{"id":395,"date":"2026-01-13T02:27:37","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T17:27:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/?post_type=gallery&p=395"},"modified":"2026-08-02T07:26:34","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T22:26:34","slug":"haiphong","status":"publish","type":"area_post","link":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/area_post\/haiphong\/","title":{"rendered":"A Sightseeing Guide to Hai Phong"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hai Phong is the largest port city in the north, located east of Hanoi. Its appeal is a townscape from the French colonial era and a lively food culture, and it's known as the birthplace of the specialty banh da cua (crab noodle soup). It's also a gateway to Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Island. This page pulls together everything from the city's overall picture, how to get around, standard spots, model courses, food, souvenirs, and the latest topics, and guides you to individual articles on caf\u00e9s, news, and souvenirs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Location<\/th>Northern port city<\/td><\/tr>
Population<\/th>About 4.66 million (after merging with Hai Duong Province in 2025)<\/td><\/tr>
Best season<\/th>March\u2013April and October\u2013November (for swimming, May\u2013August)<\/td><\/tr>
Suggested days<\/th>1\u20132 days for the city, 2\u20133 days if you include Cat Ba Island<\/td><\/tr>
Language<\/th>Vietnamese (English also understood in tourist areas)<\/td><\/tr>
Currency<\/th>Vietnamese dong (VND)<\/td><\/tr>
Time difference from Japan<\/th>-2 hours<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What kind of city is Hai Phong<\/h2>\n\n

Hai Phong is the largest port city in northern Vietnam, located about 105 km east of Hanoi. It combines a city center dotted with French colonial-era architecture with coastal areas like Cat Ba Island and Lan Ha Bay. Since it hasn't been marketed as a tourist destination the way Hanoi or Ha Long Bay has, compared to themit sees fewer Japanese tourists and prices stay reasonable<\/strong>\u3002<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[Important] The City's Boundaries Changed in 2025 After Absorbing Hai Duong Province<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Under National Assembly Resolution 202\/2025\/QH15,Hai Phong City absorbed the entirety of Hai Duong Province<\/strong>The province was dissolved and the city remained. Vietnam's provinces and cities were reorganized nationwide from 63 down to 34, and Hai Phong is one of the six centrally governed cities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Current Area<\/th>3,194.72 km\u00b2 (about double, after the merger)<\/td><\/tr>
Current Population<\/th>4,664,124<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Economic Scale<\/th>3rd largest nationwide after the merger (behind Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi)<\/td><\/tr>
Lower Administrative Units<\/th>114 (67 communes (x\u00e3) + 45 wards (ph\u01b0\u1eddng) +2 special zones)<\/strong>\uff09<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What directly affects travelers isthe change in address notation<\/strong>.On July 1, 2025, \"districts\" (qu\u1eadn) were abolished<\/strong>and names like Ngo Quyen District, Le Chan District, and Hong Bang District disappeared. However, most online listings for restaurants and hotels still use the old names.When looking for a place, search by street name and address number rather than by district.<\/strong>In this article too, the old district names are included in parentheses for reference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cat Ba Island, too, is no longer \"Cat Hai District\"but is now \"Cat Hai Special Zone (\u0110\u1eb7c khu C\u00e1t H\u1ea3i)\"<\/strong>The other special zone is the remote offshore island of Bach Long Vi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The City Now Has Two World Heritage Sites Within Its Boundaries<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The merger came with an unexpected bonus. A site that used to belong to the former Hai Duong Province,Con Son\u2013Kiep Bac<\/strong>is now part of Hai Phong City. And this cluster of siteswas inscribed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site on July 12, 2025<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

World Heritage<\/th>Type<\/th>Inscription<\/th>Relation to Hai Phong<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Ha Long Bay\u2013Cat Ba Archipelago<\/strong><\/td>Natural Heritage<\/td>Expanded from Ha Long Bay in September 2023<\/td>Includes Cat Ba Island<\/td><\/tr>
Yen Tu\u2013Vinh Nghiem\u2013Con Son, Kiep Bac<\/strong><\/td>Cultural heritage<\/td>Newly inscribed in July 2025<\/td>Part of the component sites lie within the city (about 50 km west of the center)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The latter is a cluster of sites tied to the 13th\u201314th century Tran Dynasty and Truc Lam Zen Buddhism, spanning Quang Ninh Province, Bac Ninh Province, and Hai Phong City. It's Vietnam's 9th World Heritage Site, and it's barely covered in Japanese-language guides so far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting to Hai Phong and getting around<\/h2>\n\n

