A Brief Guide to Closest Airports to Halong Bay

Planning a trip to Halong Bay, it’s best to know clearly which is the closest airport. There are 3 airports close to Halong Bay that you can fly into from various destinations in Vietnam. It’s even possible to fly into Tuan Chau Halong Bay directly by a seaplane from Noi Bai airport in Hanoi!

Which are the Airports Near Halong Bay ?

Van Don, Noi Bai and Cat Bi are the 3 closest domestic and international airports to Halong Bay as you can find in the below map.

Distance and travel time

1. Cat Bi International Airport (airport code: HPH)

This is the closest airport servicing the 3rd largest city of Vietnam: Hai Phong. The distance between Hai Phong and Halong Bay is around 45 km only (~50 min – 1 hour drive). 

Location: Cat Bi, Hai An, Hai Phong
Airport code: HPH
Pros: There are many direct international flights from Seoul, Tokyo, Bangkok to Hai Phong. Cat Bi airport location is convenient for those who plan to visit Halong Bay, Cat Bat Island and Lan Ha Bay (27 km or 30 min. drive)
Cons: Not many international flight options in comparison with Noi Bai airport in Hanoi.
Official website: Catbiairport.vn

2. Van Don International Airport (airport code VDO) 

Van Don International Airport (Quang Ninh Province) is the newly constructed airport built to serve the area surrounding Halong Bay. It’s around 53 km from Halong city. It can be accessed by the brand new expressway connecting Van Don and Halong City. The travel time from the airport to Halong city is about 40 minutes. If you travel to Halong bay from Ho Chi Minh city, you might consider flying to Cat Bi airport or Van Don Airport as it takes less time to travel to Halong City where you board the cruise boat.

Location: Doan Ket, Van Don, Quang Ninh
Airport code: VDO 
Pros: Closest airport to Halong bay, less travel time. (53 km or 40 minute drive)
Cons: Not many international flight options as it is newly built.
Official website: http://vdia.com.vn/

3. Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi (airport code: HAN)

Noi Bai international airport is one of the main airports in Vietnam servicing the capital of Vietnam: Hanoi. It is about 200 km from Halong City.

Location: Phu Minh, Soc Sơn, Ha Noi 
Airport code: HAN 
Pros: Plenty of domestic and international flight options.
Cons: Transfer time is longer than flying into Cat Bi Airport and Van Don airport (193km, 2-2.5 hours of transfer time)
Official website: http://noibaiairport.vn/HOME/Default.aspx

If you wish to try something different, hop on Hai Au seaplane for one hour journey from Noi Bai airport in Hanoi to Tuan Chau Marina. The flight time is 45 minutes plus 15-minute sightseeing over the 3 bays including Halong Bay, Bai Tu Long Bay, and Lan Ha Bay to enjoy spectacular bird-eye view and capture great photos of this UNESCO World Natural Wonder. By the way, we recommend booking an overnight cruise where you will lazily sail emerald green waters among thousand of rugged islands and islets. It’s a once of a lifetime experience in Vietnam.