The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ha Long Bay is a very popular touristic area and most of the land and waters are well-protected. The islands vary greatly in size and shape, forming a complex maze on the ocean surface. You have probably seen this in a short scene of Kong Skull Island when the expedition crew boarded the Skull Island.

There is a bus line connecting Hanoi and Halong city, 165 kilometers away from each other, which equates to three and a half hours. From the bus station, it takes 15 minutes via taxi to the Tuan Chau ferry pier to Cat Ba Island or 40 minutes to your specific boat station.

Getting Halong Bay by seaplane

Spending for someone who wants to save time on holiday, the seaplane is the most luxury transportation. It is possible to say that this is the most comfortable way for a short time. Instead of 3 hours by car, tourists have just spent below one hour to flight from Hanoi to Halong Bay. It will be your once in a lifetime experience as you have a wonderful opportunity to enjoy a scenic tour to admire a panoramic view of Halong Bay from a height in the seaplane. The scenic tour will extend for 15 minutes. This is unacceptable as the best option for travelers who have a generous budget.

Traveling to Halong by air-conditioned bus

A road trip from Hanoi to Halong City will take travelers about 4 hours. Currently, it is the most popular way as its price and time are reasonable. The bus runs on Highway 18 that passes by Tuan Chau Island and Hon Gai Bridge. 

From Gia Lam Bus Station in Hanoi to Bai Chay Bus Station of Halong, it costs 150,000 Vietnamese Dong (~7 USD), and the ticket can be bought at the bus station. There are mini 17-seater buses and the trip can take up to five hours since the buses will stop along the way to fill up passengers.

From My Dinh Bus Station, Hanoi, buses traveling to Bai Chay Station of Halong cost 120,000 VND (~5 USD). They are bigger, faster, and more comfortable than the bus from Gia Lam such as City Bus #34 goes to My Dinh Bus Station as well.

It takes a bit more traveling time once you have arrived at Bai Chay Bus Station to either Tuan Chau or Cat Ba Islands or the UNESCO Heritage Site of Ha Long Bay. Here are some estimated traveling expenses:

• From Bai Chay to Halong City: a taxi should cost roughly 50,000 VND.
• Bai Chay to Tuan Chau Island: a taxi should cost 80,000 VND. From Tuan Chau Island to Cat Ba Island, it costs 160,000 VND for the ferry.

In contrast, the air-conditioned bus has the disadvantage of time. 

By coach

Currently, you can save road-time by transferring to Halong by Limousine, it takes nearly 3 hours. If you travel from Hanoi, most cruise trips will pick up you from your hotel. However, you must pay more cash for the target.

If tourists prefer to book a vehicle at their hotels instead of My Dinh Bus Station, Gia Lam Terminal, or Luong Yen Terminal. The price for one way ticket is around 100,000 – 200,000 VND (5 USD – 10 USD). Normally, most coaches will stop near Bai Chay Bridge so tourists can easily catch a taxi to arrive at Tuan Chau Marina. To be honest, you are discouraged to get to Halong by this way because it is a bit complicated for a foreign traveler, you may be overpriced for the ticket price or you have to face other unpredictable problems.

Transferring Halong Bay by private motorbike/car

For someone who prefers private transportation by themselves. In Hanoi, there are some agencies offer the rental motorbike and car. Booking a private car or taxi through your travel agent is undeniably the most comfortable way to get to Halong Bay. The cost of a private car is still lower than the seaplane. If the driver can speak English, he might be able to give the tourists some travel tips or a good story about the bay. The fare is reasonable, usually around 10,000 VND – 12,000 VND (about 0.5 – 0.6 USD) per milometer. There are many options for taxi firms, but tourists should choose well-known suppliers such as Mai Linh Taxi, Thanh Cong Taxi, Grab Taxi and Uber taxi. Booking a private car, you will pay the full cost for two ways as it doesn’t calculate the payment per kilometer like the taxi.

However, the rule moving on the road in Vietnam is complex and it is quite difficult to move from Hanoi to Halong Bay. So if it is the first time you come to Vietnam, renting a motorbike is not a good option for the foreigner who hopes of safe. However, if you want to have more experience, you can choose this method to grace the scenery during the timed moving. Unlike others, if tourists drive the motorbike by them self, they can activate the time and plan. For example, you can arrange a suitable time to visit more landscapes on the road. But if the climate is harmful, you shouldn’t continue this plan by it will affect your safety and your time.

High suggestion for you is to rent cars or motorbikes at their hotels in Halong as it is safer than driving from Hanoi. The price is variously based on distances, time, and kind of vehicles, but generally, it ranges from 70,000 to 120,000 VND ( 3 USD – 5 USD) a day for a motorbike, and from 850,000 to 1,250,000 VND ( 40 USD – 60 USD) a day for a car. One recommendation for you is to buy enough oil for vehicles before transferring.