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Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago

Viet Nam

Background

World Heritage since
1994
Type of site
Natural
Limestone towers
1,133 islands

Covering 65,650 hectares and including 1,133 islands and islets in Quang Ninh province and Hai Phong city, Ha Long Bay and the Cat Ba Archipelago is a spectacular seascape sculpted by nature. UNESCO calls it the most extensive and best-known example of marine-invaded tower karst, one of the world's most important areas of fengcong clusters of conical peaks and fenglin isolated towers.

Ha Long means descending dragon, a name that first appeared on a French chart in the late 19th century; Wikivoyage recounts the 1898 report of a huge sea serpent seen from the ship Avalanse. The core of the bay covers 334 square kilometres, and the listing was extended in 2023 to take in Cat Ba island and Lan Ha Bay to the south-west.

More on the UNESCO listing More on Wikipedia

  1. Late 19th c.The name Ha Long Bay appears on a French maritime chart
  2. 1898A French officer reports a sea serpent in the bay
  3. 1994Inscribed as World Heritage
  4. 2023Extended to the Cat Ba Archipelago

Find Your Way Around

The main parts of the site, in the order most visitors see them

  1. 1
    Bay Cruise
    Limestone karsts from the water, from Tuan Chau; the GoGo guide spends five hours afloat.
  2. 2
    Sung Sot Cave
    The great cave, with Ti Top Island's viewpoint nearby.
  3. 3
    Kayaking
    Paddle under arches into hidden lagoons.
  4. 4
    Lan Ha Bay and Cat Ba
    The quieter bay and the island added to the listing.
  5. 5
    Bai Tu Long Bay
    Karsts with few boats, to the north-east.
  6. 6
    Queen Cable Car
    Over the bay from Bai Chay to the ferris wheel.

Know Before You Go

From Wikivoyage and the GoGo guides

Four Hours from Hanoi
Wikivoyage: minibuses from Gia Lam station take about four hours; private cars and Van Don airport are the alternatives.
Swim at the Islands
Depending on the wind, the mainland beach water can be anything from a garbage dump to crystal clear; wait until you reach the islands.
Overnight on the Water
Cruises run from a few hours to two nights; a night aboard reaches the quieter corners.
Squid Cakes
Chả mực, Ha Long's squid cakes, at dinner in Hon Gai.

Karsts, Cave and Kayak

From the GoGo Ha Long guide · Open the Ha Long Guide ›

  1. 08:30
    Ha Long Bay Cruise5 hrs
    Limestone karsts from the water.
  2. 13:30
    Sung Sot Cave90 min
    The great cave.
  3. 15:30
    Ti Top Island Viewpoint75 min
    The island climb.
  4. 19:00
    Chả Mực Squid Cakes90 min
    Seafood dinner in Hon Gai.

Best Time to Visit

Best months: Nov–Apr. Rainy season May–Sep.

Typical highs

Best monthsRain: wettest Aug (338 mm), driest Feb (25 mm)

Climate: NASA POWER

Pair It With

Other World Heritage sites nearby, by distance

WORTH A NIGHTDAY TRIPSAME DAYDistance not to scale · tap a site
Do These Together
The Yen Tu pilgrimage mountain is 41 km away; Hanoi's imperial citadel and Trang An are each about 140 km.
Sources
UNESCO World Heritage Centre, listing 672 · Wikipedia: Hạ Long Bay · Wikivoyage: Ha Long Bay (CC BY-SA 4.0) · GoGo Ha Long guide · UNESCO listing