Sapa to Halong Bay Bus: Best Guideline for Your Transfer
If you're planning a trip to Vietnam and want to explore the stunning landscapes of Sapa and Halong Bay, a bus transfer is an excellent choice. This comprehensive guide provides valuable insights, expert tips, and the essential information to ensure a seamless and picturesque journey from Sapa to Halong Bay by bus.
Sapa to Halong Bay route
Sapa is in the northwest of Hanoi, and Halong Bay is slightly in the southeast. Sapa town is 315 km away from Hanoi, 38km away from Lao Cai City, and 450 km away from Halong Bay. It takes from 7 to 10 hours to travel. Many roads on the route from Sapa to Halong bay were built, especially the Hanoi-Lao Cai highways help to cut down the traveling time.
Map from Sapa to Halong Bay
There are a few choices for transfer from Sapa to Halong Bay by bus: local bus, shuttle bus, limousine bus, day bus, and night bus. The normal route of a direct bus is Lao Cai – Vinh Phuc province – Noi Bai airport – Gia Lam district – Bac Ninh province – Hai Duong province – Halong city, while the route for transiting in Hanoi is Lao Cai - Vinh Phuc province - Hanoi city center - Gia Lam district - Bac Ninh province - Halong Bay.
Tuan Chau Cruise Port
Remember that the check-in time for the Halong Bay cruise is 11:30 - 12:00, and there are 4 main piers for Halong Bay: Got Ferry, Tuan Chau Marina, Vinashine Port, and Halong International Port. Make sure you go to the right one and be on time for the cruise if you do not use the cruise shuttle bus.
Types of buses from Sapa to Halong Bay
Bus from Sapa to Halong Bay is the first choice for many tourists as it does not require long hours of traveling like a train. The bus ticket is not as expensive as it is when traveling in a private car. Some buses travel directly, while some transit in Hanoi for a few hours. Depending on your budget, interest, or amount of time you have, you can choose the bus which is the best suited for you. Below is information about the most three popular buses: schedule, price, pros, and cons of these three kinds of buses.
Sapa to Halong Bay shuttle bus
There is only a shuttle bus provided by Sapa Pathfinder Travel, which travels directly from Sapa to Halong Bay. Other shuttle buses arrive in Hanoi; you then need to catch another shuttle bus provided by Halong Bay cruise to the pier.
Green Bus: The green bus has experienced drivers, and English-speaking tour guides, and provides free wifi, a bottle of water, and warm blankets. You will have 2 time stops for a break during the travel from Sapa to Hanoi: 10 minutes for the first time and 30 minutes for the second time. This bus company got good reviews from its customers.
| Pick-up point | Drop-off point |
| 618 Dien Bien Phu, Sapa town | Hanoi Old Quarter |
| Pick-up time | Drop-off time |
| 8:00, 13:30, 16:00, 22:00 | 12:45, 19:15, 21:30, 3:30 |
Green bus
Sapa Pathfinder Travel: They use the newest Hyundai Universe from Korea, which has 46 soft sleeper berths, equipped with LCD Monitor, headphones, and warm blankets.
| Pick-up point | Drop-off point |
| Sapa Town | Halong |
| Pick-up time | Drop-off time |
| 17:00 | 6:30 |
Inter bus line Sapa: They offer a group of modern Hyundai Universe Express with big-sized & decent seats supported by an excellent sound system with DVD providing you a useful documentary of Sapa. You are offered free bottles of water and a snack on the bus. The driver is experienced and thoughtful, you will be safe to discover Sapa with an unforgettable experience. There will be a short break in 30 minutes on the way from Sapa to Hanoi.
| Pick-up point | Drop-off point |
| Sapa Town | Hanoi Old Quarter |
| Pick-up time | Drop-off time |
| 7:30,11:00, 13:30 | 15:30, 21:30 |
| Price ticket | Hotline | |
| Green Bus | $ 13.50 | +84 97 670 82 83 |
| Sapa Pathfinder Travel | $ 18.98 | +84 916 725 787 |
| Inter bus line Sapa | $ 10.55 | +849 8587 3537 |
Pros:
- Easy communication: Provide English-speaking tour guides
- Comfort: Designed for foreign tourists, and equipped with all the important amenities
Cons:
- High cost: A shuttle bus is a bit more expensive than an overnight bus.
- Time-consuming: Need to transit in Hanoi on another bus.
- Inconvenience: You may have to be at the bus office for the departure.
The shuttle bus from Sapa to Halong can not as good as you expected. It is long hours traveling on a bumpy road. There are no toilets on the bus, some assistants can speak basic English...It is highly recommended to use a limousine transfer from Sapa to Hanoi, then a shuttle bus from Hanoi to Halong Bay if you are not tight with your budget.
Luxury (Limousine) bus from Sapa to Halong bay
There is no direct limousine from Sapa to Halong Bay. You need to transit to Hanoi if you want to travel on this kind of transfer.
Most Bus company has picked up point at hotels in Sapa town and drop off point around Hanoi Old Quarter.
The duration of transfer is about 5 hours.
