Cat Ba National Park hiking tour: jungle to Viet Hai Village

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Free cancellation

1/7

Duration9h–10h

GroupUp to 30

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Trek three peaks and a freshwater lake, then paddle into one of the world's most beautiful bays.

A full-day hiking, cycling and boating tour of Cat Ba National Park starting from Cat Ba town, where you trek through primary forest to Frog Pond and Viet Hai Village, cycle through the village, kayak Lan Ha Bay, and return by boat past Cai Beo Floating Village. The tour includes hotel pickup, park entrance, lunch with a local family, an English-speaking guide, and water; it runs 9 to 10 hours and requires moderate fitness.

9h–10h

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Cat Ba National Park and Lan Ha Bay

Pick up from hotel in Cat Ba town
Travel to Cat Ba National Park
Hike past Ang Vat, May Bau, Ang Phay peaks
Arrive at Frog Pond and rest
Hike to Viet Hai Village
Meet locals and have lunch in Viet Hai
Cycle around Viet Hai Village
Cycle to Viet Hai harbor
Boat to floating house on Lan Ha Bay
Kayak and explore Lan Ha Bay
Visit Cai Beo Floating Village
Return to Ben Beo harbor and hotel

The Experience

The day starts with pickup from your hotel in Cat Ba town around 8am, then a short drive to Cat Ba National Park. Once at the entrance, your guide takes you hiking into the jungle. The route passes three named peaks—Ang Vat, May Bau and Ang Phay—where you stop for 5 to 10 minutes at each to catch your breath and take pictures. The forest here is primary growth, thick enough that bird watching happens as you walk. After about 2.5 hours of hiking, you reach Frog Pond, the largest freshwater lake on the island, ringed by hundreds of small islands and golden sand beaches. The pond sits on the route between the national park center and Viet Hai Village, and it's where you take a 30-minute break before the final stretch downhill to the village.

Viet Hai Village sits inside the national park boundaries and has nearly 100 houses. You arrive around 1pm and eat lunch cooked by a local family in their home. After eating, you cycle 5km through the village—described as the most beautiful cycling road on the island—and can try fish massage in the cool stream if you want. The cycling is flat and easy after the morning's hiking. By 3pm you reach Viet Hai harbor, where a boat is waiting.

The boat takes you into Lan Ha Bay, one of the world's most recognized bays. You stop at a floating house to see how people live on the water, then get a kayak and paddle the bay yourself. On the return to Cat Ba town, the boat passes Cai Beo Floating Village, Vietnam's oldest floating settlement, where hundreds of houses sit on the water. You're back at Ben Beo harbor by 5pm and driven to your hotel by 5:30pm. The tour includes 1.5 liters of water per person, park entrance fees, lunch, your guide, bike or golf cart for the cycling section, and the boat ride back.

What’s included

Hotel pickup from Cat Ba town and return transport.
park entrance fee.
English-speaking guide for the full day.
lunch with a local family in Viet Hai Village.
bicycle or golf cart for the cycling section.
kayak for exploring Lan Ha Bay.
boat from Viet Hai harbor back to Cat Ba town.
1.5 liters of water per person.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditions

Operated by Beka Travel

Is this one for you?Choose this tour if you want to move through the landscape—hiking, cycling and paddling—rather than watching from a vehicle or boat. The moderate fitness requirement and the full-day commitment mean you see the park's interior and the bay's depth, not just the edges. If you prefer a single activity or a shorter outing, look for a half-day option instead.