Set Đông Bãi, not old Gót, for the Cát Bà ferry

For a first visit, base yourself in the centre of Ngô Quyền and Lê Chân, around the Opera House. The area is flat and compact, with museums, cafes and street food in easy walking distance. Choose Đồ Sơn instead only for a beach stay in summer, when it is lively and crowded, and expect it to be nearly empty off-season…

On the 30 April to 1 May holiday and around 2 September, Cát Bà fills up, and crowds and room rates rise sharply. Book rooms, cable car and Lan Hạ Bay tours two to four weeks ahead. Storms are possible in September, so check the forecast and keep a spare day in the plan. Quieter streets sit just off the main…

Cát Hải fish sauce and Cát Bà dried squid make good gifts, but the label matters more than the shelf. Buy from a market or shop with clear labels, and read the producer, ingredients, production date and expiry. Check that the bottle cap and seal are intact. For dried squid, choose a natural colour and a clean sea…

Hát Đúm is call-and-answer folk singing from the villages of Thủy Nguyên, performed at spring festivals in the first days of the lunar year. The 2025 festival ran on the fourth and fifth days, with nine clubs showing ten singing styles, from greeting to wedding and farewell songs. Visitors can listen, meet the folk…

Chả chìa Hạ Lũng is a steamed paste of pork and sun-dried Cát Bà squid moulded on a stick of sugarcane, and it is a classic Hải Phòng gift. Its home is the Lũng market area in Hải An district, so go there rather than a souvenir shop. Eat it with garlic-chili fish sauce and fresh herbs. Choose a fresh, well-packed…

The Bà Đế temple in Đồ Sơn holds its festival on the 24th to 26th of the second lunar month, with thanksgiving rites on the first two days and the spring opening and rice offering on the 26th. Guides describe the rites as solemn, without fortune-telling or spirit mediums. Dress modestly, keep the grounds clean and…

Each year on the 7th to 9th days of the second lunar month, Hải Phòng honours the heroine Lê Chân at Đền Nghè and Đình An Biên. A procession of about 1,500 people walks to the statue square, and the days include living chess, folk games and martial arts. The festival has been national intangible heritage since 2016…

Điện Biên Phủ, once Paul Bert Avenue, and the streets around it hold many of the city's French-era buildings, including the City Museum, the post office and the railway station. They are found mainly in the Hồng Bàng, Lê Chân and Ngô Quyền areas. Walk in the early morning or late afternoon for soft light and quiet…