1 When is the best time to visit Bãi Cháy?
When people talk about tourist destinations in Quảng Ninh, you will likely hear about a beautiful resort area with a rather unusual name: Bãi Cháy. It got its name because, during the French colonial period, the area was heavily wooded, and many fishing boats came ashore to light fires. However, the flames spread and set fire to a large area by the sea, leading people to call it Bãi Cháy.
The natural conditions here are ideal, with pleasant, cool weather, so you can visit Bãi Cháy at any time of year. However, the best time to visit is from April to September, when the weather is especially lovely, with gentle sunshine, shimmering sandy beaches, and clear blue skies and sea.
Bãi Cháy, Hạ Long, is wonderfully cool on autumn afternoons, with a gentle breeze
2 Getting to Bãi Cháy
There are many ways to get to Bãi Cháy, Quảng Ninh, so you can choose the option that suits you best before setting off.
- Train: Depart from Yên Viên or Gia Lâm Station in Hanoi and travel to Hạ Long Station. From there, head to Bãi Cháy Bus Station and take a taxi to your destination.
- Bus: There are many services from Mỹ Đình and Giáp Bát bus stations to Bãi Cháy, Quảng Ninh. Tickets cost around 100,000 VND per person, and a bus departs every 5–10 minutes.
- Motorbike: Many visitors choose to travel by motorbike. Along the way, you can admire the scenery and enjoy the fresh air. There are two main routes: take Route 5 to the Sài Đồng intersection, turn toward Bắc Ninh, then follow Route 18 through Chí Linh and Hải Dương to Đông Triều and Uông Bí, and finally continue to Hạ Long. Alternatively, travel from Nội Bài Airport to Bắc Ninh, via Phả Lại and Chí Linh, then continue to Đông Triều, Uông Bí, and Hạ Long.
Traveling to Bãi Cháy by coach gives you the chance to admire the beautiful scenery along the way
3 Things to do in Bãi Cháy
3.1 Bãi Cháy Beach
Bãi Cháy Beach in Quảng Ninh is a beautiful and very famous beach in Vietnam. Bãi Cháy is a man-made beach with a shoreline stretching 1000m and a width of more than 100m. Its clear, cool, emerald waters and many clean, beautiful bathing areas make it a popular destination. Bãi Cháy attracts a large number of tourists every year. The fresh air and rows of green trees lining the beach create a lovely setting. Bãi Cháy offers a comfortable, relaxing experience to everyone who visits.
Here, you can swim to your heart's content, stroll along the shimmering sandy beaches, sunbathe and savor the sea air, or enjoy a range of fun beach sports and activities. There are also plenty of services, including bicycle and kite rentals, as well as food and drinks served on-site, so you can enjoy a fun and relaxing visit.
Bãi Cháy Beach is always busy with visitors, especially during the hot summer months
3.2 Bãi Cháy Bridge
Bãi Cháy Bridge is considered by international experts to be a stunning structure and is one of the world's five largest single-plane cable-stayed bridges. Built to connect Hòn Gai and Bãi Cháy across the Lục River estuary, the bridge has a total length of 1106m.
From the bridge, you can admire its truly magnificent and harmonious architecture. At night, it is illuminated by sparkling lights. Beneath the bridge is a long, beautiful walking path where you can enjoy the area's fresh, cool air.
Bãi Cháy Bridge stands tall as it spans a large river
See also: Discover Bãi Cháy Bridge - Quảng Ninh's unique architectural landmark
3.3 Bãi Cháy Night Market
Bãi Cháy Night Market in Quảng Ninh is a wonderful place to visit after dark. If you want to sample Quảng Ninh's specialties, you'll find plenty of fresh, delicious seafood here. The market also sells a wide range of finely crafted handicrafts, making it a great place to pick up gifts for family and friends. It's a favorite destination that no visitor should miss if they want to experience the lively nightlife here.
