These are the best places to travel this summer

Cat Ba Island

Shop

Get even more with a Lonely Planet guide.

Shop Book
View from Sung Sot Caves at Halong Bay. Classic rainy day as we got there almost every day, but still so beautiful.

LONELY PLANET’S RECOMMENDED eSIM

Stay connected in Cat Ba Island

with

Saily is an affordable eSIM service that helps you stay connected and secure, anywhere in the world.

Get your eSIM

Overview

Rugged, craggy and jungle-clad Cat Ba, the largest island in Halong Bay, has experienced a tourism surge in recent years. The central hub of Cat Ba Town is now framed by a chain of low-rise concrete hotels along its once-lovely bay, but the rest of the island is largely untouched and as wild as ever. With idyllic Lan Ha Bay just offshore, you'll soon overlook Cat Ba Town's overdevelopment.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Save
    Unoccupied beach at the Lan Ha Bay in Vietnam

    Lan Ha Bay

    Cat Ba Island

    Lying to the south of Halong Bay off the north-eastern coast of Vietnam, the 300-or-so karst islands and limestone outcrops of Lan Ha are just as…

  • Save
    Cannon Fort, Cat Ba Island.

    Cannon Fort

    Cat Ba Island

    For one of the best views in Vietnam, head to Cannon Fort, where there are astounding panoramas of Cat Ba Island's jungle-clad hills, the harbour and the…

  • Save
    Cat Ba National Park.

    Cat Ba National Park

    Cat Ba Island

    Cat Ba's beautiful national park is home to 32 species of mammal, including most of the world's 65 remaining golden-headed langurs, the world's most…

  • Save
    The hospital cave of Cat Ba Island in Vietnam

    Hospital Cave

    Cat Ba Island

    Hospital Cave served both as a secret bomb-proof hospital during the American War and as a safe house for Viet Cong (VC) leaders. Built between 1963 and…

  • Save
    Cat Co Cove

    Cat Co Cove

    Cat Ba Island

    A 10-minute walk southeast from Cat Ba Town, the three Cat Co Cove beaches boast the nearest sand to town, though all are being developed with hotel…

  • Save
    Cat Co 3

    Cat Co 3

    Cat Ba Island

    Cat Co 3 is the closest beach to Cat Ba Town but its blink-and-you-miss-it sliver of sand isn't really worth stopping for. Head here just to take the…

  • Save
    Trung Trang Cave

    Trung Trang Cave

    Cat Ba Island

    Within Cat Ba National Park but accessed from a separate roadside entrance 2km north of Hospital Cave, the multi-chambered Trung Trang Cave is fun to…

  • Save
    Cat Co 1

    Cat Co 1

    Cat Ba Island

    Cat Co 1 has a decent stretch of beach but is dominated by a rather ugly resort. Don't expect much peace and quiet here during the summer months as it's…

Get a book. Get inspired. Get exploring.

in partnership with getyourguide

Book popular activities in Cat Ba Island