HA LONG to HANOI — Bus, Train, Taxi, Flight? ☀️

9 min readJun 8, 2020

From Halong Bay to Hanoi by bus, van, train, plane or private taxi.

Hanoi is a place that has been trying to keep its hallmark of rich history, monuments and attractiveness compared to Ho Chi Minh City. Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam with a population of approx. 8 million, the largest city and also the most important traffic hub in the north. From Hanoi, you can take trains to Lao Cai, Lang Son or Ninh Binh and various tourist buses or private minivans to interesting places in northern Vietnam, such as Sapa or Ha Giang. The main shopping center is the Old Quarter at the famous Hoan Kiem Lake, these sites are the most visited by foreign tourists. In the western part of Hoan Kiem Lake you will find most of the interesting Hanoi historical monuments that you can see close to the city centre.
A visit to Hanoi’s Old Quarter is a must-see, so there you can soak up the true atmosphere of Hanoi, relax while strolling around the lake and visiting some of the local restaurants and bistros. Hanoi is also an important transport hub of northern Vietnam. There are various sleeper or seat buses or trains to various parts of Vietnam. There are several ways you can travel from Halong Bay (or Hai Phong) to Hanoi - by tourist bus, minivan, taxi, train but also by private sightseeing flight.

🥇 Book and buy your bus, train e-tickets or taxi from Ha Long/Hai Phong to Hanoi online on Baolau or 12go.asia.

Travel distance from Ha Long town to Hanoi is about 180 km by tourist bus or taxi.

There are a few ways how you can get to Hanoi from Ha Long Bay. The most popular option is to travel by tourist bus or minivan, travel by bus/minivan to Hanoi from Ha Long takes about 2.5–4.5 hours. Bus tickets from Ha Long to Hanoi cost about $5–23/pp, it depends what type of the bus you will use. There are normal seat buses or vans or tourist luxury minivans or minibuses and these buses depart from various stations in Ha Long, Tuan Chau but also from Cat Ba Island.
There is also a train from Ha Long town to Hanoi, but this train goes via Kep Railway Station and it takes about 7 hours to reach Hanoi by train. So it is not a good idea to travel via Kep. There is a better option if you want to travel by train - a train from Hai Phong city (about 40 km from Ha Long) to Hanoi. This train goes about 2.5 hours and train tickets are very cheap, about $3–5/pp (hard or soft seats). It is better and fast to travel from Hai Phong Railway Station to Hanoi city centre.
The most comfortable option is to travel by private taxi/car from Ha Long to Hanoi. You can book private vehicle or minivan for a group of people. Travel time by taxi/car is about 2.5–3 hours, but it is the most expensive option of transport. Private taxi or car to Hanoi from Halong Bay cost about $80–150 (vehicle). If you want to travel by plane, there is only a private company - Hai Au Aviation and they offer some private flights between Tuan Chau Island and Hanoi. From Hanoi you can travel to central Vietnam, e.g. to Hoi An. You can search and book tickets or private taxi to Hanoi from Ha Long online.

How do you get from Halong Bay to Hanoi?

1. BUS from Halong Bay to Hanoi

there are various modern tourist and local buses from Ha Long to Hanoi (+buses from Tuan Chau, Bai Chay, Cat Ba…)
there are also luxury and very comfortable minivans, vans, limousines or shuttle buses
travel by bus takes about 2.5–4.5 hours from Halong Bay to Hanoi
bus tickets from Ha Long to Hanoi costs about $5–23/pp, depends on the type of the bus or minivan
bus stations in Hanoi - buses arrive to various bus stations (check Baolau and 12go.asia)
bus stations in Ha Long - buses depart from various bus stations (Bai Chay, Tuan Chau, Hon Gai, Cat Ba…check Baolau and 12go.asia)
bus companies to Hanoi: Phuc Xuyen, Kumho Viet Thanh, Hoang Long, Hai Au, Hung Duc, GreenLion, Grouptour, TheSinh Tourist Good Morning Cat Ba, Daichi Travel…
you will receive your bus e-ticket to Hanoi by email, ready to print or carry in your mobile phone or tablet and present at the ticket counter of the station before boarding the bus, read the all information before you book your ticket to Hanoi

Phuc Xuyen bus from Ha Long to Hanoi (photo: Baolau).

Kumho Viet Thanh bus from Ha Long to Hanoi (photo: Baolau).

2. TRAIN / BUS from Hai Phong to Hanoi

Hai Phong City is about 40 km from Ha Long town
travel by train from Hai Phong to Hanoi takes about 2.5 hours and about 1.5 hour by bus
see and download railway map of Vietnam
there are a few trains every day between Hanoi and Hai Phong (Vietnam Railways)
the one-way train or bus ticket from Hai Phong City to Hanoi costs about $3–6/pp
railway station in Hanoi - Gia Lam Railway Station (481 Ngọc Lâm) or Hanoi Railway Station (120 Le Duan)
railway station in Hai Phong - Hai Phong Railway station (75 Lương Khánh Thiện)
it is a good way of transport if you want to visit Hai Phong City
you will receive your train/bus e-ticket to Hanoi by email, ready to print or carry in your mobile phone or tablet and present when boarding the train/bus in Hai Phong railway or bus station

From Hai Phong (or Ha Long) to Hanoi by train — From Hai Phong (or Ha Long) you can travel by train to Hanoi.

