piers and airports
Halong Bay airport and cruise ports: which pier is yours
There is no Halong Bay airport on the water: cruises on Halong Bay, Vietnam (Vịnh Hạ Long) board at a pier on the mainland side, and you fly into Hanoi's Noi Bai or Van Don International Airport and go on by road. The Ha Long Bay Management Board states that day routes depart from Tuan Chau International Marina or Ha Long International Cruise Port. Lan Ha Bay boats also leave from the Cat Ba side.
Your listing or voucher names the pier, often in a form of its own: "Lot 38", "Sun World port", "Beo harbor". Find that name in the pier cards below before you book a transfer, because the two Halong piers lie about 7.6 km (4.7 mi) in a straight line apart and the Cat Ba piers are on another island.
For the airport for Halong Bay, Van Don opened on 30 December 2018, on the same day as Ha Long International Cruise Port and the expressway between them. Noi Bai serves Hanoi and most long-haul flights.
Some links on this page are affiliate links: the guide earns a commission when you book through them. The partner sets the price; the guide adds no fee.
port finder
Find your pier by the name on your listing
Listings call the same pier by many names: a company lounge, a lot or block number, an older port name. Each card gathers those names, what sails from the pier, the road time from Hanoi as bus companies state it, and the straight line to Van Don airport (the road is longer).
Each card below lists the names that listings use for its pier. Read the names, or open the map to see where each pier lies.
-
Tuan Chau International Marina
Halong side, on Tuan Chau Island
- What leaves here
- Halong Bay, and the connecting routes into Bai Tu Long Bay. Some Lan Ha Bay cruises board here too and sail across. The Ha Long Bay Management Board starts Halong Bay routes VHL1 to VHL7; connecting routes K1 to K3 into Bai Tu Long Bay from this port and the other Halong pier.
- Names listings use
- Cozy Vietnam Travel - Halong Cruises, Tuan Chau Harbor
- Tuan Chau International Marina
- Tuan Chau Wharf
- Tuan Chau Harbor
- Tuan Chau International Cruise Port
- Bhaya Cruise Center, No. 9 International Port, Ngoc Chau Harbor, Tuan Chau
- Aspira Cruises Ha Long, 38 Ha Long, Tuan Chau
- Tuan Chau Marina
- Block 7 Tuan Chau International Marina
- Block 26, Tuan Chau International Marina Terminal 2
- Taliya Cruise, 36B Tuan Chau
- Tuan Chau International Marina, Victorious Cruise Lounge, Lot 39
- The Halong Catamaran, Block 25, Tuan Chau International Marina Terminal 2
- Lot 39, Tuan Chau
- Tuan Chau Port
- Ha Long Tuan Chau International Port
- From Hanoi
- 2 hours 30 minutes by limousine bus to Tuan Chau Island, Cua Ong Limousine states
- 3 hours by bus to Tuan Chau International Port, Daiichi Travel states
- 2 hours 40 minutes by private car for up to three, Sapa Express states
- Van Don airport
- about 49 km (31 mi) in a straight line
- On the map
- 20.922632, 106.990659 (OpenStreetMap)
- Sleep near it
- Small hotels on Tuan Chau Island, or Bai Chay across the causeway
-
Ha Long International Cruise Port
Halong side, in Bai Chay
- What leaves here
- Halong Bay, and the connecting routes into Bai Tu Long Bay. Ocean cruise ships berth at its international terminal. The Ha Long Bay Management Board starts Halong Bay routes VHL1 to VHL7; connecting routes K1 to K3 into Bai Tu Long Bay from this port and the other Halong pier.
