Graded cycling, kayaking and cave trips in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia
Tours · Northern Vietnam
Lan Ha Bay kayak and Cat Ba cycling, 4 days
Two days on the water among limestone islands, two days riding Cat Ba's hilly interior, and a walk in its national park forest. Grade 2: the hardest day is about 40 km with around 400 m of climbing.
The trip in numbers
- Length
- 4 days, 3 nights
- Party
- Private, 2 – 12
- Starts
- Hanoi
- Ends
- Hanoi
- Grade
- 2 of 4
- Price
- On request
Who this trip suits
This is a short trip for people who want to paddle more than they want to ride. Lan Ha Bay is the southern side of the limestone sea that runs from Ha Long Bay to the Cat Ba archipelago, and UNESCO extended the World Heritage property to include Cat Ba in 2023. The water between the islands is sheltered enough for paddlers who have never sat in a sea kayak, as long as they can swim and can sit and paddle for 75 to 90 minutes between rests.
The riding is the harder half. Cat Ba's roads climb and drop across a hilly island, so a 40 km day feels longer than the number suggests. If you ride regularly at home, this is comfortable Grade 2. If you have not been on a bike for years, ride the first day in full, then decide how much of the third day to ride; the van is behind you either way.
Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre — Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago · checked .
Day by day
Day 1
Hanoi to Cat Ba, ride to the national park gate
Pick-up in Hanoi between 07:00 and 07:30. The road and speedboat journey to Cat Ba takes about 3 to 3.5 hours including the short crossing. After lunch we fit the bikes in the hotel yard: saddle height, brake reach, pedals if you brought your own.
The afternoon ride is a test as much as a ride: about 18 km out to the national park gate and back on a road with one real hill. Your guide watches how the group climbs and uses that to set the pace for day 3.
Day 2
Lan Ha Bay by kayak
Entering a lagoon through a tidal arch at low water
A day boat leaves Cat Ba's harbour after breakfast for the lagoons and channels of Lan Ha Bay. We paddle in two sessions of about 75 to 90 minutes each, morning and mid-afternoon, with lunch and a swim stop on the boat between them.
Routes depend on the tide. Several lagoons are entered through low arches that can only be paddled at the right water level, so your guide sets the order of the day on the morning, not in advance. Expect to pass floating fish farms and to share some channels with other kayakers at the busiest hour; we time the second session for later in the afternoon when the day boats head back.
Day 3
Across Cat Ba by bike, with a forest walk
The hardest day. We ride the island's interior road west and north, roughly 40 km with around 400 m of climbing in short, steep pieces. Start time is 07:00 from April to October to stay ahead of the heat.
At the national park we park the bikes for a guided walk of about 3 km on a forest path with rocky steps. This is a walk, not a trek: about 1.5 hours with stops. Cat Ba is home to the Cat Ba langur, an endangered primate found only here; seeing one is unlikely and we do not promise it. The van carries everyone back to town in the late afternoon.
Day 4
Morning paddle or walk, return to Hanoi
An optional early paddle of about 90 minutes from the harbour side, or a short walk above Cat Ba town for those whose shoulders have had enough. This morning is also the weather reserve: if day 2 was cancelled by a storm ban, the kayak session moves here if boats are allowed out.
We leave Cat Ba around midday and reach Hanoi in the late afternoon. Evening flights out of Hanoi are not recommended on this day; a delay at the crossing would put you under pressure.
Sources: Cat Ba bus-and-boat operator — how to get to Cat Ba · checked .
Grade check
| Day | Cycling | Climbing | Paddling | On foot | Hours active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | about 18 km | about 150 m | — | — | 1.5 – 2 |
| 2 | — | — | about 3 h | — | 3 – 3.5 |
| 3 | about 40 km | about 400 m | — | about 3 km | about 5 |
| 4 | — | — | about 1.5 h (optional) | or a short walk | 1.5 |
Graded 2 on day 3. All distances are estimates for a group riding at a steady pace and can grow by a few kilometres if a road is closed. The difficulty grades page explains the bands.