3. VAN or Private TAXI from Ha Long to Hanoi

from Ha Long to Hanoi you can also travel by van/minivan/shuttle bus or private taxi
the most comfortable way of transfer between Ha Long and Hanoi
various private companies to Hanoi: Luxury Transport, Phuc Xuyen, Greenlion Bus, Rosa Eco Bus, Dichung Taxi, Ninh Quynh…
luxury vans (up to 9–12 passengers), private modern vehicles - the most comfortable way how to get to Hanoi
ticket for van costs only about $7–10, private taxi to Hanoi costs about $80–150 (depends on the type of vehicle)
vans or minivans depart from Ha Long City, Tuan Chau, Cat Ba Island…
read carefully the all information before you book your tickets or book your private taxi/car to to Hanoi from Ha Long

Luxury Transport minivan from Ha Long to Hanoi (photo: Baolau).

4. BUS from Cat Ba Island to Hanoi

there are also tourist buses from Cat Ba Island to Hanoi.
Cat Ba Island is the largest and most visited island in Halong Bay
travel by bus from Cat Ba to Hanoi takes about 4–5 hours (depends on the company, time can change)
bus companies to Hanoi: Cat Ba Express, Inter Bus Lines, Grouptour, Daichi Travel, Grouptour…
bus ticket from Cat Ba to Hanoi costs about $9–16 (seats or comfortable berths, depends on the company)
there is a boat transfer between Hai Phong and Cat Ba Island
check and read this article: Cat Ba to Hanoi — Bus Schedule
you will receive your bus e-ticket to Hanoi by email, ready to print or carry in your mobile phone or tablet and present when boarding the tourist bus in Cat Ba town

5. TRAIN from Ha Long to Hanoi (via Kép Railway Station)

there is also a regular train of Vietnam Railways from Ha Long to Hanoi
it is very cheap, but travel by this train takes about 7 hours (train goes via Kép Railway Station)
one-way train ticket from Hanoi to Ha Long costs about $3–4, hard seat
railway station in Hanoi - Yen Vien (about 10 km from Hoan Kiem city center)
railway station in Ha Long - Ha Long
in the near future, there should be build a direct train railway route between Hanoi and Ha Long

6. FLIGHT from Tuan Chau Island to Hanoi (Seaplane)

several direct flights from Tuan Chau Island to Hanoi are operated by Hai Au Aviation
you can also fly by private helicopter to Halong Bay (helicopter is operated by Vietnam Helicopter Tours)

Plane of Hai Au Aviation from Tuan Chau to Hanoi — Plane of Hai Au Aviation from Tuan Chau (Halong Bay) to Hanoi.

Faqs — Travel route from Halong Bay to Hanoi:

How to book and buy tickets from Halong Bay to Hanoi?

🥇 Book and buy your bus or train e-tickets from Ha Long/Hai Phong to Hanoi online on Baolau or 12go.asia.

How long does it take from Halong Bay to Hanoi?

Travel by bus/minivan/taxi from Halong Bay to Hanoi takes about 3–4.5 hours.
Travel by train+bus from Halong Bay to Hanoi (via Hai Phong) takes about 4–5 hours.
Travel by plane (Hai Au Aviation) from Tuan Chau Island to Hanoi takes about 1 hour.
Travel by train from Ha Long to Hanoi (via Kep Railway Station) takes about 7 hours.

How much does it cost to travel from Halong Bay to Hanoi?

To get by bus/minivan from Halong Bay to Hanoi costs about $5–23/pp.
To get by train+bus from Halong Bay to Hanoi (via Hai Phong) costs about $5–12/pp.
To get by plane of Hai Au Aviation from Tuan Chau Island to Hanoi costs about $30–110/pp.
To get by train from Ha Long town to Hanoi (via Kep Railway Station) costs about $3.50/pp.

What is the travel distance from Halong Bay to Hanoi?

Travel distance from Halong Bay to Hanoi is about 180–200 km by train+bus/bus or minivan.

Can you fly from Halong Bay to Hanoi?

Yes, you can also fly from Halong Bay to Hanoi. There are some scenic direct flights from Tuan Chau Island to Hanoi operated by Hai Au Aviation. You can also fly by helicopter from Halong Bay to Hanoi or enjoy some helicopter tour in Halong Bay, helicopters are operated by Vietnam Helicopter Tours.

Is there a train from Halong Bay to Hanoi?

There is a regular train from Hai Phong to Hanoi, it is about 40 km from Ha Long City. You can also travel by train from Ha Long town, but this train goes via Kép Railway Station (north-east of Hanoi) and then to Hanoi, it takes about 7 hours from Ha Long to Hanoi by train (via Kép Railway Station).

From which bus stations in Ha Long buses to Hanoi depart?

The buses from Halong Bay to Hanoi depart from various bus stations, e.g. from Bai Chay, Tuan Chau, Hon Gai… There are a lot of private bus companies you have to check Baolau or 12go.asia and you can see there updated bus schedule.

What is the best and fastest way of transport from Halong Bay to Hanoi?

Almost all the buses but also modern vans/minivans are very comfortable, a lot of them are luxury and bus tickets from Halong Bay to Hanoi are cheap. But it is good to know, some bus drivers drive very fast.

What is the most cheapest way of transport from Halong Bay to Hanoi?

The most cheapest way of getting to Hanoi from Ha Long is to travel by train, train tickets costs about $3.50, but it takes about 7 hours (via Kep Railway Station). Another cheap and fast way is to travel by bus, bus ticket to Hanoi start at $5.00/pp. If you can - it is better to travel by bus, you will save a lot of time.

Where to travel from Hanoi?

From Hanoi you can travel to various places in northern Vietnam. E.g. you can take a train to Ninh Binh, bus to Ha Giang or comfortable minivan or sleeper bus to the northwest of Vietnam - Mo Chau (in Son La province).