- Names listings use
- Halong International Cruise Port, Bai Chay
- Halong International Port
- Halong International Cruise Port
- Ha Long International Cruise Port
- From Hanoi
- 3 hours by limousine van, Ha Lan Limousine states
- 3 hours 30 minutes by tourist bus, Sapa Dragon Express states
- Van Don airport
- about 42 km (26 mi) in a straight line
- On the map
- 20.95327, 107.05571 (OpenStreetMap)
- Sleep near it
- Bai Chay hotels along the waterfront
-
Ben Beo pier, Cat Ba town
Cat Ba side, on Cat Ba Island
- What leaves here
- Lan Ha Bay. Day boats from Cat Ba town and the cruises that start on the Cat Ba side; listings that pick you up at a Cat Ba hotel take you here or to a pier the operator names.The Lan Ha Bay route list of 2020 was replaced in January 2026 by a decision that lists no routes, so no official route starts here by name. Your listing names the pier.
- Names listings use
- Cat Ba Island
- Beo Pier, Cat Ba Island
- Cat Ba town
- Beo Harbor
- Cat Ba Island pickup
- Beo harbor, Cat Ba
- From Hanoi
- 3 hours 15 minutes to 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) to Cat Ba by bus and speedboat, as Cat Ba Express states on its Viator listing
- 3 hours to Cat Ba by luxury bus and ferry, Good Morning Cat Ba states
- Van Don airport
- about 57 km (35 mi) in a straight line
- On the map
- 20.732131, 107.058912 (OpenStreetMap)
- Sleep near it
- Cat Ba town, a short walk or ride from the pier
Show 4 more piers and terminals
-
Nam Cau Trang port, Hon Gai
Halong side, in Hon Gai across the Bai Chay bridge
- What leaves here
- Halong Bay. The Ha Long Bay Management Board names it on its coastal route.
- Names listings use
- No cruise listing on this site names it.
- From Hanoi
- None of the bus listings ends here. Take a shuttle to Bai Chay and cross the bridge by taxi.
- Sleep near it
- Bai Chay, across the bridge
-
Tuan Chau ferry terminal (to Cat Ba)
Halong side, on Tuan Chau Island
- What leaves here
- A crossing, not a cruise pier: the car ferry from Tuan Chau to Gia Luan on Cat Ba Island. Its 2026 timetable is not confirmed; ask at the pier or your hotel.
- Names listings use
- No cruise listing on this site names it.
- From Hanoi
- Reach it like the marina: by road to Tuan Chau Island.
- Van Don airport
- about 50 km (31 mi) in a straight line
- On the map
- 20.91656, 106.98958 (OpenStreetMap)
- Sleep near it
- Tuan Chau Island
-
Gia Luan pier, north Cat Ba Island
Cat Ba side, on the north coast of Cat Ba Island
- What leaves here
- The Cat Ba end of the Tuan Chau car ferry, and a pier some Lan Ha Bay boats use. Your listing names it if your boat leaves here.
- Names listings use
- No cruise listing on this site names it.
- From Hanoi
- Far from Cat Ba town by road; check how your listing gets you there.
- Van Don airport
- about 54 km (33 mi) in a straight line
- On the map
- 20.858968, 106.981983 (OpenStreetMap)
- Sleep near it
- Cat Ba town, by road across the island
-
Cai Rong and Ao Tien piers, Van Don
Van Don island, the Bai Tu Long side
- What leaves here
- Boats out to the Bai Tu Long Bay islands. The overnight cruises into Bai Tu Long Bay on this site board at the two Halong piers instead.
- Names listings use
- No cruise listing on this site names it.
- From Hanoi
- The Quang Ninh expressway runs past Van Don; the airport vans run here too.
- Van Don airport
- Ao Tien: about 6.2 km (3.9 mi) in a straight line
- Cai Rong: about 6.6 km (4.1 mi) in a straight line
- On the map
- 21.0597, 107.43055 (OpenStreetMap)
- Sleep near it
- Van Don, or Bai Chay for the cruise piers
the map
Where the Halong Bay ports are
The two Halong piers sit on the north shore of Halong Bay, at the edge of Ha Long City. Cat Ba Island and its piers lie to the south across the water, and Van Don, with the airport, to the north-east.
Tuan Chau International Marina is on Tuan Chau Island, joined to the mainland by a causeway road, to the south-west of Bai Chay. Ha Long International Cruise Port is on the Bai Chay waterfront, near the cable car. Nam Cau Trang is in Hon Gai, across the Bai Chay bridge.
