Haiphong 2026: Vietnam's Port City and Cat Ba Gateway
Haiphong travel guide — Vietnam's third city, French colonial architecture, banh mi dac biet, and the ferry gateway to Cat Ba Island.
Guides for Haiphong
Haiphong is Vietnam’s third largest city and the country’s main northern port. Located 100km east of Hanoi, it is primarily a transport and industrial hub but has a compact French colonial old quarter, a strong local food identity, and serves as the main gateway to Cat Ba Island and Lan Ha Bay.
What Haiphong is
Most visitors pass through Haiphong rather than staying. It is the transit point between Hanoi and Cat Ba Island — buses from Hanoi connect to Haiphong’s ferry terminal for the crossing to Cat Ba Town. The port city generates little of the tourist traffic that goes to Ha Long Bay proper, and the city itself is less developed for tourism than Hanoi or HCMC.
This is part of what makes it interesting. Haiphong is a functioning Vietnamese city without a significant tourist economy. The tree-lined French colonial streets, the Opera House, the local market, and the food scene are experienced alongside Vietnamese city life rather than in a tourist context.
The French Quarter
Haiphong’s city centre retains more intact French colonial architecture than many Vietnamese cities. The Opera House (1912), the old post office, and the blocks of tree-lined boulevard around Dien Bien Phu Street preserve the Indochine urban layout. The buildings are weathered and not all well-maintained, but the scale and density of surviving colonial architecture is genuine.
Food identity
Haiphong has a distinct local cuisine — banh mi dac biet (the Haiphong version of the Vietnamese sandwich, loaded with pate, ham, pickled vegetables, and egg) is considered one of the best in Vietnam. Local crab noodle soup (banh da cua) is the city’s signature dish.
Cat Ba connection
The Haiphong to Cat Ba ferry runs 4–6 times daily from Ben Binh pier. Journey time: 1.5 hours. Fare: ₫110,000–140,000 ($4.40–5.60). This is the main route between Hanoi and Cat Ba Island.
Many Hanoi–Cat Ba bus packages include the ferry — passengers travel by bus to Haiphong’s ferry terminal and board the boat without changing vehicles.
When to visit
Haiphong warrants a half-day stop rather than a dedicated trip. If travelling between Hanoi and Cat Ba, arriving from Hanoi in the morning, exploring the colonial quarter and eating banh da cua, then taking an afternoon ferry to Cat Ba is an efficient routing.
Haiphong gets hot and humid June–September. October–April is the more comfortable period for walking the city.
Things to see
Haiphong Opera House: Built in 1912 in French Renaissance style, the Opera House anchors the city centre. The building itself is the attraction — the restored facade is the most photographed building in the city. Performances are occasional rather than regular.
Do Son Beach: A peninsula beach resort 20km southeast of the city centre. Domestic Vietnamese beach tourism destination with seafood restaurants and basic resort hotels. Not internationally known but functional as a half-day beach visit. Motorbike or taxi from the city centre.
Du Hang Pagoda: An 18th-century Buddhist pagoda in the city centre with carved wooden interior elements. Open daily, free entry. A quiet contrast to the commercial port city atmosphere.
Getting to Haiphong from Hanoi
Express buses from Hanoi’s Gia Lam or My Dinh stations take approximately 2–2.5 hours and cost ₫100,000–150,000 ($4–6) as of 2026. Departures are frequent throughout the day. The train from Hanoi takes approximately 2.5 hours and costs ₫60,000–120,000 ($2.40–4.80) depending on class.
Costs
Haiphong is a working city, not a tourist economy. Prices reflect this. Budget meals cost ₫30,000–60,000 ($1.20–2.40). A banh mi dac biet costs approximately ₫15,000–25,000 ($0.60–1). Budget accommodation starts from approximately ₫200,000 ($8) per night as of 2026.
More in Haiphong
- Things to Do in Haiphong
- Haiphong Food Guide — Best Dishes and Where to Eat
- Best Restaurants in Haiphong
- Where to Stay in Haiphong
- Best Hotels in Haiphong
- Best Hostels in Haiphong
- Day Trips from Haiphong
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Haiphong worth visiting or just a transit point?
- Haiphong warrants a half-day stop. It has intact French colonial architecture, a distinct food identity (banh da cua, banh mi dac biet), and a functioning city atmosphere without a significant tourist economy. Most visitors combine it with the Cat Ba Island ferry.
- How often do ferries run from Haiphong to Cat Ba?
- The ferry from Ben Binh pier runs 4-6 times daily. Journey time is 1.5 hours. Fare is 110,000-140,000 VND ($4.40-5.60). Many Hanoi-Cat Ba bus packages include the ferry.
- What is the best time to visit Haiphong?
- October to April is the more comfortable period for walking the city. June to September is hot and humid. A morning arrival from Hanoi, exploring the colonial quarter, eating banh da cua, then an afternoon ferry to Cat Ba is an efficient routing.