A Ha Long Bay map is useful only when it separates the mainland city, the cruise ports and the visitor routes on the water. The current UNESCO World Heritage property is Ha Long Bay – Cat Ba Archipelago, but that does not mean every cruise uses the same bay, port or route. Use this page to orient yourself before you compare a specific sailing.
If you are still deciding how many days to give Ha Long or whether to choose a day trip or overnight cruise, start with the Ha Long Bay travel guide. This page stays focused on geography and route planning.
Read the Ha Long map in four layers
1. Ha Long City: the mainland side, including Bai Chay and Hon Gai, where hotels, restaurants and city attractions sit. This is different from being out on the bay.
2. Boarding points: Tuan Chau International Marina and Ha Long International Cruise Port are major passenger gateways. Always use the exact boarding point on your booking rather than navigating to a generic “Ha Long Bay” pin.
3. Ha Long Bay visitor routes: the official route number determines which caves, islets, lagoons and cultural stops a vessel can include. A map is therefore more useful when paired with the cruise programme.
4. Neighbouring travel areas: Lan Ha Bay/Cat Ba lies to the southwest and Bai Tu Long Bay to the northeast. They share the wider limestone-karst landscape, but they are not simply interchangeable sectors of one tourist route. Choose between them by departure point, permitted route and the experience you actually want.
If the main question is Ha Long vs Lan Ha, use our Ha Long Bay vs Lan Ha Bay comparison rather than using a map alone to make the decision.
Which cruise port should you pin on the map?
Use the port written on your cruise confirmation. Tuan Chau International Marina and Ha Long International Cruise Port are major passenger gateways, but the correct boarding point depends on the vessel and programme you booked. Do not navigate to whichever “Ha Long port” appears first in a map app.
| Map pin | Why it matters | What we check |
|---|---|---|
| Tuan Chau International Marina | Major cruise boarding area on Tuan Chau Island | Exact terminal/pier, check-in time and transfer from Hanoi or the hotel |
| Ha Long International Cruise Port | Passenger port in the Bai Chay side of Ha Long City | Whether the booked vessel actually boards here and how early you need to arrive |
| Gia Luan / Cat Ba side | Relevant to Cat Ba and some cross-bay connections | Whether your route is a passenger ferry, a licensed tourism route or a separate Cat Ba programme |
Older Ha Long maps and travel blogs may still suggest flying from Hanoi to Tuan Chau by seaplane. Hai Au Aviation ended its seaplane operations from 1 April 2026, so we no longer treat that as a current transfer option. For normal planning, compare the live road transfer from Hanoi or the airport against your actual cruise check-in time.
If port names are still confusing, use our Ha Long harbour guide for the boarding-point detail.
How the official VHL1–VHL8 routes change what you can see
Ha Long Bay currently publishes eight official visitor routes. You do not need to memorise all eight before booking, but the route number explains why two cruises with similar durations can include very different caves, islands and activities.
| Route | Useful planning shorthand | Examples of stops |
|---|---|---|
| VHL1 | Classic western cave/islet circuit | Thien Cung, Dau Go, Ba Hang, Dinh Huong, Trong Mai |
| VHL2 | Major cave + viewpoint + lagoon activity route | Soi Sim, Ti Top, Sung Sot, Luon, Me Cung and other listed stops |
| VHL3 | Cultural/ecological route | Cua Van, Tien Ong, Ba Ham, Ba Men, Ang Du, Bamboo Forest |
| VHL4 | Quieter eastern/northeastern exploration | Thien Canh Son, Vung Vieng, Cong Do and related ecological areas |
| VHL5 | Ha Long → Gia Luan/Cat Ba connection | Classic western stops before Gia Luan |
| VHL6 | Route toward the Lan Ha boundary | Chan Voi, Ba Cua, Tung Lam, Cap Bai |
| VHL7 | Exploration-cruise access across VHL1–VHL4 | Depends on the licensed exploration programme |
| VHL8 | Coastal port connection | Tuan Chau → Ha Long International Cruise Port → Nam Cau Trang |
For first-time travellers, VHL2 is often easy to understand because it can combine Sung Sot Cave, Ti Top and Luon Cave. But “most famous” does not automatically mean best for every group: limited mobility, cultural interest or a preference for quieter routes can point elsewhere.
In 2026, Quang Ninh and Hai Phong also formalised licensed connections between Ha Long and Lan Ha Bay on specified itineraries. That expands route choice, but it does not mean every Ha Long cruise now visits Lan Ha. Read the programme and boarding point on the actual booking.
Use our things to do in Ha Long Bay guide to match activities to routes instead of choosing a cruise from route number alone.
How we would use Google Maps before a Ha Long trip
A phone map is most useful on the land side of the trip. Once the vessel leaves the port, the licensed cruise programme—not your navigation app—decides where the boat can go.
- Save the exact hotel pin. “Bai Chay”, “Ha Long” or “Tuan Chau” is too broad when a driver is collecting you early in the morning.
- Save the exact boarding point from the cruise confirmation. Do not substitute another port because it looks closer on the map.
- Save the operator contact and check-in time. A map pin cannot tell you if the vessel, pier or meeting point changed.
- Keep the route name or route number. This is more useful for understanding the day than trying to manually plot every cave and islet yourself.
- Download the local map area if you want a backup. Treat offline maps as convenience, not as proof that a road, pier or marine stop is currently operating.
Map mistakes we would avoid
- Do not treat Ha Long City and Ha Long Bay as the same pin.
- Do not assume Lan Ha Bay or Bai Tu Long Bay is included because it appears beside Ha Long on a regional map.
- Do not plan around old seaplane pins or transfer advice published before April 2026.
- Do not infer a cruise route from photos or distance alone; confirm the licensed programme.
- Do not use one “Ha Long Harbour” search result as your boarding point without matching it to the booking.
Use the map to support the itinerary—not replace it
The useful Ha Long map is simple: know where you sleep, where you board, which route the vessel follows and whether the trip stays in Ha Long or connects to another bay area. Once those four points are clear, the map becomes a practical logistics tool instead of another source of conflicting travel advice.
For the wider trip decision, return to the Ha Long Bay travel guide. If activities are the next question, continue to Things to Do in Ha Long Bay.