Ben Beo pier is about 1.3 km (0.8 mi) in a straight line from the center of Cat Ba town. Gia Luan is on the north coast of Cat Ba Island. Cai Rong and Ao Tien are on Van Don island, the start of the Bai Tu Long side.
Every route, cave and village is on the Halong Bay map, with the routes drawn by bay.
flying in
Airport for Halong Bay: Van Don, Noi Bai or Cat Bi
Three airports serve the bays, and all three are e-visa entry points: the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism lists Noi Bai (Hanoi), Van Don International Airport (Quang Ninh province) and Cat Bi International Airport (Hai Phong) among them.
Van Don International Airport
The closest to the piers. It lies about 42 km (26 mi) in a straight line from Ha Long International Cruise Port. Tuan Chau is about 49 km (31 mi) in a straight line away. The airport, run by Sun Group, states that limousine vans to Ha Long City and Hanoi leave around the clock, one every 15 to 30 minutes.
Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi)
Hanoi's international airport. From Noi Bai you can go straight to the coast without a night in Hanoi: Hanoi - Halong Limousine and vice versa lists Noi Bai Airport as a pickup beside Hanoi's Old Quarter, a shared minivan that takes 2.5 to 3 hours by road, the operator states.
Cat Bi International Airport (Hai Phong)
Hai Phong's airport, on the way to Cat Ba Island rather than to the Halong piers. From Hai Phong the way to Cat Ba town is by road and then by boat or cable car; the crossings are on Hanoi to Cat Ba Island.
the transfer
From Hanoi to the pier by road
Every way to the Halong piers is by road on the expressway east through Hai Phong. What matters is where the van stops: take one that ends at your pier, not only in "Halong".
Many cruise listings sell a Hanoi pickup with the trip, in the price or as an option. The cruise's own shuttle is timed to its boarding and brings you to its own lounge. If yours is not included, two transfers are listed on the partner sites:
- Hanoi - Halong Limousine and vice versa: about US$12(listed asAUD 17.19) per person each way, as listed on 14 November 2026. A shared minivan between the Old Quarter, Noi Bai and Ha Long; you choose the stops at booking.
- Shuttle Bus Transfer from Hanoi to Halong Bay: US$17.86 per person, about AUD 26 or GBP 13, as listed on 14 November 2026. A shuttle bus with a guide that states 3 hours (approx.) on the road; the pickup point is picked at booking.
Check that the drop-off is the pier on your voucher and that the van arrives before your check-in time. Every bus, limousine and car from Hanoi, with prices and the expressway legs, is on how to get from Hanoi to Halong Bay. For Cat Ba Island, the bus and speedboat tickets run to Cat Ba town, near Ben Beo pier.
the cruise port
Ha Long International Cruise Port in Bai Chay
The big terminal on the Bai Chay waterfront, run by Sun Group. Listings call it Ha Long International Cruise Port, Halong International Port, Sun World port or simply the cruise port in Bai Chay.
Sun Group states that its domestic terminal has 4 berths for the Halong Bay cruise and sightseeing boats, and that its international terminal can take two large ocean cruise ships at once, along a terminal 462 m long. Day boats and overnight cruises board on the domestic side.
If you arrive on an ocean cruise ship, you land here or are taken ashore by tender. Hon Gai Port in Quang Ninh is listed by the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism among the e-visa seaport entry points; your cruise line tells you how its passengers enter.
the marina
Tuan Chau port: the marina island
Tuan Chau International Marina (Cảng tàu khách quốc tế Tuần Châu) is the pier many Halong Bay cruise listings name. It is a long row of company lounges, so the lot or block number on your voucher matters.
Business press reported the marina as invested and largely completed by Au Lac Co., Ltd. (Tuan Chau Group). Cruise companies keep their own waiting rooms along the quay: listings point you to "Lot 38", "Block 26, Terminal 2" or a cruise lounge by name. Arrive with time to find yours.
Tuan Chau port is also where the Halong to Bai Tu Long connecting routes begin, and where several Lan Ha Bay cruises board before they sail across into the Cat Ba bays.
