About Cat Bi Airport
Cat Bi Airport sits on the edge of Hai Phong, only about 5 to 8 km from the city center, in the northeast of Vietnam. That puts it within easy reach of Hai Phong itself, close to the ferries for Cat Ba Island, and around an hour from Halong Bay. It is mainly a domestic airport, with a strong network of flights to cities across Vietnam and a smaller, partly seasonal set of international routes. By road it is well connected to the wider region, so getting onward to where you are going is usually quick and simple.
The airport has been expanded and modernised in recent years and, while it can handle large aircraft, it remains compact and easy to use. It is genuinely busy, but its small scale works in your favour: check-in, security, and baggage are usually fast, and many travelers are through the whole process in well under half an hour. It has a single terminal, with arrivals on the lower level and departures upstairs, and separate areas for domestic and international flights.
It is worth knowing that Halong Bay also has its own airport, Van Don Airport, further east. But Van Don sits further from the main cruise port where the boats leave and has far fewer flights, so for most people heading to Halong, Cat Bi is the better choice.
Direct flights to and from Cat Bi Airport
Cat Bi has a solid domestic network and a handful of international routes, making it far more useful than nearby Van Don. The domestic flights are reliable and frequent, while the international and seasonal routes change more often, so it is worth checking current schedules before you book. Below are the main routes.
- Ho Chi Minh City — by far the busiest route, with multiple flights a day on Vietnam Airlines and VietJet. The flight takes about 2 hours.
- Da Nang — the second main route, with several flights daily on the same airlines, taking around 1 hour 10 minutes. Together with Ho Chi Minh City, it makes up the bulk of the airport’s traffic.
- Other domestic routes — VietJet leads a wider spread of destinations including Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, Da Lat, Buon Ma Thuot, Can Tho, and Pleiku, most running daily or several times a week.
- Seoul (Incheon) — the main international route, flown by VietJet and popular with Korean visitors heading to Halong and Cat Ba. The flight takes around 4 hours 20 minutes.
- China (seasonal) — several routes such as Guangzhou, Kunming, and Lijiang operate mainly from around June to October rather than all year.
- Hanoi — by road, not air. There is no useful flight between the two; Hanoi is about 2 hours away by expressway, so the connection is overland.
Facilities at Cat Bi Airport
The terminal is clean, modern, and efficient, but compact, so the range of food, shops, and seating is limited and it can feel tight when a few flights overlap. Here is what you will find.
ATMs and money exchange
There are ATMs and a currency exchange counter in the terminal, enough to pick up some Vietnamese dong on arrival. As at most airports, the exchange rates are poor, so change only what you need here and sort out the rest in the city.
SIM cards and services
You will find SIM card counters if you need a local number on arrival, along with car rental desks and an information counter on the arrivals floor, which is useful given that English is limited elsewhere in the airport.
Food and drink
Dining is limited to a few cafes and snack outlets rather than proper sit-down restaurants, and prices are higher than outside. If you are hungry, it is better to eat before you arrive, as the options here are basic and can be quiet outside peak times.
Shops
There are small souvenir and convenience shops for last-minute snacks, drinks, and gifts, plus a modest duty-free area in the international section. It is all fairly small-scale, so this is not a place to plan on doing much shopping.
Lounge
There is a business lounge on the upper level for premium passengers and those with eligible cards or memberships. Be aware that access through some international lounge cards is not always accepted here, so check beforehand if you are relying on one.
Other facilities
The terminal has clean toilets, air conditioning, and free wifi, along with massage chairs and a smoking area after security. Charging points exist but are limited, especially before security, so arrive with your devices already charged. The main thing to know is that seating can run short when the airport is busy, so do not count on a comfortable spot for a long wait.
Getting to and from the airport
Cat Bi’s biggest strength is how well placed it is, close to Hai Phong, the Cat Ba ferries, and Halong. Transport into the city is easy, but for the islands and the cruise terminals it pays to plan ahead, since the trips involve a few steps. Below is each main route in detail.
To and from Hai Phong city center
The city center is only about 5 to 8 km away, a 10 to 15 minute drive, so this leg is simple. Grab is the best option: open the app, pin your location accurately, and you will pay a clear, low fare with no haggling. Metered taxis are also available, but this is where to be careful, as drivers tout aggressively at arrivals, the cars can be old, and some try to make you share a ride while charging each passenger the full fare. A cheap local bus runs into the city too, but it is slow and awkward with luggage. For most people, Grab is cheaper, safer, and far less stressful than the taxi rank.
