Hạ Long: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Hạ Long is a city of 270,054 people in Vietnam (Quảng Ninh), 8 m (26 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Cat Bi International Airport (HPH), 39 km (24 mi) from the centre.
Key facts
Daylight in Hạ Long runs from about 10 h 54 min a day in late December to 13 h 27 min in late June (computed for 20.95° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Hạ Long is served by 2 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Cat Bi International Airport (HPH), 39 km (24 mi) from the centre, whose 10,007-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft. The alternatives are Van Don International Airport (VDO, 40 km).
Flights to Hạ Long: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Hạ Long · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Hanoi, 128 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Nanning, 244 km (China) — flights
- Haikou, 356 km (China)
- Haiphong, 42 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Zhanjiang, 345 km (China)
- Lianjiang, 341 km (China)
- Qinzhou, 200 km (China)
- Guigang, 354 km (China)
- Yulin, 368 km (China)
- Sanya, 394 km (China)
Twin towns and sister cities: Acapulco de Juárez, Danzhou, Fuzhou.
Common questions
Which airport serves Hạ Long?
Cat Bi International Airport (HPH), 39 km (24 mi) from the centre, plus 1 other airport with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Hạ Long?
About 270,054 people live in Hạ Long, across 272 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Hạ Long in?
Asia/Bangkok, currently UTC+7.
What currency is used in Hạ Long?
The Dong (VND). Traffic drives on the right.
Which cities are near Hạ Long?
Hanoi (128 km), Nanning (244 km), Haikou (356 km), Haiphong (42 km), Zhanjiang (345 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.