Hanoi to Cat Ba With a Motorbike: Dong Bai Ferry Facts and What to Ask First

Cat Ba lies roughly 140 to 150 km from Hanoi, and the last leg is a ferry crossing from the Cat Hai side to the island. This guide gathers what published sources say about the distance, the Dong Bai pier, the crossing, fares, busy periods and the island road. One question stays open on purpose: none of the sources reviewed says whether a rented motorbike may be taken on the ferry or to the island, so that answer has to come from the rental shop and the ferry operator before anyone travels.

Distance and route

Cat Ba National Park describes the archipelago as 150 km south-east of Hanoi, bordering Ha Long Bay to the north (page stamped 27 August 2025). A VnExpress travel guide, published on 7 May 2022 and updated on 16 April 2026, puts the island about 140 km away. Treat the journey as 140 to 150 km. The same guide names the popular visitor route as the Hanoi–Hai Phong expressway, then the Tan Vu sea bridge into Cat Hai district, from where the ferry is one of several ways across. The guide gives this as the general visitor route and does not say it is open to motorbikes.

The sources do not say which roads on that mainland leg a motorbike may use. The expressway and the bridge are described as the visitor route without any note about two-wheelers, so this page gives no riding time and no directions for the Hanoi to Cat Hai section.

Getting to the Dong Bai pier

Since 1 March 2024 the ferry to Cat Ba has left from the Dong Bai terminal in Cat Hai, which replaced the old Got terminal and connects to Cai Vieng on the island.

A VnExpress report of 1 March 2024 on the new terminal describes the approach from Hai Phong city: cross the Tan Vu bridge, continue to the crossroads opposite the VinFast car factory and follow the signs for the Dong Bai ferry. The turning is shared with the road to the Cat Hai–Phu Long cable car station, and the ticket booth is about 2.2 km from what the report calls the Tan Vu–Lach Huyen car road (đường ôtô). The report does not say whether motorbikes may use that road or the Tan Vu bridge, so do not assume they can; confirm the allowed route before setting out. It starts in Hai Phong city, so it does not cover the Hanoi end of the trip.

The crossing itself

The Dong Bai–Cai Vieng route is 1.86 km long. On the opening day, 1 March 2024, the terminal head told Giao Thong newspaper that each trip takes about 25 to 33 minutes. A VOV report of 2 March 2024, the day after the opening, lists an access road, a waiting hall, a car park and an area reserved for motorbikes and pedestrians. VnExpress adds that pedestrians, motorbikes and handcarts use their own lane next to the waiting hall. Boarding rules, helmet rules and the ticket-booth procedure are not covered by any source reviewed, and none gives motorbike parking arrangements or charges at Dong Bai. Cat Ba Express, a commercial operator with an undated 2026 page, says the ferry often queues for 2 to 3 hours on holidays and peak-season weekends, so allow for delays.

Hours and fares: what the sources say

Published hours and fares differ a little between sources, and none replaces the notice at the ticket office.

The VnExpress fares may predate its April 2026 update. At the 2024 switch the operator said fares were unchanged from the old terminal. Read 45,000 VND as indicative, and check both the price and the last departure at the ticket office on the day. The sources list fares for pedestrians and for a person riding a motorbike; they do not say how a passenger on the back is charged.

Busy days and seasons

VnExpress reports that before the move the old terminal handled about 3,700 passengers and 750 vehicles a day, and that weekends and holidays ran 1.5 to 2 times higher. The travel guide calls April to October the cool, beach-friendly months, with May to July the peak season on the island.

Arrangements at the pier also change with the calendar. Nhan Dan reported on 25 April 2026 that a Hai Phong Department of Construction notice paused the loading of cars and trucks onto outbound Dong Bai ferries between 09:00 and 13:00 on 25 April to 3 May and on weekends from 9 May to 30 September 2026. The notice names cars and trucks only and says nothing about motorbikes. Its stated end date has passed, so it is not a current rule, but it is a reason to look for any newer notice before setting out.

Riding on the island

Cat Ba is the largest island in the archipelago, about 25 km long and 10 km wide, so distances matter. After the ferry, VnExpress puts the centre of Cat Ba about 20 km further on, along a road it calls scenic, running beside the coast and through the national park forest. The park’s entrance-fee page, stamped 23 April 2026, gives opening hours of 07:00 to 17:00 and says fees were adjusted. The 2026 price table was not available in the material reviewed, so no ticket price is given here.

The sources say nothing about road surface, fuel, parking in Cat Ba town, weather closures or whether rented motorbikes are accepted on the island. For July and August the VnExpress guide advises checking the forecast three to five days beforehand to avoid rain and storms.

What to confirm before travelling

• Ferry and island access for a rented bike. Ask the rental shop and the ferry operator whether the bike may be taken on the ferry and to the island. The sources do not say.
• Roads to Cat Hai. Ask the shop and the local authority which roads to Cat Hai are open to motorbikes.
• Fare and last departure. Check the current price per motorbike and the last sailing at the Dong Bai ticket office, and look for any recent notice.
• Choice of bike. A trip of 140 to 150 km each way is a good moment to read Motorbike Rental Hanoi: How to Choose the Right Bike before deciding what to rent.
• A passenger on the back. If two people plan to share one bike, Two People on One Hanoi Rental Bike: Load Limits and Pre-Ride Decisions covers load limits and the decisions to make before riding.

Sources checked

• Cat Ba National Park Management Board, ecotourism overview (stamped 27 August 2025): distance from Hanoi and island size. catbanationalpark.com/overview-of-ecotourism
• Cat Ba National Park Management Board, entrance fees page (stamped 23 April 2026): opening hours. catbanationalpark.com/entrance-fees
• VOV (Voice of Vietnam), 2 March 2024, quoting the ferry operator: the Dong Bai terminal, its facilities and unchanged fares. vov.vn report
• Giao Thong newspaper, 1 March 2024, quoting the terminal head: route length and trip time. baogiaothong.vn report
• VnExpress, report of 1 March 2024 (route length attributed to the Hai Phong Department of Transport): the approach, the motorbike lane and past passenger numbers. vnexpress.net terminal report
• VnExpress travel guide to Cat Ba (published 7 May 2022, updated 16 April 2026): route, hours, fares, seasons and the island road. vnexpress.net travel guide
• Nhan Dan newspaper, 25 April 2026, reporting a Hai Phong Department of Construction notice: the car and truck loading pause. nhandan.vn report
• Cat Ba Express, a commercial tour operator (2026 tariffs, no date shown): used only to cross-check seasonal hours and the motorbike fare. catbaexpress.com tariff page

Thuê xe máy Nguyễn Hà is open 09:00–21:00 daily at Ngõ 5 Nguyễn Văn Cừ, Bồ Đề, Long Biên, Hà Nội (near Gia Lâm bus station). Phone: 0334 699 969.