5 Best Beaches near Hanoi

Do Son Beach features a 4-km-long promontory formed by the Rong Mountains in Hai Phong Province. It was a popular resort town among the French during their occupancy in Vietnam thanks to its smooth sands, picturesque surroundings and close proximity to the Vietnam capital. 

The beach also houses plenty of restaurants, hotels and resorts with views of the ocean and islets, while the main town is renowned for its annual festival (from late September or October), attracting travellers looking to experience the local culture during their holiday in Hanoi. It takes about 1 hour and 55 minutes to get to the beach from Hanoi by car.

Thinh Long Beach, located within Nam Dinh Province, is a relatively untouched landscape that’s mostly frequented by locals during weekends and holidays. The beach is about 2 hours and 55 minutes from Hanoi by car.

Perfect for when you’re in need of a break from Hanoi’s often chaotic pace, this quiet and clean beach also offers cool winds and gentle waves that are suitable for surfing, swimming and canoeing to rock islets just off the coast. There are local eateries serving authentic Vietnamese dishes and fresh seafood sourced from fishing villages within the area. 

Bai Chay Beach is a coastal town about 100 km northeast of Hanoi, attracting a huge crowd of beachgoers in the summertime. It's about 3 hours from Hanoi by car. It’s also the closest beach to the iconic Ha Long Bay, where you can find plenty of resorts, seafood restaurants and beachside activities such as jet skiing, surfing and canoeing. 

For those looking to enjoy some sightseeing during their visit, notable landmarks on Bai Chay Beach include the Hoàng Gia Park, Royal Water Park and Ha Long Night Market.

Tuan Chau Beach on Tuan Chau Island boasts modern villas, stylish upmarket restaurants and recreational facilities for travellers looking to enjoy a luxurious vacation outside Hanoi. Located 160 km east of the Vietnamese capital or 3 hours by car, this manmade resort town also houses one of the largest entertainment complexes in Southeast Asia, where visitors can enjoy laser light shows and film screenings. 

Tuan Chau Beach also has a massive botanical garden and there are tour companies offering day trips to the iconic Ha Long Bay.

Cat Ba Island is one of the many islets within the UNESCO-listed Ha Long Bay, with almost every tour company offering a boat trip there. The whole journey to get there from Hanoi takes about 4 hours and 20 minutes.

While it’s full of the usual tourist places (such as hotels, restaurants and bars), you can still find several sandy beaches along the east coast of the Cat Ba Town. The beaches of Cat Co One and Cat Co Three are linked by a cliff-facing pathway that’s great for daytime strolls, while Cat Co Two Beach offers plenty of bungalows and chalets that are perfect for romantic getaways.