Cat Ba Travel Guides
Cat Ba Cable Car: Cat Hai to Phu Long Schedule, Tickets and Tips
The Cat Hai to Phu Long cable car: where the stations are, the 2026 schedule, ticket prices and how to get from Phu Long to Cat Ba Town.
The Cat Hai to Phu Long cable car is the quickest and most scenic way onto Cat Ba Island. For about 10 minutes you glide over a busy estuary, rows of fish farms and small green islets, with Cat Ba's limestone hills growing larger ahead. Here's where the stations are, when the Cat Ba cable car runs, what a ticket costs and how to get from the cable car to Cat Ba Town and the Cat Co beaches.
Updated October 2026.
See also: How to Get from Hanoi to Cat Ba (Bus, Ferry, Cable Car, Private Car)
1. Where is the Cat Ba cable car?
The line runs from Cat Hai Station in the Dong Bai area of Cat Hai Island to Phu Long Station at the northern tip of Cat Ba, right beside Cai Vieng ferry pier. Both islands belong to the Cat Hai Special Zone of Hai Phong, and the cable car follows the same crossing as the Dong Bai – Cai Vieng car ferry.
You reach Cat Hai Station over the long Tan Vu – Lach Huyen sea bridge from Hai Phong. The stations are easy to spot: the Cat Hai building is styled after an old shipyard, while Phu Long Station takes its shapes from the sea.
2. What makes the Cat Hai – Phu Long cable car special?
It's a three-rope cable car, 3,955 meters long, opened in 2020. Its tallest tower, T3, stands 214.8 meters high and is recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's tallest cable car pylon.
Sixty cabins run on the line, each carrying up to 30 people, for a capacity of around 4,500 passengers an hour. The three-rope system keeps the ride smooth, with very little sway even at height. The crossing itself takes about 10 minutes.
3. Cat Ba cable car schedule
The cable car doesn't run all day. It operates in two windows: a morning window from around 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. and an afternoon window from around 1:00 or 1:30 p.m. until 4:00 or 5:00 p.m. In 2026, travelers reported both hourly departures (9:00, 10:00 and 11:00 a.m., then 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m.) and more frequent runs in high season. The line used to close on Tuesdays.
Check the schedule the day before through Sun World's official channels or your hotel. Opening hours can change with the season and time of year, at the discretion of the operator. The cable car also stops in strong winds and storms.
4. How much is a Cat Ba cable car ticket?
According to published prices, an adult one-way ticket has cost around VND 70,000 since September 7, 2026. Prices have changed several times: earlier years saw fares up to VND 150,000, and promotions sometimes bring them lower. Children under 1 meter ride free.
Tickets are sold at both station counters and on Sun World's official website, and they're valid on the day of purchase only. The operator also sells a combined cable car and shuttle ticket into the island's center, which is handy if you're traveling without a car.
5. How to get to Cat Hai Station
5.1. From Hanoi
Allow about three hours from Hanoi to Cat Hai Station: the expressway to Hai Phong, then the Tan Vu – Lach Huyen bridge. To make the morning window, leave Hanoi before 7:00 a.m.
A private car with driver, a limousine van or your own car all work, and you can leave a car in the parking lot by the station. If you need to take a car or motorbike onto the island, you'll need the ferry, because the cable car carries passengers only.
5.2. From Hai Phong and Cat Bi Airport
From central Hai Phong or Cat Bi International Airport, a taxi to the station costs around VND 250,000–350,000. City bus 16C costs around VND 13,000–15,000 but takes much longer.
6. From Phu Long Station to Cat Ba Town
Cat Ba Town and the Cat Co beaches are about 20 kilometers from Phu Long Station, along a road that hugs the coast before climbing through forested hills. You have three options:
- Sun World shuttle: Easiest if you buy it together with your cable car ticket.
- Local bus 14: The stop is about 1 kilometer from the station, and the fare is around VND 13,000.
- Taxi: Around VND 300,000 to town. Agree on the fare before you set off.
If you've already booked a hotel, ask about a transfer from the station in advance.
7. Cable car or ferry: which should you take?
If you're traveling without a vehicle, take the cable car: it's fast, smooth and scenic. The Dong Bai – Cai Vieng ferry is for anyone driving a car or motorbike, and for everyone who reaches the strait outside cable car hours.
Ferries run from around 5:00–5:30 a.m. until 6:00–7:30 p.m., depending on the season. Many travelers take the cable car to the island for the views, then pick whichever option fits their timing on the way back.
8. What you'll see and where to take photos
As the cabin leaves Cat Hai, the estuary opens up beneath you: cargo ships, neat grids of fish farms and chains of tiny islands. The most dramatic stretch is around tower T3, where the cabin reaches its highest point. Closer to Phu Long, Cat Ba's forested limestone hills fill the windows.
- Grab a window spot as soon as you board, especially on weekends.
- For crisp photos, ride in the morning window on a clear day. For softer light, take the last afternoon run.
- Turn off your flash and hold the lens against the glass to avoid reflections.
9. Good to know
- Weather: During storm season, roughly June to October, the cable car may stop because of high winds.
- Lines: In summer and on public holidays, arrive at the start of a window.
- Luggage: The official allowance is one small piece of hand luggage per person. Pack large suitcases compactly and check the rules before you go.
- Kids: Hold children's hands when boarding and getting off.
- Cash: Carry small notes for the bus and taxis.
10. FAQs about the Cat Ba cable car
How long is the Cat Ba cable car ride?
About 10 minutes, not counting time spent waiting at the station.
Can you take a motorbike or car on the cable car?
No, the cabins carry passengers only. For a car or motorbike, use the Dong Bai – Cai Vieng ferry.
How much is a child's ticket?
Children under 1 meter ride free. For taller children, check the fare at the counter, since it depends on height and current promotions.
Does the Cat Ba cable car run in the evening?
No. The last runs leave in the afternoon, and after that the ferry is the only way across.
The Cat Ba cable car turns the trip to the island into an experience of its own: ten minutes over the sea and you've arrived. Check the schedule the day before and plan your transfer from Phu Long, and the journey becomes part of the holiday.
When you arrive, Flamingo Cat Ba Sea & Sand Resort sits right on its own Cat Co 1 and Cat Co 2 beaches. Stroll the Cau May Sky Walk, which links the resort's three towers on the 11th and 12th floors and is free for in-house guests, then head up to Lan Ha Sky Bar on the 17th floor of the Sun tower to watch the sun go down over Lan Ha Bay.
Plan your stay at Flamingo Cat Ba Sea & Sand Resort:
- Rooms and residences with Lan Ha Bay views
- Restaurants and sky bars
- Ruriko Onsen and SEVA Spa
- Free extras when you book direct
Photo: Christophe95, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