Tuan Chau ferry terminal. A separate terminal on the same island runs the car ferry to Gia Luan on Cat Ba Island, about 6.5 km (4 mi) in a straight line apart. It is not a cruise pier, and its 2026 timetable is not confirmed: ask at the pier or at your hotel before you plan on it.
Small hotels on Tuan Chau Island let you walk to the marina in the morning; they and the Bai Chay hotels near the cruise port are on Halong Bay hotels by pier.
the Cat Ba side
Cat Ba piers for Lan Ha Bay
Lan Ha Bay is a separate bay, run by Hai Phong, around Cat Ba Island. Its day boats and many of its cruises start on the island itself, not on the Halong side.
Ben Beo pier (listings write Beo harbor or Beo pier) is the harbor north-east of Cat Ba town. Day boats into Lan Ha Bay pick you up at your Cat Ba hotel and board here or at a pier the operator names.
Gia Luan pier is on the north coast of the island, the Cat Ba end of the Tuan Chau car ferry. Your listing names it if your boat leaves there.
Since January 2026 the Hai Phong rules for these bays list no routes, so no pier on the Cat Ba side has an official route attached. The cruises themselves are compared on Lan Ha Bay cruises; the bus, ferry and cable car to the island are on Hanoi to Cat Ba Island.
north-east
Van Don piers and the Bai Tu Long side
Cai Rong and Ao Tien, on Van Don island, are the piers for boats out to the Bai Tu Long Bay islands. Ao Tien is about 6.2 km (3.9 mi) in a straight line from Van Don airport. Overnight cruises into Bai Tu Long Bay board at the two Halong piers instead; they and the bay's routes are on Bai Tu Long Bay.
asked often
Halong Bay airport and port questions
What is the closest airport to Halong Bay?
Van Don International Airport, in Quang Ninh province, opened on 30 December 2018. It lies about 42 km (26 mi) in a straight line from the cruise port in Bai Chay, and the airport states that limousine vans to Ha Long City leave around the clock. Noi Bai in Hanoi is the other way in, by road.
Which port do Halong Bay cruises leave from?
The Ha Long Bay Management Board states that day routes depart from Tuan Chau International Marina or Ha Long International Cruise Port. Overnight cruises board at the same two piers. Your listing or voucher names one of them, often by a company lounge or lot number on the quay.
Is Tuan Chau the same as Ha Long International Cruise Port?
No. Tuan Chau International Marina is on Tuan Chau Island, to the south-west of Bai Chay; Ha Long International Cruise Port is on the Bai Chay waterfront. They lie about 7.6 km (4.7 mi) in a straight line apart, so book a transfer to the one on your voucher, not just to Halong.
Can I go straight from Noi Bai airport to Halong Bay?
Yes. The shared Hanoi to Halong limousine on Klook lists Noi Bai Airport as a pickup beside the Old Quarter, and its operator states 2.5 to 3 hours by road. Leave a wide margin between landing and your cruise check-in time.
Where do Lan Ha Bay cruises leave from?
From Ben Beo pier near Cat Ba town for the day boats and the cruises that start on Cat Ba Island, or from Tuan Chau on the Halong side for cruises that sail across into Lan Ha Bay. The listing names the pier; check it before you book a bus.
Sources
- OpenStreetMap places Ao Tien port (port) at (lat, lon) 21.08024, 107.46117 decimal degrees WGS84. OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), queried via Nominatim/Overpass, 14 November 2026.
- OpenStreetMap places Van Don International Airport (airport) at (lat, lon) 21.117753, 107.416807 decimal degrees WGS84. OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), queried via Nominatim/Overpass, 14 November 2026.
- The Ha Long Bay Management Board states that day routes depart from Tuan Chau International Marina or Ha Long International Cruise Port. Ha Long Bay Management Board, route pages 'Ha Long Bay Itinerary 1-5' (halongbay.com.vn/en/tours).
- The Vietnam National Authority of Tourism lists Noi Bai airport (Hanoi) among e-visa entry points: yes. Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (vietnam.travel), Vietnam Visa Requirements, 26 October 2026.