Bãi Cháy Night Market offers many specialties famous throughout the country
3.4 Bãi Cháy Old Quarter
Bãi Cháy Old Quarter in Quảng Ninh is an architectural attraction that blends old-world charm with a fresh, distinctive feel. The area evokes the architecture of Hanoi's Old Quarter, known as the 36 Streets, and Hội An Ancient Town. With its historic yet eye-catching design, it is a popular spot for young people to take photos. Here, you can get a feel for the bustling trading streets of the past. The picturesque surroundings and modern shops make for a memorable visit. Bãi Cháy Old Quarter is open 24/24, so you can explore at your leisure.
3.5 Bãi Cháy Western Quarter
Bãi Cháy Western Quarter in Quảng Ninh is home to many well-known cafés. For young people, it's an ideal place to take photos. The quarter is part of a development project, and the buildings along its streets are painted in vivid, striking colors, creating the feeling of being on a trip to Europe. There are plenty of picture-perfect spots to choose from.
3.6 Instagram-worthy cafés in Bãi Cháy
Bãi Cháy has plenty of cafés with beautiful interiors, delicious drinks, and, best of all, lots of photo-worthy corners where you can take some amazing pictures:
- Halong Ecolodge - Eco House
Address: Group 4, Zone 4, Bãi Cháy, Hạ Long
- Gió Coffee
Address: Đặng Bá Hát, Hồng Gai Ward, Hạ Long City, Quảng Ninh
- Kafa Bãi Cháy
Addresses:
PG2-01 Vinhomes Dragon Bay, Bến Đoan, Hạ Long City
PG1-28 Vinhomes Dragon Bay, Bến Đoan, Hạ Long City
A2-25 Mon Bay New Urban Area, Hạ Long City
Cái Dăm New Urban Area, Bãi Cháy, Hạ Long City
4 What to eat in Bãi Cháy
If you're spending 3 days and 2 nights in Bãi Cháy, Quảng Ninh, don't miss the local specialties. Restaurants throughout Bãi Cháy, Quảng Ninh, serve a variety of dishes.
- Steamed stone crabs
Steamed stone crab is a must-try when you visit Bãi Cháy. It's a simple dish: just add some fresh stone crabs to a pot with a little beer, lemongrass, and chili, and in just 15-20 minutes you'll have a wonderfully delicious meal.
- Sipunculid worms (sa sung)
This is a highly nutritious and valuable seafood delicacy. Shaped like worms, they were once considered food fit for kings. Fresh sipunculid worms are stir-fried, while dried ones are used to make phở broth, adding a rich, savory flavor.
- Fried squid with eggs
The squid is freshly caught, so you can savor its full, sweet flavor. Once prepared and grilled, it's delicious dipped in chili salt or fish sauce. Nothing compares! It's also quite affordable, at just 70,000–80,000 VND per plate. The area is also famous for its delicious squid cakes.
- Horseshoe crab
Horseshoe crab is an exceptionally tasty and nutritious type of seafood. It can be stir-fried with a sweet-and-sour sauce or marinated and grilled over hot charcoal; both preparations are excellent. To make this dish well, the chef needs years of experience.
Squid cakes are the most popular specialty gift among visitors to Hạ Long
Hạ Long sea cucumber is a precious gift from the sea to the people who live here
5 Bãi Cháy specialties to take home
Most specialties from Bãi Cháy, Quảng Ninh, are made with seafood. The items that tend to leave the strongest impression on visitors are dried shrimp, dried squid cakes, dried squid, and dried sipunculid worms. They're excellent gifts to take home for friends and family after a visit to Bãi Cháy, Quảng Ninh.
Squid cakes cost around 250,000–500,000 VND/kg, dried squid costs around 350,000–1,000,000 VND or more per kg, and sipunculid worms cost around 2–2.5 million VND/kg. You can buy all of these at Quảng Ninh Night Market.
Bãi Cháy, Quảng Ninh, is an ideal destination for many travelers. It's a wonderful place to relax and unwind, while also offering new experiences, especially when it comes to the local cuisine. If you have time, be sure to visit Bãi Cháy.