There Are No Direct Flights From Japan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

to Cat Bi Airport (HPH)there are no direct flights from Japan<\/strong>. No flights run from Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu, or Fukuoka.Your options are to connect through Hanoi (HAN) or Ho Chi Minh City (SGN),<\/strong>or to travel overland or by train from Hanoi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cat Bi Airport's international routes are limited to Seoul (Incheon) and Kunming, Lijiang, and Guangzhou in China, with the Seoul route running just 31 flights a month. Domestically, the Ho Chi Minh City route is well served at 449 flights a month, and there are also flights to Da Nang, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The airport is also being expanded:construction on a second passenger terminal (T2) began in August 2025<\/strong>. It's designed to handle 5 million passengers a year, with total investment of about 2.6898 trillion dong. The current terminal's designed capacity is 2 million passengers a year, which it has already exceeded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three Ways to Get There From Hanoi<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Means<\/th>Duration<\/th>Fare guide<\/th>Suited to<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
By car on the expressway (CT04)<\/strong><\/td>About 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours<\/td>Toll: 206,000 dong (for vehicles under 12 seats)<\/td>Good for a lot of luggage or splitting the cost among several people<\/td><\/tr>
Limousine Van<\/strong><\/td>1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours<\/td>220,000\u2013250,000 dong per seat<\/td>The most convenient option.<\/strong>Door-to-door service, departing every 15 to 30 minutes<\/td><\/tr>
Train<\/strong><\/td>2 hours 25 minutes to 3 hours<\/td>120,000\u2013198,000 dong<\/td>Takes longer, but makes for an enjoyable experience<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Hanoi\u2013Hai Phong Expressway (CT04) runs 105.5 km with 6 lanes (plus 2 emergency shoulder lanes). Tolls have been fully ETC-only since 2022, so if you're using a rental car or taxi, check that the vehicle is equipped for it. Limousine van operators on this route include Hai Au, Son Hai, and Hoang Phu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Train\u2014The \"Fire Phoenix\" Tourist Train on a French-Era Line<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Hanoi\u2013Hai Phong railway runs 102 km on an old conventional line laid during the French colonial period. It takes around 2.5 hours\u2014slower than the expressway\u2014but the cars were renewed in 2025, andyou can watch the countryside and towns of the north pass by the window,<\/strong>making it a strong option for anyone who wants to enjoy the journey itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Train<\/th>Departs Hanoi<\/th>Arrives Hai Phong<\/th>Notes<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
HP1<\/td>06:00<\/td>08:25<\/td>The fastest.<\/strong>Stops at Gia Lam, skips Long Bien<\/td><\/tr>
LP3<\/td>09:20<\/td>12:00<\/td>Stops at both Long Bien and Gia Lam<\/td><\/tr>
LP5<\/td>15:15<\/td>18:00<\/td>Stops at both<\/td><\/tr>
LP7<\/td>18:10<\/td>20:55<\/td>Stops at Long Bien on weekends<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On the Hanoi side, you can board atHanoi Station, Long Bien Station, or Gia Lam Station<\/strong>\u2014three options. If you're staying in the Old Quarter, Long Bien Station is the closest. Schedules change seasonally, so check the railway company's website before you ride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This route is expected to be aThe cars were renewed on May 10, 2025<\/strong>, as a tourist train commemorating the 70th anniversary of Hai Phong's liberation,called \"Hoa Phuong Do\" (Red Flame Tree, or \"Fire Phoenix\"),<\/strong>with 20 newly built cars.In the timetable above, HP1, LP3, LP5, and LP7 are this train<\/strong>; it's not an additional service, but the same existing runs replaced with the tourist train.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

VIP Car<\/th>34 seats. Indochine-style interior<\/td><\/tr>
First Class<\/th>56 seats. Seats that rotate 180 degrees<\/td><\/tr>
Standard Class<\/th>64 seats<\/td><\/tr>
Through Fare (Standard Class)<\/th>120,000\u2013198,000 dong<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
VIP Car<\/th>300,000\u2013385,000 dong<\/td><\/tr>
Discount<\/th>Weekday fares are dynamic, with discounts of up to 20\u201325%. There's also a group discount code that gets you 4 tickets for the price of 3.<\/td><\/tr>
Number of flights<\/th>4 round trips a day, 5\u20136 on weekends<\/td><\/tr>
Facilities<\/th>Semi-automatic doors, LED monitors, free Wi-Fi<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On the same day,Hai Phong Station itself was designated a \"tourist attraction\"<\/strong>. Built in 1902, it's a French colonial building in the same architectural style as the Grand Theatre and the museums. It's also a historic site: after returning from the Fontainebleau Conference in 1946, Ho Chi Minh departed from this very station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Cat Bi Airport to the City<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

From the airport to the city,it's about 8 km, 20\u201330 minutes<\/strong>away\u2014close by. A public bus runs 8,000\u201315,000 dong (5:30 a.m.\u20137:30 p.m., every 20\u201330 minutes), while a taxi typically costs 100,000\u2013150,000 dong. In practice, using Grab is the most reliable option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hai Phong's standard sightseeing spots<\/h2>\n\n

