Hotels in Hai Phong

Hai Phong: Vietnam's Port City on the Gulf of Tonkin

Hai Phong sits on the Cửa Cấm River, 102 km east of Hanoi, making it Vietnam's third-largest city and the country's most important deep-water port. Founded as a colonial trading post in 1888 under French administration, the city retains a notable collection of Art Deco and French colonial architecture along Điện Biên Phủ Street and around the Tam Bạc canal district. Unlike Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong draws fewer foreign tourists, which keeps prices lower and street markets — including the Sắt Market selling everything from fresh seafood to hardware — oriented toward local life.

Where to Stay

Most hotels cluster around Ngô Quyền Street in the city centre and near Lạch Tray Stadium to the north. Business travelers arrive for port and logistics work; weekenders from Hanoi use Hai Phong as a gateway to Cát Bà Island, reachable by ferry in roughly 45 minutes from Bến Bính pier. The island's national park covers 26,241 hectares and includes the southern end of Hạ Long Bay.

Practical Tips

• Getting there: Trains from Hanoi run roughly every two hours; journey time is 2.5 hours.
• Ferry access: Bến Bính pier operates daily departures to Cát Bà Island from early morning.
• Local food: Bánh đa cua — crab noodle soup with red rice noodles — is the city's signature dish, served at street stalls from around 06:00.
• Currency: Vietnamese Đồng (VND); ATMs are common along Trần Phú Street.