Lan Ha Bay 2026: Complete Guide, Routes, Fees, Cruises & Best Time

Lan Ha Bay 2026: The Complete Guide to Halong Bay’s Quieter Neighbour

Lan Ha Bay is a limestone karst bay of more than 7,000 ha beside Cat Ba Island in Hai Phong, adjoining Halong Bay, with about 400 islands and islets, small white-sand coves and sheltered lagoons. It has been part of the UNESCO-listed Ha Long Bay – Cat Ba Archipelago since 2023, and it is known for fewer boats, better swimming and kayaking, and easy access to Cat Ba National Park.

Fees and status (checked October 2026): Lan Ha Bay is managed by Hai Phong, not Quang Ninh. The bay fee is 120,000 VND per adult per visit (400,000 VND for one night on the bay), in force since 1 August 2024 and kept for 2026. Since April 2026 a new Ha Long – Lan Ha cruise waterway lets more ships combine the two bays. All our cruises include the fees. Kayaking in the Cat Ba / Lan Ha bays was suspended by local authorities in late 2025; when it is not allowed, cruises use rowed boats, swimming or deck viewing instead, so check the rule in force for your date.

Lan Ha Bay at a Glance

Location	Beside Cat Ba Island, Cat Hai special zone, Hai Phong; adjoins Halong Bay
From Hanoi	About 2.5–3 hours to Tuan Chau (Ha Long) then about 2 hours by cruise; or about 3–4 hours to Cat Ba by road and ferry or cable car
Size	More than 7,000 ha
Islands	About 400 islands and islets (published counts range from 366 to over 400)
Beaches	Many small coves; Wikipedia counts 139
Recognition	Part of UNESCO site 672 since 16 September 2023; Cat Ba Biosphere Reserve since 2004; Cat Ba National Park since 1986
Highlights	Dark and Bright Cave, Ba Trai Dao, Viet Hai Village, Trung Trang Cave, Ao Ech
Activities	Kayaking, swimming, cycling, hiking, rock climbing
Fee	120,000 VND adult day visit; 400,000 VND one night (Hai Phong table)
Best time	April–June and September–November
Find it	TripAdvisor · Wikipedia

Is Lan Ha Bay worth it? Yes, and for many travellers it is the better choice: the same karst scenery, quieter water, real beaches and the best kayaking in the region. What you miss are the big show caves of Halong Bay’s classic route.

Lan Ha Bay cruise sailing at sunset among limestone karst islands — overnight cruise on Vietnam's UNESCO World Heritage bay, 2026 — A cruise at sunset among Lan Ha Bay’s islets

What Makes Lan Ha Bay Special

Fewer boats

Lan Ha had about 166 licensed tourist boats in mid-2026 (87 sightseeing boats and 79 overnight ships), far fewer than Halong Bay, so anchorages are calmer.

Beaches you can actually swim at

Small coves such as Ba Trai Dao appear between the islets, especially at lower tide.

Sea tunnels and lagoons

Waves have cut tunnels through the limestone into enclosed lagoons, the best known being Dark and Bright Cave.

Land and sea in one trip

Cat Ba National Park, on the shore, adds forest trails, caves and villages to a bay cruise.

Lan Ha Bay and UNESCO

Halong Bay was inscribed as a World Heritage site in 1994. On 16 September 2023 UNESCO extended it to include the Cat Ba Archipelago, renaming it Ha Long Bay – Cat Ba Archipelago (65,650 ha, 1,133 islands and islets), Vietnam’s first natural World Heritage site shared by two provinces. Lan Ha Bay lies within this archipelago. Cat Ba is also a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (2004) and was declared a marine protected area in 2010.

Nature: Langurs, Coral and Forest

Cat Ba National Park was established on 31 March 1986. It protects tropical forest, mangroves and reefs, and is the only home of the critically endangered Cat Ba langur, whose population fell to a few dozen by 2000 and has slowly recovered to about 70–80 animals under a long-running protection programme. Boat noise near langur cliffs is one reason some areas are off-limits.

Kayaking through Dark and Bright Cave from the dark tunnel into the sunlit hidden lagoon, Lan Ha Bay's most iconic attraction, Vietnam — Kayaking at Dark and Bright Cave, Lan Ha Bay

Top Things to Do in Lan Ha Bay

1. Kayak through Dark and Bright Cave

Sea tunnels into a hidden lagoon. Read the guide.