Sapa to Hanoi Limousine
| Bus company | Number of seats | Price ticket | Pick uptime |
| Inter Bus Lines (+849 8587 3537) | 9 & 12 | 18 USD | 13:30, 14:30 , 22:00 |
| Sapa Express | 16 & 28 | 13 -16 USD | 16:00, 13:30, 15:30 |
| Eco Sapa ( 0375 556 666) | 15 USD | 7:00,15:00 |
Hanoi to Halong Bay Limousine bus
| Bus Company Name | Price/ ticket (US$) | Pick up Point | Drop of point |
| 20 | Hotel/ apartment in Hanoi center Hanoi Opera House - 1 Trang Tien Street | Halong Ports | |
| Green Lion Bus (098 470 96 69) | 7.17 - 10.12 | Hotel/ apartment in Hanoi center | Hotel & Pier in Halong center |
| BeePro Limousine (0439112222 - 0965851118) | 8.44 - 10.55 | Hanoi Opera House -1 Trang Tien Street | Hai Phong Center |
| Limousine Phuc Xuyen (0203 3827 827) | 7.59 - 10.12 | Hotel/ apartment in Hanoi center | Hotel & Pier in Halong center |
| Co To Limousine (0719004501) | 8.44 - 10.97 | Hotel/ apartment in Hanoi center | Bai Chay or Tuan Chau Area |
| Ninh Quỳnh Limousine (1900.1121) | 7.59 - 8.44 | Hotel/ apartment in Hanoi center | Hotel & Pier in Halong center |
| Limousine of the cruise company (8:30 - 9:00 AM) | 15 - 20 | Hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter | Cruise pier |
Pros:
- Convenient, high-quality services: The limousine bus provides comfortable seats, a minibar, LCD screen, stereo, system automatic doors, working desks, Wi-Fi, 3G system, and bottled water.
- Traveling time-saving: You will spend less time traveling on the road from Sapa to Hanoi if you choose a limousine.
Cons:
- High cost: It is more expensive to travel on a limousine than an overnight bus or a shuttle bus.
Inside a luxury bus from Hanoi to Halong Bay
Using a limousine bus is the best option for traveling from Sapa to Halong Bay if you are not tight with your budget. It can be more expensive than other kinds of buses, however, it is worth paying extra money. Booking a limousine directly with the providers is easy, however, the quality of the bus service is a question. To have a memorial trip from Sapa to Halong Bay, book with the travel agency for easy communication, the best bus service quality. Book a limousine bus with BestPrice Travel
Sapa to Halong bay Overnight Bus
Most of the overnight buses from Sapa to Halong Bay are local buses. They are big in size, departing from Lao Cai bus station. But the bus companies will provide transiting vehicles from Sapa town to Lao Cai bus station, which can be either taxi or seating bus. The overnight bus will stop at the bus station either in Quang Ninh or Haiphong, you then need to take a taxi to the pier for the Halong Bay cruise. Phuc Xuyen, Cuong Lan, or Cuong Lam are among the most popular overnight bus which travels directly from Lao Cai to Halong.
Phuc Xuyen: The bus company uses a high-class 42-bed bus (either Hyundai Express or Samco) with full service and necessary facilities such as an air conditioner, blanket, LCD screen, wifi, free drinking water, and cold towel. You will feel comfortable throughout the journey. The bus picks up its customers at its office in Sapa, but the drop-off point is at Bai Chay station. From there, you can catch a taxi to the cruise pier. Bai Chay is not its last stop, so you should advise the driver assistant about your drop-off, he will announce when you arrive.
| Pick-up point | Drop-off point |
| Sapa office | 573 Dien Bien Phu Bai Chay Bus station |
| Pick-up time | Drop-off time |
| 16:00, 18:30 | 10:10, 14:30 |
Cuong Lan bus: The bus has 45 reclining seats which allow passengers to lie back and relax. It has air conditioning, a blanket provided. Luggage Allowance is 20 kg bag
| Pick-up point | Drop-off point |
| Lao Cai | Mong Cai |
| Pick-up time | Drop-off time |
| 18:00 | 5:45 |
Cuong Lan sleeper bus from Sapa to Halong Bay
| Price ticket | Hotline | |
| Phuc Xuyen | $ 15.61 | 02033662662 |
| Cuong Lan bus | $ 16.87 | 0967856856 |
Pros:
- Time-saving: Among many possible options, traveling from Sapa to Halong Bay on a sleeping bus is a perfect choice because it is time-saving and doesn’t require any transit point.
- Money-saving: By traveling on an overnight bus, you can save your money to spend on a night's accommodation. The night bus is at a reasonable price in comparison with other kinds of transfers like limousines or shuttle buses.
Cons:
- Poor communication: Like most of the local buses, the driver on the overnight bus does not speak English. You need to write down the drop-off location or use google translate to let the driver know the exact address you want to be dropped off
- No privacy: You will be sharing the bus with many other people both local and foreign tourists. Remember to keep your valuable things in a safe place.
=> Each kind of bus has some good and bad points, therefore it is necessary to understand each kind of transfer and choose the best for you. The easiest way to travel from Sapa to Halong Bay is to book a Halong Sapa package tour where everything is taken care of for you from the hotel accommodations to the transfer, and tour, BestPrice Travel is able to arrange all these services for you, so do not hesitate to contact our travel consultant for the most memorable trip to Vietnam.
Linh DK
(Image sources: Internet)
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Sapa to Halong Bay Bus: Best Guideline for Your TransferJune 18, 2023 - 3025 Views
