Must-see attractions in Halong Bay

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • Hang Trong Cave also known as Drum Cave – The most beautiful cave in Ha Long Bay.

    Hang Trong

    Halong Bay

    Hang Trong has wide-arched entrances on either side and a ceiling clustered with stalactites. It's so named because when the wind blows through its…

  • 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…

  • Sunworld

    Halong City

    Vietnamese and cruise-ship tourists flock to this cable car that spans the Cua Luc inlet, offering dramatic views over Halong Bay. The views are…

  • Hang Dau Go

    Halong Bay

    This huge cave consists of three chambers reached via 90 steps. Inside, ceilings soar up to 25m high, while some rather disco-festive lighting illuminates…

  • Hang Sung Sot

    Halong Bay

    The popular Hang Sung Sot has three vast chambers – in the second there’s a pink-lit rock phallus unsurprisingly regarded as a fertility symbol. Even less…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • Hang Thien Cung

    Halong Bay

    Part of the same cave system as nearby Hang Dau Go, Hang Thien Cung has ‘cauliflower’ limestone growths as well as stalactites and stalagmites.

  • Beach No 1

    Halong City

    This wide and sandy beach offers good sunset strolls and views of the cruise ships and lighthouse. It's accessible behind the massive Sunworld complex.

  • Cat Ba Market

    Cat Ba Island

    The market at the northern end of Cat Ba Town's harbour is a scruffy local affair with twitching crabs, jumbo shrimp and pyramids of fresh fruit.

  • Ho Chi Minh Monument

    Cat Ba Island

    This monument stands up on imaginatively named Mountain No 1, the hillock opposite the pier in Cat Ba Town.

  • Cat Co 2

    Cat Ba Island

    By far the nicest beach in Cat Co Cove is Cat Co 2 with a pretty swathe of white sand.