2. Swim at Ba Trai Dao

Three peach-shaped islets with crescent beaches. Read the guide.

Ba Trai Dao Islets (Three Peaches Beach) — three crescent white sand beaches separated by limestone cliffs, Lan Ha Bay, Vietnam — The Ba Trai Dao islets and beaches in Lan Ha Bay

3. Cycle to Viet Hai Village

A valley village inside the national park. Read the guide.

Cycling through rice paddies in Viet Hai Village, an ancient community hidden inside Cat Ba National Park, Lan Ha Bay Vietnam — Cycling to Viet Hai Village, Cat Ba

4. Visit Trung Trang Cave

An easy roadside cave in Cat Ba National Park. Read the guide.

Trung Trang Cave interior — natural limestone stalactites and stalagmites inside Cat Ba National Park, Lan Ha Bay Vietnam — Inside Trung Trang Cave, Cat Ba National Park

5. Paddle Ao Ech

Calm water for kayaking and swimming. Read the guide.

6. Rock climbing

Lan Ha is one of Asia’s known deep-water soloing and sea-cliff climbing areas, run by specialist Cat Ba operators.

Deep water soloing rock climbing on Van Boi Island limestone cliffs, one of Southeast Asia's top climbing destinations, Lan Ha Bay Vietnam — Rock climbing above the water in Lan Ha Bay

Official Lan Ha Bay Sightseeing Routes

Route	Main stops
Route 1	Ben Beo – floating fishing area – Monkey Island – Ben Beo
Route 2	Ben Beo – fishing area – Monkey Island – Hon Rua – Viet Hai estuary – Quai To – Ba Trai Dao – Dark and Bright Cave – Ben Beo
Route 3	Ben Got – Gia Luan – Tra Bau – Ang Ong Cam – Dark and Bright Cave – Gia Luan – Ben Got
Route 4	Cat Ba tourist pier – Cat Ong island – Thien Ung pagoda

Fees are collected at Ben Got, Ben Beo, Gia Luan, Van Ta and Quai To. Since April 2026 a Ha Long – Lan Ha cruise waterway also links Halong Bay sights such as Cua Van and Ba Ham Lake with Tra Bau, Dark and Bright Cave, Ba Trai Dao and Cai Beo.

Fees in Lan Ha Bay and Cat Ba (Hai Phong)

Item	Adult	Child (6+ or 1.2 m+)
Bay sightseeing, day	120,000 VND	60,000 VND
Overnight on the bay, 1 night	400,000 VND	300,000 VND
2 nights	600,000 VND	500,000 VND
3 nights	650,000 VND	550,000 VND
Cat Ba National Park entry	160,000 VND	80,000 VND

Source: Hai Phong fee table effective 1 August 2024 (Thanh Nien) and kept for 2026. Children under 6 are free; seniors and some groups get 50% off. The national park adjusted some prices in April 2026, so confirm on site. Cruise prices include bay fees.

How to Get to Lan Ha Bay

Option	How it works	Notes
Lan Ha Bay cruise from Ha Long	Board at Tuan Chau, sail about 2 hours into Lan Ha	Most popular
Boat tour from Cat Ba	From Ben Beo pier, half or full day	If staying on Cat Ba
Day cruise	Some day cruises from Ha Long reach Lan Ha	Long day
To Cat Ba Island	Road and ferry, or the Cat Hai – Phu Long cable car	For island stays

Best Time to Visit Lan Ha Bay

Months	Weather	Notes
April–June	Warm, calm	Ideal
July–August	Hot, busy, storms possible	Swimming season
September–November	Clear, quieter	Excellent
December–March	Cool, misty	Kayaking only

See our best time to visit Halong Bay guide.

Typhoon Yagi and Recovery

Typhoon Yagi hit Cat Ba in September 2024, cutting power and water for days, stripping forests and damaging beaches and fish farms. The island was largely restored within about five months, and visitor numbers have since passed pre-storm levels: Cat Ba welcomed more than 4.5 million visitors in 2025.

Lan Ha Bay vs Halong Bay

	Lan Ha Bay	Halong Bay
Province	Hai Phong	Quang Ninh
Crowds	Moderate	Busy
Caves	Smaller (Trung Trang, Dark and Bright)	Big (Sung Sot, Thien Cung)
Beaches	Many small coves	Ti Top only
Fees	120,000 VND day	200,000–250,000 VND per route