- The Vietnam National Authority of Tourism lists Van Don International Airport (Quang Ninh province) among e-visa entry points: yes. Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (vietnam.travel), Vietnam Visa Requirements, 26 October 2026.
- The Vietnam National Authority of Tourism lists Cat Bi International Airport (Hai Phong city) among e-visa entry points: yes. Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (vietnam.travel), Vietnam Visa Requirements, 26 October 2026.
- The Vietnam National Authority of Tourism lists Hon Gai Port (Quang Ninh province) among e-visa seaport entry points: yes. Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (vietnam.travel), Vietnam Visa Requirements, 26 October 2026.
- Klook lists Hanoi - Ha Long Limousine and vice versa at From AUD 17.19 per person (Buy 2 get 10% off shown). Klook product page (as listed on the read date).
- Klook lists Hanoi - Ha Long Limousine and vice versa with a stated duration of 2.5 - 3 hours. Klook product page (as listed on the read date).
- Viator lists Shuttle Bus Transfer from Hanoi to Halong Bay at From US$17.86 per person. Viator product page (as listed on the read date).
- Viator lists Shuttle Bus Transfer from Hanoi to Halong Bay with a stated duration of 3 hours (approx.). Viator product page (as listed on the read date).
- Saigon Giai Phong (SGGP English, 30 Dec 2018) reports that the Prime Minister attended the inauguration of Van Don International Airport on 30 December 2018. Nhà Đầu Tư, 'Khai trương sân bay Vân Đồn, Cảng tàu khách du lịch quốc tế Hạ Long và cao tốc Hạ Long - Vân Đồn' (search snippet), 30 December 2018.
- Van Don International Airport (operated by Sun Group) states that limousine vans to Ha Long City and Hanoi run around the clock from Van Don, one every 15 to 30 minutes. Van Don International Airport, 'Vận chuyển công cộng' page, 14 November 2026.
- Ha Long International Cruise Port in Bai Chay is operated by Sun Group, which states its domestic terminal has four berths handling 200 to 300 Halong Bay cruise and sightseeing boats a day; the berth count is 4 berths. Sun Group, 'Ha Long International Cruise Port - The Gateway to the Heritage Bay for the World', 08/04/2025, 8 April 2025.
- Ha Long International Cruise Port's international terminal can take two large ocean cruise ships at once, as Sun Group states; terminal length 462 m. Sun Group, 'Ha Long International Cruise Port - The Gateway to the Heritage Bay for the World', 08/04/2025, 8 April 2025.
- The Ha Long Bay Management Board's official routes name Tuan Chau International Marina (Cảng tàu khách quốc tế Tuần Châu), Ha Long International Cruise Port and Nam Cau Trang port (Hon Gai) as passenger ports on route VHL8. Ha Long Bay Management Board website, route list.
- Bao Dau Tu (8 Apr 2015) reported that Tuan Chau International Marina (Cảng tàu khách quốc tế Tuần Châu), licensed by Quang Ninh in 2012 as a 250 ha marina, was invested and largely completed by Au Lac Co., Ltd. (Tuan Chau Group). Báo Đầu tư and other business press (search snippets), 2015-2016.
- Distances in a straight line. Measured on the site from OpenStreetMap coordinates (great circle, 6,371 km earth radius). A straight line between two points, not a sailing or road distance. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
- Exchange rates. VND per unit of each currency. USD: State Bank of Vietnam (Ngân hàng Nhà nước Việt Nam), Tỷ giá page, 14 November 2026; AUD: State Bank of Vietnam (Ngân hàng Nhà nước Việt Nam), Tỷ giá page, 12 November 2026; GBP: State Bank of Vietnam (Ngân hàng Nhà nước Việt Nam), Tỷ giá page, 12 November 2026
Photographs
- Ha Long International Cruise Port (Bai Chay). Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
- Bai Chay waterfront and Ha Long City. Photo: Pdhadam / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cat Ba town harbour. Photo: Christophe95 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0