To Cat Ba Island\u2014There's No Bridge Yet<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Let's sort out the transportation first, since many Japanese-language articles get this wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the mainland, via the Tan Vu\u2013Lach Huyen Bridge (5.44 km of sea-crossing bridge, or 15.63 km including approach roads\u2014Vietnam's longest sea bridge),Cat Hai Island<\/strong>can be reached by car. However,beyond that point, there is no road bridge to Cat Ba Island<\/strong>. Between Cat Hai Island and Cat Ba Island, you rely on a ferry or the cable car. The planned \"Tan Vu\u2013Lach Huyen Bridge 2\" also only reaches Cat Hai Island, not Cat Ba Island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Means<\/th>Section<\/th>Duration<\/th>Fee<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Ferry<\/strong>(vehicles included)<\/td>Dong Bai \u21c4 Cai Vieng<\/td>30\u201335 minutes<\/td>Pedestrian 12,000 \/ motorbike 45,000 \/ car 190,000 dong<\/td><\/tr>
High-speed boat<\/strong>(passengers only)<\/td>Ben Binh Pier (city center) \u2192 Cat Ba Island<\/td>45\u201360 minutes<\/td>About 250,000 dong<\/td><\/tr>
Cable car<\/strong><\/td>Cat Hai \u2192 Phu Long<\/td>About 9 minutes<\/td>To be confirmed<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The ferry terminal changed on March 1, 2024.<\/strong>The former \"Got Pier (B\u1ebfn ph\u00e0 G\u00f3t)\" has been discontinued, replaced by Dong Bai Pier. Be careful, as some information online still uses the old name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2026, there are restrictions on car ferry crossings.<\/strong>On weekends from May 9 to September 30,car and truck ferry crossings toward the island are suspended from 9:00 to 13:00<\/strong>. If you plan to cross by car, go in the early morning or in the afternoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cable car (Sun World Cat Ba) opened in June 2020, andholds a Guinness World Record for its 214.8m tower height<\/strong>. However, of the planned 5 stations and 21km route,only the Cat Hai\u2013Phu Long section (3,955m) is currently in operation<\/strong>. From Phu Long Station, where you get off, it's about 20km to Cat Ba town, so you'll need onward transport. Riders who don't know this can get stranded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lan Ha Bay \u2014 Quieter Than Ha Long Bay<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This bay spreads south of Cat Ba Island, and when Ha Long Bay's World Heritage area was expanded in 2023,\"Ha Long Bay \u2013 Cat Ba Archipelago\"<\/strong>it was included under the same heritage listing. The scenery is a continuation of Ha Long Bay's limestone islands, butthere are fewer tour boats, so it's quieter<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bay entrance fee<\/th>Adults 120,000 dong \/ ages 7\u201316 60,000 dong<\/td><\/tr>
including Monkey Island<\/th>Adults 150,000 dong<\/td><\/tr>
Day cruise<\/th>600,000\u20131,200,000 dong per person<\/td><\/tr>
Overnight cruise<\/th>2,200,000\u20137,000,000 dong per person per night<\/td><\/tr>
Shared boat<\/th>Departs Ben Beo Pier at 07:00 \/ 09:00 \/ 13:30 \/ 15:30<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Cat Ba National Park<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This national park spreads across limestone mountains and primeval forest, and has been a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 2004.The Cat Ba langur (Vo\u1ecdc C\u00e1t B\u00e0)<\/strong>, a primate found only on this island, is also protected here. It's one of the rarest primates in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opening<\/th>7:00\u301c17:00<\/td><\/tr>
Admission<\/th>Adults 80,000 dong \/ children 1\u20131.4m tall 50,000 dong<\/td><\/tr>
Main routes<\/th>Kim Giao Forest to Ngu Lam Peak, Trung Trang Cave (a limestone cave over 300m long), and Ao Ech (a mountain wetland forest)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It's easiest to hike early in the morning before the sun gets strong. There are rough patches underfoot, so bring trekking shoes and water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do Son (\u0110\u1ed3 S\u01a1n) \u2014 A Beach 20km from the City<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

About 20km from the city, 20\u201330 minutes away. You can get there on bus route 3. It's also about 120km from Hanoi and has long been used as a weekend resort.The Three Zones Each Have a Different Character<\/strong>\u3002<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zone<\/th>Characteristics<\/th>Swimming<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Zone 1 (Khu 1)<\/td>Mostly rocky, quiet, with many restaurants<\/td>Not suitable<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Zone 2 (Khu 2)<\/td>The most popular; fine sand and a shallow, gently sloping shore<\/td>\u25ce Good for all ages<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Zone 3 (Khu 3)<\/td>Small, with fewer people<\/td>\u25cb Good for families<\/td><\/tr>
Doi Rong (\u0110\u1ed3i R\u1ed3ng)<\/td>A new resort complex with an artificial white-sand beach over 1km long<\/td>\u25ce The best beach quality<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Nearby sights are also clustered together.Hon Dau Island<\/strong>(A heart-shaped island, 10 minutes by boat from Do Son, with a 100-year-old lighthouse),Bao Dai's Villa<\/strong>(a French-style villa built in 1928),Thuong Long Tower<\/strong>(founded in 1058),K15 Pier<\/strong>(the starting point of the \"Ho Chi Minh Trail at sea,\" which carried weapons south), among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

French Architecture in the City<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Walking around Hai Phong's city center mainly means visiting buildings from the era when it opened as a port town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n