Cat Ba National Park Full-Day Hike with Kayaking and Swimming

Trekking through Cat Ba National Park

Cat Ba National Park, created in 1986, was the first national park in Vietnam to protect both forest and marine ecosystems: tropical forest on limestone, mangroves, caves, coral and tidal flats. In 2004 the island and its waters became a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The park is also the only place on earth where the golden-headed Cat Ba langur survives.

The trek starts at the park gate around 08:20 and climbs over a series of forested ridges for about two and a half to three hours. The path is narrow, rocky and steep in places, with roots and loose stones, so this is a real hike rather than a stroll. Along the way you may spot squirrels, birds and butterflies, and very lucky hikers glimpse monkeys. Cat Ba National Park opening hours run through the day, and your guide times the start to avoid the midday heat.

Frog Pond (Ao Ech)

After about 6 km you reach Frog Pond, known locally as Ao Ech, the largest freshwater lake in the middle of the national park. Trees grow straight up from the water, their trunks standing in the shallows, and the pond is home to fish, crabs and, as the name suggests, frogs. It is a cool, shady and peaceful place surrounded by forest.

You rest here for about half an hour, refill on water and have a snack before the last section of the trek. Is Cat Ba National Park worth visiting on a full-day hike rather than a short walk? If you are fit, yes: the deep forest around Frog Pond is a part of the island few visitors ever see, far from roads and tour boats.

Viet Hai Village

From Frog Pond the trail climbs one last ridge and descends about 4 km into the valley of Viet Hai, a small farming village ringed by green peaks inside the national park. Until recently it could be reached only on foot or by boat, and it still keeps its slow rhythm of rice fields, fruit gardens and old houses.

Lunch is around 13:00: order from the village restaurant menu or bring your own food; the meal is not included and is not halal-certified, though vegetarian and seafood dishes are easy to find. A fish foot spa is included to soothe tired feet. After some free time to explore, you ride a bicycle or take the electric shuttle along the flat 5 km lane to Viet Hai harbour.

Kayaking and swimming in Lan Ha Bay

At Viet Hai harbour you board a boat into Lan Ha Bay, the quieter side of the Ha Long Bay karst that has been part of the same UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2023. The boat stops at a floating house where you take a kayak out among the limestone towers, paddling into sheltered coves at your own pace.

Next comes a stop at one of the bay's natural beaches for a swim in clear water, the perfect reward after the morning's trek. Best time to visit Cat Ba National Park and Lan Ha Bay for this combination is March to May and September to November, when the trail is drier and the sea still warm; in summer it is hot and humid, so start well hydrated.

Cai Beo floating village and the way back

Around 16:30 the boat heads back towards Cai Beo, passing the floating fishing village where families live on rafts and farm fish between their houses. Archaeological finds show people have lived around Cai Beo for thousands of years, and the colourful houses look their best in the late-afternoon light.

The boat lands at Cai Beo wharf around 17:00, where a car takes you back to your hotel in Cat Ba Town. If you need to leave the island in the afternoon, an earlier return around 15:30 can be arranged if you tell us when booking. How to get to Cat Ba Island for this trip: about three hours from Hanoi by road via Hai Phong with a short sea crossing, or by ferry from Tuan Chau in Ha Long.