular trekking route for those who want to do some trekking at the national park, just a short hking route to reach Ng Lam peak with an awesome view

You should spend max 2 hours to two and a half hour including trekking and sightseeing for this route.

It might be slippery when it rains. So walking stick would be nice for your trek.

Route 2 : National park center – Frog lake – Viet Hai vilage (14 kilometers) – Longer and challenging trek

Duration : four and a half hour to 5 hours

What’s the route is like : Amazing walk in nature, but this walk is challenging sometimes. I I recommend good walking shoes. You may encounter a scramble up rocks which you have to be careful

This route is suitable for those who would like to spend the night at Viet Hai village after the trek. Last time, I started around 1pm and reach the village by 5pm. Then take a buggy car to the pier and then a short boat trip to a floating house for spending the night.

You can start earlier to get back to Cat Ba town to spend the night in a hotel.

Top travel tips when trekking the national park

Top things to bring

Walking shoes
Buck spray
Walking sticks
Rain ponchos or raincoats
Electric hand-carry fan during the summertime
Cash
Water bottled (at least 2 water bottled)
Cellphones

Try to be in the park in the dark

It is recommended to finish the trek before the dark, usually 5pm. Trekking in the jungle during the dark is risky, you may encounter snakes.

Don’t go alone for the longer route

There aren’t many people taking the long trekking route to Viet Hai village. If you are travelling solo, it’s risky in case of getting lost, getting injured so no one can help you.

Taking photos of the trekking maps

You are not expected to receive a brochure with an interactive route map. So just to take a photo of the route map before you start.

Nearby tourist attractions to the park

Trung Trang cave

Trung Trang cave

Pretty close to the park. You can combine with a visit to the park. Nothing special, just a limestone cave with 300 meters long. You need to hike 100 steps to reach its entrance.

Hospital cave

Hospital cave, Cat Ba

This cave is great for history lover. And learn how VC (Vietcong) fought druing the Vietnam war. During the Vietnam War, the Vietnamese built a hidden bombproof hospital between 1963 and 1965. There is an emergency exit, a little pool, and a cinema.

Where to stay to explore Cat Ba National Park

There is a ton of homestays, guest houses, and bungalows near Cat Ba National Park. However, if you want more choices for accommodation in Cat Ba. I recommend staying in the Cat Ba town area.