To and from Halong (cruise terminal)
Halong is about 53 km away, roughly an hour by the Hai Phong–Halong expressway, which makes Cat Bi a popular way to start or end a cruise without the long 180 km trip back to Hanoi. Most Halong Bay cruises leave from the Tuan Chau Marina, so that is usually where you are heading.
The easiest option is a pre-booked private transfer, which means a driver waits for you and takes you straight to the marina, and you can time it to your cruise. A Grab or taxi works too for the same trip. Many cruise companies include an airport pickup in their package, so check before arranging your own. Since cruises generally board around midday, an early flight into Cat Bi pairs well with a same-day departure.
To and from Cat Ba Island
Cat Bi is the closest airport to Cat Ba Island, but the journey is not a single ride: it combines a drive on the mainland, a ferry or speedboat crossing, and another drive on the island. Which way you do it comes down to budget and how much convenience you want. Here are the three main options.
Door-to-door transfer (recommended)
Several operators run transfer services built for exactly this route, from the airport to your Cat Ba hotel. You book in advance, a driver meets you at arrivals, and everything in between, including the ferry tickets, is handled for you. In practice it usually works as a relay: one vehicle takes you to the pier, you walk onto the ferry or speedboat, and a second vehicle is waiting on the island side to drive you to your hotel. You never buy a ticket or work out a connection yourself. It is the easiest option with luggage and usually cheaper than hiring a whole car to yourself.
Taxi (two transfers)
A regular taxi or Grab is the budget, do-it-yourself route, but it will almost always take you only as far as Dong Bai Pier on the mainland, about 25 km from the airport across the Tan Vu–Lach Huyen bridge. Drivers rarely cross to the island, since it means a long trip back, likely empty, plus extra ferry rides and the risk of being stranded if it gets late. From the pier you buy a ticket and cross to Cai Vieng on Cat Ba by ferry (around 30 minutes) or speedboat (around 15 minutes), then take a waiting bus, taxi, or electric car the last 22 km or so to Cat Ba town. Note that Dong Bai replaced the old Got Pier, which has closed.
Pre-booked private car (direct)
If you would rather not change vehicles at all, you can book a private car that does the whole journey in one go. The car drives straight onto the vehicle ferry with you, crosses, and continues to your hotel, with the ferry ride included and no tickets to buy yourself. This is the most comfortable and private option, and the best with luggage, a family, or a tight schedule. The trade-off is cost: because the driver pays the vehicle ferry fee and likely returns empty, it works out more expensive than the two separate rides above. If you want this, just confirm with the operator beforehand that the fare covers the ferry and takes you all the way to your door.
Whichever you choose, the trip takes roughly 1.5 to 2 hours. One important warning: ferries and boats stop in the early evening, so a late-arriving flight may mean staying the night in Hai Phong and crossing the next morning. Crossings can also be suspended in storms.
To and from Hanoi
If your trip starts or ends in Hanoi, it is almost always better to use Hanoi’s own airport, Noi Bai, which has far more flights and connections than Cat Bi, so there is rarely a reason to link the two. But if you do need to travel between Cat Bi and Hanoi by land, the expressway covers the roughly 100 km in about 2 hours, by private car, limousine van, or bus.
Practical tips and good to know
How early to arrive
For a domestic flight, about 2 hours before departure is right, and a bit more for international. One quirk worth knowing: the check-in counters and security only open around 2 hours before the flight, and you cannot go through any earlier even with a boarding pass and only carry-on. So arriving very early does not help, it just means waiting on the public side of the terminal, where seating and charging points are limited. Aim for around 2 hours rather than turning up at dawn.
Language
Despite the “international” name, English is limited among staff, and signage is fairly basic. It is rarely a real problem for a simple domestic flight, but a translation app on your phone is genuinely useful, especially when checking in or sorting out anything unexpected. Daytime tends to be smoother than late evening, when fewer staff are around.
Weather and delays
Cat Bi sits on an exposed stretch of coast, and fog or storms can delay and occasionally cancel flights, particularly in the rainy and typhoon season from around June to September. If you are flying in that period, keep an eye on your flight status, and avoid scheduling a tight onward connection, such as a same-day cruise, that a delay could ruin.
Is it worth flying into Cat Bi?
For the right traveler, yes. Cat Bi is the most practical airport for Cat Ba, a good option for Halong and Hai Phong, and a smart, often cheaper alternative to flying through Hanoi, especially for leaving after a cruise without the long trip back to the capital. The main limit is its thin international network, so many overseas visitors still arrive into Hanoi and connect onward. But for domestic travel around the north coast, it is one of the easiest and least stressful airports in Vietnam to use.
