Getting From Cat Bi Airport to Central Haiphong by Taxi or Bus

Cat Bi International Airport sits about 8 km southeast of downtown Hai Phong, in Hai An District, making the ride into the city short by Vietnamese airport standards. The real decision isn't distance, it's mode: a metered taxi waiting right outside, a motorbike taxi once you're past the airport grounds, or a public bus that costs a fraction of the price and takes longer.

Why Cat Bi Is Often a Waypoint, Not the Destination

Haiphong itself draws some travelers for its port-city history, French colonial architecture, and food scene, but a large share of people landing at Cat Bi are actually headed onward. Cat Ba Island and Halong Bay are the usual next stops, reached by road and ferry or by direct transfer services that some hotels and tour operators run straight from the airport.

If that's your plan, it changes the calculus here. You may not need to go into central Haiphong at all — some transfer vans and private cars bypass the city center and head straight for the Cat Ba ferry terminal or a Halong Bay pier. Check with your accommodation or tour operator before you land, because booking that connection in advance can save you a separate taxi ride into town followed by another ride back out.

For travelers who are staying in Haiphong, or who need a few hours in the city before continuing on, the options below apply directly.

Taking a Taxi From the Terminal

Metered taxis line up outside the arrivals hall at Cat Bi, and this is the most straightforward option for most arrivals, especially with luggage or after a late flight. Look for recognized taxi company branding on the vehicle rather than getting into an unmarked car that approaches you first.

Confirm the driver starts the meter before you pull away, since that single habit avoids most of the pricing disputes travelers report at Vietnamese airports. If a driver refuses to use the meter or quotes a flat fare that feels high, it's reasonable to wait for the next car in line.

Given the short, roughly 8 km distance into the city, a taxi ride here tends to be quick even with some traffic. The airport operator does not publish a fixed taxi tariff, so confirm the fare on the meter or with your hotel rather than relying on a number from an old blog post.

Booking a Ride-Hail Car Instead

Grab operates in Haiphong, and opening the app after you land is worth doing before you commit to a taxi queue, since a ride-hail booking gives you an upfront price and a driver you can track. That said, coverage and driver availability in a secondary city like Haiphong can be thinner than what you'd find in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.

Don't assume a car will appear instantly the way it might in a larger metro. Check the app after landing to see current wait times and whether cars are actually circulating near the airport at that hour. If nothing shows up within a few minutes, falling back to the taxi rank or a motorbike taxi is a reasonable plan B rather than something to feel bad about.

Motorbike Taxi as a Lighter, Cheaper Option

If you're traveling light, a motorbike taxi is available once you walk outside the airport area — riders typically don't wait inside the terminal grounds. The going rate is about VND 7,000 per kilometer, which puts the roughly 8 km ride into the city at a fraction of a car taxi's cost.

This option suits solo travelers with a backpack rather than checked luggage, since there's nowhere to stow a suitcase. It's also worth agreeing on the price before you get on, since motorbike fares are negotiated rather than metered.

Riding the Public Bus Into Town

Two city bus routes serve Cat Bi directly. Route 18 runs from Le Hong Phong Street (the airport's street) to the Song Hoa pontoon bridge, operating from 05:45 to 18:30 for VND 20,000 per person. Route 9 runs between Dinh Vu and the Dai Ha intersection, operating from 05:20 to 19:00 for VND 8,000 per person. Both are cash fares paid on board.

Who this suits: budget travelers, or anyone with time to spare and no more than a backpack. What you give up: predictability. A bus doesn't wait for you, doesn't take a fixed route to your hotel door, and requires more comfort with ambiguity than a taxi or motorbike does.

Comparing the Options

The table below lines up the practical trade-offs so you can match the option to your situation rather than defaulting to whichever one you've used elsewhere in Vietnam.

Arriving Late or Very Early

Cat Bi is a smaller airport, and both bus routes above stop running in the evening and don't restart until early morning. If your flight lands outside those hours, don't assume a bus will be running.

This is also the point at which pre-arranging a private transfer through your hotel or a tour operator earns its cost. A confirmed driver waiting with your name on a sign removes the guesswork entirely, which matters more at 2 a.m. than it does at 2 p.m.

Connecting Onward to Cat Ba or Halong Bay

If Haiphong is a stopover rather than your destination, ask whether a direct transfer from Cat Bi to the Cat Ba ferry terminal or a Halong Bay departure point exists for your travel dates. Several tour operators and some hotels run these connections, and skipping the detour into central Haiphong can save real time.

If no direct transfer is available or convenient, the standard path is a taxi from the airport to Haiphong's relevant bus or ferry departure point, followed by the onward journey. Build in extra buffer time for this connection, since coordinating a flight arrival with a ferry or bus departure leaves little room for delays on either end.

What This Guide Doesn't Cover

This guide doesn't state a fixed metered-taxi fare or drive time, because the airport operator doesn't publish one and both vary with traffic and your exact destination. Confirm the fare on the meter, by asking your hotel, or with a ride-hail app's estimate before you commit.

It also doesn't cover the Cat Ba ferry or Halong Bay boat schedules in detail, since those depend on your specific onward booking. If you're continuing past Haiphong the same day, contact your tour operator or accommodation ahead of arrival to confirm timing on both ends of that connection.