Hiking in Cat Ba National Park

Hiking in Cat Ba National Park

Cat Ba, Vietnam

---

Cat Ba National Park is a protected area situated on Cat Ba Island in northern Vietnam. Once you are on Cat Ba island, the entrance to the National Park is here, which is conveniently accessible by scooter (you can rent one from everywhere: hostel, shops, …).

It is open from 07:00 to 17:00, although this schedule may vary depending on the season. The entrance fee is 80.000 VND, and there is an additional fee of 10.000 VND for parking. This ticket includes access to Trung Trang Cave.

In the national park, hiking is the most popular activity, and two routes stand out from the rest:

• Ngu Lam Peak Trail: This hike takes you to the viewpoint where people take pictures on a stone with the scenic jungle landscape in the background. The trail is relatively short, just 1.5km long. However, the steepness and the presence of numerous steps make it a bit demanding, and the round trip could take you around 1-2 hours. The path is narrow but mainly in the shade. You will be surrounded by tree vines and lush vegetation. If you can, we would recommend you to go early in the morning because there will be no one, otherwise, it could be a bit annoying finding people on that narrow path. Additionally, the birds are more active in the morning.
• Long Hike: This is an extensive hike that will require almost the whole day to complete. It takes around 6 hours to walk the 14 km of the trail. Along the way, you will see the Frog Pond, Viet Hai village, and at the end, you will reach Lan Ha Bay, where you can take a break on one of the hidden beaches and have a relaxing swim. You can return to Cat Ba Town by boat from Lan Ha Bay. This hike offers great views over the bay, in contrast with the Ngu Lam Peak Trail which only offers jungle landscapes.

Besides, you can visit the Hospital Cave, which is a fascinating underground hospital used during the Vietnam War. It’s located here.

Trung Trang cave is another cave you can explore with the same entrance ticket (location. The cave stretches for 300 meters, consisting of multiple chambers and passages. Sometimes you will have to crawl to progress. The cave itself is not the most impressive and is not very well maintained, so you can skip that step if your schedule is tight. Here you have a post about it (Explorando la cueva Trung Trang en CatBa)

Cat Ba national park is renowned for its rich biodiversity, offering a diverse range of habitats such as tropical rainforest, limestone karsts, mangrove forests, freshwater lakes, and coral reefs. The park is home to some mammals, for instance, the endangered golden-headed langurs, civets, deer, squirrels, and several bat species in addition to a diverse bird population, including eagles, hawks, owls, and many migratory species.

There are two restaurants within the national park, one located at the beginning and the other 500 m from the entrance.

Furthermore, there is an exhibition room displaying preserved animals from the area.

---

Cat Ba National Park is a great place for hiking. You will be surrounded by lush vegetation, and the scenery is very beautiful. If you want to be alone, come early in the morning.

Comment if you have any question!