Two things changed how you can move around this archipelago: the Cat Ba cable car, and the cross-bay route linking Ha Long Bay with Lan Ha Bay that started running in April 2026. Both are worth understanding before you plan, because one of them replaces a ferry and the other opens a route that did not legally exist before. Neither is essential, and one of them is far more interesting than the other.
What is the Cat Ba cable car actually like?
It runs between the Cat Hai side and Cat Ba Island, over the water, on very tall towers. It is quick, it has a view, and it is an alternative to the ferry for foot passengers. It is also a piece of infrastructure attached to a large tourism development, and how you feel about it will track how you feel about that.
Practically: it saves time compared with waiting for a ferry, it does not carry vehicles, and it does not run in high wind. If you are travelling with a lot of luggage, the ferry is simpler. If you are on foot and the queue is long, the cable car is the better call.
How does the new Ha Long to Lan Ha route work?
On 20 April 2026, four connecting routes between Ha Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay were licensed after an agreement between Hai Phong and Quang Ninh. Two ran from day one: Ha Long 3 – Lan Ha (Cua Van floating culture centre, Tien Ong cave, Ba Ham lake, then Tra Bau and the Light and Dark caves) and Ha Long 6 – Lan Ha (Elephant Foot islet, Vung Ba Cua, then Gia Luan and Tra Bau). Both are worked by overnight cruise vessels, not day boats – that matters when you are planning.
What it means in practice: an overnight cruise can now start in one bay and finish in the other rather than staying inside a single administrative boundary. The first sailings carried visitors from Taiwan, Korea, the United States and India, which tells you who the product was designed for.
Is either worth building a day around?
| Cable car | Cross-bay route | |
|---|---|---|
| Saves time | Yes, on foot | No — it is a longer day |
| Worth it for the view | Once | Yes |
| Crowded | Peaks with ferry times | Fewer boats than Ha Long proper |
| Weather dependent | Wind stops it | Storm warnings stop it |
| Our take | Use it if the ferry queue is long | Worth it if you want an overnight cruise across both bays |
Cable car or a Lan Ha Bay boat day: which is better?
If you have one day on the water, a straightforward Lan Ha Bay day gives you more swimming, more kayaking and fewer boats than a cross-bay itinerary that spends hours in transit. The cross-bay route is for people who specifically want to see the famous Ha Long karsts and the quieter Lan Ha water in the same day and are willing to trade time on the water for distance covered.
Rates for both move with season and group size — ask us for the current ones rather than working from a figure on someone’s blog.
How do you get to the far side of Cat Ba afterwards?
Whichever you take, you end up on Cat Ba Island. From there, Viet Hai is a short crossing from Ben Beo Harbour plus an electric cart. The bay ticket is 120,000 VND per person and the cart 50,000 VND per person, both fixed.
Frequently asked questions
Answered by the Lan family in Viet Hai — the people who run the boats, cook the dinner and pick you up at the pier.
Does the cable car replace the ferry?
For foot passengers, it is an alternative. Vehicles still take the ferry.
Can I do Ha Long Bay as a day trip from Cat Ba now?
The cross-bay routes make it possible in a way it was not before. Whether it is a good use of a day is a separate question — you are already in a bay that looks the same and has a fraction of the traffic.
Is the new route more expensive?
It is a longer day with more distance, so yes, generally.
Does it run all year?
Subject to weather. Storm warnings stop boats leaving harbour anywhere in the region — see our boat safety guide.
Which would you do with two days?
One Lan Ha day and one on land. The cross-bay route is a third-day option.
Not sure which boat day to pick?
Tell us how long you have and what you want to see, and we will tell you which route actually suits it. WhatsApp +84 363 934 325 or message us here.
