Not content with merely being one of the 7 New Wonders of the World and twice-designated special status by UNESCO, Halong Bay is looking to stretch its influence even further. To this end, the Vietnamese mega-company Sun Group offers the Sun World Halong cable car, providing a beautiful aerial view of the magnificent karst seascape next to which it sits. Until its construction in 2016, the only ways to get a view of Halong Bay from above were from a private helicopter or seaplane; now at a fraction of their price, the Halong bay cable car takes visitors high above the ocean and the city below it.
The cable crosses the two halves of Halong city, separated by the mouth of water that joins Cua Luc Bay to the Gulf of Tonkin. The cable runs roughly parallel to Bai Chay Bridge, which connects the two halves by land, comprising one of the best things to do in Halong City if waiting to embark on the next day’s cruise around Halong Bay. The cable system is a great way to enjoy any Vietnam family tour that stops off in Halong prior to a cruise around the bay.
The ‘Queen Cable’, as it is named, is part of the Sun World Halong Complex, a rather bizarre amusement park that opens for just four hours per day. As of late 2018, the park is still in construction, but its iconic Ferris wheel stands completed at 215m above the sea level and acts as the terminal point for the Sun World Halong Bay cable car.
Sun World Halong Overview
• The cable car system features just two actual cars, but the ambitious capacity of each (230 people max) has seen it granted with a Guinness World Record for highest cable car capacity in the world.
• The system’s other claim to fame is the height of its two towers that support the cable, the biggest of which stands at a world record height of 189m.
• The total length of the system is 2,165 metres, running from the ground of the western half of the city to the top of Ba Deo Mountain in the eastern half.
• The system is capable of carrying 2000 people every hour, but currently carries far fewer than this due to the park being unfinished and attraction limited to the cable car’s views.
• If you’re looking for how to buy Halong Bay cable car tickets, then be prepared to spend a bit of cash. At 300,000 ($13 USD) for adults and 200,000 VND ($9 USD) for kids below 1.3m in height, the cable car remains a little on the expensive side for Vietnam, even though most visitors would not think twice about paying that amount in Europe or North America. Tickets are available from the Sun or Ocean stations that act as the system’s terminals.
Sun World Halong Cable Car
There are only two major ways to get to Halong City to utilise its cable cars and harbours offering access to Halong Bay.
By bus – Travelling by bus is probably the cheapest way to see the Halong city cable car, but bear in mind that the attraction lies about 6km from the bus station, meaning a taxi will be required for the transfer. Similarly, if coming from Hanoi, buses must be caught from Gia Lam or My Dinh stations, which are about 7km and 10km from the city’s central Old Quarter respectively. If coming from Hai Phong’s Niem Nghia station, you will need a taxi for the 3.3km journey from the city’s center.
Price from Hanoi: 140,000 VND ($6 USD)
Price from Hai Phong: 70,000 VND ($3 USD)
By private car – In a private car, you will have the added luxury of a direct transfer, with drivers able to deliver you from your hotel in Hanoi or Hai Phong straight to the cable’s departure terminal. With a smooth highway connecting Hanoi and Hai Phong to the bay, a private car is certainly the most convenient way to get to Halong’s cable cars, if not the priciest.
Price from Hanoi: Around 1,875,000 VND ($80 USD) for a 4-seater
Price from Hai Phong: 1,400,000 VND ($60 USD) for a 4-seater
Though Halong city is growing in appeal, it is still more commonly seen as not much more than a jumping-off point for Halong Bay. There are always a growing number of land-based things to do in Halong city, all of which make the location a great stop on a Northern Vietnam tour.
The undeniable main attraction of Halong City, and probably of Vietnam overall, Halong Bay draws millions of domestic and foreign tourists every year to its outstandingly beautiful seascape. From a simple day trip from Hanoi to a conclusive 3-day, 2-night cruise around the feet of gorgeous limestone mountains, Halong Bay has something to offer for everyone.
Depending on the tour that you select, activities around Halong Bay and its neighbouring Bai Tu Long Bay, also accessible from Halong city, can really get visitors close to the fascinating geological features of the World Heritage Site. Kayaking, swimming, and visits to impressive caves, secluded islands and quaint fishing villages comprise much of the excitement to be felt on a Halong Bay Cruise.
You can do a day trip or you can do a Halong overnight trip.
For more information for day trip please click on: Halong Bay full day tour from Hanoi.
One of the other attractions viewable from the 630ft crest of Halong Bay’s cable car ride is the stretching white sand of Tuan Chau beach, a 3km crescent-shaped bay on the island of Tuan Chau, from where Halong Bay tours depart. The sand of the beach has been imported to turn the island into a more attractive waiting area, but that fact takes nothing away from the beauty that its architects have been able to create with palm trees and unfettered views of Halong Bay in front.
Alongside Tuan Chau beach, the island features luxury hotels, food courts, a circus, martial arts show and many options for watersports and camping.
For a welcome injection of Vietnamese culture into your trip to Halong, Tran Quoc Nghien Temple and Long Tien Pagoda offer beautiful Buddhist architecture dating as far back as the 13th century. Both were constructed to celebrate the achievements of the Tran Dynasty, the past emperors of which are widely admired for their courage and resolve in resisting the various invaders who attempted to take Vietnam via Halong Bay.
Both temples feature their own monthly ‘festivals’ that occur at a certain time in the lunar calendar. These one-day celebrations honour the Tran Dynasty and Buddha through traditional music, feasts and a palanquin procession.
Long Tien Pagoda
For picture-perfect travel photos, Bai Tho Mountain has been an attractive stop-off for anyone staying in Halong city. After King Le Thang Tong carved a poem into the rocks in 1468, the mountain gained legendary status and now offers a wonderful stone-step ascension to its peak.
From here, a gorgeous spectacle stretches out for miles below, as Halong’s rolling mountain landscape rises and dips to the horizon. On the way up, hikers will pass glorious forests clinging to the rock, where monkeys and goats have made their homes.
Views from Bai Tho Mountain
As the final terminal point of the Halong Bay cable car, the accompanying Ferris wheel offers similar aerial views of Halong Bay’s limestone seascape. The wheel sits atop Ba Deo Mountain and has recently become an iconic landmark within Halong city, as its gigantic frame and elevated position of 215m above sea level give it a very lofty view above the city, as well as a Guinness World Record for being the world’s highest Ferris wheel.
The wheel is comprised of 64 cabins with a capacity of six people in each, taking about 20 minutes to complete a full cycle. At night, the wheel lights up in colourful tandem with the Bai Chay Bridge next to it, providing Halong city with yet another beautiful string to its bow.
Sun World Halong Ferris Wheel
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