Price
| Party | Comfortable hotels | Characterful hotels |
|---|---|---|
| Private, 2 travellers | On request | On request |
| Private, 3 – 4 travellers | On request | On request |
| Private, 5 – 8 travellers | On request | On request |
| Private, 9 – 12 travellers | On request | On request |
| Solo traveller | On request | On request |
What changes the price most is party size, because the boat, the van and the guide cost the same for two people as for six. Hotel level is the second lever. See the pricing page for the full list, and the how-to-book page for the steps after your enquiry.
Included and not included
What the price includes
- Private transfers Hanoi – Cat Ba – Hanoi, including the speedboat crossing
- Three nights in Cat Ba town at the hotel level you choose
- Private day boat and sea kayaks with buoyancy aids on day 2
- Bikes and helmets, with a support van on both riding days
- English-speaking guide who rides and paddles with you
- National park entrance and the guided forest walk
- Meals as listed
What it does not include
- International flights and Vietnamese visa
- Travel insurance that names kayaking and cycling
- Drinks and meals not listed
- Tips for guide, driver and boat crew
- Hanoi hotel nights before and after the trip
Gallery
Who this trip is not for
- Non-swimmers: you wear a buoyancy aid, but a capsize in deep water is part of sea kayaking.
- Anyone travelling from June to September who cannot accept losing the kayak day to a storm ban; boats do not sail when the harbour stops them.
- Riders looking for long flat kilometres: Cat Ba's roads are short and hilly.
- Travellers who want a night on a cruise boat: this trip sleeps in town, which keeps the paddling flexible but is not a cruise.
- Children under about ten in single kayaks; a double kayak with an adult works, the forest walk steps may not.
When to go
Hai Phong, the weather station closest to Cat Ba, records over 200 mm of rain a month from May to September, peaking at 361 mm in August. Those are also storm months on Vietnam's eastern coast. October and November are drier and still warm enough to swim. January to March is mild, around 20 to 23 °C at the warmest part of the day, but often grey and drizzly, with 19 rain days in March: fine for riding, cooler on the water. The full chart is on the when-to-go page.
Sources: WMO World Weather Information Service — Hai Phong; UK FCDO — Vietnam travel advice, safety and security · checked .
Common questions
Questions travellers ask most
I have never kayaked. Is that a problem?
No. Most paddlers on this trip are beginners. You get a briefing on dry land and a practice in calm water before the first channel. Double kayaks are the default for beginners; singles are available if you prefer.
What happens if the boats cannot sail?
The harbour authority decides, not us. If day 2 is cancelled we swap it with the riding day; if the ban lasts, the kayak moves to the morning of day 4. If no boat sails at all during your stay, we ride and walk instead and show you the unused boat cost on the final bill.
Can I ride an e-bike?
Ask when you enquire. Availability varies by date, and Cat Ba's hills are where an e-bike helps most.
Can this be added to a longer trip?
Yes. It forms the first part of the 14-day Vietnam and Cambodia multi-sport tour, and it can be followed by Phong Nha by train or flight from Hanoi.
Related
Read next
Destinations · Northern Vietnam
Lan Ha Bay & Cat Ba
Sea kayaking among limestone islands and short hilly rides on Cat Ba.
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Tours · Prices
Prices
The cost lines behind a quote, and what makes one quote cheaper than another.
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Tours · Booking
How to book
The steps from the enquiry form to the first ride, and what we need from you.
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Plan · Grades
Difficulty grades
The four-step grade scale behind every tour, with a self-check you can do at home.
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Example journey
Vietnam & Cambodia Multi-Sport, 14 days
Fourteen days from Hanoi to Siem Reap: kayak, caves, delta cycling and Angkor, Grade 2.
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Plan · Seasons
When to go
A 12-month riding and paddling chart for each region, built from WMO climate data.
View this journey
Start planning
Tell us about the trip you have in mind
Dates, party size and the grade you are comfortable with are enough to start. You get a draft route with daily distances and a quote for that route, not a brochure.